Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Joseph. AJ]. | ||
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ADAM and Eve had two sons: the elder of them was named
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,
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, note 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. note 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, note 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.
Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Joseph. AJ]. | ||
<<Joseph. AJ 1.34 | Joseph. AJ 1.60 (Greek) | >>Joseph. AJ 1.75 |