“And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.”
Here we have the first mention of intercourse between the people that were created in the world on the sixth day, and a descendant of Adam and Eve, who were created by the Lord God in the second week, and placed by themselves in the garden of Eden. This land of Nod, on the east of Eden, where Cain took up his abode, and married a woman of the land, must have been near Noph in Egypt.
It is said Eve had another son, after the death of Abel and the departure of Cain; he was named Seth. In the Pentateuch the children of Adam and Eve are called the sons of God; and the descendants of the human family in the world at large were styled the sons and daughters of men.
In Munipúr snake-worship is still in existence. It is reported that:—“The Raja’s peculiar god is a species of snake called Pakúng-ba, from which the royal family claim descent. When it appears it is coaxed on to a cushion by the priestess in attendance, who then performs certain ceremonies to please it.
“This snake appears, they say, sometimes of great size, and when he does so it is indicative of his being displeased with something. But as long as he remains of diminutive form it is a sign he is in good humour. Pakúng-ba is a snake by day, and by night assumes the human form. A house is prepared for it, and when it appears the priests give intimation of it, and all the head men and most orthodox Hindus, from the Raja downwards, do poojah (worship) before it.”[[62]]
The colonists left by Moses in his progress through the different countries of Eastern Asia claim descent from celestial beings, especially in India beyond the Ganges, in China, and other kingdoms as far as the western shores of America. This claim originated from their being the direct descendants of Adam and Eve. The savages among whom they dwelt in bygone days admitted the claim, and, moreover, credited them with divine attributes.
The kings of Burmah consider the throne-room of their palace, where they receive homage from their subjects and strangers, as holy ground, and have made it a rule that all who seek the royal presence shall put off their shoes. Embalming the dead is also practised in Burmah, the members of the royal family, when they die, being embalmed—a custom brought by Moses from Egypt. The title of Phra among the Siamese is also imported from Egypt, being used in both countries as a royal appellation.
The inspired Lawgiver proceeded eastward from the kingdom of Brahma, and entered China. The inhabitants of this immense tract of land lying along the sea-shore were savages, ignorant of the arts and comforts of civilized life. He imparted to them the knowledge of agriculture and astronomy, arithmetic and navigation, and all the useful arts and sciences. He reclaimed them from the darkness of profound ignorance, and gave them laws for guidance in their duties towards God and their fellow-beings.
Moses also taught these people to read and write; the writing being in hieroglyphics, similar to that of Egypt. He established here a form of government resembling that of the other kingdoms he had founded on his route. And when he had reclaimed these savages and raised them to a height of civilization equal to that of Egypt, he departed, leaving a colony to continue the good work which he had begun.
It is remarked by Dr. Mason, that “there have been Jews in China from time immemorial, and that ancient copies of the Pentateuch, written on sheep-skins, have been found in their possession.”