Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Alternate" <crequi AT ntlworld.com>]

Has it ever been suggested that Arpachshad in Gen.10:22 is meant to 
represent Arabia? It seems to fit well in the Sons of Shem scheme where 
Arpachshad is the ancestor of the Sons of Joktan in southern Arabia, of the 
Sons of Ishmael in western Arabia and of the Israelites who have more 
immediately come from the fringes of Arabia.

Also it looks similar to the Arabah, a place which appears a number of times 
at the beginning of Deuteronomy (1:1, 1:7, 2:8, 3:17, 4:49) and is 
associated with the rift valley of the Jordan and the Dead Sea. I believe it 
means something like "wilderness, desert".

So my questions are these:
 Is it possible that Arpachshad and Arabah are related in meaning?
 Can Arpachshad be understood to mean something like "bosom of the 
wilderness" implying the place of origin of the peoples of Arabia?

Thanks

Al Craig