Interesting Facts

• Elishaa is identified as the son of Enoch (of Seth’s line) and the uncle of Lamech (of Seth’s line).
• Baraki’il is identified as the father of Betenos, who is the daughter of Lamech’s father’s brother, making him Lamech’s great-uncle.
• The existence of both Elishaa and Baraki’il is primarily established through their connection to the lineage of Lamech and the subsequent birth of Noah.

Genealogy

• Elishaa was the son of Enoch of Seth’s line. This makes him a descendant of Adam through Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, and Jared.
• Elishaa was the uncle of Lamech (of Seth’s line), implying that Elishaa was a brother to Lamech’s father, Methuselah. However, this contradicts Jasher 3:13a which lists Elisha as a son of Enoch alongside Methuselah.
• Elishaa was the father of Ashmua, who married Lamech (of Seth’s line).
• Baraki’il was the father of Betenos.
• Betenos was the daughter of Lamech’s father’s brother, making Baraki’il a brother to Methuselah (Lamech’s father). This also contradicts Jubilees 4:15a which states that Mahalaleel married Dinah, the daughter of Barakiel, the daughter of his father’s brother. It is possible there are multiple individuals with similar names across generations.

Historical Context

Elishaa and Baraki’il lived in the antediluvian period, a time characterized by a gradual increase in human population and, according to the sources, a significant decline in morality and an increase in violence. This era witnessed the descent of the Watchers, who intermingled with human women and taught forbidden knowledge, leading to the birth of giants and widespread corruption. The earth became filled with lawlessness, and the outcry of the oppressed reached heaven. The time of Elishaa and Baraki’il precedes the immediate period of divine judgment through the Flood, but their lineage connects to Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord amidst this pervasive wickedness. The mention of a famine at the time of Ashmua/Betenos’s marriage suggests the environmental consequences of this corruption.

Narrative

Elishaa and Baraki’il primarily function as genealogical figures within the narrative. Elishaa is significant as the father of Ashmua, who married Lamech of Seth’s line. This marriage occurs relatively late in the antediluvian period, before the birth of Noah. Similarly, Baraki’il is important as the father of Betenos, who is also identified as Lamech’s wife in another account. These familial connections place both Elishaa and Baraki’il within the lineage that would lead to the survival of humanity after the Flood. While the sources do not detail any specific actions or dialogues of Elishaa or Baraki’il, their existence as fathers of Lamech’s wife (or wives, depending on the interpretation of the two names) is crucial for understanding the ancestral line of Noah and the subsequent repopulation of the earth. The slight discrepancies in their exact relationships to Lamech across the books of Jasher and Jubilees highlight the complexities in reconciling different ancient accounts.