The Book of Lamech
The 'Genesis Apocryphon'
From Cave 1 of the Dead Sea Scrolls library at the 'Essene Academy' at Quumran, Israel.
INTRODUCTION
The scroll is a book of substantial size, quite plausibly the Book of Lamech, an early document that repeats some the story of the Book of Giants, the Book of Noah, and the first years of the life of Abram. The Book of Lamech ends with Abram in Egypt with Sarai. Therefore, the King of Egypt could possibly have had a hand in the construction of the Book of Lamech.
The book is a second generation of the more well known Book of Giants, because the Coptics priests that lodged near the pyramids were known to write many books. (The second half of the Book of Genesis is thought to be of Coptic origin, though it is usually atributed to the prophet Moses.)
The Book of Lamech is apparently the source for and a first version of the Book of Genesis. It is literally the old testament of Lamech and Noah (and then Abram in Egypt) which was set forth in the Book of Giants. The Book of Lamech sometimes records events allegorically, much like the Book of Genesis and other esoteric mystic writings of Antiquity.
Apparently written by Melchizedek, the King of Salem [Genesis 14:18], the only known copy of the Book of Lamech was found buried in the cave of archives at the Essene monastary at Quumran.
Written using nineteen long columns on four large pieces of leather, about half of the book is missing due to corruption, thus the document starts with some educated estimates of the real text.
Some columns have more words than others, because the script was written in smaller print, and some pages were left with spaces to help aid the flow of the text. Word arrangments and line spacing are approximated, and are not neccesarily to scale.
Editorial Marks
[ Xyz ] encloses either conjectural restorations of the first translators' guesswork, or illegible damage.
[ Xyz ] written in Italics [with brackets] indicates either words added by the present translator to enhance clarification, or the original guesswork of the author-translator. [ These segments are indended for the review and approval of the research community of Biblical archeology. ]
< Xyz > enclose notes regarding large pieces of the missing text.
Xyz written in Italics, without brackets, are words of preceding translators, not present in the text, utilized to improve the English sense, or they are educated estimations of text already established by other translators. Such notes are tpyically open to some discussion.
_Space_signals blank spacing deliberately left vacated by the scribe, although not quite to scale.
The Book of Lamech CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-35
Lamech was the father of Noah, and the son of Methuselah. Methuselah's father was Enoch, 'the Seventh from Adam'.
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COLUMN 1
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1.
[ The Book of the Testament of Lamech, the Father of Noah ]
_Space_
I, Lamech, the Son of Methuselah, the Son of Enoch who was the seventh from Adam,
write my testament about these events, in this book written in the days of Enoch.
Noah and Abraham also add their testament to the latter part of this testament of Lamech.
2.
My father's father, Enoch, was the son of Jared,
the son of Malaleel, the son of Cainan,
the son of Enos, the son of Seth,
the son of Adam and Eve who had lived in the garden of Eden.
3.
I, Lamech, dwelt in the land of my father Methuselah,
in the land of the valley of Shinar, in the land of Ur. (south of Babylon)
I was instructed by my father Methuselah to avoid the ways of violence,
and to keep respect for God, the Most High, the Lord of Greatness, the Eternal King.
4.
Some of the Holy Ones and the Watchers lived in the land, being natives of the land,
guarding us and instructing us in the ways of truthfulness and peace.
Their rivals, the Nephilim, (the Giants) were also natives in the land, and dwelt among us,
stealing our wives and children with violence.
There were also foreigners (aliens) living among us in the land.
5.
I, Lamech, the father of Noah, was married to my wife, Bath-Enosh, in my [ ]th year.
She was the beautiful daughter of [ ], who was the son of [ ].
In my [ ]th year my wife Bath-Enosh became pregnant with child.
6.
When I first observed my wife was with child, I rejoiced,
yet I began to have some doubts for the reason of the expression on her face. ]
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COLUMN 2
Then I considered whether the pregnancy was due to the Watchers and Holy Ones,
or should be attributed to the Nephilim (the Giants), and I grew perturbed about this child.
7.
Then I, Lamech, became afraid and went to Bath-Enosh, my w[ife saying,
Declare to me by the Most High, by the Lord of Greatness, by the Eternal King
whether the child comes from the heavenly beings!
8.
Everything will you truthfully tell me,
whether [ the child is mine or not ] you will tell me without lies:
Is this [ pregnancy of my seed? Swear ] by the Eternal King!
Until you speak truthfully to me, and not with lies, [ I shall be upset (with you) ]
9.
Then Bath-Enosh my wife spoke with me forcefully, [ and she we]pt and said,
O my brother and master,
recall for yourself my pregnancy [ and our ] marital relations, and my breath within its sheath.
Can I truthfully tell you everything? [ when you are wrathful with me? ]
10.
Then I was upset even more.
When Bath-Enosh my wife noticed that my face had changed expression
[ after she had become emotional, ] then she gained control of her emotion s and spoke with me.
11.
She said to me, O my master and [brother], [recall for yourself] my pregnancy.
I swear to you by the Great Holy One, by the Ruler of Heaven that this seed is yours,
that this pregnancy is from you, that from you is the planting of [ this ] fruit,
[ that it is ] not from any alien, or from any of the Watchers, or from any heavenly being.
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12.
[ Why has the appearance] of your face changed like this upon you?
And why is it disfigured, and your spirit dejected like this?
[ For I ] tell you this truthfully.
13.
Then I, Lamech, hurried to Methuselah, my father, and [ communicated ] all this to him
[ so that he might consult Enoch ] his father, and come to know everything with certainty from him,
since he is loved and fav[ored by God,
and with the Holy Ones] has his lot been apportioned,
and hence they (God and the angels) reveal everything to him.
14.
When [ my father ] Methuselah heard these things, he hurried to Enoch, his father,
to learn from him the truth of the whole matter [ and to gain from Enoch ] his approval,
and he (Enoch) had previously gone to Parvayyim.
15.
There he found Enoch his father, and he said to Enoch, his father,
O my father and master, I have come to you [ for guidance and blessing ]
and I say to you to not be angry with me
because I have come here to you [ with true ] respect for you, [ my father ]
COLUMN 3
< The first two lines of Column 3 are missing, except the last two words >
16.
[ Enoch replied to his son, Methuselah, my father,
My son, the pregnancy of the wife of your son Lamech is blessed by God, the Lord of Heaven.
And the child will be the father of many people who will be blessed forever,]
and not for length [ of days. ]
17.
For during the days of Yared, my father,
[ God blessed all his ] sons [ with a great blessing for all eternity. ]
And to you they will be [ many people ] upon the whole of the Earth
[ from the river valley of ] my land, to this sea [ across the face of the ] Earth,
[ to the ends of the ] Earth [ they will habitate the land. ]
18.
And now, go [ and live your life ] truthfully, not with lies [ or robbery,
and thus be the blessed sons of God. ]
[ For when ] He divided all the Earth
[ he gave it to His obedient sons for an inheritance and a blessing,
whereas He did not give the blessing of inheritance to His rebellious sons. ]
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19.
[ Thus was the case in the beginning, at the Garden of Eden,
when Adam and Eve were sent forth from paradise for disobedience.
And yet again at the fall of the Tower of Babel,
were the rebellious sons punished instead of receiving the blessing of the our Lord's inheritance. ]
20.
[ The Lord our God, He blessed the sons of obedience for their faithfulness ]
and for their labor [ in the fields of the Earth, which is His garden. ]
< Four lines missing >
[ To them the Lord God has given his blessing for all eternity,
for their faithfulness and obedience to Him and His angels,
the Watchers and the Holy Ones (or, Holy Men). ]
21.
[ Yet the rebellious sons, they have been cursed and disinherited
because of their great disobedience of iniquity and bloodshed over that face of the Earth.]
COLUMN 4
From [ morning to nght ] they will rage
and [ weep many tears ] for all eternity [ for their ] evil [deeds,
< Seven lines missing >
[ for God has taken their inheritance and He has divided it and has given it to others,
because of their great sins across the face of all the Earth. ]
22.
[ The wickedness of iniquity and cruel bloodshed has multiplied on Earth,
and God has judged the rebellious sons as deserving of a cursing instead of His blessing,
even though they are the elder sons. ]
23.
[ I, Enoch, was present at the time of the judgments of the Watchers and Holy Ones, ]
[ And ] I beheld the judicial sentence [ against the sins that were ] great, and the end [ of peace upon the ] surface of the Earth.
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24.
[ The judgment is that the blessing (of God) has been taken away from them that rebelled,
and the curse (of God) is ] upon them
[ because they rebelled against His watchers and Holy Ones,
and cursed the name of God and multiplied iniquity and bloodshed. ]
< The latter half of Column 4 is missing about fourteen lines >
25.
[ The judgment is that those sons that have been faithful to God and man,
and who shall be blessed instead of their elder brethen. ]
[ The judgment is,
that the faihful sons of God will have the inheritance of their rebellious brethren given to them,
for their righteousness, and obedient service to the Watchers and the Holy Ones. ]
26.
[ And Enoch, my father's father said to my father,
Methuselah, thee and thy brethren are among the blessed sons of God.
Thus your son Lamech is blessed, and his son will be blessed,
despite the doubt your son has concerning his wife's pregnancy. ]
27.
[ And then Enoch said to Methuselah,
'I am getting older, and I have already given you and your son my blessing.
Thus I wish to give my blessing now to the son of your son, Lamech, also,
for Lamech has been a faithful and obedient son of God and his angels. ]
28.
[ And Enoch blessed his great grandson in the name of the Lord our God, ]
COLUMN 5
and he wrote [ a book to record these events in the name of Lamech,
saying to Methuselah,
To your son Lamech, I entrust this book of records. ]
And to you, Methuselah my son, [ I entrust ] this child.
29.
Behold, when I Enoch [ was a child,
I was entrusted by my father to heavenly beings, the Watchers and the Holy Ones, ]
And not from the heavenly beings,
but rather from Lamech your son [ shall your son's son be blessed and raised. ]
30.
And he is unlike [ the sons of other men on Earth ]
Instead [ he is like one of the heavenly beings. ]
Lamech your son feared his appearance [ at pregnancy,
yet he should ] truthfully believe
that [ God will bless Him and His son, for his faithfullness and obedience. ]
31.
And now I say to you, my son, and I declare to you
[ that I speak to you ] truthfully [ and I do not deceive you with lies. ]
Go, speak to Lamech your son [ about these things, and his blessing before God,
who has blessed him ] and placed him ] on the Earth,
and every deed of the heavenly beings [ will bless him. ]
32.
[ And ] he lifted his face, and his eyes shone like the s[un of Heaven] [The Book of Noah]
[Yes,] this child, [ the light ] and [ peace of Heaven will precede him, < Two lines missing > while the judgment of God precedes against the Nephilim and the people of the Earth,
33.
Behold then, they were confused and [ afraid of Heaven,
For, to the ] eternal [ God ] they give [ not their thanks and praise, ]
And ] they will commit many deeds of violence until [ the day of punishment, ]
and [ they shall increase ], and all the paths [ of mankind will be defiled by robberies. ]
34.
And now I shall declare to you the mystery [ of the judgment of the world ]
and to Lamech] your son declare this mystery,
[ for ] during his days,
[all] the deed [s] [ of the Nephilim will be punished by God. ]
Praised be the Lord of all [ spirits and all creation. ]
35.
And when Methuselah heard [ why his nieghbors were cursed, he trembled ]
and with Lamech his son, he spoke privately [ about the words of Enoch, his father. ]
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And when I, Lamech, [ declared to my son Noah the judgments of Heaven, ]
he declared that he issued from me [ and with the blessing of God. ]
The Book of Lamech CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 36-55
36.
[ The ] copy of the book of the words of Noah.
[ When the world was flooded by God, and delivered ] from corruption,
COLUMN 6
And in my mothers womb I swelled for the sake of [ my father's ] righteousness.
37.
When I emerged from the womb of my mother, I was planted for righteousness,
and during all my days I conducted myself righteously and walked in the paths of eternal truth,
and the Holy One(s) were ever with me.
38.
[ And they raise me up in ] righteousness,
and to protect me from [ paths ] of deception which lead to darkness and [ destruction. ]
And I bound my loins with the vision of righteousness and wisdom [ as a youth,
and I therefore successfully avoided ] all the paths of violence.
39.
Then I, Noah, became an adult.
I held firmly to righteousness and I took hold [of wisdom and justice.]
[ Then, I lodged with [,]
and Amzara, his daughter, I took as my wife.
40.
I impregnated her, and she bore to me three sons [ and # daughters ].
[And] then I procured wives for my sons from among the daughters of my brother, [ ]
and I gave my daughters to the sons of my brother
in accordance with the eternal Law and ordinance [ of the Lord God, ] the Most High to humanity.
41.
And during my days, when the amount which I had calculated was completed for me,
[ which was a total of ] ten jubilees, [either 70 or 490 years]
then my sons finished acquiring wives for themselves in marriage,
[ and I again gave offerings of thanks to our God, the Lord of ] Heaven,
42.
I beheld in a vision, and I was shown and taught about the [ nature ] of the heavenly beings,
and what [ the angels of God actually do in ] Heaven.
And I kept this secret to myself and did not reveal it to any person.
43.
[ Then more secrets were revealed ] to me, and a great Watcher to me,
as a messenger with a message of the Holy One [ the Lord God of Heaven. ]
He spoke with me in a vision,
and stood before me [ as he spoke to me and gave to me the ] message of the Great Holy One.
44.
He made me hear a voice saying,
To you they say, O Noah [ Thou art truly a wise man, and just. ]
and I thought [ in my vision, therefore that ]
I had knowledge of all the (behavior?) of the inhabitants of the earth,
and I declared every [ judgment against the corrupt with justice,
that ] they will (prosper?) [ and grow,
living corruptly in peace for ] two weeks,
and then (sealed?) [ they will be, and marked by ] the blood which the Nephilim shed.
45.
I was quiet and waited until [ the word of judgment was spoken about the Nephilim,
by the Watchers and ] the Holy Ones,
who were with mortal women [ that had fled from the Nephilim. ]
< Two lines missing >
Then they spoke of judgment against the Nephilim,
for their wicked bloodshed and iniquity on/over all the Earth. ]
46.
But I, Noah, found favor, distinction, and righteousness [ in the sight of Heaven,
< One line missing >
and was called by the angels, the Watchers and the Holy Ones, ] unto the gates of heaven
[ to learn about all the inhabitants of the Earth,
and to minister to them like Adam did minister in the garden, ]
to humans, cattle, wild animals, [and] birds [ of the garden. ]
47.
and [ I was instructed about all the creatures,
< One line missing >
COLUMN 7
[ and I was thus raised up ] over them,
the land and everything which is on it, in the seas and among the mountains,
48.
[ and I was instructed in much about ]
all the constellations of heaven,
[the] sun, [the] moon, and [the] stars and [the] Watchers [ and the Holy Ones,]
[ and about the (noble) behaviour of the angels that live in Heaven. ]
< Two lines missing >
49.
[ And then the angels, the Watchers, and Holy Ones said to me,
on the behalf of the Lord of Heaven,
O Noah, ] I shall hand over to you [ and your sons the lands of the nations, <Half a line missing>
because you are an obedient son to ] the Great Holy One.
50.
And I rejoiced at the words of the Lord of Heaven,
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and I summoned [my sons and their families,
and we gave offerings together of thanks to the Lord of Heaven]
for all [ the visions I saw ] regarding this [blessing given to me by (God) the Lord of Heaven.
51.
And we blessed Him and built an altar to offer worship and praise to Him.
And we made a feast of savoury meats, and burned incense on the altar
for an offering of a sweet savour to before the Lord our God.
< Over nine lines are missing >
52.
And then I was called by the Watchers and summoned by the Holy Ones
to hear their judgments against the Nephilim,
for their wickedness in corrupting the Earth,
and committing violence and shedding much blood.
53.
And then I was told by the Watchers and Holy Ones, on the behalf of our God the Lord of Heaven,
that there will be rains from ] Heaven greatly,
and the ends [of the Earth shall be flooded [ by waters ]
And that they wished to ] to remove me,
and to build [ an ark to save me from the floods that will punish
the ] foolishness [ corruption, and wickedness of the people of the Earth, ]
< Two lines missing >
54.
[ Then I offered my thanks and praise to God ]
And I gathered [ my sons and their families together with our wealth and flocks and herds,
< About seven lines missing >
and we built a large ark three hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,
and stocked it with food from our fields and gardens.
55.
And then, according as I was instructed,
we gathered as many animals as we could, two by two,
a male and female of each domestic and wild beast and bird. ]
The Book of Lamech CHAPTER THREE
Divisions 56-75
56.
[ And then, when it began to rain, just as I had been warned by God,
we all entered the ark, together with all the animals two by two,
And each of my sons brought
COLUMN 8
his wife after him [together with their children.]
57.
< Three and a half lines missing >
58.
] the world/eternity [
< Four lines missing >
59.
] and in all [
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60.
61.
62.
63.
COLUMN 9
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64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
COLUMN 10
great.
69.
Then [] everything which my sons [
] to Noah.. in the nights [
] in the nights [
< Over four lines missing >
70.
] they praised and extolled [] a blessing [
] all of you for your Lord []
to the King of all the Ages forever and ever for every age.
71.
Then [] upon the earth []
and he took from [ ] find, for [
[ Then ] the ark settled upon one of the mountains of Ararat
and eternal fire [ burned in the Heavens. ]
72.
[And] I atoned for all the Earth and its origin [ of violence, ]
the goat first, and after it came [ the ox ]
and I burned the fat of the offerings on the fire;
Secondly, I poured their blood at the base of the altar,
and all their flesh I burned on the altar;
73.
Thirdly, as for the doves, [ I sacrificed them for ] an offering on the altar [ to the Lord ]
[ And ] I placed on it fine sifted flour soaked in oil,
(and mixed) with incense as a meal-offering [ unto Heaven ]
And ] on all of them I had placed salt,
and the odor of my burning rose to Heaven.
74.
Then the Most High [
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75.
The Book of Lamech CHAPTER FOUR
Divisions 76-110
COLUMN 11
76.
[ In the #th day of the month of # ]
I, Noah, was at the doorway of the ark [
< Seven lines missing >
77.
took the animals ] to the mountains,
and those of the deserts to [ the wilderness of the desert ]
] four.
78.
Then I, Noah, departed and traveled through the land,
through its length and its breadth [
] abundant with their foliage and their fruit.
And all of the land was filled with vegetation, grass, and grain.
79.
Then I gave praise to the Lord of Heaven who had acted commendably,
for He is eternal and praise is His,
and I again gave Him praise because He had compassion on the earth,
and because He removed and destroyed from it
all those who practiced violence, wickedness, and deceit,
but had spared a righteous man for [ ] on his/its account.
80.
[The Lord] of Heaven appeared to me, spoke with me, and said to me,
O Noah, do not be afraid!
I will be with you and with your descendants (those who are like you) forever.
81.
[ They will possess the ] the land, and rule over all of them,
and its deserts and its mountains, and all that is in them.
Behold, I give all of it to you and your descendants
for eating vegetables and plants produced by the land,
but any sort of blood you will not eat.
82.
Fear of you and terror of you [ will go before you,
And the memory of you shall remain ] forever
[ Because your people are mine, and ] I am yours.
83.
When your descendants sleep [ they shall rest in peace.
< The remainder of Column 11 is missing, approximately five and a half lines >
84.
COLUMN 12
85.
[] Behold, I have put My bow [in the cloud],
and it will be a sign for Me in the cloud,
and will be [ a sign for Me to ] the earth,
[ ... ] was revealed to me [ ]
< Two and a half lines missing >
86.
[ And, there ] among the mountains, [ I ate from ] a vineyard in the mountains of Ararat.
87.
And after this I descended to the lower slopes of that mountain,
I, my sons, and my grandchildren [ and we marvelled, ] for devastation was great on the Earth.
88.
[So]ns [and da]ughters were born to [me] after the Flood.
[To Shem], my oldest son was born first Arpachshad two years after the Flood,
[and] all the sons of Shem, all of them w[ere El]am, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram,
as well as five daughters.
89.
[And the sons of Ham were Kush, Mitzrai]n, Put, and Canaan,
as well as seven daughters.
And the sons of Yapheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Yavan, Tuval, Meshuk, and Tiras,
as well as four daughters.
90.
And I began together with all my sons to farm the land.
I planted a large vineyard on Mount Lubar,
and after four years it produced wine for me [] all [ ]
91.
When the first festival came, on the first day of the first festival of the [seventh?] month [ I took the new wine ] of my vineyard.
I opened that vessel, and I began to drink of it on the first day of the fifth year [ after the flood. ]
92.
On that day I summoned my sons, my grandsons, all of our wives, and their daughters, and we assembled together and went [
] and I offered praise to the Lord of Heaven, to God Most High,
to the Great Holy One who delivered us from destruction [
93.
] and to all [ ] of his fathers, they drank and [ ]
and I poured upon [ ] and the wine [
94.
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95.
COLUMN 13
< The beginning seven and one half lines of Column 13 are missing >
96.
[ I dreamt that I observed a forest of jungle trees in a paradise setting. ]
97.
] wild animals [
] and land-dwelling insects changed.
98.
[I observed that ] gold, silver, stones, and potsherds
were cutting down and taking away from it for themselves.
I continued to observe the gold ones and the silver ones [ and the ones made of ] iron:
they were cutting down all of its trees and taking them for themselves.
99.
I continued to observe the sun, moon, and stars
cutting down and taking away from it for themselves.
I continued to observe
until the land-dwelling reptiles and the aquatic reptiles destroyed it [all] and it ended.
100.
I turned to look at the olive tree, and behold, the olive tree increased in height,
and for a long time [] much foliage [
] and appearing in them.
101.
I studied that olive tree,
and behold, the quantity of its leaves [ ] tied to it,
and I marveled greatly at that olive tree and its copious foliage.
102.
I marveled [ at the ] four winds of heaven blowing strongly, and [ that ] damaged that olive tree, stripping its branches and disintegrating it.
First [was the wind from] the west:
it assailed it and shook off some of its leaves and fruit, and scattered it in every direction.
103.
After it [
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104.
105.
The Book of Lamech CHAPTER FIVE
Divisions 106-140
COLUMN 14
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106.
107.
] knowing [ ]
108.
[O Abraham, ] pay attention and hear!
You are the large cedar [ that you see now ] in a dream,
standing/rising before you on the peak of the mountains
109.
[] the shoot emerging from it, and growing up to its height
(represents?) three sons [ ]
and as for when you saw the first shoot attached to the trunk of the cedar [
] and the wood from it [
110.
] he will never separate from you throughout the whole of his life,
and among his descendants shall be one named [ Abram?
] will come forth as a righteous plant for all [ ] shall endure forever.
111.
And as for when you saw the shoot attached to the trunk [ of the cedar ]
and as for when you saw [] the other shoot [ ]
[ ] some of their branch(es) intertwine among the branch(es) of the first (represents?) two sons [ ] from the earth [] to the left/north [ ]
112.
And as for when you saw some of their branch es intertwine among the branch es of the first [ cedar ] they placed on the earth [ ]
I revealed the mystery to him [
< Almost three lines missing >
113.
] first he sent [
114.
< Over four lines missing >
] the cedar [ ]
115.
COLUMN 15
< The first eight lines of Column 15 are missing >
116.
]
[...]
117.
And as for when you saw all of them [ standing like a wall,
if ] they will turn away, the majority of them will be wicked.
And as for when you saw the man coming from the south of the land,
with a scythe in his hand and fire accompanying him, [ he is the Gardner. ]
118.
He is the one who will come from the south of the land [ to punish sloth ] and wickedness.
They will cast on the fire every [ fruitless tree and weed, ]
and he will come between [ the righteous and the wicked. ]
119.
And as for when you saw [ all of them standing, he stands ] among them a wall.
Four angels [accompany him at all times, and serve him dutifully.
< Three lines missing >
So also must your sons serve him righteously,
or they will be punished and disgraced] among all the nations.
120.
And all of them will serve them, and become confused [ if they do not serve them righteously.]
Do not be amazed at it [if it comes to pass.]
I tell you all truthfully, for thus is it written about you [ and your offspring, O Noah ]
121.
Then I, Noah, woke up from my sleep,
and the sun [was already risen, and was shining in my eyes] < One and a half lines missing >
[My dream about] the righteous one [and his angels perplexed me,
yet I was amazed by the visions.
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122.
123.
COLUMN 16
< The first eight lines of Column 16 are missing >
124.
125.
] the inlet which is between them,
the source of the spring until the Tina River [
126.
] all the northern land, all of it,
until it approaches [ ]
and this border crosses the waters of the Great Sea (the Mediterranean)
until it approaches [ ]
[ All of it ] he apportioned by lot to Yaphet and his descendants
to possess as their permanent possession.
127.
The second lot came forth for Shem to take possession,
for both him and his descendants as a permanent possession.
[ ] the waters of the Tina River come out [
] until the Tina River [
] the Great Salt Sea (the Dead Sea),
128.
and this border goes [
] which turns to the west and passes [ ] until it approaches [
] to the east
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129.
130.
COLUMN 17
< The first five and a half lines of Column 17 are missing >
131.
Genesis 10
132.
My son Shem divided his apportionment among his sons.
The first share fell to Elam:
In the north, next to the waters of the Tigris River until it approaches the Red Sea at its source,
which is in the north, and it turns to the west.
To Asshur until it reaches the Tigris River [ ]
133.
And after him, [he gave] to Aram: the land which is between the two rivers of Mesopotamia
until it reaches the peak of Mount Asshur [
] fell that Mount of the Bull,
and the portion crosses over and goes west until it reaches Magog
[ ] east,
in the north of the bosom of that inlet which is by the top of the three portions by that sea.
134.
To Arpachshad: [ ] to the border which faces south,
all the land which the Euphrates waters,
and all [ ] all the valleys and plains which are between them,
135.
And the island which is in the middle of the inlet [ of ]
to the descendants of Gomer,
[ and [ ] ] andAmana, until it approaches the Euphrates river,
[ ]
the portion which Noah, his father, divided and gave to him.
136.
And Yaphet divided among his sons.
He gave first to Gomer the land in the north, until it reaches the Tina River.
And after him, he gave to Magog, [ ] [ the land north of Gomer's? ]
and after him, to Madai, [ ] [ the land north of Magog's? ]
137.
and after him, to Yavan, Japheth gave all the islands next to Lud, (Lydia) [the island of Rhodes]
and what was between the inlet next to Lud.
And the second inlet [he gave] to Tubal [ ] in the land,
and to Meshek [he gave] the sea [ ]
138.
and to Tiras [he gave] [ ] four [ islands? of [ ] ]
[ and the ] inlet of the sea that lies next to the portion of the descendants of Ham.
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[... ]
139.
140.
[ End of the testament of Noah ]
The Book of Lamech CHAPTERSIX
Divisions 141-160
The Testament of Abram
COLUMN 18
< The entire Column 18 is missing, approximately twenty eight lines >
141.
[ I, Abraham... ]
142.
143.
144.
145.
COLUMN 19
< The first six lines of Column 19 are missing >
146.
147.
There I built an alta]r and I called the[re on the name of [the] G]o[d of Heaven ], and I said,
You are m[y eternal] G[od ]
148.
I had not yet reached the holy mountain. [of
I proceeded to [ Bethel ] and I was journeying to the south [ direction ] until I reached Hebron,
for [at that time] Hebron had been bui[lt], and I dwelt [there two years].
149.
A famine took place throughout all this land, yet I heard that grain was available in Egypt.
So I moved, to [enter] the land of Egypt [ with ]
I reached the Carmona River, one of the branches of the river [ ].
150.
Now we [ left from ] our land,
and I crossed the seven branches of this river which [ is in (Goshen?) ]
Now we passed out of our land and entered the land of the children of Ham, the land of Egypt.
151.
And I, Abram, dreamed a dream during the night of my entering the land of Egypt.
I saw in my dream one cedar tree and one palm tree, [a very beautifu]l one,
and human figures came and tried to chop down and uproot the cedar
in order to leave the palm by itself.
152.
But the palm restrained them when she said,
Do not chop down the cedar, for both of us are from o[ne r]oot!
And the cedar was left alone thanks to the protection of the palm and was not chopped down.
153.
I woke up from my dream in the night, and said to Sarai, my wife,
I have just dreamed a dream, [and I] am afraid [on account of] the dream!
154.
And she said to me,
Tell me your dream that I might know (it), and so I began to relate the dream to her.
[And I told] to [Sarai the vision of the] dream,
and I [told her, I am afraid] for they will seek to kill me, but you they will spare.
155.
[Therefore do] this-
Every favor [which you must do for me] in every [place] where [we are,
say] of me that He is my brother,
and I will remain alive by your protection and survive thanks to you.
[Otherwise] [they will seek] to remove you from me, and to kill me!
156.
And Sarai wept over my words that night.
[ ] and Pharaoh Z[oan asked ] Sarai to go to Zoan [with me,
for she was v]ery [careful] with her person so that no [ body ] would see her [beauty].
157.
Yet after those five years, three men who were princes of Egypt
[ went to the court ] of Pharaoh Zoan about my affairs and about my wife,
and they presented [me numerous gifts and aske]d m[e to teach them] values, wisdom, and truth.
158.
So I read in their presence the [book of] the words of [En]och, [ Lamech, and Noah, ]
[during] the famine which [ occured while Sarai and I were in Egypt. ]
< One and a half lines lost >
And we celebrated on the holy days of the new moons ]
with much eating and [much] drinking [ of beer and ] wine.
159.
< The remainder of Column 19 is missing, approximately six to seven lines >
160.
The Instruction of Ke'gemni CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
Hailing from very ancient Egypt, Kegemini means 'I have found a soul.' The particularly ancient document is estimated to be from 2,600 BC, making it the oldest known work of its kind.
1.
The cautious man flourisheth,
the exact one is praised;
the innermost chamber openeth unto the man of silence.
2.
Wide is the seat of the man gentle of speech;
but knives are prepared against one that forceth a path,
that he advance not, save in due season.
3.
If thou sit with a company of people,
desire not the bread that thou likest;
4.
short is the time of restraining the heart,
and gluttony is an abomination;
5.
therein is the quality of a beast.
6.
A handful of water quencheth the thirst,
and a mouthful of melon supporteth the heart.
7.
A good thing standeth for goodness,
but some small thing standeth for plenty.
8.
A base man is he that is governed by his belly;
he departeth only when he is no longer able to fill full his belly in men's houses.
9.
If thou sit with a glutton, eat with him, then depart.
10.
If thou drink with a drunkard,
accept--drink--and his heart shall be satisfied.
11.
Refuse not meat when with a greedy man.
12.
Take that which he giveth thee;
set it not on one side,
thinking that it will be a courteous thing.
13.
If a man be lacking in good fellowship,
no speech hath any influence over him.
14.
He is sour of face toward the glad-hearted that are kindly to him;
he is a grief unto his mother and his friends;
and all men--cry--,
15.
"Let thy name be known;
thou art silent in thy mouth when thou art addressed!"
16.
Be not haughty because of thy might in the midst of thy young soldiers.
17.
Beware of making strife,
for one knoweth not the things that the God will do when He punisheth.
18.
The Vizier caused his sons and daughters to be summoned,
when he had finished the rules of the conduct of men.
19.
And they marvelled when they came to him.
20.
Then he said unto them,
"Hearken unto everything that is in writing in this book,
even as I have said it in adding unto profitable sayings."
21.
And they cast themselves on their bellies, and they read it,
even as it was in writing.
22.
And it was better in their opinion than anything in this land unto its limits.
Now they were living when His Majesty,
the King of upper and lower Egypt, Heuni,
departed,
24.
and His Majesty, the King of upper and lower Egypt, Senforu,
was enthroned as a gracious king over the whole of this land.
25.
Then was Ke'gemni made Governor of his city and Vizier.
\
The Teaching of Ptah-Hotep
A very ancient Egyptian instruction of the king of Egypt to his son, it is collection of instructions about human relations. The maxims do not cover all aspects of Egyptian life. For the most part, they teach the peaceful virtues of kindness, justice, truthfulness, moderation, self-control, and proper social interaction.
A man by the name of Ptahhotep was a vizier under King Isesi of the Fifth Dynasty. If he authored the instruction under this name, then it dates from around 2400 BC. The Proverbs of Solomon appear to be inspired by the teachings of Pta-Hotep.
Preamble
The Ethics of Argument
Manners for Guests
From Father to Son
A Just Judge
The Treatment of Servants
Duties of the Great
The Test of Friendship
The Beauty of Obedience
One Generation to Another
Whom the King Honoureth
The Teaching of Ptah-Hotep CHAPTER ONE
Divisions 1-25
1.
The Instruction of the Governor of his city, the Vizier, Ptah-hotep,
in the reign of the King of Upper and Lower Egypt,
Isôsi, living for ever, to the end of Time.
2.
The Governor of his city, the Vizier, Ptah-hotep, he said:
'O Prince, my Lord, the end of life is at hand;
old age descendeth upon me;
feebleness cometh, and childishness is renewed.
3.
He that is old lieth down in misery every day.
The eyes are small;
the ears are deaf.
4.
Energy is diminished,
the heart hath no rest.
The mouth is silent, and he speaketh no word;
the heart stoppeth, and he remembereth not yesterday.
5.
The bones are painful throughout the body;
good turneth unto evil.
All taste departeth.
6.
These things doeth old age for mankind, being evil in all things.
The nose is stopped, and he breatheth not for weakness,
whether standing or sitting.
7.
'Command me, thy servant, therefore,
to make over my princely authority to my son.
Let me speak unto him the words of them that hearken to the counsel of the men of old time;
those that hearkened unto the gods.
8.
I pray thee, let this thing be done,
that sin may be banished from among persons of understanding,
that thou may enlighten the lands.'
9.
Said the Majesty of this God:
'Instruct him, then, in the words of old time;
may he be a wonder unto the children of princes,
that they may enter and hearken with him.
10.
Make straight all their hearts;
and discourse with him, without causing weariness.'
11.
Here begin the proverbs of fair speech,
spoken by the Hereditary Chief, the Holy Father,
Beloved of the God, the Eldest Son of the King, of his body,
12.
the Governor of his City, the Vezier, Ptah-hotep,
when instructing the ignorant in the knowledge of exactness in fair-speaking;
the glory of him that obeyeth, the shame of him that transgresseth them.
13.
He said unto his son:
Be not proud because thou art learned;
but discourse with the ignorant man, as with the sage.
14.
For no limit can be set to skill,
neither is there any craftsman that possesseth full advantages.
Fair speech is more rare than the emerald that is found by slave-maidens on the pebbles.
15.
If thou find an arguer talking, one that is well disposed and wiser than thou,
let thine arms fall, bend thy back,
be not angry with him if he agree not with thee.
16.
Refrain from speaking evilly;
oppose him not at any time when he speaketh.
If he address thee as one ignorant of the matter,
thine humbleness shall bear away his contentions.
17.
If thou find an arguer talking, [who is] thy fellow, one that is within thy reach,
keep not silence when he saith anything that is evil;
so shalt thou be wiser than he.
18.
Great will be the applause on the part of the listeners,
and thy name shall be good in the knowledge of princes.
19.
If thou find an arguer talking, a poor man, that is to say, not thine equal,
be not scornful toward him because he is lowly.
Let him alone;
then shall he confound himself.
20.
Question him not to please thine heart,
neither pour out thy wrath upon him that is before thee;
it is shameful to confuse a [lowly and humble] mind.
21.
If thou be about to do that which is [unjust] in thine heart,
overcome it as a thing [that is] rejected of princes.
22.
If thou be a leader, as one directing the conduct of the multitude,
endeavour always to be gracious, that thine own conduct be without defect.
23.
Great is Truth, appointing a straight path;
never hath it been overthrown since the reign of Osiris.
One that oversteppeth the laws shall be punished.
24.
Overstepping is by the covetous man;
but degradations bear off his riches,
for the season of his evil-doing ceaseth not.
25.
For he saith, 'I will obtain by myself for myself,'
and saith not, 'I will obtain because I am allowed.'
But the limits of justice are steadfast;
it is that which a man repeateth from his father.
The Teaching of Ptah-Hotep CHAPTER TWO
Divisions 26-50
26.
Cause not fear among men;
for thi s the God punisheth likewise.
For there is a man that saith, 'Therein is life';
and he is bereft of the bread of his mouth.
27.
There is a man that saith [concerning dread], 'Power is therei n';
and he saith, 'I seize for myself that which I perceive.'
28.
Thus a man speaketh, and he is smitten down.
It is another [man] that attaineth [power] by giving unto him that hath not;
[it is] not he that causeth men dread.
29.
For it happeneth that what the God hath commanded,
even that thing cometh to pass.
Live, therefore, in the house of kindliness,
and men shall come and give gifts of themselves.
30.
If thou be among the guests of a man that is greater than thou,
accept that which he giveth thee, putting it to thy lips.
31.
If thou look at him that is before thee, thine host,
pierce him not with many glances.
It is abhorred of the soul to stare at him.
32.
Speak not till he address thee;
one knoweth not what may be evil in his opinion.
Speak when he questioneth thee;
so shall thy speech be good in his opinion.
33.
The noble who sitteth before food divideth it as his soul moveth him;
he giveth unto him that he would favour,
it is the custom of the evening meal.
It is his soul that guideth his hand.
34.
It is the noble that bestoweth,
not the underling that attaineth.
Thus the eating of bread is under the providence of the God;
he is an ignorant man that disputeth it.
35.
If thou be an emissary sent from one noble to another,
be exact after the manner of him that sent thee,
give his message even as he hath said it.
36.
Beware of making hostility by thy words,
setting one noble against the other by perverting truth.
Overstep it not,
neither repeat that which any man, be he prince or peasant, saith in opening the heart;
it is abhorrent to the soul.
37.
If thou have ploughed, gather thine harvest in the field,
and the God shall make it great under thine hand.
Fill not thy mouth at thy neighbours' table.
38.
If a crafty [dishonest] man be the possessor of wealth,
he stealeth like a crocodile from the priests.
39.
Let not a man be envious that hath no children;
let him be neither downcast nor quarrelsome on account of it.
For a father, though great, may be grieved;
as to the mother of children, she hath less peace than another.
40.
Verily, each man is created to his destiny by the God,
Who [too] is the chief of a tribe, trustful in following him.
If thou be lowly, serve a wise man,
that all thine actions may be good before the God.
41.
If thou have known a man of none account, that hath been advanced in rank,
be not haughty toward him on account of that which thou knowest concerning him;
but honour him that hath been advanced,
according to that which he hath become.
42.
Behold, riches come not of themselves; [for the man of no account]
it is their rule, for him that desireth them [to rule].
If he bestir the man of no account], and collect them himself,
the God shall make him prosperous;
yet He shall punish him, if he be slothful.
43.
Follow thine heart during thy lifetime;
do not more than is commanded thee.
Diminish not the time of following the heart;
it is abhorred of the soul, that [the heart's] time of ease be taken away.
44.
Shorten not the daytime more than is needful to maintain thine house.
When riches are gained, follow the heart;
for riches are of no avail if one be weary.
45.
If thou wouldest be a wise man,
beget a son for the pleasing of the God.
If he make straight his course after thine example,
if he arrange thine affairs in due order,
do unto him all that is good, for thy son is he [who is], begotten of thine own soul.
46.
Sunder not thine heart from him,
or thine own begotten shall curse thee.
If he be heedless and trespass thy rules of conduct, and is violent;
if every speech that cometh from his mouth be a vile word;
then beat thou him, that his talk may be [come more] fitting.
47.
Keep him from those that make light of that which is commanded,
for it is they that make him rebellious.
And, they that are guided go not astray,
yet they that lose their bearings cannot find a straight course.
48.
If thou be in the chamber of council,
act always according to the steps enjoined on thee [asked of thee] at the beginning of the day.
