The Talmudic tradition that there are seventy nations in the world is based on the list of Noah's descentants<ref>R' Bachya</ref>. This tradition of seventy nations is deep-rooted. According to the Midrash each of the seventy nations is placed under the protection of a special angle, except Israel, whose Protector is G-d Himself. <ref>Genesis Rabbah 37</ref>
==Why Seventy NationsThe seventy bullocks sacrificed on Tabernacles were offered to atone for the seventy nations. 'Woe to the nations!' says Rav Yochanan; 'for they suffered a loss [by having destroyed the Temple] and do not realize the extent of the loss. While the Temple existed the altar [the sacrifices] atoned for them, but now [that it is destroyed] who will atone for them?=='<ref>Sukkah 55b, Pesikk. 193b, 195b</ref>
Just as there were According to many commentators<ref>Radak, Ralbag, Chizkuni, Malbim</ref> this concept seems to underlie Deut. 32:8 which says that G-d 'established the boundaries of nations [i.e. the seventy nations]... according to the number of te children of Israel' -- namely the seventy who descended to Egypt with Yakov <ref>Gensis 46:27</ref>cf The seventy members of the Sanhedrin also corresponded to the seventy nations of the world. <ref>Targum Yonasan Yerushalmi to Gensis 28:3</ref> The Jewish law required that every member of the Sanhedrin should have sufficient knowledge of the seventy languages to be able to do without an interpreter.<ref>Sanhedrin 17a; comp. Megilah 73b; Menachos 65a</ref> ==Seventy Languages== There was a discussion between R. Eleazar and R. Johanan with regard to the languages spoken before the Dispersion. According to the former, each nation had its own language, though it understood all the others; while the latter held that only Hebrew was spoken.<ref>Genesis Rabbah 11:71</ref> An interesting appreciation of the qualities of various languages is that given by Jonathan of Bet Gubrin. "There are," he says, "four fine languages that ought to be used by the whole world: Greek for poetry; Latin for war; Aramaic for the dirge; and Hebrew for general speech." Some add that the words characters of the Torah engraved on Assyrian language should be borrowed, but not the Tablets on Mount Eballanguage itself, which is not an original one.<ref>DeutYerushalmi Meggilah 1,71a</ref> According to a haggadah, the angels understand all languages except the Aramaic, and therefore it is recommended not to pray in that language. 27:2ff<ref>Shabbos 12b</ref> were written Gabriel, however, is an exception to the rule, for to his teaching the haggadah attributes Joseph's knowledge of all the seventy languages. "The astrologers," it is related in the haggadah, "said to Pharaoh: 'What! Shall a slave who was bought for twenty pieces of silver rule over us?' Pharaoh replied: 'But I find him endowed with kingly attributes!' 'If that is the case,' they answered, 'he must know the seventy languages.' Then Gabriel taught him all the seventy languages"<ref>MishnaSotah 36b; Yalkut Re'uveni, Sotah 7:5Miketz, 71b</ref> so The Torah was written in seventy languages in order that all the nations might read should not be able to plead ignorance as their excuse for rejecting it. For <ref>Tosef., Sotah 8</ref> Among the seventy languages the same reasonmost noble is Hebrew, for in it was pronounced the creative word of G-d's voice at Sinai divided itself into seventy languages.<ref>Shabbos 58bGenesis Rabbah 18, 31; Yalkut, Genesis 52</ref>
The seventy bullocks sacrificed on Tabernacles Just as there were offered to atone for the seventy nations<ref>cf. 'Woe Targum Yonasan to 11:7</ref>, the nations!' says Rav Yochanan; 'for they suffered a loss [by having destroyed words of the Temple] and do not realize Torah engraved on the extent of Tablets on Mount Ebal<ref>Deut. 27:2ff</ref> were written in seventy languages<ref>Mishna, Sotah 7:5</ref> so that all the lossnations might read it. While the Temple existed For the altar atoned for themsame reason, but now [that it is destroyed] who will atone for them?G-d's voice at Sinai divided itself into seventy languages.<ref>Sukkah 55bShabbos 58b; Shabbos 88a; Exodus Rabbah 5; comp. Acts ii. 5</ref>
The seventy members of the Sanhedrin also corresponded == Parallels to the seventy nations of the world.<ref>Targum Yerushalmi to Gensis 28:3</ref>Seventy Nations ==
According Harav David Feinstein explains the significance of the many parallels to many commentators<ref>Radakthe seventy nations: the seventy languages into which the Torah was translated, Ralbagthe seventy offerings of Tabernacles, Chizkunithe seventy members of the Sanhedrin. Indeed, Malbimon the verse "He established the boundaries of nations according to the number of the children of Israel"</ref> this concept seems to underlie Deut. 32:8 which says </ref>, the Sages comment that G-d establised seventy nations because Jacob'established s family numbered seventy when he descended to Egypt. Why was it necessary for the boundaries number of nations [i.e. the seventy nations]... according to correspond to the number of te children Jews? Moreover, at the conclusion of Israel' -- namely the forty years in the desert Moses explained th Torah to the Jews in all seventy who descended to Egypt with Yakov languages.<ref>Gensis 46Deut. 1:275 see Rashi</ref> Why was necessary for him to use seventy languages when all his listeners were Hebrew-speaking Jews? Each of the seventy nations represented a unique characteristic, as the Sages say, one excelled in warfare, another in licentiousness, another in beauty and so on. All of these national virues and strains of character are present in Israel as well for each person has gifts to develop and temptations to overcome. G-d wants all nations to rise to their greatest spiritual potential.
According to These variations were present in the Rabbis, each individuals of Jacob's family. And the seventy nations is placed under languages used by Moses parallel the protection seventy facets of a special angel, except Israel, whose protector is Torah; each 'speaks' to one of the seventy characteristics with which G-d Himself has populated the world. (Gen. R. xxxvii.). On It may also be suggested that each of the Feast seventy offerings of Tabernacles, it is said in a haggadah, seventy sacrifices were offered, one for each nation. "Wo to the nations!" says R. Johanan; "they had suffered a great loss without realizing what they had lost. While the Temple existed the altar [the sacrifices] atoned for them; but now who will atone for them?" (Suk. 55a; Pesik.. 193b, 195b). There was a discussion between R. Eleazar and R. Johanan with regard to the languages spoken before the Dispersion. According to the former, trespasses of each nation had its own languageof these seventy national characteristics present within Israel, though it understood all and consequently the others; while nations of the latter held that only Hebrew was spoken (Gen. R. xi. 1world benefitted from this universal atonement).
An interesting appreciation of Israel, as the qualities spritual model of various languages is that given by Jonathan of Bet Gubrin. "There are," he says, "four fine languages that ought to be used by the whole world: Greek for poetry; Latin for war; Aramaic for the dirge; and Hebrew for general speech." Some add that the characters of the Assyrian language should be borrowed, but not the language was to demonstrate within itself, which that eminence is not an original one (Yer. Meg. i. 71a). According to a haggadah, the angels understand all languages except the Aramaic, and therefore it is recommended not to pray in within reach of every nation; that language (Shab. 12b). Gabriel, however, is an exception to the rule, for to his teaching the haggadah attributes Joseph's knowledge every type of all the seventy languages. "The astrologers," it is related in the haggadah, "said to Pharaoh: 'What! Shall person can live a slave who was bought for twenty pieces of silver rule over us?' Pharaoh replied: 'But I find him endowed with kingly attributes!' 'If that is the case,' they answered, 'he must know the seventy languages.' Then Gabriel taught him all the seventy languages" (Sot.ah 36b; "Yalk. Re'ubeni," section "Miketz," p. 71b)Torah life.
The word Therefore, a significant portion of G-d was pronounced on Mount Sinai in Jewish life revolves around the number seventy languages (Shab. 88a; Ex. R. v.; comp. Acts ii. 5). The Torah was written in seventy languages in order to symbolize that the nations should not be able to plead ignorance as their excuse every national trait can become harnessed for rejecting it (Tosef., Sotholy purposes.ah<ref>Artscroll Bereshis, viii.). Among the seventy languages the most noble is HebrewVol 1, for in it was pronounced the creative word of G-d (Gen. R. xviii., xxxi.; Yalk.., Gen. 52). The Jewish law required that every member of the Sanhedrin should have sufficient knowledge of the seventy languages to be able to do without an interpreter (Sanh. 17a; comp. Meg. 73b; Men. 65a)p.309</ref>
== Rabbinic View of the Table of Nations ==
The majority of Palestinian and Babylonian scholars considered the ethnological table to be a simple historical narrative, enumerating, without any pretense to completeness, the descendants of Noah, and indicating the places they had chosen for their respective residences. This is clearly expressed by R. Huna of Sepphoris, who, interpreting Canticles 6:8 as an allusion to the nations and their languages, says: "Sixty and eighty are one hundred and forty. Of these, there are seventy nations, each of which possesses a separate language but not a separate script, and seventy other nations, each of which possesses both a separate language and a separate script; as to the nations which possess neither a separate language nor a separate script, they are numberless" (Cant. R. l.c.). In a later midrash, the "Midrash ha-Gadol," it is inferred from Cant. vi. 8 that there were only sixty original nations, eliminating from the ethnological table the ten nations descended from Japheth, Gomer, Javan, Ham, Cush, Raamah, Shem, Mizraim, Aram, and Joktan. As to the languages, the "Midrash ha-Gadol" counts seventy-two, as do the Christian authorities. "The total number of the countries that the children of Noah divided among their descendants was 104; of islands, 99; of languages, 72; and of scripts, 16. To the share of Japheth fell 44 countries, 33 islands, 22 languages, and 5 scripts; Ham received 34 countries, 33 islands, 24 languages, and 5 scripts; Shem, 26 countries, 33 islands, 26 languages, and 6 scripts."
== Other Views of the Table of Nations ===
The haggadic assumption that there are seventy nations and languages in the world is based upon the ethnological table given in Genesis 10, where seventy grandsons of Noah are enumerated, each of whom became the ancestor of a nation. The earlier Christian writers also took this table as determining the number of existing nations and languages; but reckoning with the Septuagint, which counts seventy-two grandsons of Noah, there must be seventy-two nations and languages (see Augustine, "De Civitate Dei"; Anio, in his commentary on the second book of Berosus; comp. Azariah dei Rossi, "Me'or 'Enayim, Imre Binah," xlviii.). The Haggadah seems to have followed in this case the theory of the Hellenists, who regarded the ethnological table as a scientific and complete division of mankind into three races, distributed among three separate zones. This theory is expounded in the Book of Jubilees; "and at the beginning of the thirty-third jubilee they divided the earth into three parts between Shem, Ham, and Japheth, according to their inheritance" (ch. viii.).
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