Interesting Facts

• Noah’s birth was seen as a source of comfort regarding the toil and curse upon the earth. His father Lamech named him Noah for this reason.
• Methuselah also named him Noah, stating that the earth was at rest and free from corruption in his days.
• Lamech also called him Menachem, meaning “this one shall comfort us”.
• According to Jasher, Noah took the garments of skin that were originally given by YHWH to Adam and then passed down to Enoch and Methuselah, bringing them into the ark.
• Noah is described as a just man and perfect in his generations who walked with God.

Genealogy

• Noah was the son of Lamech.
• Lamech was the son of Methuselah.
• Methuselah was the son of Enoch.
• Noah was born when Lamech was one hundred eighty and two years old. The specific year is calculated differently in the sources, ranging from 1056 A.M. to later calculations based on jubilee cycles.
• Noah took a wife named Naamah, who was the daughter of Enoch according to Jasher. Jubilees refers to his wife as ‘Emzârâ, the daughter of Râkê’êl, his father’s brother.
• Noah fathered three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Shem was born when Noah was five hundred years old according to Genesis, and in the third year after his marriage according to Jubilees. Ham was born in the fifth year after his marriage, and Japheth in the first year of the sixth week after his marriage.

Historical Context

Noah’s life unfolded during a period of immense wickedness on Earth, following the descent of the Watchers and the proliferation of giants and other corrupt beings. The earth was filled with violence, bloodshed, and all manner of iniquity, including fornication, the shedding of blood, and unnatural acts against beasts and birds. The secrets of the angels, leading to sorcery, witchcraft, and the making of molten images, were also learned by humanity. This pervasive corruption led to a divine decree of destruction through a great flood. Before the flood, God commanded Methuselah and Noah to preach to the sons of men for one hundred and twenty years, urging them to return from their evil ways. Noah lived through the cataclysmic flood that cleansed the earth of this wickedness. After the flood, Noah and his sons were the progenitors of a new humanity. He instructed his sons and grandsons in righteousness and warned them against the sins that had brought about the deluge. He also divided the earth among his three sons. The emergence of cities and the early post-flood generations, including the birth of Kainam who engaged with forbidden knowledge, and the division of the earth in the days of Peleg, provide further context for Noah’s later life.

Narrative

Noah’s story begins with a prophecy at his birth that he would bring comfort to a world burdened by the Lord’s curse. In a time of widespread corruption, Noah is uniquely described as finding grace in the eyes of the Lord. Seeing the impending destruction, Noah cried out to his grandfather Enoch, seeking understanding of the earth’s plight. Enoch revealed to him the divine judgment determined because of the secrets learned from the angels and the pervasive unrighteousness. God sent Uriel to instruct Noah to build an ark to save himself and his seed from the coming deluge. Noah obediently built the ark according to divine instructions and gathered his family and pairs of all living creatures. During the flood, the ark was tossed violently upon the waters, causing great distress to all within, and Noah prayed to the Lord for deliverance. After the waters receded, Noah and his family emerged to repopulate the earth. Noah established certain days as feasts of remembrance. He later enjoined his sons and grandsons to live righteously, reminding them of the causes of the flood and warning against future corruption. He also conveyed the commandments passed down from Enoch and Methuselah. Before his death at the age of nine hundred and fifty years, Noah divided the earth as an inheritance for Shem, Ham, and Japheth and bound them by an oath. He prayed for his sons that wicked spirits would not rule over them. Noah’s life stands as a testament to righteousness in a wicked age and his obedience to God’s commands ensured the continuation of life on Earth.