A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

The Book of Adam and Eve Book 4

4:10.

After him Manasseh his son reigned twelve years in Jerusalem. He did much evil, and made the people of Jerusalem worship idols.

Then when he had so transgressed the law of God, Isaias the prophet came to him and rebuked him for the wickednesses he had wrought.

Then Manasseh was angry with him, and commanded valiant and wicked men to take Isaias the prophet, and to saw him asunder with a saw of wood, from his head down to his feet, among the trees of the wilderness; and then to cast him to the beasts (of the field) to devourr him.

And they did so to him. Isaias was then one hundred and twenty years old. His raiment was of shaggy goats hair upon his body; and he fasted regularly every second day (of the week) all the days of his life.

Then Manasseh died; and after him reigned his son Amots, who did evil before God; for he offered sons and daughters in sacrifice unto idols.

Then Amots died; and after him reigned Yusias his son. He was twenty years old when he (began) to reign, and continued twenty-two years in his kingdom in the city of Jerusalem.

He did justice and right before God; and kept the Passover of the Lord, such as the children of Israel never were able to keep, except the one Moses kept for them in the wilderness.

This king [Yusias] purified Jerusalem of all wickedness.

Pharhon the lame, king of Egypt, killed Yusias in Carmelos. Then after Mm Akaz reigned three months.

But Pharhon bound Akaz in chains and sent him into the land of Egypt; and he died in that place.

After his death Yuakem his brother reigned fourteen years; in the third year of his reign, Nabukadanatsor came to the city of Jerusalem, and God delivered Yuakem into his hands; and Yuakem was under his orders, bowed unto him, and paid him tribute; he then sickened and died.

After him reigned his brother Yekonias three months; then came Nabukadanatsor who took captive Yekonias and all his army, and sent them to Babylon.

On the way there, Daniels mother gave him birth. Anania, Azaria, and Misael, sons of Yekonias, were also born on the first transportation of Yuakem.

Then Yekonias died, and after him Zedekias reigned twelve years.

This was the end of kings that reigned over the children of Israel, and all Judah; after them no king was left to them.

And at the end of the fourteenth year of Zedekias, Nabuka danatsor came and transported all the people of Jerusalem, as far as the west, as far as the river Euphrates, as far as the great river.

He laid waste Tyre, and burnt Hiram king of Tyre with fire, who had reigned five hundred years.

Then after this Nabukadanatsor went into Egypt, and put to death Pharhon; destroyed his army, and laid waste the land of Egypt) and then took the city of Jerusalem.

And God delivered Zedekias into his hands, whom he took, and brought out before idols, and set him before the people, and slew his children before him, without pity.

He then put out his eyes, bound his hands with chains and his feet with fetters; and sent him to Babylon, because of his folly, and of the evil he had done to Isaias the prophet, by casting him into springs of water in a marsh.

After this Nabuzaradan captain of the kings army, destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, burnt the House of God with fire; and did all manner of evil to Jerusalem.

Simeon the priest, found favourr and grace with the captain of the kings army, and requested him to give him the house of records; and he gave him a command accordingly.

Then Simeon the priest came in and gathered together the ashes of the books, and laid them in a pot in a vault, and he took a censer of brass, and put fire therein, and threw pure incense upon it, and hung it in the vault over the place in which the ashes of the books lay.

(Nebuzaradan) laid waste Jerusalem, like a wilderness.

And Jeremiah the prophet sat weeping and mourning over Jerusalem twenty years, after which this prophet Jeremiah went into the land of Egypt, and died there.

Then writers and the interpreters destroyed the writings, and the Hebrews changed the writings; and the Syrians and the Greeks rejected many sections of those writings.

So that the children of the people could not ascertain (their kindred), neither could men or women hear who were their fathers or their mothers, except very few of them;

And this was because of the laying waste of Jerusalem; so that until this day, nothing certain is found among the writings, except the chief writings alone, which writings had been translated before the ruin of Jerusalem.

Then again since some of the writings were altered, people could not ascertain how they were married, and could not know who were their wives or daughters; they did not know their names or their kindred; nor the order of generations; neither did they know that of the priesthood.

And Jechonias remained twenty-seven years bound in prison at Babylon.

After that he was released by Marzuk king of Babylon, who gave him to wife, a woman called Dalilah daughter of Eliakim, by whom he had Salathiel in Babylon. Jechonias, Salathiel’s father, died at Babylon.

Then Salathiel took to wife Hadast, daughter of Elkanah; and had by her Zerubbabel.

And Zerubbabel married a woman whose name was Malka, daughter of Ezra the scribe; he had no child by her in Babylon.

Then in the days of Zerubbabel, who was elder among the children of Israel, a Persian king, called Cyrus, who reigned over Babylon, took to wife a woman called Meshar, sister of Zerubbabel, elder among the children of Israel; and he made her queen after the manner of the queens of Persia.

And when she became queen, she found favour with the king, and asked him to show mercy to the children of Israel, and to send them back to the city of Jerusalem.

Cyrus loved much Meshar, sister of Zerubbabel, (even) as his own soul.

So he gave an urgent order that they should go about the whole land of the Chaldaeans, and gather together the children of Israel into Babylon, the house of the kingdom; and they gathered them according to the kings order.

Then Cyrus said to Zerubbabel, his wifes brother: Take your people and go to your city Jerusalem; and rebuild it as it was at first.

Then when dutiful Cyrus had given this order concerning the return of the children of Israel to Jerusalem, in the land of the sanctuary; God appeared unto him in a vision during sleep, and said unto him:

Because you have done this, they shall call you Cyrus the Messianic; and this name, Messianic, shall be given you, because you have sent back strangers to their own city; and because you have given commandment concerning the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Then the children of Israel returned from the captivity of Babylon, Zerubbabel was elder over them; and Josiah, son of Zadok, of the sons of Aaron, was high priest over them;

As the angel of God spake to the prophet Zachariah saying, Those two sons that stand before the Lord of the whole earth shall minister unto them, as becomes their service.

Cyrus had assumed the kingdom two years, when the captivity returned from Babylon; and at the end of that year, the five thousand years (spoken ofJ to Adam were fulfilled.

When the children of Israel returned from Babylon they had not the law, neither was there a book in their hands; inasmuch as the voices of the prophets had departed from among them.

So, when they came to Jerusalem and were settled in it, Ezra the scribe came to the vault in which were the ashes of the books, which Simeon the priest, had gathered together.

And Ezra found the censer that was full of fire, hanging with (smoke of) incense rising from it on high.

Then Ezra prayed to God, wept abundantly, and spread his hand towards the ashes of the books of the law and of the prophets, and all of them three times.

Then came the Spirit of God upon him, and the (same) Spirit spake through him that had spoken through the prophets.

And he wrote the law and the prophets, and made them new a second time.

And the fire which he found in the censer, is the divine fire that was all the time in the House of God.

Then Zerubbabel settled in Jerusalem as king over the children of Israel, and Josiah son of Zadok as high priest, with Ezra the scribe of the law and the prophets also, as chief over the children of Israel.

And the children of Israel kept a solemn Passover unto the Lord, when they returned from their captivity at Babylon.

These were the three great, full and solemn feasts of the Passover, which the children of Israel kept during their existence.

The first Passover was in Egypt, in the days of Moses; the second Passover was in the days of king Josiah; and the third Passover was when they returned from their captivity in Babylon.

4:12.

From the first transportation to Babylon, when they carried away Daniels mother, and she brought him forth, unto the second year of Cyrus the Persian, are seventy years, during which the children of Israel were captive, according to the prophecy of holy Jeremiah the prophet.

And the children of Israel began to build the House of God, in the days of Zerubbabel, of Josiah the son of Zadok, and of Ezra the scribe.

And they were forty-six years building it, until it was finished, as it is written in the holy Gospel, that they were forty-six years building it.

Moreover, scribes arranged tables of genealogy, and recorded the names of the men; they could not record the names of the women because they knew them not, except very few.

But, my brethren, I have watched much, and I have searched long in the books of the Greeks and of the ancient Hebrews, and I have found the name of the women written in them.

For I found that when the children of Israel came from Babylon, that Zerubbabel begat Abiud of Maukabf the daughter of Ezra the scribe; and that Abiud took to wife Tsamita the daughter of Zadok the high priest, and she bare Eliakim.

And Eliakim married Hasbia, the daughter of Aram, and brought forth Azar. And Azar begat Zadok of Lebaida.

And Zadok took to wife Kalem, the daughter of Waikam, who gave birth to Akim.

And Akim married Asbaidi, who gave birth to Eliud. And Eliud married Awad, the daughter of Gasulius, who gave birth to Azar.

And Azar married Hayat, daughter of Walha, who brought forth Mattan; and Mattan married Sabartyal the daughter of Phulius, who brought forth twins, namely, Jacob and Joachim.

And Jacob married Gadat, the daughter of Eleazar, who gave birth to Joseph the betrothed of Mary.

And Joachim, the brother of Jacob, married Hannah the daughter of Makah; and she brought forth the pure Virgin Mary; and of her was born Christ.

The former scribes, however, could not find a good lineage for the Virgin and her father, or kindred; Wherefore did the Jews crucify Christ, and taunt Him, and mock Him, and say to Him, Show us the fathers of Mary the Virgin and her people, and what is her genealogy.

Therefore did they blaspheme her and Christ; henceforth shall the mouth of those unbelieving Jews be closed; and they shall know that Mary is of the seed of David the king, and of that of the patriarch Abraham.

Moreover, the unbelieving Jews had no registers to guide them aright, neither did they know how the lines of kindred ran at first, inasmuch as the law and the prophets were three times burnt (out) from them.

The first time in the days of Antiochus, who burnt down the whole House (of God); the second time they burnt those books in the days of Qablar the great king of Mosul;

And the third time they burnt the books was at the transportation by king Nabukadanatsor when Abumirdan came and burnt the House of God, and destroyed the walls of Jerusalem; when Simeon the priest asked of him the store of books, and he gave them to him.

4:13.

We will make known to you all the genealogies in detail.

Judah begat Pharez, and Pharez married Barayah, the daughter of Levi, and begat Esrom.

And Esrom married Kanita, the daughter of Zebulun, and he begat Aram.

And Aram married Phozib the daughter of Judah; and he begat Aminadab.

And Aminadab married Thehara, the daughter of Esrom, and he begat Naason.

And Naason married Simar, the daughter of Yuhanas, and he begat Salmon; and Salmon married Saphila, the daughter of Aminadab, by whom he had Booz.

And Booz married Ruth the Moabitess, of the seed of Lot, and begat Obed; and Obed married Abalit, the daughter of Sonas, and begat Jesse.

Jesse married Habliar, the daughter of Abrias, and begat David the king.

And king David took to wife Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, and begat Solomon.

And Solomon married Nan, the same as Makiya, the daughter of Dan king of Ammon, of the seed of Lot, and begat Rehoboam.

And Rehoboam married Makin, the daughter of Bilos, and begat Abia.

And Abia married Malkit, the daughter of Absalom, and begat Asaph.

And Asaph married Nirona, the daughter of Sala, and begat Joshaphat.

And Joshaphat married Malkiya, the daughter of Abiud, and begat Jovam.

And Joram married Phitalia, the daughter of Naphrim, and begat Osias; and Osias married Sophia, the daughter of Habralias, and begat Jotham.

And Jotham married Hadast, the daughter of Elkanah, and begat Ahaz.

And Ahaz married Bikaz, the daughter of Zachariah, and begat Hezekiah;

And Hezekiah married Basyar, the daughter of Bartenas, and begat Manasseh;

And Manasseh married Amasisan, and begat Amos; and Amos married Nadyas, and begat Josias.

And Josias married Dalilah, the daughter of Kermias, and begat Joachim.

And Joachim married Phurdia, the daughter of Phulek, and begat Jechonias and his brother during the captivity of Babylon.

And Marsas who reigned over Babylon, released Jechonias from prison, and gave him to wife, a woman whose name was Dalilah, the daughter of Ehakim, by whom he had Salathiel.

Jechonias died at Babylon; where Salathiel continued forty-nine years after him, and married Hadast, the daughter of Bikanah, and begat Zerubbabel.

And Zerubbabel married Maukab, the daughter of Esdras the scribe, and had by her Abiud.

And Abiud married Hadast, the daughter of Zadok the high priest, and begat Eliakim.

And Eliakim married Kwebedai, the daughter of Aram, and begat Azar.

And Azar married Salambeta, the daughter of Zadok.

And Zadok married Kalim, the daughter of Waikan, and begat Akim.

And Akim married Zasbaidi, and begat Eliud.

And Eliud married Awad, the daughter of Gasalias, and begat Eleazar.

And Eleazar married Hayat, the daughter of Thalka, and begat Matthan.

And Matthan married Sabartia, the daughter of Phunius, and had by her twins, namely, Jacob and Joachim.

And Jacob married Gadat, the daughter of Eleazar, and begat Joseph the betrothed (husband) of Mary.

Joachim married Hannah, the daughter of Makah, and begat the pure Mary; Here ends the genealogy of pure Mary.

4:14.

And here my brother, I have settled for you that which is true, and I have revealed unto you the genealogy, and laid for you the firm foundation, which not one of the writers and of the wise men, could make known.

But, my brother, give me your heart and make it clean, that I may tell you what things remain, and how the reckoning of generations come all round to reach unto and to stand firm by the birth of Christ.

After the birth of Christ there remained no more trustworthy reckoning to the Jews; for Christ was the end of the generations; He took it and gave it to us.

Let me tell you, my brother, that the five thousand years from Adam, did not end before the days of Cyrus, king of Persia.

Then from Cyrus to the sufferings of our Saviourr Jesus Christ, even as the faithful Daniel prophesied, saying, After seven weeks Christ shall come, and shall be put to death.

Now seven weeks are four hundred and ninety years; for a great week is of seventy years; in that the prophet said: After seven years, he pointed to the ten years;

For he did not say, Christ shall come at the end of the seven weeks. He said: After seven weeks; and be put to death. The meaning here of after, is, those ten years, that make up the five hundred years.

And that is the fulfilment of the promise that God made to Adam, that He would save him at the end.

Henceforth are the mouths of the Jews struck dumb, and to them belongs shame, because they blaspheme and say that Christ is not yet come.

While they say so, they, of necessity, believe the first statement to be true and the last to be a lie.

If they say Christ came, believing, as they do, the prophecy of the prophet Daniel, they now see that the prophecy of Daniel is fulfilled, and that the House of God is laid waste from them; that the priesthood is abolished, and that the seven weeks were fulfilled, and that Christ came, and was put to death; and that the Holy City was laid waste by king Vespasian and his son Titus.

Let me also tell you, my brother, that in the thirty second year of the reign of Augustus Caesar, Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judah, as it is written in the Gospel.

And, behold, it is made plain to us, that Christ came when the prophecy was fulfilled.

As Micah the prophet said: you Bethlehem, land of Judah, you are not lower than the kings of Judah; for from you shall come a king, that shall feed my people Israel.

Let the Jews now feel ashamed of themselves; for if they make Daniel a liar, they cannot again make the prophet Micah a liar; yet if they will make them liars still, behold, Christ was born in Bethlehem, the land of Judah.

And when He was born at Bethlehem, the land of Judah, a star in the East made it known, and was seen by Magi.

That star shone in heaven, amid all the other stars; it flashed and was like the face of a woman, a young virgin, sitting among the stars, flashing, as it were carrying a little child of a beautiful countenance.

From the beauty of His looks, both heaven and earth shone, and were filled with His beauty and light above and below; and that child was on the virgin woman’s arms; and there was a cloud of light around the childs head, like a crown.

It was a custom of the Chaldeans to observe the stars of heaven; to take counsel from them; and they were numbered by them.

So when they saw the star of the figure we have just mentioned, they were greatly troubled, and said among themselves: Surely the king of the Heloneans is putting himself in battle array against us!

And they inquired among soothsayers and philosophers, until they ascertained the fact and discovered that the king of the children of Israel was born.

As to this matter of the stars, the Chaldeans used to work it out, and to take counsel from the power of the stars; so that they knew every event that should be, before it happened.

Likewise the captains of large ships, when they went on a voyage upon the seas, (knew beforehand) the signs of winds, of whirlwind, of gloom, and of thick darkness.

So the Magi when they read in their books, knew from them, that Christ should be born in the land of Judah.

So they went upon a high mountain in the east, while coming westward; and they took with them the presents they had prepared before they set of on their journey; that is, gold, frankincense and myrrh, that had been with Adam in the Cave of Treasures.

Gold, namely as unto a king; frankincense, as unto God; and myrrh, as for His death.

4:15.

When Hor, king of Persia, heard who it was they called King of kings, he prepared his chariot and mounted it.

Basantar also, king of Saba, came out; and Karsundas, king of the East, got himself ready and came out also.

They were all in great tribulation, and also all other kings in the borders of the West trembled with them, and every country in the East was in great alarm at the sight of that glory.

Then the Magi while on their journey said: This star has not risen for some great event.

And they went on their way until they came to Jerusalem.

When Herod heard of it, he was troubled, and called the Magi to him, and communed with them; and they rehearsed unto him the (whole) thing.

Then he and all his hosts trembled; and he said to the Magi: Go and inquire diligently concerning this Child; and when you have found Him, come and tell me, that I also may go and worship Him.

Then the Magi went forthwith to Bethlehem, and found Christ, and offered Him their gifts. they did not return to Herod; they went back to their own country.

After they were gone, Herod was wroth, and commanded all children of two years and under, to be put to death.

Then an angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph and said to him: Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go to the land of Egypt; and abide there until I tell you.

And Joseph went into the land of Egypt.

Then Herod began to slay all children, until he had not left one. And he died of an evil death.

After his death an angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in the land of Egypt.

And Joseph came up out of Egypt, and dwelt at Nazareth, he, the child, and Mary His mother.

And they abode at Jerusalem until Christ was thirty years of age, and was baptized by John.

This John lived all his days in the wilderness, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

And in the nineteenth year of Tiberius, our Lord Christ was crucified. He died in the body, and was buried, and rose again from among the dead on the third day; as it is written.

And He went down into hell, and saved Adam and Eve, and all their righteous seed, according to His first and firm promise.

And so He fulfilled all that the prophets had prophesied concerning Him. He then went up into heaven; whence He will come again with His holy angels, to judge the quick and dead.

Unto Him be glory, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power and worship for ever. Amen.

~~~ THE END ~~~

Posted in Books of Ancients

The Book of Adam and Eve Book 4

4.1

THEN when Terah was two hundred and thirty years old, he fell sick, and called his son Abraham and said unto him: O my son, I wish to die.

Abraham stood up and comforted him, paid him all due honour, and did not aggrieve him about his being a maker of idols.

For Abraham his son, was a righteous man, and could not bear idols; he paid him all due respect, as being his father.

Then Terah died; and Abraham and Nahor buried him in a mountain. when Abraham was grown up, God said unto him: Abraham, come out; of your land, of your kindred, and of your fathers house; and go to the land that I will show you.

Then Abraham arose, and took Sarah his wife, and Lot his brothers son, and they came to the land of the Amorites.

And Abraham was seventy years old when he saw this vision; and this was his first wandering from the land of the east, to the western side of the river Euphrates.

So Abraham came, and dwelt among kings; and those kings rose up against his brothers son, and carried him away captive.

Then Abraham took his servants, and all those who were about him, and came to his brothers son, and delivered him out of their hands.

At that time Abraham was eighty years old, and no son was born to him, because that Sarah his wife, was barren.

Then as he was returning from the war with those kings, the grace of God drew him, until he had passed over the hill of Nablus; and from the hill of Nablus, he came near to Jerusalem, before it was built.

Then Melchisedec, priest of the Most High God, came out, and welcomed him with joy. And Abraham, when he saw Melchisedec, made haste and bowed to him in worship, and kissed him on the face; and Melchisedec gave him a good blessing.

Then Abraham gave Melchisedec a tenth of all he had with him.

After that Abraham communed with Melchisedec of the holy mysteries which Melchisedec had consecrated with his own hand. For that was an exalted place, not by mans hand, God Himself had anointed it.

After Abraham had communed with Melchisedec, God said unto Abraham: Fear not, great is your reward with Me; and in like manner as Melchisedec My high priest blessed you, and made you partaker with himself of Holy Mysteries, so will I make you partaker with him of heavenly grace.

Again did God say to Abraham, In blessing will I bless you, and in multiplying will I multiply your seed upon the face of the earth.

4:2.

AFTER this there was a famine in the land of Palestine; and Abraham went down into the land of Egypt. 

— the name of the land was initially called the land of Canaan, but the Romans, after expelling the Jews sometimes around AD135, Hadrain renamed it from Judean province to “the land of Palaestina” so this fourth portion of the Book of Adam and Eve could well be added by Christians living after this era;

And Sarah his wife was with him, and she was good-looking.

So Abraham said to her: Do not say, I am Abraham’s wife, lest they kill me and take you from me. say, I am his sister.

Then when they came into the land of Egypt, men spake to Pharoh king of Egypt, and said to him: Behold a man has come here; and with him is his beautiful sister.

Then Pharoh sent and took her from Abraham, who remained weeping. God in His mercy sent an angel who smote Pharoh and said to him: Send back to Abraham his wife, lest God kill you.

Then in the morning, Pharoh called Abraham and said unto him: Forgive me. He then gave him his wife Sarah; and gave to Sarah, Hagar the Egyptian, and gave her many presents.

After this Abraham took Sarah his wife, with Hagar her maid-servant, and returned to Palestine.

And after that, Abraham took to himself Hagar to wife, who bare him Ishmael, when Abraham was eighty-seven years old. In that Abraham said: Sarah is my sister.

He did not lie; inasmuch as Terah, his father, married two wives; one of which was called Tona, the mother of Abraham, who died shortly after he was born.

Then Terah married again another wife whose name was Tahdif, who bare him Sarah, whom Abraham married, and for that reason said: She is my sister, on my father’s side, not on my mother’s.

After this, when Abraham was dwelling in tents, the Lord came to him with angels of His, and gave him a sign of the birth of his son Isaac, who was born to him when he was a hundred years old.

The Lord showed him also many mysteries.

Then days after this, God said to Abraham when Isaac was fourteen years old: Offer unto me your son Isaac, in oblation.

Then Abraham fortified himself and took courage for this trial; and brought his son to offer him in oblation to God. God redeemed Isaac with a lamb that was tied to a bush.

And the bush to which the lamb was tied, is the very place into which the tree of the Cross was planted.

And the lamb that saved Isaac from death, was a figure of the Lamb of God who saved us all from death.

That mountain also, on which king David saw an angel standing with a sharp sword of fire in his hand, as if going to smite Jerusalem with it, is the place where Abraham saw with the eye of the Holy Ghost, the Son of God, hanging on it.

For this reason did the Lord say to the Jews, Abraham, your father, rejoiced and longed to see my day, and he did see it, and was glad.

Again this is the place, as the blessed Paul said: For the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord, I am minister of the circumcision, where Christ was circumcised on the eighth day; that is also the place where the patriarch Abraham offered up an oblation to God.

And again, as it was in the days of Moses, when they offered up a lamb for the sins of the people, to cleanse them from their sins, so also did the Lamb of God offer up Himself in oblation for us, to set us free from our sins.

4:3.

After this Melchisedec showed himself to men, who saw him, and who were comforted by his words, everywhere. The kings of the earth and peoples, when they heard his voice, did gather together; a multitude of creatures and of kings; that numbered twelve hosts.

They came to him and bowed to him in worship, and were blessed by him, and asked him, saying, Come, let us make you king over us. Melchisedec king of Salem, and priest of the Most High God, would not.

And the kings wondered at his beauty; their hearts were drawn to him by his discourse, and they fell down at his feet in worship; and they asked God, that Melchisedec might dwell among them in their palaces.

Melchisedec would not, and said unto them: I cannot leave this place, and go to another one.

So those kings said among themselves: Let every one of us who can, come, and let us build a city on this mountain for Melchisedec.

They all took pleasure in the work, brought together materials in abundance, and built the City of Jerusalem, that means the middle of the earth.

Then Melchisedec continued to dwell in it, at that place; and the kings came, and were blessed by him, until the day of his departure, when his life ended in this world.

4:4.

After this, Abraham ordered one of his servants, to take a wife for his son Isaac; and adjured him not to marry Isaac, to one of his own kindred.

And Abraham entered into rest when one hundred and seventy-five years old; and Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him.

Then Isaac married when he was forty years old; and Esau and Jacob his sons, were born unto him when he was about sixty years of age.

And God blessed Isaac greatly.

Then after this Jacob went to the land of Haran, to Laban, his mothers brother, and married his two daughters Leah and Rachel.

He had by Leah, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; and by Rachel he had Joseph and Benjamin.

Then he had also by Zilpah, Leah’s maid-servant, Gad and Aser; and by Bilhah, Rachel’s maid-servant, he had Dan and Naphtali.

And about twenty years after Jacob’s return from the land of Haran, before his father Isaac died, Joseph was sold by his brothers, because they were jealous of him.

When Isaac died, his two sons Esau and Jacob came to him, embalmed him, and laid him in the sepulchre of his father.

Then six years after the death of Isaac, Rebecca died; and they buried her by Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

And when, after that Leah, Jacob’s wife died, they buried her by the side of them.

Then after this Judah took to himself a wife whose name was Habwadiya, that means, house-wife; in the law her name is Sewa.

She was of a Canaanite family, and Jacobs heart suffered much on that account; and he said to Judah his son who had married that wife: The God of Abraham and of Isaac will not allow the seed of this Canaanite woman to mingle with my seed.

Some days after this, Sewa bare three sons unto Judah, whose names were Er, Onan, and Selah.

And when Er was grown up, Judah married him, his first-born son, unto a woman named Tamar, daughter of Kadesh Levi.

And Er continued with her a long time, and behaved after the manner of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah.

God looked down upon his evil deeds and killed him.

Then Judah married his son Onan to Tamar, saying, He shall raise seed unto his brother. him also did God kill because of his evil deeds; on account of Jacobs curse, that no Canaanitish seed should mingle with his own.

So God would not let any of it mingle with that of Jacob the righteous.

Therefore did Tamar go to Judah her father-in-law, who had intercourse with her, not knowing she was his sons wife; and she bare unto him twins, Pharez and Zarah.

4:5.

After this Jacob went to Joseph, and continued fourteen years in the land of Egypt, where he died at the age of one hundred and fifty-seven; when the good Joseph was fifty-three years old.

Then when he was dead, Joseph called cunning Egyptian embalmers, who embalmed him beautifully; and then Joseph carried his body to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers Abraham and Isaac.

After this Pharez begat Judah, and Judah begat Ezrom, and Ezrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naason.

And this Naason was great among the sons of Judah; and the daughter of Aminadab married Eleazar the son of Aaron, who prayed to God, until His wrath abated.

So, O my son, have I told you in detail the genealogies from the first until now.

4:6.

After this, there began to issue a race from Naason, who was great among the sons of Judah; and from him began a kingdom and a priesthood, and the Jews became celebrated through him.

Then Naason begat Salmon, and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab.

And you must know that from Boaz and Ruth the Moabitess, began the kingdom whereby Lot, the son of Abraham’s brother, obtained a share (in the generations) of the kingdom (of Judah).

For God denied not seed to Lot, neither would He cut it short. For this Lot was righteous, and shared all Abraham’s troubles with him; and received the angels of God in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Therefore did God give to Lots children fellowship in the kingdom, and that was (reckoned) for righteousness unto Lot the righteous.

For this reason also were (Lots children) mentioned among the genealogies of the kingdom of Abraham and of Lot; for Christ was born of their seed.

Then again, Obed, Ruths son, was of Lots seed, on his mothers (side); and Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David the king.

And king David begat Solomon; all these are of Ruth the Moabites.

Again, Amnan, the daughter of (Dan), king of the Ammo nites, was of Lots seed; and Solomon the king took this daughter of Dan to wife; and had by her, Rehoboam, who reigned after Solomon.

King Solomon took to himself many wives, seven hundred daughters of kings, three hundred concubines, one thousand in number.

Although Solomon took to himself these many wives, they did not bare him a single male child, Rehoboam, of Amnan, the daughter of Dan, king of Ammon; who was of a blessed race.

So, again, God would not allow the seed of Canaanites to mingle with that of strange peoples, which God had made strangers.

And this shows that Christ came of the seed of Abraham the blessed father, and of Lot his brothers son.

And all the families of the children of Israel in the land of Egypt, were Levi, Amram, Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh; all these were great chiefs over their peoples.

4:7.

As to Moses, when they had thrown him into the river, Sephorah, the daughter of Pharoh, took him up thence, and brought him up.

She it is, whom the Hebrews call Mariam, the mother of Moses.

And Moses abode forty years in Pharoh’s house; and other forty years in the land of Midian, before God spake to him.

Then again, when God spake to Moses from within the bush his tongue faltered; and (his) tongue was, as God said: From the time that I spake to My servant Moses, he was of a faltering tongue.

And Moses dwelt forty years in the land of Egypt, and forty years in the land of Midian, with the priest Jethro, his fatherin-law; then forty years more in the wilderness; when Moses died, aged one hundred and twenty years.

Then after him arose Joshua, the ton of Nun. He was twenty-seven years judge over the children of Israel, and exercised judgment over them; he was prophet among them, and kept them, and led them in the right way; and he entered into rest and died, when sixty years old.

Then after him arose Kusarat the judge, eight years, and he died; and after him Phutamiral, the son of Kaba, judged the children of Israel forty years, and died.

After him Naod, son of Phuru, judged the children of Israel eighty years.

In the twenty-fifth year of Naod, ended fourr thousand years since Adam.

Naod died, and Sikar judged the children of Israel. in his days a king of Canaan rose against Sikar, wishing to make war against him.

God gave Sikar victory over him, whom he defeated; and Sikar judged forty years.

After him Tarod was judge over the people of Israel, forty years; and after him Abimelec judged ten years, and died.

And after him Banu, son of Tuorani, judged twenty-three years, and died.

After him Yar of Phila, judged twenty-two years, and died.

After him the son of Aminadab, judged fifty-eight years, and died.

And after him the daughter of Nasyamu judged seven years, and died.

After her, Ansyus judged seven years, and died; and after him the Philistine judged forty years.

God gave him into the hands of the champion Samson, who slew him.

Then the champion Samson arose and was judge over the children of Israel twenty years, and then died.

Then the children of Israel were left without a judge twelve years, when Eli the priest began to judge; and judged them forty years, and then died.

After him Samuel was judge over the children of Israel forty years, and died.

Then after him, Saul reigned over them forty years, and died.

Then after him, David reigned over the children of Israel forty years, and then died.

And after him, his son Solomon arose, who also reigned forty years over the children of Israel, and then died.

He wrought more wonders in the earth than all other kings, who were before him. For he was the first whom God filled with wisdom.

So that he made (and did) many things peculiar to him; so far as to make a ship, and go in it to the city of Saphir; (where) he wrought gold in ornaments, and brought it to Jerusalem.

During his reign, there was great peace; there was no trouble; there was peace between him and Hiram king of Tyre; who reigned five hundred years over the city of Tyre, and whose kingdom lasted from the reign of Solomon, to that of Zedekiah;

Until, from the length of his days and of his years, and from the greatness of his kingdom, he exalted himself and said: I am a god, and no man.

God was wroth against him because of his evil deed;

And God looked down upon it, and delivered him into the hands of king Nebuchadnezzar who put him to death; removed his army, and took his spoil.

4:8.

We will inform you of the things king Solomon gave every day in his house.

On account of his many wives, they made bread in his house of thirty cores of fine flour; one hundred cores of wheat flour, which hardly sufficed.

And they slaughtered in his house daily, ten bullocks well-fatted, and twenty fat oxen, and one hundred sheep; besides what they slew of buffaloes, gazelles and wild deer, which they hunted every day.

And in Solomon’s house they drank daily fourr hundred basins of wine. And many other things did they.

And Solomon reigned over his large kingdom with the greatest wisdom ever found. He did not keep his soul; but inclined his heart to the love of women, and forsook God who had created him, and who had given him this kingdom.

And he died in his denial of Him, and in his sins.

After him reigned Rehoboam, his son, seventeen years, and did evil. He defiled Jerusalem with abominable sacrifices, and sacrificed to satan; and adultery increased greatly in his days.

Wherefore God cut of his kingdom swiftly; and took it from the house of David.

In the fifth year of Rehoboam, a king whose name was Susakim came up against Jerusalem.

He took all the spoil of the temple, and spoiled all Rehoboam had, and spoiled all the house of David, and removed them and took them to his own country.

And he boasted, and said to the Jews: The things I have taken from you as spoil, are goods that belonged to my fathers, of which your fathers spoiled them, when they came out of the land of Egypt, and which they brought unto this place; and behold, I have taken them from you.

And Rehoboam died in his denial (of God);

And after him, his son Abius, reigned twenty years over the children of Israel. He, too, walked in his fathers ways, by reason of Makia his mother, the daughter of Absalom; wherefore, did he many wicked things, and then died.

After him arose Asaph his son, who reigned forty-one years over the children of Israel.

He did what was right, just and good before God; he brake down the idols that were in his day, and removed their images from the face of the land; and he took his wicked mother Anna, and threw her down from the roof (of her house) and she died, because of her adulteries.

After that, came Eleazar a black king, who was king of Endena, to fight Asaph.

God delivered him into the hands of Asaph, who defeated him.

Then Asaph died; and his son Jehoshaphat reigned in his stead. He also did that which is just and good before God, and pleased God all his days, and then died.

Then his son Aram reigned in his stead; he transgressed the commandments of God, and forsook His law, and sacrificed unto idols.

Then Zambri rose up against him, made war against him, and he died in his denial (of God).

Then Yusia, his son, reigned (after him); on account of his transgressions, God delivered him into the hands of his enemies, who put him to death.

When he was dead, his mother rose up against all the royal children and put them to death, and said: I will take the kingdom from the house of David.

Then Yusabet daughter of the king of Aram, arose, took Agragarina, and slew him before the eyes of the royal children that were left.

When she had put him to death, she feared, and hid herself and those with her, under a bed.

And Gotholia was queen over the children of Israel, and died.

Then the whole people of Israel said: Whom shall we make king over us.

Then when Yuda the high priest heard they spake so, he gathered together the whole of the Jews within the Temple, and waited until the messengers of thousands and the messengers of hundreds came;

And then Yuda the high priest, said to them: What do you require of me, and who is he whom you will make king over the house of David.

Then they said to him: You have authority.

Then Yuda rose and took Barsia, and brought him before them, and said to them: Does this one suit you for a king.

The people were pleased with him; so Yuda brought him into the house of God, and set him over the kingdom; then all the people rejoiced, and the whole country was quiet in his days; and he was king in Jerusalem forty years.

Barsia did not bear in mind all the good things Yuda the priest had told him; he took him and put him to death.

After this, enemies rose up against Barsia and put him also to death.

4:9.

After him his son Amazias reigned twenty-nine years, and put to death those who had killed his father; he did not put to death their children, so as to fulfil the law of Moses, that says, You shall not put to death children for the sins of their fathers.

Then Amazias died;

And after him Ozia reigned fifty-two years, and in his reign exercised justice and judgment, and right before God.

Yet did he do one wicked act, and that was that, without due orders, he offered sacrifices unto God, and oblations that did not become him.

So he died. After him Yonathan his son, reigned sixteen years. during his reign, he did evil before God, and angered his Creator, and forsook His commandment and His law; and burnt incense to idols, and sacrificed unto them.

For this reason did God deliver him to death, into the hands of Caran, king of Elmosal.

And when the king of Elmosal led him away (captive), he (Yonathan) took all the vessels he found in the house of God, and sent them all to the great king of Elmosal; and left nothing in the house of God.

In the days of this king, did the children of Israel, go the first time into captivity.

He removed them to his own country, and the land of Israel remained bare.

Then the king of Elmosal, sent people to dwell in the land and to till it, instead of the children of Israel who had left it.

When those people came to dwell in that land, (wild) beasts rent them asunder and devoured them, and prevailed against them in all the borders of the land.

Then they sent word to the king in their own tongue, and asked him to send them Urias the priest, to give them the law, so that wild beasts should no longer come near them, and hurt them.

When the king heard this he sent them Urias the priest, and commanded him to give them a law, for them to keep, so that the wild beasts hurt them not.

Urias the priest came, and did as the king had commanded him, and he gave the people the law of the Jews; it was in their hands, they recited it and ruled themselves after it.

And those were the Samar; whom the king, of whom we have just spoken, had sent to till the land of Israel.

Then Yunathan died, and after him reigned Akaz his son, who did well before God, and then died.

After him reigned his son Hezkias, when he was twenty-five years old; and he reigned twenty-two years; and did good, and judgment, equity and justice; and he pleased the Lord; he kept His law and His commandments; he brake down the idols, and destroyed their houses.

In the fourth year of his reign, came Sanakreb king of Assarium, and took away captive all that were left and sent them to Babylon.

Hezkias served the Lord God, and fulfilled His law, until he fell sick and became very weak, and was in great distress by reason of his sickness; his heart suffered, and he said to himself: Woe is me! I shall die without a son to reign after me.

And in his sickness he wept before God and said: Woe is me, Lord! behold, I die without a son; and behold the promise You made unto David, shall fail in me; and the kingdom shall pass from the house of David.

Then God looked upon his sorrow of heart, and upon his sickness, for his sickness was sore.

And God had pity on him and gave him fifteen years over and above the rest of his days; and he recovered from his sickness.

Then three years after he had recovered, and God had raised him from his sickness, he begat Manasseh.

And he died, rejoicing greatly at having a son born unto him, to sit upon his throne.

Posted in Books of Ancients

The Book of Adam and Eve Book 3

3:21.

Then Melchisedec praised God; and he and Shem made an offering.

And Shem stayed with him that day, to rest from the toil of the journey. When the day dawned, it seemed good to Shem to depart.

Then Melchisedec wished him God speed, and blessed him, and said unto him: The Lord God who led us to this place, be with you; and guide you until you come to your own place.

Melchisedec said also to him: When they inquire of you about me, direct them not in the way; that they come not to me. And when my father and my mother ask you about me, say to them: He has departed and I do not know the place of his pilgrimage.

So that when you say so to them, their hope of me will be cut short, and they will feel it is of no use thinking of me; they will not press you and make you come to me.

Then Shem departed and returned to his kindred, while Melchisedec remained standing before the body of our father Adam, ministering unto God and worshipping Him evermore.

An angel abode with him, who protected him and brought him food, until the time of Abraham the patriarch. The raiment of this Melchisedec was of skins, with a leathern girdle around his loins. And he ministered unto God, with much praying and fasting.

3:22.

Shem and his brothers multiplied abundantly upon the earth and begat sons and daughters; it went on this way until Shem was five hundred and fifty years old when he died.

Then they embalmed him, and continued mourning for him forty days.

After this, Arpachshad son of Shem, lived fourr hundred and eighty-five years and died; they embalmed him and mourned for him forty days.

After him was Cainan, son of Arpach shad, father of Melchisedec, who lived five hundred and eighty-nine years, then died.

After him, Selah son of Cainan, brother of Melchisedec, lived fourr hundred and eight years, then died.

After him, Eber his son, lived fourr hundred and thirty-fourr years, then died.

Peleg was born when his father was two hundred and seven years old. In the days of Peleg, the earth was divided a second time among the three sons of Noah; Shem, Ham, and Japhet.

Wherefore were they much aggrieved through this division among themselves; because during their fathers life-time, they were gathered together.

Now they were divided asunder, and on that account much affliction befell them.

Peleg died and they buried him in his own city, Peleg; for they had built a city, and had called it after his name.

After his death, which happened when he was fourr hundred and thirty years old, there were great disturbances, and men gathered together within fenced cities.

After this, tongues were divided; for God divided them when men built the tower in Sennaar, it was destroyed over them.

And God divided their languages; and what remained of them He dispersed over the earth; because they built without a fixed plan.

Therefore God dispersed them and scattered them, and brought upon them the division of their languages; until if one of them spake, no other understood what he said.

And the number of languages is seventy-two. And when they were so divided, they had over them seventy two rulers, one to every tongue, and to every country, by way of a king.

And of the seed of Japhet were six peoples.

3:23.

Then Rehu, Peleg’s son, lived two hundred and thirty-two years and died.

When Rehu, Peleg’s first-born son, was one hundred and thirty years old, there reigned one of the first kings that ever reigned on the earth, whose was a giant named Nimrod (grandson of Ham).

That Nimrod saw a cloud of light under heaven; a mere apparition of satan. And he inclined his heart to it, and coveted its beauty; and then called to one whose name was Santal, a carver, and said to him: Carve me a crown of gold, after the pattern of that cloud.

Then Santal made him a crown which Nimrod took and placed upon his own head.

Wherefore was it said that a cloud had come from heaven, and overshadowed him. And he became so wicked, as to think within himself that he was God.

And in those days Rehu was one hundred and eighty years old, and in his one hundred and fortieth year.

Then Yanuf reigned over the land of Egypt; he is the first king that reigned over it. He built the city of Memphis and named it after his own name; that is Misr; whose name is rendered Masrin.

This Yanuf died and in his stead, in the days of Rehu, one from the land of Indi reigned, whose name was Sasen, who built the city of Saba.

And all the kings who reigned over that country were called Sabaeans after the name of the city.

And it was so until the days of Solomon son of David.

Then again Pharan reigned over the children of Saphir, and built the city of Saphir with stones of gold; and that is the land of Sarania. and because of these stones of gold, they say that the mountains of that country and the stones thereof are all of gold.

Then the children of Lebensa of the country of Indi, made king over them one named Bahlul, who built the city of Bahlu. Then Rehu died in his two hundred and eighty-ninth year.

3:24.

After came Seroug his son, in whose days idol-gods of stone, were openly worshipped in the world.

The children of men began to make idols of stone, the first of which were Kalithon and Helodon.

And the children of men multiplied upon the earth, and their wickedness increased also; for they had neither law nor order; and no teachers to guide them in the way of righteousness; nor any one to be judge among them.

Wherefore they grew worse and worse, and wandered farther from the way of God; every one of them did what he himself listed; and they made for themselves idol-gods, which they worshipped.

They had no hope in the resurrection of the dead. Whenever one of them died, they buried him, and set up an idol over his grave and said that was his god that would show him mercy in his grave.

As regards the dead, they said also that when his god was set up over his grave, the remembrance of him would not be cut of from the face of the earth.

This was a common saying brought out by satan; and so the earth was filled with idols; and those idols were of divers kinds, men and women.

After this Seroug died two hundred and thirty years old; and they embalmed him in Sarania his city, that was built in his name.

After that, Nahor, then twenty -nine years old, begat Terah.

And when Nahor was eighty-six years of age, God looked down upon the children of men, (and saw) that they were ruined and worshipped idols.

Then God sent forth winds, and the whirlwind, and earth quakes on the earth, until the idols were broken one against another.

Yet the children of men did not repent of their sins, neither did they turn to God from their iniquities that He might save them; rather increased in wickedness.

And in the twentieth year of Terah’s life, the worship of idols spread over the earth in the city of Aarat, which Barwin (i.e. Jokthan) the son of Eber had built.

At that time there was a rich man living in it, who died; and his son made an idol of gold in the likeness of his father, and set it up on his grave.

He then ordered one of his servants, to stand by the idol, and to minister unto it; to sweep the ground around it, to pour water to it and to burn incense.

When satan saw this he entered into the idol of gold, and talked to the servant, like his master’s father that was dead; and said to him: You do so.

After this a thief took by surprise the house of the youth, son of the man who was dead; who then came to his fathers grave, weeping.

He said: O my father, they have carried away all my goods.

Then satan answered him from within the idol and said: Do not stay here, go and bring your son, and offer him up in oblation to me, and then I will return to you all your goods.

Then that youth went, and did with his son, as satan had commanded him.

And at that time satan entered into him and taught him to practise enchantments, magic, mixture of drugs, and divination.

That was the first evil example set to men, to take their children and to offer them up in sacrifice to idols and to devils.

3:25.

Then in the hundredth year of Nahor, God looked down upon the children of men (and saw) that they sacrificed their children to idols.

Then God commanded the stores of winds to open, and to send forth the whirlwind, storms, and darkness, upon the whole face of the earth, until all the idols, images, and figures, were brought together, mountains upon mountains.

The idols remained buried under them until this day.

Many wise men have written about this wind, that it was the wind of the Flood; and many of them say it was the water of the Flood that so brought together these mountains (of idols).

They erred to say that is false concerning it. For before the water of the Flood came upon the earth, there were no idols in it.

The Flood came upon the men at that time because of their adulteries and the sins which they committed among themselves; both the children of Cain and those who followed them.

Moreover at that time, the whole earth was not filled with people; only the land of the garden in which dwelt the children of Seth, and the place inhabited by the children of Cain.

Besides that, the whole earth was uninhabited.

When the Flood came, it bare the ark and brought it to this land of trouble. That land was laid waste.

When in those days, king Nimrod saw a flaming fire in the east which arose from the earth, Nimrod said: What is that fire?

He went towards it and when he saw it, he bowed to it in worship and appointed a priest to minister before it, to burn incense to it and to sacrifice victims to it.

From that day the men of Fars began to fill the earth.

Then satan the worker of idols saw a fountain of water near the fire-pit, and he came to it, and looked at it, and made a horse of gold, and set it up on the edge of the fountain of water;

And it so happened that all those who came to wash in that fountain of water, bowed in worship to that golden horse; and from that time, the people of Fars began to worship horses.

The priest whom Nimrod appointed to minister to the fire and to burn incense to it, wished to be a teacher, and wise of the same wisdom as Nimrod, whom Barwin, Noah’s fourth son had taught.

That priest, therefore, kept on asking satan, while standing before the fire, to teach him this evil ministry and abominable wisdom.

So, when satan saw him doing his best in the service (of the fire), he talked to him and said: No man can become a teacher, wise or great before me unless he hearkens to me, and goes and weds his mother, his sister, and his daughter.

That priest hearkened to satan, in all that he said: he taught him all manner of wickednesses.

And from that time, the people of Fars have committed alike sins unto this day.

And Nimrod built great cities in the east and wrought all manner of iniquities in them.

~~~~ The End ~~~

Posted in Books of Ancients

The Book of Adam and Eve Book 3

3:11.

In the six hundred and seventh year of Noahs life, on the second day of the month Barmudeh, the water dried from of the earth.

And in the next month, which is Gembot, on the twenty-seventh day thereof, which is the day on which Noah went into the ark, on that self-same day did Noah also come out of the ark, on a Sunday.

When Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives went out of the ark, they again came together, and did not part asunder one from another;

At first, when they went into the ark, the men and the women remained apart, Noah fearing lest they should come together, when the Flood was over, they again came together, the husband with his wife.

God also had sent great quietness over the beasts, the lions that were in the ark, and over the birds and creeping things, not to disagree among themselves.

Then Noah came out of the ark, and built an altar upon the mountain. And he stood, and requested the Lord to show him of what sacrifices he should to take, and bring them unto Him in offerings.

Then God sent His Word to Noah, saying, Noah, take of the clean kind, and offer of them upon the altar before me; and let the animals go out of the ark.

Then Noah went into the ark, and took of clean birds as many as God had commanded him; and offered them up in offerings upon the altar before the Lord.

3:12.

Pattern of the covenant God made with Noah, when He showed him the bow on the cloud in heaven.

And God smelled the smell of Noahs offerings, and He made a covenant with him, that the waters of the flood should not again come upon the earth, henceforth and for ever.

And this is the covenant God made with Noah. God said unto Noah: I will make the bow of My covenant come out in the cloud; and when it appears, then men shall know that it is done in truth.

And if I was wroth, when the bow was seen in the cloud, then that My anger and the punishment I meant to bring upon men were over.

Then again, Noah, I have made this bow of My covenant to be seen in heaven, in order that all creatures should see it, and think of the trials and afflictions that came upon them at first, and repent, and turn from their evil ways.

And God accepted Noahs offering, and blessed him and his sons, and said unto them: Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the face of the earth.

Then God commended the earth to bring forth herb as it did of old, for beasts, for birds, and for all that moves on the earth. Then Noah worshipped before God, with his sons and their wives; and they praised Him for the salvation He had wrought for them.

3:13.

After this Noah took his sons, and built them a city and called it Semanan; as they were eight souls that came out of the ark.

And Noah and his sons dwelt on that mountain about a hundred years, until he had children and childrens children.

And Noah took a root of vine and planted it, and dressed it until it yielded fruit. It was sweet, and Noah took some of it, and pressed wine out of it, and took it one night and drank of it, and was drunk. And he came in to his wife unawares.

Then Ham, his son, came into the house in the morning and saw his father uncovered, and drunk with wine, and without sense to know anything.

Then Ham his son kept on laughing at him, and said: What is this you have done, you old man? the old man understood not what he said; only Noah’s wife understood it well.

Then Ham went out laughing at his father, and told his brothers Shem and Japhet what his father had done; and laughed at his parents.

His brothers were angry with him, and rebuked him well for so doing; because they were -afraid of him, as regards the old man; for Ham was rough and hard in his talk.

Then Shem and Japhet rose quickly, and took with them a coverlet, and put behind their backs that coverlet that reached unto their feet; and they walked backwards, and turned their face towards the way they had gone, until they came to their parents.

Then they threw the coverlet over them, and went from them in haste, so as not to see them.

On the morrow after this, Noah’s wife told him what Ham had said and what he had done. Then was Noah very angry with his son Ham for what he had done; and he cursed him, and made him servant of his brothers.

Noah blessed Shem and Japhet, his sons, because they had behaved well to him. Then Noah married another wife, who bare him seven children. And he continued to dwell on that mountain until the days drew near when he must depart (this life).

And Noah lived three hundred and fifty years after he came out of the ark.

Then he called his first-born son Shem, and conversed with him, saying, my son, hearken unto what I commend you. Behold (what) I commend you now (is), to hold good until I die and you bury me.

Then when you have ended mourning for me, go into the ark in which we were saved from the flood; then bring out of it the body of our father Adam; let no one know of it one that is of your seed. Then make a beautiful case for it, and lay it therein.

Then take with you some bread to be for provision unto you by the way, and wine whereof to drink on your way; for the land to which you shall go is rough and hungry.

Then take Melchisedec the youngest son of Cainan, your son; for God has chosen him from all generations of men, to stand before Him to worship and to minister unto Him, by the body of our father Adam.

Then lay the body of Adam in the midst of the earth; and set Melchisedec to stand by it; and show him how to fulfil his ministry before God.

Moreover Noah said unto Shem his son:, If you will keep my commandment and go, an angel of the Lord will go with you and show you the way, until you come to the place where you shall lay the body in the midst of the earth; for in that self-same place God shall work salvation for the whole world.

My son, I know that our children forsook this good commandment, and went down the Holy Mountain, and mingled with the children of Cain, and that they perished with them in the waters of the Flood.

Know my son, that from Adam until this day, every one of the ancients, gave commandments to one of the rest, at the time of his resting from the flesh, and that they taught (these commandments) among themselves.

The first, my son, who taught this commandment and made it plain, was our father Adam; he gave it to his son Seth, who received it. Then Seth handed it to his son Enosh who kept it. And Enosh gave it to his son Keinan who kept it.

Then Keinan gave it to his son Mahalaleel, who kept it, and handed it to his son Jared. And Jared kept it and gave it to his son Hanoc, who also kept this commandment and gave it to his son Metuselah, who kept it, and gave it to his son Lamech who kept it, and who gave it to me, his son; and I have kept it.

My grandfather Metuselah also gave me a great commandment which I have kept; and which I give you likewise.

So, then receive my commandment, and hold fast my words; and hide this mystery within your heart; reveal it not to one of all your kindred.

Go, and lay the body of our father Adam in the earth; and let it remain there unto the day of salvation.

3:14.

The ark was closed during the days of Noah; neither was anyone allowed to touch it. Yet they went to it, blessed themselves in it, and talked about it.

Noah, however, went into it every evening, to light the lamp which he had made before our father Adam, and blessed himself in that body.

And he did not neglect his ofice regarding the lamp, as it was at first in the Cave of Treasures, as Noah knew that after him, the ark would not remain whole, and that his children would part asunder and not return to look after the body of our father Adam;

And that wickedness would increase in the earth and abominations among men, therefore did he command his son Shem to hasten to take the body of our father Adam, and to remove it unto the middle of the earth; according to God’s order.

3:15.

Then when Noah had ended giving orders to his son Shem, concerning the body of our father Adam, Noah said to his son Shem: Bring here to me your brothers; make them come near me.

Then when they came to Noah, he looked at them and said unto them: After my death, my sons, you shall part asunder and sore troubles shall happen to your race.

From now I will divide among you the earth into three portions; as every one of you shall be settled in his own portion.

Unto my first-born son, Shem, his lot shall be from Jerusalem which is a great city, as far as Qardaiun and Andika. It takes in the border mountain that reaches unto Gefur, between the land of Egypt and that of the Philistines.

Unto my next son Ham, his portion shall be from Aris towards the south, unto Fardundan and unto Gaduriun, and unto the borders of the west.

And unto my third son Japhet, his portion shall be from the corner of the west towards the south unto Damatha, a large tract of country; and all the north also as far as Aris.

He then said to them: Let every one of you take a portion different from that of his brothers; and let every one of you dwell in his own portion.

And they settled in it, as he commanded them. And they all had sons and daughters during their father Noahs lifetime.

And Noah divided the earth among them by God’s order, in order that there should be no enmity between the three brothers.

Then when Noah had ended his commandments to Shem and to his brothers, his hands dropped, his tongue became dumb, his eyes closed and he died, like his fathers.

He died aged nine hundred and fifty years, on a Wednesday, the second day of the month Gembot, on the mountain on the which was the ark; and there he will remain until the day God reveals (his resting-place).

And they mourned for him forty days.

3:16.

After they had ended mourning for Noah, an angel of God appeared unto Keinan father of Melchisedec and said unto him in a vision, Know you me? Keinan answered: No, my Lord.

Then the angel said to him: I am the angel whom God has sent unto you to give you this commandment. Transgress not the command of God.

When Keinan heard this from the angel of God, he wondered and said unto him: Speak my Lord.

And the angel of God said unto him: I am the angel who brought gold to your father Adam, when he was below the garden; I am the angel who entreated God together with him, when he offered his own blood upon the altar.

I am Michael the angel who received the soul of Abel the just; I am the angel who was with Seth when he was born in the cave. I am the angel who was with Enosh and Cainan, and Mahalaleel and Jared and Hanoc, and Metuselah and Lamech, and with Noah since he entered into rest, I stand by his first-born son Shem.

And, behold, God has sent me to you, to take your son Melchisedec, and to remove him to the land, in which God shall lay the body of our father Adam, and that he may be high exalted before God. Let not your heart be grieved at his going away.

When Keinan heard these words from the angel, he worshipped before him; and said unto him: The will of God be done!

Behold, I and my son are in His hands; let Him do what He pleases. This angel appeared unto Cainan, not on account of Keinan’s righteousness and purity, but on account of Melchisedec, of his righteousness and purity.

Then the angel said unto Cainan: Commit not this mystery to anyone but to Shem alone. Then the angel departed from him.

3:17.

Then the angel of God came unto Melchisedec that night while he was lying on his bed.

And he appeared unto him in the figure of a youth like him, who smote him on the side, and awoke him out of his sleep.

When Melchisedec heard it, he rose up, and saw the house full of light, and a figure standing before him.

And he was afraid, for he was not accustomed to see angels, this once only.

The angel prevented fear from overcoming him, and anointed him on the head and on the breast, and said unto him: Fear not, I am an angel of God; and He has sent me to you with this message, that you fulfil it unto your God.

Melchisedec then said unto him: What is that message? For he was a youth of a perfect heart.

And the angel said unto him: It is that you go with the body of our father Adam, unto the middle of the earth; and that you stand ministering before it there; and that you serve God; for He has chosen you from your childhood. For you are of the seed of the blessed.

Then Melchizedec said unto him: Who will bring the body of my father Adam, me with it, unto the middle of the earth?

And the angel said unto him: Shem the son of Noah, your father’s grandfather.

Then the angel strengthened his heart, and comforted him tenderly one whole hour, and then said unto him: Commit not these hidden words to any but to Shem only, lest the report of it spread abroad and they hang on to the body of Adam, and not let it go to the land, to which God has commanded.

And the angel departed from him.

3:18.

Then the angel went to Shem the son of Noah and said unto him: Arise and take the body of Adam, as your father Noah gave you commendment. Take with you Melchisedec and go with them to the place ordered by God; tarry not!

When it was day, Shem made a beautiful case and hid it close to the ark. Then he prepared bread and wine and provisions, and came to Keinan to inquire for his son Melchisedec.

Then Keinan began to tell him all that the angel had said unto him; and he gave him up his son Melchisedec, with a good heart.

Then Shem said to Cainan: Keep this mystery secret and reveal it to no one. Then Shem took Melchisedec and they saddled an ass between them, and they went to the ark. They had no key wherewith to open the ark; for Noah had fastened it with a padlock, after he had come out of it.

When, therefore, they came to the ark, they bethought themselves how to open it. Then came Shem to the door and said to Melchisedec: Come, open it, you great God.

Then came Melchisedec to the door when he heard him, and seized the padlock; and at once the door was opened.

Lo! A voice cried from within the ark and said: Rejoice, you priest of the Most High God, for that you have been found meet to enter upon the ofice of priest of God; the first created by Him in the world. This voice was from the Holy Ghost.

And Melchisedec knew that voice when it breathed into his face; he knew it also through great grace that was in him.

He then marvelled, and said to Shem: My Lord, I know by the breathing in my face; though I saw no form and heard no voice speaking to me; for I saw no one. This voice is from the body of our father Adam.

And Shem remained trembling, not knowing what to say to him.

While they were wondering at the door of the ark, the Word of God came, that said: I am He that made you priest and that breathed of My Spirit into you; now you are My righteous priest, you are worthy to bear the body of Adam whom I created, and into whom I breathed of My Spirit. And I made him a priest, and a king, and a prophet. Go in first and bring out his body.

Then Melchisedec went into the ark, and bowed in worship to the body of our father Adam; he blessed himself in it, and brought it out; the angel Michael, helping him the while to carry it.

And Shem went in also, and brought out the gold, the incense and the myrrh, and laid them together with the body of our father Adam; he then placed the body within the case, and shut it upon the body. And then he shut the door of the ark, as it was at first.

3:19.

Then Shem and Melchisedec took the body of Adam, and went on their way; and the angel of God went with them and showed them where to go.

And so they went on that day until the evening; and alighted at a certain place to rest.

Then Shem and Melchisedec stood up to pray; and while they prayed there came a voice from inside the cofin of Adam that said: Glory to God who created me, who gave me life, who made me die, and who again returns me to the earth out of which He took me.

And the voice blessed the youth Melchisedec and said unto him: of all our race, God chose no one but you, neither did He anoint any one of them priest with His own hand, you; neither did He breathe into the face of any one His pure Spirit, as He breathed it into you.

And I rejoice, my son, that you have been found worthy of such honourr from God. Then the voice withdrew from Melchisedec who wondered at this voice that came forth from a dead man.

It was done by the power of God. when Shem saw this first wonder wrought on Melchisedec, he kissed his face and rejoiced greatly on his account.

As for Melchisedec, he tasted nothing that night, for the joy that filled his heart; he continued standing before the coffin of Adam, praising God and praying until morning.

This vision happened to Melchisedec in the fifteenth year of his age.

Then Shem and Melchisedec put the coffin upon the ass, and went on their way; and the angel of God went with them. And it was so that when they came to rough places, the angel bare them up by the power of God, and made them pass over them, whether they were lands or mountains.

And so they went on their way until the evening of the second day, when they alighted to rest, after their custom.

Then Shem and Melchisedec stood up to pray; As they were praying, behold a great light shone over them, Wherefore Melchisedec did not feel aught of fatigue, by reason of the strength of God, that was in him; he rejoiced like one that is going to his wedding.

They stood praying as they were wont before the coffin of our father Adam. Then came a voice from the top of the coffin, that said to Melchisedec and to Shem: Behold, we are drawing near to the place our Lord has decreed for us.

And the voice said unto Melchisedec: Upon the land to which we are going, shall the Word of God come down, and suffer, and be crucified on the place, in which my body is laid.

The crown of my head shall be baptized with His blood; and then shall my salvation be wrought; and He shall restore me to my kingdom, and shall give me my priesthood and my gift of prophecy.

Then the voice was silent by the power of God. Melchisedec and Shem marvelled at the voice that talked with them. And Melchisedec remained the whole of that night praying joyfully until the day dawned.

Then they put the body of Adam on the ass, and went on their way.

And the angel of God went with them, until they neared the place.

Then he went before them, and stood before the ass, and took down from her the coffin, himself alone; and not as on the two former occasions, when Melchisedec took it down (from the ass). when the coffin reached the rock, the rock split asunder into two parts,, that was the place for the coffin;

And Melchisedec and Shem knew thereby that it was the place God had appointed.

Then the angel went up from them into heaven, while saying unto God, Behold, the body of our father Adam has arrived, and is come to the place You did choose. I have done that which You did command me.

Then came the Word of God to the angel, saying, Go down to Melchisedec and strengthen his heart; and commend him to abide by the body of Adam.

And when Shem enters into rest, tell Melchisedec to go, and to take from Shem the bread and wine he has with him, and to preserve them.

3:20.

Then the angel came down from God, in the figure of a man, who appeared to Melchisedec and to Shem, and strengthened their hearts.

He then laid the body of our father Adam in its place; and said to Melchisedec: Take from Shem the bread and the wine. And he took them, as the angel told him.

Melchisedec and Shem stood praying by the body of our father Adam until the evening, when a great light came down upon the body, and angels ascended and descended in that place upon the body of our father Adam.

They were rejoicing, and praising, and saying, Glory be to You, God, who did create the worlds; and made men of the dust of the earth, to exalt them above heavenly beings.

And the angels so praised God over the body of our father Adam, the whole of that night, until the dawn of day.

As the sun rose, the Word of God came to Melchisedec, and said to him: Arise and take twelve of these stones; make of them an altar and offer upon it of the bread and wine that was with Shem: offer them, you and he.

Then when Melchisedec heard the Word of God, he worshipped between his hands; and he hastened, and did as God commended him.

And at the time he was offering the gift upon the altar, and asked God to sanctify it, the Holy Ghost came down upon the offering; and the mountain was filled with light.

The angels said unto him: This offering is acceptable unto God. Glory be to him who created earthly men, and has revealed great mysteries unto them!

Then the Word of God appeared to Melchisedec, and said unto him: Behold I have made you priest; you and Shem shall offer this offering you did make first; and in like manner as you did, set up these twelve solid foundation stones; for I will raise twelve apostles to be the pillars of the world; and they are firm.

In like manner also, as you did make this altar, will I make you an altar in the world; and like as you did make an offering of bread and wine, will I also present the offering of My Body and Blood, and make it unto forgiveness of sins.

And this place on which you are standing and in which the body of Adam is laid, will I make a holy place; all creatures ou earth shall be blessed in it; and in it I will grant forgiveness unto all who come here.

Then the Word of God blessed Melchisedec, named him priest, and then went up from him into heaven in glory and rejoicing with His angels.

Posted in Books of Ancients

The Book of Adam and Eve Book 3

Noah’s Ark

3.1.

NOAH noticed from his youth up, how sin had multiplied, how wickedness prevailed; how generations of men perished, how sorrow increased, how righteous men diminished. Therefore did he afflict his soul; he restrained his members, and retained his virginity; and grieved over the ruin wrought by the generations of men.

And this Noah habitually mourned and wept and was of a sad countenance; and so he held his soul in fasting, so that the enemy had no advantage over him, and did not come near him.

This Noah also, ever since he was a child with his parents, never made them angry, never transgressed against them; nor ever did a thing without their advice.

And when he was away from them, if he wished to pray or to do aught else; he would ask of God, to guide him aright therein; Wherefore God watched over him.

And while he was on the mountain, he did not transgress against God in any one evil thing, nor did he wilfully depart from what pleased God; neither did he ever anger God.

Many were the wonderful things which happened to him, more than to any of his fathers before him, about the time of the Flood.

And Noah continued in his virginity and in his obedience to God five hundred years; after that it pleased God to raise him a seed; He therefore spake unto him, saying, Arise, Noah, and take unto yourself a wife, that of her you may have children that may be a comfort to you; for you are left alone, and you shall go out of this country unto a strange land; for the earth shall be peopled with your posterity.

Then when Noah heard this from God, he did not transgress His commendment, took unto himself a wife, whose name was Haikal, the daughter of Abaraz, who was of the children of Bnoss children, that went into perdition. And she bare unto him three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japhet.

3:2.

After these things, God spake unto Noah about the Flood; that it should come upon the
earth, and destroy all creatures, so as not to let one of them be seen.

God said unto Noah: Guard your children; commend them and make them understand not to have intercourse with the children of Cain, lest they perish with them. And Noah hearkened to God’s words, and kept his children on the mountain, and would not let them go down to the children of Cain.

Then God spake again unto Noah, saying, Make unto yourself an ark of wood that will not rot; to be a deliverance to you and to the men of your house; begin to build it in the low land of Eden, in presence of the children of Cain, that they may see you working at it;

And if they will not repent they shall perish; and the blame shall rest on them; cut on this holy mountain, the trees whereof you shall make the ark; let the length of the ark be three hundred cubits, the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

And when you have made and finished it, let there be in it one door above, and three compartments; and every compartment ten cubits high. The first story shall be for lions, and beasts, animals and ostriches all together.

The second story shall be for birds, and creeping things. And the third story shall be for you and your wife, and for your sons and their wives. And make in the ark wells for water, and openings to them, to draw water thereat, for drink to you and to those that are with you.

And you shall line those wells with lead, both in and out. And make in the ark store-houses for corn; for food to you and to those that are with you. Then make also unto yourself a trumpet of ebony wood, three cubits long, one and a half cubit wide, with a mouth piece of the same wood.

And you shall blow it three times; the first time in the morning, that the workmen (working) at the ark may hear it, and gather to their work. Then you shall blow it the second time, and when the workmen hear it, they will gather to their meal.

And you shall blow it a third time in the evening, for the workmen to go and rest from their labour. God said unto Noah: Go about among the people and tell them that a flood shall come and shall overwhelm them; and make the ark before their eyes.

And when they question you about the making of the ark, tell them: God has commended me to make it, that we may get into it, I and my children, and be saved from the waters of the Flood.

When Noah went about among them and told them, they laughed at him, and only committed adultery and revelled together all the more, and said: that twaddling old man!

Whence will ever the waters come, above the tops of high mountains? We never saw water rise above mountains; and this old man says, a flood is coming! Noah did all his works, as God had told him concerning them.

3:3.

And Noah begat his three sons, during the first hundred years he worked at the ark. During these hundred years he ate no food, whence blood flows; the shoes on his feet were neither changed, nor worn, nor grown old.

During these hundred years also, he did not change his garments from of him, neither did they wear out, in the least; he did not change the staff in his hand, nor did the cloth about his head grow old; and the hair of his head neither increased nor grew less.

As to those three sons of Noah, the first of them is Shem; the next is Ham; and the third is Japhet. They married wives from among the daughters of Metuselah; as the wise 72 interpreters have told us; as it is written in the first (sacred) book of the Greeks.

The life also of Lamech, Noahs father, was five hundred and fifty-three years; and when he drew near unto death, he called unto him his father Metuselah and his son Noah, and he wept before his father Metuselah and said unto him: Dismiss me my father, and bless me.

Then Metuselah blessed his son Lamech and said: Not one of all our fathers died before his father, the father before his son, in order that there should be his son to bury him in the earth.

Now however, my son, you die before me, and I shall drink (the cup of) sorrow on your account, before I go out of the flesh.

Henceforth, my son, behold the world is changed, and the (order) of deaths of men is changed: for from to-day the son shall die before his father; and the father shall not rejoice in his son, nor be satisfied with him.

So also shall the son not be satisfied with his father, nor rejoice in him. Lamech died, they embalmed him and laid him in the Cave of Treasures. His death took place seven years before the Flood came; and his father Metuselah and his son Noah remained alone on the Holy Mountain.

Noah went down every day to work at the ark, and came up at eventide. He instructed his sons and their wives not to come down after him, and not to hold intercourse with the children of Cain.

Noah was anxious about his sons, and said in his mind: They are young and might be overcome by passion. So he went down by night; and gave old Metuselah directions about them.

3:4.

NOAH preached repeatedly to the children of Cain, saying, The flood will come and destroy you, if we do not repent. they would not hearken to him; they only laughed at him.

When the children of Seth went down from the Holy Mountain, and dwelt with the children of Cain, and defiled themselves with their abominations, there were born unto them children called Garsina, who were giants, mighty men of valour, such as no other giants were of equal might.

Certain wise men of old wrote concerning them, and say in their (sacred) books, that angels came down from heaven, and mingled with the daughters of Cain, who bare unto them these giants. those (wise men) err in what they say.

God forbid such a thing, that angels who are spirits, should be found committing sin with human beings. Never; that cannot be. And if such a thing were of the nature of angels, or satans, that fell, they would not leave one woman on earth, undefiled.

For satans are very wicked and infamous. Moreover, they are not male and female by nature; they are small, subtle spirits, that have been black ever since they transgressed. Many men say, that angels came down from heaven, and joined themselves to women, and had children by them.

This cannot be true: they were children of Seth, who were of the children of Adam, that dwelt on the mountain, high up, while they preserved their virginity, their innocence and their glory like angels; and were then called angels of God. when they transgressed and mingled with the children of Cain, and begat children, ill-informed men said that angels had come down from heaven, and mingled with daughters of men, who bare them giants.

3:5.

Then the ancient old man Metuselah who remained on the mountain with Noahs sons, lived nine hundred and eightyseven years and then sickened; and his sickness was such that, on account of it, he must depart (from this world).

When Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, became aware of it, they came to him with their wives, and wept before him, and said: Ourr father and elder, bless us, and pray God to have mercy on us when you are gone from us.

Then Metuselah said to them with a sorrowful heart: Hear me my dear children, for none of our fathers are left, you, eight souls.

The Lord God created our father Adam and our mother Eve, and from them filled the earth of people in the neighbourhood of the garden, and multiplied their seed; they have not kept His commendment, and He will destroy them. Had they kept His commendment, He would then have filled heaven and earth with them.

Yet I will ask the Lord my God to bless you, to multiply you, and to spread your race in a strange land to which you shall go. And now my children, behold God will bring you inside an ark, unto a land to which you have never been.

The Lord God of all our pure fathers, be with you May God bestow the glorious gifts He bestowed on our father Adam, from the garden in this blessed Cave of Treasures, on you also! These are the three glorious gifts which God made to Adam.

The first is kingship, wherein God made Adam king over His works. The second glorious gift is priesthood, in that God breathed into his face a spirit of life. And the third glorious gift is prophecy; for Adam prophesied concerning what God thought. I will ask the Lord my God, to bestow those three glorious gifts on your posterity.

Then Metuselah said also to Noah: Noah, you are blessed of God. I warn you and tell you that I am going from you to all our fathers that have gone before me. You, who shall be left alone with your children on this holy mountain, keep the commendment I give you, and forsake not anything of what I have told you. Behold my God shall quickly bring a flood upon the earth; embalm my body, and lay it in the Cave of Treasures.

Then take your wife with your sons and their wives, and go down from this holy mountain, and take with you the body of our father Adam; go into the ark and lay it there, until the waters of the Flood are assuaged from of the face of the earth.

My son, when about to die, commend your first-born son Shem, to take Melchisedec, son of Cainan, and grandson of Arpach-shad; for that Melchisedec is priest of the Most High God; and to take with them the body of our father Adam from within the ark, and remove it and lay it in the earth.

And Melchisedec shall stand ministering on that mountain that is in the middle of the earth, before the body of our father Adam for ever.

For from that place, Noah my son, God shall work salvation for Adam and for all of his seed that believe in God. Metuselah said also to Noah and to his sons: The angel of God will go with you, until you come to that place, in the middle of the earth.

Again Metuselah said to Noah: My son, let him who ministers unto God, and before the body of our father Adam; have a clothing of skin, and be girt with leather about his loins. Let him wear no ornament, let his raiment be poor; let him be alone, and stand praying our Lord God, to watch over the body of our father Adam; for it is a body of great value before God.

And let him continue in his ministry, be the priest of the Most High God; for he is well pleasing unto God, and so is the ministry he fulfils before God. After this Metuselah commended Noah: Mind all these commendments and keep them.

Then Metuselah’s hands were loosened; he ceased speaking; gradually closed his eyes, and entered into rest like all his fathers; his tears streaming down his cheeks at the time, and his heart grieving at being separated from them; mostly because of that mountain of the garden, on which not one of them was left.

For God was purposed to destroy all creatures, and to blot them out from the face of the earth. The rest of Metuselah took place when he was nine hundred and sixty-seven years old, on the twelfth of Magabit on a Sunday.

Noah and his sons embalmed him, weeping and sorrowing over him, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures. And they wailed over him with a great wailing, they and their wives, forty days. And when mourning and grief over Metuselah were ended, Noah and his sons began to do as Metuselah had commended them.

3:6.

After his death, Noah, his sons, and their wives came to the bodies of our fathers, worshipped them, and blessed themselves in them, weeping and being in the deepest grief.

Noah had finished the ark, and not one workman was left in it. And he, with his sons, continued in prayer to God, asking Him to show them the way of safety.

When Noah and bis sons had ended their prayers, God said unto him: Go you into the Cave of Treasures, you and your sons, and take the body of our father Adam and lay it in the ark; likewise take the gold, the incense, and the myrrh, and lay them in the ark together with his body.

And Noah hearkened to God’s voice, and went into the Cave of Treasures, he and his sons; they worshipped the bodies of our fathers, and then Noah took the body of our father Adam, and carried it in the strength of God, not requiring the help of anyone.

Then Shem his son, took the gold with him, and Ham carried the myrrh, and Japhet carried the incense; and they brought them out of the Cave of Treasures, their tears the while streaming down their cheeks.

But as they were bringing them out, the bodies among which Adam had been laid, cried out: Are we then to be separated from you, our father Adam? Then Adams body answered, Oh, that I must part from you my sons, from this holy mountain!

Yet do I know O my sons, that God will gather all our bodies together another time. Wait patiently until our Saviourr have pity on us. And the other bodies went on talking together, by the power of God’s Word.

Then Adam asked God that the divine fire might remain in the lamp, before his sons, until the time when bodies shall rise again. And God left the divine fire by them, to shed light on them.

He then closed the cave upon them, and left not a trace to show (where it is) until the day of the Resurrection, when He will raise them up, like all other bodies. The discourse Adam held, and that too, he being dead, was by the commend of God, who would show His wonders among the dead and the living.

After this let none of you say, that Adams soul had already been under satans judgment. It was not so; God commanded the souls of the dead, to come from under His hand; and to speak of the wonders of God from within their bodies. Then they returned to their places until the day of the sure deliverance that shall be unto them all.

3:7.

When Noah and his sons heard these voices from those dead bodies, they wondered greatly, and their faith in God was strengthened. Then they went out of the cave and began to go down from the Holy Mountain, weeping and wailing with a fervent heart, for their being so parted from the holy mountain, the abode of their fathers.

And Noah and his sons went back and sought the cave, could not find it. Then they broke out into bitter
lamentation and deep sorrow; for they saw that from that day forth, they should have neither existence nor abode in it.

Then once more they raised their eyes and looked at the garden and at the trees (that were) in it, and they lifted up their voices in weeping, and in loud crying, said: We salute you in worship, garden of joy! abode of brilliant beings, a place for the righteous!

We salute you, place of joy that was the abode of our father Adam, the chief of creation; who, when he had transgressed, fell from you; and then saw his body in life, naked and disgraced. And we, behold, we depart from the Holy Mountain to the lower side of you; neither shall we dwell in it, nor yet behold you so long as we live.

We wish God would remove you with us to the country to which we shall go; God would not remove you into a cursed land. God will take us, and will bring us into that land with our children, until He has ended the punishment for our transgression of His commandment.

Noah and his sons said also: We salute you; cave, abode of the bodies of our holy fathers; we salute you; pure spot, hidden from our eyes, yet fit to have those bodies laid within you! The Lord God preserve you for the sake of the bodies of our fathers!

Again they said: We greet you our fathers, righteous judges, and we ask you to pray for us before God that He will have pity on us, and deliver us out of this passing world. We ask you to pray for us, for us, the only ones left of your seed; We give you a greeting of peace!

Seth, great master, among the fathers, we greet you with peace! Holy Mountain abode of our fathers, we give you a greeting of peace! Then Noah and his sons wept again and said: Alas, eight souls that are left for us!

Behold we are taken away from the sight of the garden. As they were coming down the mountain they greeted the stones, took them in their hands and put them upon their shoulders; they stroked down the trees, and did so weeping. And they continued coming down from the mountain, until they came to the door of the ark.

Then Noah and his sons turned their faces to the east, and requested the Lord to have mercy on them, to save them, and to command them where to lay the body of our father Adam. Then the Word of God came to Noah, saying, Lift up the body of Adam to the third story (of the ark) , and lay it there on the eastern side; and the gold, the incense and the myrrh together with him.

And you and your sons shall stand before him praying. Your wife, and the wives of your sons, shall be on the western side of the ark; and they and their wives shall not come together. Then when Noah heard these words from God, he and his sons went into the ark, and laid the body of our father Adam on the eastern side, and the three offerings together with him.

And Noah brought into the ark the body of Adam, on a Friday, at the second hour, on the twenty-seventh of the month of Gembot.

3:8.

Then God said unto Noah: Go upon the top of the ark and blow the trump three times that all beasts gather together unto the ark. Noah said: Shall the sound of the trump reach unto the ends of the earth to gather together the beasts and the birds?

Then God said unto him: It is not the sound of this trump alone that shall go forth, My power shall go with it, to make it come into the ears of the beasts and of the birds.

And when you blow your trump, I will command My angel to blow the horn from heaven; and all these animals shall be gathered unto you. Then Noah made haste and blew the trump, as God had told him. Then the angel blew the horn from heaven, until the earth quaked, and all creatures on it trembled.

Then all the beasts, birds and creeping things were gathered together at the third hour, on a Friday; when all the beasts, lions and ostriches went into the lower story at the third hour.

Then at midday, came the birds and creeping things into the middle story; and Noah and his sons went into the third story, at the ninth hourr of the day.

And when Noah, with his wife, his sons and their wives came into the upper story, he commanded the women to dwell on the western side; Noah and his sons, with the body of our father Adam, dwelt on the eastern side.

3:9.

And Noah stood asking God to save him from the waters of the Flood. Then God talked to Noah and said to him: of every kind of birds, take one pair, male and female of the clean; and of the unclean also one pair, male and female; also of the clean take six pairs, male and female.

And Noah did all this. Then when they all had got into the ark, God shut to the door of the ark upon them by His power.

He then commanded the windows of heaven to open wide, and to pour down from them cataracts of water. And so it was; by God’s order. And He commanded all fountains to burst open, and the depths to pourr forth water, upon the face of the earth. So that the sea all round rose above the whole world, and surged, and the deep waters arose.

When the windows of heaven opened wide, all stores (of water) and depths were opened, and all the stores of the winds, and the whirlwind, thick mist, gloom and darkness spread abroad. The sun and moon and stars, withheld their light. It was a day of terror, such as had never been.

Then the sea all round, began to raise its waves on high like mountains; and it covered the whole face of the earth. When the sons of Seth, who were fallen into wickedness and adultery with the children of Cain, saw this, they then knew that God was angry with them; and that Noah had told them the truth.

Then they all ran round the ark, to Noah, begging and entreating him to open for them the door of the ark; inasmuch as they could not climb the Holy Mountain, by reason of the stones thereof, that were like fire. As to the ark, it was closed and sealed by the power of God.

An angel of God sat upon the ark, and was like a captain to Noah, to his sons, and to all inside the ark. And the waters of the flood increased on the children of Cain and overwhelmed them; and they began to sink, and the words of Noah were fulfilled, which he preached to them (saying), the waters of the Flood should come and drown them.

And the waters continued above and below over Noah and his sons, until they were suspended in the ark; and by the strength of the water, the ark rose from the earth; and the flesh of every moving thing perished.

And the water rose until it covered the earth, and until it covered all high mountains; and the waters rose above them, and above the tops of high mountains fifteen cubits, by the cubit of the Holy Ghost, which is equal to three cubits (of man). So that the number of these were forty-five cubits (above the highest mountains).

And the water increased and bare the ark, and brought it to the lower side of the garden, which the waters, the rain, the whirlwind and all that went about on the earth, did worship. As did also Noah and his sons and all that was in the ark, they bowed in worship to the holy garden.

And the water returned to its former state, and destroyed every thing that was upon the earth and under heaven; the ark was floating on the waters and rose up before the winds; while the angel of God steered and led it from east to west.

And the ark so moved about on the face of the waters a hundred and fifty days. After that, the ark stood upon the mountains of Ararat, on the twenty-seventh day of the month of Tkarnt.

3:10.

Then God sent again His order to Noah, saying, Be quiet and wait until the waters are assuaged.

Then the waters parted asunder and returned every water to its own place, where it was at first; the fountains ceased to pour forth over the earth; the depths that are on the face of the earth, ceased to rise; and the windows of heaven were closed.

For floods of rain fell from heaven at the beginning of the Flood forty days and forty nights.

On the first day of the eleventh month the tops of high mountains were seen; and Noah waited yet forty days, and then opened the window he had made on the western side of the ark, and let go a raven, to see if the waters were assuaged from the face of the earth or not.

Then the raven went forth, returned no more to Noah; for the harmless dove is the sign of the mystery of the Christian Church. Noah waited yet a little while after the waters were assuaged, and then sent out a dove, to see if the water had retired or not.

When the dove went out; she found not a place whereon to rest her foot, and no abode; and she returned to Noah. Then Noah waited seven days more, and sent out the dove to see if the water had retired or not. And the dove came back to Noah, about eventide; and in her mouth was an oliveleaf.

The meaning of the dove is, that she is taken as a figure of the old and of the new (covenants). The first time when she went out, and found nowhere to rest her feet, that is, a place of rest (is a figure of) the stiff-necked Jews, in whom no grace remained, nor any mercy whatever.

Wherefore Christ, the meek one, who is figured in the dove, did not find among them rest for the sole of His feet. The second time when the dove found a place of rest (is a figure of) the nations that have received the glad tidings of the holy Gospel, and among whom Christ has found a resting place.

Posted in Books of Ancients

Chapter XI

Seth becomes head of the most happy and just tribe of people who ever lived.

¹ AFTER the death of Adam and of Eve, Seth severed his children, and his children’s children, from Cain’s children. Cain and his seed went down and dwelt westward, below the place where he had killed his brother Abel.

² But Seth and his children dwelt northwards upon the mountain of the Cave of Treasures, in order to be near to their father Adam.

³ And Seth the elder, tall and good, with a fine soul, and of a strong mind, stood at the head of his people; and tended them in innocence, penitence, and meekness, and did not allow one of them to go down to Cain’s children.

⁴ But because of their own purity, they were named “Children of God,” and they were with God, instead of the hosts of angels who fell; for they continued in praises to God, and in singing psalms unto Him, in their cave–the Cave of Treasures.

⁵ Then Seth stood before the body of his father Adam, and of his mother Eve, and prayed night and day, and asked for mercy towards himself and his children; and that when he had some difficult dealing with a child, He would give him counsel.

⁶ But Seth and his children did not like earthly work, but gave themselves to heavenly things; for they had no other thought than praises, doxologies, and psalms unto God.

⁷ Therefore did they at all times hear the voices of angels, praising and glorifying God; from within the garden, or when they were sent by God on an errand, or when they were going up to heaven.

⁸ For Seth and his children, by reason of their own purity, heard and saw those angels. Then, again, the garden was not far above them, but only some fifteen spiritual cubits.

⁹ Now one spiritual cubit answers to three cubits of man, altogether forty-five cubits.

¹⁰ Seth and his children dwelt on the mountain below the garden; they sowed not, neither did they reap; they wrought no food for the body. not even wheat; but only offerings. They ate of the fruit and of trees well flavoured that grew on the mountain where they dwelt.

¹¹ Then Seth often fasted every forty days, as did also his eldest children. For the family of Seth smelled the smell of the trees in the garden, when the wind blew that way.

¹² They were happy, innocent, without sudden fear, there was no jealousy, no evil action, no hatred among them. There was no animal passion; from no mouth among them went forth either foul words or curse; neither evil counsel nor fraud. For the men of that time never swore, but under hard circumstances, when men must swear, they swore by the blood of Abel the just.

¹³ But they constrained their children and their women every day in the cave to fast and pray, and to worship the most High God. They blessed themselves n the body of their father Adam, and anointed themselves with it.

¹⁴ And they did so until the end of Seth drew near.

Chapter XII

Seth’s family affairs. His death. The headship of Enos. How the outcast branch of Adam’s family fared.

¹ THEN Seth, the just, called his son Enos, and Cainan, son of Enos, and Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, and said unto them:–

² “As my end is near, I wish to build a roof over the altar on which gifts are offered.”

³ They hearkened to his commandment and went out, all of them, both old and young, and worked hard at it, and built a beautiful roof over the altar.

⁴ And Seth’s thought in so doing, was that a blessing should come upon his children on the mountain; and that he should present an offering for them before his death.

⁵ Then when the building of the roof was completed, he commanded them to make offerings. They worked diligently at these, and brought them to Seth their father who took them and offered them upon the altar; and prayed God to accept their offerings, to have mercy on the souls of his children, and to keep them from the hand of Satan.

⁶ And God accepted his offering, and sent His blessing upon him and upon his children. And then God made a promise to Seth, saying, “At the end of the great five days and a half, concerning which I have made a promise to thee and to thy father, I will send My Word and save thee and thy seed.”

⁷ Then Seth and his children, and his children’s children, met together, and came down from the altar, and went to the Cave of Treasures–where they prayed, and blessed themselves in the body of our father Adam, and anointed themselves with it.

⁸ But Seth abode in the Cave of Treasures, a few days, and then suffered–sufferings unto death.

⁹ Then Enos, his first-born son, came to him, with Cainan, his son, and Mahalaleel, Cainan’s son, and Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, and Enoch, Jared’s son, with their wives and children to receive a blessing from Seth.

¹⁰ Then Seth prayed over them, and blessed them, and adjured them by the blood of Abel the just, saying, “I beg of you, my children, not to let one of you go down from this Holy and pure Mountain.

¹¹ Make no fellowship with the children of Cain the murderer and the sinner, who killed his brother; for ye know, O my children, that we flee from him, and from all his sin with all our might because he killed his brother Abel.”

¹² After having said this, Seth blessed Enos, his first-born son, and commanded him habitually to minister in purity before the body of our father Adam, all the days of his life; then, also, to go at times to the altar which he Seth had built. And he commanded him to feed his people in righteousness, in judgment and purity all the days of his life.

¹³ Then the limbs of Seth were loosened; his hands and feet lost all power; his mouth became dumb and unable to speak; and he gave up the ghost and died the day after his nine hundred and twelfth year; on the twenty-seventh day of the month Abib; Enoch being then twenty years old.

¹⁴ Then they wound up carefully the body of Seth, and embalmed him with sweet spices, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures, on the right side of our father Adam’s body, and they mourned for him forty days. They offered gifts for him, as they had done for our father Adam.

¹⁵ After the death of Seth Enos rose at the head of his people, whom he fed in righteousness, and judgment, as his father had commanded him.

¹⁶ But by the time Enos was eight hundred and twenty years old, Cain had a large progeny; for they married frequently, being given to animal lusts; until the land below the mountain, was filled with them.

Chapter XIII

“Among the children of Cain there was much robbery, murder and sin.”

¹ IN those days lived Lamech the blind, who was of the sons of Cain. He had a son whose name was Atun, and they two had much cattle.

² But Lamech was in the habit of sending them to feed with a young shepherd, who tended them; and who, when coming home in the evening wept before his grandfather, and before his father Atun and his mother Hazina, and said to them, “As for me, I cannot feed those cattle alone, lest one rob me of some of them, or kill me for the sake of them.” For among the children of Cain, there was much robbery, murder, and sin.

³ Then Lamech pitied him, and he said, “Truly, he when alone, might be overpowered by the men of this place.”

⁴ So Lamech arose, took a bow he had kept ever since he was a youth, ere he became blind, and he took large arrows, and smooth stones, and a sling which he had, and went to the field with the young shepherd, and placed himself behind the cattle; while the young shepherd watched the cattle. Thus did Lamech many days.

⁵ Meanwhile Cain, ever since God had cast him off, and had cursed him with trembling and terror, could neither settle nor find rest in any one place; but wandered from place to place.

⁶ In his wanderings he came to Lamech’s wives, and asked them about him. They said to him, “He is in the field with the cattle.”

⁷ Then Cain went to look for him; and as he came into the field, the young shepherd heard the noise he made, and the cattle herding together from before him.

⁸ Then said he to Lamech, “O my lord, is that a wild beast or a robber?”

⁹ And Lamech said to him, “Make me understand which way he looks, when he comes up.”

¹⁰ Then Lamech bent his bow, placed an arrow on it, and fitted a stone in the sling, and when Cain came out from the open country, the shepherd said to Lamech, “Shoot, behold, he is coming.”

¹¹ Then Lamech shot at Cain with his arrow and hit him in his side. And Lamech struck him with a stone from his sling, that fell upon his face, and knocked out both his eyes; then Cain fell at once and died.

¹² Then Lamech and the young shepherd came up to him, and found him lying on the ground. And the young shepherd said to him, “It is Cain our grandfather, whom thou hast killed, O my lord!”

¹³ Then was Lamech sorry for it, and from the bitterness of his regret, he clapped his hands together, and struck with his flat palm the head of the youth, who fell as if dead; but Lamech thought it was a feint; so he took up a stone and smote him, and smashed his head until he died.

Chapter XIV

Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears away another generation of men.

¹ WHEN Enos was nine hundred years old, all the children of Seth, and of Cainan, and his first-born, with their wives and children, gathered around him, asking for a blessing from him.

² He then prayed over them and blessed them, and adjured them by the blood of Abel the just saying to them, “Let not one of your children go down from this Holy Mountain, and let them make no fellowship with the children of Cain the murderer.”

³ Then Enos called his son Cainan and said to him, “See, O my son, and set thy heart on thy people, and establish them in righteousness, and in innocence; and stand ministering before the body of our father Adam, all the days of thy life.”

⁴ After this Enos entered into rest, aged nine hundred and eighty-five years; and Cainan wound him up, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures on the left of his father Adam; and made offerings for him, after the custom of his fathers.

Chapter XV

The offspring of Adam continue to keep the Cave of Treasures as a family shrine.

¹ AFTER the death of Enos, Cainan stood at the head of his people in righteousness and innocence, as his father had commanded him; he also continued to minister before the body of Adam, inside the Cave of Treasures.

² Then when he had lived nine hundred and ten years, suffering and affliction came upon him. And when he was about to enter into rest, all the fathers with their wives and children came to him, and he blessed them, and adjured them by the blood of Abel, the just, saying to them, “Let not one among you go down from this Holy Mountain; and make no fellowship with the children of Cain the murderer.”

³ Mahalaleel, his first-born son, received this commandment from his father, who blessed him and died.

⁴ Then Mahalaleel embalmed him with sweet spices, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures, with his fathers; and they made offerings for him, after the custom of their fathers.

Chapter XVI

The good branch of the family is still afraid of the children of Cain.

¹ THEN Mahalaleel stood over his people, and fed them in righteousness and innocence, and watched them to see they held no intercourse with the children of Cain.

² He also continued in the Cave of Treasures praying and ministering before the body of our father Adam, asking God for mercy on himself and on his people; until he was eight hundred and seventy years old, when he fell sick.

³ Then all his children gathered unto him, to see him, and to ask for his blessing on them all, ere he left this world.

⁴ Then Mahalaleel arose and sat on his bed, his tears streaming down his face, and he called his eldest son Jared, who came to him.

⁵ He then kissed his face, and said to him, “O Jared, my son, I adjure thee by Him who made heaven and earth, to watch over thy people, and to feed them in righteousness and in innocence; and not to let one of them go down from this Holy Mountain to the children of Cain, lest he perish with them.

⁶ “Hear, O my son, hereafter there shall come a great destruction upon this earth on account of them; God will be angry with the world, and will destroy them with waters.

⁷ “But I also know that thy children will not hearken to thee, and that they will go down from this mountain and hold intercourse with the children of Cain, and that they shall perish with them.

⁸ “O my son! teach them, and watch over them, that no guilt attach to thee on their account.”

⁹ Mahalaleel said, moreover to his son Jared, “When I die, embalm my body and lay it in the Cave of Treasures, by the bodies of my fathers; then stand thou by my body and pray to God; and take care of them, and fulfil thy ministry before them, until thou enterest into rest thyself.”

¹⁰ Mahalaleel then blessed all his children; and then lay down on his bed, and entered into rest like his fathers.

¹¹ But when Jared saw that his father Mahalaleel was dead, he wept, and sorrowed, and embraced and kissed his hands and his feet; and so did all his children.

¹² And his children embalmed him carefully, and laid him by the bodies of his fathers. Then they arose, and mourned for him forty days.

Chapter XVII

Jared turns martinet. He is lured away to the land of Cain where he sees many voluptuous sights. Jared barely escapes with a clean heart.

¹ THEN Jared kept his father’s commandment, and arose like a lion over his people. He fed them in righteousness and innocence, and commanded them to do nothing without his counsel. For he was afraid concerning them, lest they should go to the children of Cain.

² Wherefore did he give them orders repeatedly; and continued to do so until the end of the four hundred and eighty-fifth year of his life.

³ At the end of these said years, there came unto him this sign. As Jared was standing like a lion before the bodies of his fathers, praying and warning his people, Satan envied him, and wrought a beautiful apparition, because Jared would not let his children do aught without his counsel.

⁴ Satan then appeared to him with thirty men of his hosts, in the form of handsome men; Satan himself being the elder and tallest among them, with a fine beard.

⁵ They stood at the mouth of the cave, and called out Jared, from within it.

⁶ He came out to them, and found them looking like fine men, full of light, and of great beauty. He wondered at their beauty and at their looks; and thought within himself whether they might not be of the children of Cain.

⁷ He said also in his heart, “As the children of Cain cannot come up to the height of this mountain, and none of them is so handsome as these appear to be; and among these men there is not one of my kindred–they must be strangers.”

⁸ Then Jared and they exchanged a greeting and he said to the elder among them, “O my father, explain to me the wonder that is in thee, and tell me who these are, with thee; for they look to me like strange men.”

⁹ Then the elder began to weep, and the rest wept with him; and he said to Jared: “I am Adam whom God made first; and this is Abel my son, who was killed by his brother Cain, into whose heart Satan put to murder him.

¹⁰ “Then this is my son Seth, whom I asked of the Lord, who gave him to me, to comfort me instead of Abel.

¹¹ “Then this one is my son Enos, son of Seth, and that other one is Cainan, son of Enos, and that other one is Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, thy father.”

¹² But Jared remained wondering at their appearance, and at the speech of the elder to him.

¹³ Then the elder said to him, “Marvel not, O my son; we live in the land north of the garden, which God created before the world. He would not let us live there, but placed us inside the garden, below which ye are now dwelling.

¹⁴ “But after that I transgressed, He made me come out of it, and I was left to dwell in this cave; great and sore troubles came upon me; and when my death drew near, I commanded my son Seth to tend his people well; and this my commandment is to be handed from one to another, unto the end of the generations to come.

¹⁵ “But, O Jared, my son, we live in beautiful regions, while you live here in misery, as this thy father Mahalaleel informed me; telling me that a great flood will come and overwhelm the whole earth.

¹⁶ “Therefore, O my son, fearing for your sakes, I rose and took my children with me, and came hither for us to visit thee and thy children; but I found thee standing in this cave weeping, and thy children scattered about this mountain, in the heat and in misery.

¹⁷ “But, O my son, as we missed our way, and came as far as this, we found other men below this mountain; who inhabit a beautiful country, full of trees and of fruits, and of all manner of verdure; it is like a garden; so that when we found them we thought they were you; until thy father Mahalaleel told me they were no such thing.

¹⁸ “Now, therefore, O my son, hearken to my counsel, and go down to them, thou and thy children. Ye will rest from all this suffering in which ye are. But if thou wilt not go down to them, then, arise, take thy children, and come with us to our garden; ye shall live in our beautiful land, and ye shall rest from all this trouble, which thou and thy children are now bearing.”

¹⁹ But Jared when he heard this discourse from the elder, wondered; and went hither and thither, but at that moment he found not one of his children.

²⁰ Then he answered and said to the elder, “Why have you hidden yourselves until this day?”

²¹ And the elder replied, “If thy father had not told us, we should not have known it.”

²² Then Jared believed his words were true.

²³ So that elder said to Jared, “Wherefore didst thou turn about, so and so?” And he said, “I was seeking one of my children, to tell him about my going with you, and about their coming down to those about whom thou hast spoken to me.”

²⁴ When the elder heard Jared’s intention, he said to him, “Let alone that purpose at present, and come with us; thou shalt see our country; if the land in which we dwell pleases thee, we and thou shall return hither and take thy family with us. But if our country does not please thee, thou shalt come back to thine own place.”

²⁵ And the elder urged Jared, to go before one of his children came to counsel him otherwise.

²⁶ Jared, then, came out of the cave and went with them, and among them. And they comforted him, until they came to the top of the mountain of the sons of Cain.

²⁷ Then said the elder to one of his companions, “We have forgotten something by the mouth of the cave, and that is the chosen garment we had brought to clothe Jared withal.”

²⁸ He then said to one of them, “Go back, thou, some one; and we will wait for thee here, until thou come back. Then will we clothe Jared and he shall be like us, good, handsome, and fit to come with us into our country.”

²⁹ Then that one went back.

³⁰ But when he was a short distance off, the elder called to him and said to him, “Tarry thou, until I come up and speak to thee.”

³¹ Then he stood still, and the elder went up to him and said to him, “One thing we forgot at the cave, it is this–to put out the lamp that burns inside it, above the bodies that are therein. Then come back to us, quick.”

³² That one went, and the elder came back to his fellows and to Jared. And they came down from the mountain, and Jared with them; and they stayed by a fountain of water, near the houses of the children of Cain, and waited for their companion until he brought the garment for Jared.

³³ He, then, who went, back to the cave, put out the lamp, and came to them and brought a phantom with him and showed it them. And when Jared saw it he wondered at the beauty and grace thereof, and rejoiced in his heart believing it was all true.

³⁴ But while they were staying there, three of them went into houses of the sons of Cain, and said to them, “Bring us to-day some food by the fountain of water, for us and our companions to eat.”

³⁵ But when the sons of Cain saw them, they wondered at them and thought: “These are beautiful to look at, and such as we never saw before.” So they rose and came with them to the fountain of water, to see their companions.

³⁶ They found them so very handsome, that they cried aloud about their places for others to gather together and come and look at these beautiful beings. Then they gathered around them both men and women.

³⁷ Then the elder said to them, “We are strangers in your land, bring us some good food and drink you and your women, to refresh ourselves with you.”

³⁸ When those men heard these words of the elder, every one of Cain’s sons brought his wife, and another brought his daughter, and so, many women came to them; every one addressing Jared either for himself or for his wife; all alike.

³⁹ But when Jared saw what they did, his very soul wrenched itself from them; neither would he taste of their food or of their drink.

⁴⁰ The elder saw hint as he wrenched himself from them, and said to him, “Be not sad; I am the great elder, as thou shalt see me do, do thyself in like manner.”

⁴¹ Then he spread his hands and took one of the women, and five of his companions did the same before Jared, that he should do as they did.

⁴² But when Jared saw them working infamy he wept, and said in his mind,–My fathers never did the like.

⁴³ He then spread his hands and prayed with a fervent heart, and with much weeping, and entreated God to deliver him from their hands.

⁴⁴ No sooner did Jared begin to pray than the elder fled with his companions; for they could not abide in a place of prayer.

⁴⁵ Then Jared turned round but could not see them, but found himself standing in the midst of the children of Cain.

⁴⁶ He then wept and said, “O God, destroy me not with this race, concerning which my fathers have warned me; for now, O my Lord God, I was thinking that those who appeared unto me were my fathers; but I have found them out to be devils, who allured me by this beautiful apparition, until I believed them.

⁴⁷ “But now I ask Thee, O God, to deliver me from this race, among whom I am now staying, as Thou didst deliver me from those devils. Send Thy angel to draw me out of the midst of them; for I have not myself power to escape from among them.”

⁴⁸ When Jared had ended his prayer, God sent His angel in the midst of them, who took Jared and set him upon the mountain, and showed him the way, gave him counsel, and then departed from him.

Chapter XVIII

Confusion in the Cave of Treasures. Miraculous speech of the dead Adam.

¹ THE children of Jared were in the habit of visiting him hour after hour, to receive his blessing and to ask his advice for every thing they did; and when he had a work to do, they did it for him.

² But this time when they went into the cave they found not Jared, but they found the lamp put out, and the bodies of the fathers thrown about, and voices came from them by the power of God, that said, “Satan in an apparition has deceived our son, wishing to destroy him, as he destroyed our son Cain.”

³ They said also, “Lord God of heaven and earth, deliver our son from the hand of Satan, who wrought a great and false apparition before him,” They also spake of other matters, by the power of God.

⁴ But when the children of Jared heard these voices they feared, and stood weeping for their father; for they knew not what had befallen him.

⁵ And they wept for him that day until the setting of the sun.

⁶ Then came Jared with a woeful countenance, wretched in mind and body, and sorrowful at having been separated from the bodies of his fathers.

⁷ But as he was drawing near to the cave, his children saw him, and hastened to the cave, and hung upon his neck, crying, and saying to him, “O father, where hast thou been, and why hast thou left us, as thou wast not wont to do?” And again, “O father, when thou didst disappear, the lamp over the bodies of our fathers went out, the bodies were thrown about, and voices came from them.”

⁸ When Jared heard this he was sorry, and went into the cave; and there found the bodies thrown about, the lamp put out, and the fathers themselves praying for his deliverance from the hand of Satan.

⁹ Then Jared fell upon the bodies and embraced them, and said, “O my fathers, through your intercession, let God deliver me from the hand of Satan! And I beg you will ask God to keep me and to bide me from him unto the day of my death.”

¹⁰ Then all the voices ceased save the voice of our father Adam, who spake to Jared by the power of God, just as one would speak to his fellow, saying, “O Jared, my son, offer gifts to God for having delivered thee from the hand of Satan; and when thou bringest those offerings, so be it that thou offerest them on the altar on which I did offer. Then also, beware of Satan; for he deluded me many a time with his apparitions, wishing to destroy me, but God delivered me out of his hand.

¹¹ “Command thy people that they be on their guard against him; and never cease to offer up gifts to God.”

¹² Then the voice of Adam also became silent; and Jared and his children wondered at this. Then they laid the bodies as they were it first; and Jared and his children stood praying the whole of that night, until break of day.

¹³ Then Jared made an offering and offered it up on the altar, as Adam had commanded him. And as he went up to the altar, he prayed to God for mercy and for forgiveness of his sin, concerning the lamp going out.

¹⁴ Then God appeared unto Jared on the altar and blessed him and his children, and accepted their offerings; and commanded Jared to take of the sacred fire from the altar, and with it to light the lamp that shed light on the body of Adam.

Chapter XIX

The children of Jared are led astray.

¹ THEN God revealed to him again the promise He had made to Adam; He explained to him the 5500 years, and revealed unto him the mystery of His coming upon the earth.

² And God said to Jared, “As to that fire which thou hast taken from the altar to light the lamp withal, let it abide with you to give light to the bodies; and let it not come out of the cave, until the body of Adam comes out of it.

³ But, O Jared, take care of the fire, that it burn bright in the lamp; neither go thou again out of the cave, until thou receivest an order through a vision, and not in an apparition, when seen by thee.

⁴ “Then command again thy people not to hold intercourse with the children of Cain, and not to learn their ways; for I am God who loves not hatred and works of iniquity.”

⁵ God gave also many other commandments to Jared, and blessed him. And then withdrew His Word from him.

⁶ Then Jared drew near with his children, took some fire, and came down to the cave, and lighted the lamp before the body of Adam; and he gave his people commandments as God had told him to do.

⁷ This sign happened to Jared at the end of his four hundred and fiftieth year; as did also many other wonders, we do not record. But we record only this one for shortness sake, and in order not to lengthen our narrative.

⁸ And Jared continued to teach his children eighty years; but after that they began to transgress the commandments he had given them, and to do many things without his counsel. They began to go down from the Holy Mountain one after another, and to mix with the children of Cain, in foul fellowships.

⁹ Now the reason for which the children of Jared went down the Holy Mountain, is this, that we will now reveal unto you.

Chapter XX

Ravishing music; strong drink loosed among the sons of Cain. They don colorful clothing. The children of Seth look on with longing eyes. They revolt from wise counsel; they descend the mountain into the valley of iniquity. They can not ascend the mountain again.

¹ AFTER Cain had gone down to the land of dark soil, and his children had multiplied therein, there was one of them, whose name was Genun, son of Lamech the blind who slew Cain.

² But as to this Genun, Satan came into him in his childhood; and he made sundry trumpets and horns, and string instruments, cymbals and psalteries, and lyres and harps, and flutes; and he played on them at all times and at every hour.

³ And when he played on them, Satan came into them, so that from among them were heard beautiful and sweet sounds, that ravished the heart.

⁴ Then he gathered companies upon companies to play on them; and when they played, it pleased well the children of Cain, who inflamed themselves with sin among themselves, and burnt as with fire; while Satan inflamed their hearts, one with another, and increased lust among them.

⁵ Satan also taught Genun to bring strong drink out of com; and this Genun used to bring together companies upon companies in drink-houses; and brought into their hands all manner of fruits and flowers; and they drank together.

⁶ Thus did this Genun multiply sin exceedingly; he also acted with pride, and taught the children of Cain to commit all manner of the grossest wickedness, which they knew not; and put them up to manifold doings which they knew not before.

⁷ Then Satan, when he saw that they yielded to Genun and hearkened to him in every thing he told them, rejoiced greatly, increased Genun’s understanding, until he took iron and with it made weapons of war.

⁸ Then when they were drunk, hatred and murder increased among them; one man used violence against another to teach him evil taking his children and defiling them before him.

⁹ And when men saw they were overcome, and saw others that were not overpowered, those who were beaten came to Genun, took refuge with him, and he made them his confederates.

¹⁰ Then sin increased among them greatly; until a man married his own sister, or daughter, or mother, and others; or the daughter of his father’s sister, so that there was no more distinction of relationship, and they no longer knew what is iniquity; but did wickedly, and the earth was defiled with sin, and they angered God the Judge, who had created them.

¹¹ But Genun gathered together companies upon companies, that played on horns and on all the other instruments we have already mentioned, at the foot of the Holy Mountain; and they did so in order that the children of Seth who were on the Holy Mountain should hear it.

¹² But when the children of Seth heard the noise, they wondered, and came by companies, and stood on the top of the mountain to look at those below; and they did thus a whole year.

¹³ When, at the end of that year, Genun saw that they were being won over to him little by little, Satan entered into him, and taught him to make dyeing-stuffs for garments of divers patterns, and made him understand how to dye crimson and purple and what not.

¹⁴ And the sons of Cain who wrought all this, and shone in beauty and gorgeous apparel, gathered together at the foot of the mountain in splendour, with horns and gorgeous dresses, and horse races, committing all manner of abominations.

¹⁵ Meanwhile the children of Seth, who were on the Holy Mountain, prayed and praised God, in the place of the hosts of angels who had fallen; wherefore God had called them “angels,” because He rejoiced over them greatly.

¹⁶ But after this, they no longer kept His commandment, nor held by the promise He had made to their fathers; but they relaxed from their fasting and praying, and from the counsel of Jared their father. And they kept on gathering together on the top of the mountain, to look upon the children of Cain, from morning until evening, and upon what they did, upon their beautiful dresses and ornaments.

¹⁷ Then the children of Cain looked up from below, and saw the children of Seth, standing in troops on the top of the mountain; and they called to them to come down to them.

¹⁸ But the children of Seth said to them from above, “We don’t know the way.” Then Genun, the son of Lamech, heard them say they did not know the way, and he bethought himself how he might bring them down.

¹⁹ Then Satan appeared to him by night, saying, “There is no way for them to come down from the mountain on which they dwell; but when they come to-morrow, say to them, ‘Come ye to the western side of the mountain; there you will find the way of a stream of water, that comes down to the foot of the mountain, between two hills; come down that way to us.'”

²⁰ Then when it was day, Genun blew the horns and beat the drums below the mountain, as he was wont. The children of Seth heard it, and came as they used to do.

²¹ Then Genun said to them from down below, “Go to the western side of the mountain, there you will find the way to come down.”

²² But when the children of Seth heard these words from him, they went back into the cave to Jared, to tell him all they had heard.

²³ Then when Jared heard it, he was grieved; for he knew that they would transgress his counsel.

²⁴ After this a hundred men of the children of Seth gathered together, and said among themselves, “Come, let us go down to the children of Cain, and see what they do, and enjoy ourselves with them.”

²⁵ But when Jared heard this of the hundred men, his very soul was moved, and his heart was grieved. He then arose with great fervour, and stood in the midst of them, and adjured them by the blood of Abel the just, “Let not one of you go down from this holy and pure mountain, in which our fathers have ordered its to dwell.”

²⁶ But when Jared saw that they did not receive his words, he said unto them, “O my good and innocent and holy children, know that when once you go down from this holy mountain, God will not allow you to return again to it.”

²⁷ He again adjured them, saying, “I adjure by the death of our father Adam, and by the blood of Abel, of Seth, of Enos, of Cainan, and of Mahalaleel, to hearken to me, and not to go down from this holy mountain; for the moment you leave it, you will be reft of life and of mercy; and you shall no longer be called ‘children of God,’ but ‘children of the devil.'”

²⁸ But they would not hearken to his words.

²⁹ Enoch at that time was already grown up, and in his zeal for God, be arose and said, “Hear me, O ye sons of Seth, small and great–when ye transgress the commandment of our fathers, and go down from this holy mountain–ye shall not come up hither again for ever.”

³⁰ But they rose up against Enoch, and would not hearken to his words, but went down from the Holy Mountain.

³¹ And when they looked at the daughters of Cain, at their beautiful figures, and at their hands and feet dyed with colour, and tattooed in ornaments on their faces, the fire of sin was kindled in them.

³² Then Satan made them look most beautiful before the sons of Seth, as he also made the sons of Seth appear of the fairest in the eyes of the daughters of Cain, so that the daughters of Cain lusted after the sons of Seth like ravenous beasts, and the sons of Seth after the daughters of Cain, until they committed abomination with them.

³³ But after they had thus fallen into this defilement, they returned by the way they had come, and tried to ascend the Holy Mountain. But they could not, because the stones of that holy mountain were of fire flashing before them, by reason of which they could not go up again.

³⁴ And God was angry with them, and repented of them because they had come down from glory, and had thereby lost or forsaken their own purity or innocence, and were fallen into the defilement of sin.

³⁵ Then God sent His Word to Jared, saying, “These thy children, whom thou didst call ‘My children,’–behold they have transgressed My commandment, and have gone down to the abode of perdition, and of sin. Send a messenger to those that are left, that they may not go down, and be lost.”

³⁶ Then Jared wept before the Lord, and asked of Him mercy and forgiveness. But he wished that his soul might depart from his body, rather than hear these words from God about the going down of his children from the Holy Mountain.

³⁷ But he followed God’s order, and preached unto them not to go down from that holy mountain, and not to hold intercourse with the children of Cain.

³⁸ But they heeded not his message, and would not obey his counsel.

Chapter XXI

Jared dies in sorrow for his sons who had gone astray. A prediction of the Flood.

¹ AFTER this another company gathered together, and they went to look after their brethren; but they perished as well as they. And so it was, company after company, until only a few of them were left.

² Then Jared sickened from grief, and his sickness was such that the day of his death drew near.

³ Then he called Enoch his eldest son, and Methuselah Enoch’s son, and Lamech the son of Methuselah, and Noah the son of Lamech.

⁴ And when they were come to him he prayed over them and blessed them, and said to them, “Ye are righteous, innocent sons; go ye not down from this holy mountain; for behold, your children and your children’s children have gone down from this holy mountain, and have estranged themselves from this holy mountain, through their abominable lust and transgression of God’s commandment.

⁵ “But I know, through the power of God, that He will not leave you on this holy mountain, because your children have transgressed His commandment and that of our fathers, which we had received from them.

⁶ “But, O my sons, God will take you to a strange land, and ye never shall again return to behold with your eyes this garden and this holy mountain.

⁷ “Therefore, O my sons, set your hearts on your own selves, and keep the commandment of God which is with you. And when you go from this holy mountain, into a strange land which ye know not, take with you the body of our father Adam, and with it these three precious, gifts and offerings, namely, the gold, the incense, and the myrrh; and let them be in the place where the body of our father Adam shall lay.

⁸ “And unto him of you who shall be left, O my sons, shall the Word of God come, and when he goes out of this land he shall take with him the body of our father Adam, and shall lay it in the middle of the earth the place in which salvation shall be wrought.”

⁹ Then Noah said unto him, “Who is he of us that shall be left?”

¹⁰ And Jared answered, “Thou art he that shall be left. And thou shalt take the body of our father Adam from the cave, and place it with thee in the ark when the flood comes.

¹¹ “And thy son Shem, who shall come out of thy loins, he it is who shall lay the body of our father Adam in the middle of the earth, in the place whence salvation shall come.”

¹² Then Jared turned to his son Enoch, and said unto him, “Thou, my son, abide in this cave, and minister diligently before the body of our father Adam all the days of thy life; and feed thy people in righteousness and innocence.”

¹³ And Jared said no more. His hands were loosened, his eyes closed, and he entered into rest like his fathers. His death took place in the three hundred and sixtieth year of Noah, and in the nine hundred and eighty-ninth year of his own life; on the twelfth of Takhsas on a Friday.

¹⁴ But as Jared died, tears streamed down his face by reason of his great sorrow, for the children of Seth, who had fallen in his days.

¹⁵ Then Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah, these four, wept over him; embalmed him carefully, and then laid him in the Cave of Treasures. Then they rose and mourned for him forty days.

¹⁶ And when these days of mourning were ended, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah remained in sorrow of heart, because their father had departed from them, and they saw him no more.

Chapter XXII

Only three righteous men left in the world. The evil conditions of men prior to the Flood.

¹ BUT Enoch kept the commandment of Jared his father, and continued to minister in the cave.

² It is this Enoch to whom many wonders happened, and who also wrote a celebrated book; but those wonders may not be told in this place.

³ Then after this, the children of Seth went astray and fell, they, their children and their wives. And when Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah saw them, their hearts suffered by reason of their fall into doubt full of unbelief; and they wept and sought of God mercy, to preserve them, and to bring them out of that wicked generation.

⁴ Enoch continued in his ministry before the Lord three hundred and eighty-five years, and at the end of that time he became aware through the grace of God, that God intended to remove him from the earth.

⁵ He then said to his son, “O my son, I know that God intends to bring the waters of the Flood upon the earth, and to destroy our creation.

⁶ “And ye are the last rulers over this people on this mountain; for I know that not one will be left you to beget children on this holy mountain; neither shall any one of you rule over the children of his people; neither shall any great company be left of you, on this mountain.”

⁷ Enoch said also to them, “Watch over your souls, and hold fast by your fear of God and by your service of Him, and worship Him in upright faith, and serve Him in righteousness, innocence and judgment, in repentance and also in purity.”

⁸ When Enoch had ended his commandments to them, God transported him from that mountain to the land of life, to the mansions of the righteous and of the chosen, the abode of Paradise of joy, in light that reaches up to heaven; light that is outside the light of this world; for it is the light of God, that fills the whole world, but which no place can contain.

⁹ Thus, because Enoch was in the light of God, he found himself out of the reach of death; until God would have him die.

¹⁰ Altogether, not one of our fathers or of their children, remained on that holy mountain, except those three, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. For all the rest went down from the mountain and fell into sin with the children of Cain. Therefore were they forbidden that mountain, and none remained on it but those three men.

~~~ THE END ~~~

Posted in Books of Ancients

Chapter I

The grief stricken family. Cain marries Luluwa and they move away.

¹ WHEN Luluwa heard Cain’s words, she wept and went to her father and mother, and told them how that Cain had killed his brother Abel.

² Then they all cried aloud and lifted up their voices, and slapped their faces, and threw dust upon their heads, and rent asunder their garments, and went out and came to the place where Abel was killed.

³ And they found him lying on the earth, killed, and beasts around him; while they wept and cried because of this just one. From his body, by reason of its purity, went forth a smell of sweet spices.

⁴ And Adam carried him, his tears streaming down his face; and went to the Cave of Treasures, where he laid him, and wound him up with sweet spices and myrrh.

⁵ And Adam and Eve continued by the burial of him in great grief a hundred and forty days. Abel was fifteen and a half years old, and Cain seventeen years and a half.

⁶ As for Cain, when the mourning for his brother was ended, he took his sister Luluwa and married her, without leave from his father and mother; for they could not keep him from her, by reason of their heavy heart.

⁷ He then went down to the bottom of the mountain, away from the garden, near to the place where he had killed his brother.

⁸ And in that place were many fruit trees and forest trees. His sister bare him children, who in their turn began to multiply by degrees until they filled that place.

⁹ But as for Adam and Eve, they came not together after Abel’s funeral, for seven years. After this, however, Eve conceived; and while she was with child, Adam said to her “Come, let us take an offering and offer it up unto God, and ask Him to give us a fair child, in whom we may find comfort, and whom we may join in marriage to Abel’s sister.”

¹⁰ Then they prepared an offering and brought it up to the altar, and offered it before the Lord, and began to entreat Him to accept their offering, and to give them a good offspring.

¹¹ And God heard Adam and accepted his offering. Then, they worshipped, Adam, Eve, and their daughter, and came down to the Cave of Treasures and placed a lamp in it, to burn by night and by day, before the body of Abel.

¹² Then Adam and Eve continued fasting and praying until Eve’s time came that she should be delivered, when she said to Adam: “I wish to go to the cave in the rock, to bring forth in it.”

¹³ And he said, “Go and take with thee thy daughter to wait on thee; but I will remain in this Cave of Treasures before the body of my son Abel.”

¹⁴ Then Eve hearkened to Adam, and went, she and her daughter. But Adam remained by himself in the Cave of Treasures.

Chapter II

A third son is born to Adam and Eve.

¹ AND Eve brought forth a son perfectly beautiful in figure and in countenance. His beauty was like that of his father Adam, yet more beautiful.

² Then Eve was comforted when she saw him, and remained eight days in the cave; then she sent her daughter unto Adam to tell him to come and see the child and name him. But the daughter stayed in his place by the body of her brother, until Adam returned. So did she.

³ But when Adam came and saw the child’s good looks, his beauty, and his perfect figure, he rejoiced over him, and was comforted for Abel. Then he named the child Seth, that means, “that God has heard my prayer, and has delivered me out of my affliction.” But it means also “power and strength.”

⁴ Then after Adam had named the child, he returned to the Cave of Treasures; and his daughter went back to her mother.

⁵ But Eve continued in her cave, until forty days were fulfilled, when she came to Adam, and brought with her the child and her daughter.

⁶ And they came to a river of water, where Adam and his daughter washed themselves, because of their sorrow for Abel; but Eve and the babe washed for purification.

⁷ Then they returned, and took an offering, and went to the mountain and offered it up, for the babe; and God accepted their offering, and sent His blessing upon them, and upon their son Seth; and they came back to the Cave of Treasures.

⁸ As for Adam, he knew not again his wife Eve, all the days of his life; neither was any more offspring born of them; but only those five, Cain, Luluwa, Abel, Aklia, and Seth alone.

⁹ But Seth waxed in stature and in strength; and began to fast and pray, fervently.

Chapter III

Satan appears as a beautiful woman tempting Adam, telling him he is still a youth. “Spend thy youth in mirth and pleasure.” (12) The different forms which Satan takes (15).

¹ AS for our father Adam, at the end of seven years from the day he had been severed from his wife Eve, Satan envied him, when he saw him thus separated from her; and strove to make him live with her again.

² Then Adam arose and went up above the Cave of Treasures; and continued to sleep there night by night. But as soon as it was light every day he came down to the cave, to pray there and to receive a blessing from it.

³ But when it was evening he went up on the roof of the cave, where he slept by himself, fearing lest Satan should overcome him. And he continued thus apart thirty-nine days.

⁴ Then Satan, the hater of all good, when he saw Adam thus alone, fasting and praying, appeared unto him in the form of a beautiful woman, who came and stood before him in the night of the fortieth day, and said unto him:–

⁵ “O Adam, from the time ye have dwelt in this cave, we have experienced great peace from you, and your prayers have reached us, and we have been comforted about you.

⁶ “But now, O Adam, that thou hast gone up over the roof of the cave to sleep, we have had doubts about thee, and a great sorrow has come upon us because of thy separation from Eve. Then again, when thou art on the roof of this cave, thy prayer is poured out, and thy heart wanders from side to side.

⁷ “But when thou wast in the cave thy prayer was like fire gathered together; it came down to us, and thou didst find rest.

⁸ “Then I also grieved over thy children who are severed from thee; and my sorrow is great about the murder of thy son Abel; for he was righteous; and over a righteous man every one will grieve.

⁹ “But I rejoiced over the birth of thy son Seth; yet after a little while I sorrowed greatly over Eve, because she is my sister. For when God sent a deep sleep over thee, and drew her out of thy side, He brought me out also with her. But He raised her by placing her with thee, while He lowered me.

¹⁰ “I rejoiced over my sister for her being with thee. But God had made me a promise before, and said, ‘Grieve not; when Adam has gone up on the roof of the Cave of Treasures, and is separated from Eve his wife, I will send thee to him, thou shalt join thyself to him in marriage, and bear him five children, as Eve did bear him five.’

¹¹ “And now, lo! God’s promise to me is fulfilled; for it is He who has sent me to thee for the wedding; because if thou wed me, I shall bear thee finer and better children than those of Eve.

¹² “Then again, thou art as yet but a youth; end not thy youth in this world in sorrow; but spend the days of thy youth in mirth and pleasure. For thy days are few and thy trial is great. Be strong; end thy days in this world in rejoicing. I shall take pleasure in thee, and thou shall rejoice with me in this wise, and without fear.

¹³ “Up, then, and fulfil the command of thy God,” she then drew near to Adam, and embraced him.

¹⁴ But when Adam saw that he should be overcome by her, he prayed to God with a fervent heart to deliver him from her.

¹⁵ Then God sent His Word unto Adam, saying, “O Adam, that figure is the one that promised thee the Godhead, and majesty; he is not favourably disposed towards thee; but shows himself to thee at one time in the form of a woman; another moment, in the likeness of an angel; on another occasions, in the similitude of a serpent; and at another time, in the semblance of a god; but he does all that only to destroy thy soul.

¹⁶ “Now, therefore, O Adam, understanding thy heart, I have delivered thee many a time from his hands; in order to show thee that I am a merciful God; and that I wish thy good, and that I do not wish thy ruin.”

Chapter IV

Adam sees the Devil in his true colors.

¹ THEN God ordered Satan to show himself to Adam in plainly, in his own hideous form.

² But when Adam saw him, he feared, and trembled at the sight of him.

³ And God said to Adam, “Look at this devil, and at his hideous look, and know that he it is who made thee fall from brightness into darkness, from peace and rest to toil and misery.

⁴ And look, O Adam, at him, who said of himself that he is God! Can God be black? Would God take the form of a woman? Is there any one stronger than God? And can He be overpowered?

⁵ “See, then, O Adam, and behold him bound in thy presence, in the air, unable to flee away! Therefore, I say unto thee, be not afraid of him; henceforth take care, and beware of him, in whatever he may do to thee.”

⁶ Then God drove Satan away from before Adam, whom He strengthened, and whose heart He comforted, saying to him, “Go down to the Cave of Treasures, and separate not thyself from Eve; I will quell in you all animal lust.”

⁷ From that hour it left Adam and Eve, and they enjoyed rest by the commandment of God. But God did not the like to any one of Adam’s seed; but only to Adam and Eve.

⁸ Then Adam worshipped before the Lord, for having delivered him, and for having layed his passions. And he came down from above the cave, and dwelt with Eve as aforetime.

⁹ This ended the forty days of his separation from Eve.

Chapter V

The devil paints a brilliant picture for Seth to feast his thoughts upon.

¹ AS for Seth, when he was seven years old, he knew good and evil, and was consistent in fasting and praying, and spent all his nights in entreating God for mercy and forgiveness.

² He also fasted when bringing up his offering every day, more than his father did; for he was of a fair countenance, like unto an angel of God. He also had a good heart, preserved the finest qualities of his soul: and for this reason he brought up his offering every day.

³ And God was pleased with his offering; but He was also pleased with his purity. And he continued thus in doing the will of God, and of his father and mother, until he was seven years old.

⁴ After that, as he was coming down from the altar, having ended his offering, Satan appeared unto him in the form of a beautiful angel, brilliant with light; with a staff of light in his hand, himself girt about with a girdle of light.

⁵ He greeted Seth with a beautiful smile, and began to beguile him with fair words, saying to him, “O Seth, why abidest thou in this mountain? For it is rough, full of stones and of sand, and of trees with no good fruit on them; a wilderness without habitations and without towns; no good place to dwell in. But all is heat, weariness, and trouble.”

⁶ He said further, “But we dwell in beautiful places, in another world than this earth. Our world is one of light and our condition is of the best; our women are handsomer than any others; and I wish thee, O Seth, to wed one of them; because I see that thou art fair to look upon, and in this land there is not one woman good enough for thee. Besides, all those who live in this world, are only five souls.

⁷ “But in our world there are very many men and many maidens, all more beautiful one than another. I wish, therefore, to remove thee hence, that thou mayest see my relations and be wedded to which ever thou likest.

⁸ “Thou shalt then abide by me and be at peace; thou shalt be filled with splendour and light, as we are.

⁹ “Thou shalt remain in our world. and rest from this world and the misery of it; thou shalt never again feel faint and weary; thou shalt never bring up an offering, nor sue for mercy; for thou shalt commit no more sin, nor be swayed by passions.

¹⁰ “And if thou wilt hearken to what I say, thou shalt wed one of my daughters; for with us it is no sin so to do; neither is it reckoned animal lust.

¹¹ “For in our world we have no God; but we all are gods; we all are of the light, heavenly, powerful, strong and glorious.”

Chapter VI

Seth’s conscience helps him. He returns to Adam and Eve.

¹ WHEN Seth heard these words he was amazed, and inclined his heart to Satan’s treacherous speech, and said to him, “Saidst thou there is another world created than this; and other creatures more beautiful than the creatures that are in this world?”

² And Satan said, “Yes; behold thou hast heard me; but I will yet praise them and their ways, in thy hearing.”

³ But Seth said to him, “Thy speech has amazed me; and thy beautiful description of it all.

⁴ “Yet I cannot go with thee to-day; not until I have gone to my father Adam and to my mother Eve, and told them all thou hast said to me. Then if they give me leave to go with thee, I will come.”

⁵ Again Seth said, “I am afraid of doing any thing without my father’s and mother’s leave, lest I perish like my brother Cain, and like my father Adam, who transgressed the commandment of God. But, behold, thou knowest this place; come, and meet me here to-morrow.”

⁶ When Satan heard this, he said to Seth, “If thou tellest thy father Adam what I have told thee, he will not let thee come with me.

⁷ But hearken to me; do not tell thy father and mother what I have said to thee; but come with me to-day, to our world; where thou shalt see beautiful things and enjoy thyself there, and revel this day among my children, beholding them and taking thy fill of mirth; and rejoice ever more. Then I shall bring thee back to this place to-morrow; but if thou wouldest rather abide with me, so be it.”

⁸ Then Seth answered, “The spirit of my father and of my mother, hangs on me; and if I hide from them one day, they will die, and God will hold me guilty of sinning against them.

⁹ “And except that they know I am come to this place to bring up to it my offering, they would not be separated from me one hour; neither should I go to any other place, unless they let me. But they treat me most kindly, because I come back to them quickly.”

¹⁰ Then Satan said to him, “What will happen to thee if thou hide thyself from them one night, and return to them at break of day?”

¹¹ But Seth, when he saw how he kept on talking, and that he would not leave him-ran, and went up to the altar, and spread his hands unto God, and sought deliverance from Him.

¹² Then God sent His Word, and cursed Satan, who fled from Him.

¹³ But as for Seth, he had gone up to the altar, saying thus in his heart. “The altar is the place of offering, and God is there; a divine fire shall consume it; so shall Satan be unable to hurt me, and shall not take me away thence.”

¹⁴ Then Seth came down from the altar and went to his father and mother, where he found in the way, longing to hear his voice; for he had tarried a while.

¹⁵ He then began to tell them what had befallen him from Satan, under the form of an angel.

¹⁶ But when Adam heard his account, he kissed his face, and warned him against that angel, telling him it was Satan who thus appeared to him. Then Adam took Seth, and they went to the Cave of Treasures, and rejoiced therein.

¹⁷ But from that day forth Adam and Eve never parted from him, to whatever place he might go, whether for his offering or for any thing else.

¹⁸ This sign happened to Seth, when he was nine years old.

Chapter VII

Seth marries Aklia. Adam lives to see grand children and great-grand-children.

¹ WHEN our father Adam saw that Seth was of a perfect heart, he wished him to marry; lest the enemy should appear to him another time, and overcome him.

² So Adam said to his son Seth, “I wish, O my son, that thou wed thy sister Aklia, Abel’s sister, that she may bear thee children, who shall replenish the earth, according to God’s promise to us.

³ “Be not afraid, O my son; there is no disgrace in it. I wish thee to marry, from fear lest the enemy overcome thee.”

⁴ Seth, however, did not wish to marry; but in obedience to his father and mother, he said not a word.

⁵ So Adam married him to Aklia. And he was fifteen years old.

⁶ But when he was twenty years of age, he begat a son, whom he called Enos; and then begat other children than him.

⁷ Then Enos grew up, married, and begat Cainan.

⁸ Cainan also grew up, married, and begat Mahalaleel.

⁹ Those fathers were born during Adam’s life-time, and dwelt by the Cave of Treasures.

¹⁰ Then were the days of Adam nine hundred and thirty years, and those of Mahalaleel one hundred. But Mahalaleel, when he was grown up, loved fasting, praying, and with hard labours, until the end of our father Adam’s days drew near.

Chapter VIII

Adam’s remarkable last words. He predicts the Flood. He exhorts his offspring to good. He reveals certain mysteries of life.

¹ WHEN our father Adam saw that his end was near, he called his son Seth, who came to him in the Cave of Treasures, and he said unto him:–

² “O Seth, my son bring me thy children and thy children’s children, that I may shed my blessing on them ere I die.”

³ When Seth heard these words from his father Adam, he went from him, shed a flood of tears over his face, and gathered together his children and his children’s children, and brought them to his father Adam.

⁴ But when our father Adam saw them around him, he wept at having to be separated from them.

⁵ And when they saw him weeping, they all wept together, and fell upon his face saying, “How shalt thou be severed from us, O our father? And how shall the earth receive thee and hide thee from our eyes?” Thus did they lament much, and in like words.

⁶ Then our father Adam blessed them all, and said to Seth, after he had blessed them:–

⁷ “O Seth, my son, thou knowest this world–that it is full of sorrow, and of weariness; and thou knowest all that has come upon us, from our trials in it. Therefore now command thee in these words: to keep innocency, to be pure and just, and trusting in God; and lean not to the discourses of Satan, nor to the apparitions in which he will show himself to thee.

⁸ But keep the commandments that I give thee this day; then give the same to thy son Enos; and let Enos give it to his son Cainan; and Cainan to his son Mahalaleel; so that this commandment abide firm among all your children.

⁹ “O Seth, my son, the moment I am dead take ye my body and wind it up with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and leave me here in this Cave of Treasures in which are all these tokens which God gave us from the garden.

¹⁰ “O my son, hereafter shall a flood come and overwhelm all creatures, and leave out only eight souls.

¹¹ “But, O my son, let those whom it will leave out from among your children at that time, take my body with them out of this cave; and when they have taken it with them, let the oldest among them command his children to lay my body in a ship until the flood has been assuaged, and they come out of the ship.

¹² Then they shall take my body and lay it in the middle of the earth, shortly after they have been saved from the waters of the flood.

¹³ “For the place where my body shall be laid, is the middle of the earth; God shall come from thence and shall save all our kindred.

¹⁴ “But now, O Seth, my son, place thyself at the head of thy people; tend them and watch over them in the fear of God; and lead them in the good way, Command them to fast unto God; and make them understand they ought not to hearken to Satan, lest he destroy them.

¹⁵ “Then, again, sever thy children and thy children’s children from Cain’s children; do not let them ever mix with those, nor come near them either in their words or in their deeds.”

¹⁶ Then Adam let his blessing descend upon Seth, and upon his children, and upon all his children’s children.

¹⁷ He then turned to his son Seth, and to Eve his wife, and said to them, “Preserve this gold, this incense, and this myrrh, that God has given us for a sign; for in days that are coming, a flood will overwhelm the whole creation. But those who shall go into the ark shall take with them the gold, the incense, and the myrrh, together with my body; and will lay the gold, the incense, and the myrrh, with my body in the midst of the earth.

¹⁸ “Then, after a long time, the city in which the gold, the incense, and the myrrh are found with my body, shall be plundered. But when it is spoiled, the gold the incense, and the myrrh shall be taken care of with the spoil that is kept; and naught of them shall perish, until the Word of God, made man shall come; when kings shall take them, and shall offer to Him, gold in token of His being King; incense, in token of His being God of heaven and earth; and myrrh, in token of His passion.

¹⁹ “Cold also, as a token of His overcoming Satan, and all our foes; incense as a token that He will rise from the dead, and be exalted above things in heaven and things in the earth; and myrrh, in token that He will drink bitter gall; and feel the pains of hell from Satan.

²⁰ “And now, O Seth, my son, behold I have revealed unto thee hidden mysteries, which God had revealed unto me. Keep my commandment, for thyself, and for thy people,”

Chapter IX

The death of Adam.

¹ WHEN Adam had ended his commandment to Seth, his limbs were loosened, his hands and feet lost all power, his mouth became dumb, and his tongue ceased altogether to speak. He closed his eyes and gave up the ghost.

² But when his children saw that he was dead, they threw themselves over him, men and women, old and young, weeping.

³ The death of Adam took place at the end of nine hundred and thirty years that be lived upon the earth; on the fifteenth day of Barmudeh, after the reckoning of an epact of the sun, at the ninth hour.

⁴ It was on a Friday, the very day on which be was created, and on which he rested; and the hour at which he died, was the same as that at which he came out of the garden.

⁵ Then Seth wound him up well, and embalmed him with plenty of sweet spices, from sacred trees and from the Holy Mountain; and be laid his body on the eastern side of the inside of the cave, the side of the incense; and placed in front of him a lamp-stand kept burning.

⁶ Then his children stood before him weeping and wailing over him the whole night until break of day.

⁷ Then Seth and big son Enos, and Cainan, the son of Enos, went out and took good offerings to present unto the Lord, and they came to the altar upon which Adam offered gifts to God, when he did offer.

⁸ But Eve said to them “Wait until we have first asked God to accept our offering, and to keep by Him the Soul of Adam His servant, and to take it up to rest.”

⁹ And they all stood up an prayed.

Chapter X

“Adam was the first….”

¹ AND when they had ended their prayer, the Word of God came and comforted them concerning their father Adam.

² After this, they offered their gifts for themselves and for their father.

³ And when they had ended their offering, the Word of God came to Seth, the eldest among them, saying unto him, “O Seth, Seth, Seth, three times. As I was with thy father, so also shall I be with thee, until the fulfilment of the promise I made him-thy father saying, I will send My Word and save thee and thy seed.

⁴ But as to thy father Adam, keep thou the commandment he gave thee; and sever thy seed from that of Cain thy brother.”

⁵ And God withdrew His Word from Seth.

⁶ Then Seth, Eve, and their children, came down from the mountain to the Cave of Treasures.

⁷ But Adam was the first whose soul died in the land of Eden, in the Cave of Treasures; for no one died before him, but his son Abel, who died murdered.

⁸ Then all the children of Adam rose up, and wept over their father Adam, and made offerings to him, one hundred and forty days.

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