Kenan

Kenan

Kenan

Biblical figure

This article is about the ante-diluvian patriarch mentioned in the Bible. For the post-diluvian patriarch, see Cainan. For other uses, see Kenan (disambiguation).

Kenan (also spelled Qenan, Kaynan or Cainan) (Hebrew: קֵינָן‎, Modern: Qēnan, Tiberian: Qēnān; Arabic: كِنَاْنْ, romanized: Kinān; Biblical Greek: Καϊνάμ, romanized: Kaïnám) is an Antediluvian patriarch first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.

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The Sefer ha-Yashar describes Cainan, the possessor of great astrological wisdom, which had been inscribed on tables of stone, as the son of Seth; i.e., the antediluvian Kenan grandson of Seth according to the Bible. He is revered within Islamic tradition as well.

In scriptures

According to Genesis 5:9–14, Kenan was a son of Enosh and a grandson of Seth. Born when Enosh was 90 years old,[1][2] Kenan fathered Mahalalel when he was 70 years old.[3][1] Other sons and daughters were born to Kenan before he died at 910 years of age (when Noah was aged 179 as per the Masoretic chronology).

According to the Book of Jubilees, Kenan's mother was Noam, wife and sister of Enosh; and Kenan's wife, Mualeleth, was his sister.

He is also mentioned in the Genealogy of Jesus in Luke 3:36–37.

Family tree

The following family tree has been constructed from a variety of biblical and extra-biblical sources:

Adam[lower-alpha 1]Eve[lower-alpha 1]
Cain[lower-alpha 1]Abel[lower-alpha 2]Seth[lower-alpha 3]
Enoch[lower-alpha 4]Enos[lower-alpha 5]
Irad[lower-alpha 6]Kenan[lower-alpha 7]
Mehujael[lower-alpha 6]Mahalalel[lower-alpha 8]
Methushael[lower-alpha 6]Jared[lower-alpha 9]
Adah[lower-alpha 10]Lamech[lower-alpha 6]Zillah[lower-alpha 10]Enoch[lower-alpha 11]
Jabal[lower-alpha 12]Jubal[lower-alpha 13]Tubal-Cain[lower-alpha 14]Naamah[lower-alpha 14]Methuselah[lower-alpha 15]
Lamech[lower-alpha 16]
Noah[lower-alpha 17]
Shem[lower-alpha 18]Ham[lower-alpha 18]Japheth[lower-alpha 18]
  1. Genesis 4:1
  2. Genesis 4:2
  3. Genesis 4:25; 5:3
  4. Genesis 4:17
  5. Genesis 4:26; 5:6–7
  6. Genesis 4:18
  7. Genesis 5:9–10
  8. Genesis 5:12–13
  9. Genesis 5:15–16
  10. Genesis 4:19
  11. Genesis 5:18–19
  12. Genesis 4:20
  13. Genesis 4:21
  14. Genesis 4:22
  15. Genesis 5:21–22
  16. Genesis 5:25–26
  17. Genesis 5:28–30
  18. Genesis 5:32

In Islam

Kenan is mentioned in Islam in the various collections of tales of the Islamic prophets, which honor him in an identical manner.

  • Engraving of Kenan from Bartolomeo Gai's Epitome historico-chronologica (1751)

References

  1. [1]
    Larsson, Gerhard (1983). "The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX". Journal of Biblical Literature. 102 (3): 401–409. doi:10.2307/3261014. JSTOR 3261014.
  2. [2]
    Genesis 5:9
  3. [3]
    Genesis 5:12
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