And wherefore slew he him? The name of Enoch means "dedicated one.". Clearly, the mark placed upon Cain worked ( Gen 4:15 ). The Divided Kingdom & Journey into Exile, Jezebel kills the prophets & Elijah escapes, Elijah organises the opposition to King Ahab, Jehu races to Jezreel to depose King Joram, King Joash repairs the Temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam II restores the boundaries of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria invades Israel, Israel falls & the exiles are led to Assyria, King Hezekiah of Judah rebels against Assyria, Isaiah prophesies the destruction of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah, Jerusalem falls and the exile in Babylon begins, Biblical sources relating to Judah in exile, The later years of exile & the return to Judah, The completion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, A third group of exiles returns with Ezra, A fourth group of exiles returns with Nehemiah, Mordecai uncovers a plot to kill the king, The origin of the Jewish festival of Purim, 37. ", Origen, Jeremiah Homily; quoted in Delaney (1996), pp. This civilization is called the Ubaid culture by scholars. In this vision, Enoch saw the rest of the world sink into wickednesses, with Satan holding "a greatchainin his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth withdarkness; and he looked up andlaughed, and hisangelsrejoiced" (Moses 7:26). Sumerian was replaced by the Semitic Akkadian language around 2000 BC. Enoch: Son of Cain, Biblical figure. A new nation? //marshall/the wonder book of bible stories/the story of adam and.htm, The Promise. Now this name, in Hebrew Chanoch, is of the utmost importance in estimating Cain's character. Evidence of head shaping has been found at sites all over Iraq, southwestern Iran, eastern Turkey, the valleys of the Zagros mountains, and the western shores of the Persian Gulf, dated from 7500 B.C. There, Cain meet his wife and begat Enoch (from Hebrew origin that means "dedicated.") In the land of Nod, Cain built a city and named it after his son, Enoch (Genesis 4:17 KJV). The Land of Nod (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} ere-N) is a place mentioned in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, located "on the east of Eden" (qima-en), where Cain was exiled by God after Cain had murdered his brother Abel. The World of the Old Testament Journeys, 23.The Journeys of Adam, Enoch, Noah & Abraham, Cain is sent on a journey to the east of Eden, 24. And she conceived and she bore Enoch.". Cain's son Enoch, the grandson of Adam (see Moses 5 ), is different from Jared's son Enoch, who was six generations from Adam and built the city of Zion (see Moses 6-7 ). Modern revelation teaches that Enoch "saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually." (D&C 107:49.) To "go off to the land of Nod" plays with the phrase to "nod off", meaning to go to sleep.[14][5]. HOME Residents The Israelites face continuing opposition, The Israelites fight the remaining Canaanites, Israel under the 'judges': Othniel and Ehud, Gibeah is destroyed & the Benjamites punished, The Ark of the Covenant is captured at Aphek, 30. to about 4000 B.C. Paul's Letters to Galatia & Thessalonica, The risen Lord Jesus appears to his followers, Christ's Victory Parade & the New Covenant, 15. "Let us interject something of a mystery, which is said concerning the sinner Cain, who 'having gone out from the face of God, lived in the land of Nod opposite Eden.' And Cain went out from the presence of theLord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. The first city, Eridu, is on what used to be the shore of the Persian Gulf. All the homesgone. Joseph Smith taught that the Tower of Babel was built to overtake the City of Enoch. Illustrations by Denis Freitas. NIV Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. . To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered . We Bible-believing Christians dont reject science when we interpret data through a biblical lens. An archaeological dig at Eridu just after World War II discovered about a thousand bodies that were buried during the Ubaid. Nimrod wanted to ascend to the holy city and seize it. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch. Now Cain dwelt in the land of trembling, in keeping with what God had appointed for him after he killed Abel his brother. As they perpetuated more rebellion against God, the line of Cain built the city of man. Why Cain Built A CityGenesis 4 pt 8. His purpose was much the same as that of the builders of the Tower of Babel, who wanted to keep mankind together that they might form a powerful community. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. As a leader and prophet of the people of God, Enoch met personally with the Lord on many occasions throughout his 365-year ministry. Simon & Schuster, 2017. God was keen to see the line to Christ continue. You'll find heaps of discussion about where Cain found his wife on here, in a bunch of different questions, and in Creationists site. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. Whoever indeed forsakes God, who abandons understanding, whose thinking is continually 'in the land of Nod' dwells there today also, that is, that person remains in wicked unsettlement of heart and in commotion of mind.". From the Kingdom of Israel to the Exile, 5. It appears, based on human remains dated to between about 10,000 B.C. "And Enoch beheldangelsdescending out of heaven, bearingtestimonyof the Father and Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion" (Moses 7:27). After the birth of Enoch, the Hebrew text of Genesis 4:17 is unclear. Your email address will not be published. But we are come to Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel. Answer. [1] Although Moses did not cite the name of Cain's wife, his original readers may have assumed that she was one of Adam's "other daughters" ( Gen 5:4 ). Scholars do agree, however, that civilization emerged in the Fertile Crescent around 10,000 B.C. Cain is under Gods protection, even in his homeless wandering. The older brother Cain became a farmer while the younger Abel became a shepherd. The eldest son of Cain ( Genesis 4:17), who built a city east of Eden in the land of Nod, and called it "after the name of his son Enoch."This is the first "city" mentioned in Scripture. The Lord's tender admonition seems the type that would be aimed at a child whose petulance couldn't be contained. Cain has gone into restlessness. Uruk is a strong contender for the city that Cain built. The Sumerian language died out, (as related in Genesis 11), but their Akkadian neighbours language grew and developed into several modern languages. The Ubaid civilization got its name from Tell al-`Ubaid, a small settlement mound in southeast Iraq where famous archaeologists Henry Hall and Sir Leonard Woolley dug up the first bits of pottery from those people between 1919 and 1924. Commentators have noticed that when the Lord takes Cain under his wing and asked him why his face is downcast - "Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell" (Gen 4:5). And Cain's family built a city in that land; and Cain named the city after his first child, whom he had called Enoch. That city was found and excavated by a Professor Sayce who found the city's name of Unuk inscribed on some of the excavated bricks. The Pearl of Great Price: A Verse-by-Verse Commentary. Isaiah offers comfort to those in exile, Words of comfort after the fall of Jerusalem, Those returning are encouraged to follow the LORD, The LORD's blessing will rest on Jerusalem, 41. However, "mountains" and "high places" could also mean sanctuaries or places of worship, not necessarily the location for a city. It appears, based on human remains dated to between about 10,000 B.C. Cainan was "the land of promise" named after the great-great-grandson of Adam (Moses 6:17). everything from religious practices to social interaction to music. Question: I am curious about the metaphysics of: land of Nod, Cain's wife, and the Son/City of Enoch. As for their location now, it's quite possible the citizens of the City of Enoch still reside within it. (Ephrem, Commentary on Genesis 3:11) Cain left God's presence and went to live in the land of Nod, opposite Eden, Nod means disturbance. 12 Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myself-a city reserved . Enoch had a son and named him Irad. He arrived very early in Sumer from Dilmun, probably the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. The Jewish World of the Old Testament, Sources of the History of Israel and Judah. He was known as Enki to the Sumerians and Ea to the later Akkadians and Babylonians. . Paul's Journey to Phrygia, Macedonia & Archaia, 11. Adam and Eve. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. The city of Uruk was the largest city in the world at its height. ( I John 3:12,16). In the English tradition Nod was sometimes described as a desert inhabited only by ferocious beasts or monsters. "Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. Because his own works were evil, and his brothers righteousHereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I have Sumer as existing 6000BCE. Even after Zion was taken off the earth, there were still those taking up residence in the city. The first city known by archaeologists to exist in Mesopotamia was Eridu. [5], Josephus wrote in Antiquities of the Jews (c. AD 93) that Cain continued his wickedness in Nod: resorting to violence and robbery; establishing weights and measures; transforming human culture from innocence into craftiness and deceit; establishing property lines; and building a fortified city. The Sumerian King List states that the builder of Uruk was Mesh-ki-ang-gasher the son of Utu. Cain essentially dedicated the first Biblically known antediluvian city after his first child, to become the city ( ) of Enoch (Gen.4:17). Scholarsarchaeologists and sociologistshave known at least since the late 1940s that people throughout Mesopotamia, before they learned how to write, figured out how to turn their children into coneheads. Cli. Remains of Eridu, Iraq(Ltybcc1, Wikimedia Commons). The differences in the story are at least partly due to the ebb and flow of power over the centuries. Isaiah predicts the fall of Israel & Judah, Prophecies written before the fall of Jerusalem, Isaiah reassures King Ahaz of God's support, Troubled times and a glorious future kingdom, 40. It's very possible, then, that the citizens of the City of Enoch have ministry assignments of their own and are "ministering angels unto many planets," (History of the Church, 4:210). Adam had many children, so marriage was not a problem as mutations only appeared in the time of Leviticus 18:6 (2500 year later) where God prohibited inter-family relations. Through Enoch, Cain's lineage begins. Moses 6-7. But the Lord's response revealed there was more in store for the City of Enoch than its earthly abode. The city of Uruk was well on its feet by the time Tubal-Cain was working with metal. Immediately after, this verse tells us that even Cain's mild punishment . So let us see the we refuse not Him that speaks, as His glorious, powerful voice shakes both heaven and earth, and let is have grace, whereby we might serve Him with reverence and godly fear, because our God is a consuming fire. It became a city of blood and vengeance. "Nod" () is the Hebrew root of the verb "to wander" (). (Genesis 4:16-17). 17 Cain knew his wife intimately. While talking to the Lord, Enoch expressed his full confidence in Zion, saying, "SurelyZionshall dwell in safety forever" (Moses 7:20). - World English Bible and Cain knoweth his wife, and she conceiveth, and beareth Enoch; and he is building a city, and he calleth the name of the city, according to the name of his son -- Enoch . Cain would begin a new life, a life without the God who had condemned him. (Note: Were using dates that are generally accepted by a consensus of scholars so we dont get bogged down arguing about the timeline. When I reflect on how I found the gospel, I realize that my familys experiences informed two important pieces of my testimony. Both biblical data and extra-biblical evidence suggest that Cain's motivation for building the city involved three factors. Although the Pearl of Great Price is relatively short, its scope is remarkably broad, recording revelations to prophets in several dispensations from Abraham and Moses to Joseph Smith. Enoch preached repentance to "all the people" except the Caananites because of their wickedness (Moses 7:12). Throughout history there have been two kingdoms growing up beside one another: the city of man and the city of God. Though, then, the wife may have had most to do with giving the name, yet we see in it a purpose that the child should be a trained and consecrated man; and Cain must have now put off those fierce and violent habits which had led him into so terrible a crime. (Clement of Alexandria, Strom. Something strange happened when Enoch was 65, from which time "He walked with God." Enoch was given a prophecy that as long as his firstborn son 'Methuselah' was alive, the judgement of the flood would be withheld, but as soon as he died, the flood would be sent forth. (Moses 7:12) However, we know that he was commanded to preach to those in the "land of Sharon, and the land of Enoch, and the land of Omner, and the land of Heni, and the land of Shem, and the land of Haner, and the land of Hanannihah" (Moses 7:9). Genesis' "first city," Enoch, created in the mythical land of Nod by Adam's son Cain is identified as being in Mesopotamia and the land of ancient Sumer. Either Cain built a city and named it after the mighty Enoch, or else Enoch built a city.[1]. Cain's departure from God started with distance from God and led to complete disconnection from God. Cain is brought up again, by Jesus and the Apostles. Thats about the same amount of time thats passed between Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and you reading this sentence. The first recorded use of the phrase to mean "sleep" comes from Jonathan Swift in his Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation (1737)[15] and Gulliver's Travels. Will the city give him the sense of permanence and security that he craves? Now, instead of asking why, the lead archaeologist decided earth pressure after burial was the cause2even though none of the skulls were cracked or broken, which would be expected if the deformations had occurred after death. The murder had introduced fear, insecurity and homelessness to the world. All the inhabitantsgone. Analysis is what we do with that information after its collected. Thus began a vision of what would happen to the earth from then to the Millennium, and where Zion would eventually be located. It was built on an island of slightly higher land situated among the low-lying marshlands at the mouth of the River Euphrates near Basra in modern-day Iraq. The two made a sacrifice of their produce to God, who favored Abel's and not Cain's. 116117. They have also uncovered fragments of bitumen-covered reed boats used by these early people (similar to those still used by the Marsh Arabs of southern, Over the years, the sandy island was slowly extended by building out over mats of berdi reeds laid at the waters edge, and the surrounding swamplands were gradually drained. Other than a sarcastic, cynical retort, Am I my Brothers keeper?,Cain had no real response to God. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. Let us say that Cain could father children around the age of 180 taking us to the year 4808 BC when Cains son Enoch was born. 40,000 residents with about 80,000 people living in the surrounding areas - city-states were a feature of southern Mesopotamia. The realization that they had disappointed their Creator and condemned their children and their childrens children until the end of time to lives apart from Yahweh must have been nearly unbearable. Of the Two Fathers and Leaders who Sprang from one Progenitor. God breathed into Adam in 5148 BC (according to Septuagint numbers; see Patriarchs' Timeline). Enter your email to receive updates on our LDS Living content, 2022 LDS Living A Division of Deseret Book Company, 5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Three Nephites, The Pearl of Great Price: Verse by Verse Commentary. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When the people of God were attacked, their enemies fled to "a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea" (Moses 7:14), which could have been anisland or a peninsula in the general region of the City of Enoch. | GotQuestions.org, Who was Methuselah in the Bible? When Cain was banished from the garden he was tilling, he fled to the land of Nod (Genesis 4:16 KJV). For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. The majority of Adams antediluvian male offspring fathered children before they reached the age of 200, including four of them who were in their 160s when they first became fathers. An adult is usually able to avoid wearing their heart on their sleeve, but a child is not experienced enough to dampen the display of their feelings. The city may therefore havebeencalled Eridu after Enochs son Irad (see Genesis 4:18) (see 4 on Map 35). To help you remember that these great events are coming, you will need: heavy paper, glue, scissors, a sharpened pencil, and string. civilization, its not by stumbling across the shell of a Wawa or a Piggly Wiggly. NASB Cain had relations with his wife . There is room for my brown paper-doll family: 2 gospel truths I learned as a young girl that carry my faith, 5 things Latter-day Saints should know about ancient Christians, See the stunning winners of the Churchs International Art Competition. Enoch (dedicated).The eldest son of Cain, (Genesis 4:17) who called after his name the city which he built. The importance of a deity was, as youd guess, tied to the fortunes of its city. The story of Cain and his line is designed to teach us something about all of fallen humanity, as regarding our relationship to God, ourselves and our environment. Thats okay. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch". The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 38:4. The Sumerian King List also mentions that Mesh-ki-ang-gasher (Cain) seems to disappear and may have drowned in the sea. Cains son Enoch would then be 264, relating to approximately 26 years old in our terms. After Cain arrived in the Land of Nod, to which he was evicted by the Lord as his punishment for murdering his brother . Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. There is no biblical record of the birth of Cain so we cant reliably date it, but his younger brother Seth was born in 4918 BC. It is only the Enoch mentioned in Genesis 5:18 that the Bible gives any significant information about. Noah obeyed a Divine command when he built an ark Enoch's contemplative life came to a fitting end in a prepared for them a settled abode in the eternal city. However, the older Sumerian story credits Enki with giving life to all things, including mankind, and names Enlil the slayer of Tiamat. Enki . And in the first year of the first week of the fifth jubilee, houses were built on the earth, and Cain built a city, and called its name after the name of his son Enoch.' (Four Jubilees would be about 196 years - Enoch was born about - 3808 B.C.) To give you an idea of the incredible amount of time were dealing with, Enki ruled in Eridu for about. After that, the practice seems to disappear. In Moses 7:62-64, we see that the city of Zion will return to the earth during Christ's millennial reign: Eventually, Enoch and those of the City of Enoch will be reunited with the righteous on the earth.