The Altar of Yahuah: A Life | Part 1: From A'dam to Noach

PART ONE

A’dam To Noach

EVERY SO often I manage to whip out a biography. This is another such attempt. The only difference this time around is that I am not writing one about people, per se. Though it is true that notable names do arrive in the narrative (you too shall recognize them), it is only because the location of where they worship Yahuah, the Most-High Elohiym of Yashar’el, is important. Therefore, it should be to us as well. Before you write me a letter with the words inscribed, no duh, be sure to follow this all the way through. Because the coordinates of the altar, you see, reveals to us the rather bizarre and strange realm we live in. I like it that way.

Now, some people write entire histories regarding their appreciation for architecture, and so, I guess you could say I have a thing for unhewn stone. Every paper that I write aims towards one aspiration or another. I suppose this one serves no other purpose except to demonstrate that the Mountain of Worship, the geographical location of Adam and Havah’s habitation after their expulsion from Paradise, is none other than Mount Tsiyon. You see, everybody tries to figure out where the land of Eden was in relation to Yashar’el, but for whatever reason, nobody else that I know of has thought to trace the history of the altar which A’dam built. Time for a remedy, then.

Just so we’re clear (because people do happen to read through my work and still end up confused), a straightforward and linear timeline of the altar which A’dam built will inform us that the land of Eden and Yashar’el are kissing cousins. More specifically, that the Mountain of Worship and Mount Tsiyon are in fact the same. Our very first clue can be found with the creation of A’dam.

And Yahuah Elohiym took the man from the mountain of worship, where he had been created, and made him dwell in the garden of Eden, to do service in the law, and to keep its commandments.

Genesis 2:15 [Targum]

I know. I know. Nothing about the altar is yet mentioned. Be patient. These things often take time. Presently however, the mountain that I was talking to you about is accounted for. The Mountain of Worship. Sure, it doesn’t outright say the place of his creation and Mount Tsiyon are the same, but if it were that easy, then everybody would be talking about it, now, wouldn’t they? What it does say is that A’dam was created on the mountain of worship and then placed into the garden. Established.

Next clue.

The grace and lovingkindness of Elohiym revealed themselves particularly in His taking one spoonful of dust from the spot where in time to come the altar would stand, saying, “I shall take man from the place of atonement, that he may endure.”

Legends of the Yahudim

And no, before you say anything, I am not raising ‘Legends of the Yahudim’ to the level of inspired Scripture. I am simply saying the ancients knew stuff, whereas the Intel-net information age we currently find ourselves in is one of the darkest and muddiest times in human history. Let’s be honest, it’s the worst. Also, while the text doesn’t outright claim the whole of A’dam was created on the x-marks-the-spot where the altar would stand, but rather a spoonful of dust, we did learn something. The altar is the same as the place of atonement. Getting closer.

Continuing.

And when he rose at full length and stood upright in the center of the earth, he planted his two feet on that spot whereon was set up the Cross of our Redeemer; for Adam was created in Jerusalem.

The Cave of Treasures [The Creation of Adam]

Again, not Scripture. But I’m okay with that. There is a point to our current exercise, and it is this. The ancients agreed. You could argue that the writers of a past millennia were simply making crap up regarding the geography of their world and that archeologists know more about them than they did of themselves, but I claim the exact opposite to be true. And here, it couldn’t be any clearer. A’dam was created on the very ground where Yerushalayim would later stand.

The mere fact that A’dam stood upright in the center of the earth is yet another clue as to the mutual relationship between Eden and Mount Tsiyon. Breadcrumbs saved for another outing though. I couldn’t help but underline it anyways with a nudge and a wink-wink. Some of you will know exactly what I’m hinting at.

Moving on.

And Yahuah Elohiym removed him from the garden of Eden; and he went and dwelt on Mount Moriah, to cultivate the ground from which he had been created.

Genesis 3:23 [Targum]

After A’dam’s transgression, where does he return but to the place of his creation? Mount Moriah. Which is the same as saying he dwelt upon Mount Tsiyon. The two are inseparable. Yes, I am willing to die on that hill. Before everyone starts squabbling over whether Tsiyon and Moriah are the same or neighboring mountains separated by a narrow valley, and how I need to check myself before I wreck myself, I will remind you of the paper that I wrote on the Temple Mount hoax. Best to give it a read. The Temple was built in the City of David and not on top of a Roman fort. In modern times, it is only Zionism which has separated the two locations so as to pull off their rather lame deception. It’s so obviously a Roman fort. Everybody seems to buy it, hook, line, and sinker though. Oh well. Their loss.

As a reminder, the Mountain of Worship, aka Tsiyon and Moriah, is where A’dam was created, and then where he and Havah lived with their children for the remainder of their days. Specifically, in a cave. A’dam and the Shethite’s were the original cave dwellers. Certainly not as cavemen are advertised to us. Their abode is often referred to in Adamic literature as the Cave of Treasures, which tells us they had something spectacular to offer. Ironic, since they never thought in terms of monetary value as the children of Qayin did. The following passage informs us where the Cave was positioned in relation to the Mountain.

⁶ Then Seth, Eve, and their children, came down from the mountain to the Cave of Treasures.

⁷ But Adam was the first whose soul died in the land of Eden, in the Cave of Treasures; for no one died before him, but his son Abel, who died murdered.

2 Adam and Eve 10:6-7

So, below the mountain then. Check. All are within proximity.

Just so we’re clear, there is no record that I have ever found where A’dam is said to have left the land of Eden. Not even on a missionary journey, which might be said of Chanok or Noach. Even if he did though, the land of Eden is where he arrived after being expelled from Paradise. And as you can clearly see, it’s where he died. In the Cave of Treasures, which also happens to be in the land of Eden. The Cave is in fact where A’dam was commanded to live within the land of Eden immediately after his expulsion. It says so right here.

⁹ And Elohim commanded him to live there in a cave in a rock–the Cave of Treasures below the garden.

First Adam and Eve 1:9

‘Second Adam and Eve’ tells us that the Cave of Treasures is situated directly below the mountain, whereas ‘First Adam and Eve’ has already established the fact that the same abode was positioned directly below the Garden. That should tell us that the Mountain of Worship, aka Tsiyon, is directly beneath Paradise. In fact, the Shethite’s harmonious relationship with Paradise is described to us in the following passage.

⁵ Then Seth stood before the body of his father Adam, and of his mother Eve, and prayed night and day, and asked for mercy towards himself and his children; and that when he had some difficult dealing with a child, He would give him counsel.

⁶ But Seth and his children did not like earthly work but gave themselves to heavenly things; for they had no other thought than praises, doxologies, and psalms unto Elohim.

⁷ Therefore did they at all times hear the voices of angels, praising and glorifying Elohiym; from within the garden, or when they were sent by Elohiym on an errand, or when they were going up to heaven.

⁸ For Seth and his children, by reason of their own purity, heard and saw those angels. Then, again, the garden was not far above them, but only some fifteen spiritual cubits.

⁹Now one spiritual cubit answers to three cubits of man, altogether forty-five cubits.

¹⁰ Seth and his children dwelt on the mountain below the garden; they sowed not, neither did they reap; they wrought no food for the body. not even wheat; but only offerings. They ate of the fruit and of trees well flavored that grew on the mountain where they dwelt.

¹¹ Then Seth often fasted every forty days, as did also his eldest children. For the family of Seth smelled the smell of the trees in the garden when the wind blew that way.

¹² They were happy, innocent, without sudden fear, there was no jealousy, no evil action, no hatred among them. There was no animal passion; from no mouth among them went forth either foul words or curse; neither evil counsel nor fraud. For the men of that time never swore, but under hard circumstances, when men must swear, they swore by the blood of Abel the just.

¹³ But they constrained their children and their women every day in the cave to fast and pray, and to worship the Most-High Elohiym. They blessed themselves on the body of their father Adam and anointed themselves with it.

Second Adam and Eve 11:5-13

A lengthy passage, but the journey was worth it—no? I checked. 45 Cubits is only .01 mile. So, I would say that’s within proximity, wouldn’t you agree? On an especially smooth day, I can peek over the fence of my neighbor and smell their flower pedals too. Indeed, if my neighbors were angels, I would enjoy listening to their hymns. Watching them descend and then ascend to heaven again would be a trip, in and of itself. Yes, the Shethite’s were that close.

Now that we have established that fact, that the top of the Mountain was connected (though disjointed) with Paradise, we are introduced to the altar. The very reason you arrived. To learn something about a day in the life of unhewn stone.

We read:

⁴ Then A’dam and Eve took stones and placed them in the shape of an altar; and they took leaves from the trees outside the garden, with which they wiped, from the face of the rock, the blood they had spilled.

First A’dam and Eve 23:4

There it is. The altar which A’dam built. Correction. The altar which A’dam and Havah built. We should probably acknowledge the lack of tools needed for its construction. This is keeping in line with Torah, which commands:

²⁴ And altar of earth you shall make unto me, and shall sacrifice thereon your ascending smoke offerings, and your peace offerings, your sheep, and your oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto you, and I will bless you. ²⁵ And if you will make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone: for if you lift up your tool upon it, you have polluted it.

Shemoth (Exodus) 20:24-25 [Cepher]

A’dam and Havah knew exactly what they were doing in the building of what one might call a crude monument. Not at all an accident. Not even Yahuah needed to tell them how to go about it. And that is because we’ve already read in Targum Genesis 2:15 that they were made to “dwell in the garden of Eden, to do service in the law, and to keep its commandments.” If I highlighted the passage now, it’s only because I left it alone the first time, wondering if anybody would notice. A’dam and Havah knew the Law. Probably backwards and forwards. As kingdom priests, it was their obligation to go about with the business of repentance.

And thus, ‘The Altar of Yahuah: A Life’, begins.

Another source takes the same account but then adds a juicy detail to it. Follow along.

The first time A’dam witnessed the sinking of the sun he was also seized with anxious fears. It happened at the conclusion of the Sabbath, and A’dam said, “Woe is me! For my sake, because I sinned, the world is darkened, and it will again become void and without form. Thus, will be executed the punishment of death which Elohiym has pronounced against me!” All the night he spent in tears, and Eve, too, wept as she sat opposite to him. When day began to dawn, he understood that what he had deplored was but the course of nature, and he brought an offering unto Elohiym, a unicorn whose horn was created before his hoofs, and he sacrificed it on the spot on which later the altar was to stand in Yerushalayim.

Legends of the Yahudim

Hmmm, not sure about this one. The only way a unicorn could be sacrificed on the alter is if it were a clean animal. Try to find an occasion anywhere in Scripture before Moshe, even before Avraham, where an unclean animal is sacrificed. That’s Torah. In the instance of a unicorn, it would chew its cud and its hooves would be split, by necessity. Not very horse-like. But much of what we know about unicorns are probably wrong anyhow. Perhaps the unicorn was more of a goat or a deer-like creature, maybe even a gazelle. Also, I checked. ‘The Lady and the Unicorn’ tapestries, which I personally visited in Paris, depicts the creature with a cloven hoof. Kind of makes you wonder.

Moving a little further along on the timeline, the first year of the third jubilee to be precise (according to the Book of Jubilees), Qayin and Havel placed an offering upon the same altar.

³ And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Qayin brought of the produce of the earth, the seed of cotton (or line), an oblation of first things before Yahuah;

⁴ and Havel brought of the firstlings of the flock, and of their fat; and it was pleasing before Yahuah, and He gave (His) countenance to Havel and to his oblation;

⁵ but to Qayin and to his oblation He gave no countenance. And Qayin was angered greatly, and the features of his face were downcast.

Genesis 4:3-5 [Targum]

Sure, we never read anything about Qayin and Havel offering their sacrifices upon the alter which A’dam and Havah built, per se, nor does it even mention an altar. You figure there had to be one though. An altar is implied. Torah dictates an altar of unhewn stone. Especially considering how the fourteenth of Nisan is Passover. Why else would Qayin and Havel attempt an offering on that day? Not a coincidence. Qayin offered a Passover lamb, which is the same thing as saying: ‘The Torah abides.’

Meanwhile, Qayin had problems. Several of them, depending upon which text you read. Qayin wanting his twin sister, Luluwa, who also happened to be Havel’s betrothed wife, as his own—for starters. Not good. Probably a part of Yahuah’s divine plan, seeing as how Luluwa may have been the seed of the serpent, but still not good. In every case, whatever his problems with Havel were, it can truly be said that Qayin had no love for Torah. In fact, A’dam had already given Qayin and Havel possession of the land by the time of their sacrifice. Jasher 1:14 says as much. They were given separate acreage and different occupations because Qayin could not get along with his brother. Why not just offer sacrifices on their own turf then? Because sacrifices were to be given at the altar—that’s why.

Another account of the same event includes the said altar, and reads:

The slaying of Abel by Cain did not come as a wholly unexpected event to his parents. In a dream Eve had seen the blood of Abel flow into the mouth of Cain, who drank it with avidity, though his brother entreated him not to take all. When she told her dream to A’dam, he said, lamenting, “O that this may not portend the death of Abel at the hand of Cain!” He separated the two lads, assigning to each an abode of his own, and to each he taught a different occupation. Cain became a tiller of the ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep. It was all in vain. In spite of these precautions, Cain slew his brother. His hostility toward Abel had more than one reason. It began when Elohiym had respect unto the offering of Abel and accepted it by sending heavenly fire down to consume it, while the offering of Cain was rejected. They brought their sacrifices on the fourteenth day of Nisan, at the instance of their father, who had spoken thus to his sons: “This is the day on which, in times to come, Israel will offer sacrifices. Therefore, do ye, too, bring sacrifices to your Creator on this day, that He may take pleasure in you.” The place of offering which they chose was the spot whereon the altar of the Temple at Yerushalayim stood later.

Legends of the Yahudim

What its location once again tells us is that the altar whereupon Yahuah accepted Havel’s offering and rejected Qayin’s is the same which their parents had built some years earlier after being cast out of the Garden. The adventure continues. But we’ve yet only scratched the surface.

Now, I have already established the fact that A’dam lived upon the mountain just below Paradise until his dying day. But now we see the same of Sheth and the Shethite’s after him. They all lived on the mountain below the Garden. Every last one of them. So long as they remained a Shethite, that is. Follow along.

¹⁰ Seth and his children dwelt on the mountain below the garden; they sowed not, neither did they reap; they wrought no food for the body. not even wheat; but only offerings. They ate of the fruit and of trees well flavored that grew on the mountain where they dwelt.

¹¹ Then Seth often fasted every forty days, as did also his eldest children. For the family of Seth smelled the smell of the trees in the garden when the wind blew that way.

Second A’dam and Eve 11:10-12

Of course, by the time of the flood, nearly everyone had traded in their mountain abode for life among the Qayinites. All but a few. Only Chanok, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noach remained on Tsiyon.

⁸ When Enoch had ended his commandments to them, Elohim transported him from that mountain to the land of life, to the mansions of the righteous and of the chosen, the abode of Paradise of joy, in light that reaches up to heaven; light that is outside the light of this world; for it is the light of Elohim, that fills the whole world, but which no place can contain.

⁹ Thus, because Enoch was in the light of Elohim, he found himself out of the reach of death; until Elohim would have him die.

¹⁰ Altogether, not one of our fathers or of their children, remained on that holy mountain, except those three: Methuselah, Lamech, and Noach. For all the rest went down from the mountain and fell into sin with the children of Cain. Therefore, were they forbidden that mountain, and none remained on it but those three men.

2 A’dam and Eve 22:8-10

I don’t want to assume too much, but I think it’s safe to deduce that the Shethite’s continued sacrificing at the altar which A’dam built until the surge of floodwaters. For most however, the assumption would end there. The flood arrived and destroyed everything, did it not? Thus ends the life of Yahuah’s altar. Bummer. But not really. You wouldn’t suspect an altar of unhewn stone would amount to much, particularly where the cruelty of the flood is concerned. Wouldn’t you know it though, the altar survived.

²⁰ And Noach built the altar before Yahuah; that altar which A’dam had built in the time when he was cast forth from the garden of Eden and had offered an oblation upon it; and upon it had Qayin and Havel offered their oblations. But when the waters of the deluge descended, it was destroyed, and Noach rebuilt it; and he took of all clean cattle, and of all clean fowl, and sacrificed four upon that altar. And Yahuah accepted his oblation with favor:

Genesis 8:20 [Targum]

What I should have said is: the altar was reconstructed. It survived only so much that Noach was perfectly capable of collecting the unhewn stones scattered about the mountainside. It may have kinked the old man’s back, but being 600 years old, you’d think he’d have an idea as to what the altar looked like, even when turned into a jigsaw puzzle. Also, if there was any doubt, it affirms that Qayin and Havel did indeed offer their oblations upon it. And anyways, this simultaneously tells us that Noach made haste back to the only home he’d ever known, bringing the clean animals with him, soon as the floodwaters had resided. It only makes sense that he would. I mean, after all, the Mountain of Worship is Tsiyon. Best to go to the one known place where heaven and earth meet.

One more source before pausing for further comment. Kind of beating a dead horse by now, but it deserves being repeated.

The sacrifices consisted of an ox, a sheep, a goat, two turtle doves, and two young pigeons. Noach had chosen these kinds because he supposed they were appointed for sacrifices, seeing that Elohiym had commanded him to take seven pairs of them into the ark with him. The altar was erected in the same place on which A’dam and Cain and Abel had brought their sacrifices, and on which later the altar was to be in the sanctuary at Yerushalayim.

Legends of the Yahudim

Some of the worst crimes in recorded Biblical history happened in the whereabouts of Mount Tsiyon. Satan’s transgression with Havah and then Qayin’s murder of Havel are continually mentioned, but they’re just two of them. Consider that Cham uncovered his father’s nakedness there as well. The story doesn’t need repeating, but you might recall, uncovering his father’s nakedness entailed having sex with his mother, who in turn conceived and bore Canaan. Noach became the father of his own grandchild. In every case, the context is war between Satan and the Most-High. Cham was excommunicated, just as Qayin was, and we can easily imagine it happened on the whereabouts of Mount Moriah.

The proximity of the Mountaintop to Paradise gives Qayin’s complaint to Yahuah more context.

¹³ And Qayin said unto El-Yahuah, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Behold, you have driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from your face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that everyone that finds me shall slay me.”

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 4:13-14 [Cepher]

For completely opposite reasons, David was driven out from Yashar’el. Like Qayin, he became a fugitive and a vagabond, and many attempted to slay him. The defining difference is that David not only did no wrong; he was also Yahuah’s anointed.

¹⁹ Now therefore, I pray you, let my adonai the king hear the words of his servant. If Yahuah have stirred you up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before Yahuah; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of Yahuah, saying, Go serve other elohiym.

Shemu’el Ri’shon 26:19 [Cepher]

Good speech. I should have probably given some context though. David has just proven that he could have taken king Sha’ul’s life—had he wanted to. He didn’t though. He knew that Yahuah would follow through with his promises and bring an end to Sha’ul’s life in order that he might be made king over Yashar’el. He has now woken him and his men up from their sleep to give them the news. His complaint to king Sha’ul bears a familiar theme. To be driven from the epicenter of heaven’s connection with earth was to be hidden from the face Elohiym.

Indeed, Yashar’el is the land of Eden. And Tsiyon is the mountaintop. You shall see even more conclusively as we continue the life of Yahuah’s altar in part two.

The Unexpected Cosmology

The Altar of Yahuah: A Life | Part 1: From A’dam to Noach

PART ONE

A’dam To Noach

Noel