Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)
An Aramaic retelling of Genesis with Lamech, Noah and Abraham speaking in their own voices
Found 1947 — Ta'amireh Bedouin; acquired by Metropolitan Samuel, sold to Israel in 1954; unrolled by James Biberkraut and published by Nahman Avigad and Yigael Yadin (1956)
Where Qumran Cave 1 (West Bank (Palestinian Territories))
Dates from Copy c. 25 BCE – 50 CE; composed 2nd–1st century BCE · Late Hasmonean to early Herodian · Late Second Temple; retellings of the patriarchs
Now at Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem
How Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) was found
The last of the seven Cave 1 scrolls to be opened, because it was badly decayed and stuck together.
What it is
A parchment scroll in Aramaic, about 2.8 m long, with 22 partly legible columns. It expands Genesis 5–15: Lamech fears that Noah is not his son, Noah tells his own story, and Abraham recounts his journey to Egypt and the beauty of Sarah.
Why it matters for the Bible
It is the earliest example of Jewish 'rewritten Bible' in Aramaic, the language Yeshua (Jesus) spoke, and shows how Genesis was retold and explained in his time. Its geography of Abraham's land survey and its detail on Sarah's beauty and Pharaoh's affliction fill gaps in Genesis 12 the way later midrash does. It also shows Aramaic prayer language ('God Most High, Lord of all worlds') close to that of the New Testament.
The Hebrew word: ale el-YONE
אֵל עֶלְיוֹן
אֵל עֶלְיוֹן is pronounced ale el-YONE and means God Most High, the title Melchizedek uses in Genesis 14 and the scroll repeats in Aramaic (Strong's H410 + H5945).
People this discovery connects to
- Abraham — אַבְרָהָם (av-rah-HAHM) — father of a multitude
- Noah — נֹחַ (NO-ach) — rest
- Sarah — שָׂרָה (sah-RAH) — princess
Places
- Egypt — מִצְרַיִם (mits-RAH-yim) — Egypt
Events
Birth of Noah · Abraham and Sarah in Egypt · Abraham's rescue of Lot (Genesis 14)
Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) in Scripture
Genesis 11:26 First mention of Abraham in Scripture.
Genesis 12:14-17 The scroll expands Sarah's beauty, Pharaoh taking her, and the plague on his house with Abraham's healing prayer.
Genesis 14:18-20 The Melchizedek episode is retold in Aramaic with 'God Most High' as the key title.
Questions people ask
What is Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen)?
A parchment scroll in Aramaic, about 2.8 m long, with 22 partly legible columns. It expands Genesis 5–15: Lamech fears that Noah is not his son, Noah tells his own story, and Abraham recounts his journey to Egypt and the beauty of Sarah.
When was Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) discovered?
It was found in 1947 by Ta'amireh Bedouin; acquired by Metropolitan Samuel, sold to Israel in 1954; unrolled by James Biberkraut and published by Nahman Avigad and Yigael Yadin (1956), at Qumran Cave 1.
Where is Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) today?
Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem.
Which Bible verses does Genesis Apocryphon (1QapGen) relate to?
Genesis 11:26, Genesis 12:14-17, Genesis 14:18-20.
Related discoveries
- אֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶרCave of Machpelah (Herodian Enclosure)Herod's monument over the traditional tomb of the patriarchs
- כִּכָּרCopper Scroll (3Q15)A treasure list engraved on copper, the strangest of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- מִקְדָּשׁTemple Scroll (11QTa)The longest Dead Sea Scroll, a rewritten Torah describing an ideal Temple and its laws
- בְּנֵי אוֹרWar Scroll (1QM)The 'War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness', a battle plan for the end of days
- תְּהִלִּיםGreat Psalms Scroll (11QPsa) with Psalm 151A Cave 11 psalter in a different order, with Psalm 151 and other hymns unknown to the Hebrew Bible
- יְשׁוּעָהGreat Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)The only complete biblical book among the Dead Sea Scrolls, copied around 125 BCE
Sources
- Fitzmyer, The Genesis Apocryphon of Qumran Cave 1 (3rd ed., 2004)
- Wikipedia: Genesis Apocryphon