The Bible directly refers to Egypt as the Land of Ham. The word Ham is believed to come from the word Khawm which means “black, hot, and burnt” in Hebrew and chamam, also a Hebrew word for “to be hot”.

Ham is the youngest of Noah’s three sons along with Japeth and Shem. Ham himself has four sons, namely:  Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (Libya), and lastly, Canaan (Canaanites are believed to be the first people in Israel). The Bible stated that Ham and his sons, and their soon-to-be descendants lived and became the forefathers of the African continent and the Middle East.

Known as distant travellers and explorers, Ham and his family had discovered and extended their horizon in various unfamiliar countries. It has been said that whatsoever country the children of Ham happened to occupy, there began the ignorance of true godliness.

What does the Bible tell about Nations of Ham?

• Genesis 5:32.  The name Ham was first mentioned in the Bible as one of Noah’s three sons.
• Genesis 9:18. Ham as the father of Canaan.
• Psalms 105:23, 78:51, 1Ch 4:40. Egypt referred to as the land of Ham.
• Genesis 10:6. The four sons of Ham.
• Genesis 9:20-27. The curse of Noah to Ham’s youngest son, Canaan after Ham “saw the nakedness of his father” and told his two brothers about it.

The Curse of Ham in Present Times
The Curse of Ham was used by some sectors to rationalize racism and slavery of Black African who are believed to have descended from Ham. They were branded as Hamites whose forefathers are believed to be Canaan or his older brothers. This has changed in the 21st century.

References:
http://www.angelfire.com/ill/hebrewisrael/printpages/phys.html

http://www.biblestudytools.com/nirv/genesis/10.html

http://www.countriesandcities.com/continents/africa/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ham_(son_of_Noah)

http://www.freemaninstitute.com/RTGham.htm

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=882&letter=A