His descendants are listed with significant individuals and groups, like Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, and others, leading down to Abraham and his descendants, which include Isaac and Jacob (Israel).
The genealogy serves multiple purposes in the biblical narrative, including providing a mythic history for the peoples of the ancient world, explaining the relationships between different nations, and situating the story of Abraham and his descendants within a larger world history.
According to the Bible, his line led to Abraham, the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
It also leads to the covenant with God through Abraham and his descendants.
He is the father of Shelah, and the bloodline goes all the way to Abraham.
Literal readings lead to inconsistencies, like overlapping lifespans (e.g., Noah outliving Abraham by 58 years, unmentioned in narratives) and textual variants across Masoretic, Septuagint, and Samaritan versions.