Nimrod

According to the Bible, Nimrod was the son of Cush and grandson of Ham; his name has become proverbial as that of a mighty hunter. His "kingdom" comprised Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Sinar, otherwise known as the land of Nimrod. He is one of the most important figures in rabbinic literature.

Nimrod in Rabbinic Literature

Nimrod is considered the prototype of a rebellious people, his name being interpreted as "he who made all the people rebellious against God" He is identified with Cush and with Amraphel, the name of the latter being interpreted as "he whose words are dark". As he was the first hunter he was consequently the first who introduced the eating of meat by man. He was also the first to make war on other peoples

His Feats as a Hunter

Nimrod was not wicked in his outh. On the contrary, when a young man he used to sacrifice to God the animals which he caught while hunting. His great success in hunting was due to the fact that he wore the coats of skin which God made for Adam and Eve. These coats were handed down from father to son, and thus came into the possession of Noah, who took them with him into the ark, whence they were stolen by Ham. The latter gave them to his son Cush, who in turn gave them to Nimrod, and when the animals saw the latter clad in them, they crouched before him so that he had no difficulty in catching them. The people, however, thought that these feats were due to his extraordinary strength, so that they made him their king.

Nimrod is made king

According to another account, when Nimrod was eighteen years old, war broke out between the Hamites, his kinsmen, and the Japhethites. The latter were at first victorious, but Nimrod, at the head of a small army of Cushites, attacked and defeated them, after which he was made king over all the people on earth, appointing Terah his minister. It was then, elated by so much glory, that Nimrod changed his behavior toward God and became the most flagrant idolater. When informed of Abraham's birth he requested Terah to sell him the new-born child in order that he might kill it (see Jew. Encyc. i. 86a, s.v. Abraham in Rabbinical Literature). Terah hid Abraham and in his stead brought to Nimrod the child of a slave, which Nimrod dashed to pieces.

Nimrod is generally considered to have been the one who suggested building the Tower of Babel and who directed its construction. According to the Talmud, God said: "I made Nimrod great; but he built a tower in order that he might rebel against Me". The tower is called by the Rabbis "the house of Nimrod," and is considered as a house of idolatry which the owners abandoned in time of peace; consequently Jews may make use of it. After the builders of the tower were dispersed Nimrod remained in Shinar, where he reestablished his kingdom. According to the "Sefer ha-Yashar", he at this time acquired the name "Amraphel" in allusion to the fall of his princes during the dispersion. According to the Targum of pseudo-Jonathan, however, Nimrod had left Babylonia before the building of the tower, and had gone to Assyria, where he built four other cities, namely, Nineveh, Rehobot, Calah, and Resen.