[Avodah] 70 nations

[Lisa Liel]

On Tue, 26 May 2009 22:51:09 -0500, Maxi Yedid <maxiye... at gmail.com> wrote:

> Shalom
> I heard a while back that there are two "sets" of 70 nations; one from Noach
> and one from Esav and Ishmael. Any sources on this?
>
> thanks
>
> nissim yedid

Hi Nissim.  Yes, on Breishit 11:8, where it says "Vayifetz", Breishit  
Rabbah 38 says Hashem drowned 30 of the 70 nations ("Ein 'vayifetz',  
ela 'vayetzaf'.  Hetzif aleihem ha-yam, v'hetzif shloshim mishpachot  
meihem.").  I don't remember where, but elsewhere it says that there  
were 30 new nations that came from Avraham Avinu to fill out the 70  
again.  And that it's connected to his being called Av Hamon Goyim.

That flood is probably the local Mesopotamian flood some people think  
was the source of the story of Noach.

Lisa