Book of Jubilees 11

JUBILEES 11

The Sons Of Noah Began To War And To Shed The Blood Of Men On The Earth, And To Eat Blood

1 And in the thirty-fifth jubilee, in the third week, in the first year [1681 A.M.] thereof, Reu took to himself a wife, and her name was 'Ora, the daughter of 'Ur, the son of Kesed, and she bare him a son, and he called his name Seroh, in the seventh year of this week in this jubilee. [1687 A.M.]
2 And the sons of Noah began to war on each other, to take captive and to slay each other, and to shed the blood of men on the earth, and to eat blood, and to build strong cities, and walls, and towers, and individuals (began) to exalt themselves above the nation, and to found the beginnings of kingdoms, and to go to war people against people, and nation against nation, and city against city, and all began to do evil, and to acquire arms, and to teach their sons war, and they began to capture cities, and to sell male and female slaves.
3 And Ur, the son of Kesed, built the city of 'Ara of the Chaldees, and called its name after his own name and the name of his father.
4 And they made for themselves molten images, and they worshipped each the idol, the molten image which they had made for themselves, and they began to make graven images and unclean simulacra, and malignant spirits assisted and seduced them into committing transgression and uncleanness.
5 And the prince Mastema exerted himself to do all this, and he sent forth other spirits, those which were put under his hand, to do all manner of wrong and sin, and all manner of transgression, to corrupt and destroy, and to shed blood upon the earth.
6 For this reason he called the name of Seroh, Serug, for every one turned to do all manner of sin and transgression.
7 And he grew up, and dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, near to the father of his wife's mother, and he worshipped idols, and he took to himself a wife in the thirty-sixth jubilee, in the fifth week, in the first year thereof, [1744 A.M.] and her name was Melka, the daughter of Kaber, the daughter of his father's brother.
8 And she bare him Nahor, in the first year of this week, and he grew and dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees, and his father taught him the researches of the Chaldees to divine and augur, according to the signs of heaven.
9 And in the thirty-seventh jubilee in the sixth week, in the first year thereof, [1800 A.M.] he took to himself a wife, and her name was 'Ijaska, the daughter of Nestag of the Chaldees.
10 And she bare him Terah in the seventh year of this week. [1806 A.M.]
11 And the prince Mastema sent ravens and birds to devour the seed which was sown in the land, in order to destroy the land, and rob the children of men of their labours. Before they could plough in the seed, the ravens picked it from the surface of the ground.
12 And for this reason he called his name Terah because the ravens and the birds reduced them to destitution and devoured their seed.
13 And the years began to be barren, owing to the birds, and they devoured all the fruit of the trees from the trees: It was only with great effort that they could save a little of all the fruit of the earth in their days.
14 And in this thirty-ninth jubilee, in the second week in the first year, [1870 A.M.] Terah took to himself a wife, and her name was 'Edna, the daughter of 'Abram, the daughter of his father's sister.

Abram is Born
15 And in the seventh year of this week [1876 A.M.] she bare him a son, and he called his name Abram, by the name of the father of his mother; for he had died before his daughter had conceived a son.
16 And the child began to understand the errors of the earth that all went astray after graven images and after uncleanness, and his father taught him writing, and he was two weeks of years old, [1890 A.M.] and he separated himself from his father, that he might not worship idols with him.
17 And he began to pray to the Creator of all things that He might save him from the errors of the children of men, and that his portion should not fall into error after uncleanness and vileness.
18 And the seed time came for the sowing of seed upon the land, and they all went forth together to protect their seed against the ravens, and Abram went forth with those that went, and the child was a lad of fourteen years.
19 And a cloud of ravens came to devour the seed, and Abram ran to meet them before they settled on the ground, and cried to them before they settled on the ground to devour the seed, and said, ' Descend not: return to the place where you came,' and they proceeded to turn back.
20 And he caused the clouds of ravens to turn back that day seventy times, and of all the ravens throughout all the land where Abram was there settled there not so much as one.
21 And all who were with him throughout all the land saw him cry out, and all the ravens turn back, and his name became great in all the land of the Chaldees.
22 And there came to him this year all those that wished to sow, and he went with them until the time of sowing ceased: and they sowed their land, and that year they brought enough grain home and eat and were satisfied.
23 And in the first year of the fifth week [1891 A.M.] Abram taught those who made implements for oxen, the artificers in wood, and they made a vessel above the ground, facing the frame of the plough, in order to put the seed thereon, and the seed fell down there from upon the share of the plough, and was hidden in the earth, and they no longer feared the ravens.
24 And after this manner they made vessels above the ground on all the frames of the ploughs, and they sowed and tilled all the land, according as Abram commanded them, and they no longer feared the birds.

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Jasher, Chapter 21

Year 2048

1 And it was at that time at the end of a year and four months of Abraham's dwelling in the land of the Philistines in Gerar, that YAHWEH visited Sarah, and YAHWEH remembered her, and she conceived and bare a son to Abraham.
2 And Abraham called the name of the son which was born to him, which Sarah bare to him, Yitschaq.
3 And Abraham circumcised his son Yitschaq (Isaac) at eight days old, as YAHWEH had commanded Abraham to do unto his seed after him; and Abraham was one hundred, and Sarah ninety years old, when Yitschaq was born to them.
4 And the child grew up and he was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast upon the day that Yitschaq was weaned.
5 And Shem and Eber and all the great people of the land, and Abimelech king of the Philistines, and his servants, and Phicol, the captain of his host, came to eat and drink and rejoice at the feast which Abraham made upon the day of his son Yitschaq's being weaned.
6 Also Terah, the father of Abraham, and Nahor his brother, came from Haran, they and all belonging to them, for they greatly rejoiced on hearing that a son had been born to Sarah.
7 And they came to Abraham, and they ate and drank at the feast which Abraham made upon the day of Yitschaq's being weaned.
8 And Terah and Nahor rejoiced with Abraham, and they remained with him many days in the land of the Philistines.
Year 2049
9 At that time Serug the son of Reu died, in the first year of the birth of Yitschaq son of Abraham.
10 And all the days of Serug were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.
11 And Ishmael the son of Abraham was grown up in those days; he was fourteen years old when Sarah bare Yitschaq to Abraham.
12 And YAHWEH was with Ishmael the son of Abraham, and he grew up, and he learned to use the bow and became an archer.
Year 2053
13 And when Yitschaq was five years old he was sitting with Ishmael at the door of the tent.
14 And Ishmael came to Yitschaq and seated himself opposite to him, and he took the bow and drew it and put the arrow in it, and intended to slay Yitschaq.
15 And Sarah saw the act which Ishmael desired to do to her son Yitschaq, and it grieved her exceedingly on account of her son, and she sent for Abraham, and said to him, Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for her son shall not be heir with my son, for thus did he seek to do unto him this day.
16 And Abraham hearkened to the voice of Sarah, and he rose up early in the morning, and he took twelve loaves and a bottle of water which he gave to Hagar, and sent her away with her son, and Hagar went with her son to the wilderness, and they dwelt in the wilderness of Paran with the inhabitants of the wilderness, and Ishmael was an archer, and he dwelt in the wilderness a long time.
17 And he and his mother afterward went to the land of Egypt, and they dwelt there, and Hagar took a wife for her son from Egypt, and her name was Meribah.
18 And the wife of Ishmael conceived and bare four sons and two daughters, and Ishmael and his mother and his wife and children afterward went and returned to the wilderness.
19 And they made themselves tents in the wilderness, in which they dwelt, and they continued to travel and then to rest monthly and yearly.
20 And YAHWEH gave Ishmael flocks and herds and tents on account of Abraham his father, and the man increased in cattle.
21 And Ishmael dwelt in deserts and in tents, traveling and resting for a long time, and he did not see the face of his father.
22 And in some time after, Abraham said to Sarah his wife, I will go and see my son Ishmael, for I have a desire to see him, for I have not seen him for a long time.
23 And Abraham rode upon one of his camels to the wilderness to seek his son Ishmael, for he heard that he was dwelling in a tent in the wilderness with all belonging to him.
24 And Abraham went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon, and he asked after Ishmael, and he found the wife of Ishmael sitting in the tent with her children, and Ishmael her husband and his mother were not with them.
25 And Abraham asked the wife of Ishmael, saying, Where has Ishmael gone? and she said, He has gone to the field to hunt, and Abraham was still mounted upon the camel, for he would not get off to the ground as he had sworn to his wife Sarah that he would not get off from the camel.
26 And Abraham said to Ishmael's wife, My daughter, give me a little water that I may drink, for I am fatigued from the journey.
27 And Ishmael's wife answered and said to Abraham, We have neither water nor bread, and she continued sitting in the tent and did not notice Abraham, neither did she ask him who he was.
28 But she was beating her children in the tent, and she was cursing them, and she also cursed her husband Ishmael and reproached him, and Abraham heard the words of Ishmael's wife to her children, and he was very angry and displeased.
29 And Abraham called to the woman to come out to him from the tent, and the woman came and stood opposite to Abraham, for Abraham was still mounted upon the camel.
30 And Abraham said to Ishmael's wife, When your husband Ishmael returns home say these words to him,
31 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came hither to seek you, and thus was his appearance and figure; I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you wast not here he spoke unto me and said, When Ishmael your husband returns tell him thus did this man say, When you come home put away this nail of the tent which you hast placed here, and place another nail in its stead.
32 And Abraham finished his instructions to the woman, and he turned and went off on the camel homeward.
33 And after that Ishmael came from the chase he and his mother, and returned to the tent, and his wife spoke these words to him,
34 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came to seek you, and thus was his appearance and figure; I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you wast not at home he said to me, When your husband comes home tell him, thus saith the old man, Put away the nail of the tent which you hast placed here and place another nail in its stead.
35 And Ishmael heard the words of his wife, and he knew that it was his father, and that his wife did not honor him.
36 And Ishmael understood his father's words that he had spoken to his wife, and Ishmael hearkened to the voice of his father, and Ishmael cast off that woman and she went away.
37 And Ishmael afterward went to the land of Canaan, and he took another wife and he brought her to his tent to the place where he then dwelt.
38 And at the end of three years Abraham said, I will go again and see Ishmael my son, for I have not seen him for a long time.
39 And he rode upon his camel and went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon.
40 And he asked after Ishmael, and his wife came out of the tent and she said, He is not here my lord, for he has gone to hunt in the fields, and to feed the camels, and the woman said to Abraham, Turn in my lord into the tent, and eat a morsel of bread, for your soul must be wearied on account of the journey.
41 And Abraham said to her, I will not stop for I am in haste to continue my journey, but give me a little water to drink, for I have thirst; and the woman hastened and ran into the tent and she brought out water and bread to Abraham, which she placed before him and she urged him to eat, and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted and he blessed his son Ishmael.
42 And he finished his meal and he blessed YAHWEH, and he said to Ishmael's wife, When Ishmael comes home say these words to him,
43 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came hither and asked after you, and you wast not here; and I brought him out bread and water and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted.
44 And he spoke these words to me: When Ishmael your husband comes home, say unto him, The nail of the tent which you hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
45 And Abraham finished commanding the woman, and he rode off to his home to the land of the Philistines; and when Ishmael came to his tent his wife went forth to meet him with joy and a cheerful heart.
46 And she said to him, An old man came here from the land of the Philistines and thus was his appearance, and he asked after you and you wast not here, so I brought out bread and water, and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted.
47 And he spoke these words to me, When Ishmael your husband comes home say to him, The nail of the tent which you hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
48 And Ishmael knew that it was his father, and that his wife had honored him, and YAHWEH blessed Ishmael.

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