THE BEGINNING OF HISTORY

The Rainbow Torah

I

Creation
In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. But the earth was empty and unoccupied, and darknesses were over the face of the abyss; and so the Spirit of God was brought over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light.” And light became. And God saw the light, that it was good; and so he divided the light from the darknesses. And he called the light, ‘Day,’ and the darknesses, ‘Night.’ And it became evening and morning, one day.

God also said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide waters from waters.” And God made a firmament, and he divided the waters that were under the firmament, from those that were above the firmament. And so it became. And God called the firmament ‘Heaven.’ And it became evening and morning, the second day.

Truly God said: “Let the waters that are under heaven be gathered together into one place; and let the dry land appear.” And so it became. And God called the dry land, ‘Earth,’ and he called the gathering of the waters, ‘Seas.’ And God saw that it was good. And he said, “Let the land spring forth green plants, both those producing seed, and fruit-bearing trees, producing fruit according to their kind, whose seed is within itself, over all the earth.” And so it became. And the land brought forth green plants, both those producing seed, according to their kind, and trees producing fruit, with each having its own way of sowing, according to its species. And God saw that it was good. And it became evening and the morning, the third day.

Then God said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven. And let them divide day from night, and let them become signs, both of the seasons, and of the days and years. Let them shine in the firmament of heaven and illuminate the earth.” And so it became. And God made two great lights: a greater light, to rule over the day, and a lesser light, to rule over the night, along with the stars. And he set them in the firmament of heaven, to give light over all the earth, and to rule over the day as well as the night, and to divide light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And it became evening and morning, the fourth day.

And then God said, “Let the waters produce animals with a living soul, and flying creatures above the earth, under the firmament of heaven.” And God created the great sea creatures, and everything with a living soul and the ability to move that the waters produced, according to their species, and all the flying creatures, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good. And he blessed them, saying: “Increase and multiply, and fill the waters of the sea. And let the birds be multiplied above the land.” And it became evening and morning, the fifth day.

God also said, “Let the land produce living souls in their kind: cattle, and animals, and wild beasts of the earth, according to their species.” And so it became. And God made the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle, and every animal on the land, according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And he said: “Let us make Man to our image and likeness. And let him rule over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and the wild beasts, and the entire earth, and every animal that moves on the earth.” And God created man to his own image; to the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them. And God blessed them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God said: “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant upon the earth, and all the trees that have in themselves the ability to sow their own kind, to be food for you, and for all the animals of the land, and for all the flying things of the air, and for everything that moves upon the earth and in which there is a living soul, so that they may have these on which to feed.” And so it became. And God saw everything that he had made. And they were very good. And it became evening and morning, the sixth day.

And so the heavens and the earth were completed, with all their adornment. And on the seventh day, God fulfilled his work, which he had made. And on the seventh day he rested from all his work, which he had accomplished. And he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. For in it, he had ceased from all his work: the work whereby God created whatever he should make.

II

Adam and Eve

These are the generations of heaven and earth, when they were created, in the day when the Lord God made heaven and earth, and every sapling of the field, before it would rise up in the land, and every wild plant, before it would germinate. For the Lord God had not brought rain upon the earth, and there was no man to work the land. But a fountain ascended from the earth, irrigating the entire surface of the land.

And then the Lord God formed man from the clay of the earth, and he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Now the Lord God had planted a Paradise of enjoyment from the beginning. In it, he placed the man whom he had formed. And from the soil the Lord God produced every tree that was beautiful to behold and pleasant to eat. And even the tree of life was in the midst of Paradise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

And a river went forth from the place of enjoyment so as to irrigate Paradise, which is divided from there into four heads. The name of one is the Phison; it is that which runs through all the land of Hevilath, where gold is born; and the gold of that land is the finest. In that place is found bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of the second river is the Gehon; it is that which runs through all the land of Kush. Truly, the name of the third river is the Tigris; it advances opposite the Assyrians. But the fourth river, it is the Euphrates.

Thus, the Lord God brought the man, and put him into the Paradise of enjoyment, so that it would be attended and preserved by him. And he instructed him, saying: “From every tree of Paradise, you shall eat. But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat. For in whatever day you will eat from it, you will die a death.” The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.” Therefore, the Lord God, having formed from the soil all the animals of the earth and all the flying creatures of the air, brought them to Adam, in order to see what he would call them. For whatever Adam would call any living creature, that would be its name. And Adam called each of the living things by their names: all the flying creatures of the air, and all the wild beasts of the land. Yet truly, for Adam, there was not found a helper similar to himself. And so the Lord God sent a deep sleep upon Adam. And when he was fast asleep, he took one of his ribs, and he completed it with flesh for it. And the Lord God built up the rib, which he took from Adam, into a woman. And he led her to Adam. And Adam said: “Now this is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh. This one shall be called woman, because she was taken from man.” For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh. Now they were both naked: Adam, of course, and his wife. And they were not ashamed.

III

The Temptation

However, the serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures of the earth that the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Why has God instructed you, that you should not eat from every tree of Paradise?” The woman responded to him: “From the fruit of the trees which are in Paradise, we eat. Yet truly, from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of Paradise, God has instructed us that we should not eat, and that we should not touch it, lest perhaps we may die.” Then the serpent said to the woman: “By no means will you die a death. For God knows that, on whatever day you will eat from it, your eyes will be opened; and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” And so the woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and beautiful to the eyes, and delightful to consider. And she took from its fruit, and she ate. And she gave to her husband, who ate. And the eyes of them both were opened. And when they realized themselves to be naked, they joined together fig leaves and made coverings for themselves. And when they had heard the voice of the Lord God taking a walk in Paradise in the afternoon breeze, Adam and his wife hid themselves from the face of the Lord God in the midst of the trees of Paradise. And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.” He said to him, “Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?” And Adam said, “The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?” And she responded, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life. I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.” To the woman, he also said: “I will multiply your labors and your conceptions. In pain shall you give birth to sons, and you shall be under your husband’s power, and he shall have dominion over you.” Yet truly, to Adam, he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, from which I instructed you that you should not eat, cursed is the land that you work. In hardship shall you eat from it, all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you, and you shall eat the plants of the earth. By the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, until you return to the earth from which you were taken. For dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.” And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living. The Lord God also made for Adam and his wife garments from skins, and he clothed them. And he said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Therefore, now perhaps he may put forth his hand and also take from the tree of life, and eat, and live in eternity.” And so the Lord God sent him away from the Paradise of enjoyment, in order to work the earth from which he was taken. And he cast out Adam. And in front of the Paradise of enjoyment, he placed the Cherubim with a flaming sword, turning together, to guard the way to the tree of life.

IV

Cain and Abel

Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.” And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.

Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth. Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts. Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen? If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.” And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death. And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land. Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand. When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.” And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness. Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.

And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden. Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.

Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech. Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ. Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema. And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising. Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.” Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.

V

The First Genealogy

This is the book of the lineage of Adam. In the day that God created man, he made him to the likeness of God. He created them, male and female; and he blessed them. And he called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. Then Adam lived for one hundred and thirty years. And then he conceived a son in his own image and likeness, and he called his name Seth. And after he conceived Seth, the days of Adam that passed were eight hundred years. And he conceived sons and daughters. And all the time that passed while Adam lived was nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died. Seth likewise lived for one hundred and five years, and then he conceived Enos. And after he conceived Enos, Seth lived for eight hundred and seven years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth that passed were nine hundred and twelve years, and then he died. In truth, Enos lived ninety years, and then he conceived Cainan. After his birth, he lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Enos that passed were nine hundred and five years, and then he died. Likewise, Cainan lived seventy years, and then he conceived Mahalalel. And after he conceived Mahalalel, Cainan lived for eight hundred and forty years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Cainan that passed were nine hundred and ten years, and then he died. And Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and then he conceived Jared. And after he conceived Jared, Mahalalel lived for eight hundred and thirty years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel that passed were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and then he died. And Jared lived for one hundred and sixty-two years, and then he conceived Enoch. And after he conceived Enoch, Jared lived for eight hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared that passed were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and then he died. Now Enoch lived for sixty-five years, and then he conceived Methuselah. And Enoch walked with God. And after he conceived Methuselah, he lived for three hundred years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch that passed were three hundred and sixty-five years. And he walked with God, and then he was seen no more, because God took him. Likewise, Methuselah lived for one hundred and eighty-seven years, and then he conceived Lamech. And after he conceived Lamech, Methuselah lived for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah that passed were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and then he died. Then Lamech lived for one hundred and eighty-two years, and he conceived a son. And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will console us from the works and hardships of our hands, in the land that the Lord has cursed.” And after he conceived Noah, Lamech lived for five hundred and ninety-five years, and he conceived sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech that passed were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and then he died. In truth, when Noah was five hundred years old, he conceived Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

VI

The Sons of God

And when men began to be multiplied upon the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God, seeing that the daughters of men were beautiful, took to themselves wives from all whom they chose. And God said: “My spirit shall not remain in man forever, because he is flesh. And so his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they conceived, these became the powerful ones of ancient times, men of renown. Then God, seeing that the wickedness of men was great upon the earth and that every thought of their heart was intent upon evil at all times, repented that he had made man on the earth. And being touched inwardly with a sorrow of heart, he said, “I will eliminate man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth, from man to other living things, from animals even to the flying things of the air. For it grieves me that I have made them.” Yet truly, Noah found grace before the Lord.

VII

Noah

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man, and yet he was predominate among his generations, for he walked with God. And he conceived three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Yet the earth was corrupted before the eyes of God, and it was filled with iniquity. And when God had seen that the earth had been corrupted, (indeed, all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth) he said to Noah: “The end of all flesh has arrived in my sight. The earth has been filled with iniquity by their presence, and I will destroy them, along with the earth. Make yourself an ark from smoothed wood. You shall make little dwelling places in the ark, and you shall smear pitch on the interior and exterior. And thus shall you make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window in the ark, and you shall complete it within a cubit of the top. Then you shall set the door of the ark at its side. You shall make in it: a lower part, upper rooms, and a third level. Behold, I shall bring the waters of a great flood upon the earth, so as to put to death all flesh in which there is the breath of life under heaven. All things that are on the earth shall be consumed. And I shall establish my covenant with you, and you shall enter the ark, you and your sons, your wife and the wives of your sons with you. And from every living thing of all that is flesh, you shall lead pairs into the ark, so that they may survive with you: from the male sex and the female, from birds, according to their kind, and from beasts, in their kind, and from among all animals on earth, according to their kind; pairs from each shall enter with you, so that they may be able to live. Therefore, you shall take with you from all the foods that are able to be eaten, and you shall carry these with you. And these shall be used as food, some for you, and the rest for them.” And so Noah did all things just as God had instructed him.

VIII

The Flood

And the Lord said to him: “Enter the ark, you and all your house. For I have seen you to be just in my sight, within this generation. From all the clean animals, take seven and seven, the male and the female. Yet truly, from animals that are unclean, take two and two, the male and the female. But also from the birds of the air, take seven and seven, the male and the female, so that offspring may be saved upon the face of the whole earth. For from that point, and after seven days, I will rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. And I will wipe away every substance that I have made, from the surface of the earth.” Therefore, Noah did all things just as the Lord had commanded him. And he was six hundred years old when the waters of the great flood inundated the earth. And Noah entered into the ark, and his sons, his wife, and the wives of his sons with him, because of the waters of the great flood. And from the animals both clean and unclean, and from the birds, and from everything that moves upon the earth, two by two they were brought into the ark to Noah, male and female, just as the Lord had instructed Noah. And when seven days had passed, the waters of the great flood inundated the earth. In the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, in the second month, in the seventeenth day of the month, all the fountains of the great abyss were released, and the floodgates of heaven were opened. And rain came upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. On the very same day, Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and his wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. They and every animal according to its kind, and all the cattle in their kind, and everything that moves upon the earth in their kind, and every flying thing according to its kind, all the birds and all that can fly, entered the ark to Noah, two by two out of all that is flesh, in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered went in male and female, from all that is flesh, just as God had instructed him. And then the Lord closed him in from the outside. And the great flood occurred for forty days upon the earth. And the waters were increased, and they lifted the ark high above the land. For they overflowed greatly, and they filled everything on the surface of the earth. And then the ark was carried across the waters. And the waters prevailed beyond measure across the earth. And all the lofty mountains under the whole heaven were covered. The water was fifteen cubits higher than the mountains which it covered. And all flesh was consumed which moved upon the earth: flying things, animals, wild beasts, and all moving things that crawl upon the ground. And all men, and everything in which there is the breath of life on earth, died. And he wiped away all substance that was upon the earth, from man to animal, the crawling things just as much as the flying things of the air. And they were wiped away from the earth. But only Noah remained, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters possessed the earth for one hundred and fifty days.

IX

Redemption

Then God remembered Noah, and all living things, and all the cattle, which were with him in the ark, and he brought a wind across the earth, and the waters were diminished. And the fountains of the abyss and the floodgates of heaven were closed. And the rain from heaven was restrained. And the waters were restored to their coming and going from the earth. And they began to diminish after one hundred and fifty days. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, upon the mountains of Armenia. Yet in truth, the waters were departing and decreasing until the tenth month. For in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tips of the mountains appeared. And when forty days had passed, Noah, opening the window that he had made in the ark, sent forth a raven, which went forth and did not return, until the waters were dried up across the earth. Likewise, he sent forth a dove after him, in order to see if the waters had now ceased upon the face of the earth. But when she did not find a place where her foot might rest, she returned to him in the ark. For the waters were upon the whole earth. And he extended his hand and caught her, and he brought her into the ark. And then, having waited a further seven days, he again sent forth the dove out of the ark. And she came to him in the evening, carrying in her mouth an olive branch with green leaves. Noah then understood that the waters had ceased upon the earth. And nevertheless, he waited another seven days. And he sent forth the dove, which no longer returned to him. Therefore, in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were diminished upon the earth. And Noah, opening the cover of the ark, gazed out and saw that the surface of the earth had become dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was made dry. Then God spoke to Noah, saying: “Go out of the ark, you and your wife, your sons and the wives of your sons with you. Bring out with you all the living things that are with you, all that is flesh: as with the birds, so also with the wild beasts and all the animals that move upon the earth. And enter upon the land: increase and multiply upon it.” And so Noah and his sons went out, and his wife and the wives of his sons with him. Then also all living things, and the cattle, and the animals that move upon the earth, according to their kinds, departed from the ark.

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord. And, taking from each of the cattle and birds that were clean, he offered holocausts upon the altar. And the Lord smelled the sweet odor and said: “I will no longer curse the earth because of man. For the feelings and thoughts of the heart of man are prone to evil from his youth. Therefore, I will no longer pierce every living soul as I have done. All the days of the earth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, night and day, will not cease.”

And God blessed Noah and his sons. And he said to them: “Increase, and multiply, and fill the earth. And let the fear and trembling of you be upon all the animals of the earth, and upon all the birds of the air, along with all that moves across the earth. All the fish of the sea have been delivered into your hand. And everything that moves and lives will be food for you. Just as with the edible plants, I have delivered them all to you, except that flesh with blood you shall not eat. For I will examine the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast. So also, at the hand of mankind, at the hand of each man and his brother, I will examine the life of mankind. Whoever will shed human blood, his blood will be poured out. For man was indeed made to the image of God. But as for you: increase and multiply, and go forth upon the earth and fulfill it.”

X

The Covenant

To Noah and to his sons with him, God also said this: “Behold, I will establish my covenant with you, and with your offspring after you, and with every living soul that is with you: as much with the birds as with the cattle and all the animals of the earth that have gone forth from the ark, and with all the wild beasts of the earth. I will establish my covenant with you, and no longer will all that is flesh be put to death by the waters of a great flood, and, henceforth, there will not be a great flood to utterly destroy the earth.”

And God said: “This is the sign of the pact that I grant between me and you, and to every living soul that is with you, for perpetual generations. I will place my arc in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the pact between myself and the earth. And when I obscure the sky with clouds, my arc will appear in the clouds. And I will remember my covenant with you, and with every living soul that enlivens flesh. And there will no longer be waters from a great flood to wipe away all that is flesh. And the arc will be in the clouds, and I will see it, and I will remember the everlasting covenant that was enacted between God and every living soul of all that is flesh upon the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This will be the sign of the covenant that I have established between myself and all that is flesh upon the earth.”

And so the sons of Noah, who came out of the ark, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now Ham himself is the father of Canaan. These three are the sons of Noah. And from these all the family of mankind was spread over the whole earth.

XI

Drunkenness

And Noah, a good farmer, began to cultivate the land, and he planted a vineyard. And by drinking its wine, he became inebriated and was naked in his tent. Because of this, when Ham, the father of Canaan, had indeed seen the privates of his father to be naked, he reported it to his two brothers outside. And truly, Shem and Japheth put a cloak upon their arms, and, advancing backwards, covered the privates of their father. And their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s manhood. Then Noah, awaking from the wine, when he had learned what his younger son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants will he be to his brothers.” And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and may he live in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.” And after the great flood, Noah lived for three hundred and fifty years. And all his days were completed in nine hundred and fifty years, and then he died.

XII

The Second Genealogy

These are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and of the sons who were born to them after the great flood.

The sons of Japheth were Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. And then the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons of Javan were Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. The islands of the Gentiles were divided by these into their regions, each one according to his tongue, and their families in their nations.

And the Sons of Ham were Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan. And the sons of Cush were Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dadan. And then Cush conceived Nimrod; he began to be powerful on the earth. And he was an able hunter before the Lord. From this, a proverb came forth: ‘Just like Nimrod, an able hunter before the Lord.’ And so, the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon, and Erech, and Accad, and Chalanne, in the land of Shinar. From that land, Assur came forth, and he built Nineveh, and the streets of the city, and Calah, and also Resen, between Nineveh and Calah. This is a great city. And truly, Mizraim conceived Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Casluhim, from whom came forth the Philistines and the Caphtorim. Then Canaan conceived Sidon his firstborn, the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, the Girgashite,
the Hivite, and the Arkite: the Sinite, and the Arvadian, the Samarite, and the Hamathite. And after this, the peoples of the Canaanites became widespread. And the borders of Chanaan went, as one travels, from Sidon to Gerar, even to Gaza, until one enters Sodom and Gomorrah, and from Admah and Zeboiim, even to Lesa. These are the sons of Ham in their kindred, and tongues, and generations, and lands, and nations.

Likewise, from Shem, the father of all the sons of Heber, the elder brother of Japheth, sons were born. The sons of Shem were Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram. The sons of Aram were Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. But truly, Arphaxad conceived Shelah, from whom was born Eber. And to Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth became divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. This Joktan conceived Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, Jerah and Hadoram, and Uzal and Diklah, and Obal and Abimael, Sheba and Ophir, and Havilah and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. And their habitation extended from Messa, as one sojourns, even to Sephar, a mountain in the east. These are the sons of Shem according to their kindred, and tongues, and the regions within their nations. These are the families of Noah, according to their peoples and nations. The nations became divided according to these, on the earth after the great flood.

XIII

The Tower of Babel

Now the earth was of one language and of the same speech. And when they were advancing from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt in it. And each one said to his neighbor, “Come, let us make bricks, and bake them with fire.” And they had bricks instead of stones, and pitch instead of mortar. And they said: “Come, let us make a city and a tower, so that its height may reach to heaven. And let us make our name famous before we are divided into all the lands.” Then the Lord descended to see the city and the tower, which the sons of Adam were building. And he said: “Behold, the people are united, and all have one tongue. And since they have begun to do this, they will not desist from their plans, until they have completed their work.} Therefore, come, let us descend, and in that place confound their tongue, so that they may not listen, each one to the voice of his neighbor.” And so the Lord divided them from that place into all the lands, and they ceased to build the city. And for this reason, its name was called ‘Babel,’ because in that place the language of the whole earth became confused. And from then on, the Lord scattered them across the face of every region.

The End