And according to tradition, the land wasn't exactly empty when Jacob's sons were destined to inherit it. No, no. It was provisionally granted to a whole host of Canaanite nations: the Canaanites themselves, the Zidonians, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, Arvadites, Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Quite the roster! Think of them, essentially, as caretakers, holding the fort until the "rightful owners" showed up.
But the story doesn't stop there. Almost as soon as Noah's descendants settled into their allotted territories, things started going awry. We're talking unclean spirits—ru’hot teme’ot—running amok, leading people astray and causing all sorts of physical and spiritual suffering. Sounds rough, right?
So, what could be done? Noah, in his distress, pleaded with God. And God, in His mercy, sent the angel Raphael to set things right. Raphael, as the story goes, banished nine-tenths of these nasty spirits from the earth, leaving only one-tenth for Mastema to use in punishing sinners. A cosmic cleanup, if you will.
And that’s not all! Raphael, with the help of the chief of the unclean spirits (quite the collaboration!), revealed to Noah all the medicinal properties hidden within plants. Talk about a divine prescription! Noah diligently recorded this knowledge in a book, which he then passed down to his son Shem. According to the Legends of the Jews, this very book is the source of all medical knowledge, the wellspring from which the wise men of India, Aram, Macedonia, and Egypt drew their expertise.
Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews continues, describing how the sages of India specialized in curative trees and spices, while the Arameans focused on grains and seeds, even translating the ancient medical texts into their own language. The Macedonians were pioneers in practical medicine, while the Egyptians, well, they leaned into magic and astrology, studying the Midrash of the Chaldees composed by Kangar, the son of Ur, the son of Kesed.
Medical knowledge kept spreading, evolving until the time of Aesculapius. This Macedonian sage, accompanied by a group of forty magicians, traveled far and wide, eventually reaching a land beyond India, near Paradise itself. Their quest? To find wood from the elusive Tree of Life, hoping to spread their fame throughout the world. A noble goal, perhaps, but…
… their hope was dashed. They found the healing trees and the wood they sought, but as they reached out to take what they desired, a bolt of lightning from the ever-turning sword struck them down, burning them to a crisp! Ouch. And with them, seemingly, went all that precious medical knowledge.
But don't worry, it's not the end of the story! This knowledge did eventually revive, according to the legend, in the time of the first Artaxerxes, thanks to figures like Hippocrates, Dioscorides, Galen, and the Hebrew Asaph.
So, what does it all mean? This story, pieced together from various sources like The Zohar and Midrash Rabbah, isn't just a historical account. It's a reminder of the constant struggle between good and evil, health and sickness, knowledge and ignorance. It speaks to the enduring human quest for healing, wisdom, and even immortality. And it suggests that sometimes, the most profound knowledge is both a gift and a responsibility, one that must be approached with humility and respect.