Behold, I thought then within my heartthat 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
Bathenosh, 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 Bathenosh 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 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.
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, lost
you be angry with me 1 conn1 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 Saraii, 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 de sired 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 [Persian Gulf] 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
Amrafel, king of Babylon, Ariok, 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 Refaim
who were at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zumzamim 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, hit 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.
Prepared in consultation with
the photographic images SHR 4445-4453; 7301-2A-7322
reproduced in The Dead Sea Scrolls on Microfiche: A
Comprehensive Facsimile Edition of the Texts from the Judean
Desert (ed. E. Tov and S.J. Pfann; Leiden: IDC and E.J.
Brill, 1993).
I have also used the
transcriptions of:
J.A. Fitzmyer, The
Genesis Apocryphon of Qumran Cave I: A Commentary (2d
rev. ed.; Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1971);
B. Jongeling,
C.J. Labuschagne, and A.S. van der Woude,
Aramaic Texts from Qumran (Semitic Study Series 4;
Leiden: Brill, 1976) 77-119;
J.C. Greenfield and
E. Qimron, "The Genesis Apocryphon Col. XII,"
Abr-Nahrain Supplement 3 (1992) 70-77;
M. Morgenstern,
E. Qimron, and D. Sivan, "The Hitherto
Unpublished Columns of the Genesis Apocryphon,"
Abr-Nahrain 33 (1995) 30-54;
The Dead Sea Scrolls Study
Edition (2 vols.; ed. F. Garcνa Martνnez and E.J.C.
Tigchelaar; Leiden: Brill, 1997-98) 1.26-48.
[xxx ] enclose conjectural
restorations or illegible damage
(xxx) enclose words not present in the text but which
improve the English sense
vacat signals blank spacing deliberately left by the scribe
(col. 1)
(col. 2)
Then I considered whether the pregnancy was due to the Watchers and
Holy Ones, or (should be ascribed) to the Nephil[im], and I grew
perturbed about this child. vacat
Then I, Lamech, became afraid and went to Batenosh, [my] w[ife
saying, "Dec]lare [to me] by the Most High, by the Lord of
Greatness, by the E[ternal] King [whether the child comes from the]
heavenly beings! Everything will you truthfully tell me, whether [
] you will tell me without lies: is this [ swear] by the
Eternal King until you speak truthfully to me and not with lies [
]." Then Batenosh my wife spoke with me forcefully. [She we]pt and
said, "O my brother and master, recall for yourself my pregnancy [
] marital relations, and my breath within its sheath (?). (Can) I
truthfully [tell you] everythin[g?]" [ ] then I was perturbed
even more. vacat
When Batenosh my wife noticed that my face had changed (its)
expression [ ] then she gained control of her emotion(s) and
spoke with me. 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. Why has the appearance] of your face changed like
this upon you? And (why) is it disfigured, and your spirit dejected
like this? [ for I] tell you (this) truthfully. vacat
Then I, Lamech, hurried to Methuselah, my father, and [communicated]
all this to him [so that he might consult Enoch] his father, and
come to know everything with certainty from him since he is loved
and fav[ored by God, and with the Holy Ones] has his lot been
apportioned, and (hence) they (God and the angels) reveal everything
to him. vacat
When Methuselah heard [these things], he hurried to Enoch, his
father, to learn from him the truth of the whole matter [ ] his
approval, and he (Enoch?) had previously gone to Parvayyim. There he
found E[noch his father, and] he said to Enoch, his father, "O my
father and master, I have co[me] to you [ ] and I say to you to
not be angry with me because I have come here to y[ou ] respect
for you [ ]"
(col. 3)
[ missing first 2 lines, except for last two words ] and not for
length [ ] for during the days of Yared, my father [ ]
sons [ . ] and to you they will be [ ] upon the whole
of the earth [ ] my land to this sea (?) [ ] earth [ ]
earth [ ] And now, go [ ] truthfully, not with lies [ ]
he divided all the earth [ 7 lines missing ] and for their labor
[ 4-5 lines missing ].
(col.4)
from [ ] they will rage and [ ] for all eternity [ ] evil [
7 lines missing ] I beheld the judicial sentence [ ] great
and the end [ ] surface of the earth [ 1 line missing] upon
them [ bottom half of column missing, perhaps 14-15 lines ]
(col. 5)
and he wrote [ ] vacat
And to you, Methuselah my son [ ] this child. Behold, when I Enoch
[ ] and not from (the) heavenly beings, but rather from Lamech
your son [ ] and he is unlike [ ] instead [ ] Lamech your son
feared his appearance [ ] truthfully believe that [ ] vacat
And now I say to you, my son, and I declare to you [ ] truthfully [
] Go, speak to Lamech your son [ ] and placed/cast it/him on
the earth, and every deed of the heavenly beings [ ] he lifted
his face, and his eyes shone like the s[un ] this child, fire (?)
and [ 2 lines missing ] Behold, then they were confused and [
] eternal [Lord?] they give [ ] they will commit many deeds of
violence until [ ] and ascending (?), and all the paths [ ]
And now I shall declare to you the mystery [ to Lamech] your son
declare this mystery [ ] during his days the deed [ ]
praised be the Lord of all [ ] And when Methuselah heard [ ]
and with Lamech his son he spoke privately [ ] And when I,
Lamech, [ ] he declared that he issued from me [ ] vacat
Copy of the book of the words of Noah [ ]
(col. 6)
from corruption, and in my mothers womb I swelled for (the sake of)
righteousness. When I emerged from the womb of my mother, I was
planted for righteousness, and during all my days I conducted
(myself) righteously and walked in the paths of eternal truth, and
[the] Holy One[(s) was/were] with me [ ] righteousness, and to
protect me from [paths?] of deception which lead to darkness and [
] and I bound my loins with the vision of righteousness and wisdom
[ ] all the paths of violence. vacat
Then I, Noah, became an adult. I held firmly to righteousness and I
took hold [ ] and Amzara his daughter I took as my wife. I
impregnated her and she bore to me three sons [and ? daughters ].
Then I procured wives for my sons from among the daughters of my
brother, and I gave my daughters to the sons of my brother in
accordance with the eternal law <and> ordinance [ . ] the Most
High to humanity. vacat
And during my days, when the amount which I had calculated was
completed for me [ ] ten jubilees, then my sons finished acquiring
wives for themselves in marriage [ ] heaven. I beheld in a
vision and I was shown and taught about the deed of the heavenly
beings, and what [ ] heaven. And I kept this secret to myself
and did not reveal it to any person. vacat
[ ] to me, and a great Watcher to me as a messenger with a message
of the Holy One [ ] he spoke with me in a vision and stood
before me [ ] message of the Great Holy One. He made me hear a
voice (saying), To you they say, O Noah [ . ] and I thought ..
I had knowledge of all the behavior (?) of the inhabitants of the
earth, and I declared every [ ] they will prosper (?) [
] two weeks, and then sealed (?) [ ] the blood which
the Nephilim shed. I was quiet and waited until [ ] the Holy
Ones who were with mortal women [ 2 lines missing ] But I,
Noah, found favor, distinction, and righteousness [ 1 line
missing ] unto the gates of heaven [ ] to humans, cattle,
wild animals, birds, and [ 1 line missing ]
(col. 7)
[ ] on/over them, the land and everything which is on it, in the
seas and among the mountains [ ] all the constellations of
heaven, sun, moon, and stars and
Watchers [ 2 lines missing
] I shall hand over to you [ . 0.5 line missing] vacat
[ ] the Great Holy One. And I rejoiced at the words of the Lord of
Heaven, and I summoned [ ] for all [ ] regarding this [
9+ lines missing ] heaven greatly (?) and the ends [ ] to
remove me and to build [ ] foolishness [ 2 lines missing
] and I gathered [ approximately 7 lines missing ]
(col.8)
his wife after him/her [ 3.5 lines missing ] the
world/eternity [ 4 lines missing ] and in all [ remainder
of column, approximately 18-20 lines, missing ]
(col. 9)
[ all 27-29 lines missing ]
(col. 10)
great. vacat Then [ ] everything which my sons [ ] to Noah .. in
the nights [ ] in the nights [ 4+ lines missing ] they
praised and extolled [ ] a blessing [ ] all of you for your
Lord [ ] to the King of all the Ages forever and ever for every age.
vacat
Then [ ] upon the earth [ ] and he took from [ ] find, for [
] the ark settled (upon) one of the mountains of Ararat and
eternal fire (?) [ ] I atoned for all the earth and its origin
(?) [ ] the goat first, and after it came [ ] and I burned the
fat (of the goat) on the fire; secondly, [ ] I poured their blood
at the base of the altar, and all their flesh I burned on the altar;
thirdly, as for the doves [ ] an offering on the altar [ ] I
placed on it fine sifted flour soaked in oil (and mixed) with
incense as a meal-offering [ ] on all of them I had placed salt,
and the odor of my burning rose to heaven. vacat
Then the Most High [ remainder of column, approximately 10 lines,
missing ]
(col. 11)
[ ] I, Noah, was at the doorway of the ark [ 7 lines missing
] to the mountains and those of the deserts to [ ] four.
vacat
Then I, Noah, departed and traveled through the land, through its
length and its breadth [ ] abundant with their foliage and their
fruit. And all of the land was filled with vegetation, grass, and
grain. Then I gave praise to the Lord of Heaven who had acted
commendably, for He is eternal and praise is His, and I again gave
(Him) praise because He had compassion on the earth, and because He
removed and destroyed from it all those who practiced violence,
wickedness, and deceit, but had spared a righteous man for [ ] on
his/its account. vacat
[The Lord] of Heaven appeared to me, spoke with me, and said to me,
O Noah, do not be afraid! I will be with you and with your
descendantsthose who are like youforever [ ] the land, and
rule over all of them and its deserts and its mountains and all
that is in them. Behold, I give all of it to you and your
descendants for eating vegetables and plants (produced) by the land,
but any sort of blood you will not eat. Fear of you and terror of
you [ ] forever [ ] I am yours. When your descendants
sleep (?) [ remainder of column, approximately 5 ½ lines,
missing ]
(col. 12)
[ ] behold, I have put My bow [in the cloud], and it will be a sign
for Me in the cloud and will be [ ] the earth [ ] was
revealed to me [ 2 ½ lines missing ] vacat
[ ] among the mountains [ ] a vineyard in the mountains of Ararat.
And after this I descended to the lower slopes of that mountain, I,
my sons, and my grandchildren [ ] for devastation was great on the
earth. [So]ns [and da]ughters were born to [me] after the Flood. [To
Shem], my oldest son was born first Arpachshad two years after the
Flood, [and] all the sons of Shem, all of them w[ere El]am, Asshur,
Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram, as well as five daughters. vacat
[And the sons of Ham were Kush, Mitzrai]n, Put, and Canaan, as well
as seven daughters. vacat
And the son[s] of Yaphet were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Yavan, Tuval,
Meshuk, and Tiras, as well as four daughters. vacat
And I began together with all my sons to farm the land. I planted a
large vineyard on Mount Lubar, and after four years it produced wine
for me [ ] all [ ] vacat
When the first festival came, on the first day of the first festival
of the [seventh?] month [ ] of my vineyard. I opened that vessel
and I began to drink of it on the first day of the fifth year [ ]
On that day I summoned my sons, my grandsons, all of our wives, and
their daughters, and we assembled together and went [ ] and I
offered praise to the Lord of Heaven, to God Most High, to the Great
Holy One who delivered us from destruction [ ] and to all [ ] of
his fathers, they drank and [ ] and I poured upon [ ] and the
wine [ remainder of column, approximately 11 lines, missing ]
(col. 13)
[ beginning of column, 7 ½ lines, missing ] wild animals [ ]
and land-dwelling insects changed (?) [ ] gold, silver, stones,
and potsherds were cutting down and taking away from it for
themselves. I continued to observe the gold ones and the silver ones
[ ] iron: they were cutting down all of its trees and taking them
for themselves. I continued to observe the sun, moon, and stars
cutting down and taking away from it for themselves. I continued to
observe until the land-dwelling reptiles and the aquatic reptiles
destroyed it [ ] and it ended. vacat
I turned to look at the olive tree, and behold, the olive tree
increased in height, and for a long time [ ] much foliage [ ]
and appearing in them. I studied that olive tree, and behold, the
quantity of its leaves [ ] tied to it, and I marveled greatly at
that olive tree and its copious foliage. I marveled [ ] four winds
of heaven blowing strongly and (they?) damaged that olive tree,
stripping its branches and disintegrating it. First [was the wind
from] the west: it assailed it and shook off some of its leaves and
fruit, and scattered it in every direction. After it [ remainder
of column, approximately 9-12 lines, missing ]
(col. 14)
[ first 7 ½ lines missing ] knowing [ ] vacat
[ ] pay attention and hear! You are the large cedar [ ] in a dream
standing/rising before you on the peak of the mountains [ ] the
shoot emerging from it and growing up to its (the cedars?) height
(represents?) three sons [ ] and as for when you saw the first
shoot attached to the trunk of the cedar [ ] and the wood from it
[ ] he will never separate from you throughout the whole of his
life, and among his descendants shall be one named [Abraham? ]
will come forth as a righteous plant for all [ ] shall
endure forever. And as for when you saw the shoot attached to the
trunk [ ] and as for when you saw [ ] the other shoot [ ]
vacat
[ ] some of their branch(es) intertwine among the branch(es) of
the first (represents?) two sons [ ] from the earth [ ] to the
left/north [ ] and as for when you saw some of their branch(es)
intertwine among the branch(es) of the first [ ] they placed
on the earth [ ] I revealed the mystery to him [ almost 3
lines missing . ] first he sent [ over 4 lines missing
] the cedar [ ]
(col. 15)
[ first 8 lines missing ] and as for when you saw all of them
[ ] they will turn away, the majority of them will be wicked. And
as for when you saw the man coming from the south of the land with a
scythe in his hand and fire accompanying him [ ] he is the one
who will come from the south of the land [ ] and wickedness.
They will cast on the fire every [ ] and he will come between
[ ] And as for when you saw [ ] among them a wall. Four
angels [ 3 lines missing ] among all the nations. And all of
them will serve them and become confused [ ] do not be amazed at
it [ ] I tell you all truthfully, for thus is it written about
you [ ] Then I, Noah, [woke up] from my sleep, and the sun [
1 ½ lines missing ] the righteous one [ remainder of column,
approximately 8 lines, missing]
(col. 16)
[ first 8 lines missing ] the inlet which is between them, the
source of the spring until the Tina River [ ] all the northern
land, all of it until it approaches [ ] and this border crosses
the waters of the Great Sea (i.e., the Mediterranean) until it
approaches [ ] he apportioned by lot to Yaphet and his descendants
to possess as (their) permanent possession. vacat
The second lot came forth for Shem to take possession, for both him
and his descendants as a permanent possession. [ ] the waters of
the Tina River come out [ ] until the Tina River [ ] the
Great Salt Sea (i.e., the Dead Sea), and this border goes [
] which turns to the west and passes [ ] until it approaches
[ ] to the east [ rest of column, approximately 8-10
lines, missing ]
(col. 17)
[ first 5 ½ lines missing ] vacat
My son Shem divided his apportionment among his sons. The first
(share) fell to Elam: in the north next to the waters of the Tigris
River until it approaches the Red Sea at its source which is in the
north, and it turns to the west to Asshur until it reaches the
Tigris [ ] and after him, to Aram: the land which is between the
two rivers (i.e., Mesopotamia) until it reaches the peak of Mount
Asshur [ ] fell that Mount of the Bull, and the portion crosses
over and goes west until it reaches Magog [ ] east, in the north
of the bosom (?) of that inlet which is by the top of the three
portions by that sea to Arpachshad [ ] to the border which faces
south, all the land which the Euphrates waters, and all [ ]
all the valleys and plains which are between them, and the island
which is in the middle of the inlet [ ] to the descendants of
Gomer [ ] and Amana until it approaches the Euphrates [ ] the
portion which Noah, his father, divided and gave to him. vacat
And Yaphet divided among his sons. He gave first to Gomer (the land)
in the north until it reaches the Tina River. And after him, (he
gave) to Magog, and after him to Madai, and after him to Yavan (he
gave) all the islands next to Lud (i.e., Lydia), and (what was)
between the inlet next to Lud and the second inlet to Tubal [ ] in
the land, and to Meshek the sea [ ] and to Tiras [ ] four [ ]
inlet of the sea that lies next to the portion of the descendants of
Ham [ ] vacat
[ remainder of column, approximately 10-12 lines, lost ]
(col. 18)
[ entire column, approximately 27-30 lines, missing ]
(col. 19)
[ first 6 lines missing There I built an alta]r [and I
called] the[re on the name of G]o[d ], and I said, You are m[y
everlasting]g G[od ] I had not yet reached the holy mountain.
I proceeded to [ ] and I was journeying to the south [ ] until I
reached Hebron, for [at that time] Hebron had been bui[lt], and I
dwelt [there two year]s. vacat
A famine took place throughout all this land, but I heard that
grai[n] wa[s avail]able in Egypt. So I moved to [enter] the land of
Egypt [ ] I reache[d] the Carmona River, one of the branches
of the river [ ]. Now we [ ] our land, and I [cro]ssed the
seven branches of this river which [ ]. Now we passed out of
our land and entered the land of the children of Ham, the land of
Egypt. vacat
And I, Abram, dreamed a dream during the night of my entering the
land of Egypt. I saw in my dream one cedar tree and one palm tree,
[a very beautifu]l one, and huma[n] figures came and tried to chop
down and uproot the cedar in order to leave the palm by itself. But
the palm restrained (them) when she said, Do not chop down the
cedar, for both of us are from o[ne r]oot! And the cedar was left
alone thanks to the protection of the palm and was not [chopped
down]. vacat
I woke up from my dream in the night, and said to Sarai, my wife, I
have (just) dreamed a dream, [and I] am afraid [on account of] this
dream! And she said to me, Tell me your dream that I might know
(it), and so I began to relate this dream to her. [And I revealed]
to [her the meaning of that] dream, and I [said, ] for they will
seek to kill me, but you they will spare [ ] this, every favor
[which you must do for me] in every [place] where [we are, say] of
me that "he is my brother," and I will remain alive by your
protection and survive thanks to you. [ they will try] to
remove you from me and to kill me! And Sarai wept over my words
that night. [ ] and Pharaoh Z[oan ] Sarai to go to Zoan
[with me, for she was v]ery [careful] with her person so that no
[one] would see her [ ]. But after those five years, three men who
were princes of Egypt [came ] of Pharaoh Zoa[n] about my affairs
and about my wife, and they presented [me numerous gifts and aske]d
m[e to teach them] values, wisdom, and truth. So I read in their
presence the [book of] the words of [En]och [ ] in the famine
which [ 1 ½ lines garbled ] with much eating and [much]
drinking [ ] wine [ remainder of column, approximately 6-7
lines, lost ]