The Historical Bible: Genesis

By Keith K. Curry and Jeremy D. Zollars

Read the Bible like never before with historical insight and apocryphal text.

The book of Genesis provides a framework for the beginning of all things. The Historical Bible fills in that frame with textual substance designed to bring the reader into a better understanding of some of the most popular stories within Christendom by

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Jul 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685564933

Book preview

Preface

Intention

The book of Jasher directly aligns with the King James Version (KJV). Using the KJV as the building block, The Historical Bible (HB) integrates line-by-line the book of Jasher and parts of Enoch into the KJV. Meshing these lost books into the Bible provides a seamless, holistic view of the stories within the Pentateuch.

Further, the HB provides insight and context to some of the most revered stories in the Christian faith, accounts that are not fully expressed solely through the sixty-six canonized books of the Bible. Further, the HB will answer biblical questions by incorporating Hebrew customs and traditions, archeological findings, and ancient manuscripts. Questions such as, why did Rachel steal Laban’s idols? Was the wife of one of the Hebrew forefathers an idolater? Was God asking Abraham to sin when told to sacrifice Isaac, or was human sacrifice permissible before Levitical law? Who was priest Melchizedek, and where is Salem? Is there archeological evidence that supports the existence of Sodom and Gomorrah? And if so, can we prove that fire from heaven destroyed the cities? What event famished Esau to the point of selling his birthright to Jacob? The HB will answer all these questions and more.

How to Read The Historical Bible

The words of the KJV are in plain text. The words of Jasher are marked with J indicators before each verse, and the words of Enoch are marked with E indicators. The beginning of all chapters will align with the KJV, often with preludes from Jasher or Enoch. Further, multiple chapters of Jasher often fit into one chapter of the Bible. Remember, the KJV is the cornerstone of this book and will remain unchanged. The reader will also note many KJV scriptures mirror those of Jasher, showing a close tie between the two books forming a kind of synoptic Genesis. Lastly, some verses of Jasher do not align chronologically with the KJV, especially in the first three chapters of Genesis. Here, verses from Jasher are added where appropriate to provide a clear understanding.

This book will challenge many traditional views on well-known biblical stories. It is essential to keep an open mind and judge the text for its content and not traditional beliefs. Psalm 42:7a states that deep calls unto deep. We cannot, and will not, ever fully understand God. But the deeper we go into His word, the more He shares. The deeper we search after His greatness, the more He expresses Himself. His willingness to share Himself attaches to our desire to seek after Him. We should never tire in this pursuit. I pray understanding to whoever reads this book to the expansiveness of a limitless God. To God be the glory, forever and ever.

Introduction

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (KJV)

A Brief History of the Text

From word of mouth to tablets to papyrus rolls to manuscripts to the printed word, no other book or collection of writings has undergone such a miraculous journey through time as the Hebrew scripts. The meticulous attention to detail and selfless dedication to carrying on the transcription traditions reflect a determined people with a deep-rooted belief in something greater than self.

This same belief has formed an unbreakable relationship between God’s people and the word of God. It is impossible to separate the people of God from the commands and precepts of their creator. Through His word, His people exist (Acts 17:28), and through His word, all things were created (John 1:1). For this reason, His people have committed their lives to transcribe and protect the word of God for over 3700 years (assuming that Moses was alive in 1600 bc).

The first known instance of a dedicated group of biblical scribes was the Sopherim. The Sopherim were scribes and teachers known for their detailed transcriptions, counting every letter in transcription.¹ The need for such a dedicated group is a possible result of the Babylonian sacking of Jerusalem in the sixth century bc by King Nebuchadnezzar. Dispossessed of land and possessions, the nation of Israel created a system to preserve the one thing that made them a people out of a people: God’s laws, precepts, and commands.

During the rise of Christianity, a new group of Hebrew teachers arose. Possibly fueled by the emergence of the new messianic community and the destruction of the Hebrew temple during the siege of Jerusalem in ad 70, the Tannaim dedicated themselves to preserving their Hebrew traditions and scriptures. This effort in preservation led to the creation of the Talmud and the synagogue scrolls. The synagogue scrolls intend to create a purified and perfect text worthy of being read in the presence of God and His people. The writers of these scrolls had to adhere to a set of strict guidelines outlining the scrolls format, the writer’s dress code, and the writing of the name of God. For instance, A synagogue roll must be written on the skins of clean animals, prepared for the particular use of the synagogue by a Jew.… Besides this, the copyist must sit in full Jewish dress, wash his whole body, not begin to write the name of God with a pen newly dipped in ink, and should a king address him while writing that name he must take no notice of him.... The rolls in which these regulations are not observed are condemned to be buried in the ground or burned; or they are banished to the schools; to be used as reading-books.² (Hereinafter, all grammar and spelling has been left unedited.)

The Masoretes were the final baton carriers of the Hebrew text. The work of the Masoretes was to edit the Old Testament Books in accordance with the traditions preserved in the Talmud.³ Tasked with sifting through the Talmud, the Masoretes sought to extrapolate the Hebrew text found in the original scriptures. Before the Masoretes, all ancient biblical texts contained only consonants leading to many words being pronounced the same way with different meanings. Addressing this issue, the Masoretes added vowel points to the Jewish texts, eventually standardizing biblical scripts.

The Masoretes’ attention to detail was second to none. With a school dedicated to Hebrew transcription located in Tiberias, the Jewish theologians set themselves apart. The Masorah went through painstaking and time-consuming measures to ensure textual cohesion. By numbering verses, letters, and words in every book, the Masorah created a formula for determining transcription accuracy. At the end of every book, the scribe would tally the number of words, verses, and letters. If the transcription displayed any discrepancies, or if the numbers did not match the formula, the scribe would destroy the manuscript.⁴ The Masoretes’ dedication would leave an indomitable influence on biblical scripts, as their renditions would stand as the baseline for future Hebrew translations. 

Lost in Translation

Before we begin our journey of tracing the lost books and their validity, allow me a few lines to clear the air. We cannot allow questions of reality concerning the lost books to discredit the spiritual necessity of the sixty-six canonized books. Further, if the scriptures contain a discrepancy, this does not necessitate a fault with the God of the scriptures. While theological books continue to change, our God remains the same. The intention of the HB is not to replace the Bible but add context to an already well-established and trusted theological work. So, let us begin. 

Kanon (canon) in Greek translates to a rule or a standard. Alternatively, canon refers to a straight reed or a rod. We know canon today to refer to the trusted theological books within the Bible. But who decided what scriptures would make the cut, and which ones would become lost? 

The lost books were never really lost. Rather, they were purposefully left out of the canonized Bible due to differing opinions on their divine validity, theological doctrine, and sociopolitical dissonance. These books are commonly known as the Apocrypha. Over the centuries, the Bible has gone through dozens of revisions both with and without Apocryphal writings. From the Septuagint to the KJV, man has attempted to piece together a scriptural puzzle, often with a personalized agenda. One of the most significant translations of the Hebrew scriptures is the Greek Septuagint. 

The formation of the Septuagint is shrouded in both mystery and folklore. Philo of Alexandria pens that Ptolemy, one of Alexander the Great’s successors, first ventured to translate the ancient scripts into Greek (circa 400–300 bc). Noting the rising popularity of the Torah (first five books of the Bible) written in its original Chaldean, Ptolemy sought to create its equal. Upon request from Ptolemy, the High Priest and King of Judea dispatched seventy-two scribes to Alexandria to interpret the Torah. Upon arrival, the scribes left the city for the island of Pharos to complete their work free of distraction. During their time on Pharos, the scribes separated themselves one from another and began their interpretation. Upon completion, each scribe ended with an identical interpretation of the Torah, thus creating the Septuagint.⁵

The Septuagint is a valuable ally when tracing the history of the lost books. After its creation, the Septuagint spread amongst Greek-speaking Jews, Christians, and Hebrews alike, eventually making its way to a Jewish community known as the Essenes. The Essenes lived a strict religious lifestyle in which they segregated themselves from non-monastic society. The Essenes were highly educated keepers of Hebrew and Apocryphal text, which they hid in the Qumran Caves during the Roman sacking of Jerusalem and nearby cities in ad 68.⁶ These long-forgotten documents, discovered in 1947, are known today as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Included in the Dead Sea Scrolls are fragments of the Septuagint and Apocryphal writings.⁷ Further, seven apocryphal psalms were found within the Qumran Caves, including Psalm 151 (also found in the Septuagint).⁸ Other writings discovered in the Qumran Caves include Enoch, Book of Jubilee, Tobit, and many more.

The Apocryphal books remained in the Bible until ad 405, when Jerome of Dalmatia, under the authority of Pope Damasus, updated the Latin Bible. Forgoing the Septuagint, Jerome decided to revisit the original Hebrew Scriptures, deeming them the most accurate. Noting the added scriptures, Jerome decided to leave the Apocrypha out of the Latin Bible, stating that the books were good for reading but not for doctrine. By removing the Apocrypha and revising the Bible with the Hebrew scripts, Jerome successfully created the Latin Vulgate. The omitted books included Judith, Tobit, Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus, Maccabees, the Letter of Jeremiah, the books of Maccabees, additions to Daniel (The History of Susanna, Bel and the Dragon), and others.

Martin Luther shared Jerome’s sentiments regarding the extra-biblical scriptures. While transcribing the Bible from Latin to German in 1522, Martin Luther added the Apocryphal books as an appendix noting they were appropriate to read but not equal to the doctrine of the canonized books.⁹ Meanwhile, in England, King James I approved a revision of the Bishops Bible, deeming the translation inaccurate. The resulting version was the 1611 King James Bible, which initially included the Apocrypha. However, objection from a large Puritan population to the inclusion of the Apocrypha saw the extracanonical books removed midway through the seventeenth century. Standing true to the Puritan belief, the first English version of the Bible printed in America did not contain the Apocrypha, while the first German Bible published in America did include the Apocrypha.¹⁰ Theologians today still debate the validity of the extra-biblical books as a trustworthy source for divine doctrine.

Finding Jasher 

Two of the most influential individuals in the post-exodus script acknowledged and referenced the book of Jasher: Joshua, son of Nun, and David, son of Jesse. Let’s start with Joshua.

During Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land (Canaan), the predecessor of Moses neared the gentile-controlled city of Jerusalem. When Adonizedec, King of Jerusalem (Josh 10:1), heard that a nation from the wilderness was conquering nearby lands, he sent word to neighboring towns for assistance. Five Amorite kings answered the call, gathered their mighty men, and rode off to fight the Hebrew army.

Attacking Gibeon first, the Amorite army sought to weaken Joshua’s forces. As Joshua prepares to retaliate, Adoni T’zovat (translated literally as the Lord of Hosts/Lord of an army of angels) reassures Joshua that victory will be his. However, as Joshua engages in battle, the sun begins to set on his victory. Hoping to annihilate the Amorite army, Joshua beckons the Lord to stay the sun and prolong the day.

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

Joshua 10:13 (KJV)

In similar fashion, Jasher 88:64 states, And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Joshua, and the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it stood still six and thirty moments, and the moon also stood still and hastened not to go down a whole day. The similarity in context is evidence that the transcriber, or the author of Joshua, had prior knowledge of the book of Jasher.

David, the first anointed King of Israel, directly referenced Jasher while lamenting his predecessor, Saul. Even though David spent years fleeing Saul and his murderous attempts, the death of his friend Johnathan tore at David’s heart. David said, Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher (2 Samuel 1:18, KJV). The quote refers to the blessing Jacob bestowed to Judah;

And Jacob said unto Judah, I know my son that thou art a mighty man for thy brethren; reign over them, and thy sons shall reign over their sons forever. Only teach thy sons the bow and all the weapons of war, in order that they may fight the battles of their brother who will rule over his enemies.

Jasher 56:8–9

Jacob wished for his sons and the future of his people (Israel) to be successful in war. In-kind, the death of Saul and the defeat of Israel’s army was a devastating blow to both David and the nation of Israel. David’s lament is poignant, and the quoting of Jasher is purposeful.

We cannot question the theological benefit of these books, but we can examine the translation and safekeeping of the text through their lifetime. Ultimately, all scripture is given by the express inspiration of God. It is up to the reader to decide whether these extra-biblical writings are valid for spiritual edification, practical application, or both.

---

1 The Babylonian Talmud, Kiddushin 30a.

2 Kenyan, Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, 4.

3 Kenyan, Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, 32–33

4 Geisler, The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible, 24

5 Philo, On the Life of Moses II, 493–494

6 Schniedewind, How the Bible Became a Book, 202–203

7 Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 45

8 Wegner, A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible, 146

9 Bruce et al, The Origin of the Bible, 51

10 Bruce, The Canon of Scripture, 111

Part 1: Adam to Enoch

Genesis 1; Jasher 1:1, 6

The first chapter of Genesis will only see two verses of Jasher. Both verses are not in chronological order. Instead, the verses of Jasher are added where appropriate to bring congruity to the text.

God Creates

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

J.1 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and God created man in his own image. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

J.6 And God blessed them and called their names Adam and Eve in the day that he created them, and the Lord God said, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2; Jasher 1:2–5, 7–8

As in the previous chapter, to align with the KJV, Jasher is not in chronological.

Adam, Meet Eve

1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

J.2 And God formed man from the ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul endowed with speech.

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

J.7a And the Lord God took Adam and his wife, and he placed them in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it;

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

J.7b And he commanded them and said unto them, From every tree of the garden you may eat,

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

J.7c But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

J.3 And the Lord said, It is not good for man to be alone; I will make unto him a helpmeet. 

19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

J.4a And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took away one of his ribs, and he built flesh upon it,

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

J.4b And formed it and brought it to Adam, and Adam awoke from his sleep, and behold a woman was standing before him.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

J.5 And he said, This is a bone of my bones and it shall be called woman, for this has been taken from man; and Adam called her name Eve, for she was the mother of all living.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

J.8 And when God had blessed and commanded them, he went from them, and Adam and his wife dwelt in the garden according to the command which the Lord had commanded them.

Genesis 3; Jasher 1:9–12

Adam and Eve Exit Stage Left

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

J.9 And the serpent, which God had created with them in the earth, came to them to incite them to transgress the command of God which he had commanded them.

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

J.10 And the serpent enticed and persuaded the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, and the woman hearkened to the voice of the serpent, and she transgressed the word of God, and took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she ate, and she took from it and gave also to her husband and he ate.

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

J.11 And Adam and his wife transgressed the command of God which he commanded them, and God knew it, and his anger was kindled against them and he cursed them.

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.¹¹

J.12 And the Lord God drove them that day from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which they were taken, and they went and dwelt at the east of the garden of Eden; and Adam knew his wife Eve and she bore two sons and three daughters.

---

11 Is there archeological proof of Adam and Eve? In 1932, a professor from the University Museum of Pennsylvania discovered a seal at the Tepe Gawra Mound, located about twelve miles from Nineveh. E. A. Speiser dates the seal to about 3500 bc. The seal shows a man and a woman with heads hanging in a downcast position with a serpent behind them.

Genesis 4; Jasher 1:13

to Jasher 2

The following scriptures of Jasher explain in detail why Cain killed his brother Able. Further, the KJV writes in Genesis 4:23–24 a statement by Lamech that leaves the reader with a question. Seemingly without provocation, Lamech states, […] Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. The KJV does not state who Lamech wounded nor why his lament is so burdensome. Jasher adds context.

And Cain Spoke with His Brother Abel

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.

J.13a And she called the name of the first born Cain, saying, I have obtained a man from the Lord,

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

J.13b And the name of the other she called Abel, for she said, In vanity we came into the earth, and in vanity we shall be taken from it.

J.14 And the boys grew up and their father gave them a possession in the land; and Cain was a tiller of the ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep.

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

J.15a And it was at the expiration of a few years, that they brought an approximating offering to the Lord, and Cain brought from the fruit of the ground,

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

J.15b And Abel brought from the firstlings of his flock from the fat thereof, and God turned and inclined to Abel and his offering, and a fire came down from the Lord from heaven and consumed it.

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

J.16 And unto Cain and his offering the Lord did not turn, and he did not incline to it, for he had brought from the inferior fruit of the ground before the Lord, and Cain was jealous against his brother Abel on account of this, and he sought a pretext to slay him.

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

J.17 And in some time after, Cain and Abel his brother, went one day into the field to do their work; and they were both in the field, Cain tilling and ploughing his ground, and Abel feeding his flock; and the flock passed that part which Cain had ploughed in the ground, and it sorely grieved Cain on this account.

J.18 And Cain approached his brother Abel in anger, and he said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou comest to dwell and bring thy flock to feed in my land?

J.19 And Abel answered his brother Cain and said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou shalt eat the flesh of my flock and clothe thyself with their wool?

J.20 And now therefore, put off the wool of my sheep with which thou hast clothed thyself, and recompense me for their fruit and flesh which thou hast eaten, and when thou shalt have done this, I will then go from thy land as thou hast said?

J.21 And Cain said to his brother Abel, Surely if I slay thee this day, who will require thy blood from me?

J.22 And Abel answered Cain, saying, Surely God who has made us in the earth, he will avenge my cause, and he will require my blood from thee shouldst thou slay me, for the Lord is the judge and arbiter, and it is he who will requite man according to his evil, and the wicked man according to the wickedness that he may do upon earth.

J.23 And now, if thou shouldst slay me here, surely God knoweth thy secret views, and will judge thee for the evil which thou didst declare to do unto me this day.

J.24 And when Cain heard the words which Abel his brother had spoken, behold the anger of Cain was kindled against his brother Abel for declaring this thing.

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

J.25 And Cain hastened and rose up, and took the iron part of his ploughing instrument, with which he suddenly smote his brother and he slew him, and Cain spilt the blood of his brother Abel upon the earth, and the blood of Abel streamed upon the earth before the flock.

J.26 And after this Cain repented having slain his brother, and he was sadly grieved, and he wept over him and it vexed him exceedingly.

J.27 And Cain rose up and dug a hole in the field, wherein he put his brother’s body, and he turned the dust over it.

J.28a And the Lord knew what Cain had done to his brother,

9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

J.28b And the Lord appeared to Cain and said unto him, Where is Abel thy brother that was with thee?

J.29a And Cain dissembled, and said, I do not know, am I my brother’s keeper?

10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

J.29b And the Lord said unto him, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground where thou hast slain him.

J.30 For thou hast slain thy brother and hast dissembled before me, and didst imagine in thy heart that I saw thee not, nor knew all thy actions.

11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

J.31 But thou didst this thing and didst slay thy brother for naught and because he spoke rightly to thee, and now, therefore, cursed be thou from the ground which opened its mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand, and wherein thou didst bury him.

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

J.32 And it shall be when thou shalt till it, it shall no more give thee its strength as in the beginning, for thorns and thistles shall the ground produce, and thou shalt be moving and wandering in the earth until the day of thy death.

13 And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

15 And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

J.33 And at that time Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, from the place where he was, and he went moving and wandering in the land toward the east of Eden, he and all belonging to him.

17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

J.34 And Cain knew his wife in those days, and she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Enoch, saying, In that time the Lord began to give him rest and quiet in the earth.

J.35 And at that time Cain also began to build a city: and he built the city and he called the name of the city Enoch, according to the name of his son; for in those days the Lord had given him rest upon the earth, and he did not move about and wander as in the beginning.

18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

J.36 And Irad was born to Enoch, and Irad begat Mechuyael and Mechuyael begat Methusael.

Jasher 2; Genesis 4 Continued

Verses 25 and 26 of Genesis, chapter 4, are out of order to ensure a smooth transition between Jasher and Genesis.

Birth of Seth and Death of Cain

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

J.1 And it was in the hundred and thirtieth year of the life of Adam upon the earth, that he again knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare a son in his likeness and in his image, and she called his name Seth, saying, Because God has appointed me another seed in the place of Abel, for Cain has slain him.

26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.

J.2 And Seth lived one hundred and five years, and he begat a son; and Seth called the name of his son Enosh, saying, Because in that time the sons of men began to multiply, and to afflict their souls and hearts by transgressing and rebelling against God.

J.3 And it was in the days of Enosh that the sons of men continued to rebel and transgress against God, to increase the anger of the Lord against the sons of men.

J.4 And the sons of men went and they served other gods, and they forgot the Lord who had created them in the earth: and in those days the sons of men made images of brass and iron, wood and stone, and they bowed down and served them.

J.5 And every man made his god and they bowed down to them, and the sons of men forsook the Lord all the days of Enosh and his children; and the anger of the Lord was kindled on account of their works and abominations which they did in the earth.

J.6 And the Lord caused the waters of the river Gihon to overwhelm them, and he destroyed and consumed them, and he destroyed the third part of the earth, and notwithstanding this, the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were yet extended to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

J.7 And in those days there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth; and there was no food for the sons of men and the famine was very great in those days.

J.8 And the seed which they sowed in those days in the ground became thorns, thistles and briers; for from the days of Adam was this declaration concerning the earth, of the curse of God, which he cursed the earth, on account of the sin which Adam sinned before the Lord.

J.9 And it was when men continued to rebel and transgress against God, and to corrupt their ways, that the earth also became corrupt.

J.10 And Enosh lived ninety years and he begat Cainan;

J.11 And Cainan grew up and he was forty years old, and he became wise and had knowledge and skill in all wisdom, and he reigned over all the sons of men, and he led the sons of men to wisdom and knowledge; for Cainan was a very wise man and had understanding in all wisdom, and with his wisdom he ruled over spirits and demons;

J.12 And Cainan knew by his wisdom that God would destroy the sons of men for having sinned upon earth, and that the Lord would in the latter days bring upon them the waters of the flood.

J.13 And in those days Cainan wrote upon tablets of stone, what was to take place in time to come, and he put them in his treasures.

J.14 And Cainan reigned over the whole earth, and he turned some of the sons of men to the service of God.

J.15 And when Cainan was seventy years old, he begat three sons and two daughters.

J.16 And these are the names of the children of Cainan; the name of the first born Mahlallel, the second Enan, and the third Mered, and their sisters were Adah and Zillah; these are the five children of Cainan that were born to him.

19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

J.17 And Lamech, the son of Methusael, became related to Cainan by marriage, and he took his two daughters for his wives, and Adah conceived and bare a son to Lamech, and she called his name Jabal.

20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

J.18 And she again conceived and bare a son, and called his name Jubal; and Zillah, her sister, was barren in those days and had no offspring.

21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

J.19 For in those days the sons of men began to trespass against God, and to transgress the commandments which he had commanded to Adam, to be fruitful and multiply in the earth.

J.20 And some of the sons of men caused their wives to drink a draught that would render them barren, in order that they might retain their figures and whereby their beautiful appearance might not fade.

J.21 And when the sons of men caused some of their wives to drink, Zillah drank with them.

J.22 And the child-bearing women appeared abominable in the sight of their husbands as widows, whilst their husbands lived, for to the barren ones only they were attached.

J.23 And in the end of days and years, when Zillah became old, the Lord opened her womb.

22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

J.24 And she conceived and bare a son and she called his name Tubal Cain, saying, After I had withered away have I obtained him from the Almighty God.

J.25 And she conceived again and bare a daughter,