Chapter 13

Civilization Begins

Civilization Begins:

TRADE AND COMMERCE

Communities continued to expand, and by the time of Lamech's children, perhaps some 600 years from Creation, the population could have grown anywhere from 7,000 to 8 million people. The needs of people for crafted goods would increase creating a demand that was not met by home-made production. The children of Lamech mark a significant change in the economy of the antediluvians.

Jabal -v* , which means "stream" or "river", the son of Adah, became the "father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle" (Gen. 4:20). Perhaps he was a restless soul who tended to wander like a stream. Inventing tents would be convenient for nomadic living. Perhaps he had a religious bent and saw a profitable living in tending cattle for slaughter. Considering the ungodly example of his father Lamech, it is probable that these sacrifices were not to Yahweh. This would mean that Satan and his host were declaring themselves to be gods and openly communing with the sons of Cain. Here begins mythologies and false religions based upon works and worshiping "angels of light" (2 Cor. 11:14). With the canopy on the Earth and the weather mild, the tents provided secrecy for worship.

As stated earlier, music and dance touch the human spirit through the body, bypassing the soul. Lucifer, who was the worship leader of heaven before he fell and became Satan, would both inspire man and be touched himself by music. If Dr. Baugh is right in saying there was heavenly music provided by the canopy via the stars, then Jubal's -v{* (which means "jubilee, trumpet, or music"), being the "father of all such as handle the harp and organ" (Gen. 4:21) was for demonic and carnal purposes, and not for God's glory. However, let us remember that God is sovereign and allows pagan's to create things for his ultimate glory. What they mean for evil, God means for good. Nonetheless, the music arts probably had its start for pagan worship of demonic spirits.

While Lamech's love for Adah may have been sensual at its base, his love for Zillah was more pragmatic. Through their son, Tubal-cain 0*8 -v{; , which means "flowing forth of Cain," Lamech desired his heritage to be instilled in this son. Lamech was probably a farmer just as the rest of the antediluvians were. Jabal being a rancher and Jubal being a musician meant the time honored craft of Cain needed to be picked up by his son Tubal-cain. But Tubal-cain went further than farming. In an effort to improve the farming implements of his fathers (probably stone and wood), Tubal-cain tried hardening the stone by burning it with fire. This would lead to the discovery that certain rocks would melt and become a different substance, which we call metal. He probably spent more time experimenting with smelting mineral ores than he did farming. Ultimately he became "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" (Gen. 4:22), sharing and teaching his discoveries to others interested in his work.

Along Red Creek near the Llano River by London, Texas, a metal hammer was found in Cretaceous concretionary sandstone (which according to secular calculation is supposed to be 75 million years ago) by Mr. and Mrs. Max Hahn in June 1936. The significance of this dating is that man is not supposed to be on the scene until the Recent Pleistocene period (which is the tail end of the Cenozoic Era) a "mere" 1 million years ago. The Cretaceous Era is the tail end of the Mesozoic Era which begins and ends the rise of the dinosaurs. This hammer, which was forged by the antediluvians shows that man both lived with the dinosaurs and had the knowledge of metallurgy.

The analysis of the metal by Battelle Labs in Columbus, Ohio revealed that it was 96.6% Iron, 2.6% Chlorine, 0.74% Sulpher, and a trace of Silicon [6]. This combination of chlorine with iron cannot be made under current atmospheric conditions, which lends support to the canopy theory of hyperbaric atmospheric pressure. A 1992 tomographic analysis of the hammer was conducted by Texas Utilities. "A verbal report identified the hammer material as being of superior quality with no inclusions or irregularities in its composition. Surface density was indicated to be a uniform 6 percent greater than the interior of the metal. This evidence of quality fabrication is an indication of high technology metallurgy". Tubal-cain's experimentation yielded high quality results!

It is possible that this knowledge of metallurgy was used later to build instruments for warfare. In chapter 6:11 the Bible says, "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." However, this is near the end of the antediluvian world because prior to this statement it says man's "days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (Gen. 6:3), implying that the Flood was only 120 years away.

An odd addition to verse 4:22 is made in saying that "the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah %/31 ." Why should this woman be singled out when no other women are mentioned in the antediluvian genealogies? Neither is anything said about her except for her name. Her name means, "pleasantness" which has its root in "pleasure, agreeable, sweetness, and beauty." Is there a connection between her and the verse in 6:2 which says "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose"? Perhaps. This will be addressed later in the book. Jewish tradition says that Naamah was Noah's wife, which is why she is singled out. I don't that this is so because of the time element. If the worldly line parallels the righteous line, then Naamah would be contemporary with Enoch and would have been 434 years older than Noah.

It is noteworthy that the Bible no longer addresses the descendants of Cain after this point. The sons of Lamech introduced specialized crafts that launched the world into trade and commerce as we know it today. Perhaps it was only a barter and trade system, but it is possible that they developed coins for currency at a later date.

Jared, the descendant of Seth, saw the growing paganism in the earth. He waited an unusually long time of 162 years (long even by antediluvian standards; the average being 70 years) before having his first son. When Enoch +&1( was born, he desired to tutor him in the ways of Yahweh. Like Cain's son, Enoch means, "initiated, teacher." But unlike Cain's son who was a disciple of Cain in farming and ungodliness, Jared's son would be a disciple of Yahweh.