Elam (/ˈiːləm/;[1] עֵילָם ‘Êlām) in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 10:22, Ezra 4:9) is said to be one of the sons of Shem, the son of Noah. It is also used (as in Akkadian), for the ancient country of Elam in what is now southern Iran, whose people the Hebrews believed to be the offspring of Elam,[2] son of Shem (Genesis 10:22). This implies that the Elamites were considered Semites by the Hebrews.