It’s a dark picture painted in the Legends of the Jews, a world where humanity had truly lost its way.
According to Ginzberg's retelling, the descendants of Noah were sinking deeper and deeper into depravity. It wasn't just a little slip-up; it was a full-blown plunge. They were fighting, killing, even eating blood – a practice strictly forbidden. They were building up fortresses, appointing kings, and engaging in constant warfare. Can you imagine the chaos?
But it gets worse. They started enslaving each other. And, perhaps most tragically, they turned to idolatry. Each person crafted their own molten image, their own idol to worship. The text tells us that these idols were inspired by evil spirits under their leader, Mastema, who led them astray into sin and uncleanness. It's a pretty bleak picture, right?
Even the names of the people reflected this darkness. Reu, for example, named his son Serug, because all mankind had turned aside to sin. And wouldn't you know it? Serug grew up to be an idol worshiper himself. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as they say.
Serug then taught his son, Nahor, the ways of the Chaldeans – divination, soothsaying, and magic based on the stars. Astrology, in other words. The Zohar, the central text of Kabbalah, would certainly have something to say about that!
But the problems didn't stop there. When Nahor’s son, Terah, was born, Mastema sent ravens and other birds to wreak havoc. As soon as the seeds were sown, these birds swooped down and snatched them up before they could be covered. Famine and destitution followed. Hence the name Terah, which, according to the text, reflected the troubles brought on by the birds.
It's a pretty grim scene, isn't it? A world filled with violence, idolatry, and despair. But it’s also a world ripe for change, a world desperately awaiting the arrival of someone like Abraham, the "friend of God," to bring light and morality back into the world. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, even in the darkest times, there’s always the potential for redemption.