The Lost Books of the Bible: The Great Rejected Texts Page 92

  49 And the children of Israel buried Joshua in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-serach which was given to him in Mount Ephraim.

  50 And Elazer the son of Aaron died in those days; they buried him in a hill belonging to Phineas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim.

  CHAPTER 91

  1 At that time, after the death of Joshua, the children of the Canaanites were still in the land, and the Israelites resolved to drive them out.

  2 And the children of Israel asked of the Lord, saying, Who shall first go up for us to the Canaanites to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up.

  3 And the children of Judah said to Simeon, Go up with us into our lot, and we will fight against the Canaanites and we likewise will go up with you in your lot; so the children of Simeon went with the children of Judah.

  4 The children of Judah went up and fought against the Canaanites, so the Lord delivered the Canaanites into the hands of the children of Judah; they struck in Bezek ten thousand men.

  5 They fought with Adonibezek in Bezek, he fled from before them, and they pursued him and caught him; they took hold of him and cut off his thumbs and great toes.

  6 And Adonibezek said, Three score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table, as I have done, so God has rewarded me; they brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.

  7 And the children of Simeon went with the children of Judah, and they struck the Canaanites with the edge of the sword.

  8 The Lord was with the children of Judah, and they possessed the mountain, and the children of Joseph went up to Bethel, the same is Luz, and the Lord was with them.

  9 And the children of Joseph spied out Bethel, and the watchmen saw a man going forth from the city, and they caught him and said to him, Show us now the entrance of the city and we will show kindness to you.

  10 And that man showed them the entrance of the city, and the children of Joseph came and struck the city with the edge of the sword.

  11 The man with his family they sent away, and he went to the Hittites and he built a city; he called the name there Luz, so all the Israelites lived in their cities, and the children at Israel lived in their cities; the children of Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders, who had lengthened their days after Joshua, and saw the great work of the Lord which he had performed for Israel.

  12 And the elders judged Israel after the death of Joshua for seventeen years.

  13 All the elders also fought the battles of Israel against the Canaanites and the Lord drove the Canaanites from before the children of Israel in order to place the Israelites in their land.

  14 And he accomplished all the words which he had spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the oath which he had sworn, to give to them and to their children the land of the Canaanites.

  15 The Lord gave to the children of Israel the whole land of Canaan as he had sworn to their ancestors, and the Lord gave them rest from those around them, and the children of Israel lived securely in their cities.

  16 Blessed be the Lord forever, amen, and amen.

  17 Strengthen yourselves, and let the hearts of all you that trust in the Lord. Be of good courage.

  THE STORY OF AHIKAR

  History and Introduction

  The Story of Ahikar is one of the oldest sources of wisdom literature. Its influence can be traced through the Koran, as well as the Old and New Testaments. The oldest version, which we can only assume to be the original Papyrus, appears to have been produced circa 500 B. C. It is written in Aramaic and was discovered among the ruins of Elephantine.

  The earliest mention of Ahikar is in the Book of Tobit in the form of the name "Achiacharus". According to the book of Tobit, Ahikar was a relative and friend to Tobit. He was the chief counselor of the Assyrian ruler, Sennacherib. The book of Tobit mentions Nadab, Ahiker’s nephew, whom Ahikar adopted, and who sought to repay the kindness by attempting to kill his uncle. Tobit concludes, "but God made good his dishonor in His sight and Ahikar returned to the light, but Nadab went into darkness everlasting" (Tobit, xiv. 10, 11, according to the Codex Sinaiticus).

  In the Old Testament we see Ahikar was the chancellor of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, son of Esar-haddon (II Kings, xix. 37).

  The basic story of Ahikar contains four divisions: (1) The Narrative; (2) The Teaching; (3) The Journey to Egypt; (4) The Similitudes or Parables. Parts of the story are found in various forms in Greek, Rumanian, Slavonic, and Syriac, to name a few versions. The versions differ widely in number of parables and content.

  The story may be fiction, although it may be based on a real individual. It is written in a narrative, which has action and intrigue, and holds the attention to the end.

  The story opens with the statement that Ahikar had sixty wives. The number should not be taken literally. It symbolizes a vague but large amount of something. The impetus of the story is that although Ahiker had many, many wives, he had no son. Lacking an heir, her decides to adopt his nephew, Nadan, who grows into a treacherous and despicable person. Ahikar attempts to educate the boy in wisdom and knowledge, but this is twisted into Machiavellian intrigue. We, however, get the benefit of the deeper teaching in the form of sayings and parables. Even though Ahikar has trained his nephew and has gone as far as to ask the king to accept Nadan as his replacement, the nephew still turns on Ahikar and attempts of put an end to his uncle. With the help of God and a friend, Ahikar escapes. In time the nephew fails and his true nature shows through, to the dismay of the king.

  The storyline proves that no good deed goes unpunished, but in the end, if you are a good and wise person you will be remembered and missed. Truth, being like cream, will rise to the surface and be revealed. If God is on your side and you are still alive, you will be reinstated and exonerated.

  Commentary for this section is placed in parentheses within the body of the text, to aid in clarification or to bring out alternate meanings in translation.

  CHAP. I.

  1. The story of Ahikar the Wise, Vizier of Sennacherib the King, and of Nadan, sister's son to Ahikar the Sage.

  2 There was a Vizier (counselor) in the days of King Sennacherib, son of Sarhadum, King of Assyria and Nineveh, a wise man named Ahikar, and he was counselor of the king Sennacherib.

  3 He had a vast fortune and many possessions, and he was a skilful and wise philosopher, in knowledge, opinion and in government. He had married sixty women, and had built a castle for each of them.

  4 But with it all of this, he had no child by any of these women, who might be his heir. (He had no son.)

  5 Because of this he was very sad. One day he assembled the astrologers and the learned men and the magicians and explained to them his condition about how he was barren (of a son).

  6And they said to him, 'Go, sacrifice to the gods and beg them that perchance they may provide you with a boy.'

  7And he did as they told him and offered sacrifices to the idols, and earnestly and desperately entreated them.

  8And they answered him not one word. And he went away sorrowful and dejected, and he left them with a pain in his heart.

  9And he returned, and earnestly pleaded to the Most High God, and believed, and sought Him with a burning heart, saying, ' Most High God, Creator of Heavens and earth, Creator of all created things!

  10 I beg You to give me a boy, that I may be consoled by him, that he may be present at my death, that he may close my eyes, and that he may bury me.'

  11 Then a voice came to him saying, 'because you have relied first (predominately) on graven images (idols), and have offered sacrifices to them, you shall remain childless all of your life.

  12 But take Nadan your sister's son, and make him your child and teach him your learning and your good breeding (manners), and at your death he shall bury you.'

  13 Thereupon he took Nadan his sister's son, who was a little suckling. And he handed him over to eight wet-nurses (lactating women who fun
ction as nannies), that they might suckle him and bring him up.

  14 And they brought him up with good food and gentle training and silken clothing, and purple and crimson. And he was seated upon couches of silk.

  15 And when Nadan grew big and walked, shooting up, like a tall cedar, Ahikar taught him good manners along with writing, science, and philosophy.

  16 And after many days King Sennacherib looked at Ahikar and saw that he had grown very old, and moreover he said to him.

  17 ' my honored friend, the skilful, the trusty, the wise, the governor, my secretary, my vizier, my Chancellor and director; truly you are grown very old and are weighted down with years; and your departure from this world must be near.

  18 Tell me who shall replace you in my service after you are gone.' And Ahikar said to him, ' my lord, may your head live forever (may your dynasty endure)! There is Nadan, my sister's son. I have made him my child.

  19 And I have raised and taught him my wisdom and my knowledge.'

  20 And the king said to him, 'Ahikar, bring him to me here, so that I may see him, and if I find him suitable, I will put him in your place; and you shall go your way, to take a rest and to live the remainder of your life in sweet repose.'

  21 Then Ahikar went and presented Nadan his sister's son. And he did homage and wished him power and honor.

  22 And he looked at him and admired him and rejoiced in him and said to Ahikar: 'Is this your son, Ahikar? I pray that God may preserve him. And as you have served me and my father Sarhadum so may this boy of yours serve me and fulfill my undertakings, my needs, and my business, so that I may honor him and make him powerful for your sake.'

  23 And Ahikar did obeisance to the king and said to him 'May your head live forever, my lord the king! I seek from you that you may be patient with my boy Nadan and forgive his mistakes that he may serve you as it is fitting.'

  24 Then the king swore to him that he would make him the greatest of his favorites, and the most powerful of his friends, and that he should be with him in all honor and respect. And he kissed his hands and bade him farewell.

  25 And he took Nadan his sister's son with him and seated him in a parlor and set about teaching him night and day till he had crammed him with wisdom and knowledge more than with bread and water.

  CHAP. II.

  1. Thus he taught him, saying: 'my son, hear my words and follow my advice and remember what I say.

  2 If you hear a word, let it die in your heart, and reveal it not to another, lest it becomes a live coal and burn your tongue and cause a pain in your body, and you bring reproach on yourself, and you are shamed before God and man. (If you cannot keep a secret, you will never be trusted.)

  3 My son, if you have heard a report, spread it not; and if you have seen something, tell it not. (Do not gossip.)

  4 My son, make your eloquence easy to the listener, and be not hasty to return an answer. (Do not pontificate or be a know-it-all.)

  5 My son, when you have heard anything, hide it not. (Do not keep secrets.)

  6 My son, loose not a sealed knot, nor untie it, and seal not a loosened knot. (A wax seal was placed over a knot that tied a box or document closed to show that it was meant to be opened only by a particular person.)

  7 My son, covet not outward beauty, for it wanes and passes away, but an honorable remembrance lasts for ever. (Beauty fades. Integrity remains.)

  8 My son, let not a silly (foolish) woman deceive you with her speech, lest you die the most miserable of deaths, and she entangle you in the net until you are trapped.

  9 My son, desire not a woman decorated with gaudy dress and ointments, who is despicable and silly (foolish) in her soul. Woe to you if you bestow on her anything that is yours, or promise her what is in your hand and, she entice you into sin, and God be angry with you.

  10 My son, be not like the almond-tree, for it brings forth leaves before all the trees, and edible fruit after them all, but be like the mulberry - tree, which brings forth edible fruit before all the trees, and leaves after them all. (The word for “almond-tree” is the same word for “haste.”)

  11 My son, bend your head low down, and soften your voice, and be courteous, and walk in the straight path, and be not foolish. And raise not your voice when you laugh, for if it were by a loud voice that a house was built, the ass would build many houses every day; and if it were by means of strength that the plough were driven, the plough would never be removed from under the shoulders of the camels. (Do not be loud, showy, or a braggart. Be solemn, humble, and courteous. Don’t be an ass.)

  12 My son, the removing of stones with a wise man is better than the drinking of wine with a sorry man. (Better to work with the wise than play with the fools.)

  13 My son, pour out your wine on the tombs of the just, and drink not with ignorant, contemptible people. (Honor the righteous, even if they are dead, but stay away from the ignorant, even if they are the only people around.)

  14 My son, stay close (hold on) to wise men who fear God and be like them, and go not near the ignorant, or you will become like him and learn his ways.

  15 My son, when you think you have found a comrade or a friend, try (test) him, and afterwards make him a comrade and a friend; and do not praise him without a trial; and do not waste your speech on a man who lacks wisdom.

  16 My son, while a shoe stays on your foot, walk with it on the thorns, and make a road for your son, and for your household and your children, and make your ship taut before she goes on the sea and its waves and sinks and cannot be saved. (Prepare yourself before you venture out, and as you go, forge a path for your people.)

  17 My son, if the rich man eats a snake, they say, "It is by his wisdom," and if a poor man eats it, the people say, "It is from his hunger."

  18 My son, be content with your daily bread and your goods, and covet not what is another's. (Do not be envious.)

  19 My son, be not neighbor to the fool, and eat not bread with him, and rejoice not in the misfortune of your neighbors. If your enemy wrongs you, show him kindness.

  20 My son, respect and honor a man who fears God.

  21 My son, the ignorant man falls and stumbles, and the wise man, even if he stumbles, he is not shaken, and even if he falls he gets up quickly, and if he is sick, he can take care of his life. But as for the ignorant, stupid man, for his disease there is no drug.

  22 My son, if a man approach you who is inferior (of lower status) to yourself, go forward to meet him, and remain standing, and if he cannot recompense (pay you back) you, his Lord will recompense you for him.

  23 My son, do not spare your son from a beating, for the thrashing of your son is like manure to the garden, and like tying the mouth of a purse, and like the tethering of beasts, and like the bolting of the door.

  24 My son, keep your son from wickedness, and teach him manners before he rebels against you and brings you into contempt amongst the people and you hang your head (in shame) in the streets and the assemblies and you be punished for the evil of his wicked deeds.

  25 My son, get you a fat ox with a foreskin, and an ass great with its hoofs, and get not an ox with large horns, nor make friends with a tricky man, nor get a quarrelsome slave, nor a thievish handmaid, for everything which you commit to them they will ruin. (Chose utility and not looks. Choose only those who you can trust.)

  26 My son, let not your parents curse you, and the Lord be pleased with them; for it has been said, "He who despise his father or his mother let him die the death (I mean the death of sin); and he who honors his parents shall prolong his days and his life and shall see all that is good."

  27 My son, walk not on the road without weapons, for you know not when the foe may meet you, so that you may be ready for him. (Be prepared to defend yourself.)

  28 My son, be not like a bare, leafless tree that does not grow, but be like a tree covered with its leaves and its boughs; for the man who has neither wife nor children is disgraced in the world and is hated by them, like a leafless and fruitless tree. (Ma
rry, have children, produce good things in the world.)

  29 My son, be like a fruitful tree on the roadside, whose fruit is eaten by all who pass by, and the beasts of the desert rest under its shade and eat of its leaves.

  30 My son, every sheep that wanders from its path and its companions becomes food for the wolf.

  31 My son, say not, "My lord is a fool and I am wise,' and do not repeat words of ignorance and folly, or you will be despised by him.

  32 My son, be not one of those servants, to whom their lords say, "Get away from us," but be one of those to whom they say, "Approach and come near to us."

  33 My son, caress not your slave in the presence of his companion, for you know not which of them shall be of most value to you in the end. (It was common to have sex with a slave. It is best not to divide or make even a slave jealous so both will continue to serve well.)