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the war against the Mesopotamian kings, and the renewal of the
divine promise. This lively and delightful narrative, devoid of
sectarian bias, throws valuable light on the Bible interpretation
current in Palestine during the inter-Testamental period.
Although this Aramaic work was discovered in cave I fifteen years
ago, so far only five of its twenty-two columns have been
published, mainly because of its poor state of preservation.
... Behold, I thought then within my heart that conception
was (due) to the Watchers and the Holy Ones. .. and to the Giants
... 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, until you tell me all
things truthfully, if ... Tell me [this truthfully] and not
falsely ... by the King of all the worlds until you tell me
truthfully and not falsely.'
Then Bathenosh my wife spoke to me with much heat [and] ... 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 truthfully.'
My heart was then greatly troubled within me, and when Bathenosh
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 ... his will.
He went at once to Parwain and he found him there ... [and] he
said to Enoch his father, `O my father, O my lord, to whom I ...
And I say to you, lest you be angry with me because I come here
...
... And I said, 'Thou art ...' ... '... until now you have
not come to the Holy Mountain.'
And I departed ... and I 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, one of the branches of the River ... and I
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 .. . [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 ... by her life that none
should see her ...
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.)
... '... and beautiful is her face! How ... fine are the
hairs of her head! How lovely are her 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 her hands! How fair are her palms and how long and
slender are her fingers! How comely are her feet, how perfect her
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 to 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.
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