Ashkenaz, eponym of a people perhaps localized in Armenia. He was grandson of Japheth. Gen. 10.3. Ashchenaz: 1 Chron. 1.6; Jer. 51.27. In modern times the term Ashkenazim refers to the German Jews as distinguished from the Sephardim, the Jews of Spain and Portugal. For the history of the Ashkenazim, see Jews.

Ashkenaz is Gomer's first son, brother of Riphath, and Togarmah (Gen. 10:3, 1 Chronicles 1:6) and is believed by some to be the ancestor of the Germanic, Scandinavian and Slavic peoples. One reason people believe this is that Ashkenaz's father is Gomer who is associated with the Frank and Germanic tribes due to his name.

Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (Standard Hebrew: sing. אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי, pl. אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים; pronounced sing. [ˌaʃkəˈnazi] pl. [ˌaʃkəˈnazim], not with [ʦ] as in Tzar; also יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכֲּנָז Yehudei Ashkenaz, "the Jews of Ashkenaz"), are descended from the medieval Jewish communities of the Rhineland, "Ashkenaz" being the Medieval Hebrew name for Germany.

Other accounts have Ashkenaz being the ancestor of the Scythians.

External links

• Genealogies