Today, we're diving into a fascinating slice of ancient history from the Book of Jasher, a non-canonical Jewish text filled with captivating stories and alternative perspectives on biblical narratives.
We're looking at Chapter 17, which tells us about a war between the children of Chittim and the children of Tubal, descendants of Noah's sons. According to the Book of Jasher, this all went down in the ninety-first year of Abram's life.
The children of Chittim, we're told, settled in the plain of Canopia, building cities by the river Tibreu. Meanwhile, the children of Tubal resided in Tuscanah, their territory also bordering the Tibreu. They even built a city called Sabinah, named after Sabinah, the son of Tubal.
Then, BAM! Conflict erupts. The children of Chittim attack the children of Tubal, inflicting a heavy blow. As a result, the children of Tubal make the children of Chittim swear an oath: no intermarriage. Why such a drastic measure? Well, apparently the daughters of Tubal were renowned for their beauty. The text explicitly states: "...no women were then found in the whole earth so fair as the daughters of Tubal." Kings and princes from far and wide sought them as wives. Talk about high demand!
But oaths, as we know, can be tricky. Three years pass, and some twenty men from Chittim try to snatch some Tubal daughters, but they find none. The children of Tubal are sticking to their word. Frustrated, the men of Chittim wait for harvest time. While the Tubal men are out in the fields, the young men of Chittim sneak into the city of Sabinah and kidnap some of the daughters of Tubal. Scandalous, right?
Enraged, the children of Tubal try to retaliate, but the Chittim have holed up in a well-defended mountain. A year later, the children of Tubal hire ten thousand mercenaries to bolster their forces and launch a full-scale war. They begin to gain the upper hand, and the children of Chittim, desperate, pull a rather… interesting move. They place the children born from the kidnapped daughters of Tubal on the city walls. "Are you going to war with your own children?" they cry. It works! The children of Tubal, seeing their own flesh and blood, cease fighting and return home.
The children of Chittim, now consolidating their gains, build two cities by the sea, Purtu and Ariza. And where is Abram in all this? He’s ninety-nine years old, minding his own business.
But then, a pivotal moment: God appears to Abram! God establishes a covenant with him: brit milah, circumcision, as a sign of the everlasting covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants. And, God changes his name from Abram to Abraham, and his wife Sarai becomes Sarah. God promises to bless them both and multiply their seed, so they will become a great nation, and kings will come forth from them. This moment, described toward the end of the chapter, marks a crucial turning point in the narrative, shifting focus from the battles of nations to the foundation of a lineage that would shape history.
So, what can we take away from this whirlwind of ancient skirmishes and divine encounters? The Book of Jasher, while not part of the biblical canon, offers a unique lens through which to view the world of the patriarchs. It paints a vivid picture of a world in flux, where alliances shift, conflicts erupt, and divine promises are forged amidst the chaos. It reminds us that even in the midst of war and political maneuvering, the seeds of faith and covenant can take root and blossom.