Shem - Founder of Semites (Eastern Semites like Akkaidians and Western Semites like Hebrews)
Japheth - Founder of Indo-Europeans
Middle Bronze Age
Biblical History starts with the Middle Bronze Age around 2000-1550 BC.
More precisely, it begins with the time of Abraham (Genesis 12) around 1800 BC when he is living in Ur of Chaldea which is the southern point of Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq and the Persian Gulf).
He is a little before, or just contemporaneous with the reign of King Hammurabi of Babylon (1750 BC).
King Hammurabi commissioned a stele to be erected with the code of Laws - oldest written code of laws. 282 Paragraphs.
Casuistic Law ("if... then...)
e.g. "If a man steals an egg, his hand should be cut off"
Contrast with the apodictic law of the Decalogue (e.g. "You should not commit murder") because God is more than a simple lawgiver - He is an Instructor, a Father who tells His children what is good for them to do.
Both Hammurabi and Abraham are from Western Semitic Cultures
Joseph went to Egypt as a slave and later as Pharaoh's vizier
Before 1700 BC, Egypt was ruled by Hamites (African tribes)
From 1700-1550 BC, Egypt is dominated by the Hyksos (Semites)
It makes sense considering Joseph's ascension to vizier in Egypt. If Egypt was being ruled by Hamitic tribes, it would have been difficult.
