After the Tower of Babel, the descendants of the nations scattered into separate companies. The Kittim settled in the plain of Campania by the river Tiber, while the children of Tubal built the city of Sabino nearby. Conflict erupted immediately—the children of Tubal refused to let the Kittim intermarry with them. So during harvest, the young men of Kittim raided Sabino and kidnapped their daughters.
The next year, when Tubal's army marched against them, the Kittim held up the babies born of those stolen daughters on the city walls. "You have come to fight your own sons and daughters," they called out. "Are we not your own flesh and blood?" The attack was called off.
Into this world came Sefo, the son of Eliphaz, the grandson of Esau. He had fled from Egypt after Joseph's death and served as a captain in Carthage. One day, searching for a lost bull near a mountain, he discovered a cave containing a monstrous creature—human from the waist down, goat from the waist up—devouring his cattle. Sefo split its skull open. The grateful Kittim named the beast "Janus" and gave Sefo that name as an honorific, crowning him their king.
He acquired a second name—Saturnus—after the planet Shabtai, which the Kittim worshipped. Janus Saturnus reigned fifty-five years over all the Kittim and Italy. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle translated by Moses Gaster in 1899, this genealogy traces Rome's founding directly back to the house of Esau. Through Sefo's line came generations of kings who built temples, waged wars, and eventually established the city of Roma, named after Romulus, who built its walls and made a covenant with David.
XL. (1) It came to pass when the Lord scattered the
sons of man all over the surface of the earth that they
became separated into different companies. The Kittim
formed one company, and encamping in the plain of
Kapanya (Campania ^<^^:iQ3), they dwelt there by the river
Tiberio (ij^nnn), while the children of Tubal encamped in
Toscana (s:)DCnn), and their frontier was the river Tiberio.
They built a city and called it Sabino (1^30), after the name
of its builders. And the Kittim also built a city for them-
selves, and called its name Posomanga (sjiidivid). Now,
the children of Tubal were overbearing to the Kittim, and
said, ' They shall not intermarry among us.' But it
happened at the harvest time, when the children of Tubal
had gone to their fields, that the young men of the Kittim
gathered together, and, going to Sabino, they took their
daughters captives, and then climbed the mountain of
Kaporisio (ix^vniSD). As soon as the children of Tubal
heard of this they arrayed themselves in battle against
them, but could not prevail over them on account of the
height of the mountain, so they gathered all the young
warriors to the mountain.
(2) In the next year the children of Tubal went out again
to battle, but the Kittim brought up all the children that
were born of their (Tubal's) daughters upon the wall which
they had built, and said, ' You have come to fight against
your own sons and daughters; are we not now your own
bone and flesh ?' At this they ceased fighting, and the
Kittim gathered together and built a city by the sea which
they called Porto (imia), and another which they called
Albano (ijsn'ps), and yet another which they named
Aresah (nvnx).
(3) In those days Sefo (idv), the son of Eliphaz, fled
from Egypt. Joseph had captured him when he went up
to Hebron to bury his father. It was then that the children
of Esau tried to entice him to evil, but Joseph prevailed
over him and (capturing) Sefo from them, brought him to
Egypt. After the death of Joseph, Sefo fled from Egypt,
to Africa, to Agnias (ds^j:ix). King of Carthage, where he
was received with great honour and appointed captain of
the host.
(4) At the same time there lived a man in the land of
the Kittim, in the city of Posomanga (xjJDivia), named
'Usi (»v"ii;). He was to the Kittim as a vain god. He died
and left no son, but only one daughter, named lania (n&<>3^).
96 [XL. 4
She was beautiful and very wise, aior w^as the Kke of her
beauty to be found in all the land. Agnias sought her for
his wife, as did Turnus, King of Benevento (injnin); but
they (the Kittim) said to the latter, ' We cannot give her to
thee, because Agnias, King of Afriqia, seeks her; we fear
lest he wage war against us, and in that case thou couldst
not deliver us from his power.'
(5) The inhabitants of Posomanga (x^^roivis) then sent
a letter to that effect to Agnias. Thereupon he mustered
all his host and came to the island of Sardinia (&<^jnnD''N).
Palos, his nephew, went out to meet him, and said,
'When thou askest my father to come to thy assistance,
ask him to appoint me the head of the army.' Agnias did
so, and came into the province of Astiras (t^^s-l>nc♦^<) in ships.
Turnus went out to meet him, and a very severe battle
ensued in the valley Kapanya (Campania), in which Palos,
his nephew, fell by the sword. Agnias then embalmed him,
and having made a golden human image (mask ?), placed
him therein. After that he once more set his men in battle
array and captured Turnus (c^^miD), King of Benevento,
and having slain him, made a mask (image) of brass, and
placed him therein. He then built a tower in the highway
in his honour, and another for Palos, his nephew, and called
the one ' The tower of Palos,' and the other ' The tower of
Turnus,' and the latter were separated by a marble pavement,
which remains unto this day. They were built between
Albano (iJnSi^) and Eome. Agnias then took lania to wife
and returned to his own country. From that day hence-
forth Gondalas (d6idi:) and the armies of the kings of Afriqia
used to ravage the land of the Kittim for spoil and plunder,
Sefo (isv) always accompanying them.
(6) When this Sefo, the son of Eliphaz, travelled from
Afriqia (x^pnsN) to the Kittim, the inhabitants received him
with great honour, and presented him with many gifts so
that he became very rich. And the troops of Afriqia
(x^tsnas) spread themselves over all the land of the Kittim,
and they having assembled, ascended the mountain of
Kaporisio (Campo-Marzio ?) (us^vniDD) on account of the
troops of Gondalos. (7) One day one of the herd of Sefo
was missing, and after starting in search of it he heard the
lowing of a bull in the neighbourhood of the mountain.
On going to the bottom of the mountain, he discovered a
cave with a great stone placed at its mouth. When he
removed the stone he beheld to his surprise a huge animal
devouring the bullock. From the middle downwards it
presented the likeness of man, while from the middle
upwards that of a goat. Sefo instantly sprang upon it, and
split its head open. The inhabitants of Kittim then said,
' What shall be done for the man who has slain the beast
that continually devoured our cattle ?' On a festival day
they assembled together and called his name Janus, after
the name of the beast. They offered him drink offerings
on that day and brought him meal offerings, and from that
time they named the day ' The festival of Janus.'
(8) When the troops of Gondalos once more invaded the
land of the Kittim for plunder, as heretofore, Janus went
out against them, and having smitten them and put them
to flight, he delivered the land from their raids. The Kittim
then assembled and appointed Sefo to the throne of the
kingdom. The Kittim then went forth to subdue the
children of Tubal and the nations round about. And
Janus their king went before them and subdued them.
After this Sefo was called Saturnus, in addition to Janus:
Janus after the name of the beast, and Saturnus after the
name of the star which they worshipped in those days,
i.e., the planet ' Shabtai' (Saturnus). (9) He reigned at first
in the valley of Kapanya, in the land of the Kittim, and
built an exceedingly large temple there. He then extended
his kingdom over the whole of the Kittim, and over all
Italy. Janus Saturnus, after a reign of fifty-five years,
died and was buried.
(10) His successor was Piqos Faunos (l**ijind i^Mp^s), who
reigned fifty years. He also erected a huge temple in the
valley of Kapanya, and soon after died. His successor was
named Latin us; it was he who explained the language and
its letters. He likewise built a temple for his dwelling, and
98 [XL. 10
many ships. He went to battle with Astrubel ('pnnnDs), the
son of Agnias, whom lania bore him, in order to take his
daughter Yaspisi ('•^^SD>) to wife, as Agnias had done to
the Kittim when he took lania from them in battle.
And this woman was very beautiful, so much so that the
men of her generation weaved her image upon their clothes
in honour of her beauty. A fierce battle ensued between
Astrubel, King of the Carthaginians, and Latinus, King of
Kittim, and Latinus captured the fountain of water which
Agnias, when he took lania, had brought with her to
Carthage.
(11) For lania the queen, when arriving there, was taken
ill, and Agnias and his servants were sorely grieved. Agnias
said to his wise men, 'How can I cure lania's illness?'
His servants replied, ' The air of our land is not like unto
that of Kittim, nor our waters like theirs. Therefore the
queen is ill through the change of air and water, for in
her own land she only drank the water drawn from Forma
(no-na), which her ancestors drew upon bridges (aque-
ducts).' Agnias then ordered his ministers (princes) to
bring water from Forma in Kittim in a vessel. They weighed
these waters against all the waters of Africa, and found
that only those of Goqar (nplj) corresponded with them.
Agnias then ordered his princes to gather together stone-
masons by thousands and myriads. So they hewed a
vast number of stones for building; and, being in great
numbers, they built a bridge (an aqueduct) from the
fountain of the water as far as Carthage. All these waters
were for the sole use of lania, who used them for drinking,
baking, washing clothes, ordinary washing, and for water-
ing all the seeds which provided her food. They also
brought earth from Kittim in many ships, as well as stones
and bricks, and they built therewith temples. All this
they did for the great love they bore her, for through her
wiles she charmed the people, and through her they called
themselves blessed, and she was to them as a goddess.
(12) Now, it happened when Latinus waged war with
Astrubel that he overthrew part of the bridge, so that the
troops of Gondalos were exceedingly furious, and fought
desperately. Astrubel being mortally wounded, Latinus
by main force captured Yaspisi (^^i'^DD^), his daughter, for
his wife. He brought her to Kittim and made her queen.
And Latinus reigned forty-five years.
(13) When Latinus died, Anias reigned in his stead
for three years, and, after his death, Asqinus (Ascanias,
D^rpDS) reigned thirty-eight years. He also built a large
temple. After him Seliaqos (Dipi^^'pD) reigned twenty-
nine years, and he built a large temple. After his death
Latinus, who reigned for fifty years, succeeded him. This
was the king who fought with Almania (i<^3?o*?x) and
Burgunia (i<''j:"ii2), the sons of Elisa (nc'^'px), whom he took
as tribute. He built a temple to ' Lusifer ' (navi'?), i.e.,
Nogah, and closed that of Saturnus, which was ' the Temple
of Shabbetai.' He passed his priests through the fire on
the altar of his temple, dedicated to ' Lusifer.'
(14) After the death of Latinus, Anias Trognos (Tar-
quinius) reigned in his stead thirty-three years. He also
erected a temple to Saturn. After him Alba reigned
thirty-nine years. When he died, Avisianos (D"l:^<*':;^n^*)
reigned for twenty-four years, and built a large temple.
After him Qapis (D^sxp) reigned twenty-eight years, and
built a temple. After him Karpitos (Dio^anp) reigned for
twenty-three years, and built a temple. After him Tiberios
reigned for eight years. Agrippa reigned after him for
forty years. Komulus succeeded him, and reigned nine
years, during which time he built several temples. After
him Abtinos reigned for thirty- seven years. This is the king
who waged war with the children of Eifath, who dwelt by
the Lira (t^n^'p), and with the sons of Turnus, who dwelt
in Toronia (s^^mo) by the river Lira. It was they who
fled from Agnias, King of Afriqi {'P'l^^), and who built
Purnus (C'jiid) and Anba (sa^s). These Abtinos brought
to submission. After him Procas (L'Spns) reigned twenty-
three years; and after him.Emilius reigned for forty-
three years.
(15) After his death Komulus reigned for thirty-eight
7—2
100 [XL. 16
years. In his days David smote the land of Syria, so that
Hadarezer and his sons fled into the land of the Kittim.
He there obtained a place on the seashore and a place on
the mountain. He there built a city, and called its name
Sorento (iD^-nD). (16) At that place there dwelt a young
man of a descendant of the family of Hadarezer, who had
fled from David. He built the old city Albano (i^nSs),
where his posterity dwell unto this day. But within the
city of Sorento (iD3-nD) a well of oil sprung up, and after
some years the city subsided, and the sea swept over it,
i.e., between Napoli (^'pissi) and New Sorento; yet the well
did not cease from flowing, for until this very day the oil
bubbles and rises upon the waters of the sea, while the
inhabitants are continually collecting it.
(17) Eomulus was greatly afraid of David. He therefore
built a wall higher than any other wall hitherto erected by
any king that preceded him, and he surrounded all the
mountains and hills round about with this wall. Its
length was forty-five miles, and he called the name of the
city Koma, after the name of Eomulus. And they yet con-
tinued to be greatly afraid of David. He made the name
of the Kittim great, and they called the place Eomania
(nt^'-^nin), as it is called unto this very day. He built a
temple in honour of Jovis, i.e., ' Sedek,' and removed that
dedicated to ' Lusifer.' And Eomulus waged great wars.
He also made a covenant with David. (18) After the
death of Eomulus, Numa Popilios reigned in his stead
forty-one years. After him Polios (D^^^^'?^^) reigned for
thirty -two years. After him Tarkinos (D^^^sm) reigned
for thirty-seven years. After his death Servios (Dli^nt'O
reigned thirty - four years. After him Tarkinos reigned.
This Tarkinos was he who fell in love with a Eoman
woman. But as she was already married, he took her l^y
force. The woman was thereat grieved, and she stabbed
herself with a dagger and met her death. Her brothers
rose up, and, going to the temple of Jovis, they lay in
wait for Tarkinos. When he came to pray they fell upon
him with drawn swords and killed him.
(19) On that day the Eomans took an oath that no king
should henceforth reign in Kome. They then selected
seventy Koman counsellors and appointed them to rule
and to guide the kingdom. ' The Old Man ' and his seven
counsellors then ruled over them and subdued all the West.
(20) After the lapse of 205 years battles were fought by
sea and land between Babylon and Eome, because the
Komans assisted Greece when the Greeks fought with
Babylon. At that time, when they rebelled, they caused
the Tiber to flow into other channels, and made a bottom
to the river from one gate (of Eome) to the other, from its
entrance to its exit, a distance of eighteen miles, all of
which covered with brass, from the gate of Eome where it
flows into the sea until the gate where it takes its source,
a distance of eighteen miles, for three-fourths of the people
were on one side of the river and one-fourth on the other
side. The river flowed in the midst of the city, and the
inhabitants of Eome paved its bed. No ships or boats of
the King of Babylon could henceforth enter. The Eomans
feared and trembled, as they had heard that the King of
Babylon had captured Jerusalem. They sent him presents
by messengers, and made a treaty after that war so that
wars ceased between them until the reign of Darius the Mede.
[Thus far the narrative of Josippon. After this Josippon
wrote of the kingdom of Darius and Cyrus, and the book of
the Maccabees, and of the kings who lived during the time
of the second temple until its destruction. I shall, with
the help of God, write it all in its proper place just as it is
written in the book of Josippon until the end.]
