{"collection":"Bible & Christianity","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bib/fbe/fbe278.htm","path":"bib/fbe/fbe278.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe278.htm","text":"The Forgotten Books of Eden, by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr., [1926]\nJudah describes some archeological findings, a city with walls of Iron and gates of brass. He has an encounter with an adventuress.\nAND eighteen years my father abode in peace with his brother Esau, and his sons with us, after that we came from Mesopotamia, from Laban.\n2 And when eighteen years were fulfilled, in the fortieth year of my life, Esau, the brother of my father, came upon us with a mighty and strong people.\n3 And Jacob smote Esau with\nan arrow, and he was taken up wounded on Mount Seir, and as he went he died at Anoniram.\n4 And we pursued after the sons of Esau.\n5 Now they had a city with walls of iron and gates of brass; and we could not enter into it, and we encamped around, and besieged it.\n6 And when they opened not to us in twenty days, I set up a ladder in the sight of all and with my shield upon my head I went up, sustaining the assault of stones, upwards of three talents weight; and I slew four of their mighty men.\n7 And Reuben and Gad slew six others.\n8 Then they asked from us terms of peace; and having taken counsel with our father, we received them as tributaries.\n9 And they gave us five hundred cors of wheat, five hundred baths of oil, five hundred measures of wine, until the famine, when we went down into Egypt.\n10 And after these things my son Er took to wife Tamar, from Mesopotamia, a daughter of Aram.\n11 Now Er was wicked, and he was in need concerning Tamar, because she was not of the land of Canaan.\n12 And on the third night an angel of the Lord smote him.\n13 And he had not known her according to the evil craftiness of his mother, for he did not wish to have children by her.\n14 In the days of the wedding feast I gave Onan to her in marriage; and he also in wickedness knew her not, though he spent with her a year.\n15 And when I threatened him he went in unto her, but he spilled the seed on the ground, according to the command of his mother, and he also died through wickedness.\n16 And I wished to give Shelah also to her, but his mother did not permit it; for she wrought evil against Tamar, because she was not the daughters of Canaan, as she also herself was.\n17 And I knew that the race of the Canaanites was wicked, but the impulse of youth blinded my mind.\n18 And when I saw her pouring out wine, owing to the intoxication of wine I was deceived, and took her although my father had not counselled it.\n19 And while I was away she went and took for Shelah a wife from Canaan.\n20 And when I knew what she had done, I cursed her in the anguish of my soul.\n21 And she also died through her wickedness together with her sons.\n22 And after these things, while Tamar was a widow, she heard after two years that I was going up, to shear my sheep, and adorned herself in bridal array, and sat in the city Enaim by the gate.\n23 For it was a law of the Amorites, that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate.\n24 Therefore being drunk with wine, I did not recognize her; and her beauty deceived me, through the fashion of her adorning.\n25 And I turned aside to her, and said: Let me go in unto thee.\n26 And she said: What wilt thou give me? And I gave her my staff, and my girdle, and the diadem of my kingdom in pledge.\n27 And I went in unto her, and she conceived.\n28 And not knowing what I had done, I wished to slay her; but she privily sent my pledges, and put me to shame.\n29 And when I called her, I heard also the secret words which I spoke when lying with\nher in my drunkenness; and I could not slay her, because it was from the Lord.\n30 For I said, Lest haply she did it in subtlety, having received the pledge from another woman.\n31 But I came not again near her while I lived, because I had done this abomination in all Israel.\n32 Moreover, they who were in the city said there was no harlot in the gate, because she came from another place, and sat for a while in the gate.\n33 And I thought that no one knew that I had gone in to her.\n34 And after this we came into Egypt to Joseph, because of the famine.\n35 And I was forty and six years old, and seventy and three years lived I in Egypt.","title":"The Forgotten Books of Eden: The Testament of Judah: Chap...","type":"page"}