cheenc03a.pdf

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SETHITES
material, as d they were individuals? \('hat claim had
Enoch and Noah to be treated with more respect than
other A'. Arabian tribal heroes. and raised to the rank
of individuals, whose wonderful fortixnes gave them a
place by themselves which only Elijnh in a Later age was
privileged to share with them? The question is greatly
simpiified if ,we identify Enoch and the greater of the
two Noahsar proposed nlreudg(C~r~1~~~.$6:
NOAH)-
i.c., if we read in Gen. 68 (J), 'Rut Enoch (TJ")
had
found grace in the eyes of Yahw*,' and in 69 (P),
' Enoch was a righteous man . . ., and Enoch walked
with God'
The theory here maintained is that the Hebrew legend
of primzval timer, as toid by the writer or writers known
as J,, had no Deluge-i.6, they accepted the Jemhmeelite
legend as their basis, but without a Delugestory.'
When, however, the Deluge-story war adopted
from the Jerahmeeliter, and converted (under direct
Babylonian influence?) into the story of the tmiversal
Deluge. it had to be provided with a hero who was
not a mere tribal eponym, and (hr a rearon suggested
below) ' Enoch' was selected to be converled into an
individual, and even to assume something of the appearance
of a solar hero, as was fitting for the hero of a
story which in its origin was most probably an ether-
myth (DELUDE, $ r8). But a misfortune happened to
him. At an early period (perhaps) after the Deluge-story
SETHITES
If P doer, not tell ur much about the fortunes of the
patriarchs-'the youthful world's gray fathers' {H.
a, The Vaughan) - he is at least fully
acquainted with their ages. The
chronological principle which underlies the number$ in
P's genealogy has not, however, ken found. There
ir much that is very peculiar about them. The Baby.
lonian tradition only giver the number of years that each
king reigned : e .~. the firs1 king Aiorus reigned for six
sari= 36.000 years, and so on. The enorrn&~ numbcrr
assigned arise from the astronomical training of the
scholars of Rabylon. The Hebrew system in P giver
the years of the life of each hero, first those which he
iived before, and then those which he lived after the
birth of his eldest son. Unfortunately, the three great
authorities, the Hebrew, the Samaritan, and the. 6
/ Seth . . : I
I Noah
Adam . .
Enosh . . .
Kenao . Mahalalel Jared Enoch . Methuselah . .
Lamech . .
'1'0 the flood . .
. . : I
had been committed to writing, 71" became corrupted I texts differ considerably, as the accom~anena table
into in, which in turn war editoriilly altered (undei the will show.'
infiu~nce of a desires to work the story of Koah the vine- ! It will be noticed that 6 agrees with MT, except in
planter into the legend) into m (Noah) or m i 3 (Xaham?).
the case of Lamech (where B and Sam. show anaffinity),
Thus Enoch lost his connection with the Deluge. unlerr in the totals of the several ages, but differs from
indeed we care to recoeniie the statement of iubiiees 4~~ MT lexceot as to lared. Methuselah, and-lmastthat
Enoch, in t'arudi;, wrote down all the'wickedness Lamkh) ds regard; the age of the heroes at the birth
of men, on account of which God brought the waters of of their first sons. GL is peculiar at Methuselah.
the flood uoon all the land of Eden.' But at anv rate - I The result is that in 6 - the Deluee " is riven a5 in the
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he retained his superhuman wisdom, and in later years year of the world 2262 (QL 22q2). but in MT as in
attracted to himself more and more mythical elements 1656. It can hardly be doubted any longer that MT
lree EnocH. . 8 " zl. , Nor were the earlier fradifionirfr ir nearer to the oiieinvi than 6.
unfair to him. When the list of ten heroes waskon- ,,.#A .l... ir .Ill,!cr. .5m. .&< e\.?s.c a:1, 1," .