The crystal sea, God
commands Adam, expelled from Eden, to live in the Cave of Treasures.
1 On the third day, God
planted the garden in the east of the earth, on the border of the
world eastward, beyond which, towards the sun-rising, one finds
nothing but water, that encompasses the whole world, and reaches to
the borders of heaven.
2 And to the north of
the garden there is a sea of water, clear and pure to the taste,
unlike anything else; so that, through the clearness thereof, one
may look into the depths of the earth.
3 And when a man washes
himself in it, he becomes clean of the cleanness thereof, and white
of its whiteness -- even if he were dark.
4 And God created that
sea of his own good pleasure, for He knew what would come of the man
He would make; so that after he had left the garden, on account of
his transgression, men should be born in the earth. Among them are
righteous ones who will die, whose souls God would raise at the last
day; when all of them will return to their flesh, bathe in the water
of that sea, and repent of their sins.
5 But when God made Adam
go out of the garden, He did not place him on the border of it
northward. This was so that he and Eve would not be able to go near
to the sea of water where they could wash themselves in it, be
cleansed from their sins, erase the transgression they had
committed, and be no longer reminded of it in the thought of their
punishment.
6 As to the southern
side of the garden, God did not want Adam to live there either;
because, when the wind blew from the north, it would bring him, on
that southern side, the delicious smell of the trees of the garden.
7 Wherefore God did not
put Adam there. This was so that he would not be able to smell the
sweet smell of those trees, forget his transgression, and find
consolation for what he had done by taking delight in the smell of
the trees and yet not be cleansed from his transgression.
8 Again, also, because
God is merciful and of great pity, and governs all things in a way
that He alone knows -- He made our father Adam live in the western
border of the garden, because on that side the earth is very broad.
9 And God commanded him
to live there in a cave in a rock -- the Cave of Treasures below the
garden.
Chapter 2
Adam and Eve faint when they leave the Garden. God sends His Word to
encourage them.
1 But when our father Adam, and Eve, went out of the garden, they
walked the ground on their feet, not knowing they were walking.
2 And when they came to
the opening of the gate of the garden, and saw the broad earth
spread before them, covered with stones large and small, and with
sand, they feared and trembled, and fell on their faces, from the
fear that came over them; and they were as dead.
3 Because -- whereas
until this time they had been in the garden land, beautifully
planted with all manner of trees -- they now saw themselves, in a
strange land, which they knew not, and had never seen.
4 And because, when they
were in the garden they were filled with the grace of a bright
nature, and they had not hearts turned toward earthly things.
5 Therefore God had pity
on them; and when He saw them fallen before the gate of the garden,
He sent His Word to our father, Adam and Eve, and raised them from
their fallen state.
Chapter 3
Concerning the promise of the great five and a half days.
1 God said to Adam, "I have ordained on this earth days and years,
and you and your descendants shall live and walk in them, until the
days and years are fulfilled; when I shall send the Word that
created you, and against which you have transgressed, the Word that
made you come out of the garden, and that raised you when you were
fallen.
2 Yes, the Word that
will again save you when the five and a half days are fulfilled."
3 But when Adam heard
these words from God, and of the great five and a half days, he did
not understand the meaning of them.
4 For Adam was thinking
there would be only five and a half days for him until the end of
the world.
5 And Adam cried, and
prayed to God to explain it to him.
6 Then God in his mercy
for Adam who was made after His own image and likeness, explained to
him, that these were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then
come and save him and his descendants.
7 But before that, God
had made this covenant with our father, Adam, in the same terms,
before he came out of the garden, when he was by the tree where Eve
took of the fruit and gave it to him to eat.
8 Because, when our
father Adam came out of the garden, he passed by that tree, and saw
how God had changed the appearance of it into another form, and how
it shriveled.
9 And as Adam went to it
he feared, trembled and fell down; but God in His mercy lifted him
up, and then made this covenant with him.
10 And again, when Adam
was by the gate of the garden, and saw the cherub with a sword of
flashing fire in his hand, and the cherub grew angry and frowned at
him, both Adam and Eve became afraid of him, and thought he meant to
put them to death. So they fell on their faces, trembled with fear.
11 But he had pity on
them, and showed them mercy; and turning from them went up to
heaven, and prayed to the Lord, and said; --
12 "Lord, You sent me to
watch at the gate of the garden, with a sword of fire.
13 But when Your
servants, Adam and Eve, saw me, they fell on their faces, and were
as dead. O my Lord, what shall we do to Your servants?"
14 Then God had pity on
them, and showed them mercy, and sent His Angel to keep the garden.
15 And the Word of the
Lord came to Adam and Eve, and raised them up.
16 And the Lord said to
Adam, "I told you that at the end of the five and a half days, I
will send my Word and save you.
17 Strengthen your
heart, therefore, and stay in the Cave of Treasures, of which I have
before spoken to you."
18 And when Adam heard
this Word from God, he was comforted with that which God had told
him. For He had told him how He would save him.
Chapter 4
Adam mourns over the changed conditions. Adam and Eve enter the Cave
of Treasures.
1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the garden, their
first home.
2 And indeed, when Adam
looked at his flesh, that was altered, he cried bitterly, he and
Eve, over what they had done. And they walked and went gently down
into the Cave of Treasures.
3 And as they came to
it, Adam cried over himself and said to Eve, "Look at this cave that
is to be our prison in this world, and a place of punishment!
4 What is it compared
with the garden? What is its narrowness compared with the space of
the other?
5 What is this rock, by
the side of those groves? What is the gloom of this cavern, compared
with the light of the garden?
6 What is this
overhanging ledge of rock to shelter us, compared with the mercy of
the Lord that overshadowed us?
7 What is the soil of
this cave compared with the garden land? This earth, strewed with
stones; and that, planted with delicious fruit trees?"
8 And Adam said to Eve,
"Look at your eyes, and at mine, which before beheld angels praising
in heaven; and they too, without ceasing.
9 But now we do not see
as we did; our eyes have become of flesh; they cannot see like they
used to see before."
10 Adam said again to
Eve, "What is our body today, compared to what it was in former
days, when we lived in the garden?"
11 After this, Adam did
not want to enter the cave, under the overhanging rock; nor would he
ever want to enter it.
12 But he bowed to God's
orders; and said to himself, "Unless I enter the cave, I shall again
be a transgressor."
Chapter 5
Eve makes a noble and emotional intercession, taking the blame on
herself.
1 Then Adam and Eve entered the cave, and stood praying, in their
own tongue, unknown to us, but which they knew well.
2 And as they prayed,
Adam raised his eyes and saw the rock and the roof of the cave that
covered him overhead. This prevented him from seeing either heaven
or God's creatures. So he cried and beat his chest hard, until he
dropped, and was as dead.
3 And Eve sat crying;
for she believed he was dead.
4 Then she got up,
spread her hands toward God, appealing to Him for mercy and pity,
and said, "O God, forgive me my sin, the sin which I committed, and
don't remember it against me.
5 For I alone caused
Your servant to fall from the garden into this condemned land; from
light into this darkness; and from the house of joy into this
prison.
6 O God, look at this
Your servant fallen in this manner, and bring him back to life, that
he may cry and repent of his transgression which he committed
through me.
7 Don't take away his
soul right now; but let him live that he may stand after the measure
of his repentance, and do Your will, as before his death.
8 But if You do not
bring him back to life, then, O God, take away my own soul, that I
be like him, and leave me not in this dungeon, one and alone; for I
could not stand alone in this world, but with him only.
9 For You, O God, caused
him to fall asleep, and took a bone from his side, and restored the
flesh in the place of it, by Your divine power.
10 And You took me, the
bone, and make me a woman, bright like him, with heart, reason, and
speech; and in flesh, like to his own; and You made me after the
likeness of his looks, by Your mercy and power.
11 O Lord, I and he are
one, and You, O God, are our Creator, You are He who made us both in
one day.
12 Therefore, O God,
give him life, that he may be with me in this strange land, while we
live in it on account of our transgression.
13 But if You will not
give him life, then take me, even me, like him; that we both may die
the same day."
14 And Eve cried
bitterly, and fell on our father Adam; from her great sorrow.
Chapter 6
God's reprimand to Adam and Eve in which he points out how and why
they sinned.
1 But God looked at them; for they had killed themselves through
great grief.
2 But He decided to
raise them and comfort them.
3 He, therefore, sent
His Word to them; that they should stand and be raised immediately.
4 And the Lord said to
Adam and Eve, "You transgressed of your own free will, until you
came out of the garden in which I had placed you.
5 Of your own free will
have you transgressed through your desire for divinity, greatness,
and an exalted state, such as I have; so that I deprived you of the
bright nature in which you then were, and I made you come out of the
garden to this land, rough and full of trouble.
6 If only you had not
transgressed My commandment and had kept My law, and had not eaten
of the fruit of the tree which I told you not to come near! And
there were fruit trees in the garden better than that one.
7 But the wicked Satan
did not keep his faith and had no good intent towards Me, that
although I had created him, he considered Me to be useless, and
sought the Godhead for himself; for this I hurled him down from
heaven so that he could not remain in his first estate -- it was he
who made the tree appear pleasant in your eyes, until you ate of it,
by believing his words.
8 Thus have you
transgressed My commandment, and therefore I have brought on you all
these sorrows.
9 For I am God the
Creator, who, when I created My creatures, did not intend to destroy
them. But after they had sorely roused My anger, I punished them
with grievous plagues, until they repent.
10 But, if on the
contrary, they still continue hardened in their transgression, they
shall be under a curse forever."
Chapter 7
The beasts are appeased.
1 When Adam and Eve heard these words from God, they cried and
sobbed yet more; but they strengthened their hearts in God, because
they now felt that the Lord was to them like a father and a mother;
and for this very reason, they cried before Him, and sought mercy
from Him.
2 Then God had pity on
them, and said: "O Adam, I have made My covenant with you, and I
will not turn from it; neither will I let you return to the garden,
until My covenant of the great five and a half days is fulfilled."
3 Then Adam said to God,
"O Lord, You created us, and made us fit to be in the garden; and
before I transgressed, You made all beasts come to me, that I should
name them.
4 Your grace was then on
me; and I named every one according to Your mind; and you made them
all subject to me.
5 But now, O Lord God,
that I have transgressed Your commandment, all beasts will rise
against me and will devour me, and Eve Your handmaid; and will cut
off our life from the face of the earth.
6 I therefore beg you, O
God, that since You have made us come out of the garden, and have
made us be in a strange land, You will not let the beasts hurt us."
7 When the Lord heard
these words from Adam, He had pity on him, and felt that he had
truly said that the beasts of the field would rise and devour him
and Eve, because He, the Lord, was angry with the two of them on
account of their transgressions.
8 Then God commanded the
beasts, and the birds, and all that moves on the earth, to come to
Adam and to be familiar with him, and not to trouble him and Eve;
nor yet any of the good and righteous among their offspring.
9 Then all the beasts
paid homage to Adam, according to the commandment of God; except the
serpent, against which God was angry. It did not come to Adam, with
the beasts.
Chapter 8
The "Bright Nature" of man is taken away.
1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, when we lived in the garden, and
our hearts were lifted up, we saw the angels that sang praises in
heaven, but now we can't see like we used to; no, when we entered
the cave, all creation became hidden from us."
2 Then God the Lord said
to Adam, "When you were under subjection to Me, you had a bright
nature within you, and for that reason could you see things far
away. But after your transgression your bright nature was withdrawn
from you; and it was not left to you to see things far away, but
only near at hand; after the ability of the flesh; for it is
brutish."
3 When Adam and Eve had
heard these words from God, they went their way; praising and
worshipping Him with a sorrowful heart.
4 And God ceased to
commune with them.
Chapter 9
Water from the Tree of Life, Adam and Eve near drowning.
1 Then Adam and Eve came out of the Cave of Treasures, and went near
to the garden gate, and there they stood to look at it, and cried
for having come away from it.
2 And Adam and Eve went
from before the gate of the garden to the southern side of it, and
found there the water that watered the garden, from the root of the
Tree of Life, and that split itself from there into four rivers over
the earth.
3 Then they came and
went near to that water, and looked at it; and saw that it was the
water that came forth from under the root of the Tree of Life in the
garden.
4 And Adam cried and
wailed, and beat his chest, for being severed from the garden; and
said to Eve: --
5 "Why have you brought
on me, on yourself, and on our descendants, so many of these plagues
and punishments?"
6 And Eve said to him,
"What is it you have seen that has caused you to cry and to speak to
me in this manner?"
7 And he said to Eve,
"Do you not see this water that was with us in the garden, that
watered the trees of the garden, and flowed out from there?
8 And we, when we were
in the garden, did not care about it; but since we came to this
strange land, we love it, and turn it to use for our body."
9 But when Eve heard
these words from him, she cried; and from the soreness of their
crying, they fell into that water; and would have put an end to
themselves in it, so as never again to return and behold the
creation; for when they looked at the work of creation, they felt
they must put an end to themselves.
Chapter 10
Their bodies need water after they leave the garden.
1 Then God, merciful and gracious, looked at them thus lying in the
water, and close to death, and sent an angel, who brought them out
of the water, and laid them on the seashore as dead.
2 Then the angel went up
to God, was welcome, and said, "O God, Your creatures have breathed
their last."
3 Then God sent His Word
to Adam and Eve, who raised them from their death.
4 And Adam said, after
he was raised, "O God, while we were in the garden we did not
require, or care for this water; but since we came to this land we
cannot do without it."
5 Then God said to Adam,
"While you were under My command and were a bright angel, you knew
not this water.
6 But now that you have
transgressed My commandment, you can not do without water, wherein
to wash your body and make it grow; for it is now like that of
beasts, and is in want of water."
7 When Adam and Eve
heard these words from God, they cried a bitter cry; and Adam
entreated God to let him return into the garden, and look at it a
second time.
8 But God said to Adam,
"I have made you a promise; when that promise is fulfilled, I will
bring you back into the garden, you and your righteous descendants."
9 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 11
A recollection of the glorious days in the Garden.
1 Then Adam and Eve felt themselves burning with thirst, and heat,
and sorrow.
2 And Adam said to Eve,
"We shall not drink of this water, even if we were to die. O Eve,
when this water comes into our inner parts, it will increase our
punishments and that of our descendants."
3 Both Adam and Eve then
went away from the water, and drank none of it at all; but came and
entered the Cave of Treasures.
4 But when in it Adam
could not see Eve; he only heard the noise she made. Neither could
she see Adam, but heard the noise he made.
5 Then Adam cried, in
deep affliction, and beat his chest; and he got up and said to Eve,
"Where are you?"
6 And she said to him,
"Look, I am standing in this darkness."
7 He then said to her,
"Remember the bright nature in which we lived, when we lived in the
garden!
8 O Eve! Remember the
glory that rested on us in the garden. O Eve! Remember the trees
that overshadowed us in the garden while we moved among them.
9 O Eve! Remember that
while we were in the garden, we knew neither night nor day. Think of
the Tree of Life, from below which flowed the water, and that shed
lustre over us! Remember, O Eve, the garden land, and the brightness
thereof!
10 Think, oh think of
that garden in which was no darkness, while we lived in it.
11 Whereas no sooner did
we come into this Cave of Treasures than darkness surrounded us all
around; until we can no longer see each other; and all the pleasure
of this life has come to an end."
Chapter 12
How darkness came between Adam and Eve.
1 Then Adam beat his chest, he and Eve, and they mourned the whole
night until the crack of dawn, and they sighed over the length of
the night in Miyazia.
2 And Adam beat himself,
and threw himself on the ground in the cave, from bitter grief, and
because of the darkness, and lay there as dead.
3 But Eve heard the
noise he made in falling on the ground. And she felt about for him
with her hands, and found him like a corpse.
4 Then she was afraid,
speechless, and remained by him.
5 But the merciful Lord
looked on the death of Adam, and on Eve's silence from fear of the
darkness.
6 And the Word of God
came to Adam and raised him from his death, and opened Eve's mouth
that she might speak.
7 Then Adam stood up in
the cave and said, "O God, why has light departed from us, and
darkness covered us? Why did you leave us in this long darkness? Why
do you plague us like this?
8 And this darkness, O
Lord, where was it before it covered us? It is because of this that
we cannot see each other.
9 For so long as we were
in the garden, we neither saw nor even knew what darkness is. I was
not hidden from Eve, neither was she hidden from me, until now that
she cannot see me; and no darkness came over us to separate us from
each other.
10 But she and I were
both in one bright light. I saw her and she saw me. Yet now since we
came into this cave, darkness has covered us, and separated us from
each other, so that I do not see her, and she does not see me.
11 O Lord, will You then
plague us with this darkness?"
Chapter 13
The fall of Adam. Why night and day were created.
1 Then when God, who is merciful and full of pity, heard Adam's
voice, He said to him: --
2 "O Adam, so long as
the good angel was obedient to Me, a bright light rested on him and
on his hosts.
3 But when he
transgressed My commandment, I deprived him of that bright nature,
and he became dark.
4 And when he was in the
heavens, in the realms of light, he knew nothing of darkness.
5 But he transgressed,
and I made him fall from the heaven onto the earth; and it was this
darkness that came over him.
6 And on you, O Adam,
while in My garden and obedient to Me, did that bright light rest
also.
7 But when I heard of
your transgression, I deprived you of that bright light. Yet, of My
mercy, I did not turn you into darkness, but I made you your body of
flesh, over which I spread this skin, in order that it may bear cold
and heat.
8 If I had let My wrath
fall heavily on you, I should have destroyed you; and had I turned
you into darkness, it would have been as if I had killed you.
9 But in My mercy, I
have made you as you are; when you transgressed My commandment, O
Adam, I drove you from the garden, and made you come forth into this
land; and commanded you to live in this cave; and darkness covered
you, as it did over him who transgressed My commandment.
10 Thus, O Adam, has
this night deceived you. It is not to last forever; but is only of
twelve hours; when it is over, daylight will return.
11 Sigh not, therefore,
neither be moved; and say not in your heart that this darkness is
long and drags on wearily; and say not in your heart that I plague
you with it.
12 Strengthen your
heart, and be not afraid. This darkness is not a punishment. But, O
Adam, I have made the day, and have placed the sun in it to give
light; in order that you and your children should do your work.
13 For I knew you would
sin and transgress, and come out into this land. Yet I wouldn't
force you, nor be heard over you, nor shut up; nor doom you through
your fall; nor through your coming out from light into darkness; nor
yet through your coming from the garden into this land.
14 For I made you of the
light; and I willed to bring out children of light from you and like
to you.
15 But you did not keep
My commandment one day; until I had finished the creation and
blessed everything in it.
16 Then, concerning the
tree, I commanded you not to eat of it. Yet I knew that Satan, who
deceived himself, would also deceive you.
17 So I made known to
you by means of the tree, not to come near him. And I told you not
to eat of the fruit thereof, nor to taste of it, nor yet to sit
under it, nor to yield to it.
18 Had I not been and
spoken to you, O Adam, concerning the tree, and had I left you
without a commandment, and you had sinned -- it would have been an
offence on My part, for not having given you any order; you would
turn around and blame Me for it.
19 But I commanded you,
and warned you, and you fell. So that My creatures cannot blame Me;
but the blame rests on them alone.
20 And, O Adam, I have
made the day so that you and your descendants can work and toil in
it. And I have made the night for them to rest in it from their
work; and for the beasts of the field to go forth by night and look
for their food.
21 But little of
darkness now remains, O Adam, and daylight will soon appear."
Chapter 14
The earliest prophesy of the coming of Christ ?.
1 Then Adam said to God: "O Lord, take You my soul, and let me not
see this gloom any more; or remove me to some place where there is
no darkness."
2 But God the Lord said
to Adam, "Indeed I say to you, this darkness will pass from you,
every day I have determined for you, until the fulfillment of My
covenant; when I will save you and bring you back again into the
garden, into the house of light you long for, in which there is no
darkness*. I will bring you to it -- in the kingdom of heaven."
3 Again said God to
Adam, "All this misery that you have been made to take on yourself
because of your transgression, will not free you from the hand of
Satan, and will not save you.
4 But I will. When I
shall come down from heaven, and shall become flesh of your
descendants, and take on Myself the infirmity from which you suffer,
then the darkness that covered you in this cave shall cover Me in
the grave, when I am in the flesh of your descendants.
5 And I, who am without
years, shall be subject to the reckoning of years, of times, of
months, and of days, and I shall be reckoned as one of the sons of
men, in order to save you."
6 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 15
Adam and Eve grieve over the suffering of God to save them from
their sins.
1 Then Adam and Eve cried and sorrowed by reason of God's word to
them, that they should not return to the garden until the
fulfillment of the days decreed on them; but mostly because God had
told them that He should suffer for their salvation.
Chapter 16
The first sunrise, Adam and Eve think it is a fire coming to burn
them.
1 After this, Adam and Eve continued to stand in the cave, praying
and crying, until the morning dawned on them.
2 And when they saw the
light returned to them, they retrained from fear, and strengthened
their hearts.
3 Then Adam began to
come out of the cave. And when he came to the mouth of it, and stood
and turned his face towards the east, and saw the sunrise in glowing
rays, and felt the heat thereof on his body, he was afraid of it,
and thought in his heart that this flame came forth to plague him.
4 He then cried and beat
his chest, then he fell on the ground on his face and made his
request, saying: --
5 "O Lord, plague me
not, neither consume me, nor yet take away my life from the earth."
6 For he thought the sun
was God.
7 Because while he was
in the garden and heard the voice of God and the sound He made in
the garden, and feared Him, Adam never saw the brilliant light of
the sun, neither did its flaming heat touch his body.
8 Therefore he was
afraid of the sun when flaming rays of it reached him. He thought
God meant to plague him therewith all the days He had decreed for
him.
9 For Adam also said in
his thoughts, as God did not plague us with darkness, behold, He has
caused this sun to rise and to plague us with burning heat.
10 But while he was
thinking like this in his heart, the Word of God came to him and
said: --
11 "O Adam, get up on
your feet. This sun is not God; but it has been created to give
light by day, of which I spoke to you in the cave saying, 'that the
dawn would come, and there would be light by day.'
12 But I am God who
comforted you in the night."
13 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 17
The Chapter of the Serpent.
1 The Adam and Eve came out at the mouth of the cave, and went
towards the garden.
2 But as they went near
it, before the western gate, from which Satan came when he deceived
Adam and Eve, they found the serpent that became Satan coming at the
gate, and sorrowfully licking the dust, and wiggling on its breast
on the ground, by reason of the curse that fell on it from God.
3 And whereas before the
serpent was the most exalted of all beasts, now it was changed and
become slippery, and the meanest of them all, and it crept on its
breast and went on its belly.
4 And whereas it was the
fairest of all beasts, it had been changed, and was become the
ugliest of them all. Instead of feeding on the best food, now it
turned to eat the dust. Instead of living, as before, in the best
places, now it lived in the dust.
5 And, whereas it had
been the most beautiful of all beasts, all of which stood dumb at
its beauty, it was now abhorred of them.
6 And, again, whereas it
lived in one beautiful home, to which all other animals came from
elsewhere; and where it drank, they drank also of the same; now,
after it had become venomous, by reason of God's curse, all beasts
fled from its home, and would not drink of the water it drank; but
fled from it.
Chapter 18
The mortal combat with the serpent.
1 When the accursed serpent saw Adam and Eve, it swelled its head,
stood on its tail, and with eyes blood- red, acted like it would
kill them.
2 It made straight for
Eve, and ran after her; while Adam standing by, cried because he had
no stick in his hand with which to hit the serpent, and did not know
how to put it to death.
3 But with a heart
burning for Eve, Adam approached the serpent, and held it by the
tail; when it turned towards him and said to him: --
4 "O Adam, because of
you and of Eve, I am slippery, and go on my belly." Then with its
great strength, it threw down Adam and Eve and squeezed them, and
tried to kill them.
5 But God sent an angel
who threw the serpent away from them, and raised them up.
6 Then the Word of God
came to the serpent, and said to it, "The first time I made you
slick, and made you to go on your belly; but I did not deprive you
of speech.
7 This time, however,
you will be mute, and you and your race will speak no more; because,
the first time My creatures were ruined because of you, and this
time you tried to kill them."
8 Then the serpent was
struck mute, and was no longer able to speak.
9 And a wind blew down
from heaven by the command of God and carried away the serpent from
Adam and Eve, and threw it on the seashore where it landed in India.
Chapter 19
Beasts made subject to Adam.
1 But Adam and Eve cried before God. And Adam said to Him: --
2 "O Lord, when I was in
the cave, I said this to you, my Lord, the beasts of the field would
rise and devour me, and cut off my life from the earth."
3 Then Adam, because of
what had happened to him, beat his chest and fell on the ground like
a corpse. Then the Word of God came to him, who raised him, and said
to him,
4 "O Adam, not one of
these beasts will be able to hurt you; because I have made the
beasts and other moving things come to you in the cave. I did not
let the serpent come with them because it might have risen against
you and made you tremble; and the fear of it should fall into your
hearts.
5 For I knew that the
accursed one is wicked; therefore I would not let it come near you
with the other beasts.
6 But now strengthen
your heart and fear not. I am with you to the end of the days I have
determined on you."
Chapter 20
Adam wishes to protect Eve.
1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, take us away to some other
place, where the serpent can not come near us again, and rise
against us. For fear that it might find Your handmaid Eve alone and
kill her; for its eyes are hideous and evil."
2 But God said to Adam
and Eve, "From now on, don't be afraid, I will not let it come near
you; I have driven it away from you, from this mountain; neither
will I leave in it the ability to hurt you."
3 Then Adam and Eve
worshipped before God and gave Him thanks, and praised Him for
having delivered them from death.
Chapter 21
Adam and Eve attempt suicide.
1 Then Adam and Eve went in search of the garden.
2 And the heat beat like
a flame on their faces; and they sweated from the heat, and cried
before the Lord.
3 But the place where
they cried was close to a high mountain, facing the western gate of
the garden.
4 Then Adam threw
himself down from the top of that mountain; his face was torn and
his flesh was ripped; he lost a lot of blood and was close to death.
5 Meanwhile Eve remained
standing on the mountain crying over him, thus lying.
6 And she said, "I don't
wish to live after him; for all that he did to himself was through
me."
7 Then she threw herself
after him; and was torn and ripped by stones; and remained lying as
dead.
8 But the merciful God,
who looks over His creatures, looked at Adam and Eve as they lay
dead, and He sent His Word to them, and raised them.
9 And said to Adam, "O
Adam, all this misery which you have brought on yourself, will have
no affect against My rule, neither will it alter the covenant of the
5, 500 years."
Chapter 22
Adam in a gracious mood.
1 Then Adam said to God, "I dry up in the heat, I am faint from
walking, and I don't want to be in this world. And I don't know when
You will take me out of it to rest."
2 Then the Lord God said
to him, "O Adam, it cannot be now, not until you have ended your
days. Then shall I bring you out of this miserable land."
3 And Adam said to God,
"While I was in the garden I knew neither heat, nor languor, neither
moving about, nor trembling, nor fear; but now since I came to this
land, all this affliction has come over me.
4 Then God said to Adam,
"So long as you were keeping My commandment, My light and My grace
rested on you. But when you transgressed My commandment, sorrow and
misery came to you in this land."
5 And Adam cried and
said, "O Lord, do not cut me off for this, neither punish me with
heavy plagues, nor yet repay me according to my sin; for we, of our
own will, transgressed Your commandment, and ignored Your law, and
tried to become gods like you, when Satan the enemy deceived us."
6 Then God said again to
Adam, "Because you have endured fear and trembling in this land,
languor and suffering, treading and walking about, going on this
mountain, and dying from it, I will take all this on Myself in order
to save you."
Chapter 23
Adam and Eve strengthen themselves and make the first altar ever
built.
1 Then Adam cried more and said, "O God, have mercy on me, so far as
to take on yourself, that which I will do."
2 But God withdrew His
Word from Adam and Eve.
3 Then Adam and Eve
stood on their feet; and Adam said to Eve, "Strengthen yourself, and
I also will strengthen myself." And she strengthened herself, as
Adam told her.
4 Then Adam and Eve took
stones and placed them in the shape of an altar; and they took
leaves from the trees outside the garden, with which they wiped,
from the face of the rock, the blood they had spilled.
5 But that which had
dropped on the sand, they took together with the dust with which it
was mingled and offered it on the altar as an offering to God.
6 Then Adam and Eve
stood under the Altar and cried, thus praying to God, "Forgive us
our trespass* and our sin, and look at us with Thine eye of mercy.
For when we were in the garden our praises and our hymns went up
before you without ceasing.
7 But when we came into
this strange land, pure praise was not longer ours, nor righteous
prayer, nor understanding hearts, nor sweet thoughts, nor just
counsels, nor long discernment, nor upright feelings, neither is our
bright nature left us. But our body is changed from the likeness in
which it was at first, when we were created.
8 Yet now look at our
blood which is offered on these stones, and accept it at our hands,
like the praise we used to sing to you at first, when in the
garden."
9 And Adam began to make
more requests of God.
Chapter 24
A vivid prophecy of the life and death of Christ.
1 Then the merciful God, good and lover of men, looked at Adam and
Eve, and at their blood, which they had held up as an offering to
Him; without an order from Him for so doing. But He wondered at
them; and accepted their offerings.
2 And God sent from His
presence a bright fire, that consumed their offering.
3 He smelled the sweet
savor of their offering, and showed them mercy.
4 Then came the Word of
God to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, as you have shed your blood,
so will I shed My own blood when I become flesh of your descendants;
and as you died, O Adam, so also will I die. And as you built an
altar, so also will I make for you an altar of the earth; and as you
offered your blood on it, so also will I offer My blood on an altar
on the earth.
5 And as you sued for
forgiveness through that blood, so also will I make My blood
forgiveness of sins, and erase transgressions in it.
6 And now, behold, I
have accepted your offering, O Adam, but the days of the covenant in
which I have bound you are not fulfilled. When they are fulfilled,
then will I bring you back into the garden.
7 Now, therefore,
strengthen your heart; and when sorrow comes over you, make Me an
offering, and I will be favorable to you."
Chapter 25
God represented as merciful and loving, The establishing of worship.
1 But God knew that Adam believed he should frequently kill himself
and make an offering to Him of his blood.
2 Therefore He said to
him, "O Adam, don't ever kill yourself like this again, by throwing
yourself down from that mountain."
3 But Adam said to God,
"I was thinking to put an end to myself at once, for having
transgressed Your commandments, and for my having come out of the
beautiful garden; and for the bright light of which You have
deprived me; and for the praises which poured forth from my mouth
without ceasing, and for the light that covered me.
4 Yet of Your goodness,
O God, do not get rid of me altogether; but be favorable to me every
time I die, and bring me to life.
5 And thereby it will be
made known that You are a merciful God, who does not want anyone to
perish; who loves not that one should fall; and who does not condemn
any one cruelly, badly, and by whole destruction."
6 Then Adam remained
silent.
7 And the Word of God
came to him, and blessed him, and comforted him, and covenanted with
him, that He would save him at the end of the days determined for
him.
8 This, then, was the
first offering Adam made to God; and so it became his custom to do.
Chapter 26
A beautiful prophecy of eternal life and joy, The fall of night.
1 Then Adam took Eve, and they began to return to the Cave of
Treasures where they lived. But when they got closer to it and saw
it from a distance, heavy sorrow fell on Adam and Eve when they
looked at it.
2 Then Adam said to Eve,
"When we were on the mountain we were comforted by the Word of God
that conversed with us; and the light that came from the east shown
over us.
3 But now the Word of
God is hidden from us; and the light that shown over us is so
changed as to disappear, and let darkness and sorrow come over us.
4 And we are forced to
enter this cave which is like a prison, in which darkness covers us,
so that we are separated from each other; and you can not see me,
neither can I see you."
5 When Adam had said
these words, they cried and spread their hands before God; for they
were full of sorrow.
6 And they prayed to God
to bring the sun to them, to shine on them, so that darkness would
not return to them, and that they wouldn't have to go under this
covering of rock. And they wished to die rather than see the
darkness.
7 Then God looked at
Adam and Eve and at their great sorrow, and at all they had done
with a fervent heart, on account of all the trouble they were in,
instead of their former well-being, and on account of all the misery
that came over them in a strange land.
8 Therefore God was not
angry with them; nor impatient with them; but he was patient and
forbearing towards them, as towards the children He had created.
9 Then came the Word of
God to Adam, and said to him, "Adam, as for the sun, if I were to
take it and bring it to you, days, hours, years and months would all
stop, and the covenant I have made with you, would never be
fulfilled.
10 But then you would be
deserted and stuck in a perpetual plague, and you would never be
saved.
11 Yes, rather, bear
long and calm your soul while you live night and day; until the
fulfillment of the days, and the time of My covenant is come.
12 Then shall I come and
save you, O Adam, for I do not wish that you be afflicted.
13 And when I look at
all the good things in which you lived, and why you came out of
them, then would I willingly show you mercy.
14 But I cannot alter
the covenant that has gone out of My mouth; otherwise I would have
brought you back into the garden.
15 When, however, the
covenant is fulfilled, then shall I show you and your descendants
mercy, and bring you into a land of gladness, where there is neither
sorrow nor suffering; but abiding joy and gladness, and light that
never fails, and praises that never cease; and a beautiful garden
that shall never pass away."
16 And God said again to
Adam, "Be patient and enter the cave, for the darkness, of which you
were afraid, shall only be twelve hours long; and when ended, light
shall come up."
17 Then when Adam heard
these words from God, he and Eve worshipped before Him, and their
hearts were comforted. They returned into the cave after their
custom, while tears flowed from their eyes, sorrow and wailing came
from their hearts, and they wished their soul would leave their
body.
18 And Adam and Eve
stood praying until the darkness of night came over them, and Adam
was hid from Eve, and she from him.
19 And they remained
standing in prayer.
Chapter 27
The second tempting of Adam and Eve, The devil takes on the form of
a beguiling light.
1 When Satan, the hater of all good, saw how they continued in
prayer, and how God communed with them, and comforted them, and how
He had accepted their offering -- Satan made an apparition.
2 He began with
transforming his hosts; in his hands was a flashing fire, and they
were in a great light.
3 He then placed his
throne near the mouth of the cave because he could not enter into it
by reason of their prayers. And he shed light into the cave, until
the cave glistened over Adam and Eve; while his hosts began to sing
praises.
4 And Satan did this, in
order that when Adam saw the light, he should think within himself
that it was a heavenly light, and that Satan's hosts were angels;
and that God had sent them to watch at the cave, and to give him
light in the darkness.
5 So that when Adam came
out of the cave and saw them, and Adam and Eve bowed to Satan, then
he would overcome Adam thereby, and a second time humble him before
God.
6 When, therefore, Adam
and Eve saw the light, fancying it was real, they strengthened their
hearts; yet, as they were trembling, Adam said to Eve: --
7 "Look at that great
light, and at those many songs of praise, and at that host standing
outside who won't come into our cave. Why don't they tell us what
they want, where they are from, what the meaning of this light is,
what those praises are, why they have been sent to this place, and
why they won't come in?
8 If they were from God,
they would come into the cave with us, and would tell us why they
were sent."
9 Then Adam stood up and
prayed to God with a burning heart, and said: --
10 "O Lord, is there in
the world another god besides You, who created angels and filled
them with light, and sent them to keep us, who would come with them?
11 But, look, we see
these hosts that stand at the mouth of the cave; they are in a great
light; they sing loud praises. If they are of some other god than
You, tell me; and if they are sent by you, inform me of the reason
for which You have sent them."
12 No sooner had Adam
said this, than an angel from God appeared to him in the cave, who
said to him, "O Adam, fear not. This is Satan and his hosts; he
wishes to deceive you as he deceived you at first. For the first
time, he was hidden in the serpent; but this time he is come to you
in the likeness of an angel of light; in order that, when you
worshipped him, he might enslave you, in the very presence of God."
13 Then the angel went
from Adam and seized Satan at the opening of the cave, and stripped
him of the pretense he had assumed, and brought him in his own
hideous form to Adam and Eve; who were afraid of him when they saw
him.
14 And the angel said to
Adam, "This hideous form has been his ever since God made him fall
from heaven. He could not have come near you in it; he therefore
transformed himself into an angel of light."
15 Then the angel drove
away Satan and his hosts from Adam and Eve, and said to them, "Fear
not; God who created you, will strengthen you."
16 And the angel left
them.
17 But Adam and Eve
remained standing in the cave; no consolation came to them; they
divided in their thoughts.
18 And when it was
morning they prayed; and then went out to seek the garden. For their
hearts were towards it, and they could get no consolation for having
left it.
Chapter 28
The Devil pretends to lead Adam and Eve to the water to bathe.
1 But when the crafty Satan saw them, that they were going to the
garden, he gathered together his host, and came in appearance on a
cloud, intent on deceiving them.
2 But when Adam and Eve
saw him thus in a vision, they thought they were angels of God come
to comfort them about having left the garden, or to bring them back
again into it.
3 And Adam spread his
hands before God, beseeching Him to make him understand what they
were.
4 Then Satan, the hater
of all good, said to Adam, "O Adam, I am an angel of the great God;
and, behold the hosts that surround me.
5 God has sent us to
take you and bring you to the border of the garden northwards; to
the shore of the clear sea, and bathe you and Eve in it, and raise
you to your former gladness, that you return again to the garden."
6 These words sank into
the heart of Adam and Eve.
7 Yet God withheld His
Word from Adam, and did not make him understand at once, but waited
to see his strength; whether he would be overcome as Eve was when in
the garden, or whether he would prevail.
8 Then Satan called to
Adam and Eve, and said, "Behold, we go to the sea of water," and
they began to go.
9 And Adam and Eve
followed them at some little distance.
10 But when they came to
the mountain to the north of the garden, a very high mountain,
without any steps to the top of it, the Devil drew near to Adam and
Eve, and made them go up to the top in reality, and not in a vision;
wishing, as he did, to throw them down and kill them, and to wipe
off their name from the earth; so that this earth should remain to
him and his hosts alone.
Chapter 29
God tells Adam of the Devil's purpose.
1 But when the merciful God saw that Satan wished to kill Adam with
his many tricks, and saw that Adam was meek and without guile, God
spoke to Satan in a loud voice, and cursed him.
2 Then he and his hosts
fled, and Adam and Eve remained standing on the top of the mountain,
from there they saw below them the wide world, high above which they
were. But they saw none of the host which time after time were by
them.
3 They cried, both Adam
and Eve, before God, and begged for forgiveness of Him.
4 Then came the Word
from God to Adam, and said to him, "Know you and understand
concerning this Satan, that he seeks to deceive you and your
descendants after you."
5 And Adam cried before
the Lord God, and begged and prayed to Him to give him something
from the garden, as a token to him, wherein to be comforted.
6 And God considered
Adam's thought, and sent the angel Michael as far as the sea that
reaches India, to take from there golden rods and bring them to
Adam.
7 This did God in His
wisdom in order that these golden rods, being with Adam in the cave,
should shine forth with light in the night around him, and put an
end to his fear of the darkness.
8 Then the angel Michael
went down by God's order, took golden rods, as God had commanded
him, and brought them to God.
Chapter 30
Adam receives the first worldly goods.
1 After these things, God commanded the angel Gabriel to go down to
the garden, and say to the cherub who kept it, "Behold, God has
commanded me to come into the garden, and to take from it sweet
smelling incense, and give it to Adam."
2 Then the angel Gabriel
went down by God's order to the garden, and told the cherub as God
had commanded him.
3 The cherub then said,
"Well." And Gabriel went in and took the incense.
4 Then God commanded his
angel Raphael to go down to the garden, and speak to the cherub
about some myrrh, to give to Adam.
5 And the angel Raphael
went down and told the cherub as God had commanded him, and the
cherub said, "Well." Then Raphael went in and took the myrrh.
6 The golden rods were
from the Indian sea, where there are precious stones. The incense
was from the eastern border of the garden; and the myrrh from the
western border, from where bitterness came over Adam.
7 And the angels brought
these things to God, by the Tree of Life, in the garden.
8 Then God said to the
angels, "Dip them in the spring of water; then take them and
sprinkle their water over Adam and Eve, that they be a little
comforted in their sorrow, and give them to Adam and Eve.
9 And the angels did as
God had commanded them, and they gave all those things to Adam and
Eve on the top of the mountain on which Satan had placed them, when
he sought to make an end of them.
10 And when Adam saw the
golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he was rejoiced and cried
because he thought that the gold was a token of the kingdom from
where he had come, that the incense was a token of the bright light
which had been taken from him, and that the myrrh was a token of the
sorrow in which he was.
Chapter 31
They make themselves more comfortable in the Cave of Treasures on
the third day.
1 After these things God said to Adam, "You asked Me for something
from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given you
these three tokens as a consolation to you; that you trust in Me and
in My covenant with you.
2 For I will come and
save you; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense
and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My
divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death.
3 But, O Adam, put these
by you in the cave; the gold that it may shed light over you by
night; the incense, that you smell its sweet savor; and the myrrh,
to comfort you in your sorrow."
4 When Adam heard these
words from God, he worshipped before Him. He and Eve worshipped Him
and gave Him thanks, because He had dealt mercifully with them.
5 Then God commanded the
three angels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, each to bring what he
had brought, and give it to Adam. And they did so, one by one.
6 And God commanded
Suriyel and Salathiel to bear up Adam and Eve, and bring them down
from the top of the high mountain, and to take them to the Cave of
Treasures.
7 There they laid the
gold on the south side of the cave, the incense on the eastern side,
and the myrrh on the western side. For the mouth of the cave was on
the north side.
8 The angels then
comforted Adam and Eve, and departed.
9 The gold was seventy
rods*; the incense, twelve pounds; and the myrrh, three pounds.
10 These remained by
Adam in the Cave of Treasures**.
11 God gave these three
things to Adam on the third day after he had come out of the garden,
in token of the three days the Lord should remain in the heart of
the earth.
12 And these three
things, as they continued with Adam in the cave, gave him light by
night; and by day they gave him a little relief from his sorrow.
Chapter 32
Adam and Eve go into the water to pray.
1 And Adam and Eve remained in the Cave of Treasures until the
seventh day; they neither ate of the fruit the earth, nor drank
water.
2 And when it dawned on
the eighth day, Adam said to Eve, "O Eve, we prayed God to give us
something from the garden, and He sent his angels who brought us
what we had desired.
3 But now, get up, let
us go to the sea of water we saw at first, and let us stand in it,
praying that God will again be favorable to us and take us back to
the garden; or give us something; or that He will give us comfort in
some other land than this in which we are."
4 Then Adam and Eve came
out of the cave, went and stood on the border of the sea in which
they had before thrown themselves, and Adam said to Eve:--
5 Come, go down into
this place, and come not out of it until the end of thirty days,
when I shall come to you. And pray to God with burning heart and a
sweet voice, to forgive us.
6 And I will go to
another place, and go down into it, and do like you."
7 Then Eve went down
into the water, as Adam had commanded her. Adam also went down into
the water; and they stood praying; and besought the Lord to forgive
them their offense, and to restore them to their former state.
8 And they stood like
that praying, until the end of the thirty-five days.
Chapter 33
Satan falsely promises the "bright light."
1 But Satan, the hater of all good, sought them in the cave, but
found them not, although he searched diligently for them.
2 But he found them
standing in the water praying and thought within himself, "Adam and
Eve are standing like that in that water praying to God to forgive
them their transgression, and to restore them to their former state,
and to take them from under my hand.
3 But I will deceive
them so that they shall come out of the water, and not fulfil their
vow."
4 Then the hater of all
good, went not to Adam, but he went to Eve, and took the form of an
angel of God, praising and rejoicing, and said to her:--
5 "Peace be to you! Be
glad and rejoice! God is favorable to you, and He sent me to Adam. I
have brought him the glad tidings of salvation, and of his being
filled with bright light as he was at first.
6 And Adam, in his joy
for his restoration, has sent me to you, that you come to me, in
order that I crown you with light like him.
7 And he said to me,
'Speak to Eve; if she does not come with you, tell her of the sign
when we were on the top of the mountain; how God sent his angels who
took us and brought us to the Cave of Treasures; and laid the gold
on the southern side; incense, on the eastern side; and myrrh on the
western side.' Now come to him."
8 When Eve hear these
words from him, she rejoiced greatly. And thinking Satan's
appearance was real, she came out of the sea.
9 He went before, and
she followed him until they came to Adam. Then Satan hid himself
from her, and she saw him no more.
10 She then came and
stood before Adam, who was standing by the water and rejoicing in
God's forgiveness.
11 And as she called to
him, he turned around, found her there and cried when he saw her,
and beat his chest; and from the bitterness of his grief, he sank
into the water.
12 But God looked at him
and at his misery, and at his being about to breathe his last. And
the Word of God came from heaven, raised him out of the water, and
said to him, "Go up the high bank to Eve." And when he came up to
Eve he said to her, "Who told you to come here?"
13 Then she told him the
discourse of the angel who had appeared to her and had given her a
sign.
14 But Adam grieved, and
gave her to know it was Satan. He then took her and they both
returned to the cave.
15 These things happened
to them the second time they went down to the water, seven days
after their coming out of the garden.
16 They fasted in the
water thirty-five days; altogether forty-two days since they had
left the garden.
Chapter 34
Adam recalls the creation of Eve, He eloquently appeals for food and
drink.
1 And on the morning of the forty-third day, they came out of the
cave, sorrowful and crying. Their bodies were lean, and they were
parched from hunger and thirst, from fasting and praying, and from
their heavy sorrow on account of their transgression.
2 And when they had come
out of the cave they went up the mountain to the west of the garden.
3 There they stood and
prayed and besought God to grant them forgiveness of their sins.
4 And after their
prayers Adam began to beg God, saying, "O my Lord, my God, and my
Creator, You commanded the four elements* to be gathered together,
and they were gathered together by Thine order.
5 Then You spread Your
hand and created me out of one element, that of dust of the earth;
and You brought me into the garden at the third hour, on a Friday,
and informed me of it in the cave.
6 Then, at first, I knew
neither night nor day, for I had a bright nature; neither did the
light in which I lived ever leave me to know night or day.
7 Then, again, O Lord,
in that third hour in which You created me, You brought to me all
beasts, and lions, and ostriches, and fowls of the air, and all
things that move in the earth, which You had created at the first
hour before me of the Friday.
8 And Your will was that
I should name them all, one by one, with a suitable name. But You
gave me understanding and knowledge, and a pure heart and a right
mind from you, that I should name them after Thine own mind
regarding the naming of them.
9 O God, You made them
obedient to me, and ordered that not one of them break from my sway,
according to Your commandment, and to the dominion which You had
given me over them. But now they are all estranged from me.
10 Then it was in that
third hour of Friday, in which You created me, and commanded me
concerning the tree, to which I was neither to go near, nor to eat
thereof; for You said to me in the garden, 'When you eat of it, of
death you shall die.'
11 And if You had
punished me as You said, with death, I should have died that very
moment.
12 Moreover, when You
commanded me regarding the tree, I was neither to approach nor to
eat thereof, Eve was not with me; You had not yet created her,
neither had You yet taken her out of my side; nor had she yet heard
this order from you.
13 Then, at the end of
the third hour of that Friday, O Lord, You caused a slumber and a
sleep to come over me, and I slept, and was overwhelmed in sleep.
14 Then You drew a rib
out of my side, and created it after my own likeness and image. Then
I awoke; and when I saw her and knew who she was, I said, 'This is
bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; from now on she shall be
called woman.'
15 It was of Your good
will, O God, that You brought a slumber in a sleep over me, and that
You immediately brought