Genesis Apocryphon
Encyclopedia
The Genesis Apocryphon, originally called the Apocalypse of Lamech and labeled 1QapGen, is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls
discovered in Cave 1 near Qumran
in the West Bank
. Composed in Aramaic, this document consists of four sheets of leather, and is the least well preserved document of the original seven. The document records a pseudepigraphal conversation between the biblical figure Lamech
, son of Methuselah
, and his son, Noah
. It serves as an example of an expanded and rewritten biblical story.
, who questions whether the child being borne by his wife, Bath-Enosh, is his own, or belongs to one of the holy "Watchers" (Heb: iyryn) or Nephilim
. A portion of column 2 states:
Behold, I thought then within my heart that conception was due to the Watchers and the Holy Ones
and to the Nephilim
and my heart was troubled within me because of this child. Then I, Lamech
, approached Bath-Enosh, my wife, in haste and said to her, "By the Most High
, the Great Lord, the King of all the worlds and Ruler of the sons of Heaven, tell me this truthfully and not falsely. Is the seed within you mine?"
Then Bath-Enosh my wife spoke to me with much heat and said, "O my brother, O my lord, remember my pleasure, the lying together and my soul within its body. And I tell you all things truthful.
My heart was then greatly troubled within me, and when Bath-Enosh, my wife, saw that my countenance had changed, then she mastered her anger and spoke to me saying, "O my lord, O my brother, remember my pleasure! I swear to you by the Holy Great One, the King of the heavens, that this seed is yours and that this conception is from you. This fruit was planted by you and by no stranger or Watcher or son of Heaven. Why is your countenance thus changed and dismayed, and why is your spirit thus distressed? I speak to you truthfully."
Then I, Lamech, ran to Methuselah my father, and I told him all these things. And I asked him to go to Enoch
, his father, for he would surely learn all things from him. For he was beloved, and he shared the lot of the angels, who taught him all things. And when Methuselah heard my words, he went to Enoch, his father, to learn all things truthfully from him.
He went at once to Parwain and he found him there and he said to Enoch, his father, "O my father, O my lord, I say to you, lest you be angry with me I have come here ...
And I said, "Until now, you have not come to the Holy Mountain."
And I departed and traveled towards the south until I came to Hebron
at the time when Hebron was being built; and I dwelt there two years.
Now there was famine in all this land, and hearing that there was prosperity in Egypt
I went to the land of Egypt. I came to the river Karmon and crossed the seven branches of the River. We passed through our land and entered the land of the sons of Ham, into the land of Egypt.
And on the night of our entry into Egypt, I, Abram
, dreamt a dream; and behold, I saw in my dream a cedar tree and a palm tree. Men came and they sought to cut down the cedar tree and to pull up its roots, leaving the palm tree standing alone. But the palm tree cried out/saying, "Do not cut down this cedar tree, for cursed be he who shall fell it." And the cedar tree was spared because of the palm tree and was not felled.
And during the night I woke from my dream, and I said to Sarai
, my wife, "I have dreamt a dream and I am fearful because of this dream." She said to me, "Tell me your dream that I may know it." So I began to tell her this dream and told her the interpretation of the dream: that they will seek to kill me, but will spare you. Say to them of me, 'He is my brother, and because of you I shall live, and because of you my life shall be saved.'"
And Sarai wept that night on account of my words.
Then we journeyed towards Zoan
, I and Sarai.
And when those five years had passed, three men from among the princes of Egypt came at the command of Pharaoh
of Zoan to inquire after my business and after my wife and they gave goodness, wisdom, and truth. And I exclaimed before them because of the famine. And they came to ascertain with much food and drink the wine.
During the party, the Egyptians must have seen Sarai, and on their return they praised her to the king, saying "How beautiful is her face! How fine are the hairs of her head! How lovely are ho eyes! How desirable her nose and all the radiance of her countenance. How fair are her breasts and how beautiful all her whiteness! How pleasing are her arms and how perfect her hands, and how desirable all the appearance of ho hands! How fair are her palms and how long and slender are her fingers! How comely are her feet, how perfect ho thighs! No virgin or bride led into the marriage chamber is more beautiful than she; she is fairer than all other women Truly, her beauty is greater than theirs Yet together with all this grace she possesses abundant wisdom, so that whatever she does is perfect."
When the king heard the words of Harkenosh and his two companions, for all three spoke as with one voice, he desired her greatly and sent out at once In take her. And seeing her, he was amazed by all her beauty and took her to be his wife, but me he sought to kill. Sarai said to the king, "He is my brother," and so I, Abram, was spared because of her and was not slain.
And I, Abram, wept aloud that night, I and my nephew Lot
, because Sarai had been taken from me by force. I prayed that night and I begged and implored and I said in my sorrow while my tears ran down: "Blessed are you, O Most High God, Lord of all the worlds, Yon who are Lord and King of all things and who rules over all the kings of the earth and judges them all! I cry now before you, my Lord, against Pharaoh of Zoan the king of Egypt, because of my wife who has been taken from me by force. Judge him for me that I may see your mighty hand raised against him and against all his household, and that he may not be able to defile my wife this night and that they may know you, my Lord, that you are Lord of all the kings of the earth." And I wept and was sorrowful.
And during that night the Most High God sent a spirit to scourge him, an evil spirit to all his household; and it scourged him and all his household. And he was unable to approach her, and although he was with her for two years he knew her not.
At the end of those two years, the scourges of afflictions grew greater and more grievous upon him and all his household, so he sent for all the sages of Egypt, for all the magicians, together with all the healers of Egypt, that they might heal him and all his household of this scourge. But not one healer or magician or sage could stay to cure him, for the spirit scourged them all and they fled.
Then Harkenosh came to me, beseeching, me to go to the king and to pray for him and to lay my hands upon him that he might live, for the king had dreamt a dream. But Lot said to him, "Abram, my uncle, cannot pray for the king while Sarai his wife is with him. Go, therefore, and tell the king to restore his wife to her husband; then he will pray for him and he shall live."
When Harkenosh had heard the words of Lot, he went to the king and said, "All these scourges and afflictions with which my lord the king is scourged and afflicted.are because of Sarai, the wife of
Abram. Let Sarai be restored to Abram, her husband, and this scourge and the spirit of festering shall vanish from you."
And he called me and said, "What have you done to me with regard to Sarai?' You said to me, 'She is my sister,' whereas she is your wife; and I took her to be my wife. Behold your wife who is with me; depart and go hence from all the land of Egypt! And now pray for me and my house that this evil spirit may be expelled from it."
So I prayed for him and I laid my hands on his head; and the scourge departed from him and the evil spirit was expelled from him, and he lived. And the king rose to tell me he had given her much silver .and gold and much raiment of fine linen and purple and he appointed men to lead me out of all the land of Egypt. And I, Abram, departed with very great flocks and with silver and gold, and I went up from Egypt together with my nephew, Lot. Lot had great flocks also, and he took a wife for himself from among the daughters of Egypt.
I pitched my camp in every place in which I had formerly camped until I came to Bethel
, the place where I had built an altar. And I built a second altar and laid on it a sacrifice and an offering to the Most High God. And there I called on the name of the Lord of worlds and praised the name of God and blessed God, and I gave thanks before God for all the riches and favors which he had bestowed on me. For he had dealt kindly towards me and had led me back in peace into this land.
After that day, Lot departed from me on account of the deeds of our shepherds. He went away and settled in the valley of the Jordan
, together with all his flocks; and I myself added more to them. He kept his sheep and journeyed as far as Sodom
, and he bought a house for himself in Sodom and dwelt in it. But I dwelt on the mountain of Bethel and it grieved me that my nephew Lot had departed from me.
And God appeared to me in a vision at night and said to me, "Go to Ramath
Hazor which is north of Bethel, the place where you dwell, and lift up your eyes and look to the east and to the west and to the south and to the north; and behold all this land which I give to you and your seed forever."
The next morning, I went up to Ramath Hazor and from that high place I beheld the land from the River of Egypt
to Lebanon
and Senir, and from the Great Sea
to Hauran
, and all the land of Gebal
as far as Kadesh
, and all the Great Desert to the east of Hauran and Senir as far as Euphrates
. And he said to me, "I will give all this land to your seed and they shall possess it forever. And I will multiply your seed like' the dust of the earth which no man can number; neither shall any man number your seed. Rise and go! Behold the length and breadth of the land for it is yours; and after you, I will give it to your seed forever."
And I, Abram, departed to travel about and see the land.' I began my journey at the river Gihon
and traveled along the coast of the sea until I came to the Mountain of the Bull [Taurus]. Then I traveled from the coast of the Great Salt Sea and journeyed towards the east by the Mountain of the Bull, across the breadth of the land, until I came to the river Euphrates. I journeyed along the Euphrates until I came to the Red Sea in the east, and I traveled along the coast of the Red Sea until I came to the tongue of the Sea of Reeds [the modern Red Sea] which flows out from the Red Sea. Then I pursued my way in the south until I came to the river Gihon, and returning, I came to my house in peace and found all things prosperous there. I went to dwell at the Oaks of Mamre
, which is at Hebron, northeast of Hebron; and I built an altar there, and laid on it a sacrifice and an oblation to the Most High God. I ate and drank there, I and all the men of my household, and I sent for Mamre, Ornam, and Eshkol, the three Amorite
brothers, my friends, and they ate and drank with me.
Before these days, Kedorlaomer
, king of Elam, had set out with Amraphel
, king of Babylon, Arioch
, king of Kaptok, and Tidal
, king of the nations which lie between the rivers
; and they had waged war against Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah
, Shemiabad, king of Zeboim, and against the king of Bela
. All these had made ready for battle in the valley of Siddim
, and the king of Elam and the other kings with him had prevailed over the king of Sodom and his companions and had imposed a tribute upon them.
For twelve years they had paid their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. And in the fourteenth year, the king of Elam placed himself at the head of all his allies and went up by the Way of the Wilderness; and they smote and pillaged from the river Euphrates onward. They smote the Rephaim
who were at Ashteroth Karnaim
, the Zamzummim who were at Ammon
, the Emim
who were at Shaveh ha-Keriyyoth
, and the Horites
who were in the mountains of Gebal, until they came to El Paran
which is in the Wilderness. And they returned at Hazazon Tamar.
The king of Sodom went out to meet them, together with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela; and they fought a battle in the valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and the kings who were with him. But the king of Sodom was vanquished and fled, and the king of Gomorrah fell into the pits. And the king of Elam carried off all the riches of Sodom and Gomorrah and they took Lot, the nephew of Abram, who dwelt with them in Sodom, together with all his possessions.
Now one of the shepherds of the flocks which Abram had given to Lot escaped from captivity and came to Abram; at that time Abram dwelt in Hebron. He told him that Lot, his nephew, had been taken, together with all his possessions, and that he had not been slain, and that the kings had gone by the Way of the Great Valley of the Jordan in the direction of their land, taking captives and plundering and smiting and slaying, and that they were journeying towards the land of Damascus
.
Abram wept because of Lot, his nephew. Then he braced himself; he rose up and chose from among his servants three hundred and eighteen fighting men trained for war, and Ornam and Eshkol and Mamre went with him also He pursued them until he came to Dan, and came on them while they were camped in the valley of Dan. He fell on them at night from four sides and during the night he slew them; he crushed them and |put them to flight, and all of them fled before him until they came to Hel-bon, which is north of Damascus. He rescued from them all their captives, and all their booty and possessions. He also delivered Lot, his nephew, together with all his possessions, and he brought back all the captives which they had taken.
When the king of Sodom learned that Abram had brought back all the captives and all the booty, he came out to meet him; and he went to Salem, which is Jerusalem.
Abram camped in the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king, the valley of Beth-ha-Kerem; and Melchizedek
, king of Salem, brought out food and drink to Abram and to all the men who were with him. He was the Priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram and said, "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Lord of I leaven and earth! And blessed be the Most High God who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him the tithe of all the possessions of the king of Elam and his companions.
Then the king of Sodom approached and said to Abram, "My lord Abram, give me the souls which are mine, which you have delivered from the king of Elam and taken captive, and you may have all the possessions."
Then said Abram to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand this day to the Most High God, Lord of Heaven and earth! I will take nothing of yours, not even a shoelace or shoestrap, lest you say, "Abram's riches come from my possessions!" I will take nothing but that which the young men with me have eaten already, and the portion of the three men who have come with me. They shall decide whether they will give you their portion." And Abram returned all the possessions and all the captives and gave them to the king of Sodom; he freed all the captives from this land who were with him, and sent them all back.
After these things, God appeared to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Behold, ten years have passed since you departed from Haran
. For two years you dwelt here and you spent seven years in Egypt, and one year has passed since you returned from Egypt. And now examine and count all you have, and see how it has grown to be double that which came out with you from Haran. And now do not fear, I am with you; I am your help and your strength. I am a shield above you and a mighty safeguard round about you. Your wealth and possessions shall multiply greatly." But Abram said, "My Lord God, I have great wealth and possessions but what good shall they do for me? I shall die naked and childless. A child from my household shall inherit from me. Eliezer shall inherit from me." And he said to him, "He shall not be your heir, but one who shall spring from your body shall inherit from you."
Dead Sea scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...
discovered in Cave 1 near Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. Composed in Aramaic, this document consists of four sheets of leather, and is the least well preserved document of the original seven. The document records a pseudepigraphal conversation between the biblical figure Lamech
Lamech (father of Noah)
Lamech is a character in the genealogies of Adam in the Book of Genesis.- Family :Lamech is the eighth generation descendant of Seth , the son of Methuselah and the father of Noah , in the genealogy of Seth in Genesis 5. In Genesis 5:12-25, Lamech was a son of Methuselah who was a grandson of...
, son of Methuselah
Methuselah
Methuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
, and his son, Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
. It serves as an example of an expanded and rewritten biblical story.
Contents
The text details an exasperated LamechLamech
Lamech is a character in the genealogies of Adam in the Book of Genesis. He is the sixth generation descendant of Cain ; his father was named Methusael, and he was responsible for the "Song of the Sword." He is also noted as the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible, taking two wives, Ada and...
, who questions whether the child being borne by his wife, Bath-Enosh, is his own, or belongs to one of the holy "Watchers" (Heb: iyryn) or Nephilim
Nephilim
The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....
. A portion of column 2 states:
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 Hea[ven] that this seed is yours, that this pregnancy is from you, that from you is the planting of [this] fruit [and that it is] not from any alien, or from any of the Watchers, or from any heavenly bein[g.] - trans. by Reeves
Translation
An online translation of the Genesis Apocryphon has been made available by the University of North Carolina, Charlotte Blumenthal Professor of Judaic Studies John C. Reeves. The following is an alternative reconstruction.Behold, I thought then within my heart that conception was due to the Watchers and the Holy Ones
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
and to the Nephilim
Nephilim
The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....
and my heart was troubled within me because of this child. Then I, Lamech
Lamech
Lamech is a character in the genealogies of Adam in the Book of Genesis. He is the sixth generation descendant of Cain ; his father was named Methusael, and he was responsible for the "Song of the Sword." He is also noted as the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible, taking two wives, Ada and...
, approached Bath-Enosh, my wife, in haste and said to her, "By the Most High
Elyon
Elyon is an epithet of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible. is usually rendered as English "God Most High"....
, the Great Lord, the King of all the worlds and Ruler of the sons of Heaven, tell me this truthfully and not falsely. Is the seed within you mine?"
Then Bath-Enosh my wife spoke to me with much heat and said, "O my brother, O my lord, remember my pleasure, the lying together and my soul within its body. And I tell you all things truthful.
My heart was then greatly troubled within me, and when Bath-Enosh, my wife, saw that my countenance had changed, then she mastered her anger and spoke to me saying, "O my lord, O my brother, remember my pleasure! I swear to you by the Holy Great One, the King of the heavens, that this seed is yours and that this conception is from you. This fruit was planted by you and by no stranger or Watcher or son of Heaven. Why is your countenance thus changed and dismayed, and why is your spirit thus distressed? I speak to you truthfully."
Then I, Lamech, ran to Methuselah my father, and I told him all these things. And I asked him to go to Enoch
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
, his father, for he would surely learn all things from him. For he was beloved, and he shared the lot of the angels, who taught him all things. And when Methuselah heard my words, he went to Enoch, his father, to learn all things truthfully from him.
He went at once to Parwain and he found him there and he said to Enoch, his father, "O my father, O my lord, I say to you, lest you be angry with me I have come here ...
And I said, "Until now, you have not come to the Holy Mountain."
And I departed and traveled towards the south until I came to Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
at the time when Hebron was being built; and I dwelt there two years.
Now there was famine in all this land, and hearing that there was prosperity in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
I went to the land of Egypt. I came to the river Karmon and crossed the seven branches of the River. We passed through our land and entered the land of the sons of Ham, into the land of Egypt.
And on the night of our entry into Egypt, I, Abram
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
, dreamt a dream; and behold, I saw in my dream a cedar tree and a palm tree. Men came and they sought to cut down the cedar tree and to pull up its roots, leaving the palm tree standing alone. But the palm tree cried out/saying, "Do not cut down this cedar tree, for cursed be he who shall fell it." And the cedar tree was spared because of the palm tree and was not felled.
And during the night I woke from my dream, and I said to Sarai
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
, my wife, "I have dreamt a dream and I am fearful because of this dream." She said to me, "Tell me your dream that I may know it." So I began to tell her this dream and told her the interpretation of the dream: that they will seek to kill me, but will spare you. Say to them of me, 'He is my brother, and because of you I shall live, and because of you my life shall be saved.'"
And Sarai wept that night on account of my words.
Then we journeyed towards Zoan
Tanis, Egypt
Tanis , the Greek name of ancient Djanet , is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt. It is located on the Tanitic branch of the Nile which has long since silted up.-History:...
, I and Sarai.
And when those five years had passed, three men from among the princes of Egypt came at the command of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of Zoan to inquire after my business and after my wife and they gave goodness, wisdom, and truth. And I exclaimed before them because of the famine. And they came to ascertain with much food and drink the wine.
During the party, the Egyptians must have seen Sarai, and on their return they praised her to the king, saying "How beautiful is her face! How fine are the hairs of her head! How lovely are ho eyes! How desirable her nose and all the radiance of her countenance. How fair are her breasts and how beautiful all her whiteness! How pleasing are her arms and how perfect her hands, and how desirable all the appearance of ho hands! How fair are her palms and how long and slender are her fingers! How comely are her feet, how perfect ho thighs! No virgin or bride led into the marriage chamber is more beautiful than she; she is fairer than all other women Truly, her beauty is greater than theirs Yet together with all this grace she possesses abundant wisdom, so that whatever she does is perfect."
When the king heard the words of Harkenosh and his two companions, for all three spoke as with one voice, he desired her greatly and sent out at once In take her. And seeing her, he was amazed by all her beauty and took her to be his wife, but me he sought to kill. Sarai said to the king, "He is my brother," and so I, Abram, was spared because of her and was not slain.
And I, Abram, wept aloud that night, I and my nephew Lot
Lot (Bible)
Lot is a man from the Book of Genesis chapters 11-14 and 19, in the Hebrew Bible. Notable episodes in his life include his travels with his uncle Abram ; his flight from the destruction of Sodom, in the course of which Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; and the seduction by his...
, because Sarai had been taken from me by force. I prayed that night and I begged and implored and I said in my sorrow while my tears ran down: "Blessed are you, O Most High God, Lord of all the worlds, Yon who are Lord and King of all things and who rules over all the kings of the earth and judges them all! I cry now before you, my Lord, against Pharaoh of Zoan the king of Egypt, because of my wife who has been taken from me by force. Judge him for me that I may see your mighty hand raised against him and against all his household, and that he may not be able to defile my wife this night and that they may know you, my Lord, that you are Lord of all the kings of the earth." And I wept and was sorrowful.
And during that night the Most High God sent a spirit to scourge him, an evil spirit to all his household; and it scourged him and all his household. And he was unable to approach her, and although he was with her for two years he knew her not.
At the end of those two years, the scourges of afflictions grew greater and more grievous upon him and all his household, so he sent for all the sages of Egypt, for all the magicians, together with all the healers of Egypt, that they might heal him and all his household of this scourge. But not one healer or magician or sage could stay to cure him, for the spirit scourged them all and they fled.
Then Harkenosh came to me, beseeching, me to go to the king and to pray for him and to lay my hands upon him that he might live, for the king had dreamt a dream. But Lot said to him, "Abram, my uncle, cannot pray for the king while Sarai his wife is with him. Go, therefore, and tell the king to restore his wife to her husband; then he will pray for him and he shall live."
When Harkenosh had heard the words of Lot, he went to the king and said, "All these scourges and afflictions with which my lord the king is scourged and afflicted.are because of Sarai, the wife of
Abram. Let Sarai be restored to Abram, her husband, and this scourge and the spirit of festering shall vanish from you."
And he called me and said, "What have you done to me with regard to Sarai?' You said to me, 'She is my sister,' whereas she is your wife; and I took her to be my wife. Behold your wife who is with me; depart and go hence from all the land of Egypt! And now pray for me and my house that this evil spirit may be expelled from it."
So I prayed for him and I laid my hands on his head; and the scourge departed from him and the evil spirit was expelled from him, and he lived. And the king rose to tell me he had given her much silver .and gold and much raiment of fine linen and purple and he appointed men to lead me out of all the land of Egypt. And I, Abram, departed with very great flocks and with silver and gold, and I went up from Egypt together with my nephew, Lot. Lot had great flocks also, and he took a wife for himself from among the daughters of Egypt.
I pitched my camp in every place in which I had formerly camped until I came to Bethel
Bethel
Bethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...
, the place where I had built an altar. And I built a second altar and laid on it a sacrifice and an offering to the Most High God. And there I called on the name of the Lord of worlds and praised the name of God and blessed God, and I gave thanks before God for all the riches and favors which he had bestowed on me. For he had dealt kindly towards me and had led me back in peace into this land.
After that day, Lot departed from me on account of the deeds of our shepherds. He went away and settled in the valley of the Jordan
Jordan Valley (Middle East)
The Jordan Valley forms part of the larger Jordan Rift Valley. It is 120 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, where it runs from Lake Tiberias in the north to northern Dead Sea in the south. It runs for an additional 155 kilometer south of the Dead Sea to Aqaba, an area also known as Wadi...
, together with all his flocks; and I myself added more to them. He kept his sheep and journeyed as far as Sodom
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, and he bought a house for himself in Sodom and dwelt in it. But I dwelt on the mountain of Bethel and it grieved me that my nephew Lot had departed from me.
And God appeared to me in a vision at night and said to me, "Go to Ramath
Ramah in Benjamin
Ramah in Benjamin is a city of ancient Israel. It was located near Gibeon and Mizpah to the West, Gibeah to the South, and Geba to the East. It is identified with modern Er-Ram, about 8 km north of Jerusalem. The city is first mentioned in Joshua 18:25, near Gibeah of Benjamin. A Levite came...
Hazor which is north of Bethel, the place where you dwell, and lift up your eyes and look to the east and to the west and to the south and to the north; and behold all this land which I give to you and your seed forever."
The next morning, I went up to Ramath Hazor and from that high place I beheld the land from the River of Egypt
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Senir, and from the Great Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
to Hauran
Hauran
Hauran, , also spelled Hawran or Houran, is a volcanic plateau, a geographic area and a people located in southwestern Syria and extending into the northwestern corner of Jordan. It gets its name from the Aramaic Hawran, meaning "cave land." In geographic and geomorphic terms, its boundaries...
, and all the land of Gebal
Byblos
Byblos is the Greek name of the Phoenician city Gebal . It is a Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day Lebanon under the current Arabic name of Jubayl and was also referred to as Gibelet during the Crusades...
as far as Kadesh
Kadesh
This article is about Kadesh in the lands of the Amurru, bordering on Damascus Syria up to Hammath; see also Kadesh or Kedesh Kadesh was an ancient city of the Levant, located on or near the headwaters or ford of the Orontes River...
, and all the Great Desert to the east of Hauran and Senir as far as Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
. And he said to me, "I will give all this land to your seed and they shall possess it forever. And I will multiply your seed like' the dust of the earth which no man can number; neither shall any man number your seed. Rise and go! Behold the length and breadth of the land for it is yours; and after you, I will give it to your seed forever."
And I, Abram, departed to travel about and see the land.' I began my journey at the river Gihon
Gihon
Gihon is the name of the second river mentioned in the second chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis. The Gihon is mentioned as one of four rivers issuing out of the Garden of Eden that branched from a single river within the garden. The name may be interpreted as "Bursting Forth, Gushing"...
and traveled along the coast of the sea until I came to the Mountain of the Bull [Taurus]. Then I traveled from the coast of the Great Salt Sea and journeyed towards the east by the Mountain of the Bull, across the breadth of the land, until I came to the river Euphrates. I journeyed along the Euphrates until I came to the Red Sea in the east, and I traveled along the coast of the Red Sea until I came to the tongue of the Sea of Reeds [the modern Red Sea] which flows out from the Red Sea. Then I pursued my way in the south until I came to the river Gihon, and returning, I came to my house in peace and found all things prosperous there. I went to dwell at the Oaks of Mamre
Mamre
Mamre , full Hebrew name Elonei Mamre , refers to a Canaanite cultic shrine dedicated to the supreme, sky god of the Canaanite pantheon, El. Talmudic sources refer to the site as Beth Ilanim or Botnah. it was one of the three most important "fairs", market place or caravanserai, in Palestine...
, which is at Hebron, northeast of Hebron; and I built an altar there, and laid on it a sacrifice and an oblation to the Most High God. I ate and drank there, I and all the men of my household, and I sent for Mamre, Ornam, and Eshkol, the three Amorite
Amorite
Amorite refers to an ancient Semitic people who occupied large parts of Mesopotamia from the 21st Century BC...
brothers, my friends, and they ate and drank with me.
Before these days, Kedorlaomer
Battle of the Vale of Siddim
The Battle of Siddim, or Battle of the Vale of Siddim refers to an event in the Hebrew Bible book of that occurred in the days of Abram and Lot...
, king of Elam, had set out with Amraphel
Amraphel
In the Tanakh or Old Testament, Amraphel was a king of Shinar in Genesis xiv.1 and 9, who invaded the west along with Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and others, and defeated Sodom and the other Cities of the Plain in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim.Beginning with E...
, king of Babylon, Arioch
Arioch
Arioch is a Hebrew name that means "fierce lion". It originally appears in the Book of Genesis chapter 14 as the name of the "King of Ellasar", part of the confederation of kings who did battle with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and with Abraham in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim...
, king of Kaptok, and Tidal
Tidal (Bible)
Tidal king of Goyim is a monarch mentioned in Genesis 14:1. The word goyim in Biblical Hebrew can be translated as "nations" or "peoples" or "ethnic groups" although Bible commentaries suggest that that in this verse it may instead be a reference to the region of Gutium...
, king of the nations which lie between the rivers
Paddan Aram
Paddan Aram or Padan-aram was an early Aramean kingdom in Mesopotamia. Paddan Aram in Aramaic means the field of Aram. The name may correspond to the Hebrew “sedeh Aram,” or “field of Aram.”...
; and they had waged war against Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah
Admah
Admah was one of the pentapolis of the Vale of Siddim. It was destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah. It is supposed by some to be the same as the "Adam" of Joshua 3:16, the name of which still lingers in Damieh, a ford of the Jordan river....
, Shemiabad, king of Zeboim, and against the king of Bela
Zoara
Zoara, the biblical Zoar, previously called Bela, was one of the five cities of the plain of Jordan in Genesis in the Tanakh or Old Testament, which escaped the "brimstone and fire" which destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, for having sheltered Lot and his daughters...
. All these had made ready for battle in the valley of Siddim
Vale of Siddim
Vale of Siddim or Valley of Siddim is a Hebrew bible place name mentioned in the book of Genesis Chapter 14....
, and the king of Elam and the other kings with him had prevailed over the king of Sodom and his companions and had imposed a tribute upon them.
For twelve years they had paid their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. And in the fourteenth year, the king of Elam placed himself at the head of all his allies and went up by the Way of the Wilderness; and they smote and pillaged from the river Euphrates onward. They smote the Rephaim
Rephaite
Rephaim is a Northwest Semitic term that occurs in the Hebrew Bible as well as other, non-Jewish ancient texts from the region...
who were at Ashteroth Karnaim
Ashteroth Karnaim
Ashteroth Karnaim was a city in the land of Bashan east of the Jordan River, mentioned in and . The name translates literally to 'Ashteroth of the Horns', with 'Ashteroth' being a Canaanite fertitility goddess and 'horns' being symbolic of mountain peaks...
, the Zamzummim who were at Ammon
Ammon
Ammon , also referred to as the Ammonites and children of Ammon, was an ancient nation located east of the Jordan River, Gilead, and the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, site of the modern city of Amman, Jordan's capital...
, the Emim
Emim
The Emim was the Moabite name for one of the tribes of Rephaim. They are described in Deuteronomy chapter 2 as having been a powerful people, populous and having a successful kingdom. They were defeated by the Moabites, who occupied their land...
who were at Shaveh ha-Keriyyoth
Kerioth
Kerioth - cities. #A town in the south of Judea . Judas Iscariot was probably a native of this place, and hence his name Iscariot. It has been identified with the ruins of el-Kureitein, about 10 miles south of Hebron. ....
, and the Horites
Horites
Horites or Horim were a cave-dwelling people mentioned in the Torah inhabiting areas around Mount Seir. They have been identified with Egyptian references to Khar , which concern a southern region of Canaan...
who were in the mountains of Gebal, until they came to El Paran
Desert of Paran
The Desert of Paran or Wilderness of Paran , is the place in which the Hebrew Bible says the Israelites spent part of their 40 years of wandering: Then the Israelites set out from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the Desert of Paran...
which is in the Wilderness. And they returned at Hazazon Tamar.
The king of Sodom went out to meet them, together with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela; and they fought a battle in the valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and the kings who were with him. But the king of Sodom was vanquished and fled, and the king of Gomorrah fell into the pits. And the king of Elam carried off all the riches of Sodom and Gomorrah and they took Lot, the nephew of Abram, who dwelt with them in Sodom, together with all his possessions.
Now one of the shepherds of the flocks which Abram had given to Lot escaped from captivity and came to Abram; at that time Abram dwelt in Hebron. He told him that Lot, his nephew, had been taken, together with all his possessions, and that he had not been slain, and that the kings had gone by the Way of the Great Valley of the Jordan in the direction of their land, taking captives and plundering and smiting and slaying, and that they were journeying towards the land of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
.
Abram wept because of Lot, his nephew. Then he braced himself; he rose up and chose from among his servants three hundred and eighteen fighting men trained for war, and Ornam and Eshkol and Mamre went with him also He pursued them until he came to Dan, and came on them while they were camped in the valley of Dan. He fell on them at night from four sides and during the night he slew them; he crushed them and |put them to flight, and all of them fled before him until they came to Hel-bon, which is north of Damascus. He rescued from them all their captives, and all their booty and possessions. He also delivered Lot, his nephew, together with all his possessions, and he brought back all the captives which they had taken.
When the king of Sodom learned that Abram had brought back all the captives and all the booty, he came out to meet him; and he went to Salem, which is Jerusalem.
Abram camped in the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king, the valley of Beth-ha-Kerem; and Melchizedek
Melchizedek
Melchizedek or Malki Tzedek translated as "my king righteous") is a king and priest mentioned during the Abram narrative in the 14th chapter of the Book of Genesis....
, king of Salem, brought out food and drink to Abram and to all the men who were with him. He was the Priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram and said, "Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Lord of I leaven and earth! And blessed be the Most High God who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him the tithe of all the possessions of the king of Elam and his companions.
Then the king of Sodom approached and said to Abram, "My lord Abram, give me the souls which are mine, which you have delivered from the king of Elam and taken captive, and you may have all the possessions."
Then said Abram to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand this day to the Most High God, Lord of Heaven and earth! I will take nothing of yours, not even a shoelace or shoestrap, lest you say, "Abram's riches come from my possessions!" I will take nothing but that which the young men with me have eaten already, and the portion of the three men who have come with me. They shall decide whether they will give you their portion." And Abram returned all the possessions and all the captives and gave them to the king of Sodom; he freed all the captives from this land who were with him, and sent them all back.
After these things, God appeared to Abram in a vision and said to him, "Behold, ten years have passed since you departed from Haran
Harran
Harran was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia whose site is near the modern village of Altınbaşak, Turkey, 24 miles southeast of Şanlıurfa...
. For two years you dwelt here and you spent seven years in Egypt, and one year has passed since you returned from Egypt. And now examine and count all you have, and see how it has grown to be double that which came out with you from Haran. And now do not fear, I am with you; I am your help and your strength. I am a shield above you and a mighty safeguard round about you. Your wealth and possessions shall multiply greatly." But Abram said, "My Lord God, I have great wealth and possessions but what good shall they do for me? I shall die naked and childless. A child from my household shall inherit from me. Eliezer shall inherit from me." And he said to him, "He shall not be your heir, but one who shall spring from your body shall inherit from you."