Bible Encyclopedias
Naphtuhim

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

naf - tū´him ( נפתּחים , naphtūḥı̄m ; Septuagint Νεφθαλείμ , Nephthaleı́m ): A son of Mizraim ( Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:11 ); but, according to most modern authorities, a district or a dependency of Egypt. Among the many efforts at identification the following deserve notice: Naphtuhim = (1) Nephthys (Νέφθυς , Néphthus ) in the Northeast of Egypt; (2) Na -ptah , i.e. the people of Ptah, the dwellers in the neighborhood of Memphis; (3) Nathu (according to Herodotus, Ναθῶ , Nathṓ ), which occurs in Assurbanipal's Annals as the name of a part of Lower Egypt; (4) Erman (ZATW , X, 118), by the change of a letter, reads Petemhim, which signifies "The Northland"; (5) Spiegelberg sees in the word an old designation of the Delta, and would therefore render the name, "the people of the Delta" (compare Johns, HDB; Skinner and Holzinger on Genesis ).