XX.
Likewise from Cam's stock sprang many descendants,
and to these numerous people great families were born.—
Furthermore many sons and daughters were born into1640
the world to Sem, noble folk, before the ruler of men
took to his death-bed, in the course of years. In this
family were good men, of whom one was called Eber, a1645
son of Sem: from this chief sprang a multitude of people,
whom all nations and earth-dwellers now call Hebrews.
They set out then to take their posssesions from the
eastward, live-stock and treasure; the people were un-1650
animous: the vigorous heroes sought a less crowded land,
until the migrating folk in great multitudes came where
their noble leaders firmly took possession. The rulers1655
of the people settled with their dear followers in Sennar,
ample and broad; in the years of their life the fields
were ever verdant and the earth fair for the people at
that time, with increasing abundance of each [kind of]1661
treasure.
Then many a man argued with his dear friend, one
resolute hero with another, that for their greater glory,
before the masses of the people should scatter again over1665
the earth, numbers of the nation in search of land, they
should build a city and raise up a tower to the stars of
heaven as a sign that they had sought Sennar fields because
the mighty fore-fathers of the race, the patriarchs, long1670
lived there with pleasure: with craft the people wrought,
in labor and industry, until in arrogance and rashness they
showed their skill, built a fortress and raised aloft scaling-1675
ladders towards heaven, mightily erected a solid stone wall
beyond man's measure, eager for glory:—[all this did] the
heroes with their hands. Then Holy God came to inspect
the work of the race of men, the fortress of the warriors,1680
and that beacon-tower likewise which the sons of Adam
began to rear up to the skies; and the steadfast King
achieved the prevention of this evil design, when in
wrath he distributed different languages among the1685
inhabitants of earth, so that they no longer had control
of their speech. They found then multitudes at the
tower with victorious strength, leaders of work in vast
battalions: but not one of the tribes understood what1690
another was saying. It could not be, that they should
build up the stone wall further; but they wretchedly
parted in bands separated by their speech: one had
become to another a strange race, after the Lord by the1695
fullness of his might had confused the speech of men.
The disunited sons of the patriarchs then parted in
four directions to seek land: behind them, both the1700
mighty tower of stone and the lofty city stood on Sennar
[plain] together, half-finished.
Then the race of Sem increased and multiplied under
the clouds, until a man arose in the number of that
kingly people, a sagacious man, prudent in habit. To1705
this nobleman sons were born, two free children were
born in Babylon, and these chieftains, strong-minded
heroes, were called Abraham and Aaron. The Sovereign1710
of the Angels was friend and guide to both these leaders.
Then to Aaron was born a son, upright in life, whose
name was Loth. Thereafter the righteous heroes,
Abraham and Loth, throve nobly in the Lord's sight, as1715
the inheritance in the kingdom came to them from their
parents; therefore they widely glorified the sons of men
with gifts.