BLOODSHED and NOAH-5/
The Infamous Children of ELKM
Cain’s Children of ELKM
We’ve described in details Enosh, his fiery sermons and his disciples. The Torah, however, devotes much more space in the text to the opposing camp, of Cain’s Children of ELKM. Perhaps this is because Noah’s wife, our mother Naama, came from that camp.
Ban of mix marriages
We should notice that, according to tradition (Zohar and other source) there was a ban on mixed marriages between Enosh and Cain’s camps. This was not only because of the tremendous contempt they felt against each other, and the war raged between them, but also because their believe that the offspring of such mix marriages would be “monsters who would destroy the world.”
Since Noah came from Enosh and Naama from Cain, everyone warned them against their marriages lest their children would be those feared monsters! And yet, they did marry each other, though they did not bear children for five hundred years, until just before the Flood. And even then, they produced only three sons and no more. Their own sons too refrained from producing children of their own.
Cain’s exile
To comprehend the Children of ELKM’s culture we must go back to Cain.
After killing his brother Abel, YHVH condemned Cain to exile in “no man’s land,” meaning in the woods. YHVH also told him that after seven generations, he would be finally avenged for having killed his brother.
To protect him in the woods, YHVH placed a “sign” on Cain’s forehead. The world “sign”, ot, can be read as ‘or,’ light. Hence the notion that he developed a horn, or a tumor protruding from his forehead, with a shape of Y (From YHVH) , or a strange ray light that radiated and showed him his way in the wood, but also scarred away any potential killer.
Tradition says that at first Cain got married and conceived of many descendants who built “cities” and townships. Cain then retrieved himself into the woods, walking naked and growing heirs, like a monkey. He lived in the woods by himself, with only a ferocious dog by his side. He knew that after seven generations, he would be avenged.
Meanwhile, his descendants developed their special culture known as the “Children of ELKM.” They lived outskirt of main society, which was comprised mainly of Enosh clan. As we’ve said, they began pious, yet their harsh practice o following ELKM alone rendered them ruthless, indifferent to human suffering. The Torah describes one family – Lemech’s family – as an example. Among them are listed talented musicians, architects and artisans.
Lemech, Naama’s father
Seven generations past, and the time to avenge Abel’s blood had come. Cain’s descendants became nervous about the forthcoming fate of their forefather. The Torah describes the reaction of Lemech, Naama’s father, to the coming fulfillment of YHVH’s wards about Cain.
The arrogant Lemech told his wives:
“For Cain will be avenged seven folds,
And Lemech, seventy seven folds” (4: 23)
Which can be interpreted as placing a curse on anyone who would kill Cain. If YHVH had cursed Cain to be avenged after seven generations, here came his descendant Lemech and added another curse on top of whoever dares to kill Cain – he would be avenged seventy seven folds!
Lemech is described in the Midrash as an accident-prone fool. His name has become in Yedish a nickname for a fool who stumbles over things and cannot accomplish anything. He had a small head, but two strong hands that could smash an oxen head with one clap. This would turn detrimental.
The Torah tells us that he married two wives: Ada and Zilah. Ada – “an ornament” – was designated to bear children, while Zilah – “a shadow” – was designated to be a sex partner. (Rashi). Indeed,
And Ada gave birth to Yaval.
He was the father of such that dwell in tents, and of such that have cattle.
And the name of his brother was Yuval. He was the father of all those,
who play the violin and the harp.”
Ada fulfilled her mission – she bore two talented, established sons.
What about Zilah?
And Tzilah, she too gave birth to Tubal Cain,
the forger of every sharp instrument in brass and iron.
And Tubal Cain was the brother of Naama…” (ibid)
Why does the Torah say that “She too gave birth?” – For that was a surprise to everyone.
Rashi explains: It was their custom to sterilize the woman designated for sex by giving her a cup of poison to drink at the wedding night. The poison caused her extreme abdominal pains and vomiting. In the morning she was either dead, or alive and sterile. This shows clearly the heartless customs of the Children of ELKM, done in the name of piety.
Yet Zilah wasn’t a compliant woman. She was raised in a low social background and had to fight for her living. To survive, she became a magic dancer, which made her famous. She married Lemech for his wealth and status. She even agreed to be his sex partner, including sterilization.
No one knows for sure what happened in the wedding night, but in the morning, they found the accident prone Lemech twisted on the ground with terrible abdominal pains, while shrewd Zilah was impregnated. She gave birth to a son named Tubal Cain. Several years later she gave birth to an identical twin girl, both she named Naama – to confuse everyone!
Meet Tubal Cain and his gangues
On Tubal Cain it is said that he “sharpened all cutting implements of copper and iron,” (4: 22) . The Midrash says he discovered a strong metal alloy from which he made ultra-strong swords and shields that could stand any weapon. That invention turned the clan, Children of ELKM, to be the mightiest military force on Earth. Their power made them corrupt. Tubal Cain’s gangs roamed the streets unstoppable, raping, killing and mugging under the watching Sun with no shame or fear. The name Tubal means “put spices on.” Hence he put spices or perfected Cain’s action. If Cain had murdered his brother by his bare hands, here came Tubal and killed thousands by his weapons.
Meet our mother Naama
The shrewd Zilah raised her identical twin girls as beautiful magical dancers who chanted the audience by their performance. So beautiful they were that ,the Midrash says, young males often committed suicide after watching them. They performed as a dancer who split on the stage to become two, then merged to become one. People saw Naama at one site, and a moment later in another site – hence the legend of the Sexual Demon Naama who could fly in a second from one point to another.
As it turns out, one Naama was sexual corrupt while the other was righteous. The Midrash relates the sexual decay of the generation to the corrupt Demon Naama. She taught people not only to violate all sexual prohibitions but also to cohabit with animals and pets. She even taught pets to cohabit unnaturally with different species. The verse says “the Children of ELKM saw the daughters of Mankind that they were good so they took for themselves women as they wished.” (5:2) and that “the Nefilim were in the land” (5: 4). Nefil can be a giant, or someone who fell, like falling from grace. The Midrash quotes two of them – Aza and Azael. They were chieftains of the Children of ELKM who fell from grace. Initially they were pious, but here came Naaama and caused them to cohabit sexually with animals – Aza married his house, and Azael his donkey.
We don’t know for sure how it happened, but young Noah married the righteous Naama . The Midrash also says that they loved their corrupt sister Naama and when the Flood came she tried to enter the Ark. Noah and Naama attempted to open the door for her by “YHVA closed the door for him,” (7: 15). She was rejected by YHVH. Legend says that the Demon Naama did not perish in the Flood and that she appears in Man’s sexual dreams even today.
Cain’s demise
The story goes like this:
One day, the fool, accident-prone Lemech, stumbled over a terrible mishap.
His son Tubal Cain, brought home his newest strong bow, that could shoot a metal arrow straight at the target with no deviation. You needed, though, two strong hands to draw that tough bow. Tubal Cain proudly handed the bow to his father for a trial. Lemech, who was half blinded, drew the bow easily and searched for a target. Far in the wood, a figure was seen with a horn on its head, radiating strange light that made it an easy target.
Seeing his father’s difficulty to focus on the target, Tubal Cain helped him to aim the arrow. “Father, shoot!” Tubal Cain shouted and Lemech released the arrow. Indeed, the arrow pierced the air and hit the creature at the horn. The creature fell dead, and Tubal Cain ran to the woods to check the catch. To his horror, he saw Cain lying dead, with the arrow stuck in his forehead under the horn.
Remembering his father’s curse on whoever kills Cain, Tubal Cain froze. When Lemech was notified about the accident, he clapped his mighty hands with despair, crying: “The bastard! Now my curse would be fallen on my own head, and my seed would be avenged for seventy-seven generations!”
It seems also that in his despair, Lemech clapped his mighty hands over Tubal Cain’s spine and broke is severely, so that Tubal was dying. This explains the verse:
“For a man I have killed, to my own detrimental (wound)
and a boy, to my own bruise…” (4: 23)
Thus the cycle of sin and punishment was closed in a perfect way of ELKM. Since Cain had killed his own brother, here came Tubal his descendant and killed Cain. And the curse made by the arrogant Lemech fell on his own head.
Implementing Oneness by their marriage
Since Noah came from Enosh who worshipped YHVH, and Naama from Cain who worshipped ELKM, it comes out that they fulfilled and implemented YE Oneness in their life. Indeed, this is why they were saved.
However, since we are the seventy seventh generations past Lemech, would his curse haunt us? Let’s hope it would not.