Ham (son of Noah)

Ham, according to the Bible, was Noah's youngest son and the ancestor of the peoples of Africa. His name means "hot".

Shem, Ham and Japhet, a painting by James Tissot. Ham is the man in the middle with red clothes.

He had four sons: Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. They populated Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, and the land of Canaan (now Israel) respectively.

According to the Bible's Book of Genesis, Ham spied on his father while he was naked. This angered Noah, who cursed Ham's son Canaan.