Son of Springvale

[Enochide Videos Bible]

Son of Springvale

The theophany was born on the 20^th of November in 6179 in the reckoning of the adjusted calendar of Haven Noahide Fellowship, the year 2016 in the regular common era calendar. He was born in Cooma hospital, but lived his early life in Springvale, a small tiny township south of Dalgety, found on few maps it was so small. His father was Jeremiah Debear, and he was a regular father, attendant of the United Pentecostal Church, but young Wolfgang Debear did not 100% agree with his father's conclusions that Jesus Christ Almighty was exactly that – the living God. He did not agree at all.

When Wolfgang turned 25 he started suffering from Schizophrenia, and heard voices. And then he had a psychotic attack, refused the medications his parent's suggested, and drifted off out onto the back roads of southern Monaro region, were he wandered until he was 40. 15 years of crazy adventures, were voices told him he was God, and he believed them as well. Who else could Wolfgang be apart from God Almighty? If there was a God, it wasn't Jesus, it was Wolfgang. But he never took it that seriously, especially after his 39^th year when an Eternal Voice said to him, 'TIME TO GET SERIOUS WOLFGANG.'

Wolfgang drifted into Canberra, into Tuggeranong, and having his birth certificate with him, which he'd had in his wallet for the last 15 years, he registered with Centrelink, who said he'd need an address, so they put him on the emergency housing list, and found him a place in his 40^th year. It was in Gilmore, in Alice Jackson Crescent. And then the Cherubim Daniel Daly, 347^th Cherubim of the Realm of Eternity, dropped by one afternoon, having chatted with him at the Chisholm shops, and they started talking about the Universal Faith Assembly, and God had found his calling in life. Head pastor of the the Universal Faith Assembly of the 7 Divine Fellowships, and Daniel delivered him the complete works of Melanie C on CD and said 'She's our Girl'.

God married in his 41^st year, a lady he had converted to membership of the Universal Faith Assembly. She was a pretty lady, and she liked God. April was her first name, and she became April Debear. And they had a child which he named 'David' and God was happy. Wolfgang was happy.

* * * * *

In his years wandering around, Wolfgang had dropped into Canberra a number of times, sitting on the steps of Calvary Chapel a lot, were his father went to church, the family driving up from Springvale once a month to attend. He saw his dad often, who gave him regular cash, and watched Wolfgang as he wandered around Chifley oval, which was next to the church, and sat up in the corner of the oval, in a quiet section, just nearby a set of flats called Chifley house. But most of the time he was wandering around Tuggeranong when his wanderings brought him to Canberra a few times a year, and he wandered around, sleeping in parks and ovals, and knew the place quite well by his 40^th year. In Macarthur playing fields Daniel Daly had met him a number of times, and he'd advised the lad often to sort his life out. Wolfgang drank alcohol, never to excess and never ever got drunk, but he enjoyed a drop to get him through the nights. He had a warm sleeping bag he slept in at nights, and drank water from taps most of the time, or from the Snowy or Murrumbidgee rivers, or various other creeks, but always seemed to have enough cash when he was hungry for a hamburger or some hot chips and gravy or some other cafe food he enjoyed eating. Daniel helped him financially, as well as his father, and Wolfgang was a wildman in some ways, Mr Natural, lost off his his psychotic fantasies, an adventurous world of his own imaginations. There was nothing quite like God's younger years, and although he was alone a lot of the time, somehow he didn't mind. He was on endless crusades to redeem mankind in his hear, the calling of his young life, and the voices always told him he was saving the world. His crazy missions were all part of the masterplan for the salvation of mankind. Wolfgang knew that was true – somehow.

He met April, actually, when he was about 30, as she lived in Gilmore, and she said he was a crazy sweet kind of guy, and though she was only 15, she said she could marry a guy like him. He never forgot that.

His adventures always made sense for a while, and he would read his King James Bible, and know that Salvation was of the LORD, and his mission was to redeem them all. Somehow he made the Sun rise one night, although it actually rose at its correct time, but Wolfgang knew his prayers at what was surely midnight were answered. There were all sorts of redemptive works he accomplished, all in his own heart, his own little world of imagination, but, when his late 30s started coming along, he started calming down. And the then the voice of the Almighty, and Wolfgang was mostly over it. Time to finally settle down.

* * * * *

'Wolfgang. I have noticed something on the computer.'

Wolfgang was nervous.

'On our youtube account. A lot of American African pop artists. Females, especially.'

Wolfgang breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't found the porn. 'Uh, yeh. Is that unusual?' he asked April.

'No. Not really. It's just that there is an awful lot of them. Especially Rihanna. You must have favourited her entire video career and live performances.'

'Uh, yeh,' he responded, and came in from the laundry, through the hall, to the main living room were April was watching TV. 'Just got a thing for Afro women,' said Wolfgang.

'Yet you married me,' she said.

'Love knows no boundaries,' he said softly.

She picked up the remote and changed the challenge to a nature show. They sat in silence for a while, and she rested against him. 'Just don't cheat on me with any nigger bitch,' she said after a while. God nodded.

A few weeks later Daniel Daly was around, and they were discussing matters pertinent to the Universal Faith Assembly.

'As you would know from reaidng the Rainbow Bible, AOTDC does have a universal focus, but it operated within the framework of an Anglospheran perspective on things. But UFA is truly international in its focus. It is broadminded, attempting to represent every culture, and has non-racial policies more strongly enforced than the other fellowships. Karaite Abrahamism works within it, to a degree acting as a father of nations for blessing, but as part of the community of UFA, an international Noahide community. The Abrahamides of the UFA are meant to be less focused on their own racial identity and think more in common as being members of the human race, and less racially expressive. Ultimately the same is expected of the Israelite members of the Universal Truth Assembly also. We are meant to be universal and united, sharing the bond of being the family of Noah and the blood which unites us. Judaism outside of the 7DF may have as much focus on its own identity and uniqueness as it jolly well chooses to be, and they can the chosen of God till Kingdom Come, but not in the UTA. No way in 7DF, which is a united humanity with non-racist policies. In this sense the Anglospheran policies of AOTDC are mainly 'Cultural' paradigms we promote, rather than any racial agenda. Right?'

God nodded at Daniel's words. They were familiar teachings, which he had gradually been growing used to. Daniel's vision for the future of the Seven Divine Fellowship's of Karaite Adamide-Noahide faith as he liked to express them.

'What do you think of Inter-racial marriage?' God asked Daniel, out of the blue.

Daniel looked at Wolfgang. 'Nothing wrong with it.'

God nodded to himself. 'Right. Good to know.'

Later on God was watching porn again. Nigger bitch porn. April possibly would mind. Daniel didn't. He would allow his pastor to rule his heart on this occasion. He liked those fine afro booties.

* * * * *

Wolfgang had walked home, walked all the way, back to Springvale. It was like that – he would get an impulse to do something, and off he want, grabbing nothing more than his wallet and a drinking flask, willing and able to walk hundreds of miles to accomplish whatever whim came upon him. So he wanted to go home, walking down the Monaro highway, and have a getaway. He needed to think.

He was sitting not far from the Chakola turnoff, near the monument on the hill, which he always wondered about, and looking east towards the rising sun. It was early in the morning, and he had been walking 4 days now. Springvale was still a fair way off, but he was nearly at Cooma and, this time, he had calmed down somewhat and felt he would bus it home from Cooma back to Canberra, most of the psychotic impulsiveness for this particular trip having left him. But he had wanted to go home to think about something, which he was doing now. His wife, and their young child David. But did he love April? He knew, in this earthly life, that decision had already been made, and that he did love her, but it wasn't as deep as he had originally thought. She had been attractive, and he had been attracted, but as time passed, and the novelty wore off, she was not exactly what he thought he needed. It was bizarre. She didn't go to UPC, but he felt that in that church she would be at home more than any other place. Weird. But while he would stay loyal to her for their life together, he had already let his heart wander, and found the old pop singer 'Rihanna' in the centre of it. Her music got to him most of all, and he fantasized about being with her one day.

For some strange reason he liked to watch the sun rise from the east. Seemed to be like that – face the new day, full of hopes and possibilities. Just what he was meant to do now. He had saved the sun enough, after all. But he didn't take those thoughts that seriously any more. Recognized them, with the help of his psychiatrist, for what they mostly were. Vain fantasies.

God didn't really have work, yet, but the UFA had some members now, in Canberra and the region, and they met up once a month, with Daniel occasionally in attendance, but he was involved with each of the 7 Divine fellowships, for the Rainbow Bibles had been merged into one, and while they were united, there remained as the core idea 7 separate fellowships of Karaite Adamide-Noahide faith. Such was what Daniel had worked upon, and such had been what, through perseverance, had come to light. Wolfgang had been chosen to be the head pastor of 3DF – the Universal Faith Assembly – so he took to that now as his life mission, to let it lead him were it would. And to God be the glory whatever glory came.

He sat there for a while, watching the morning dawn, and then, suddenly inspired to get to Cooma quickly, so he could get to MacDonalds and enjoy the morning brekkie, he got up, got started, and was chuffing along in no time, coming into Bunyan and working his way steadily towards town. And he enjoyed his MacDonalds, but when he got to the Newsagency, ready to go in and book his trip back to Canberra, his pride surfaced, and off he went, back down to Bombala street, and off, up the road, heading down the track to home, determined to make the distance, just because anyway. Just because, anyway.

* * * * *

When he was home in Springvale, a voice said to his heart. 'Go now, return to Cooma, and book that bus trip to Canberra. And walk back, even now, all the way to Cooma.' And Wolfgang, feeling this compulsion strongly in his heart, ventured forth to the street and said 'Fuck!'

He walked, and walked, and got to a familiar stream after a long while, and filled his plastic milk bottle with water, and drank at the stream, and walked on. He was eager.

And as he walked a voice said to him again, 'Your wife is not right for you. Leave her. I will provide another in time.' And Wolfgang, feeling that knowledge to be true, continued on and said 'For fuck's sake, ok.'

And then, as the night came on, he was in Berridale, and sitting by the creek, because he had too much pride to book a room for the night in the pub, he was cold and shivering, and had no sleeping bag, he felt a voice speak to him yet again, for the final time. 'To live is to suffer. Few will suffer as greatly as ye must, but I will have mercy, for there are others whose extremes are plain stupidity and not wisdom.'

Wolfgang sensed something important. 'I can take it,' he said.

'No. You can't,' said the wind, and Wolfgang knew the wisdom of God.

He got to the 4 mile the following evening, and was exhausted. And then he made the Alpine pub, and God had mercy. He was allowed to book a room for the night and have some crumbed fish and chips for dinner. He was famished, and wolfed it down. And he slept that night, and dreamed of little black cats, and there was a soft laugh in the background as he patted a little black cat and called it a cutie.

The following Morning Daniel Daly met Wolfgang in the Newsagency, where he was using the internet. 'Come on. I'll give you a lift.'

And Wolfgang, feeling something in him soften up, yielded, and accepted mercy. For he was only human in the end, anyway.

As they drove back up to Canberra, Daniel looked at Wolfgang. 'Teach me what you know about Abraham.'

Wolfgang looked at Daniel. Then he began talking. 'Abraham, originally Abram, is the first of the three patriarchs of Judaism. His story is a center piece of all Abrahamic religions and Abraham plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Biblical narrative revolves around the themes of posterity and land. Abraham is called by God to leave the house of his father Terah and settle in the land originally given to Canaan, but which God now promises to Abraham and his progeny. Various candidates are put forward who might inherit the land after Abraham, but all are dismissed except for Isaac, his son by his half-sister Sarah. Abraham purchases a tomb (the Cave of the Patriarchs) at Hebron to be Sarah's grave, thus establishing his right to the land, and in the second generation his heir Isaac is married to a woman from his own kin, thus ruling the Canaanites out of any inheritance. Abraham later marries Keturah and has six more sons, but on his death, when he is buried beside Sarah, it is Isaac who receives "all Abraham's goods", while the other sons receive only "gifts". A common hypothesis among critical scholars is that the Abrahamic passages were composed in the early Persian period (late 6th century BCE) as a result of tensions between Jewish landowners who had stayed in Judah during the Babylonian captivity and traced their right to the land through their "father Abraham", and the returning exiles who based their counter-claim on Moses and the Exodus tradition. The story of Abraham is related in Genesis 11:26–25:10 of the Hebrew Bible. Terah, the tenth in descent from Noah, begat three sons: Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran begat Lot (who was thus Abram's nephew), and died in his native city, Ur of the Chaldees. Abram married Sarai, who was barren. Terah, with Abram, Sarai, and Lot, then departed for Canaan, but settled in a place named Haran, where Terah died at the age of 205. (Genesis 11:27–32) God had told Abram to leave his country and kindred and go to a land that he would show him, and promised to make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, bless them that bless him, and curse he who may curse him. (Genesis 12:1–3) Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the substance and souls that they had acquired, and traveled to Shechem in Canaan. (Genesis 12:4–6). There was a severe famine in the land of Canaan, so that Abram and Lot and their households, traveled south to Egypt. On the way Abram told his wife Sarai to say that she was his sister, so that the Egyptians would not kill him. (Genesis 12:10–13) When they entered Egypt, the Pharaoh's officials praised Sarai's beauty to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace, and Abram was given provisions: "oxen, and he-asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she-asses, and camels". However, God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with great plagues, for which he tried to find the reason. (Genesis 12:14–17) Upon discovering that Sarai was a married woman, Pharaoh demanded that they and their household leave immediately, with all their goods. (Genesis 12:18–20). When they came back to the Bethel and Hai area, Abram's and Lot's sizable livestock herds occupied the same pastures. This became a problem for the herdsmen who were assigned to each family's cattle. The conflicts between herdsmen had become so troublesome that Abram graciously suggested that Lot choose a separate area, either on the left hand (north) or on the right hand (south), that there be no conflict amongst brethren. But Lot chose to go east to the plain of Jordan where the land was well watered everywhere as far as Zoar, and he dwelled in the cities of the plain toward Sodom. Abram went south to Hebron and settled in the plain of Mamre, where he built another altar to worship God. (Genesis 13:1–18). During the rebellion of the Jordan River cities against Elam, (Genesis 14:1–9) Abram's nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner along with his entire household by the invading Elamite forces. The Elamite army came to collect the spoils of war, after having just defeated the king of Sodom's armies. (Genesis 14:8–12) Lot and his family, at the time, were settled on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Sodom which made them a visible target. (Genesis 13:12). One person who escaped capture came and told Abram what happened. Once Abram received this news, he immediately assembled 318 trained servants. Abram's force headed north in pursuit of the Elamite army, who were already worn down from the Battle of Siddim. When they caught up with them at Dan, Abram devised a battle plan by splitting his group into more than one unit, and launched a night raid. Not only were they able to free the captives, Abram's unit chased and slaughtered the Elamite King Chedorlaomer at Hobah, just north of Damascus. They freed Lot, as well as his household and possessions, and recovered all of the goods from Sodom that had been taken. (Genesis 14:13–16). Upon Abram's return, Sodom's king came out to meet with him in the Valley of Shaveh, the "king's dale". Also, Melchizedek king of Salem (Jerusalem), a priest of God Most High, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram and God. Abram then gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. The king of Sodom then offered to let Abram keep all the possessions if he would merely return his people. Although he released the captives, Abram refused any reward from the king of Sodom, other than the share to which his allies were entitled. (Genesis 14:17–24). The word of God came to Abram in a vision and repeated the promise of the land and descendants as numerous as the stars. Abram and God made a covenant ceremony, and God told of the future bondage of Israel in Egypt. God described to Abram the land that his offspring would claim: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaims, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites. (Genesis 15:1–21). Abram and Sarai tried to make sense of how he would become a progenitor of nations since after 10 years of living in Canaan, no child had been born. Sarai then offered her Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar, for Abram to consort with so that he may have a child by her, as his wife. After Hagar found she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress, Sarai. Therefore, Sarai mistreated Hagar, and Hagar fled away. En route an angel spoke with Hagar at the fountain in the way to Shur. He instructed her to return and that her son would be "a wild ass of a man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren." She was told to call her son Ishmael. Hagar then called God who spoke to her "El-roi", From that day, the well was called Beer-lahai-roi, ("The well of him that liveth and seeth me." KJV margin). She then did as she was instructed by returning to her mistress in order to have her child. Abram was eighty-six years of age when Ishmael was born. (Genesis 16:4–16). Thirteen years later, when Abram was ninety-nine years of age, God declared Abram's new name: "Abraham" – "a father of many nations" (Genesis 17:5). Abraham then received the instructions for the covenant, of which circumcision was to be the sign.(Genesis 17:10–14) Then God declared Sarai's new name: "Sarah" and blessed her and told Abraham, "I will give thee a son also of her". (Genesis 17:15–16) But Abraham laughed, and "said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?'" (Genesis 17:17) Immediately after Abraham's encounter with God, he had his entire household of men, including himself (age 99) and Ishmael (age 13), circumcised. (Genesis 17:22–27). Not long afterward, during the heat of the day, Abraham had been sitting at the entrance of his tent by the terebinths of Mamre. He looked up and saw three men in the presence of God. Then he ran and bowed to the ground to welcome them. Abraham then offered to wash their feet and fetch them a morsel of bread, of which they assented. Abraham rushed to Sarah's tent to order cakes made from choice flour, then he ordered a servant-boy to prepare a choice calf. When all was prepared, he set curds, milk and the calf before them, waiting on them, under a tree, as they ate. (Genesis 18:1–8). One of the visitors told Abraham that upon his return next year, Sarah would have a son. While at the tent entrance, Sarah overheard what was said and she laughed to herself about the prospect of having a child at their ages. The visitor inquired of Abraham why Sarah laughed at bearing a child at her age, as nothing is too hard for God. Frightened, Sarah denied laughing. After eating, Abraham and the three visitors got up. They walked over to the peak that overlooked the 'cities of the plain' to discuss the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah for their detestable sins that were so great, it moved God to action. Because Abraham's nephew was living in Sodom, God revealed plans to confirm and judge these cities. At this point, the two other visitors left for Sodom. Then Abraham turned to God and pleaded decrementally with Him (from fifty persons to less) that "if there were at least ten righteous men found in the city, would not God spare the city?" For the sake of ten righteous people, God declared that he would not destroy the city. (Genesis 18:17–33). When the two visitors got to Sodom to conduct their report, they planned on staying in the city square. However, Abraham's nephew, Lot, met with them and strongly insisted that these two "men" stay at his house for the night. A rally of men stood outside of Lot's home and demanded that they bring out his guests so that they may "know" (v.5) them. However, Lot objected and offered his virgin daughters who had not "known" (v.8) man to the rally of men instead. They rejected that notion and sought to break down Lot's door to get to his male guests, (Genesis 19:1–9) thus confirming that their "cry" had waxed great before God, and they would be destroyed. (Genesis 19:12–13) Early the next morning, Abraham went to the place where he stood before God. He "looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah" and saw what became of the cities of the plain, where not even "ten righteous" (v.18:32) had been found, as "the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace." (Genesis 19:27–29). Abraham settled between Kadesh and Shur in the land of the Philistines. While he was living in Gerar, Abraham openly claimed that Sarah was his sister. Upon discovering this news, King Abimelech had her brought to him. God then came to Abimelech in a dream and declared that taking her would result in death because she was a man's wife. Abimelech had not laid hands on her, so he inquired if he would also slay a righteous nation, especially since Abraham had claimed that he and Sarah were siblings. In response, God told Abimelech that he did indeed have a blameless heart and that is why he continued to exist. However, should he not return the wife of Abraham back to him, God would surely destroy Abimelech and his entire household. Abimelech was informed that Abraham was a prophet who would pray for him.(Genesis 20:1–7).Early next morning, Abimelech informed his servants of his dream and approached Abraham inquiring as to why he had brought such great guilt upon his kingdom. Abraham stated that he thought there was no fear of God in that place, and that they might kill him for his wife. Then Abraham defended what he had said as not being a lie at all: "And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife." (Genesis 20:12) Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham, and gave him gifts of sheep, oxen, and servants; and invited him to settle wherever he pleased in Abimelech's lands. Further, Abimelech gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver to serve as Sarah's vindication before all. Abraham then prayed for Abimelech and his household, since God had stricken the women with infertility because of the taking of Sarah. (Genesis 20:8–18). After living for some time in the land of the Philistines, Abimelech and Phicol, the chief of his troops, approached Abraham because of a dispute that resulted in a violent confrontation at a well. Abraham then reproached Abimelech due to his Philistine servant's aggressive attacks and the seizing of Abraham's well. Abimelech claimed ignorance of the incident. Then Abraham offered a pact by providing sheep and oxen to Abimelech. Further, to attest that Abraham was the one who dug the well, he also gave Abimelech seven ewes for proof. Because of this sworn oath, they called the place of this well: Beersheba. After Abimelech and Phicol headed back to Philistia, Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba and called upon "the name of the LORD, the everlasting God." (Genesis 21:22–34). As had been prophesied in Mamre the previous year (Genesis 17:21), Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham, on the first anniversary of the covenant of circumcision. Abraham was "an hundred years old", when his son whom he named Isaac was born; and he circumcised him when he was eight days old. (Genesis 21:1–5) For Sarah, the thought of giving birth and nursing a child, at such an old age, also brought her much laughter, as she declared, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." (Genesis 21:6–7) Isaac continued to grow and on the day he was weaned, Abraham held a great feast to honor the occasion. During the celebration, however, Sarah found Ishmael mocking; an observation that would begin to clarify the birthright of Isaac. (Genesis 21:8–13). Ishmael was fourteen years old when Abraham's son Isaac was born to a different mother, Sarah. Sarah had finally borne her own child, even though she had passed her child bearing period. When she found Ishmael teasing Isaac, Sarah told Abraham to send both Ishmael and Hagar away. She declared that Ishmael would not share in Isaac's inheritance. Abraham was greatly distressed by his wife's words and sought the advice of his God. God told Abraham not to be distressed but to do as his wife commanded. God reassured Abraham that "in Isaac shall seed be called to thee." (Genesis 21:12) He also said that Ishmael would make a nation, "because he is thy seed". (Genesis 21:9–13). Early the next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together. He gave her bread and water and sent them away. The two wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba until her bottle of water was completely consumed. In a moment of despair, she burst into tears. After God heard the boy's voice, an angel of the Lord confirmed to Hagar that he would become a great nation. A well of water then appeared so that it saved their lives. As the boy grew, he became a skilled archer living in the wilderness of Paran. Eventually his mother found a wife for Ishmael from her home country, the land of Egypt. (Genesis 21:14–21). At some point in Isaac's youth, Abraham was commanded by God to offer his son up as a sacrifice in the land of Moriah. The patriarch traveled three days until he came to the mount that God told him of. He commanded the servants to remain while he and Isaac proceeded alone into the mount. Isaac carried the wood upon which he would be sacrificed. Along the way, Isaac asked his father where the animal for the burnt offering was, to which Abraham replied "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering". Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, he was interrupted by the angel of the LORD, and he saw behind him a "ram caught in a thicket by his horns", which he sacrificed instead of his son. For his obedience he received another promise of numerous descendants and abundant prosperity. After this event, Abraham went to Beersheba. (Genesis 22:1–19). Sarah died, and Abraham buried her in the Cave of the Patriarchs (the "cave of Machpelah"), near Hebron which he had purchased along with the adjoining field from Ephron the Hittite. (Genesis 23:1–20) After the death of Sarah, Abraham took another wife, a concubine named Keturah, by whom he had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. (Genesis 25:1–6) According to the Bible, reflecting the change of his name to "Abraham" meaning "a father of many nations", Abraham is considered to be the progenitor of many nations mentioned in the Bible, among others the Israelites, Ishmaelites (Genesis 25:12–18), Edomites (Genesis 36:1–43), Amalekites (Genesis 36:12–16), Kenizzites (Genesis 36:9–16), Midianites and Assyrians (Genesis 25:1–5), and through his nephew Lot he was also related to the Moabites and Ammonites. (Genesis 19:35–38) Abraham lived to see his son marry Rebekah, (and possibly to see the birth of his twin grandsons Jacob and Esau). He died at age 175, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. (Genesis 25:7–10 1Chronicles 1:32). In the early and middle 20th century, leading archaeologists such as William F. Albright, and biblical scholars such as Albrecht Alt, believed that the patriarchs and matriarchs were either real individuals or believable composites of people who lived in the "patriarchal age", the 2nd millennium BCE. But, in the 1970s, new arguments concerning Israel's past and the biblical texts challenged these views; these arguments can be found in Thomas L. Thompson's The Historicity of the Patriarchal Narratives (1974), and John Van Seters' Abraham in History and Tradition (1975). Thompson, a literary scholar, based his argument on archaeology and ancient texts. His thesis centered on the lack of compelling evidence that the patriarchs lived in the 2nd millennium, and noted how certain biblical texts reflected first millennium conditions and concerns. Van Seters examined the patriarchal stories and argued that their names, social milieu, and messages strongly suggested that they were Iron Age creations. William G. Dever has stated that by the beginning of the 21st century, archaeologists had "given up hope of recovering any context that would make Abraham, Isaac or Jacob credible 'historical figures'". Abraham's name is apparently very ancient, as the tradition found in Genesis no longer understands its original meaning (probably "Father is exalted" – the meaning offered in Genesis 17:5, "Father of a multitude", is a popular etymology). The story, like those of the other patriarchs, most likely had a substantial oral prehistory. At some stage the oral traditions became part of the written tradition of the Pentateuch; a majority of scholars believes this stage belongs to the Persian period, roughly 520–320 BCE. The mechanisms by which this came about remain unknown, but there are currently two important hypotheses. The first, called Persian Imperial authorisation, is that the post-Exilic community devised the Torah as a legal basis on which to function within the Persian Imperial system; the second is that Pentateuch was written to provide the criteria for who would belong to the post Exilic Jewish community and to establish the power structures and relative positions of its various groups, notably the priesthood and the lay "elders". Nevertheless, the completion of the Torah and its elevation to the centre of post-Exilic Judaism was as much or more about combining older texts as writing new ones – the final Pentateuch was based on existing traditions. In Ezekiel 33:24, written during the Exile (i.e., in the first half of the 6th century BCE), Ezekiel, an exile in Babylon, tells how those who remained in Judah are claiming ownership of the land based on inheritance from Abraham; but the prophet tells them they have no claim because they don't observe Torah. Isaiah 63:16 similarly testifies of tension between the people of Judah and the returning post-Exilic Jews (the "gôlâ"), stating that God is the father of Israel and that Israel's history begins with the Exodus and not with Abraham. The conclusion to be inferred from this and similar evidence (e.g., Ezra-Nehemiah), is that the figure of Abraham must have been preeminent among the great landowners of Judah at the time of the Exile and after, serving to support their claims to the land in opposition to those of the returning exiles. Abraham is given a high position of respect in three major world faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Judaism he is the founding father of the Covenant, the special relationship between the Jewish people and God – a belief which gives the Jews a unique position as the Chosen People of God. In Christianity, the Apostle Paul taught that Abraham's faith in God – preceding the Mosaic law – made him the prototype of all believers, circumcised and uncircumcised. The Islamic prophet Muhammad claimed Abraham, whose submission to God constituted islam, as a "believer before the fact" and undercut Jewish claims to an exclusive relationship with God and the Covenant. In Jewish tradition, Abraham is called Avraham Avinu (אברהם אבינו), "our father Abraham," signifying that he is both the biological progenitor of the Jews (including converts, according to Jewish tradition), and the father of Judaism, the first Jew. His story is read in the weekly Torah reading portions, predominantly in the parashot: Lech-Lecha (לֶךְ-לְךָ), Vayeira (וַיֵּרָא), Chayei Sarah (חַיֵּי שָׂרָה), and Toledot (תּוֹלְדֹת). Abraham does not loom so large in Christianity as he does in Judaism and Islam. It is Jesus as the Messiah who is central to Christianity, and the idea of a divine Messiah is what separates Christianity from the other two religions. In Romans 4, Abraham's merit is less his obedience to the divine will than his faith in God's ultimate grace; this faith provides him the merit for God having chosen him for the covenant, and the covenant becomes one of faith, not obedience. The Roman Catholic Church calls Abraham "our father in Faith" in the Eucharistic prayer of the Roman Canon, recited during the Mass (see Abraham in the Catholic liturgy). He is also commemorated in the calendars of saints of several denominations: on 20 August by the Maronite Church, 28 August in the Coptic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East (with the full office for the latter), and on 9 October by the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. In the introduction to his 15th-century translation of the Golden Legend's account of Abraham, William Caxton noted that this patriarch's life was read in church on Quinquagesima Sunday. He is the patron saint of those in the hospitality industry. The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates him as the "Righteous Forefather Abraham", with two feast days in its liturgical calendar. The first time is on 9 October (for those churches which follow the traditional Julian Calendar, 9 October falls on 22 October of the modern Gregorian Calendar), where he is commemorated together with his nephew "Righteous Lot". The other is on the "Sunday of the Forefathers" (two Sundays before Christmas), when he is commemorated together with other ancestors of Jesus. Abraham is also mentioned in the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, just before the Anaphora, and Abraham and Sarah are invoked in the prayers said by the priest over a newly married couple. Judaism holds that one becomes a descendant of Abraham through birth, and Christianity that one becomes a descendant through faith, but Islam holds that descent is unimportant – Abraham, in other words, is not the father of the believing community, but a link in the chain of prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Mohammad. Ibrāhīm is mentioned in 35 chapters of the Quran, more often than any other biblical personage apart from Moses. He is called both a hanif (monotheist) and muslim (one who submits), and Muslims regard him as a prophet and patriarch, the archetype of the perfect Muslim, and the revered reformer of the Kaaba in Mecca.[26] Islamic traditions consider Ibrāhīm (Abraham) the first Pioneer of Islam (which is also called millat Ibrahim, the "religion of Abraham"), and that his purpose and mission throughout his life was to proclaim the Oneness of God. In Islam, he is referred to as "Ibrahim El Khalil" (إبراهيم الخليل), meaning "Abraham the Friend [of Allah]". Paintings on the life of Abraham tend to focus on only a few incidents: the sacrifice of Isaac; meeting Melchizedek; entertaining the three angels; Hagar in the desert; and a few others. Additionally, Martin O'Kane, a professor of Biblical Studies, writes that the parable of Lazarus resting in the "Bosom of Abraham", as described in the Gospel of Luke, became an iconic image in Christian works. According to O'Kane, artists often chose to divert from the common literary portrayal of Lazarus sitting next to Abraham at a banquet in Heaven and instead focus on the "somewhat incongruous notion of Abraham, the most venerated of patriarchs, holding a naked and vulnerable child in his bosom". Several artists have been inspired by the life of Abraham, including Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), Caravaggio (1573–1610), Donatello, Raphael, Philip van Dyck (Dutch painter, 1680–1753), and Claude Lorrain (French painter, 1600–1682). Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669) created at least seven works on Abraham, Petrus-Paulus Rubens (1577–1640) did several, Marc Chagall did at least five on Abraham, Gustave Doré (French illustrator, 1832–1883) did six, and James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French painter and illustrator, 1836–1902) did over twenty works on the subject. The Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus depicts a set of biblical stories, including Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. These sculpted scenes are on the outside of a marble Early Christian sarcophagus used for the burial of Junius Bassus. He died in 359. This sarcophagus has been described as "probably the single most famous piece of early Christian relief sculpture."[29] The sarcophagus was originally placed in or under Old St. Peter's Basilica, was rediscovered in 1597, and is now below the modern basilica in the Museo Storico del Tesoro della Basilica di San Pietro (Museum of Saint Peter's Basilica) in the Vatican. The base is approximately 4 × 8 × 4 feet. The Old Testament scenes depicted were chosen as precursors of Christ's sacrifice in the New Testament, in an early form of typology. Just to the right of the middle is Daniel in the lion's den and on the left is Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac. George Segal created figural sculptures by molding plastered gauze strips over live models in his 1987 work Abraham's Farewell to Ishmael. The human condition was central to his concerns, and Segal used the Old Testament as a source for his imagery. This sculpture depicts the dilemma faced by Abraham when Sarah demanded that he expel Hagar and Ishmael. In the sculpture, the father's tenderness, Sarah's rage, and Hagar's resigned acceptance portray a range of human emotions. The sculpture was donated to the Miami Art Museum after the artist's death in 2000. As early as the beginning of the 3rd century, Christian art followed Christian typology in making the sacrifice of Isaac a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and its memorial in the sacrifice of the Mass. See for example this 11th-century Christian altar engraved with Abraham's and other sacrifices taken to prefigure that of Christ in the Eucharist. Some early Christian writers interpreted the three visitors as the triune God. Thus in Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome, a 5th-century mosaic portrays only the visitors against a gold ground and puts semitransparent copies of them in the "heavenly" space above the scene. In Eastern Orthodox art the visit is the chief means by which the Trinity is pictured. Some images do not include Abraham and Sarah, like Andrei Rublev's Trinity, which shows only the three visitors as beardless youths at a table.Fear and Trembling (original Danish title: Frygt og Bæven) is an influential philosophical work by Søren Kierkegaard, published in 1843 under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio (John the Silent). Kierkegaard wanted to understand the anxiety that must have been present in Abraham when God asked him to sacrifice his son. In 1994, Steve Reich released an opera named The Cave. The title refers to The Cave of the Patriarchs. The narrative of the opera is based on the story of Abraham and his immediate family as it is recounted in the various religious texts, and as it is understood by individual people from different cultures and religious traditions. Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" is the title track for his 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song as number 364 in their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song has five stanzas. In each stanza, someone describes an unusual problem that is ultimately resolved on Highway 61. In Stanza 1, God tells Abraham to "kill me a son". God wants the killing done on Highway 61. Abraham, the original name of the biblical Abraham, is also the name of Dylan's own father. In the 1966 American-Italian epic film The Bible: In the Beginning..., directed by John Huston and based on the first 22 Chapters of Genesis, Abraham is played by George C. Scott, with Ava Gardner as Sarah. A 1994 television movie about the Patriarch, Abraham, starred Richard Harris as Abraham and Barbara Hershey as Sarah.' And Wolfgang left of talking with that.

'You've studied,' said Daniel.

'I do my best,' said Wolfgang.

'All that anyone can ask,' replied Daniel, as he looked ahead, concentrating on the road ahead of him.

'Here's the Rainbow Torah. Literally,' said Daniel. And he began talking.

“The Rainbow Torah.

The Book of Truth.

At the first beginning, God existed. He existed in perfect rest and harmony with himself. And then, the first cause, he contemplated. At some point in those contemplations, God had conceived of ideas pertaining to creation. Yet to achieve that creation, God would require knowledge. A system of data and information necessary for that creation to function and run by. And thus, the knowledge and data God created first of all, which was to be used to create the world and the cosmos, was wisdom. Wisdom was the firstborn of God's creation, the knowledge of how creation works, and the knowledge of how mankind would be formed. Wisdom was there at the beginning with God, a companion of sorts, through whom God created all things. The source of energy which was used with wisdom to create all things was the power inherit in God's being himself. So, as it is written, God created all things through his wisdom and power. Alleluia. Thus, God made the world on the 1st of January 1 SC to the 6th of January 1 SC and rested on the 7th of January 1 SC. The First man was Adam, and the First woman was Eve, and she was made from Adam. The Spirit of God teaches me that Adam was a humble man who took his time working things out. Adam began the generations of mankind, and his seed from him down the 10 generations to Noah was Adam, the first man, Seth, the second, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, who generally tried to be humble in his walk with God, Methuselah, Lamech and then Noah. The spirit of God told me that Noah was a normal fellow. God also told me that, from his memories in the issue, it took Noah about a century to build the Ark. God also told me that Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth were also really quite smart. They were in fact advanced, and I queried if they stood out from their generation, and he responded by saying that you could pretty much say that perfectly. God tells me that Noah was regular in most ways and that he was clean living. According to God he generally got along with the world. According to God the people flooded weren't out to get him - that idea which has cropped up is not really true. He was fine with people. He was, in fact, good looking, according to God. I have dreamed in my life of Noah, who was a blonde man, and, in fact, God has confirmed to me that that was indeed Noah who I had dreamed about. And according to God he was quite wealthy in the end, because they developed the world after the flood. God also said that Noah was responsible for the rebirth of mankind. God made Rainbow Covenant with Noah, and there would never be another world wide flood. Down the generations from Noah we came to Nigall of Ireland, and down the generations from Nigall we came to Peter Paul Daly of Mullingar in Ireland, who came to Australia, who had Cyril Aloysius Daly, as his Seventh Son, who had myself, Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly, as his second son, who was born in Kingston upon Hull in England on the 20th of November 6135 years since creation. I, Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly, began the Advancing Noah Movement Religion, and it is herein.

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 of Holy Scripture'

'And that is that,' said Daniel.

'Oh,' said Wolfgang. 'Noach. Noach the Ark Builder. The one before Abraham. He has his own covenant. A Rainbow The Sign.'

'You get the picture,' said Daniel.

'Fascinating,' said God, now giving some more serious thought to Karaite Adamide-Noahide Faith.

The End