From Him To The Deluge.
1. Adam and Eve had two sons: the elder of them was named Cain; which
name, when it is interpreted, signifies a possession: the younger was
Abel, which signifies sorrow. They had also daughters. Now the two
brethren were pleased with different courses of life: for Abel, the
younger, was a lover of righteousness; and believing that God was
present at all his actions, he excelled in virtue; and his employment
was that of a shepherd. But Cain was not only very wicked in other
respects, but was wholly intent upon getting; and he first contrived to
plough the ground. He slew his brother on the occasion following:—They
had resolved to sacrifice to God. Now Cain brought the fruits of the
earth, and of his husbandry; but Abel brought milk, and the first-fruits
of his flocks: but God was more delighted with the latter oblation,6
when he was honored with what grew naturally of its own accord, than he
was with what was the invention of a covetous man, and gotten by forcing
the ground; whence it was that Cain was very angry that Abel was
preferred by God before him; and he slew his brother, and hid his dead
body, thinking to escape discovery. But God, knowing what had been done,
came to Cain, and asked him what was become of his brother, because he
had not seen him of many days; whereas he used to observe them
conversing together at other times. But Cain was in doubt with himself,
and knew not what answer to give to God. At first he said that he was
himself at a loss about his brother's disappearing; but when he was
provoked by God, who pressed him vehemently, as resolving to know what
the matter was, he replied, he was not his brother's guardian or keeper,
nor was he an observer of what he did. But, in return, God convicted
Cain, as having been the murderer of his brother; and said, "I wonder at
thee, that thou knowest not what is become of a man whom thou thyself
hast destroyed." God therefore did not inflict the punishment [of death]
upon him, on account of his offering sacrifice, and thereby making
supplication to him not to be extreme in his wrath to him; but he made
him accursed, and threatened his posterity in the seventh generation. He
also cast him, together with his wife, out of that land. And when he was
afraid that in wandering about he should fall among Wild beasts, and by
that means perish, God bid him not to entertain such a melancholy
suspicion, and to go over all the earth without fear of what mischief he
might suffer from wild beasts; and setting a mark upon him, that he
might be known, he commanded him to depart.
2. And when Cain had traveled over many countries, he, with his wife,
built a city, named Nod, which is a place so called, and there he
settled his abode; where also he had children. However, he did not
accept of his punishment in order to amendment, but to increase his
wickedness; for he only aimed to procure every thing that was for his
own bodily pleasure, though it obliged him to be injurious to his
neighbors. He augmented his household substance with much wealth, by
rapine and violence; he excited his acquaintance to procure pleasures
and spoils by robbery, and became a great leader of men into wicked
courses. He also introduced a change in that way of simplicity wherein
men lived before; and was the author of measures and weights. And
whereas they lived innocently and generously while they knew nothing of
such arts, he changed the world into cunning craftiness. He first of all
set boundaries about lands: he built a city, and fortified it with
walls, and he compelled his family to come together to it; and called
that city Enoch, after the name of his eldest son Enoch. Now Jared was
the son of Enoch; whose son was Malaliel; whose son was Mathusela; whose
son was Lamech; who had seventy-seven children by two wives, Silla and
Ada. Of those children by Ada, one was Jabal: he erected tents, and
loved the life of a shepherd. But Jubal, who was born of the same mother
with him, exercised himself in music;7 and invented the psaltery and the
harp. But Tubal, one of his children by the other wife, exceeded all men
in strength, and was very expert and famous in martial performances. He
procured what tended to the pleasures of the body by that method; and
first of all invented the art of making brass. Lamech was also the
father of a daughter, whose name was Naamah. And because he was so
skillful in matters of divine revelation, that he knew he was to be
punished for Cain's murder of his brother, he made that known to his
wives. Nay, even while Adam was alive, it came to pass that the
posterity of Cain became exceeding wicked, every one successively dying,
one after another, more wicked than the former. They were intolerable in
war, and vehement in robberies; and if any one were slow to murder
people, yet was he bold in his profligate behavior, in acting unjustly,
and doing injuries for gain.
3. Now Adam, who was the first man, and made out of the earth, [for our
discourse must now be about him,] after Abel was slain, and Cain fled
away, on account of his murder, was solicitous for posterity, and had a
vehement desire of children, he being two hundred and thirty years old;
after which time he lived other seven hundred, and then died. He had
indeed many other children,8 but Seth in particular. As for the rest, it
would be tedious to name them; I will therefore only endeavor to give an
account of those that proceeded from Seth. Now this Seth, when he was
brought up, and came to those years in which he could discern what was
good, became a virtuous man; and as he was himself of an excellent
character, so did he leave children behind him who imitated his
virtues.9 All these proved to be of good dispositions. They also
inhabited the same country without dissensions, and in a happy
condition, without any misfortunes falling upon them, till they died.
They also were the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom which is
concerned with the heavenly bodies, and their order. And that their
inventions might not be lost before they were sufficiently known, upon
Adam's prediction that the world was to be destroyed at one time by the
force of fire, and at another time by the violence and quantity of
water, they made two pillars, 10 the one of brick, the other of stone:
they inscribed their discoveries on them both, that in case the pillar
of brick should be destroyed by the flood, the pillar of stone might
remain, and exhibit those discoveries to mankind; and also inform them
that there was another pillar of brick erected by them. Now this remains
in the land of Siriad to this day.