Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_Apocryphon

The Genesis Apocryphon, originally called the Apocalypse of Lamech and labeled 1QapGen, is one of the original seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Cave 1 near Qumran in the West Bank. Composed in Aramaic, this document consists of four sheets of leather, and is the least well preserved document of the original seven.^[1] The document records a pseudepigraphalconversation between the biblical figure Lamech, son of Methuselah, and his son, Noah. It serves as an example of an expanded and rewritten biblical story.

Contents

The text details an exasperated Lamech, who questions whether the child being borne by his wife, Bath-Enosh, is his own, or belongs to one of the holy “Watchers” (Heb: ‘iyryn) or Nephilim. A portion of column 2 states:

She said to me, “O my master and [brother, recall for yourself] my pregnancy. I swear to you by the Great Holy One, by the Ruler of Hea[ven] that this seed is yours, that this pregnancy is from you, that from you is the planting of [this] fruit [and that it is] not from any alien, or from any of the Watchers, or from any heavenly bein[g.] – trans. by Reeves

Translation

An online translation of the Genesis Apocryphon has been made available by the University of North Carolina, Charlotte Blumenthal Professor of Judaic Studies John C. Reeves. The following is an alternative reconstruction.
Behold, I thought then within my heart that conception was due to the Watchers and the Holy Ones and to the Nephilim and my heart was troubled within me because of this child. Then I,Lamech, approached Bath-Enosh, my wife, in haste and said to her, “By the Most High, the Great Lord, the King of all the worlds and Ruler of the sons of Heaven, tell me this truthfully and not falsely. Is the seed within you mine?”

Then Bath-Enosh my wife spoke to me with much heat and said, “O my brother, O my lord, remember my pleasure, the lying together and my soul within its body. And I tell you all things truthful.

My heart was then greatly troubled within me, and when Bath-Enosh, my wife, saw that my countenance had changed, then she mastered her anger and spoke to me saying, “O my lord, O my brother, remember my pleasure! I swear to you by the Holy Great One, the King of the heavens, that this seed is yours and that this conception is from you. This fruit was planted by you and by no stranger or Watcher or son of Heaven. Why is your countenance thus changed and dismayed, and why is your spirit thus distressed? I speak to you truthfully.”

Then I, Lamech, ran to Methuselah my father, and I told him all these things. And I asked him to go to Enoch, his father, for he would surely learn all things from him. For he was beloved, and he shared the lot of the angels, who taught him all things. And when Methuselah heard my words, he went to Enoch, his father, to learn all things truthfully from him.

He went at once to Parwain and he found him there and he said to Enoch, his father, “O my father, O my lord, I say to you, lest you be angry with me I have come here …

And I said, “Until now, you have not come to the Holy Mountain.”

And I departed and traveled towards the south until I came to Hebron at the time when Hebron was being built; and I dwelt there two years.

Now there was famine in all this land, and hearing that there was prosperity in Egypt I went to the land of Egypt. I came to the river Karmon and crossed the seven branches of the River. We passed through our land and entered the land of the sons of Ham, into the land of Egypt.

And on the night of our entry into Egypt, I, Abram, dreamt a dream; and behold, I saw in my dream a cedar tree and a palm tree. Men came and they sought to cut down the cedar tree and to pull up its roots, leaving the palm tree standing alone. But the palm tree cried out/saying, “Do not cut down this cedar tree, for cursed be he who shall fell it.” And the cedar tree was spared because of the palm tree and was not felled.

And during the night I woke from my dream, and I said to Sarai, my wife, “I have dreamt a dream and I am fearful because of this dream.” She said to me, “Tell me your dream that I may know it.” So I began to tell her this dream and told her the interpretation of the dream: that they will seek to kill me, but will spare you. Say to them of me, ‘He is my brother, and because of you I shall live, and because of you my life shall be saved.'”

And Sarai wept that night on account of my words.

Then we journeyed towards Zoan, I and Sarai.

And when those five years had passed, three men from among the princes of Egypt came at the command of Pharaoh of Zoan to inquire after my business and after my wife and they gave goodness, wisdom, and truth. And I exclaimed before them because of the famine. And they came to ascertain with much food and drink the wine.

During the party, the Egyptians must have seen Sarai, and on their return they praised her to the king, saying “How beautiful is her face! How fine are the hairs of her head! How lovely are those 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 those hands! How fair are her palms and how long and slender are her fingers! How comely are her feet, how perfect those thighs! No virgin or bride led into the marriage chamber is more beautiful than she; she is fairer than all other women Truly, her beauty is greater than theirs Yet together with all this grace she possesses abundant wisdom, so that whatever she does is perfect.”

When the king heard the words of Harkenosh and his two companions, for all three spoke as with one voice, he desired her greatly and sent out at once In take her. And seeing her, he was amazed by all her beauty and took her to be his wife, but me he sought to kill. Sarai said to the king, “He is my brother,” and so I, Abram, was spared because of her and was not slain.

And I, Abram, wept aloud that night, I and my nephew Lot, because Sarai had been taken from me by force. I prayed that night and I begged and implored and I said in my sorrow while my tears ran down: “Blessed are you, O Most High God, Lord of all the worlds, Yon who are Lord and King of all things and who rules over all the kings of the earth and judges them all! I cry now before you, my Lord, against Pharaoh of Zoan the king of Egypt, because of my wife who has been taken from me by force. Judge him for me that I may see your mighty hand raised against him and against all his household, and that he may not be able to defile my wife this night and that they may know you, my Lord, that you are Lord of all the kings of the earth.” And I wept and was sorrowful.

And during that night the Most High God sent a spirit to scourge him, an evil spirit to all his household; and it scourged him and all his household. And he was unable to approach her, and although he was with her for two years he knew her not.

At the end of those two years, the scourges of afflictions grew greater and more grievous upon him and all his household, so he sent for all the sages of Egypt, for all the magicians, together with all the healers of Egypt, that they might heal him and all his household of this scourge. But not one healer or magician or sage could stay to cure him, for the spirit scourged them all and they fled.

Then Harkenosh came to me, beseeching, me to go to the king and to pray for him and to lay my hands upon him that he might live, for the king had dreamt a dream. But Lot said to him, “Abram, my uncle, cannot pray for the king while Sarai his wife is with him. Go, therefore, and tell the king to restore his wife to her husband; then he will pray for him and he shall live.”

When Harkenosh had heard the words of Lot, he went to the king and said, “All these scourges and afflictions with which my lord the king is scourged and afflicted.are because of Sarai, the wife of

Abram. Let Sarai be restored to Abram, her husband, and this scourge and the spirit of festering shall vanish from you.”

And he called me and said, “What have you done to me with regard to Sarai?’ You said to me, ‘She is my sister,’ whereas she is your wife; and I took her to be my wife. Behold your wife who is with me; depart and go hence from all the land of Egypt! And now pray for me and my house that this evil spirit may be expelled from it.”

So I prayed for him and I laid my hands on his head; and the scourge departed from him and the evil spirit was expelled from him, and he lived. And the king rose to tell me he had given her much silver .and gold and much raiment of fine linen and purple and he appointed men to lead me out of all the land of Egypt. And I, Abram, departed with very great flocks and with silver and gold, and I went up from Egypt together with my nephew, Lot. Lot had great flocks also, and he took a wife for himself from among the daughters of Egypt.

I pitched my camp in every place in which I had formerly camped until I came to Bethel, the place where I had built an altar. And I built a second altar and laid on it a sacrifice and an offering to the Most High God. And there I called on the name of the Lord of worlds and praised the name of God and blessed God, and I gave thanks before God for all the riches and favors which he had bestowed on me. For he had dealt kindly towards me and had led me back in peace into this land.

After that day, Lot departed from me on account of the deeds of our shepherds. He went away and settled in the valley of the Jordan, together with all his flocks; and I myself added more to them. He kept his sheep and journeyed as far as Sodom, and he bought a house for himself in Sodom and dwelt in it. But I dwelt on the mountain of Bethel and it grieved me that my nephew Lot had departed from me.

And God appeared to me in a vision at night and said to me, “Go to Ramath Hazor which is north of Bethel, the place where you dwell, and lift up your eyes and look to the east and to the west and to the south and to the north; and behold all this land which I give to you and your seed forever.”

The next morning, I went up to Ramath Hazor and from that high place I beheld the land from the River of Egypt to Lebanon and Senir, and from the Great Sea to Hauran, and all the land of Gebalas far as Kadesh, and all the Great Desert to the east of Hauran and Senir as far as Euphrates. And he said to me, “I will give all this land to your seed and they shall possess it forever. And I will multiply your seed like’ the dust of the earth which no man can number; neither shall any man number your seed. Rise and go! Behold the length and breadth of the land for it is yours; and after you, I will give it to your seed forever.”

And I, Abram, departed to travel about and see the land.’ I began my journey at the river Gihon and traveled along the coast of the sea until I came to the Mountain of the Bull [Taurus]. Then I traveled from the coast of the Great Salt Sea and journeyed towards the east by the Mountain of the Bull, across the breadth of the land, until I came to the river Euphrates. I journeyed along the Euphrates until I came to the Red Sea in the east, and I traveled along the coast of the Red Sea until I came to the tongue of the Sea of Reeds [the modern Red Sea] which flows out from the Red Sea. Then I pursued my way in the south until I came to the river Gihon, and returning, I came to my house in peace and found all things prosperous there. I went to dwell at the Oaks of Mamre, which is at Hebron, northeast of Hebron; and I built an altar there, and laid on it a sacrifice and an oblation to the Most High God. I ate and drank there, I and all the men of my household, and I sent for Mamre, Ornam, and Eshkol, the three Amorite brothers, my friends, and they ate and drank with me.

Before these days, Kedorlaomer, king of Elam, had set out with Amraphel, king of Babylon, Arioch, king of Kaptok, and Tidal, king of the nations which lie between the rivers; and they had waged war against Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinab, king of Admah, Shemiabad, king of Zeboim, and against the king of Bela. All these had made ready for battle in the valley of Siddim, and the king of Elam and the other kings with him had prevailed over the king of Sodom and his companions and had imposed a tribute upon them.

For twelve years they had paid their tribute to the king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. And in the fourteenth year, the king of Elam placed himself at the head of all his allies and went up by the Way of the Wilderness; and they smote and pillaged from the river Euphrates onward. They smote the Rephaim who were at Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zamzummim who were at Ammon, the Emim who were at Shaveh ha-Keriyyoth, and the Horites who were in the mountains of Gebal, until they came to El Paran which is in the Wilderness. And they returned at Hazazon Tamar.

The king of Sodom went out to meet them, together with the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela; and they fought a battle in the valley of Siddim against Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and the kings who were with him. But the king of Sodom was vanquished and fled, and the king of Gomorrah fell into the pits. And the king of Elam carried off all the riches of Sodom and Gomorrah and they took Lot, the nephew of Abram, who dwelt with them in Sodom, together with all his possessions.

Now one of the shepherds of the flocks which Abram had given to Lot escaped from captivity and came to Abram; at that time Abram dwelt in Hebron. He told him that Lot, his nephew, had been taken, together with all his possessions, and that he had not been slain, and that the kings had gone by the Way of the Great Valley of the Jordan in the direction of their land, taking captives and plundering and smiting and slaying, and that they were journeying towards the land of Damascus.

Abram wept because of Lot, his nephew. Then he braced himself; he rose up and chose from among his servants three hundred and eighteen fighting men trained for war, and Ornam and Eshkol and Mamre went with him also He pursued them until he came to Dan, and came on them while they were camped in the valley of Dan. He fell on them at night from four sides and during the night he slew them; he crushed them and |put them to flight, and all of them fled before him until they came to Hel-bon, which is north of Damascus. He rescued from them all their captives, and all their booty and possessions. He also delivered Lot, his nephew, together with all his possessions, and he brought back all the captives which they had taken.

When the king of Sodom learned that Abram had brought back all the captives and all the booty, he came out to meet him; and he went to Salem, which is Jerusalem.

Abram camped in the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king, the valley of Beth-ha-Kerem; and Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out food and drink to Abram and to all the men who were with him. He was the Priest of the Most High God. And he blessed Abram and said, “Blessed be Abram by the Most High God, Lord of all heaven 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.”^[2]

References

Bibliography

• Fitzmyer, Joseph A., The Genesis Apocryphon of Qumran Cave 1 (1Q20): A Commentary, 3rd ed., Biblica et orientalia 18B, Roma: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico, 2004.
• García Martinez, F., and E.J.C. Tigchelaar (ed.) The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 1997-98) 1.26-48.
• Greenfield, Jonas C., and Elisha Qimron, “The Genesis Apocryphon Col. XII,” Abr-Nahrain Supplement 3 (1992) 70-77
• Jongeling, B., C.J. Labuschagne, and A.S. van der Woude, Aramaic Texts from Qumran, Semitic Study Series 4 (Leiden: Brill, 1976) 77-119.
• Machiela, Daniel A., The Dead Sea Genesis Apocryphon: A New Text and Translation with Introduction and Special Treatment of Columns 13-17, Studies on the Texts of the Desert of Judah 79, Boston: Brill, 2009.
• Morgenstern, M., E. Qimron, and D. Sivan, “The Hitherto Unpublished Columns of the Genesis Apocryphon,” Abr-Nahrain 33 (1995) 30-54.
• Qimron, Elisha, “Toward a New Edition of 1QGenesis Apocryphon.” Pages 106-09 in The Provo International Conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls: Technological Innovations, New Texts, and Reformulated Issues. Edited by Donald W. Parry and Eugene Ulrich, Leiden: Brill, 1999.