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The First Book of Adam and Eve

Prologue

The First Book of Adam and Eve details the life and times

of Adam and Eve after they were expelled from the garden to

the time that Cain kills his brother Abel. It tells of

Adam and Eve's first dwelling - the Cave of Treasures;

their trials and temptations; Satan's many apparitions to

them; the birth of Cain, Abel, and their twin sisters; and

Cain's love for his beautiful twin sister, Luluwa, whom

Adam and Eve wished to join to Abel.

This book is considered by many scholars to be part of the

"Pseudepigrapha" (soo-duh-pig-ruh-fuh). The

"Pseudepigrapha" is a collection of historical biblical

works that are considered to be fiction. Because of that

stigma, this book was not included in the compilation of

the Holy Bible. This book is a written history of what

happened in the days of Adam and Eve after they were cast

out of the garden. Although considered to be

pseudepigraphic by some, it carries significant meaning and

insight into events of that time. It is doubtful that

these writings could have survived all the many centuries

if there were no substance to them.

This book is simply a version of an account handed down by

word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the

time that the first human life was created to the time when

somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular

version is the work of unknown Egyptians. The lack of

historical allusion makes it difficult to precisely date

the writing, however, using other pseudepigraphical works

as a reference, it was probably written a few hundred years

before the birth of Christ. Parts of this version are

found in the Jewish Talmud, and the Islamic Koran, showing

what a vital role it played in the original literature of

human wisdom. The Egyptian author wrote in Arabic, but

later translations were found written in Ethiopic. The

present English translation was translated in the late

1800's by Dr. S. C. Malan and Dr. E. Trumpp. They

translated into King James English from both the Arabic

version and the Ethiopic version which was then published

in The Forgotten Books of Eden in 1927 by The World

Publishing Company. In 1995, the text was extracted from a

copy of The Forgotten Books of Eden and converted to

electronic form by Dennis Hawkins. It was then translated

into more modern English by simply exchanging 'Thou' s for

'You's, 'Art's for 'Are's, and so forth. The text was then

carefully re-read to ensure its integrity.

Chapter I - The crystal sea, God commands Adam, expelled

from Eden, to live in the Cave of Treasures.

1 On the third day, God planted the garden in the east

of the earth, on the border of the world eastward, beyond

which, towards the sun-rising, one finds nothing but water,

that encompasses the whole world, and reaches to the

borders of heaven.

2 And to the north of the garden there is a sea of

water, clear and pure to the taste, unlike anything else;

so that, through the clearness thereof, one may look into

the depths of the earth.

3 And when a man washes himself in it, he becomes

clean of the cleanness thereof, and white of its whiteness

-- even if he were dark.

4 And God created that sea of his own good pleasure,

for He knew what would come of the man He would make; so

that after he had left the garden, on account of his

transgression, men should be born in the earth. Among them

are righteous ones who will die, whose souls God would

raise at the last day; when all of them will return to

their flesh, bathe in the water of that sea, and repent of

their sins.

5 But when God made Adam go out of the garden, He did

not place him on the border of it northward. This was so

that he and Eve would not be able to go near to the sea of

water where they could wash themselves in it, be cleansed

from their sins, erase the transgression they had

committed, and be no longer reminded of it in the thought

of their punishment.

6 As to the southern side of the garden, God did not

want Adam to live there either; because, when the wind blew

from the north, it would bring him, on that southern side,

the delicious smell of the trees of the garden.

7 Wherefore God did not put Adam there. This was so

that he would not be able to smell the sweet smell of those

trees, forget his transgression, and find consolation for

what he had done by taking delight in the smell of the

trees and yet not be cleansed from his transgression.

8 Again, also, because God is merciful and of great

pity, and governs all things in a way that He alone knows --

He made our father Adam live in the western border of the

garden, because on that side the earth is very broad.

9 And God commanded him to live there in a cave in a rock --

the Cave of Treasures below the garden.

Chapter II - Adam and Eve faint when they leave the Garden.

God sends His Word to encourage them.

1 But when our father Adam, and Eve, went out of the

garden, they walked the ground on their feet, not knowing

they were walking.

2 And when they came to the opening of the gate of the

garden, and saw the broad earth spread before them, covered

with stones large and small, and with sand, they feared and

trembled, and fell on their faces, from the fear that came

over them; and they were as dead.

3 Because -- whereas until this time they had been in

the garden land, beautifully planted with all manner of

trees -- they now saw themselves, in a strange land, which

they knew not, and had never seen.

4 And because, when they were in the garden they were

filled with the grace of a bright nature, and they had not

hearts turned toward earthly things.

5 Therefore God had pity on them; and when He saw them fallen

before the gate of the garden, He sent His Word to our father,

Adam and Eve, and raised them from their fallen state.

Chapter III - Concerning the promise of the great five and

a half days.

1 God said to Adam, "I have ordained on this earth

days and years, and you and your descendants shall live and

walk in them, until the days and years are fulfilled; when

I shall send the Word that created you, and against which

you have transgressed, the Word that made you come out of

the garden, and that raised you when you were fallen.

2 Yes, the Word that will again save you when the five

and a half days are fulfilled."

3 But when Adam heard these words from God, and of the

great five and a half days, he did not understand the

meaning of them.

4 For Adam was thinking there would be only five and a

half days for him until the end of the world.

5 And Adam cried, and prayed to God to explain it to him.

6 Then God in his mercy for Adam who was made after

His own image and likeness, explained to him, that these

were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then come and

save him and his descendants.

7 But before that, God had made this covenant with our

father, Adam, in the same terms, before he came out of the

garden, when he was by the tree where Eve took of the fruit

and gave it to him to eat.

8 Because, when our father Adam came out of the garden,

he passed by that tree, and saw how God had changed the appearance

of it into another form, and how it shriveled.

9 And as Adam went to it he feared, trembled and fell

down; but God in His mercy lifted him up, and then made

this covenant with him.

10 And again, when Adam was by the gate of the garden,

and saw the cherub with a sword of flashing fire in his

hand, and the cherub grew angry and frowned at him, both

Adam and Eve became afraid of him, and thought he meant to

put them to death. So they fell on their faces, trembled

with fear.

11 But he had pity on them, and showed them mercy; and

turning from them went up to heaven, and prayed to the

Lord, and said; --

12 "Lord, You sent me to watch at the gate of the

garden, with a sword of fire.

13 But when Your servants, Adam and Eve, saw me, they

fell on their faces, and were as dead. O my Lord, what

shall we do to Your servants?"

14 Then God had pity on them, and showed them mercy,

and sent His Angel to keep the garden.

15 And the Word of the Lord came to Adam and Eve, and

raised them up.

16 And the Lord said to Adam, "I told you that at the

end of the five and a half days, I will send my Word and

save you.

17 Strengthen your heart, therefore, and stay in the

Cave of Treasures, of which I have before spoken to you."

18 And when Adam heard this Word from God, he was

comforted with that which God had told him. For He had

told him how He would save him.

Chapter IV - Adam mourns over the changed conditions.

Adam and Eve enter the Cave of Treasures.

1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the

garden, their first home.

2 And indeed, when Adam looked at his flesh, that was

altered, he cried bitterly, he and Eve, over what they had

done. And they walked and went gently down into the Cave

of Treasures.

3 And as they came to it, Adam cried over himself and

said to Eve, "Look at this cave that is to be our prison

in this world, and a place of punishment!

4 What is it compared with the garden? What is its

narrowness compared with the space of the other?

5 What is this rock, by the side of those groves?

What is the gloom of this cavern, compared with the light

of the garden?

6 What is this overhanging ledge of rock to shelter us,

compared with the mercy of the Lord that overshadowed us?

7 What is the soil of this cave compared with the

garden land? This earth, strewed with stones; and that,

planted with delicious fruit trees?"

8 And Adam said to Eve, "Look at your eyes, and at mine,

which before beheld angels praising in heaven;

and they too, without ceasing.

9 But now we do not see as we did; our eyes have become of flesh;

they cannot see like they used to see before."

10 Adam said again to Eve, "What is our body today, compared

to what it was in former days, when we lived in the garden?"

11 After this, Adam did not want to enter the cave,

under the overhanging rock; nor would he ever want to enter it.

12 But he bowed to God's orders; and said to himself,

"Unless I enter the cave, I shall again be a transgressor."

Chapter V - Eve makes a noble and emotional intercession,

taking the blame on herself.

1 Then Adam and Eve entered the cave, and stood praying,

in their own tongue, unknown to us, but which they knew well.

2 And as they prayed, Adam raised his eyes and saw the

rock and the roof of the cave that covered him overhead.

This prevented him from seeing either heaven or God's creatures.

So he cried and beat his chest hard, until he dropped, and was as dead.

3 And Eve sat crying; for she believed he was dead.

4 Then she got up, spread her hands toward God,

appealing to Him for mercy and pity, and said, "O God,

forgive me my sin, the sin which I committed, and don't

remember it against me.

5 For I alone caused Your servant to fall from the

garden into this condemned land; from light into this

darkness; and from the house of joy into this prison.

6 O God, look at this Your servant fallen in this

manner, and bring him back to life, that he may cry and

repent of his transgression which he committed through me.

7 Don't take away his soul right now; but let him live

that he may stand after the measure of his repentance, and

do Your will, as before his death.

8 But if You do not bring him back to life, then, O

God, take away my own soul, that I be like him, and leave

me not in this dungeon, one and alone; for I could not

stand alone in this world, but with him only.

9 For You, O God, caused him to fall asleep, and took

a bone from his side, and restored the flesh in the place

of it, by Your divine power.

10 And You took me, the bone, and make me a woman,

bright like him, with heart, reason, and speech; and in

flesh, like to his own; and You made me after the likeness

of his looks, by Your mercy and power.

11 O Lord, I and he are one, and You, O God, are our

Creator, You are He who made us both in one day.

12 Therefore, O God, give him life, that he may be

with me in this strange land, while we live in it on

account of our transgression.

13 But if You will not give him life, then take me,

even me, like him; that we both may die the same day."

14 And Eve cried bitterly, and fell on our father

Adam; from her great sorrow.

Chapter VI - God's reprimand to Adam and Eve in which he

points out how and why they sinned.

1 But God looked at them; for they had killed

themselves through great grief.

2 But He decided to raise them and comfort them.

3 He, therefore, sent His Word to them; that they

should stand and be raised immediately.

4 And the Lord said to Adam and Eve, "You transgressed

of your own free will, until you came out of the garden in

which I had placed you.

5 Of your own free will have you transgressed through

your desire for divinity, greatness, and an exalted state,

such as I have; so that I deprived you of the bright nature

in which you then were, and I made you come out of the

garden to this land, rough and full of trouble.

6 If only you had not transgressed My commandment and

had kept My law, and had not eaten of the fruit of the tree

which I told you not to come near! And there were fruit

trees in the garden better than that one.

7 But the wicked Satan did not keep his faith and had

no good intent towards Me, that although I had created him,

he considered Me to be useless, and sought the Godhead for

himself; for this I hurled him down from heaven so that he

could not remain in his first estate -- it was he who made

the tree appear pleasant in your eyes, until you ate of it,

by believing his words.

8 Thus have you transgressed My commandment, and

therefore I have brought on you all these sorrows.

9 For I am God the Creator, who, when I created My

creatures, did not intend to destroy them. But after they

had sorely roused My anger, I punished them with grievous

plagues, until they repent.

10 But, if on the contrary, they still continue

hardened in their transgression, they shall be under a

curse forever."

Chapter VII - The beasts are appeased.

1 When Adam and Eve heard these words from God, they

cried and sobbed yet more; but they strengthened their

hearts in God, because they now felt that the Lord was to

them like a father and a mother; and for this very reason,

they cried before Him, and sought mercy from Him.

2 Then God had pity on them, and said: "O Adam, I have

made My covenant with you, and I will not turn from it;

neither will I let you return to the garden, until My

covenant of the great five and a half days is fulfilled."

3 Then Adam said to God, "O Lord, You created us, and

made us fit to be in the garden; and before I transgressed,

You made all beasts come to me, that I should name them.

4 Your grace was then on me; and I named every one according

to Your mind; and you made them all subject to me.

5 But now, O Lord God, that I have transgressed Your

commandment, all beasts will rise against me and will

devour me, and Eve Your handmaid; and will cut off our life

from the face of the earth.

6 I therefore beg you, O God, that since You have made

us come out of the garden, and have made us be in a strange

land, You will not let the beasts hurt us."

7 When the Lord heard these words from Adam, He had

pity on him, and felt that he had truly said that the

beasts of the field would rise and devour him and Eve,

because He, the Lord, was angry with the two of them on

account of their transgressions.

8 Then God commanded the beasts, and the birds, and

all that moves on the earth, to come to Adam and to be

familiar with him, and not to trouble him and Eve; nor yet

any of the good and righteous among their offspring.

9 Then all the beasts paid homage to Adam, according

to the commandment of God; except the serpent, against

which God was angry. It did not come to Adam, with the beasts.

Chapter VIII - The "Bright Nature" of man is taken away.

1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, when we lived in

the garden, and our hearts were lifted up, we saw the

angels that sang praises in heaven, but now we can't see

like we used to; no, when we entered the cave, all creation

became hidden from us."

2 Then God the Lord said to Adam, "When you were under

subjection to Me, you had a bright nature within you, and

for that reason could you see things far away. But after

your transgression your bright nature was withdrawn from

you; and it was not left to you to see things far away, but

only near at hand; after the ability of the flesh; for it

is brutish."

3 When Adam and Eve had heard these words from God,

they went their way; praising and worshipping Him with a

sorrowful heart.

4 And God ceased to commune with them.

Chapter IX - Water from the Tree of Life. Adam and Eve near drowning.

1 Then Adam and Eve came out of the Cave of Treasures,

and went near to the garden gate, and there they stood to

look at it, and cried for having come away from it.

2 And Adam and Eve went from before the gate of the

garden to the southern side of it, and found there the

water that watered the garden, from the root of the Tree of

Life, and that split itself from there into four rivers

over the earth.

3 Then they came and went near to that water, and

looked at it; and saw that it was the water that came forth

from under the root of the Tree of Life in the garden.

4 And Adam cried and wailed, and beat his chest, for

being severed from the garden; and said to Eve: --

5 "Why have you brought on me, on yourself, and on our

descendants, so many of these plagues and punishments?"

6 And Eve said to him, "What is it you have seen that

has caused you to cry and to speak to me in this manner?"

7 And he said to Eve, "Do you not see this water that

was with us in the garden, that watered the trees of the

garden, and flowed out from there?

8 And we, when we were in the garden, did not care

about it; but since we came to this strange land, we love

it, and turn it to use for our body."

9 But when Eve heard these words from him, she cried;

and from the soreness of their crying, they fell into that

water; and would have put an end to themselves in it, so as

never again to return and behold the creation; for when

they looked at the work of creation, they felt they must

put an end to themselves.

Chapter X - Their bodies need water after they leave the garden.

1 Then God, merciful and gracious, looked at them thus

lying in the water, and close to death, and sent an angel,

who brought them out of the water, and laid them on the

seashore as dead.

2 Then the angel went up to God, was welcome, and

said, "O God, Your creatures have breathed their last."

3 Then God sent His Word to Adam and Eve, who raised

them from their death.

4 And Adam said, after he was raised, "O God, while we

were in the garden we did not require, or care for this

water; but since we came to this land we cannot do without it."

5 Then God said to Adam, "While you were under My

command and were a bright angel, you knew not this water.

6 But now that you have transgressed My commandment,

you can not do without water, wherein to wash your body and

make it grow; for it is now like that of beasts, and is in

want of water."

7 When Adam and Eve heard these words from God, they

cried a bitter cry; and Adam entreated God to let him

return into the garden, and look at it a second time.

8 But God said to Adam, "I have made you a promise;

when that promise is fulfilled, I will bring you back into

the garden, you and your righteous descendants."

9 And God ceased to commune with Adam.

Chapter XI - A recollection of the glorious days in the Garden.

1 Then Adam and Eve felt themselves burning with

thirst, and heat, and sorrow.

2 And Adam said to Eve, "We shall not drink of this

water, even if we were to die. O Eve, when this water

comes into our inner parts, it will increase our

punishments and that of our descendants."

3 Both Adam and Eve then went away from the water, and

drank none of it at all; but came and entered the Cave of

Treasures.

4 But when in it Adam could not see Eve; he only heard

the noise she made. Neither could she see Adam, but heard

the noise he made.

5 Then Adam cried, in deep affliction, and beat his

chest; and he got up and said to Eve, "Where are you?"

6 And she said to him, "Look, I am standing in this

darkness."

7 He then said to her, "Remember the bright nature in

which we lived, when we lived in the garden!

8 O Eve! Remember the glory that rested on us in the

garden. O Eve! Remember the trees that overshadowed us in

the garden while we moved among them.

9 O Eve! Remember that while we were in the garden,

we knew neither night nor day. Think of the Tree of Life,

from below which flowed the water, and that shed lustre

over us! Remember, O Eve, the garden land, and the

brightness thereof!

10 Think, oh think of that garden in which was no

darkness, while we lived in it.

11 Whereas no sooner did we come into this Cave of

Treasures than darkness surrounded us all around; until we

can no longer see each other; and all the pleasure of this

life has come to an end."

Chapter XII - How darkness came between Adam and Eve.

1 Then Adam beat his chest, he and Eve, and they

mourned the whole night until the crack of dawn, and they

sighed over the length of the night in Miyazia.

2 And Adam beat himself, and threw himself on the

ground in the cave, from bitter grief, and because of the

darkness, and lay there as dead.

3 But Eve heard the noise he made in falling on the

ground. And she felt about for him with her hands, and

found him like a corpse.

4 Then she was afraid, speechless, and remained by him.

5 But the merciful Lord looked on the death of Adam,

and on Eve's silence from fear of the darkness.

6 And the Word of God came to Adam and raised him from

his death, and opened Eve's mouth that she might speak.

7 Then Adam stood up in the cave and said, "O God, why

has light departed from us, and darkness covered us? Why

did you leave us in this long darkness? Why do you plague

us like this?

8 And this darkness, O Lord, where was it before it covered us?

It is because of this that we cannot see each other.

9 For so long as we were in the garden, we neither saw

nor even knew what darkness is. I was not hidden from Eve,

neither was she hidden from me, until now that she cannot

see me; and no darkness came over us to separate us from

each other.

10 But she and I were both in one bright light. I saw

her and she saw me. Yet now since we came into this cave,

darkness has covered us, and separated us from each other,

so that I do not see her, and she does not see me.

11 O Lord, will You then plague us with this darkness?"

Chapter XIII - The fall of Adam. Why night and day were created.

1 Then when God, who is merciful and full of pity,

heard Adam's voice, He said to him: --

2 "O Adam, so long as the good angel was obedient to

Me, a bright light rested on him and on his hosts.

3 But when he transgressed My commandment, I deprived

him of that bright nature, and he became dark.

4 And when he was in the heavens, in the realms of light,

he knew nothing of darkness.

5 But he transgressed, and I made him fall from the heaven

onto the earth; and it was this darkness that came over him.

6 And on you, O Adam, while in My garden and obedient

to Me, did that bright light rest also.

7 But when I heard of your transgression, I deprived you

of that bright light. Yet, of My mercy, I did not turn

you into darkness, but I made you your body of flesh,

over which I spread this skin, in order that it may bear

cold and heat.

8 If I had let My wrath fall heavily on you, I should

have destroyed you; and had I turned you into darkness, it

would have been as if I had killed you.

9 But in My mercy, I have made you as you are; when

you transgressed My commandment, O Adam, I drove you from

the garden, and made you come forth into this land; and

commanded you to live in this cave; and darkness covered

you, as it did over him who transgressed My commandment.

10 Thus, O Adam, has this night deceived you. It is

not to last forever; but is only of twelve hours; when it

is over, daylight will return.

11 Sigh not, therefore, neither be moved; and say not

in your heart that this darkness is long and drags on wearily;

and say not in your heart that I plague you with it.

12 Strengthen your heart, and be not afraid. This

darkness is not a punishment. But, O Adam, I have made the

day, and have placed the sun in it to give light; in order

that you and your children should do your work.

13 For I knew you would sin and transgress, and come

out into this land. Yet I wouldn't force you, nor be heard

over you, nor shut up; nor doom you through your fall; nor

through your coming out from light into darkness; nor yet

through your coming from the garden into this land.

14 For I made you of the light; and I willed to bring

out children of light from you and like to you.

15 But you did not keep My commandment one day; until

I had finished the creation and blessed everything in it.

16 Then, concerning the tree, I commanded you not to

eat of it. Yet I knew that Satan, who deceived himself,

would also deceive you.

17 So I made known to you by means of the tree, not to

come near him. And I told you not to eat of the fruit

thereof, nor to taste of it, nor yet to sit under it, nor

to yield to it.

18 Had I not been and spoken to you, O Adam,

concerning the tree, and had I left you without a

commandment, and you had sinned -- it would have been an

offence on My part, for not having given you any order; you

would turn around and blame Me for it.

19 But I commanded you, and warned you, and you fell.

So that My creatures cannot blame Me; but the blame rests

on them alone.

20 And, O Adam, I have made the day so that you and

your descendants can work and toil in it. And I have made

the night for them to rest in it from their work; and for

the beasts of the field to go forth by night and look for

their food.

21 But little of darkness now remains, O Adam, and

daylight will soon appear."

Chapter XIV - The earliest prophesy of the coming of Christ.

1 Then Adam said to God: "O Lord, take You my soul,

and let me not see this gloom any more; or remove me to

some place where there is no darkness."

2 But God the Lord said to Adam, "Indeed I say to you,

this darkness will pass from you, every day I have

determined for you, until the fulfillment of My covenant;

when I will save you and bring you back again into the

garden, into the house of light you long for, in which

there is no darkness*. I will bring you to it -- in the

kingdom of heaven."

3 Again said God to Adam, "All this misery that you

have been made to take on yourself because of your

transgression, will not free you from the hand of Satan,

and will not save you.

4 But I will. When I shall come down from heaven, and

shall become flesh of your descendants, and take on Myself

the infirmity from which you suffer, then the darkness that

covered you in this cave shall cover Me in the grave, when

I am in the flesh of your descendants.

5 And I, who am without years, shall be subject to the

reckoning of years, of times, of months, and of days, and I

shall be reckoned as one of the sons of men, in order to

save you."

6 And God ceased to commune with Adam.

* Reference: John 12:46

Chapter XV - Adam and Eve grieve over the suffering of God

to save them from their sins.

1 Then Adam and Eve cried and sorrowed by reason of

God's word to them, that they should not return to the

garden until the fulfillment of the days decreed on them;

but mostly because God had told them that He should suffer

for their salvation.

Chapter XVI - The first sunrise. Adam and Eve think it is

a fire coming to burn them.

1 After this, Adam and Eve continued to stand in the

cave, praying and crying, until the morning dawned on them.

2 And when they saw the light returned to them, they

retrained from fear, and strengthened their hearts.

3 Then Adam began to come out of the cave. And when

he came to the mouth of it, and stood and turned his face

towards the east, and saw the sunrise in glowing rays, and

felt the heat thereof on his body, he was afraid of it, and

thought in his heart that this flame came forth to plague him.

4 He then cried and beat his chest, then he fell on

the ground on his face and made his request, saying: --

5 "O Lord, plague me not, neither consume me, nor yet

take away my life from the earth."

6 For he thought the sun was God.

7 Because while he was in the garden and heard the

voice of God and the sound He made in the garden, and

feared Him, Adam never saw the brilliant light of the sun,

neither did its flaming heat touch his body.

8 Therefore he was afraid of the sun when flaming rays

of it reached him. He thought God meant to plague him

therewith all the days He had decreed for him.

9 For Adam also said in his thoughts, as God did not

plague us with darkness, behold, He has caused this sun to

rise and to plague us with burning heat.

10 But while he was thinking like this in his heart,

the Word of God came to him and said: --

11 "O Adam, get up on your feet. This sun is not God;

but it has been created to give light by day, of which I

spoke to you in the cave saying, 'that the dawn would come,

and there would be light by day.'

12 But I am God who comforted you in the night."

13 And God ceased to commune with Adam.

Chapter XVII - The Chapter of the Serpent.

1 The Adam and Eve came out at the mouth of the cave,

and went towards the garden.

2 But as they went near it, before the western gate,

from which Satan came when he deceived Adam and Eve, they

found the serpent that became Satan coming at the gate, and

sorrowfully licking the dust, and wiggling on its breast on

the ground, by reason of the curse that fell on it from God.

3 And whereas before the serpent was the most exalted

of all beasts, now it was changed and become slippery, and

the meanest of them all, and it crept on its breast and

went on its belly.

4 And whereas it was the fairest of all beasts, it had

been changed, and was become the ugliest of them all.

Instead of feeding on the best food, now it turned to eat

the dust. Instead of living, as before, in the best

places, now it lived in the dust.

5 And, whereas it had been the most beautiful of all

beasts, all of which stood dumb at its beauty, it was now

abhorred of them.

6 And, again, whereas it lived in one beautiful home,

to which all other animals came from elsewhere; and where

it drank, they drank also of the same; now, after it had

become venomous, by reason of God's curse, all beasts fled

from its home, and would not drink of the water it drank;

but fled from it.

Chapter XVIII - The mortal combat with the serpent.

1 When the accursed serpent saw Adam and Eve, it

swelled its head, stood on its tail, and with eyes blood-

red, acted like it would kill them.

2 It made straight for Eve, and ran after her; while

Adam standing by, cried because he had no stick in his hand

with which to hit the serpent, and did not know how to put

it to death.

3 But with a heart burning for Eve, Adam approached

the serpent, and held it by the tail; when it turned

towards him and said to him: --

4 "O Adam, because of you and of Eve, I am slippery,

and go on my belly." Then with its great strength,

it threw down Adam and Eve and squeezed them,

and tried to kill them.

5 But God sent an angel who threw the serpent away

from them, and raised them up.

6 Then the Word of God came to the serpent, and said

to it, "The first time I made you slick, and made you to go

on your belly; but I did not deprive you of speech.

7 This time, however, you will be mute, and you and

your race will speak no more; because, the first time My

creatures were ruined because of you, and this time you

tried to kill them."

8 Then the serpent was struck mute, and was no longer

able to speak.

9 And a wind blew down from heaven by the command of

God and carried away the serpent from Adam and Eve, and

threw it on the seashore where it landed in India.

Chapter XIX - Beasts made subject to Adam.

1 But Adam and Eve cried before God. And Adam said to Him: --

2 "O Lord, when I was in the cave, I said this to you, my Lord,

the beasts of the field would rise and devour me,

and cut off my life from the earth."

3 Then Adam, because of what had happened to him, beat

his chest and fell on the ground like a corpse. Then the

Word of God came to him, who raised him, and said to him,

4 "O Adam, not one of these beasts will be able to hurt you;

because I have made the beasts and other moving things

come to you in the cave. I did not let the serpent come

with them because it might have risen against you and made

you tremble; and the fear of it should fall into your hearts.

5 For I knew that the accursed one is wicked; therefore

I would not let it come near you with the other beasts.

6 But now strengthen your heart and fear not. I am

with you to the end of the days I have determined on you."

Chapter XX - Adam wishes to protect Eve.

1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, take us away to

some other place, where the serpent can not come near us

again, and rise against us. For fear that it might find

Your handmaid Eve alone and kill her; for its eyes are

hideous and evil."

2 But God said to Adam and Eve, "From now on, don't be

afraid, I will not let it come near you; I have driven it

away from you, from this mountain; neither will I leave in

it the ability to hurt you."

3 Then Adam and Eve worshipped before God and gave Him

thanks, and praised Him for having delivered them from death.

Chapter XXI - Adam and Eve attempt suicide.

1 Then Adam and Eve went in search of the garden.

2 And the heat beat like a flame on their faces; and

they sweated from the heat, and cried before the Lord.

3 But the place where they cried was close to a high mountain,

facing the western gate of the garden.

4 Then Adam threw himself down from the top of that

mountain; his face was torn and his flesh was ripped; he

lost a lot of blood and was close to death.

5 Meanwhile Eve remained standing on the mountain

crying over him, thus lying.

6 And she said, "I don't wish to live after him; for

all that he did to himself was through me."

7 Then she threw herself after him; and was torn and

ripped by stones; and remained lying as dead.

8 But the merciful God, who looks over His creatures,

looked at Adam and Eve as they lay dead, and He sent His

Word to them, and raised them.

9 And said to Adam, "O Adam, all this misery which you

have brought on yourself, will have no affect against My rule,

neither will it alter the covenant of the 5, 500 years."

Chapter XXII - Adam in a gracious mood.

1 Then Adam said to God, "I dry up in the heat, I am

faint from walking, and I don't want to be in this world.

And I don't know when You will take me out of it to rest."

2 Then the Lord God said to him, "O Adam, it cannot be

now, not until you have ended your days. Then shall I

bring you out of this miserable land."

3 And Adam said to God, "While I was in the garden I

knew neither heat, nor languor, neither moving about, nor

trembling, nor fear; but now since I came to this land, all

this affliction has come over me.

4 Then God said to Adam, "So long as you were keeping

My commandment, My light and My grace rested on you. But

when you transgressed My commandment, sorrow and misery

came to you in this land."

5 And Adam cried and said, "O Lord, do not cut me off

for this, neither punish me with heavy plagues, nor yet

repay me according to my sin; for we, of our own will,

transgressed Your commandment, and ignored Your law, and

tried to become gods like you, when Satan the enemy

deceived us."

6 Then God said again to Adam, "Because you have

endured fear and trembling in this land, languor and

suffering, treading and walking about, going on this

mountain, and dying from it, I will take all this on Myself

in order to save you."

Chapter XXIII - Adam and Eve strengthen themselves and make

the first altar ever built.

1 Then Adam cried more and said, "O God, have mercy on

me, so far as to take on yourself, that which I will do."

2 But God withdrew His Word from Adam and Eve.

3 Then Adam and Eve stood on their feet; and Adam said to Eve,

"Strengthen yourself, and I also will strengthen myself."

And she strengthened herself, as Adam told her.

4 Then Adam and Eve took stones and placed them in the

shape of an altar; and they took leaves from the trees

outside the garden, with which they wiped, from the face of

the rock, the blood they had spilled.

5 But that which had dropped on the sand, they took

together with the dust with which it was mingled and

offered it on the altar as an offering to God.

6 Then Adam and Eve stood under the Altar and cried,

thus praying to God, "Forgive us our trespass* and our sin,

and look at us with Thine eye of mercy. For when we were

in the garden our praises and our hymns went up before you

without ceasing.

7 But when we came into this strange land, pure praise

was not longer ours, nor righteous prayer, nor

understanding hearts, nor sweet thoughts, nor just

counsels, nor long discernment, nor upright feelings,

neither is our bright nature left us. But our body is

changed from the likeness in which it was at first, when we

were created.

8 Yet now look at our blood which is offered on these

stones, and accept it at our hands, like the praise we used

to sing to you at first, when in the garden."

9 And Adam began to make more requests of God.

* ORIGINAL OF THE LORD'S PRAYER SAID TO BE USED ABOUT

150 YEARS BEFORE OUR LORD: Our Father, Who art in Heaven,

be gracious unto us, O Lord our God, hallowed be Your Name,

and let the remembrance of Thee be glorified Heaven above

and upon earth here below.

Let Your kingdom reign over us now and forever. The

Holy Men of old said remit and forgive unto all men

whatsoever they have done unto me. And lead us not into

temptation, but deliver us from the evil thing; for Thine

is the kingdom and Thou shalt reign in glory forever and

forevermore, AMEN.

Chapter XXIV - A vivid prophecy of the life and death of Christ.

1 Then the merciful God, good and lover of men, looked

at Adam and Eve, and at their blood, which they had held up

as an offering to Him; without an order from Him for so

doing. But He wondered at them; and accepted their

offerings.

2 And God sent from His presence a bright fire, that

consumed their offering.

3 He smelled the sweet savor of their offering, and

showed them mercy.

4 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him,

"O Adam, as you have shed your blood, so will I shed My own

blood when I become flesh of your descendants; and as you

died, O Adam, so also will I die. And as you built an

altar, so also will I make for you an altar of the earth;

and as you offered your blood on it, so also will I offer

My blood on an altar on the earth.

5 And as you sued for forgiveness through that blood,

so also will I make My blood forgiveness of sins, and erase

transgressions in it.

6 And now, behold, I have accepted your offering, O

Adam, but the days of the covenant in which I have bound

you are not fulfilled. When they are fulfilled, then will

I bring you back into the garden.

7 Now, therefore, strengthen your heart; and when

sorrow comes over you, make Me an offering, and I will be

favorable to you."

Chapter XXV - God represented as merciful and loving.

The establishing of worship.

1 But God knew that Adam believed he should frequently

kill himself and make an offering to Him of his blood.

2 Therefore He said to him, "O Adam, don't ever kill

yourself like this again, by throwing yourself down from

that mountain."

3 But Adam said to God, "I was thinking to put an end

to myself at once, for having transgressed Your

commandments, and for my having come out of the beautiful

garden; and for the bright light of which You have deprived

me; and for the praises which poured forth from my mouth

without ceasing, and for the light that covered me.

4 Yet of Your goodness, O God, do not get rid of me

altogether; but be favorable to me every time I die, and

bring me to life.

5 And thereby it will be made known that You are a

merciful God, who does not want anyone to perish; who loves

not that one should fall; and who does not condemn any one

cruelly, badly, and by whole destruction."

6 Then Adam remained silent.

7 And the Word of God came to him, and blessed him,

and comforted him, and covenanted with him, that He would

save him at the end of the days determined for him.

8 This, then, was the first offering Adam made to God;

and so it became his custom to do.

Chapter XXVI - A beautiful prophecy of eternal life and joy

(v. 15). The fall of night.

1 Then Adam took Eve, and they began to return to the

Cave of Treasures where they lived. But when they got

closer to it and saw it from a distance, heavy sorrow fell

on Adam and Eve when they looked at it.

2 Then Adam said to Eve, "When we were on the mountain

we were comforted by the Word of God that conversed with

us; and the light that came from the east shown over us.

3 But now the Word of God is hidden from us; and the

light that shown over us is so changed as to disappear, and

let darkness and sorrow come over us.

4 And we are forced to enter this cave which is like a

prison, in which darkness covers us, so that we are

separated from each other; and you can not see me, neither

can I see you."

5 When Adam had said these words, they cried and

spread their hands before God; for they were full of

sorrow.

6 And they prayed to God to bring the sun to them, to

shine on them, so that darkness would not return to them,

and that they wouldn't have to go under this covering of

rock. And they wished to die rather than see the darkness.

7 Then God looked at Adam and Eve and at their great

sorrow, and at all they had done with a fervent heart, on

account of all the trouble they were in, instead of their

former well-being, and on account of all the misery that

came over them in a strange land.

8 Therefore God was not angry with them; nor impatient

with them; but he was patient and forbearing towards them,

as towards the children He had created.

9 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him,

"Adam, as for the sun, if I were to take it and bring it to

you, days, hours, years and months would all stop, and the

covenant I have made with you, would never be fulfilled.

10 But then you would be deserted and stuck in a

perpetual plague, and you would never be saved.

11 Yes, rather, bear long and calm your soul while you

live night and day; until the fulfillment of the days, and

the time of My covenant is come.

12 Then shall I come and save you, O Adam, for I do

not wish that you be afflicted.

13 And when I look at all the good things in which you

lived, and why you came out of them, then would I willingly

show you mercy.

14 But I cannot alter the covenant that has gone out

of My mouth; otherwise I would have brought you back into

the garden.

15 When, however, the covenant is fulfilled, then

shall I show you and your descendants mercy, and bring you

into a land of gladness, where there is neither sorrow nor

suffering; but abiding joy and gladness, and light that

never fails, and praises that never cease; and a beautiful

garden that shall never pass away."

16 And God said again to Adam, "Be patient and enter the cave,

for the darkness, of which you were afraid, shall only be

twelve hours long; and when ended, light shall come up."

17 Then when Adam heard these words from God, he and

Eve worshipped before Him, and their hearts were comforted.

They returned into the cave after their custom, while tears

flowed from their eyes, sorrow and wailing came from their

hearts, and they wished their soul would leave their body.

18 And Adam and Eve stood praying until the darkness

of night came over them, and Adam was hid from Eve, and she

from him.

19 And they remained standing in prayer.

Chapter XXVII - The second tempting of Adam and Eve.

The devil takes on the form of a beguiling light.

1 When Satan, the hater of all good, saw how they

continued in prayer, and how God communed with them, and

comforted them, and how He had accepted their offering --

Satan made an apparition.

2 He began with transforming his hosts; in his hands

was a flashing fire, and they were in a great light.

3 He then placed his throne near the mouth of the cave

because he could not enter into it by reason of their prayers.

And he shed light into the cave, until the cave glistened over

Adam and Eve; while his hosts began to sing praises.

4 And Satan did this, in order that when Adam saw the

light, he should think within himself that it was a

heavenly light, and that Satan's hosts were angels; and

that God had sent them to watch at the cave, and to give

him light in the darkness.

5 So that when Adam came out of the cave and saw them,

and Adam and Eve bowed to Satan, then he would overcome

Adam thereby, and a second time humble him before God.

6 When, therefore, Adam and Eve saw the light,

fancying it was real, they strengthened their hearts; yet,

as they were trembling, Adam said to Eve: --

7 "Look at that great light, and at those many songs

of praise, and at that host standing outside who won't come

into our cave. Why don't they tell us what they want,

where they are from, what the meaning of this light is,

what those praises are, why they have been sent to this

place, and why they won't come in?

8 If they were from God, they would come into the cave

with us, and would tell us why they were sent."

9 Then Adam stood up and prayed to God with a burning

heart, and said: --

10 "O Lord, is there in the world another god besides

You, who created angels and filled them with light, and

sent them to keep us, who would come with them?

11 But, look, we see these hosts that stand at the

mouth of the cave; they are in a great light; they sing

loud praises. If they are of some other god than You, tell

me; and if they are sent by you, inform me of the reason

for which You have sent them."

12 No sooner had Adam said this, than an angel from

God appeared to him in the cave, who said to him, "O Adam,

fear not. This is Satan and his hosts; he wishes to

deceive you as he deceived you at first. For the first

time, he was hidden in the serpent; but this time he is

come to you in the likeness of an angel of light; in order

that, when you worshipped him, he might enslave you, in the

very presence of God."

13 Then the angel went from Adam and seized Satan at

the opening of the cave, and stripped him of the pretense

he had assumed, and brought him in his own hideous form to

Adam and Eve; who were afraid of him when they saw him.

14 And the angel said to Adam, "This hideous form has

been his ever since God made him fall from heaven. He

could not have come near you in it; he therefore

transformed himself into an angel of light."

15 Then the angel drove away Satan and his hosts from

Adam and Eve, and said to them, "Fear not; God who created

you, will strengthen you."

16 And the angel left them.

17 But Adam and Eve remained standing in the cave; no

consolation came to them; they divided in their thoughts.

18 And when it was morning they prayed; and then went

out to seek the garden. For their hearts were towards it,

and they could get no consolation for having left it.

Chapter XXVIII - The Devil pretends to lead Adam and Eve to

the water to bathe.

1 But when the crafty Satan saw them, that they were

going to the garden, he gathered together his host, and

came in appearance on a cloud, intent on deceiving them.

2 But when Adam and Eve saw him thus in a vision, they

thought they were angels of God come to comfort them about

having left the garden, or to bring them back again into it.

3 And Adam spread his hands before God, beseeching Him

to make him understand what they were.

4 Then Satan, the hater of all good, said to Adam, "O

Adam, I am an angel of the great God; and, behold the hosts

that surround me.

5 God has sent us to take you and bring you to the

border of the garden northwards; to the shore of the clear

sea, and bathe you and Eve in it, and raise you to your

former gladness, that you return again to the garden."

6 These words sank into the heart of Adam and Eve.

7 Yet God withheld His Word from Adam, and did not

make him understand at once, but waited to see his

strength; whether he would be overcome as Eve was when in

the garden, or whether he would prevail.

8 Then Satan called to Adam and Eve, and said,

"Behold, we go to the sea of water," and they began to go.

9 And Adam and Eve followed them at some little distance.

10 But when they came to the mountain to the north of

the garden, a very high mountain, without any steps to the

top of it, the Devil drew near to Adam and Eve, and made

them go up to the top in reality, and not in a vision;

wishing, as he did, to throw them down and kill them, and

to wipe off their name from the earth; so that this earth

should remain to him and his hosts alone.

Chapter XXIX - God tells Adam of the Devil's purpose. (v. 4).

1 But when the merciful God saw that Satan wished to

kill Adam with his many tricks, and saw that Adam was meek

and without guile, God spoke to Satan in a loud voice, and

cursed him.

2 Then he and his hosts fled, and Adam and Eve

remained standing on the top of the mountain, from there

they saw below them the wide world, high above which they

were. But they saw none of the host which time after time

were by them.

3 They cried, both Adam and Eve, before God, and

begged for forgiveness of Him.

4 Then came the Word from God to Adam, and said to

him, "Know you and understand concerning this Satan, that

he seeks to deceive you and your descendants after you."

5 And Adam cried before the Lord God, and begged and

prayed to Him to give him something from the garden, as a

token to him, wherein to be comforted.

6 And God considered Adam's thought, and sent the

angel Michael as far as the sea that reaches India, to take

from there golden rods and bring them to Adam.

7 This did God in His wisdom in order that these

golden rods, being with Adam in the cave, should shine

forth with light in the night around him, and put an end to

his fear of the darkness.

8 Then the angel Michael went down by God's order,

took golden rods, as God had commanded him, and brought

them to God.

Chapter XXX - Adam receives the first worldly goods.

1 After these things, God commanded the angel Gabriel

to go down to the garden, and say to the cherub who kept

it, "Behold, God has commanded me to come into the garden,

and to take from it sweet smelling incense, and give it to Adam."

2 Then the angel Gabriel went down by God's order to

the garden, and told the cherub as God had commanded him.

3 The cherub then said, "Well." And Gabriel went in

and took the incense.

4 Then God commanded his angel Raphael to go down to

the garden, and speak to the cherub about some myrrh, to

give to Adam.

5 And the angel Raphael went down and told the cherub

as God had commanded him, and the cherub said, "Well."

Then Raphael went in and took the myrrh.

6 The golden rods were from the Indian sea, where

there are precious stones. The incense was from the

eastern border of the garden; and the myrrh from the

western border, from where bitterness came over Adam.

7 And the angels brought these things to God, by the

Tree of Life, in the garden.

8 Then God said to the angels, "Dip them in the spring

of water; then take them and sprinkle their water over Adam

and Eve, that they be a little comforted in their sorrow,

and give them to Adam and Eve.

9 And the angels did as God had commanded them, and

they gave all those things to Adam and Eve on the top of

the mountain on which Satan had placed them, when he sought

to make an end of them.

10 And when Adam saw the golden rods, the incense and

the myrrh, he was rejoiced and cried because he thought

that the gold was a token of the kingdom from where he had

come, that the incense was a token of the bright light

which had been taken from him, and that the myrrh was a

token of the sorrow in which he was.

Chapter XXXI - They make themselves more comfortable

in the Cave of Treasures on the third day.

1 After these things God said to Adam, "You asked Me

for something from the garden, to be comforted therewith,

and I have given you these three tokens as a consolation to

you; that you trust in Me and in My covenant with you.

2 For I will come and save you; and kings shall bring

me when in the flesh, gold, incense and myrrh; gold as a

token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My divinity; and

myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death.

3 But, O Adam, put these by you in the cave; the gold

that it may shed light over you by night; the incense, that

you smell its sweet savor; and the myrrh, to comfort you in

your sorrow."

4 When Adam heard these words from God, he worshipped

before Him. He and Eve worshipped Him and gave Him thanks,

because He had dealt mercifully with them.

5 Then God commanded the three angels, Michael,

Gabriel and Raphael, each to bring what he had brought, and

give it to Adam. And they did so, one by one.

6 And God commanded Suriyel and Salathiel to bear up

Adam and Eve, and bring them down from the top of the high

mountain, and to take them to the Cave of Treasures.

7 There they laid the gold on the south side of the cave,

the incense on the eastern side, and the myrrh on the western side.

For the mouth of the cave was on the north side.

8 The angels then comforted Adam and Eve, and departed.

9 The gold was seventy rods*; the incense, twelve

pounds; and the myrrh, three pounds.

10 These remained by Adam in the Cave of Treasures**.

11 God gave these three things to Adam on the third day

after he had come out of the garden, in token of the

three days the Lord should remain in the heart of the earth.

12 And these three things, as they continued with Adam

in the cave, gave him light by night; and by day they gave

him a little relief from his sorrow.

* A rod is a unit of linear measure equivalent to 5.5

yards and also a unit of area measure equivalent to 30.25

square yards. In this case, the word rod simply means a kind

of long, thin piece of gold of unspecified size and weight.

** This is the original text which appears to contain

embedded editorial content: "These remained by Adam in the

House of Treasures; therefore was it called 'of

concealment.' But other interpreters say it was called the

'Cave of Treasures,' by reason of the bodies of righteous

men that were in it.

Chapter XXXII - Adam and Eve go into the water to pray.

1 And Adam and Eve remained in the Cave of Treasures

until the seventh day; they neither ate of the fruit the

earth, nor drank water.

2 And when it dawned on the eighth day, Adam said to

Eve, "O Eve, we prayed God to give us something from the

garden, and He sent his angels who brought us what we had

desired.

3 But now, get up, let us go to the sea of water we

saw at first, and let us stand in it, praying that God will

again be favorable to us and take us back to the garden; or

give us something; or that He will give us comfort in some

other land than this in which we are."

4 Then Adam and Eve came out of the cave, went and

stood on the border of the sea in which they had before

thrown themselves, and Adam said to Eve:--

5 Come, go down into this place, and come not out of

it until the end of thirty days, when I shall come to you.

And pray to God with burning heart and a sweet voice, to

forgive us.

6 And I will go to another place, and go down into it,

and do like you."

7 Then Eve went down into the water, as Adam had

commanded her. Adam also went down into the water; and

they stood praying; and besought the Lord to forgive them

their offense, and to restore them to their former state.

8 And they stood like that praying, until the end of

the thirty-five days.

Chapter XXXIII - Satan falsely promises the "bright light."

1 But Satan, the hater of all good, sought them in the cave,

but found them not, although he searched diligently for them.

2 But he found them standing in the water praying and

thought within himself, "Adam and Eve are standing like

that in that water praying to God to forgive them their

transgression, and to restore them to their former state,

and to take them from under my hand.

3 But I will deceive them so that they shall come out

of the water, and not fulfil their vow."

4 Then the hater of all good, went not to Adam, but he

went to Eve, and took the form of an angel of God, praising

and rejoicing, and said to her:--

5 "Peace be to you! Be glad and rejoice! God is

favorable to you, and He sent me to Adam. I have brought

him the glad tidings of salvation, and of his being filled

with bright light as he was at first.

6 And Adam, in his joy for his restoration, has sent

me to you, that you come to me, in order that I crown you

with light like him.

7 And he said to me, 'Speak to Eve; if she does not

come with you, tell her of the sign when we were on the top

of the mountain; how God sent his angels who took us and

brought us to the Cave of Treasures; and laid the gold on

the southern side; incense, on the eastern side; and myrrh

on the western side.' Now come to him."

8 When Eve hear these words from him, she rejoiced

greatly. And thinking Satan's appearance was real, she

came out of the sea.

9 He went before, and she followed him until they came to Adam.

Then Satan hid himself from her, and she saw him no more.

10 She then came and stood before Adam, who was

standing by the water and rejoicing in God's forgiveness.

11 And as she called to him, he turned around, found

her there and cried when he saw her, and beat his chest;

and from the bitterness of his grief, he sank into the water.

12 But God looked at him and at his misery, and at his

being about to breathe his last. And the Word of God came

from heaven, raised him out of the water, and said to him,

"Go up the high bank to Eve." And when he came up to Eve

he said to her, "Who told you to come here?"

13 Then she told him the discourse of the angel who

had appeared to her and had given her a sign.

14 But Adam grieved, and gave her to know it was Satan.

He then took her and they both returned to the cave.

15 These things happened to them the second time they

went down to the water, seven days after their coming out

of the garden.

16 They fasted in the water thirty-five days;

altogether forty-two days since they had left the garden.

Chapter XXXIV - Adam recalls the creation of Eve.

He eloquently appeals for food and drink.

1 And on the morning of the forty-third day, they came

out of the cave, sorrowful and crying. Their bodies were

lean, and they were parched from hunger and thirst, from

fasting and praying, and from their heavy sorrow on account

of their transgression.

2 And when they had come out of the cave they went up

the mountain to the west of the garden.

3 There they stood and prayed and besought God to

grant them forgiveness of their sins.

4 And after their prayers Adam began to beg God,

saying, "O my Lord, my God, and my Creator, You commanded

the four elements* to be gathered together, and they were

gathered together by Thine order.

5 Then You spread Your hand and created me out of one

element, that of dust of the earth; and You brought me into

the garden at the third hour, on a Friday, and informed me

of it in the cave.

6 Then, at first, I knew neither night nor day, for I

had a bright nature; neither did the light in which I lived

ever leave me to know night or day.

7 Then, again, O Lord, in that third hour in which You

created me, You brought to me all beasts, and lions, and

ostriches, and fowls of the air, and all things that move

in the earth, which You had created at the first hour

before me of the Friday.

8 And Your will was that I should name them all, one

by one, with a suitable name. But You gave me

understanding and knowledge, and a pure heart and a right

mind from you, that I should name them after Thine own mind

regarding the naming of them.

9 O God, You made them obedient to me, and ordered

that not one of them break from my sway, according to Your

commandment, and to the dominion which You had given me

over them. But now they are all estranged from me.

10 Then it was in that third hour of Friday, in which

You created me, and commanded me concerning the tree, to

which I was neither to go near, nor to eat thereof; for You

said to me in the garden, 'When you eat of it, of death you

shall die.'

11 And if You had punished me as You said, with death,

I should have died that very moment.

12 Moreover, when You commanded me regarding the tree,

I was neither to approach nor to eat thereof, Eve was not

with me; You had not yet created her, neither had You yet

taken her out of my side; nor had she yet heard this order

from you.

13 Then, at the end of the third hour of that Friday,

O Lord, You caused a slumber and a sleep to come over me,

and I slept, and was overwhelmed in sleep.

14 Then You drew a rib out of my side, and created it

after my own likeness and image. Then I awoke; and when I

saw her and knew who she was, I said, 'This is bone of my

bones, and flesh of my flesh; from now on she shall be

called woman.'

15 It was of Your good will, O God, that You brought a

slumber in a sleep over me, and that You immediately

brought Eve out of my side, until she was out, so that I

did not see how she was made; neither could I witness, O my

Lord, how awful and great are Your goodness and glory.

16 And of Your goodwill, O Lord, You made us both with

bodies of a bright nature, and You made us two, one; and

You gave us Your grace, and filled us with praises of the

Holy Spirit; that we should be neither hungry nor thirsty,

nor know what sorrow is, nor yet faintness of heart;

neither suffering, fasting nor weariness.

17 But now, O God, since we transgressed Your

commandment and broke Your law, You have brought us out

into a strange land, and have caused suffering, and

faintness, hunger and thirst to come over us.

18 Now, therefore, O God, we pray you, give us

something to eat from the garden, to satisfy our hunger

with it; and something wherewith to quench our thirst.

19 For, behold, many days, O God, we have tasted

nothing and drunk nothing, and our flesh is dried up, and

our strength is wasted, and sleep is gone from our eyes

from faintness and crying.

20 Then, O God, we dare not gather anything from the

fruit of trees, from fear of you. For when we transgress

at first You spared us and did not make us die.

21 But now, we thought in our hearts, if we eat of the

fruit of the trees, without God's order, He will destroy us

this time, and will wipe us off from the face of the earth.

22 And if we drink of this water, without God's order,

He will make an end of us and root us up at once.

23 Now, therefore, O God, that I am come to this place

with Eve, we beg You to give us some fruit from the garden,

that we may be satisfied with it.

24 For we desire the fruit that is on the earth, and

all else that we lack in it."

* The medieval belief that there were only four

elements - fire, earth, air, and water - was widely

accepted until about 1500 AD when the current atomic theory

was in its infancy.

Chapter XXXV - God's reply.

1 Then God looked again at Adam and his crying and groaning,

and the Word of God came to him, and said to him: --

2 "O Adam, when you were in My garden, you knew

neither eating nor drinking; neither faintness nor

suffering; neither leanness of flesh, nor change; neither

did sleep depart from thine eyes. But since you

transgressed, and came into this strange land, all these

trials are come over you."

Chapter XXXVI - Figs.

1 Then God commanded the cherub, who kept the gate of

the garden with a sword of fire in his hand, to take some

of the fruit of the fig-tree, and to give it to Adam.

2 The cherub obeyed the command of the Lord God, and

went into the garden and brought two figs on two twigs,

each fig hanging to its leaf; they were from two of the

trees among which Adam and Eve hid themselves when God went

to walk in the garden, and the Word of God came to Adam and

Eve and said to them, "Adam, Adam, where are you?"

3 And Adam answered, "O God, here I am. When I heard the sound

of You and Your voice, I hid myself, because I am naked."

4 Then the cherub took two figs and brought them to

Adam and Eve. But he threw them to them from a distance;

for they might not come near the cherub by reason of their

flesh, that could not come near the fire.

5 At first, angels trembled at the presence of Adam

and were afraid of him. But now Adam trembled before the

angels and was afraid of them.

6 Then Adam came closer and took one fig, and Eve also

came in turn and took the other.

7 And as they took them up in their hands, they looked

at them, and knew they were from the trees among which they

had hidden themselves.

Chapter XXXVII - Forty-three days of penance do not redeem

one hour of sin (v. 6).

1 Then Adam said to Eve, "Do you not see these figs

and their leaves, with which we covered ourselves when we

were stripped of our bright nature? But now, we do not

know what misery and suffering may come over us from eating them.

2 Now, therefore, O Eve, let us restrain ourselves and

not eat of them, you and I; and let us ask God to give us

of the fruit of the Tree of Life."

3 Thus did Adam and Eve restrain themselves, and did

not eat of these figs.

4 But Adam began to pray to God and to beseech Him to

give him of the fruit of the Tree of Life, saying thus: "O

God, when we transgressed Your commandment at the sixth

hour of Friday, we were stripped of the bright nature we

had, and did not continue in the garden after our

transgression, more than three hours.

5 But in the evening You made us come out of it. O

God, we transgressed against You one hour, and all these

trials and sorrows have come over us until this day.

6 And those days together with this the forty-third

day, do not redeem that one hour in which we transgressed!

7 O God, look at us with an eye of pity, and do not

avenge us according to our transgression of Your

commandment, in Your presence.

8 O God, give us of the fruit of the Tree of Life,

that we may eat of it, and live, and turn not to see

sufferings and other trouble, in this earth; for You are God.

9 When we transgressed Your commandment, You made us

come out of the garden, and sent a cherub to keep the Tree

of Life, lest we should eat thereof, and live; and know

nothing of faintness after we transgressed.

10 But now, O Lord, behold, we have endured all these

days, and have borne sufferings. Make these forty-three

days an equivalent for the one hour in which we transgressed."

Chapter XXXVIII - "When 5500 years are fulfilled. . . ."

1 After these things the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him: --

2 "O Adam, as to the fruit on the Tree of Life that

you have asked for, I will not give it to you now, but only

when the 5500 years are fulfilled. At that time I will

give you fruit from the Tree of Life, and you will eat, and

live forever, you, and Eve, and your righteous descendants.

3 But these forty-three days cannot make amends for

the hour in which you transgressed My commandment.

4 O Adam, I gave you the fruit of the fig-tree to eat

in which you hid yourself. Go and eat of it, you and Eve.

5 I will not deny your request, neither will I

disappoint your hope; therefore, endure until the

fulfillment of the covenant I made with you."

6 And God withdrew His Word from Adam.

Chapter XXXIX - Adam is cautious -- but too late.

1 Then Adam returned to Eve, and said to her, "Get up,

and take a fig for yourself, and I will take another; and

let us go to our cave."

2 Then Adam and Eve took each a fig and went towards

the cave; the time was about the setting of the sun; and

their thoughts made them long to eat of the fruit.

3 But Adam said to Eve, "I am afraid to eat of this fig.

I know not what may come over me from it."

4 So Adam cried, and stood praying before God, saying,

"Satisfy my hunger, without my having to eat this fig; for

after I have eaten it, what will it profit me? And what

shall I desire and ask of you, O God, when it is gone?"

5 And he said again, "I am afraid to eat of it; for I

know not what will befall me through it."

Chapter XL - The first Human hunger.

1 Then the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him,

"O Adam, why didn't you have this dread, or this fasting,

or this care before now? And why didn't you have this fear

before you transgressed?

2 But when you came to live in this strange land, your

animal body could not survive on earth without earthly

food, to strengthen it and to restore its powers."

3 And God withdrew His Word for Adam.

Chapter XLI - The first Human thirst.

1 Then Adam took the fig, and laid it on the golden

rods. Eve also took her fig, and put it on the incense.

2 And the weight of each fig was that of a water-melon;

for the fruit of the garden was much larger than the

fruit of this land*.

3 But Adam and Eve remained standing and fasting the

whole of that night, until the morning dawned.

4 When the sun rose they were still praying, but after

they had finished praying, Adam said to Eve: --

5 "O Eve, come, let us go to the border of the garden

looking south; to the place from where the river flows, and

is parted into four heads. There we will pray to God, and

ask Him to give us some of the Water of Life to drink .

6 For God has not fed us with the Tree of Life, in

order that we may not live. Therefore, we will ask him to

give us some of the Water of Life, and to quench our thirst

with it, rather than with a drink of water of this land."

7 When Eve heard these words from Adam, she agreed;

and they both got up and came to the southern border of the

garden, at the edge of the river of water a short distance

from the garden.

8 And they stood and prayed before the Lord, and asked

Him to look at them this once, to forgive them, and to

grant them their request.

9 After this prayer from both of them, Adam began to

pray with his voice before God, and said; --

10 "O Lord, when I was in the garden and saw the water

that flowed from under the Tree of Life, my heart did not

desire, neither did my body require to drink of it; neither

did I know thirst, for I was living; and above that which I am now.

11 So that in order to live I did not require any Food

of Life, neither did I drink of the Water of Life.

12 But now, O God, I am dead; my flesh is parched with

thirst. Give me of the Water of Life that I may drink of

it and live.

13 Of Your mercy, O God, save me from these plagues

and trials, and bring me into another land different from

this, if You will not let me live in Your garden."

* This is substantiated by Genesis 3:7 whereby the

leaves of the fig tree were large enough that Adam and Eve

could fashion garments from them.

Chapter XLII - A promise of the Water of Life. The third

prophecy of the coming of Christ.

1 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him:--

2 "O Adam, as to what you said, 'Bring me into a land

where there is rest,' it is not another land than this, but

it is the kingdom of heaven where alone there is rest.

3 But you can not make your entrance into it at

present; but only after your judgment is past and

fulfilled.

4 Then will I make you go up into the kingdom of

heaven, you and your righteous descendants; and I will give

you and them the rest you ask for at present.

5 And if you said, 'Give me of the Water of Life that

I may drink and live' -- it cannot be this day, but on the

day that I shall descend into hell, and break the gates of

brass, and bruise in pieces the kingdoms of iron.

6 Then will I in mercy save your soul and the souls of

the righteous, to give them rest in My garden. And that

shall be when the end of the world is come.

7 And, again, in regards to the Water of Life you

seek, it will not be granted you this day; but on the day

that I shall shed My blood on your head* in the land of

Golgotha**.

8 For My blood shall be the Water of Life to you at

that time, and not to just you alone, but to all your

descendants who shall believe in Me***; that it be to them

for rest forever."

9 The Lord said again to Adam, "O Adam, when you were

in the garden, these trials did not come to you.

10 But since you transgressed My commandment, all

these sufferings have come over you.

11 Now, also, does your flesh require food and drink;

drink then of that water that flows by you on the face of

the earth.

12 Then God withdrew His Word from Adam.

13 And Adam and Eve worshipped the Lord, and returned from

the river of water to the cave. It was noon-day; and when

they drew near to the cave, they saw a large fire by it.

* This phrase indicates that the bleeding will take

place in an elevated position above the populace. This is

believed to be a reference to the cross whereby Christ bled

profusely above the people below.

** Golgotha (goal-goth-uh) was the hill outside the

walls of Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified. Its exact

location is not precisely known, but the Church of the Holy

Sepulcher is believed to have been constructed on this hill.

*** Reference: John 6:25 and 7:38

Chapter XLIII - The Devil attempts arson.

1 Then Adam and Eve were afraid, and stood still. And

Adam said to Eve, "What is that fire by our cave? We have

done nothing in it to cause this fire.

2 We neither have bread to bake therein, nor broth to

cook there. As to this fire, we have never known anything

like it, neither do we know what to call it.

3 But ever since God sent the cherub with a sword of

fire that flashed and lightened in his hand, from fear of

which we fell down and were like corpses, have we not seen

the like.

4 But now, O Eve, behold, this is the same fire that

was in the cherub's hand, which God has sent to keep the

cave in which we live.

5 O Eve, it is because God is angry with us, and will

drive us from it.

6 O Eve, we have again transgressed His commandment in

that cave, so that He had sent this fire to burn around it,

and to prevent us from going into it.

7 If this be really so, O Eve, where shall we live?

And where shall we flee from before the face of the Lord?

Since, in regards to the garden, He will not let us live in

it, and He has deprived us of the good things thereof; but

He has placed us in this cave, in which we have borne

darkness, trials and hardships, until at last we have found

comfort therein.

8 But now that He has brought us out into another

land, who knows what may happen in it? And who knows but

that the darkness of that land may be far greater than the

darkness of this land?

9 Who knows what may happen in that land by day or by

night? And who knows whether it will be far or near, O Eve?

Where it will please God to put us, may be far from the

garden, O Eve? Or where God will prevent us from beholding

Him, because we have transgressed His commandment, and

because we have made requests of Him at all times?

10 O Eve, if God will bring us into a strange land

other than this, in which we find consolation, it must be

to put our souls to death, and blot out our name from the

face of the earth.

11 O Eve, if we are further alienated from the garden

and from God, where shall we find Him again, and ask Him to

give us gold, incense, myrrh, and some fruit of the fig-tree?

12 Where shall we find Him, to comfort us a second

time? Where shall we find Him, that He may think of us, as

regards the covenant He has made on our behalf?"

13 Then Adam said no more. And they kept looking, He

and Eve, towards the cave, and at the fire that flared up

around it.

14 But that fire was from Satan. For he had gathered

trees and dry grasses, and had carried and brought them to

the cave, and had set fire to them, in order to consume the

cave and what was in it.

15 So that Adam and Eve should be left in sorrow, and

he should cut off their trust in God, and make them deny

Him.

16 But by the mercy of God he could not burn the cave,

for God sent His angel around the cave to guard it from

such a fire, until it went out.

17 And this fire lasted from noon-day until the break

of day. That was the forty-fifth day.

Chapter XLIV - The power of fire over man.

1 Yet Adam and Eve were standing and looking at the fire,

and unable to come near the cave from their dread of the fire.

2 And Satan kept on bringing trees and throwing them

into the fire, until the flames of the fire rose up on

high, and covered the whole cave, thinking, as he did in

his own mind, to consume the cave with much fire. But the

angel of the Lord was guarding it.

3 And yet he could not curse Satan, nor injure him by

word, because he had no authority over him, neither did he

take to doing so with words from his mouth.

4 Therefore the angel tolerated him, without saying

one bad word, until the Word of God came who said to Satan,

"Go away from here; once before you deceived My servants,

and this time you seek to destroy them.

5 Were it not for My mercy I would have destroyed you

and your hosts from off the earth. But I have had patience

with you, until the end of the world."

6 Then Satan fled from before the Lord. But the fire

went on burning around the cave like a coal-fire the whole

day; which was the forty-sixth day Adam and Eve had spent

since they came out of the garden.

7 And when Adam and Eve saw that the heat of the fire

had somewhat cooled down, they began to walk towards the

cave to get into it as they usually did; but they could

not, by reason of the heat of the fire.

8 Then they both began crying because of the fire that

separated them from the cave, and that came towards them,

burning. And they were afraid.

9 Then Adam said to Eve, "See this fire of which we

have a portion in us: which formerly yielded to us, but no

longer does so, now that we have transgressed the limit of

creation, and changed our condition, and our nature is

altered. But the fire is not changed in its nature, nor

altered from its creation. Therefore it now has power over

us; and when we come near it, it scorches our flesh."

Chapter XLV - Why Satan didn't fulfil his promises.

Description of hell.

1 Then Adam rose and prayed to God, saying, "See, this

fire has separated us from the cave in which You have

commanded us to live; but now, behold, we cannot go into it."

2 Then God heard Adam, and sent him His Word, that said: --

3 "O Adam, see this fire! How different the flame and

heat thereof are from the garden of delights and the good

things in it!

4 When you were under My control, all creatures

yielded to you; but after you have transgressed My

commandment, they all rise over you."

5 God said again to him, "See, O Adam, how Satan has

exalted you! He has deprived you of the Godhead, and of an

exalted state like Me, and has not kept his word to you;

but has, after all, become your enemy. He is the one who

made this fire in which he meant to burn you and Eve.

6 Why, O Adam, has he not kept his agreement with you,

not even one day; but has deprived you of the glory that

was on you -- when you yielded to his command?

7 Do you think, Adam, that he loved you when he made

this agreement with you? Or that he loved you and wished

to raise you on high?

8 But no, Adam, he did not do all that out of love to

you; but he wished to make you come out of light into

darkness; and from an exalted state to degradation; from

glory to abasement; from joy to sorrow; and from rest to

fasting and fainting."

9 God also said to Adam, "See this fire kindled by

Satan around your cave; see this wonder that surrounds you;

and know that it will encompass about both you and your

descendants, when you obey his command; that he will plague

you with fire; and that you will go down into hell after

you are dead.

10 Then you will see the burning of his fire, that

will be burning around you and likewise your descendants.

You will not be delivered from it until My coming; just

like you cannot go into your cave right now because of the

great fire around it; not until My Word comes and makes a

way for you on the day My covenant is fulfilled.

11 There is no way for you at present to come from

this life to rest, not until My Word comes, who is My Word.

Then He will make a way for you, and you shall have rest."

Then God called with His Word to the fire that burned

around the cave, that it split itself in half, until Adam

had gone through it. Then the fire parted itself by God's

order, and a way was made for Adam*.

12 And God withdrew His Word from Adam.

* Reference: Exodus 14:21,22 and Joshua 3:15-17

Chapter XLVI - "How many times have I delivered you

out of his hand . . ."

1 Then Adam and Eve began again to come into the cave.

And when they came to the way between the fire, Satan blew

into the fire like a whirlwind, and caused the burning

coal-fire to cover Adam and Eve; so that their bodies were

singed; and the coal-fire scorched them*.

2 And from the burning of the fire Adam and Eve

screamed, and said, "O Lord, save us! Leave us not to be

consumed and plagued by this burning fire; neither require

us for having transgressed Your commandment."

3 Then God looked at their bodies, on which Satan had

caused fire to burn, and God sent His angel that stayed the

burning fire. But the wounds remained on their bodies.

4 And God said to Adam, "See Satan's love for you, who

pretended to give you the Godhead and greatness; and,

behold, he burns you with fire, and seeks to destroy you

from off the earth.

5 Then look at Me, O Adam; I created you, and how many

times have I delivered you out of his hand? If not,

wouldn't he have destroyed you?"

6 God said again to Eve, "What is that he promised you

in the garden, saying, 'As soon as you eat from the tree,

your eyes will be opened, and you shall become like gods,

knowing good and evil.' But look! He has burnt your

bodies with fire, and has made you taste the taste of fire,

for the taste of the garden; and has made you see the

burning of fire, and the evil of it, and the power it has

over you.

7 Your eyes have seen the good he has taken from you,

and in truth he has opened your eyes; and you have seen the

garden in which you were with Me, and you have also seen

the evil that has come over you from Satan. But as to the

Godhead he cannot give it to you, neither fulfil his speech

to you. No, he was bitter against you and your

descendants, that will come after you."

8 And God withdrew His Word form them.

* At this time, the garments that the Lord had given

them in Genesis 3:21 were burned off so that Adam and Eve

were again naked. Reference chapter L whereby Adam and Eve

seek garments with which to cover their nakedness..

Chapter XLVII - The Devil's own Scheming.

1 Then Adam and Eve came into the cave, yet trembling at

the fire that had scorched their bodies. So Adam said to Eve:--

2 "Look, the fire has burnt our flesh in this world;

but how will it be when we are dead, and Satan shall punish

our souls? Is not our deliverance long and far off, unless

God come, and in mercy to us fulfil His promise?"

3 Then Adam and Eve passed into the cave, blessing

themselves for coming into it once more. For it was in

their thoughts, that they never should enter it, when they

saw the fire around it.

4 But as the sun was setting the fire was still

burning and nearing Adam and Eve in the cave, so that they

could not sleep in it. After the sun had set, they went

out of it. This was the forty-seventh day after they came

out of the garden.

5 Adam and Eve then came under the top of hill by the

garden to sleep, as they were accustomed.

6 And they stood and prayed God to forgive them their

sins, and then fell asleep under the summit of the

mountain.

7 But Satan, the hater of all good, thought within

himself: "Whereas God has promised salvation to Adam by

covenant, and that He would deliver him out of all the

hardships that have befallen him -- but has not promised me

by covenant, and will not deliver me out of my hardships;

no, since He has promised him that He should make him and

his descendants live in the kingdom in which I once was --

I will kill Adam.

8 The earth shall be rid of him; and shall be left to

me alone; so that when he is dead he may not have any

descendants left to inherit the kingdom that shall remain

my own realm; God will then be wanting me, and He will

restore it to me and my hosts."

Chapter XLVIII - Fifth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve.

1 After this Satan called to his hosts, all of which

came to him, and said to him: --

2 "O, our lord, what will you do?"

3 He then said to them, "You know that this Adam, whom

God created out of the dust, is the one who has taken our

kingdom, come, let us gather together and kill him; or hurl

a rock at him and at Eve, and crush them under it."

4 When Satan's hosts heard these words, they came to

the part of the mountain where Adam and Eve were asleep.

5 Then Satan and his host took a huge rock, broad and

even, and without blemish, thinking within himself, "If

there should be a hole in the rock, when it fell on them,

the hole in the rock might come over them, and so they

would escape and not die."

6 He then said to his hosts, "Take up this stone, and

throw it flat on them, so that it doesn't roll off them to

somewhere else. And when you have hurled it, get away from

there quickly."

7 And they did as he told them. But as the rock fell

down from the mountain toward Adam and Eve, God commanded

the rock to become a dome over them*, that did them no

harm. And so it was by God's order.

8 But when the rock fell, the whole earth quaked with

it**, and was shaken from the size of the rock.

9 And as it quaked and shook, Adam and Eve awoke from

sleep, and found themselves under a dome of rock. But they

didn't know what had happened; because when the fell asleep

they were under the sky, and not under a dome; and when

they saw it, they were afraid.

10 Then Adam said to Eve, "Wherefore has the mountain

bent itself, and the earth quaked and shaken on our account?

And why has this rock spread itself over us like a tent?

11 Does God intend to plague us and to shut us up in

this prison? Or will He close the earth over us?

12 He is angry with us for our having come out of the

cave, without His order; and for our having done so of our

own accord, without consulting Him, when we left the cave

and came to this place."

13 Then Eve said, "If, indeed, the earth quaked for

our sake, and this rock forms a tent over us because of our

transgression, then we will be sorry, O Adam, because our

punishment will be long.

14 But get up and pray to God to let us know concerning this,

and what this rock is that is spread over us like a tent."

15 Then Adam stood up and prayed before the Lord, to

let him know what had brought about this difficult time.

And Adam stood praying like that until the morning.

* The word "dome" is used here but the text does not

specifically suggest that the covering was round - only

that it covered them on all sides, however a dome is the

most likely shape that would have be able to withstand the

impact with the ground. From verse 9 that says "when they

saw it" and verse 11 that says "shut us up in this prison",

we can conclude that the dome had holes in its sides that

were big enough to let in light and air but were too small

to allow Adam and Eve to escape. Another conclusion would

be that the holes were large but too high up for Adam and

Eve to reach, however the former is more likely.

** In verse 7 of the next chapter (XLIX), God tells

Adam and Eve that the ground was also lowered under them -

"I commanded ... the rock under you to lower itself".

Chapter XLIX - The first prophecy of the Resurrection.

1 Then the Word of God came and said: --

2 "O Adam, who counselled you, when you came out of

the cave, to come to this place?"

3 And Adam said to God, "O Lord, we came to this place

because of the heat of the fire, that came over us inside

the cave."

4 Then the Lord God said to Adam, "O Adam, you dread

the heat of fire for one night, but how will it be when you

live in hell?

5 Yet, O Adam, don't be afraid, and don't believe that I have

placed this dome of rock over you to plague you with it.

6 It came from Satan, who had promised you the Godhead

and majesty. It is he who threw down this rock to kill you

under it, and Eve with you, and thus to prevent you from

living on the earth.

7 But, in mercy for you, just as that rock was falling

down on you, I commanded it to form an dome over you; and

the rock under you to lower itself.

8 And this sign, O Adam, will happen to Me at My

coming on earth: Satan will raise the people of the Jews to

put Me to death; and they will lay Me in a rock, and seal a

large stone over Me, and I shall remain within that rock

three days and three nights.

9 But on the third day I shall rise again, and it

shall be salvation to you, O Adam, and to your descendants,

to believe in Me. But, O Adam, I will not bring you from

under this rock until three days and three nights have

passed."

10 And God withdrew His Word from Adam.

11 But Adam and Eve lived under the rock three days

and three nights, as God had told them.

12 And God did so to them because they had left their

cave and had come to this same place without God's order.

13 But, after three days and three nights, God created

an opening in the dome of rock and allowed them to get out

from under it. Their flesh was dried up, and their eyes

and hearts were troubled from crying and sorrow.

Chapter L - Adam and Eve seek to cover their nakedness.

1 Then Adam and Eve went forth and came into the Cave

of Treasures, and they stood praying in it the whole of

that day, until the evening.

2 And this took place at the end of the fifty days

after they had left the garden.

3 But Adam and Eve rose again and prayed to God in the cave

the whole of that night, and begged for mercy from Him.

4 And when the day dawned, Adam said to Eve, "Come!

Let us go and do some work for our bodies."

5 So they went out of the cave, and came to the

northern border of the garden, and they looked for

something to cover their bodies with*. But they found

nothing, and knew not how to do the work. Yet their bodies

were stained, and they were speechless from cold and heat.

6 Then Adam stood and asked God to show him something

with which to cover their bodies.

7 Then came the Word of God and said to him, "O Adam,

take Eve and come to the seashore where you fasted before.

There you will find skins of sheep that were left after

lions ate the carcasses. Take them and make garments for

yourselves, and clothe yourselves with them.

* Chapter XLVI, verse 1, says "Satan blew into the

fire ... so that their bodies were singed". At this time,

the garments that the Lord had given them in Genesis 3:21

were burned off so that Adam and Eve were again naked.

Chapter LI - "What is his beauty that you should have

followed him?"

1 When Adam heard these words from God, he took Eve

and went from the northern end of the garden to the south

of it, by the river of water where they once fasted.

2 But as they were going on their way, and before they

got there, Satan, the wicked one, had heard the Word of God

communing with Adam respecting his covering.

3 It grieved him, and he hastened to the place where

the sheep-skins were, with the intention of taking them and

throwing them into the sea, or of burning them with fire,

so that Adam and Eve would not find them.

4 But as he was about to take them, the Word of God

came from heaven, and bound him by the side of those skins

until Adam and Eve came near him. But as they got closer

to him they were afraid of him, and of his hideous look.

5 Then came the Word of God to Adam and Eve, and said

to them, "This is he who was hidden in the serpent, and who

deceived you, and stripped you of the garment of light and

glory in which you were.

6 This is he who promised you majesty and divinity.

Where, then, is the beauty that was on him? Where is his

divinity? Where is his light? Where is the glory that

rested on him?

7 Now his figure is hideous; he is become abominable

among angels; and he has come to be called Satan.

8 O Adam, he wished to take from you this earthly

garment of sheep-skins, and to destroy it, and not let you

be covered with it.

9 What, then, is his beauty that you should have

followed him? And what have you gained by obeying him?

See his evil works and then look at Me; at Me, your

Creator, and at the good deeds I do you.

10 See, I bound him until you came and saw him and

beheld his weakness, that no power is left with him."

11 And God released him from his bonds.

Chapter LII - Adam and Eve sew the first shirt.

1 After this Adam and Eve said no more, but cried

before God on account of their creation, and of their

bodies that required an earthly covering.

2 Then Adam said to Eve, "O Eve, this is the skin of

beasts with which we shall be covered, but when we put it

on, behold, we shall be wearing a token of death on our

bodies. Just as the owners of these skins have died and

have wasted away, so also shall we die and pass away."

3 Then Adam and Eve took the skins, and went back to

the Cave of Treasures; and when in it, they stood and

prayed as they were accustomed.

4 And they thought how they could make garments of

those skins; for they had no skill for it.

5 Then God sent to them His angel to show them how to

work it out. And the angel said to Adam, "Go forth, and

bring some palm-thorns." Then Adam went out, and brought

some, as the angel had commanded him.

6 Then the angel began before them to work out the

skins, after the manner of one who prepares a shirt. And

he took the thorns and stuck them into the skins, before

their eyes.

7 Then the angel again stood up and prayed God that

the thorns in those skins should be hidden, so as to be, as

it were, sewn with one thread.

8 And so it was, by God's order; they became garments

for Adam and Eve, and He clothed them therewith.

9 From that time the nakedness of their bodies was

covered from the sight of each other's eyes.

10 And this happened at the end of the fifty-first day.

11 Then when Adam's and Eve's bodies were covered,

they stood and prayed, and sought mercy of the Lord, and

forgiveness, and gave Him thanks for that He had had mercy

on them, and had covered their nakedness. And they ceased

not from prayer the whole of that night.

12 Then when the morning dawned at the rising of the

sun, they said their prayers after their custom; and then

went out of the cave.

13 And Adam said to Eve, "Since we don't know what there is

to the west of this cave, let us go out and see it today."

Then they came forth and went toward the western border.

Chapter LIII - The prophecy of the Western Lands

and of the great flood.

1 They were not very far from the cave, when Satan

came towards them, and hid himself between them and the

cave, under the form of two ravenous lions three days

without food, that came towards Adam and Eve, as if to

break them in pieces and devour them.

2 Then Adam and Eve cried, and prayed God to deliver

them from their paws.

3 Then the Word of God came to them, and drove away

the lions from them.

4 And God said to Adam, "O Adam, what do you seek on

the western border? And why have you left of thine own

accord the eastern border, in which was your living place?

5 Now then, turn back to your cave, and remain in it,

so that Satan won't deceive you or work his purpose over you.

6 For in this western border, O Adam, there will go

from you a descendant, that shall replenish it; and that

will defile themselves with their sins, and with their

yielding to the commands of Satan, and by following his works.

7 Therefore will I bring over them the waters of a

flood, and overwhelm them all. But I will deliver what is

left of the righteous among them; and I will bring them to

a distant land, and the land in which you live now shall

remain desolate and without one inhabitant in it.

8 After God had thus spoken to them, they went back to

the Cave of Treasures. But their flesh was dried up, and

they were weak from fasting and praying, and from the

sorrow they felt at having trespassed against God.

Chapter LIV - Adam and Eve go exploring.

1 Then Adam and Eve stood up in the cave and prayed

the whole of that night until the morning dawned. And when

the sun was risen they both went out of the cave; their

heads were wandering from heaviness of sorrow and they

didn't know where they were going.

2 And they walked in that condition to the southern

border of the garden. And they began to go up that border

until they came to the eastern border beyond which there

was no more land.

3 And the cherub who guarded the garden was standing

at the western gate, and guarding it against Adam and Eve,

lest they should suddenly come into the garden. And the

cherub turned around, as if to put them to death; according

to the commandment God had given him.

4 When Adam and Eve came to the eastern border of the

garden -- thinking in their hearts that the cherub was not

watching -- as they were standing by the gate as if wishing

to go in, suddenly came the cherub with a flashing sword of

fire in his hand; and when he saw them, he went forth to

kill them. For he was afraid that God would destroy him if

they went into the garden without His order.

5 And the sword of the cherub seemed to shoot flames a

distance away from it. But when he raised it over Adam

and Eve, the flame of the sword did not flash forth.

6 Therefore the cherub thought that God was favorable

to them, and was bringing them back into the garden. And

the cherub stood wondering.

7 He could not go up to Heaven to determine God's

order regarding their getting into the garden; he therefore

continued to stand by them, unable as he was to part from

them; for he was afraid that if they should enter the

garden without permission, God would destroy him.

8 When Adam and Eve saw the cherub coming towards them

with a flaming sword of fire in his hand, they fell on

their faces from fear, and were as dead.

9 At that time the heavens and the earth shook; and

another cherubim came down from heaven to the cherub who

guarded the garden, and saw him amazed and silent.

10 Then, again, other angels came down close to the

place where Adam and Eve were. They were divided between

joy and sorrow.

11 They were glad, because they thought that God was

favorable to Adam, and wished him to return to the garden;

and wished to restore him to the gladness he once enjoyed.

12 But they sorrowed over Adam, because he was fallen

like a dead man, he and Eve; and they said in their

thoughts, "Adam has not died in this place; but God has put

him to death, for his having come to this place, and

wishing to get into the garden without His permission."

Chapter LV - The Conflict between God and Satan.

1 Then came the Word of God to Adam and Eve, and

raised them from their dead state, saying to them, "Why did

you come up here? Do you intend to go into the garden,

from which I brought you out? It cannot be today; but only

when the covenant I have made with you is fulfilled."

2 Then Adam, when he heard the Word of God, and the

fluttering of the angels whom he did not see, but only

heard the sound of them with his ears, he and Eve cried,

and said to the angels: --

3 "O Spirits, who wait on God, look at me, and at my

being unable to see you! For when I was in my former

bright nature, then I could see you. I sang praises as you

do; and my heart was far above you.

4 But now, that I have transgressed, that bright

nature is gone from me, and I am come to this miserable

state. And now I have come to this, that I cannot see you,

and you do not serve me like you used to do. For I have

become animal flesh.

5 Yet now, O angels of God, ask God with me, to

restore me to that wherein I was formerly; to rescue me

from this misery, and to remove from me the sentence of

death He passed on me, for having trespassed against Him."

6 Then, when the angels heard these words, they all

grieved over him; and cursed Satan who had misled Adam,

until he came from the garden to misery; from life to

death; from peace to trouble; and from gladness to a

strange land.

7 Then the angels said to Adam, "You obeyed Satan, and

ignored the Word of God who created you; and you believed

that Satan would fulfil all he had promised you.

8 But now, O Adam, we will make known to you, what

came over us though him, before his fall from heaven.

9 He gathered together his hosts, and deceived them,

promising to give them a great kingdom, a divine nature;

and other promises he made them.

10 His hosts believed that his word was true, so they

yielded to him, and renounced the glory of God.

11 He then sent for us -- according to the orders in

which we were -- to come under his command, and to accept

his vein promise. But we would not, and we did not take

his advice.

12 Then after he had fought with God, and had dealt

forwardly with Him, he gathered together his hosts, and

made war with us. And if it had not been for God's

strength that was with us, we could not have prevailed

against him to hurl him from heaven.

13 But when he fell from among us, there was great joy

in heaven, because of his going down from us. For if he

had remained in heaven, nothing, not even one angel would

have remained in it.

14 But God in His mercy, drove him from among us to

this dark earth; for he had become darkness itself and a

worker of unrighteousness.

15 And he has continued, O Adam, to make war against

you, until he tricked you and made you come out of the

garden, to this strange land, where all these trials have

come to you. And death, which God brought to him, he has

also brought to you, O Adam, because you obeyed him, and

trespassed against God."

16 Then all the angels rejoiced and praised God, and

asked Him not to destroy Adam this time, for his having

sought to enter the garden; but to bear with him until the

fulfillment of the promise; and to help him in this world

until he was free from Satan's hand.

Chapter LVI - A chapter of divine comfort.

1 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him: --

2 "O Adam, look at that garden of joy and at this

earth of toil, and behold the garden is full of angels, but

look at yourself alone on this earth with Satan whom you obeyed.

3 Yet, if you had submitted, and been obedient to Me,

and had kept My Word, you would be with My angels in My garden.

4 But when you transgressed and obeyed Satan, you

became his guests among his angels, that are full of

wickedness; and you came to this earth, that brings forth

to you thorns and thistles.

5 O Adam, ask him who deceived you, to give you the

divine nature he promised you, or to make you a garden as I

had made for you; or to fill you with that same bright

nature with which I had filled you.

6 Ask him to make you a body like the one I made you,

or to give you a day of rest as I gave you; or to create

within you a reasonable soul, as I created for you; or to

take you from here to some other earth than this one which

I gave you. But, O Adam, he will not fulfil even one of

the things he told you.

7 Acknowledge, then, My favor towards you, and My

mercy on you, My creature; that I have not avenged you for

your transgression against Me, but in My pity for you I

have promised you that at the end of the great five and a

half days I will come and save you."

8 Then God said again to Adam and Eve, "Get up, go

down from here, before the cherub with a sword of fire in

his hand destroys you."

9 But Adam's heart was comforted by God's words to

him, and he worshipped before Him.

10 And God commanded His angels to escort Adam and Eve

to the cave with joy, instead of the fear that had come over them.

11 Then the angels took up Adam and Eve, and brought

them down from the mountain by the garden, with songs and

psalms, until they arrived at the cave. There the angels

began to comfort and to strengthen them, and then departed

from them towards heaven, to their Creator, who had sent them.

12 But after the angels had departed from Adam and

Eve, Satan came with shamefacedness, and stood at the

entrance of the cave in which were Adam and Eve. He then

called to Adam, and said, "O Adam, come, let me speak to you."

13 Then Adam came out of the cave, thinking he was one

of God's angels that was come to give him some good counsel.

Chapter LVII - "Therefore I fell. . . . "

1 But when Adam came out and saw his hideous figure,

he was afraid of him, and said to him, "Who are you?"

2 Then Satan answered and said to him, "It is I, who

hid myself within the serpent, and who spoke to Eve, and

who enticed her until she obeyed my command. I am he who

sent her, using my deceitful speech, to deceive you, until

you both ate of the fruit of the tree and abandoned the

command of God."

3 But when Adam heard these words from him, he said to

him, "Can you make me a garden as God made for me? Or can

you clothe me in the same bright nature in which God had

clothed me?

4 Where is the divine nature you promised to give me?

Where is that slick speech of yours that you had with us at

first, when we were in the garden?"

5 Then Satan said to Adam, "Do you think that when I

have promised one something that I would actually deliver

it to him or fulfil my word? Of course not. For I myself

have never even thought of obtaining what I promised.

6 Therefore I fell, and I made you fall by that for

which I myself fell; and with you also, whosoever accepts

my counsel, falls thereby.

7 But now, O Adam, because you fell you are under my

rule, and I am king over you; because you have obeyed me

and have transgressed against your God. Neither will there

be any deliverance from my hands until the day promised you

by your God."

8 Again he said, "Because we do not know the day

agreed on with you by your God, nor the hour in which you

shall be delivered, for that reason we will multiply war

and murder on you and your descendants after you.

9 This is our will and our good pleasure, that we may

not leave one of the sons of men to inherit our orders in heaven.

10 For as to our home, O Adam, it is in burning fire;

and we will not stop our evil doing, no, not one day nor

one hour. And I, O Adam, shall set you on fire when you

come into the cave to live there."

11 When Adam heard these words he cried and mourned,

and said to Eve, "Hear what he said; that he won't fulfil

any of what he told you in the garden. Did he really then

become king over us?

12 But we will ask God, who created us, to deliver us

out of his hands."

Chapter LVIII - "About sunset on the 53rd day. . ."

1 Then Adam and Eve spread their hands before God,

praying and begging Him to drive Satan away from them so

that he can't harm them or force them to deny God.

2 Then God sent to them at once, His angel, who drove

away Satan from them. This happened about sunset, on the

fifty-third day after they had come out of the garden.

3 Then Adam and Eve went into the cave, and stood up

and turned their faces to the ground, to pray to God.

4 But before they prayed Adam said to Eve, "Look, you

have seen what temptations have befallen us in this land.

Come, let us get up, and ask God to forgive us the sins we

have committed; and we will not come out until the end of

the day next to the fortieth. And if we die in here, He

will save us."

5 Then Adam and Eve got up, and joined together in

entreating God.

6 They continued praying like this in the cave;

neither did they come out of it, by night or by day, until

their prayers went up out of their mouths, like a flame of fire.

Chapter LIX - Eighth apparition of Satan of Satan to Adam and Eve.

1 But Satan, the hater of all good, did not allow them

to finish their prayers. For he called to his hosts, and

they came, all of them. Then he said to them, "Since Adam

and Eve, whom we deceived, have agreed together to pray to

God night and day, and to beg Him to deliver them, and

since they will not come out of the cave until the end of

the fortieth day.

2 And since they will continue their prayers as they

have both agreed to do, that He will deliver them out of

our hands, and restore them to their former state, see what

we shall do to them." And his hosts said to him, "Power is

thine, O our lord, to do what you list."

3 Then Satan, great in wickedness, took his hosts and came into

the cave, in the thirtieth night of the forty days and one;

and he beat Adam and Eve, until he left them dead.

4 Then came the Word of God to Adam and Eve, who raised

them from their suffering, and God said to Adam,

"Be strong, and be not afraid of him who has just come to you."

5 But Adam cried and said, "Where were you, O my God,

that they should punish me with such blows, and that this

suffering should come over us; over me and over Eve,

Your handmaiden?"

6 Then God said to him, "O Adam, see, he is lord and master

of all you have, he who said, he would give you divinity.

Where is this love for you? And where is the gift he promised?

7 Did it please him just once, O Adam, to come to you,

comfort you, strengthen you, rejoice with you, or send his

hosts to protect you; because you have obeyed him, and have

yielded to his counsel; and have followed his commandment

and transgressed Mine?"

8 Then Adam cried before the Lord, and said, "O Lord

because I transgressed a little, You have severely punished

me in return for it, I ask You to deliver me out of his

hands; or else have pity on me, and take my soul out of my

body now in this strange land."

9 Then God said to Adam, "If only there had been this

sighing and praying before, before you transgressed! Then

would you have rest from the trouble in which you are now."

10 But God had patience with Adam, and let him and Eve

remain in the cave until they had fulfilled the forty days.

11 But as to Adam and Eve, their strength and flesh

withered from fasting and praying, from hunger and thirst;

for they had not tasted either food or drink since they

left the garden; nor were the functions of their bodies yet

settled; and they had no strength left to continue in

prayer from hunger, until the end of the next day to the

fortieth. They were fallen down in the cave; yet what

speech escaped from their mouths, was only in praises.

Chapter LX - The Devil appears like an old man.

He offers "a place of rest."

1 Then on the eighty-ninth day, Satan came to the

cave, clad in a garment of light, and girt about with a

bright girdle.

2 In his hands was a staff of light, and he looked most awful;

but his face was pleasant and his speech was sweet.

3 He thus transformed himself in order to deceive Adam

and Eve, and to make them come out of the cave, before they

had fulfilled the forty days.

4 For he said within himself, "Now that when they had

fulfilled the forty days' fasting and praying, God would

restore them to their former state; but if He did not do

so, He would still be favorable to them; and even if He had

not mercy on them, would He yet give them something from

the garden to comfort them; as already twice before."

5 Then Satan drew near the cave in this fair

appearance, and said: --

6 "O Adam, get up, stand up, you and Eve, and come

along with me, to a good land; and don't be afraid. I am

flesh and bones like you; and at first I was a creature

that God created.

7 And it was so, that when He had created me, He placed me

in a garden in the north, on the border of the world.

8 And He said to me, 'Stay here!' And I remained there

according to His Word, neither did I transgress His commandment.

9 Then He made a slumber to come over me, and He brought you,

O Adam, out of my side, but did not make you stay with me.

10 But God took you in His divine hand, and placed you

in a garden to the eastward.

11 Then I worried about you, for that while God had

taken you out of my side, He had not let you stay with me.

12 But God said to me: 'Do not worry about Adam, whom

I brought out of your side; no harm will come to him.

13 For now I have brought out of his side a help-meet*

for him; and I have given him joy by so doing.' "

14 Then Satan said again, "I did not know how it is

you are in this cave, nor anything about this trial that

has come over you -- until God said to me, 'Behold, Adam

has transgressed, he whom I had taken out of your side, and

Eve also, whom I took out of his side; and I have driven

them out of the garden; I have made them live in a land of

sorrow and misery, because they transgressed against Me,

and have obeyed Satan. And look, they are in suffering

until this day, the eightieth.'

15 Then God said to me, 'Get up, go to them, and make

them come to your place, and suffer not that Satan come

near them, and afflict them. For they are now in great

misery; and lie helpless from hunger.'

16 He further said to me, 'When you have taken them to

yourself, give them to eat of the fruit of the Tree of

Life, and give them to drink of the water of peace; and

clothe them in a garment of light, and restore them to

their former state of grace, and leave them not in misery,

for they came from you. But grieve not over them, nor

repent of that which has come over them.

17 But when I heard this, I was sorry; and my heart

could not patiently bear it for your sake, O my child.

18 But, O Adam, when I heard the name of Satan, I was afraid,

and I said within myself, I will not come out because he might

trap me as he did my children, Adam and Eve.

19 And I said, 'O God, when I go to my children,

Satan will meet me in the way, and war against me,

as he did against them.'

20 Then God said to me, 'Fear not; when you find him,

hit him with the staff that is in thine hand, and don't be

afraid of him, for you are of old standing, and he shall

not prevail against you.'

21 Then I said, 'O my Lord, I am old, and cannot go.

Send Your angels to bring them.'

22 But God said to me, 'Angels, verily, are not like

them; and they will not consent to come with them. But I

have chosen you, because they are your offspring and are

like you, and they will listen to what you say.'

23 God said further to me, 'If you don't have enough

strength to walk, I will send a cloud to carry you and set

you down at the entrance of their cave; then the cloud will

return and leave you there.

24 And if they will come with you, I will send a cloud

to carry you and them.'

25 Then He commanded a cloud, and it bear me up and

brought me to you; and then went back.

26 And now, O my children, Adam and Eve, look at my

old gray hair and at my feeble state, and at my coming from

that distant place. Come, come with me, to a place of rest."

27 Then he began to cry and to sob before Adam and

Eve, and his tears poured on the ground like water.

28 And when Adam and Eve raised their eyes and saw his

beard, and heard his sweet talk, their hearts softened

towards him; they obeyed him, for they believed he was true.

29 And it seemed to them that they were really his

offspring, when they saw that his face was like their own;

and they trusted him.

* The existence of the two words helpmeet and helpmate,

meaning exactly the same thing, is a comedy of errors.

God's promise to Adam, as rendered in the King James

version of the Bible, was to give him an help meet for

him (that is, a helper fit for him). In the 17th century

the two words help and meet in this passage were mistaken

for one word, applying to Eve, and thus helpmeet came to

mean a wife. Then in the 18th century, in a misguided

attempt to make sense of the word, the spelling helpmate

was introduced. Both errors are now beyond recall, and both

spellings are acceptable.

Chapter LXI - They begin to follow Satan.

1 Then he took Adam and Eve by the hand, and began to

bring them out of the cave.

2 But when they had come a little ways out of it, God

knew that Satan had overcome them, and had brought them out

before the forty days were ended, to take them to some

distant place, and to destroy them.

3 Then the Word of the Lord God again came and cursed

Satan, and drove him away from them.

4 And God began to speak to Adam and Eve, saying to

them, "What made you come out of the cave, to this place?"

5 Then Adam said to God, "Did you create a man before

us? For when we were in the cave there suddenly came to us

a friendly old man who said to us, 'I am a messenger from

God to you, to bring you back to some place of rest.'

6 And we believed, O God, that he was a messenger from

you; and we came out with him; and knew not where we should

go with him."

7 Then God said to Adam, "See, that is the father of

evil arts, who brought you and Eve out of the Garden of

Delights. And now, indeed, when he saw that you and Eve

both joined together in fasting and praying, and that you

came not out of the cave before the end of the forty days,

he wished to make your purpose vein, to break your mutual

bond; to cut off all hope from you, and to drive you to

some place where he might destroy you.

8 Because he couldn't do anything to you unless he

showed himself in the likeness of you.

9 Therefore he came to you with a face like your own,

and began to give you tokens as if they were all true.

10 But because I am merciful and am favorable to you,

I did not allow him to destroy you; instead I drove him

away from you.

11 Now, therefore, O Adam, take Eve, and return to

your cave, and remain in it until the morning after the

fortieth day. And when you come out, go towards the

eastern gate of the garden."

12 Then Adam and Eve worshipped God, and praised and

blessed Him for the deliverance that had come to them from

Him. And they returned towards the cave. This happened in

the evening of the thirty-ninth day.

13 Then Adam and Eve stood up and with a fiery passion,

prayed to God, to give them strength; for they had become

weak because of hunger and thirst and prayer. But they

watched the whole of that night praying, until morning.

14 Then Adam said to Eve, "Get up, let us go towards

the eastern gate of the garden as God told us."

15 And they said their prayers as they were accustomed

to do every day; and they left the cave to go near to the

eastern gate of the garden.

16 Then Adam and Eve stood up and prayed, and appealed

to God to strengthen them, and to send them something to

satisfy their hunger.

17 But after they finished their prayers, they were

too weak to move.

18 Then came the Word of God again, and said to them,

"O Adam, get up, go and bring the two figs here."

19 Then Adam and Eve got up, and went until they came

near to the cave.

Chapter LXII - Two fruit trees.

1 But Satan the wicked was envious, because of the

consolation God had given them.

2 So he prevented them, and went into the cave and

took the two figs, and buried them outside the cave, so

that Adam and Eve should not find them. He also had in his

thoughts to destroy them.

3 But by God's mercy, as soon as those two figs were

in the ground, God defeated Satan's counsel regarding them;

and made them into two fruit trees, that overshadowed the

cave. For Satan had buried them on the eastern side of it.

4 Then when the two trees were grown, and were covered

with fruit, Satan grieved and mourned, and said, "It would

have been better to have left those figs where they were;

for now, behold, they have become two fruit trees, whereof

Adam will eat all the days of his life. Whereas I had in

mind, when I buried them, to destroy them entirely, and to

hide them forever.

5 But God has overturned my counsel; and would not

that this sacred fruit should perish; and He has made plain

my intention, and has defeated the counsel I had formed

against His servants."

6 Then Satan went away ashamed because he hadn't

thought his plans all the way through.

Chapter LXIII - The first joy of trees.

1 But Adam and Eve, as they got closer to the cave,

saw two fig trees, covered with fruit, and overshadowing

the cave.

2 Then Adam said to Eve, "It seems to me that we have

gone the wrong way. When did these two trees grow here?

It seems to me that the enemy wishes to lead us the wrong

way. Do you suppose that there is another cave besides

this one in the earth?

3 Yet, O Eve, let us go into the cave, and find in it

the two figs; for this is our cave, in which we were. But

if we should not find the two figs in it, then it cannot be

our cave."

4 They went then into the cave, and looked into the

four corners of it, but found not the two figs.

5 And Adam cried and said to Eve, "Did we go to the

wrong cave, then, O Eve? It seems to me these two fig

trees are the two figs that were in the cave." And Eve

said, "I, for my part, do not know."

6 Then Adam stood up and prayed and said, "O God, You

commanded us to come back to the cave, to take the two figs,

and then to return to you.

7 But now, we have not found them. O God, have you

taken them, and sown these two trees, or have we gone

astray in the earth; or has the enemy deceived us? If it

be real, then, O God, reveal to us the secret of these two

trees and of the two figs."

8 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him,

"O Adam, when I sent you to fetch the figs, Satan went

before you to the cave, took the figs, and buried them

outside, eastward of the cave, thinking to destroy them;

and not sowing them with good intent.

9 Not for his mere sake, then, have these trees grown

up at once; but I had mercy on you and I commanded them to

grow. And they grew to be two large trees, that you be

overshadowed by their branches, and find rest; and that I

made you see My power and My marvelous works.

10 And, also, to show you Satan's meanness, and his

evil works, for ever since you came out of the garden, he

has not ceased, no, not one day, from doing you some harm.

But I have not given him power over you."

11 And God said, "From now on, O Adam, rejoice on

account of the trees, you and Eve; and rest under them when

you feel weary. But do not eat any of their fruit or come

near them."

12 Then Adam cried, and said, "O God, will You again

kill us, or will You drive us away from before Your face,

and cut our life from off the face of the earth?

13 O God, I beg you, if You know that there be in

these trees either death or some other evil, as at the

first time, root them up from near our cave, and with them;

and leave us to die of the heat, of hunger and of thirst.

14 For we know Your marvelous works, O God, that they

are great, and that by Your power You can bring one thing

out of another, without one's wish. For Your power can

make rocks to become trees, and trees to become rocks."

Chapter LXIV - Adam and Eve partake of the first earthly food.

1 Then God looked at Adam and at his strength of mind,

at his endurance of hunger and thirst, and of the heat.

And He changed the two fig trees into two figs, as they

were at first, and then said to Adam and to Eve, "Each of

you may take one fig." And they took them, as the Lord

commanded them.

2 And He said to them, "You must now go into the cave

and eat the figs, and satisfy your hunger, or else you will die."

3 So, as God commanded them, they went into the cave

about sunset. And Adam and Eve stood up and prayed during

the setting sun.

4 Then they sat down to eat the figs; but they knew

not how to eat them; for they were not accustomed to eat

earthly food. They were afraid that if they ate, their

stomach would be burdened and their flesh thickened, and

their hearts would take to liking earthly food.

5 But while they were thus seated, God, out of pity

for them, sent them His angel, so they wouldn't perish of

hunger and thirst.

6 And the angel said to Adam and Eve, "God says to you

that you do not have the strength that would be required to

fast until death; eat, therefore, and strengthen your

bodies; for you are now animal flesh and cannot subsist

without food and drink."

7 Then Adam and Eve took the figs and began to eat of

them. But God had put into them a mixture as of savory

bread and blood.

8 Then the angel went from Adam and Eve, who ate of

the figs until they had satisfied their hunger. Then they

put aside what was left; but by the power of God, the figs

became whole again, because God blessed them.

9 After this Adam and Eve got up, and prayed with a

joyful heart and renewed strength, and praised and rejoiced

abundantly the whole of that night. And this was the end

of the eighty-third day.

Chapter LXV - Adam and Eve acquire digestive organs.

Final hope of returning to the Garden is lost.

1 And when it was day, they got up and prayed, after

their custom, and then went out of the cave.

2 But they became sick from the food they had eaten

because they were not used to it, so they went about in the

cave saying to each other: --

3 "What has our eating caused to happen to us, that we

should be in such pain? We are in misery, we shall die!

It would have been better for us to have died keeping our

bodies pure than to have eaten and defiled them with food."

4 Then Adam said to Eve, "This pain did not come to us

in the garden, neither did we eat such bad food there. Do

you think, O Eve, that God will plague us through the food

that is in us, or that our innards will come out; or that

God means to kill us with this pain before He has fulfilled

His promise to us?"

5 Then Adam besought the Lord and said, "O Lord, let

us not perish through the food we have eaten. O Lord,

don't punish us; but deal with us according to Your great

mercy, and forsake us not until the day of the promise You

have made us."

6 Then God looked at them, and then fitted them for

eating food at once; as to this day; so that they should

not perish.

7 Then Adam and Eve came back into the cave sorrowful

and crying because of the alteration of their bodies.

And they both knew from that hour that they were altered

beings, that all hope of returning to the garden was now

lost; and that they could not enter it.

8 For that now their bodies had strange functions; and

all flesh that requires food and drink for its existence,

cannot be in the garden.

9 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold, our hope is now

lost; and so is our trust to enter the garden. We no

longer belong to the inhabitants of the garden; but from

now on we are earthy and of the dust, and of the

inhabitants of the earth. We shall not return to the

garden, until the day in which God has promised to save us,

and to bring us again into the garden, as He promised us."

10 Then they prayed to God that He would have mercy on

them; after which, their mind was quieted, their hearts

were broken, and their longing was cooled down; and they

were like strangers on earth. That night Adam and Eve

spent in the cave, where they slept heavily by reason of

the food they had eaten.

Chapter LXVI - Adam does his first day's work.

1 When it was morning, the day after they had eaten

food, Adam and Eve prayed in the cave, and Adam said to

Eve, "Look, we asked for food of God, and He gave it. But

now let us also ask Him to give us a drink of water."

2 Then they got up, and went to the bank of the stream

of water, that was on the south border of the garden, in

which they had before thrown themselves. And they stood on

the bank, and prayed to God that He would command them to

drink of the water.

3 Then the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him,

"O Adam, your body has become brutish, and requires water

to drink. Take some and drink it, you and Eve, then give

thanks and praise."

4 Adam and Eve then went down to the stream and drank

from it, until their bodies felt refreshed. After having

drunk, they praised God, and then returned to their cave,

after their former custom. This happened at the end of

eighty-three days.

5 Then on the eighty-fourth day, they took the two

figs and hung them in the cave, together with the leaves

thereof, to be to them a sign and a blessing from God. And

they placed them there so that if their descendants came

there, they would see the wonderful things God had done for

them.

6 Then Adam and Eve again stood outside the cave, and

asked God to show them some food with which they could

nourish their bodies.

7 Then the Word of God came and said to him, "O Adam,

go down to the westward of the cave until you come to a

land of dark soil, and there you shall find food."

8 And Adam obeyed the Word of God, took Eve, and went

down to a land of dark soil, and found there wheat* growing

in the ear and ripe, and figs to eat; and Adam rejoiced

over it.

9 Then the Word of God came again to Adam, and said to

him, "Take some of this wheat and make yourselves some

bread with it, to nourish your body therewith." And God

gave Adam's heart wisdom, to work out the corn until it

became bread.

10 Adam accomplished all that, until he grew very

faint and weary. He then returned to the cave; rejoicing

at what he had learned of what is done with wheat, until it

is made into bread for one's use.

* In this book, the terms 'corn' and 'wheat' are used

interchangeably. The reference is possibly used to

indicate a type of ancient grain resembling Egyptian Corn

also known as Durra. Durra is a wheat-like cereal grain

frequently cultivated in dry regions such as Egypt.

Chapter LXVII - "Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve. . . ."

1 When Adam and Eve went down to the land of black mud

and came near to the wheat God had showed them and saw that

it was ripe and ready for reaping, they did not have a

sickle to reap it with. So they readied themselves, and

began to pull up the wheat by hand, until it was all done.

2 Then they heaped it into a pile; and, faint from

heat and from thirst, they went under a shady tree, where

the breeze fanned them to sleep.

3 But Satan saw what Adam and Eve had done. And he

called his hosts, and said to them, "Since God has shown to

Adam and Eve all about this wheat, wherewith to strengthen

their bodies -- and, look, they have come and made a big

pile of it, and faint from the toil are now asleep -- come,

let us set fire to this heap of corn, and burn it, and let

us take that bottle of water that is by them, and empty it

out, so that they may find nothing to drink, and we kill

them with hunger and thirst.

4 Then, when they wake up from their sleep, and seek

to return to the cave, we will come to them in the way, and

will lead them astray; so that they die of hunger and

thirst; when they may, perhaps, deny God, and He destroy

them. So shall we be rid of them."

5 Then Satan and his hosts set the wheat on fire and

burned it up.

6 But from the heat of the flame Adam and Eve awoke

from their sleep, and saw the wheat burning, and the bucket

of water by them, poured out.

7 Then they cried and went back to the cave.

8 But as they were going up from below the mountain

where they were, Satan and his hosts met them in the form

of angels, praising God.

9 Then Satan said to Adam, "O Adam, why are you so

pained with hunger and thirst? It seems to me that Satan

has burnt up the wheat." And Adam said to him, "Yes."

10 Again Satan said to Adam, "Come back with us; we

are angels of God. God sent us to you, to show you another

field of corn, better than that; and beyond it is a

fountain of good water, and many trees, where you shall

live near it, and work the corn field to better purpose

than that which Satan has consumed."

11 Adam thought that he was true, and that they were

angels who talked with him; and he went back with them.

12 Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve eight

days, until they both fell down as if dead, from hunger,

thirst, and faintness. Then he fled with his hosts, and

left them.

Chapter LXVIII - How destruction and trouble is of Satan

when he is the master. Adam and Eve establish the custom

of worship.

1 Then God looked at Adam and Eve, and at what had

come over them from Satan, and how he had made them perish.

2 God, therefore, sent His Word, and raised up Adam

and Eve from their state of death.

3 Then, Adam, when he was raised, said, "O God, You

have burnt and taken from us the corn You have given us,

and You have emptied out the bucket of water. And You have

sent Your angels, who have caused us to lose our way from

the corn field. Will You make us perish? If this be from

you, O God, then take away our souls; but punish us not."

4 Then God said to Adam, "I did not burn down the

wheat, and I did not pour the water out of the bucket, and

I did not send My angels to lead you astray.

5 But it is Satan, your master who did it; he to whom

you have subjected yourself; my commandment being meanwhile

set aside. He it is, who burnt down the corn, and poured

out the water, and who has led you astray; and all the

promises he has made you were just a trick, a deception,

and a lie.

6 But now, O Adam, you shall acknowledge My good deeds

done to you."

7 And God told His angels to take Adam and Eve, and to

bear them up to the field of wheat, which they found as

before, with the bucket full of water.

8 There they saw a tree, and found on it solid manna;

and wondered at God's power. And the angels commanded them

to eat of the manna when they were hungry.

9 And God admonished Satan with a curse, not to come

again, and destroy the field of corn.

10 Then Adam and Eve took of the corn, and made of it

an offering, and took it and offered it up on the mountain,

the place where they had offered up their first offering of

blood.

11 And they offered this offering again on the altar

they had built at first. And they stood up and prayed, and

besought the Lord saying, "Thus, O God, when we were in the

garden, our praises went up to you, like this offering;

and our innocence went up to you like incense. But now, O

God, accept this offering from us, and don't turn us away,

deprived of Your mercy."

12 Then God said to Adam and Eve, "Since you have made

this offering and have offered it to Me, I shall make it My

flesh, when I come down on earth to save you; and I shall

cause it to be offered continually on an altar, for

forgiveness and for mercy, for those who partake of it

duly."

13 And God sent a bright fire over the offering of

Adam and Eve, and filled it with brightness, grace, and

light; and the Holy Ghost came down on that offering.

14 Then God commanded an angel to take fire tongs,

like a spoon, and with it to take an offering and bring it

to Adam and Eve. And the angel did so, as God had

commanded him, and offered it to them.

15 And the souls of Adam and Eve were brightened, and

their hearts were filled with joy and gladness and with the

praises of God.

16 And God said to Adam, "This shall be to you a

custom, to do so, when affliction and sorrow come over you.

But your deliverance and your entrance in to the garden,

shall not be until the days are fulfilled as agreed between

you and Me; were it not so, I would, of My mercy and pity

for you, bring you back to My garden and to My favor for

the sake of the offering you have just made to My name."

17 Adam rejoiced at these words which he heard from

God; and he and Eve worshipped before the altar, to which

they bowed, and then went back to the Cave of Treasures.

18 And this took place at the end of the twelfth day

after the eightieth day, from the time Adam and Eve came

out of the garden.

19 And they stood up the whole night praying until

morning; and then went out of the cave.

20 Then Adam said to Eve, with joy of heart, because

of the offering they had made to God, and that had been

accepted of Him, "Let us do this three times every week, on

the fourth day Wednesday, on the preparation day Friday,

and on the Sabbath Sunday, all the days of our life."

21 And as they agreed to these words between

themselves, God was pleased with their thoughts, and with

the resolution they had each taken with the other.

22 After this, came the Word of God to Adam, and said,

"O Adam, you have determined beforehand the days in which

sufferings shall come over Me, when I am made flesh; for

they are the fourth Wednesday, and the preparation day

Friday.

23 But as to the first day, I created in it all

things, and I raised the heavens. And, again, through My

rising again on this day, will I create joy, and raise them

on high, who believe in Me; O Adam, offer this offering,

all the days of your life."

24 Then God withdrew His Word from Adam.

25 But Adam continued to offer this offering thus,

every week three times, until the end of seven weeks. And

on the first day, which is the fiftieth, Adam made an

offering as he was accustomed, and he and Eve took it and

came to the altar before God, as He had taught them.

Chapter LXIX - Twelfth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve,

while Adam was praying over the offering on the altar; when

Satan beat him.

1 Then Satan, the hater of all good, envious of Adam

and of his offering through which he found favor with God,

hastened and took a sharp stone from among the sharp iron

stones; appeared in the form of a man, and went and stood

by Adam and Eve.

2 Adam was then offering on the altar, and had begun

to pray, with his hands spread before God.

3 Then Satan hastened with the sharp iron stone he had

with him, and with it pierced Adam on the right side, from

which flowed blood and water, then Adam fell on the altar

like a corpse. And Satan fled.

4 Then Eve came, and took Adam and placed him below

the altar. And there she stayed, crying over him; while a

stream of blood flowed from Adam's side over his offering.

5 But God looked at the death of Adam. He then sent

His Word, and raised him up and said to him, "Fulfil your

offering, for indeed, Adam, it is worth much, and there is

no shortcoming in it."

6 God said further to Adam, "Thus will it also happen

to Me, on the earth, when I shall be pierced and blood and

water shall flow from My side and run over My body, which

is the true offering; and which shall be offered on the

altar as a perfect offering."

7 Then God commanded Adam to finish his offering, and

when he had ended it he worshipped before God, and praised

Him for the signs He had showed him.

8 And God healed Adam in one day, which is the end of

the seven weeks; and that is the fiftieth day.

9 Then Adam and Eve returned from the mountain, and

went into the Cave of Treasures, as they were used to do.

This completed for Adam and Eve, one hundred and forty days

since their coming out of the garden.

10 Then they both stood up that night and prayed to

God. And when it was morning, they went out, and went down

westward of the cave, to the place where their corn was,

and there rested under the shadow of a tree, as they were

accustomed.

11 But when there a multitude of beasts came all

around them. It was Satan's doing, in his wickedness; in

order to wage war against Adam through marriage.

Chapter LXX - Thirteenth apparition of Satan, to trick Adam

into marrying Eve.

1 After this Satan, the hater of all good, took the

form of an angel, and with him two others, so that they

looked like the three angels who had brought to Adam gold,

incense, and myrrh.

2 They passed before Adam and Eve while they were

under the tree, and greeted Adam and Eve with fair words

that were full of deceit.

3 But when Adam and Eve saw their pleasant expression,

and heard their sweet speech, Adam rose, welcomed them, and

brought them to Eve, and they remained all together; Adam's

heart the while, being glad because he thought concerning

them, that they were the same angels, who had brought him

gold, incense, and myrrh.

4 Because, when they came to Adam the first time,

there came over him from them, peace and joy, through their

bringing him good tokens; so Adam thought that they had

come a second time to give him other tokens for him to

rejoice therewith. For he did not know it was Satan;

therefore he received them with joy and consorted with

them.

5 Then Satan, the tallest of them, said, "Rejoice, O

Adam, and be glad. Look, God has sent us to you to tell

you something."

6 And Adam said, "What is it?" Then Satan answered,

"It is a simple thing, yet it is the Word of God, will you

accept it from us and do it? But if you will not accept

it, we will return to God, and tell Him that you would not

receive His Word."

7 And Satan said again to Adam, "Don't be afraid and

don't tremble; don't you know us?"

8 But Adam said, "I do not know you."

9 Then Satan said to him, "I am the angel that brought

you gold, and took it to the cave; this other angel is the

one that brought you incense; and that third angel, is the

one who brought you myrrh when you were on top of the

mountain, and who carried you to the cave.

10 But as to the other angels our fellows, who bare

you to the cave, God has not sent them with us this time;

for He said to us, 'You will be enough'. "

11 So when Adam heard these words he believed them,

and said to these angels, "Speak the Word of God, that I

may receive it."

12 And Satan said to him, "Swear, and promise me that

you will receive it."

13 Then Adam said, "I do not know how to swear and

promise."

14 And Satan said to him, "Hold out your hand, and put

it inside my hand."

15 Then Adam held out his hand, and put it into

Satan's hand; when Satan said to him, "Say, now -- So true

as God is living, rational, and speaking, who raised the

stars in heaven, and established the dry ground on the

waters, and has created me out of the four elements*, and

out of the dust of the earth -- I will not break my

promise, nor renounce my word."

16 And Adam swore thus.

17 Then Satan said to him, "Look, it is now some time

since you came out of the garden, and you know neither

wickedness nor evil. But now God says to you, to take Eve

who came out of your side, and to marry her so that she

will bear you children, to comfort you, and to drive from

you trouble and sorrow; now this thing is not difficult,

neither is there any scandal in it to you.

* See the previous footnote in chapter XXXIV regarding

the 'four elements'.

Chapter LXXI - Adam is troubled by the thought of marrying Eve.

1 But when Adam heard these words from Satan, he

sorrowed much, because of his oath and of his promise, and

said, "Shall I commit adultery with my flesh and my bones,

and shall I sin against myself, for God to destroy me, and

to blot me out from off the face of the earth?

2 Since, when at first, I ate of the tree, He drove me

out of the garden into this strange land, and deprived me

of my bright nature, and brought death over me. If, then,

I should do this, He will cut off my life from the earth,

and He will cast me into hell, and will plague me there a

long time.

3 But God never spoke the words that you have said;

and you are not God's angels, and you weren't sent from

Him. But you are devils that have come to me under the

false appearance of angels. Away from me; you cursed of

God!"

4 Then those devils fled from before Adam. And he and

Eve got up, and returned to the Cave of Treasures, and went

into it.

5 Then Adam said to Eve, "If you saw what I did, don't

tell anyone; for I sinned against God in swearing by His

great name, and I have placed my hand another time into

that of Satan." Eve, then, held her peace, as Adam told

her.

6 Then Adam got up, and spread his hands before God,

beseeching and entreating Him with tears, to forgive him

what he had done. And Adam remained thus standing and

praying forty days and forty nights. He neither ate nor

drank until he dropped down on the ground from hunger and

thirst.

7 Then God sent His Word to Adam, who raised him up

from where he lay, and said to him, "O Adam, why have you

sworn by My name, and why have you made agreement with

Satan another time?"

8 But Adam cried, and said, "O God, forgive me, for I

did this unwittingly; believing they were God's angels."

9 And God forgave Adam, saying to him, "Beware of

Satan."

10 And He withdrew His Word from Adam.

11 Then Adam's heart was comforted; and he took Eve,

and they went out of the cave, to prepare some food for

their bodies.

12 But from that day Adam struggled in his mind about

his marrying Eve; afraid that if he was to do it, God would

be angry with him.

13 Then Adam and Eve went to the river of water, and

sat on the bank, as people do when they enjoy themselves.

14 But Satan was jealous of them; and planned to destroy them.

Chapter LXXII - Adam's heart is set on fire.

Satan appears as beautiful maidens.

1 Then Satan, and ten from his hosts, transformed

themselves into maidens, unlike any others in the whole

world for grace.

2 They came up out of the river in presence of Adam

and Eve, and they said among themselves, "Come, we will

look at the faces of Adam and Eve, who are of the men on

earth. How beautiful they are, and how different is their

look from our own faces." Then they came to Adam and Eve,

and greeted them; and stood wondering at them.

3 Adam and Eve looked at them also, and wondered at

their beauty, and said, "Is there, then, under us, another

world, with such beautiful creatures as these in it?"

4 And those maidens said to Adam and Eve, "Yes,

indeed, we are an abundant creation."

5 Then Adam said to them, "But how do you multiply?"

6 And they answered him, "We have husbands who have

married us, and we bear them children, who grow up,

and who in their turn marry and are married, and also

bear children; and thus we increase. And if so be, O Adam,

you will not believe us, we will show you our husbands

and our children."

7 Then they shouted over the river as if to call their

husbands and their children, who came up from the river,

men and children; and every man came to his wife, his

children being with him.

8 But when Adam and Eve saw them, they stood dumb, and

wondered at them.

9 Then they said to Adam and Eve, "See all our husbands

and our children? You should marry Eve, as we have married

our husbands, so that you will have children as we have."

This was a device of Satan to deceive Adam.

10 Satan also thought within himself, "God at first

commanded Adam concerning the fruit of the tree, saying to

him, 'Eat not of it; else of death you shall die.' But

Adam ate of it, and yet God did not kill him; He only

decreed on him death, and plagues and trials, until the day

he shall come out of his body.

11 Now, then, if I deceive him to do this thing, and to marry

Eve without God's permission, God will kill him then."

12 Therefore Satan worked this apparition before Adam

and Eve; because he sought to kill him, and to make him

disappear from off the face of the earth.

13 Meanwhile the fire of sin came over Adam, and he

thought of committing sin. But he restrained himself,

fearing that if he followed this advice of Satan, God would

put him to death.

14 Then Adam and Eve got up, and prayed to God, while

Satan and his hosts went down into the river, in presence

of Adam and Eve; to let them see that they were going back

to their own world.

15 Then Adam and Eve went back to the Cave of

Treasures, as they usually did; about evening time.

16 And they both got up and prayed to God that night.

Adam remained standing in prayer, yet not knowing how to

pray, by reason of the thoughts in his heart regarding his

marrying Eve; and he continued so until morning.

17 And when light came up, Adam said to Eve, "Get up,

let us go below the mountain, where they brought us gold,

and let us ask the Lord concerning this matter."

18 Then Eve said, "What is that matter, O Adam?"

19 And he answered her, "That I may request the Lord

to inform me about marrying you; for I will not do it

without His permission or else He will make us perish, you

and me. For those devils have set my heart on fire, with

thoughts of what they showed us, in their sinful

apparitions.

20 Then Eve said to Adam, "Why need we go below the

mountain? Let us rather stand up and pray in our cave to

God, to let us know whether this counsel is good or not."

21 Then Adam rose up in prayer and said, "O God, you

know that we transgressed against you, and from the moment

we transgressed, we were stripped of our bright nature; and

our body became brutish, requiring food and drink; and with

animal desires.

22 Command us, O God, not to give way to them without

Your permission, for fear that You will turn us into

nothing. Because if you do not give us permission, we

shall be overpowered, and follow that advice of Satan; and

You will again make us perish.

23 If not, then take our souls from us; let us be rid

of this animal lust. And if You give us no order

respecting this thing, then sever Eve from me, and me from

her; and place us each far away from the other.

24 Then again, O God, if You separate us from each

other, the devils will deceive us with their apparitions

that resemble us, and destroy our hearts, and defile our

thoughts towards each other. Yet if it is not each of us

towards the other, it will, at all events, be through their

appearance when the devils come to us in our likeness."

Here Adam ended his prayer.

Chapter LXXIII - The marriage of Adam and Eve.

1 Then God considered the words of Adam that they were

true, and that he could long await His order, respecting

the counsel of Satan.

2 And God approved Adam in what he had thought

concerning this, and in the prayer he had offered in His

presence; and the Word of God came to Adam and said to him,

"O Adam, if only you had had this caution at first, before

you came out of the garden into this land!"

3 After that, God sent His angel who had brought gold,

and the angel who had brought incense, and the angel who

had brought myrrh to Adam, that they should inform him

respecting his marriage to Eve.

4 Then those angels said to Adam, "Take the gold and

give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and promise to marry her;

then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be

you, you and she, one flesh."

5 Adam obeyed the angels, and took the gold and put it

into Eve's bosom in her garment; and promised to marry her

with his hand.

6 Then the angels commanded Adam and Eve to get up and

pray forty days and forty nights; when that was done, then

Adam was to have sexual intercourse with his wife; for then

this would be an act pure and undefiled; so that he would

have children who would multiply, and replenish the face of

the earth.

7 Then both Adam and Eve received the words of the

angels; and the angels departed from them.

8 Then Adam and Eve began to fast and pray, until the

end of the forty days; and then they had sexual

intercourse, as the angels had told them. And from the

time Adam left the garden until he wedded Eve, were two

hundred and twenty-three days, that is seven months and

thirteen days.

9 Thus was Satan's war with Adam defeated.

Chapter LXXIV - The birth of Cain and Luluwa.

Why they received those names.

1 And they lived on the earth working in order to keep

their bodies in good health; and they continued so until

the nine months of Eve's pregnancy were over, and the time

drew near when she must give birth.

2 Then she said to Adam, "The signs placed in this

cave since we left the garden indicate that this is a pure

place and we will be praying in it again some time. It is

not appropriate then, that I should give birth in it. Let

us instead go to the sheltering rock cave that was formed

by the command of God when Satan threw a big rock down on

us in an attempt to kill us with it.

3 Adam then took Eve to that cave. When the time came

for her to give birth, she strained a lot. Adam felt

sorry, and he was very worried about her because she was

close to death and the words of God to her were being

fulfilled: "In suffering shall you bear a child, and in

sorrow shall you bring forth a child."

4 But when Adam saw the distress in which Eve was, he

got up and prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, look at me

with the eye of Your mercy, and bring her out of her

distress."

5 And God looked at His maid-servant Eve, and

delivered her, and she gave birth to her first-born son,

and with him a daughter.

6 The Adam rejoiced at Eve's deliverance, and also

over the children she had borne him. And Adam ministered

to Eve in the cave, until the end of eight days; when they

named the son Cain, and the daughter Luluwa.

7 The meaning of Cain is "hater," because he hated his

sister in their mother's womb; before they came out of it.

Therefore Adam named him Cain.

8 But Luluwa means "beautiful," because she was more

beautiful than her mother.

9 Then Adam and Eve waited until Cain and his sister

were forty days old, when Adam said to Eve, "We will make

an offering and offer it up in behalf of the children."

10 And Eve said, "We will make one offering for the first-born son

and then later we shall make one for the daughter."

Chapter LXXV - The family revisits the Cave of Treasures.

Birth of Abel and Aklia.

1 Then Adam prepared an offering, and he and Eve

offered it up for their children, and brought it to the

altar they had built at first.

2 And Adam offered up the offering, and asked God to

accept his offering.

3 Then God accepted Adam's offering, and sent a light

from heaven that shown on the offering. Adam and his son

drew near to the offering, but Eve and the daughter did not

approach it.

4 Adam and his son were joyful as they came down from

on the altar. Adam and Eve waited until the daughter was

eighty days old, then Adam prepared an offering and took it

to Eve and to the children. They went to the altar, where

Adam offered it up, as he was accustomed, asking the Lord

to accept his offering.

5 And the Lord accepted the offering of Adam and Eve.

Then Adam, Eve, and the children, drew near together, and

came down from the mountain, rejoicing.

6 But they returned not to the cave in which they were

born; but came to the Cave of Treasures, in order that the

children should go around in it, and be blessed with the

tokens brought from the garden.

7 But after they had been blessed with these tokens,

they went back to the cave in which they were born.

8 However, before Eve had offered up the offering,

Adam had taken her, and had gone with her to the river of

water, in which they threw themselves at first; and there

they washed themselves. Adam washed his body and Eve hers

also clean, after the suffering and distress that had come

over them.

9 But Adam and Eve, after washing themselves in the

river of water, returned every night to the Cave of

Treasures, where they prayed and were blessed; and then

went back to their cave, where their children were born.

10 Adam and Eve did this until the children had been

weaned. After they were weaned, Adam made an offering for

the souls of his children in addition to the three times

every week he made an offering for them.

11 When the children were weaned, Eve again conceived,

and when her pregnancy came to term, she gave birth to

another son and daughter. They named the son Abel and the

daughter Aklia.

12 Then at the end of forty days, Adam made an

offering for the son, and at the end of eighty days he made

another offering for the daughter, and treated them, as he

had previously treated Cain and his sister Luluwa.

13 He brought them to the Cave of Treasures, where

they received a blessing, and then returned to the cave

where they were born. After these children were born, Eve

stopped having children.

Chapter LXXVI - Cain becomes jealous of Abel because of his sisters.

1 And the children began to grow stronger and taller;

but Cain was hard-hearted, and ruled over his younger brother.

2 Often when his father made an offering, Cain would

remain behind and not go with them, to offer up.

3 But, as to Abel, he had a meek heart, and was obedient

to his father and mother. He frequently moved them

to make an offering, because he loved it. He prayed

and fasted a lot.

4 Then came this sign to Abel. As he was coming into

the Cave of Treasures, and saw the golden rods, the incense

and the myrrh, he asked his parents, Adam and Eve, to tell

him about them and asked, "Where did you get these from?"

5 Then Adam told him all that had befallen them. And

Abel felt deeply about what his father told him.

6 Furthermore his father, Adam, told him of the works

of God, and of the garden. After hearing that, Abel

remained behind after his father left and stayed the whole

of that night in the Cave of Treasures.

7 And that night, while he was praying, Satan appeared

to him under the figure of a man, who said to him, "You

have frequently moved your father into making offerings,

fasting and praying, therefore I will kill you, and make

you perish from this world."

8 But as for Abel, he prayed to God, and drove away

Satan from him; and did not believe the words of the devil.

Then when it was day, an angel of God appeared to him, who

said to him, "Do not cut short either fasting, prayer, or

offering up an offering to your God. For, look, the Lord

had accepted your prayer. Be not afraid of the figure

which appeared to you in the night, and who cursed you to

death." And the angel departed from him.

9 Then when it was day, Abel came to Adam and Eve, and

told them of the vision he had seen. When they heard it,

they grieved much over it, but said nothing to him about

it; they only comforted him.

10 But as to the hard-hearted Cain, Satan came to him

by night, showed himself and said to him, "Since Adam and

Eve love your brother Abel so much more than they love you,

they wish to join him in marriage to your beautiful sister

because they love him. However, they wish to join you in

marriage to his ugly sister, because they hate you.

11 Now before they do that, I am telling you that you

should kill your brother. That way your sister will be left

for you, and his sister will be cast away."

12 And Satan departed from him. But the devil

remained behind in Cain's heart, and frequently aspired to

kill his brother.

Chapter LXXVII - Cain, 15 years old, and Abel 12 years old, grow apart.

1 But when Adam saw that the older brother hated the

younger, he endeavored to soften their hearts, and said to

Cain, "O my son, take of the fruits of your sowing and make

an offering to God, so that He might forgive you for your

wickedness and sin."

2 He said also to Abel, "Take some of your sowing and

make an offering and bring it to God, so that He might

forgive you for your wickedness and sin."

3 Then Abel obeyed his father's voice, took some of

his sowing, and made a good offering, and said to his

father, Adam, "Come with me and show me how to offer it

up."

4 And they went, Adam and Eve with him, and they

showed him how to offer up his gift on the altar. Then

after that, they stood up and prayed that God would accept

Abel's offering.

5 Then God looked at Abel and accepted his offering.

And God was more pleased with Abel than with his offering,

because of his good heart and pure body. There was no

trace of guile in him.

6 Then they came down from the altar, and went to the

cave in which they lived. But Abel, by reason of his joy

at having made his offering, repeated it three times a

week, after the example of his father Adam.

7 But as to Cain, he did not want to make an offering,

but after his father became very angry, he offered up a

gift once. He took the smallest of his sheep for an

offering and when he offered it up, his eyes were on the

lamb.

8 Therefore God did not accept his offering, because

his heart was full of murderous thoughts.

9 And they all thus lived together in the cave in

which Eve had brought forth, until Cain was fifteen years

old, and Abel twelve years old.

Chapter LXXVIII - Jealousy overcomes Cain.

He makes trouble in the family.

How the first murder was planned.

1 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold the children are

grown up; we must think of finding wives for them."

2 Then Eve answered, "How can we do it?"

3 Then Adam said to her, "We will join Abel's sister

in marriage to Cain, and Cain's sister to Abel.

4 The said Eve to Adam, "I do not like Cain because he

is hard-hearted; but let them stay with us until we offer

up to the Lord in their behalf."

5 And Adam said no more.

6 Meanwhile Satan came to Cain in the figure of a man

of the field, and said to him, "Behold Adam and Eve have

taken counsel together about the marriage of you two; and

they have agreed to marry Abel's sister to you, and your

sister to him.

7 But if it was not that I love you, I would not have

told you this thing. Yet if you will take my advice, and

obey me, I will bring to you on your wedding day beautiful

robes, gold and silver in plenty, and my relations will

attend you."

8 Then Cain said with joy, "Where are your relations?"

9 And Satan answered, "My relations are in a garden in

the north, where I once meant to bring your father Adam;

but he would not accept my offer.

10 But you, if you will receive my words and if you

will come to me after your wedding, you shall rest from the

misery in which you are; and you shall rest and be better

off than your father Adam."

11 At these words of Satan Cain opened his ears, and

leaned towards his speech.

12 And he did not remain in the field, but he went to

Eve, his mother, and beat her, and cursed her, and said to

her, "Why are you planning to take my sister to wed her to

my brother? Am I dead?"

13 His mother, however, quieted him, and sent him to

the field where he had been.

14 Then when Adam came, she told him of what Cain had

done.

15 But Adam grieved and held his peace, and said not a

word.

16 Then on the next morning Adam said to Cain his son,

"Take of your sheep, young and good, and offer them up to

your God; and I will speak to your brother, to make to his

God an offering of corn."

17 They both obeyed their father Adam, and they took

their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the

altar.

18 But Cain behaved haughtily towards his brother, and

shoved him from the altar, and would not let him offer up

his gift on the altar; but he offered his own on it, with a

proud heart, full of guile, and fraud.

19 But as for Abel, he set up stones that were near at

hand, and on that, he offered up his gift with a heart

humble and free from guile.

20 Cain was then standing by the altar on which he had

offered up his gift; and he cried to God to accept his

offering; but God did not accept it from him; neither did a

divine fire come down to consume his offering.

21 But he remained standing over against the altar,

out of humor and meanness, looking towards his brother

Abel, to see if God would accept his offering or not.

22 And Abel prayed to God to accept his offering.

Then a divine fire came down and consumed his offering.

And God smelled the sweet savor of his offering; because

Abel loved Him and rejoice in Him.

23 And because God was well pleased with him, He sent

him an angel of light in the figure of a man who had

partaken of his offering, because He had smelled the sweet

savor of his offering, and they comforted Abel and

strengthened his heart.

24 But Cain was looking on all that took place at his

brother's offering, and was angry because of it.

25 Then he opened his mouth and blasphemed God,

because He had not accepted his offering.

26 But God said to cain, "Why do you look sad? Be

righteous, that I may accept your offering. Not against Me

have you murmured, but against yourself.

27 And God said this to Cain in rebuke, and because He

abhorred him and his offering.

28 And Cain came down from the altar, his color

changed and with a sad face, and came to his father and

mother and told them all that had befallen him. And Adam

grieved much because God had not accepted Cain's offering.

29 But Abel came down rejoicing, and with a gladsome

heart, and told his father and mother how God had accepted

his offering. And they rejoiced at it and kissed his face.

30 And Abel said to his father, "Because Cain shoved

me from the altar, and would not allow me to offer my gift

on it, I made an altar for myself and offered my gift on

it."

31 But when Adam heard this he was very sorry, because

it was the altar he had built at first, and on which he had

offered his own gifts.

32 As to Cain, he was so resentful and so angry that

he went into the field, where Satan came to him and said to

him, "Since your brother Abel has taken refuge with your

father Adam, because you shoved him from the altar, they

have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him, far more

than over you."

33 When Cain heard these words of Satan, he was

filled with rage; and he let no one know. But he was

laying wait to kill his brother, until he brought him into

the cave, and then said to him: --

34 "O brother, the country is so beautiful, and there

are such beautiful and pleasurable trees in it, and

charming to look at! But brother, you have never been one

day in the field to take your pleasure in that place.

35 Today, O, my brother, I very much wish you would

come with me into the field, to enjoy yourself and to bless

our fields and our flocks, for you are righteous, and I

love you much, O my brother! But you have alienated

yourself from me."

36 Then Abel consented to go with his brother Cain

into the field.

37 But before going out, Cain said to Abel, "Wait for

me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts."

38 Then Abel stood waiting in his innocence. But

Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.

39 And they began, Cain and his brother Abel, to walk

in the way; Cain talking to him, and comforting him, to

make him forget everything.

Chapter LXXIX - A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion.

Cain is frightened. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

The seven punishments. Peace is shattered.

1 And so they went on, until they came to a lonely

place, where there were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain,

"Behold, my brother, we are tired from walking; for we see

none of the trees, nor of the fruits, nor of the

flourishing green plants, nor of the sheep, nor any one of

the things of which you told me. Where are those sheep of

thine you told me to bless?"

2 Then Cain said to him, "Come on, and you shall see

many beautiful things very soon, but go before me, until I

catch up to you."

3 Then went Abel forward, but Cain remained behind him.

4 And Abel was walking in his innocence, without guile;

not believing his brother would kill him.

5 Then Cain, when he came up to him, comforted him with his talk,

walking a little behind him; then he ran up to him and beat him

with the staff, blow after blow, until he was stunned.

6 But when Abel fell down on the ground, seeing that

his brother meant to kill him, he said to Cain, "O, my

brother, have pity on me. By the breasts we have sucked,

don't hit me! By the womb that bore us and that brought us

into the world, don't beat me to death with that staff!

If you will kill me, take one of these large stones

and kill me outright."

7 Then Cain, the hard-hearted, and cruel murderer,

took a large stone, and beat his brother's head with it,

until his brains oozed out, and he wallowed in his blood,

before him.

8 And Cain repented not of what he had done.

9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Abel fell

on it, trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have

destroyed Cain because of it.

10 And the blood of Abel cried mysteriously to God, to

avenge him of his murderer.

11 Then Cain began at once to dig the ground wherein

to lay his brother; for he was trembling from the fear that

came over him, when he saw the earth tremble on his account.

12 He then cast his brother into the pit he made, and

covered him with dust. But the ground would not receive

him; but it threw him up at once.

13 Again Cain dug the ground and hid his brother in it;

but again the ground threw him up on itself; until three times

the ground thus threw up on itself the body of Abel.

14 The muddy ground threw him up the first time,

because he was not the first creation; and it threw him up

the second time and would not receive him, because he was

righteous and good, and was killed without a cause; and the

ground threw him up the third time and would not receive

him, that there might remain before his brother a witness

against him.

15 And so the earth mocked Cain, until the Word of

God, came to him concerning his brother.

16 Then was God angry, and much displeased at Abel's

death; and He thundered from heaven, and lightnings went

before Him, and the Word of the Lord God came from heaven

to Cain, and said to him, "Where is Abel your brother?"

17 Then Cain answered with a proud heart and a gruff

voice, "How, O God? Am I my brother's keeper?"

18 Then God said to Cain, "Cursed be the earth that

has drunk the blood of Abel your brother; and as for you,

you will always be trembling and shaking; and this will be

a mark on you so that whoever finds you, will kill you."

19 But Cain cried because God had said those words to him;

and Cain said to Him, "O God, whosoever finds me shall kill me,

and I shall be blotted out from the face of the earth."

20 Then God said to Cain, "Whoever finds you will not kill you;"

because before this, God had been saying to Cain,

"I shall put seven punishments on anyone that kills Cain."

For as to the word of God to Cain, "Where is your brother?"

God said it in mercy for him, to try and make him repent.

21 For if Cain had repented at that time, and had

said, "O God, forgive me my sin, and the murder of my

brother," God would then have forgiven him his sin.

22 And as to God saying to Cain, "Cursed be the ground

that has drunk the blood of your brother" That also, was

God's mercy on Cain. For God did not curse him, but He

cursed the ground; although it was not the ground that had

killed Abel, and committed a wicked sin.

23 For it was fitting that the curse should fall on

the murderer; yet in mercy did God so manage His thoughts

as that no one should know it, and turn away from Cain.

24 And He said to him, "Where is your brother?"

To which he answered and said, "I know not."

Then the Creator said to him, "Be trembling and quaking."

25 Then Cain trembled and became terrified; and

through this sign did God make him an example before all

the creation, as the murderer of his brother. Also did God

bring trembling and terror over him, that he might see the

peace in which he was at first, and see also the trembling

and terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble

himself before God, and repent of his sin, and seek the

peace that he enjoyed at first.

26 And in the word of God that said, "I will put seven

punishments on anyone who kills Cain," God was not seeking

to kill Cain with the sword, but He sought to make him die

of fasting, and praying and crying by hard rule, until the

time that he was delivered from his sin.

27 And the seven punishments are the seven generations

during which God awaited Cain for the murder of his brother.

28 But as to Cain, ever since he had killed his

brother, he could find no rest in any place; but went back

to Adam and Eve, trembling, terrified, and defiled with blood. . . .