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The Cave of Treasures 66

7 min 20 verses Translated from the Syriac by E. A. Wallis Budge, 1927, public domain. Chapters follow Budge's section headings; verse numbers are this archive's own divisions, and his notes are omitted.

The Genealogies of the Later Israelites

Matthan begot twin sons Jacob and Yónákhir at one conception, making Joseph and Mary close kin through their fathers. Themes: Lineage and Genealogy

N1🔗ow the genealogy of the tribes (or, families) was lost by the scribes, and they were unable to show either whence the heads of families took [their] wives, or whence they came. I, however, possess the knowledge of the correct genealogy, and will show the truth to everyman. When the children of Israel went up from Babylon— Zerubbabel begot Abiud by Malkath, the daughter of Ezra the scribe.

2🔗 Abiud took to wife Zakhyath, the daughter of Joshua, the son of Yózadak, the priest, and begot by her Eliakim. Eliakim took to wife Halabh, the daughter of Dórnibh, and begot by her ‘Ázór. ‘Azor took to wife Yalpath, the daughter of Hazor, and begot by her Zadok. Zadok took to wife Kaltin, the daughter of Dórnibh, and begot by her Akhin.

3🔗 Akhin took to wife Heskath, the daughter of Ta’il, and begot by her Eliud. Eliud took to wife Beshtin, the daughter of Hasal, and begot by her Eleazar. Eleazar took to wife Dibath, the daughter of Tólàh, and begot by her Matthan. Matthan took to wife Sebhrath, the daughter of Phinehas, and begot by her two sons at one conception, Jacob and Yónákhir.

4🔗 Jacob took to wife Hadbhith, the daughter of Eleazur, and begot by her Joseph. Yónakhir took Dina, the daughter of Pákódh, and begot by her Mary, of whom was born the Christ. And because none of the early writers could discover the order of succession of the generations of their fathers, the Jews urged the sons of the Church very strongly to show them [who were] the fathers of the blessed Mary in the order of the succession of their families.

5🔗 And they pressed the children of the Church to enquire into the genealogy of the families of their fathers, and to show them the truth. For the Jews call Mary an adulteress. And here the mouth of the Jews is stopped, and they believe that Mary was of the seed of the house of David and of Abraham. Now the Jews have no table of succession which showeth them the true order of the families of their fathers, because their books have been burned thrice—once in the days of Antiochus [IV.

6🔗 Epiphanes], who raised up a persecution against them, and polluted the Temple of the Lord, and forced them to offer up sacrifices unto idols; the second time in the days of.......; and the third time in the days of Herod, when Jerusalem was destroyed. Because of this the Jews were greatly grieved, for they had no trustworthy table of the succession of the generations of their fathers.

7🔗 And they toiled eagerly that they might obtain the truth, but they were unable to do so. Now the Jews had many writers, and each of them wrote what he pleased, and no two of them agreed in what they wrote, because they could not stand on a foundation of truth. And even our own writers, the children of the Church, cannot show us the certainty of the real truth.

8🔗 They cannot show how the ascent of the body of Adam to Golgotha took place, nor whence came the fathers (or, ancestors) of Melchisedek, and the fathers of the blessed woman Mary. And the children of Israel being urged by the Church, and being unable to ascertain the truth, waxed reckless, and wrote, as it were, in the madness of error.

9🔗 And as concerning the table of succession of the sixty-three families, which [reach] from Adam to Christ, the Greek writers, and the Hebrew writers, and the Syrian writers, can neither show whence each head of a family took his wife, nor whose daughter she was. Now each divine doctor (or, teacher) has laid down for the Church one true doctrine, and they have given unto believers the armour wherewith they can fight and overcome her enemies.

10🔗 Besides this, the grace of Christ hath granted unto us that which was lacking in them, and this we will cast into the rich treasury [of their knowledge]. And this, with great diligence, we have bestirred ourselves to do, even as our truly loving brother in Christ, the illustrious Náàmósáyáà (Nemesius?) greatly desireth.

11🔗 And although I have been hindered through my dilatoriness, thou hast through thy love of learning, not been dilatory. And because of thy loving kindness towards me, and also because I myself am eager not to withhold from thee that which thou requirest of. me, I will [here] write down the true table of succession.

12🔗 Hear, O my brother Nemesius (?) the following table of succession which I write for thee; none of the [other] doctors hath been able to light upon it. The following are the sixty-three generations from which the Incarnation of Christ is descended, and their order is thus:— Adam begot Seth. Seth took to wife Kelimath, who was born with Abel, and begot by her Enos.

13🔗 Enos took to wife Hanna, the daughter of Jubal, the daughter of Hoh, the daughter of Seth, and begot by her Cainan. Cainan took to wife Peryath, the daughter of Kôtûn, the daughter of Yarbal, and begot by her Mahlalail. The Cave of Treasures Mahlalail took to wife Sehatpar, the daughter of Enos, and begot by her Yaréd (Jared).

14🔗 Jared took to wife Zebhidhà, the daughter of Kuhlón, the daughter of Kenan, and begot by her Enoch. Enoch took to wife Zadhkin, the daughter of Tópih, the daughter of Mahlalail, and begot by her Methuselah. Methuselah took to wife Sakhith, the daughter of Sókhin, and begot by her Lamech. Lamech took to wife Kipar, the daughter of Tütháth, the daughter of Methuselah, and begot by her Noah.

15🔗 Noah took to wife Haykál, the daughter of Namís, and he begot by her Shem, Ham and Japhet. Shem begot Arpakhshar (Arphaxad). Arphaxad begot Shalah (Salah). Salah begot Abhar (Eber). Eber begot Palag (Peleg). Peleg begot Ar’ó (Reu). Reu begot Sárógh (Serug). Serug took to wife Kahal, the daughter of Peleg, who begot Náhór.

16🔗 Náhór took to wife Napüsh (Yapiish?), the daughter of Reu, and begot Tarah (Terah). Terah took two wives, Yónà and Salmáth; by Yónà he begot Abraham, and by Salmáüth he begot Sara (Sarah). Abraham took to wife Sarah and begot Isaac. Isaac took to wife Rebecca and begot Jacob. Jacob took to wife Leah and begot Judah.

17🔗 Judah begot Pars (Pharez) by Tamar. Pharez begot Hezron. Hezron begot Aram. Aram begot Amminadab. Amminadab begot Nahshén (Nahasson). Nahasson begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz, by Rahab. Boaz took to wife Ruth, the daughter of Lot, and begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse. Jesse begot David the king. David took to wife Bathsheba, and begot by her Solomon.

18🔗 Solomon begot Rehoboam. Rehoboam begot Abijah. Abijah begot Asa. Asa begot Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat begot Joram. Joram begot Ahaziah. Ahaziah begot Joash. Joash begot Amaziah. Amaziah begot Uzziah. Uzziah begot Jotham. Jotham begot Ahaz. Ahaz begot Hezekiah. Hezekiah begot Manasseh. Manasseh begot Amon.

19🔗 Amon begot Josiah. Josiah begot Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim begot Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin begot Salathiel. Salathiel begot Nedabijah (sic). Nedabijah begot Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel begot Abiud. Abiud begot Eliakim. Eliakim begot Azor. Azor begot Zadok. Zadok begot Achin. Achin begot Eliud. Eliud begot Eleazar.

20🔗 Eleazar begot Matthan. Mátthan took to wife Sabhrath, the daughter of Phinehas, and begot Jacob and Yonakhir. Jacob took to wife Hadhbhith, the daughter of Eleazar, and begot Joseph, the betrothed of Mary. Yónákhir took to wife Dina, that is to say, Hanna, the daughter of Pákódh, and sixty years after he had taken her to wife she brought forth Mary, of whom was born Christ.

Did You Know?

1

Matthan begot twin sons Jacob and Yónákhir at one conception, making Joseph and Mary close kin through their fathers.

2

Jewish books of succession were burned thrice, once under Antiochus who polluted the Temple and forced idol sacrifices.

3

Terah took two wives, Yónà who bore Abraham and Salmáth who bore Sarah, so the pair were half-siblings.

4

Seth took to wife Kelimath, who was born with Abel, and by her he begot Enos in this line.

5

Greek, Hebrew, and Syrian writers could not name the wives of the sixty-three family heads from Adam to Christ.

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