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The Fall of Man depicted in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

Sons of Cain, Builders of Empires. Paradise Lost Gives Rise to the Birth of City-States. – Part II

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After brutally slaying his brother Abel, Cain had to flee Eden and settled in the land of Nod.  He laid the foundations of the city Enoch, so named after his firstborn son, Enoch.  Cain craved the blessings of the Garden of Eden his parents had experienced and he set out to reproduce the first simulated Garden of Eden.  It was here, east of Eden, that Cain’s lineage followed a sedentary lifestyle and the origin of states was established.

(Read Part I Here)

Re-creation of the port at Eridu, an ancient “Court of the King of the World”.

Re-creation of the port at Eridu, an ancient “Court of the King of the World”. Public Domain )

The Lineage of Cain

As for when and how Cain died, that remains unknown. His son, Enoch eventually took over as the ruler of the city that Cain had established. Enoch’s name means “initiated,” which tells us that Enoch was a man who introduced a new field of thought or esoteric knowledge. He was indeed the co-founder of the city at his birth. Enoch used his special knowledge to control the citizens and in doing so, could possibly have been the first person to unite the community through fear and propaganda.

God took Enoch. Illustrators of the 1728 Figures de la Bible, Gerard Hoet (1648–1733), published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728 – (Public Domain)

God took Enoch. Illustrators of the 1728 Figures de la Bible, Gerard Hoet (1648–1733), published by P. de Hondt in The Hague in 1728 – (Public Domain)

The Seeds of Tyranny

Enoch had a son by the name of Irad. The name Irad means “fugitive” in Strong’s Concordance. Alfred Jones translates the meaning as “City of Witness” while Roswell Hitchcock translates Irad to mean “wild ass; heap of empire; dragon.”

I doubt the meaning of Irad’s name was initially negative. However, it is a good indication that Irad was not a good leader. Irad was lawless, wild ass, difficult to deal with, determined to get his way and remove those opposing him. The “heap of empire” may be a way of saying that he controlled a vast amount of land, however, there is no indication of conquest mentioned. Another way of looking at the term could be that the city of Enoch under Irad’s rule was tyrannical, because his name is associated with the word “dragon.” The dragon appears to symbolize stately power.

The despot

Once Irad passed away, his son Mehujael ascended the throne. Mehujael means "Destroyed of God." Mehuja means, “to wipe, to blot, to abolish.” The second part of the name is el, the common abbreviation of Elohim. Another interpretation is that he was “smitten of God.”

The interpretation of Mehujael’s name suggests that he attempted to erase not only the name of God from the city of Enoch, but to wipe clean the consciences of the inhabitants that still lived by the moral principles of God. Mehujael likely replaced God with the state as the center of worship. On closer inspection, that central power could be Mehujael himself.

Mehujael made sure in the eyes of his people that he was a living breathing representation of god on earth. By erasing God from the picture, it allowed Mehujael to take control over everything within his reign, for he was the state, and everyone and everything effectively belonged to him. Therefore, everyone under Mehujael’s rule were sacrificed to his desires by the whims of his needs.

A new god-king?

Methusael was next in line for the throne of Enoch. The name Methusael has multiple meanings, such as “Man of God” or “I'm Mortal, Where's God?”, “Man of Inquisition” or “Requested Man” (the Man We Wanted). It also means “When Requested.”  

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Cam Rea is an author and military historian. He has written numerous articles for Ancient Origins, Classical Wisdom Weekly, and has authored several books, including: The Wars of Israel: A Military History of Ancient Israel from the End of Judges to Solomon

Top image: The Fall of Man depicted in the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo (Public domain)

By Cam Rea

 
Cam Rea's picture

Cam Rea

Cam Rea is a Military Historian and currently the Associate Editor/Writer at Strategy & Tactics Press. Mr. Rea has published several books and written numerous articles for Strategy & Tactics Press and Classical Wisdom Weekly. His most current publication is... Read More

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