The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 38 -
LAMECH'S FAMILY
You can easily imagine that through a considerable emigration within one year the city of Enoch as well as the other ten cities became noticeably deserted. Furthermore, Lamech had lost his loyal followers and, as a result, his might, which he had considered to be so great, became as much as non-existent.
2
Bearing this in mind you will understand that Lamech for a period of about thirty years necessarily had to change his tone to a milder attitude in his government in order that the people would once more become submissive and begin to work for him so that at least he and his own could without a care gourmandize like a pig and a lazy oxen.
3
His family consisted of two wives, namely, Ada ('well-advised virtue in joyfulness') and Zilla ('silent submission and patience'). Ada had two sons, namely, Jabal (father of the hut-dwellers at the foot of the mountains) and Jubal (musician, inventor of the Pan's pipe and the violin, an instrument which resembled yours, but it consisted of a single piece of wood which he had laboriously fashioned with the help of grinding and smoothing implements of stone).
4
Zilla had a son Thubalkain and his sister Naeme. I graciously allowed him to become a master in working metals, and Naeme tamed the wild animals and thereby enabled her brother and his helpers to enter the iron-rich mountains. She was exceedingly beautiful, had a very humble, but all the more courageous soul and her eyes possessed such a power that before her gaze stones became like wax and the hard teeth of the beasts soft like the down of a dove.
5
Behold, this was Lamech's family, plus a few servants he had retained, a few lady's-maids and some worthless concubines; in all about thirty people, all of whom had to work diligently in order to get something to eat and cover their nakedness. As already mentioned, this situation lasted about thirty years when the people, because of the good inventions rather than because of Lamech, began to visit the city of Enoch in order to buy there useful metal articles by way of barter. Also from the other ten cities people came to hear Jubal's music, which softened their hearts and changed their attitude towards Lamech. Thus Naeme's great beauty charmed the hearts, and the one who had not been able to see Naeme might weep and lament for days.
6
To help you understand how this could be possible, I will describe her appearance to you. This Naeme was the same person who, going back to the times of darkest heathendom, was known by the name of 'Venus', as the wife of a blacksmith and goddess of beauty. Since Sarah and Rachel there had never been such a beauty on earth as that of Naeme. She was five feet tall (according to your measurement). Her hair was blacker than coal, her forehead white like new snow, slightly pink towards the eyes. The eyes were large and sky-blue, the pupil fiery black, the eyelids fresh and tender, as were the dark eyebrows. The nose was straight and ended in a soft tip below which the nostrils gave it a sweet look through their gently rounded shape. The mouth was of the size of an eye, and its gently raised lips silenced any rose. Her perfectly formed beautiful and serene cheeks had the slightest flush of the most tender red of roses, and they looked like snow-covered roses, where the snow, as it were, lets the last love-ray of this royal bloom shine through to its brilliantly white surface. Thus her chin was incomparable to any other in an earthly shape. Her neck was neither too long nor too short, but just perfect, smooth and round and absolutely faultless. The beginning of her bosom distinguished itself from the neck only by a tenderly rounded elevation and the shoulders and the nape of the neck were all in perfect harmony. The bosom was like an ethereal, soft and white elevation of life rather than something of flesh on whose highest full and gentle roundness two bright young roses seemed to bud. Her arms were so rounded and soft that you would not be able to even imagine it, for such arms are found only in heaven. And in this perfect harmony all her body was covered with the shining white of snow in ethereal tenderness and softness.
7
This Naeme became the wife of her brother who begat with her seven sons who looked very heavy and shapeless and resembled your so-called idiots. This was caused by the fact that Naeme, at her father's will, had to allow herself to be used too often for purely unchaste reasons because of his tyranny, for thereby all the men became once more submissive to Lamech. Now all eyes were turned towards Naeme and all ears to the greedy commands of Lamech. For right to her eightieth year Naeme remained an object of human admiration, during which time the people had multiplied considerably and obeyed Lamech's commands. Seeing how mighty he had once more become, Lamech became increasingly severe and hard and cruelly reinstated the death penalty for those who resisted him. (28th August 1840)
8
At this particular time of Naeme, Adam's children, at My bidding, sent the first good emissary from the mountains to the lowlands of Enoch there to proclaim My name, and that, in particular at the court of Lamech. And behold, Lamech received the emissary well, who was a grandson of Adam descended from Adam's grandchildren before Seth. His name was Hored ('the terrible') and he was tall, wise and had neither wife nor children. When Lamech had taken Hored's teaching to heart, he honored this emissary by assembling all female members of his court and inviting Hored to choose the most beautiful woman. And 1o, against My will, Hored looked at the wife of Thubalkain and she had to obey Lamech's command, this being a matter of life and death.
9
For although Naeme had at that time already reached an age of almost eighty she was still so beautiful that now a very attractive girl of eighteen would be no match for her. Besides, Thubalkain was used to unfaithfulness anyway, and so he did not take this event to heart, all the more so since Hored assured him that the wild beasts would be unable to harm him because of the weapons and his metal Armour and, besides, Hored would provide for him some strong helpers from the mountains who would protect him and teach him the proper method of how to produce all kinds of useful things from metals.
10
This satisfied Thubalkain completely and thus this matter was ignominiously resolved. Hored departed from the city of Enoch and returned with his wife to the mountains.
11
However, as far as the helpers from on high were concerned, this promise was not kept as Hored did not return to his people with his wife, but had chosen a lonely spot where he could enjoy his happiness without being envied by anyone
12
Through this deception Thubalkain was compelled to persuade his brother Jabal, son of Ada, to join forces with him and erect foundries at the mountains and live there as a guard. Thus he became the first known foundry man.
13
In this way they established regular metal-works and manufactured hundreds of objects, partly useful things, partly just ornaments and jewelry, which were avidly acquired in exchange for fruit. From all the cities and from all parts of the great land people traveled to the secure foundries where they bought articles they needed as well as luxury objects. They admired Thubalkain and brought their sons to him to be apprenticed, and thus within a short time the foundry population grew to such numbers that Lamech began to become anxious concerning them.
14
He thought: "What will, what shall I do? The crime I committed against my brothers is weighing down my heart. The great Terrible One from the mountains, who became my second son-in· law, has severely reproached me and bade me tell the people about this crime. If I do that, my life will be in danger, and if I do not, I will have God and His great children in the mountains against me, who will destroy the disobedient one."
15
And behold, a powerful voice sounded from his breast: "Reveal it to your wives and tell them: You wives of Lamech, listen to my words and pay good attention to what I tell you. I have killed a man, which deed gave me a tumor, and a youth, which act wounded me. Cain shall be revenged seven times, but Lamech seventy-seven times!"
16
And behold, Lamech found this acceptable and soon did as bidden by the voice. But when his wives heard this they had such a shock that they lost their speech and thus were unable to tell anyone about it. After a while they left him secretly to go to their sons in the foundries, but before they had reached them they were stopped by two mountain dwellers, their speech was restored and they were taken to the hallowed heights of the mountains.
17
As soon as they had arrived there they asked about Naeme, but the guides told them that Hored had vanished out of disloyalty and jealousy and they had not been shown where he was hiding like a worm. And if they wished to be blessed by them (the guides), they would take them for their wives. For Ada was one hundred and ten years old and Zilla only a hundred, and both were still extremely beautiful. Nowadays they would have been thought to be only in their twenty-fourth year.
18
Thereupon they let themselves be blessed, became the guides' wives and traveled with their husbands to the abode of Adam, who was then already nine hundred and twenty years old, in order to receive his blessing, too.
19
When Adam saw them he spoke in a troubled voice: "Listen, you sons of the children of my children, I know all of my descendants who are within my blessing according to the blessing of Abel from eternal Love. But these two women I do not know! Where are they from?" And the two answered: "They are outlawed wives of Lamech whose crime has outlawed them."
20
And Adam said: "What are you saying? I know the son of Methuselah who is only one hundred and twenty-six years old and has never known a woman as yet! So, what are you saying? Cursed be the lie and the mouth that has uttered it and the tongue, which speaks an untruth in the face of God! Therefore, by the curse of Cain, the murderer, tell me, where are these women from?"
21
"Do not be angry, father Adam! Also out of Cain a Lamech has come into existence in the lowland, and he has murdered two brothers. These wives were godly, notwithstanding the curse, and therefore the Lord has awakened us to save what was lost And if we did His will, do not be angry, father, but bless what the Lord has saved!"
22
And behold, Adam was moved and spoke: "What the Lord has saved is already blessed, and my blessing would in this case be a sin. So go in peace! How could I dislike what pleases God? Therefore, keep the treasures of eternal Love and Mercy! Amen." * N.B: of June 25, 1841: "Here 126 years do not denote the age, but only point to a state wherein man has not yet attained the proper ratio which is hundred for God, ten for the brother and fellowman and one for himself. If you know your arithmetic, work it out and you will know when a man is ready to be reborn. Lamech has not yet known a woman because in his spirit he has not as yet reached the stage set as a foundation of eternal order. Ans. W.H. (AnselmW. Huttenbrenner. The Publ.) is only one hundred and thirty-seven years old; there from the seven and the three some things have still to come off. This says I, your Father. Amen. Amen. Amen." - Methuselah was at that time two hundred and seventy-three years old and Lamech forty-six. Comp. Chap. 110, 7.- 'The Publ