Interesting Facts

• Ashmua is identified as the daughter of Elishaa, the son of Enoch (of Seth’s line) and Lamech’s uncle.
• Betenos is identified as the daughter of Baraki’il, the daughter of Lamech’s father’s brother.
• The text indicates that Lamech married her in the third week of the fifteenth jubilee.
• The marriage to Ashmua/Betenos occurred during a time when a little food was produced from the ground, yet the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and they transgressed and rebelled against God.
• The text notes that she conceived after marrying Lamech.

Genealogy

• According to Jasher, her name was Ashmua and her father was Elishaa, who was the son of Enoch (of Seth’s line). This would make her Lamech’s cousin.
• According to Jubilees, her name was Betenos and her father was Baraki’il, who was the son of Lamech’s father’s brother. This also indicates she was Lamech’s cousin.
• She married Lamech (of Seth’s line) when he was one hundred and eighty years old, which occurred in the third week of the fifteenth jubilee.
• The sources state that she conceived after marrying Lamech, implying she bore at least one child, although the specific offspring from this union are not named in the provided excerpts.

Historical Context

Ashmua/Betenos lived during a period following the descent of the Watchers and the subsequent increase in lawlessness and corruption on the earth. The giants consumed the acquisitions of men, leading to violence against humans and animals. Secret knowledge was taught, contributing to godlessness and the corruption of ways. While the immediate aftermath of this heightened corruption is not explicitly detailed around the time of her marriage, the general context indicates a society increasingly distant from the ways of the Lord. Notably, the time of her marriage is specifically mentioned as a period of famine and continued rebellion against God, suggesting hardship and spiritual decline were prevalent. This context of increasing moral decay and potential physical scarcity would have shaped the environment in which she lived and began her family.

Narrative

The narrative concerning Ashmua/Betenos is brief but significant within the genealogical records. She is primarily mentioned in relation to her marriage to Lamech of Seth’s line. This marriage is recorded after a period of increasing lawlessness and shortly before the birth of Noah is noted. The differing names provided by Jasher and Jubilees (Ashmua and Betenos respectively) highlight the potential variations in ancient records and naming conventions. Her conception after marriage links her directly to the lineage that would eventually lead to Noah, the one who found grace in the eyes of the Lord before the impending flood. While her personal actions and dialogues are absent from these excerpts, her role as the wife of Lamech and a member of the Sethite lineage positions her as an important, albeit background, figure in the genealogy leading to the preservation of humanity through Noah. Her life, occurring during a time of both hardship and moral decline, sets the stage for the pivotal events of the Flood narrative.