Raamah

The name Raamah functions both as a personal name in the Table of Nations and as a place-name in Ezekiel's tally of Tyre's trading partners. The two senses are linked: the descendants of Raamah son of Cush settle in Arabia, and the place that bears the name later appears in the spice trade.

Son of Cush

Raamah is listed among the sons of Cush, with two sons of his own. The Genesis genealogy reads: "And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan" (Gen 10:7). The Chronicler repeats the same line with a small spelling shift inside a single verse: "And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raama, and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan" (1 Chr 1:9). The descent is the same in both notices — Cush → Raamah → Sheba and Dedan — even where the spelling oscillates between Raama and Raamah.

Trading Partner of Tyre

In Ezekiel's lament-oracle over Tyre, Raamah appears among the merchant peoples whose traffic enriched the city. Paired with Sheba (one of Raamah's own sons in the genealogies), the place is named in connection with high-value goods: "The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traffickers; they traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold" (Ezek 27:22). The traffic is in spices (described as the chief of all), precious stones, and gold — the characteristic luxury exports of South Arabia. The Genesis line and the Ezekiel notice fit together: the sons of Raamah are the traders who later carry the name into the marketplaces of Tyre.