All of you have heard of Noah s Ark, but how much do you know about Noah?

In the King James version of the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis reveals the line of genealogy from Adam to Noah, that Noah was the seventh generation from Adam. Adam begat Seth and on down the line to a man named Enoch. Enoch then begat Methuselah, Methuselah began Lamech and Lamech begat Noah, or did he?

Enoch, although an important man, is only mentioned a half dozen times in the King James Bible. One reference is from Genesis 5:24. Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. Similar passages are in the Book

of Enoch but then the Book of Enoch was not included in the King James Bible.

I grew up in a southern Baptist environment and for several years the King James version was the only Bible I knew. My first experience with anything other than that was as a teenager. I was visiting with a childhood friend who lived with his grandmother down the road from where I was born in Waldron, Arkansas. In his grandmother s living room was a large book lying open on a coffee table in the center of the room. I asked my friend s grandmother about the book and she said it was the Bible. I had no reason to doubt her word,

although it was much larger than any Bible I had seen. But I was inquisitive enough to examine the book.

Inside there were the traditional books I had become familiar: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, etc. in the Old Testament and Mathew, Mark, Luke, John and others in the New Testament. But there were also other books there, books that were not familiar to me, and one of them was the Book of Enoch.

Later, during my college years, I was attending the University of Tulsa and decided to take a summer class to ensure that I would graduate in the four years left on my GI Bill. It was explained to me earlier that I could take any subject, pass-fail,

that was not part of my EE curriculum and the grade would not count on my overall average.

Thinking that I chose a course entitled, ‘Between the Testaments . My idea was to sit at the back of the room, make my D and go on about my way. But what happened was far from what I expected and I found myself sitting across a dining room size round table from the instructor with just three students beside myself there, and my idea of making a D immediately flew out the window. I just couldn t go to class every day and face the professor and him know that I wasn t giving it my best effort.

One of our

textbooks was a small paperback book with passages and fragments of passages from the Dead Sea Scrolls, a quantity of 2000-year-old writings that were found in the Qumran Caves in 1947. The caves are located in Israel, south of Jericho, in one of the lowest, driest places on earth.

One very controversial passage referred to the miraculous birth of Noah. Fragments, when pieced together, revealed that Noah s father, Lamech suspected that his wife had consorted with one of the angels that descended from heaven and married the daughters of men. The segment is written in the first person as if Lamech is the author and reveals his thoughts along with a soap opera like conversation between him and his

wife, Bathenosh.

The story goes something like this. Behold I thought then within my heart that the conception was due to the Watchers, the Holy Ones and to the Giants. And my heart was troubled within me because of this child.

Then I, Lamech approached my wife, Bathenosh in haste and said to her. By the Most High, the Great Lord, the King of all the worlds and the ruler of the Sons of Heaven. Tell me this truthfully and not falsely.

Then Bathenosh, my wife spoke to me in much heat, O my brother, O my Lord, remember my pleasure, the lying together, my soul within its body. I tell you all

these things truthfully.

After hearing my wife s words, I was even more troubled. And my wife, noticing that my countenance had changed, mastered her anger and spoke to me again, saying, O my brother, O my Lord, remember my pleasure. I swear to you by the Holy Great One, the King of the heavens, that this seed is yours and that his conception is from you. This fruit was planted by you and not by a stranger, or Watcher, or Son of Heaven. Why is your countenance thus changed and dismayed and why is your spirit thus distressed? I speak to you truthfully.

Her emphatic denial did not convince Lamech and he ran to his father, Methuselah and

told him what he suspected. But Methuselah didn t understand and instead suggested Lamech go to (his) father, Enoch. Your grandfather walks with God, Methuselah said. He will understand. He will know what to tell you.

At this point let me interject something. I m not suggesting that I believe there was anything out of the ordinary about the conception and birth of Noah, or as Erich Von Daniken attempted to portray in his book, The Chariots of the Gods, that astronauts from other galaxies were here during Bible times. But think about it. Lamech saw something he didn t like, something he didn t understand. Was the boy much larger than the

rest? Did he have blonde hair and blue eyes? Was he conceived at a time when his father was not there?

The situation would truly be confusing if not for what Enoch said later. Lamech found his grandfather and explained that he had discussed these things with his father and Enoch told him not to worry, that the boy, Noah was a gift from God and that he was sent to save the world from a great flood.

Benjamin J Cox is an author, novelist, poet, speaker, writer and humorist. He has written a book, Insider Dreams, a 911 Novel. He was born on a dirt street in a Waldron, Arkansas, in 1943. He graduated

from the University of Tulsa with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He is married with three children, five grandchildren. He is the President of Mayes County Writers Club, the Treasurer of Pryor Creek Investment Club and a member of Will Rogers Toastmasters Club. He is retired and lives with his wife in Pryor, Oklahoma. He like to run, enjoys big band dancing, Speaking before groups, and writes every day.