Ludim
“Unknown, possibly related to the region they inhabited”
Summary
A people descended from Mizraim (Egypt), distinct from the Semitic Lud, and mentioned as warriors serving Egypt.
☩Hamitic Origin
The Ludim are listed first among the descendants of Mizraim (Egypt) in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:13; 1 Chronicles 1:11). This Hamitic Ludim should be distinguished from Lud, a son of Shem and probable ancestor of the Lydians of Asia Minor. The Ludim were an African people, though their exact location remains debated—some place them in Libya, others in Nubia or Ethiopia.
☩Military Service
The Ludim appear in prophetic texts as warriors serving alongside Egypt. Jeremiah mentions 'the Libyans, that handle the shield; and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow' among Egypt's mercenary forces (Jeremiah 46:9). Ezekiel similarly lists them among the allies of Tyre and Egypt (Ezekiel 27:10; 30:5). These references suggest the Ludim were renowned as archers who served as mercenary soldiers for the great powers of the ancient Near East.
Related Verses5 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Lud," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Lud; Ludim," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).