"Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel," poetry

First Edition: LukivPress Online (Quesnel, BC), 2012.

Revised Edition: LukivPress (Victoria, BC), 2022.

Introduction

In addition to about 40 years of history from the death of Israel's first king, Saul, to the death of its second, David (approximately: 1077 to 1037 BCE), First Chronicles, written by researcher Ezra (completed in 460 BCE), contains genealogical records that safeguarded the priesthood lineage and tribal ownership of land. The records also detailed Davidic heredity that would lead directly to the Messiah. 77 years had passed since King Cyrus of the Medo-Persians released faithful Jews from Babylon (in 537 BCE) to repatriate Jerusalem, and 55 years had passed since Governor Zerubbabel completed its temple (in 515 BCE). Although lacking the glory of Solomon's temple (used for 420 years: 1027 to 607 BCE), it would last longer (almost 500 years: 515 BCE to late into the first century BCE). But zeal of the Jews to stick to the worship of their God Jehovah had waned; they needed encouragement!

An excerpt

Chapter 13

Obed-edom, servant of Edom,

Ha!, how Jehovah's spirit

Made the faces of your household

Aglow, for three months!, how

Gentle winds passed through

Your house that smelled of olive

Oil and wine and roasted fat,

How you, not a Philistine from

Gath, caught David's thought,

Like an eagle catches prey in

Its talons, but you were never

A predator, and you were certainly

Never red nor hairy like Esau,

You servant of Edom, ha!

The author

Dan Lukiv, published in 19 countries, is a poet, novelist, columnist, short story and article writer, and independent education researcher (hermeneutic phenomenology). As a creative writer, he apprenticed with Canada's Professor Robert Harlow (recipient of the George Woodcock Achievement award for an outstanding literary career), the USA's Paul Bagdon (Spur Award finalist for Best Original Paperback), and England's D. M. Thomas (recipient of the Cheltenham Prize for Literature, Orwell Prize [biography], Los Angeles Fiction Prize, and Cholmondeley award for poetry). He attended The University of British Columbia (creative writing department), the acclaimed Humber School for Writers (poetry writing program), and Writer's Digest University (novel writing program).