The Mighty Hunter unto YHVH

(The Early Days of the Kingdom of Babel)

Primary Content (From 1 Sefer Moses, the Book of Beginnings):

• Chapter 15 – The Generations
• Chapter 16 – The Warning and The Seduction
• Chapter 17 – The Word of Peace
• Chapter 18 – The Poor Widow’s Sons

Additional Reading (Comparison Texts):

• Genesis 10 (from the Inspired Version of the Bible)
• Sealed Moses 6:10-12; 7:3 (from the Sealed Book)

Objectives:

• Compare and Contrast the way the account on the Plates of Brass describes Nimrod’s early days and the way the account from the Sealed Book describes things.

Kabbalistic Concepts:

• The Garment given to Adam and Eve

Engage:

Engage the Concepts through Comparison

The plates of brass paint a picture of a young Nimrod the hunter who inherits the Garment of the Priesthood, and strives to live worthy of it.   A Hunter for YHVH, and a king who establishes a kingdom around social equity and honest labor.   It’s not until later in life when he drifts from his honorable motives to pride, vanity and ultimately abandons YHVH.   On the other hand, the account we read in Sealed Moses, starts off painting him as a bloody tyrant right from the beginning.  The two pictures of Nimrod at this point in his journey is a stark contrast that is worth considering.  Why the two narratives? Are these the differing views of the prophets recording the story? Are they different due to the intended audiences who will read them?  Are they each building a different allegorical picture to teach a different principle?  What causes value do we get by reading both of these accounts and considering their similarities and their differences?

Engage the Spirit through Contemplation

The Garment given to Adam and Eve is a thread that works its way through the entire story on the plates of brass.  Consider for a moment that the actual path it took through history has no real effect on you and I today.  Yet, it is a recurring theme in this book that has been saved and preserved for our time.  I refuse to believe that the reason we get these details about the garment is not to satisfy our idle curiosities.  What does it symbolize allegorically, and how do these additional details about its path apply to you and I?

Engage the Group through Discussion

When you meet together as a group to discuss the content of these chapters, here are some ideas to help get the discussion going:

• Nimrod’s kingdom was established using the laws of YHVH to build up a united people.  In some ways they were a “zion” people.  But in other ways they were not.  Are there things they did that we should strive to follow?  Should we avoid everything they did because it’s all bad?  What are your thoughts on their society?