Biblical terminology for race

Since early modern times, a number of biblical ethnonyms from the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 have been used as a basis for classifying human racial (cosmetic phenotypes) and national (ethnolinguistic cultural) identities. The connection between Genesis 10 and contemporary ethnic groups began during classical antiquity, when authors such as Josephus, Hippolytus and Jerome analyzed the biblical list. The early modern equation of the biblical Semites, Hamites and Japhetites with "racial" phenotypes was coined at the Göttingen School of History in the late 18th century – in parallel with other, more secular terminologies for race, such as Blumenbach's fivefold color scheme. The following sources attempted to equate the biblical Table of Nations with contemporary identities: The 1st-century Jewish-Roman historian Josephus, in Antiquities of the Jews Book 1, chapter 6, was the first known author who assigned known ethnicities to some of the names listed in Genesis chapter 10. His assignments became the basis for most later authors, and were as follows: Gomer: "those whom the Greeks now call Galatians, [Galls,] but were then called Gomerites". Aschanax (Ashkenaz): "Aschanaxians, who are now called by the Greeks Rheginians". Riphath: "Ripheans, now called Paphlagonians". Thrugramma (Togarmah): "Thrugrammeans, who, as the Greeks resolved, were named Phrygians". Magog: "Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians". Madai: "the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks". Javan: "Ionia, and all the Grecians". Elisa: "Eliseans... they are now the Aeolians". Tharsus (Tarshish): "Tharsians, for so was Cilicia of old called". He also derives the name of their city Tarsus from Tharsus. Cethimus (Kittim): "The island Cethima: it is now called Cyprus". He also derives the Greek name of their city, which he spells Citius, from Cethimus. Thobel (Tubal): "Thobelites, who are now called Iberes". Mosoch (Meshech): "Mosocheni... now they are Cappadocians." He also derives the name of their capital Mazaca from Mosoch.