Japheth was the eldest of Noah's three sons and survived the great flood with his family in the ark. He became the ancestor of the peoples who settled in the areas north and west of the Middle East, including the nations around the Mediterranean Sea and in Europe. He is known for showing respect to his father by covering his nakedness.
23So Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it across their shoulders, and walked in backward to cover their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness.
Noah blessed Japheth, saying that God would give him broad territory and let him dwell in Shem's tents, which was interpreted as a prophecy about the spread of his descendants.
Japheth's sons and descendants spread out and settled the coastal lands and areas north and west of the Middle East, becoming ancestors to many nations.