Jewish legends also tell tales concerning Nimrod. One of the stories concerns
the coat of animal skins the LORD made for Adam after he rebelled.
ìUnto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make
coats of skins, and clothed them.î Genesis 3:
The coat that the LORD made for Adam is said to have been bright red,
perhaps as a reminder of the blood that was spilled to cover the sin of Adam and
Eve. This garment became a symbol of great authority that was to be passed
down from generation to generation to the first-born son.
According to the legend, Noah was in possession of the coat after the Great
Flood, and would have been passed it to Shem, his first-born. But Ham stole the
coat as they were leaving the ark, eventually giving it to his first-born son Cush.
It remained hidden for many years until Cush gave the coat to Nimrod when he
reached the age of twenty.
ìThese garments had a wonderful property. He who wore
them was both invincible and irresistible. The beasts and
birds of the woods fell down before Nimrod as soon as they
caught sight of him arrayed in them, and he was equally
victorious in his combats with men. The source of his
unconquerable strength was not known to them. They
attributed it to his personal prowess, and therefore they
appointed him king over themselves. This was done after a
conflict between the descendants of Cush and the
descendants of Japheth, from which Nimrod emerged
triumphant, having routed the enemy utterly with the
assistance of a handful of warriors. He chose Shinar as his
capital. Thence he extended his dominion farther and
farther, until he rose by cunning and force to be the sole
ruler of the whole world, the first mortal to hold
universal sway.î 10 (emphasis mine)In the mythologies of other lands Nimrod is also known by different names
such as Apollo, Saturn, Orion or Kronos. In Egyptian worship he is known as
Horus.
Many of the depictions of him were that of a man wearing a crown with a single
horn protruding from the middle of the forehead like a unicorn. Although the
unicorn has been fantasized by lore as a docile and intelligent creature, it was
actually an ancient symbol of rebellion.