Shem (or Sem) was the first of the sons of Noah in the Bible. He is mentioned in Genesis 5:32, 6:10; 7:13; 9:18,23,26-27; 10; 11:10; also in 1 Chronicles[?] 1:4. The Messiah is descended from Shem in an unbroken line. The Jews derive their origin from Shem and are sometimes referred to as Semitic. However, a more recent theory states that the name may be derived from Sumer or the Sumerians.
... always have inherently negative implications, it merely designated anyone who assumed power for any period of time without a legitimate basis of authority.
The first to ...