Genesis 4:20 names him as the son of Lamech (למך) by his first wife Adah; "he was the father of all who dwell in tents and tend cattle". His brother was Yuval (יובל), "the father of all who play the harp and organ"; or at least the Kinnor (כנור) and the Ugav (עוּגָב), for which see Jeremy Montague, "Musical Instruments of the Bible".
His half-brother, by Lamech's second wife Tsilah (צלה) was Tuval-Kayin (תובל קין), though that may well be an error. In Greek Tuval = Tabali = Tibareni, Anatolian tribesmen described by Herodotus as neighbours of the iron-working Chalybes; and Tuval Kayin is said to be the ancestor of metal-workers.
If Kayin is to be considered as the founder of the Keynim (Kenite) tribe, Tuval-Kayin may reasonably be considered as an off-shoot of that tribe. As with his half-brothers, the explanation of the name as founder of brass and iron smithing seems to be popular folk-lore rather than etymology - and as such much more credible. Are all three (Yaval, Tuval, Tuval-Kayin) really the same character, the confusion caused by tribal legends varying them?
The name means "to flow" and is linked to Bul (בול) and Yevul (יבול) for storm, Mabul (מבול) for flood; used poetically for walking.
But it also has other, more pertinent meanings elsewhere, especially in the Psalms. Keren Ha Yovel (קרן היבל) is the horn of jubilee - and indeed the English word jubilee comes, via the Latin jubilum, from Yovel. A more detailed explanation of the Jubilee in Torah is given in the essay on the Number Seven, including its link to Shavu'ot, and to Yehoshu'a (Joshua) at Yericho (Jericho).
If Kayin is to be considered as the founder of the Keynim (Kenite) tribe, Tuval-Kayin may reasonably be considered as an off-shoot of that tribe. As with his half-brothers, the explanation of the name as founder of brass and iron smithing seems to be popular folk-lore rather than etymology - and as such much more credible. Are all three (Yaval, Tuval, Tuval-Kayin) really the same character, the confusion caused by tribal legends varying them?
The name means "to flow" and is linked to Bul (בול) and Yevul (יבול) for storm, Mabul (מבול) for flood; used poetically for walking.
But it also has other, more pertinent meanings elsewhere, especially in the Psalms. Keren Ha Yovel (קרן היבל) is the horn of jubilee - and indeed the English word jubilee comes, via the Latin jubilum, from Yovel. A more detailed explanation of the Jubilee in Torah is given in the essay on the Number Seven, including its link to Shavu'ot, and to Yehoshu'a (Joshua) at Yericho (Jericho).
Copyright © 2019 David Prashker
All rights reserved
The Argaman Press
No comments:
Post a Comment