After our return to the farm we loaded all the supplies into storage.  While there were more lumber resources in the surrounding area than in past years, the wood from the ark was superior for building needs. 

It also required less processing time in order to be used.  The iron of course was a rarity that could not be replaced.

Japeth Begins Preparing My Future

The next morning when I woke it was time to help with the daily chores as normal.  Japeth interrupted this process as he was carrying two wooden sticks that had been carved to look like swords.  It reminded me of a Japanese Bokken.

“Clay it’s time to see what you are made of.”  He tossed me one of the wooden swords and said, “Follow me”.  I was not so sure about this idea.  I had never been into any kind of martial arts. This was going to be way outside of my box.

The first round let Japeth know that I knew as much about sword fighting as I did farming when I first arrived.  He began to break things down into the smallest basics.  This would take time.

My training did not end with these tools but also included hand to hand.  I could not help but wonder where he had learned to fight.  He said that in the time before conflict had become normal.

Nations And Conflict Before The Flood

In my understanding there was not a concept of nations in that time.  Rather families would rule certain areas or cities.  Disagreements between these groups could lead to larger scale conflict.  A man by the name of Lamech was to blame for much of the conflict in the before.

Additionally, violence of an individual nature whether it be assault or outright murder became commonplace.  With this the need for defending oneself was the standard.

Japeth was once trained for this to defend those who were innocent and defenseless.  He had spent ample time learning and seemed quite efficient to me.  He regularly stated he was an amateur compared to others.

With this I continued to learn, and then we practiced.  Noah decided that this was to become a primary occupation of mine.  Months would pass into a few years of practice.

Nimrod’s Early Ambitions

In this time, I did begin to see changes socially.  Japeth’s description of how society worked before the flood began to be mirrored in the present world now.  Families began to section themselves off regionally.

With this, cities had begun to be built especially in an area they called Shinar.  A grandson named Nimrod had a passion for building, but also other more less reputable activities.

Word spread quickly whether it was fact or rumor.  Unfortunately, in this case rumor proved to be more of a fact.  As Nimrod grew in popularity so did his power.  His goal was to build large cities and consolidate power into his hands.

This would isolate other families and ultimately allow him to control the region.  His thirst for power was not his only issue.  The moral side of this man was more than questionable, it was rather twisted.

His wife’s name was Semiramis.  The problem was that this was also his mother.  His father had died a mysterious death and this twisted marriage continued to take darker turns.

After the consolidation of power and his marriage, it became evident that the ego of the man was bigger than his toga.  He and his wife deified themselves as a god and goddess.  They completely rejected Yah.

These activities naturally led to a confrontation at multiple times and with different families.  The unfortunate part was that by the time Nimrod began his efforts, Noah was reaching a much older age.  At this age he began to hold less and less influence.

Nimrod’s Move From Stone To Brick

In time Shem began to try and be the voice of reason among the people.  He was well regarded by many, yet the influence was not enough to stop the events which would come.  The grand finale to the trajectory of Nimrod’s life would come a few years before Noah passed away.

Before these events would transpire we would make trips to some of these cities.  The effort on the surface was trade. In reality we were attempting to persuade people against this idea Nimrod began promoting.

God had commanded mankind to spread throughout the world and populate it.  This would have been relatively easy at the time.  Although the icecaps were slowly receding, it still left a narrow habitable band around the earth allowing easier travel.

Nimrod’s idea though was to gather the people into these cities.  Upon our visits we began to see a total shift in ideology.  I remember when I first arrived at the farm seeing the stone which Noah and his sons used to build structures with.  Nimrod did not use stone but began using bricks to build.

I never recognized the metaphor to this until Japeth pointed it out to me.  While in Babel he stated, “His methods of construction would reduce mankind to an interchangeable object of no value serving only his goals.”

After hearing what Japeth said the song “Fortunate Son” by Credence Clearwater came to mind. They send you down to war and ask you to give more, more, and more. Nimrod would be first to be called “the Man” in his dictator style rule.

I thought on that for a while.  A stone is unique in shape, color, and texture.  It can be shaped by a craftsman, yet the stone remains with its characteristics and identity.  A brick on the other hand is fashioned and shaped by a uniform process.

It allows for no unique qualities to survive.  If one breaks, it is merely removed and then replaced by another.  The brick itself has no unique value other than to serve the overall goal of what the structure is to be. Japeth was smarter than he looked.

On a few of our trips to these cities we did manage to recruit a handful of people away from what was taking place.  Among these people were warriors which had served Nimrod.  Here Japeth was sure to exploit their knowledge and we learned.

It was from these people that we began to learn of an idea concerning a tower which was in the plans of being built.  Its purpose at first was unknown.  Some assumed it would be an escape in the event of another flood.

The real purpose was darker spiritually than it would serve practically.  In the end, the tower was to be a focal point of Nimrod’s ego.  While the effort was claimed to edify the people, it truly was his showcase to place him as some god. Politics really never changed in more than 4,000 years. It still would be the same in my time.

How To Handle Nimrod?

Violence began to spread in the region as more people followed the masses into the cities.  Shem said that the problems of the old world before were beginning to resurface.  He said it would not be long until some kind of intervention was needed.

Speaking to Nimrod directly was not possible.  Noah had attempted to have conversations with him but to no avail.  He refused to speak to any of the boys and eventually Nimrod refused Noah as well.  In the eyes of the people this was the ultimate defiance.

Japeth wanted to capture him.  Shem wanted to gather families to Babel and have a shaming session.  Ham suggested that we should leave him alone. When I was asked my thoughts I offered no vote seeing only Doc’s face from “Back To The Future”, this story I did remember.

Noah insisted this be put in the hands of God.  He said capturing him would certainly cause conflict.  Also, a gathering at Babel to confront him would only brew trouble. 

Prayer and God intervening would be the path chosen.