Cain was the first city builder. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, after marrying his wife Qalmana, Cain built the first walled city in human history and named it Enoch after his son. He surrounded it with walls and dug trenches, not out of ambition, but out of fear. He was afraid of his enemies. The city's population eventually grew to double the number of Israelites who later left Egypt.
The text draws a sharp contrast between two figures named Enoch. Cain's son Enoch gave his name to a corrupt city. But the other Enoch, the seventh from Adam, the righteous one, would someday rededicate that city with a holy dedication. All of Cain's descendants were called "the seed of evil-doers," and every one of them was swallowed up by the flood.
Cain's line produced remarkable inventors before they perished. Jabal invented shepherding, tents, and pens for livestock. Jubal discovered the science of music, the harp and reed-pipe. When Jubal heard Adam's prophecy about the coming flood and a future judgment by fire, he inscribed the science of music on two pillars, one of white marble and one of brick, so that at least one would survive. Tubal-Cain forged all iron instruments of war, the pincers, hammer, and axe. And discovered how to alloy lead and iron. His sister Naamah invented weaving and sewing of silk, wool, and flax.
Then came the intermarriage. The sons of Seth, called "children of Elohim," had lived on the mountains near Eden, while Cain's descendants dwelt in the fields of Damascus. For seven generations after Adam, they stayed separate. But after Adam died, they intermarried. Their offspring were the Nephilim, the giants, whose arrogance brought the flood upon the world.
XXIV. (1) And Cain knew Qalmana, his wife, and Enoch
was born; and he built a city and called it Enoch, after
the name of his son, and he used to entice the people, and
to rob and plunder them. He built that city, and surrounded
it with a wall and dug trenches. (2) He was the first to
surround a city (with a wall), for he was afraid of his
enemies. And this city, called by the name Enoch, is the
first of all cities. He was, moreover, the counterpart of
Enoch the righteous whom God took to Himself and trained
for the day which is entirely Sabbath. (3) Cain dedicated
the city to his son's name. When the city called Enoch
was finished, it was inhabited by his children, who were
about double the number of those who went forth from
Egypt. Now the city became very corrupt until the other
Enoch will arise, the seventh from Adam, and dedicate it
anew with a holy dedication, together with the sons of
Lemech, who slew Cain in the seventh generation, after
Cain had confessed his sin, repented, and his punish-
ment had been suspended until the seventh generation.
(4) And Enoch begat Irad, and Irad Mehuyael, and
Mehuyael Metushael, and Metushael Lemech, the seventh
from Adam. They were all wicked, for all the descendants
of Cain were called the seed of evil-doers, and all his
descendants were swallowed up by the flood. (5) The wicked
Lemech had two wives, 'Adah and Sillah, and 'Adah bare
Jabal; he was the father of such as Hve in tents and feed
the cattle. He discovered the work appertaining to
shepherds, and made tents and pens for the cattle, one for
the sheep, and another for the oxen, distinct from each
other. He also invented the locks which are made to
prevent thieves entering the house, which are like mito
this, X' ^i^cl the name of his brother was Jubal, the
father of all who play on the harp and the reed-pipe.
(6) At this time the inhabitants of the earth began to
commit violence, to defile each other, and kindle the
anger of the Lord. They began to sing with the harp
and the reed-pipe, and to sport with all kinds of song
corrupting the earth. This Jubal discovered the science of
music, whence arose all the tunes for the above two instru-
ments. This art is very great. (7) And it came to pass,
when he heard of the judgments which Adam prophesied
concerning the two trials to come upon his descendants by
the flood, the dispersion and fire, he wrote down the science
of music upon two pillars, one of white marble, and the
other of brick, so that if one would melt and crumble away
on account of the water, the other would be saved. (8) And
Sillah bare Tubal Cain, who forged all the iron implements
of war, and was an artificer in all kinds of ironwork. He
also discovered the art of joining lead and iron together, in
order to temper the iron and to make the blade sharper.
He also invented the pincers, the hammer, and the axe, and
other instruments of iron. Tubal was a worker in all kinds
of tin and lead, iron and copper, silver and gold. Then men
began to make graven images for worship. The sister of
Tubal Cain was called Naamah. It was she who invented
all kinds of instruments used for weaving and sewing silk,
wool and flax, and the entire art of the fancy-worker and
the weaver. (9) In the days of Enosh men began to
be designated by the names of princes and judges, to be
made gods, applying to them the name of the Lord.
They also erected temples for them, but in the time of Ee'u
they were all overthrown. (10) It came to pass when man
began to multiply upon the face of the earth, that the
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children of Elohim— that is, the seed of Seth — looked upon
the daughters of man — that is, the seed of Cain— and they
took them wives of all which they chose, and begat those
giants that peopled the earth in the days of Noah.
(11) During the whole hfetime of Adam the sons of Seth
had not intermarried with the seed of Cain, but when Adam
died they intermarried. The sons of Seth dwelt in the
mountains by the Garden of Eden, while Cain dwelt in the
fields of Damascus, where Abel was killed. For seven
generations the descendants of Seth kept righteous, but
thenceforward they became wicked. It was for this reason
that God repented that He had made man. (12) From the
seed of Seth and Cain there came forth the giants, who,
from their haughtiness of spirit, fell and became corrupt,
and were therefore swept away by the waters of the flood,
and therefore they were called ' Nefilim ' (the fallen). They
claimed the same pedigree as the descendants of Seth, and
compared themselves to princes and to men of noble
descent — sons of Elohim, lords and judges. Concerning
them it is said, ' Therefore like unto man ye shall die, and
as like unto princes ye shall fall.'
The Mideash of Shemhazai. and 'Azael.
