CHAP. LXI.
They begin to follow Satan.
THEN he took Adam and Eve by the hand, and began to bring them out of the cave.
2 But when they were come a little way out of it, God knew that Satan
had overcome them, and had brought them out ere the forty days were
ended, to take them to some distant place, and to destroy them.
3 Then the Word of the Lord God again came and cursed Satan, and drove him away from them.
4 And God began to speak unto Adam and Eve, saying to them, "What made you come out of the cave, unto this place?"
5 Then Adam said unto God, "Didst thou create a man before us? For
when we were in the cave there suddenly came unto us a good old man who
said to us, 'I am a messenger from God unto you, to bring you back to
some place of rest.'
6 "And we did believe, O God, that he was a messenger from Thee; and
we came out with him; and knew not whither we should go with him."
7 Then God said unto Adam, "See, that is the father of evil arts, who
brought thee and Eve out of the Garden of Delights. And now, indeed,
when he saw that thou and Eve both joined together in fasting and
praying, and that you came not out of the cave before the end of the
forty days, he wished to make your purpose vain, to break your mutual
bond; to cut off all hope from you, and to drive you to some place where
he might destroy you.
8 "Because he was unable to do aught to you, unless he showed himself in the likeness of you.
9 "Therefore did he come to you with a face like your own, and began to give you tokens as if they were all true.
10 "But I in mercy and with the favour I had unto you, did not allow him to destroy you; but I drove him away from you.
11 "Now, therefore, O Adam, take Eve, and return to your cave, and
remain in it until the morrow of the fortieth day. And when ye come out,
go towards the eastern gate of the garden."
12 Then Adam and Eve worshipped God, and praised and blessed Him for
the deliverance that had come to them from Him. And they returned
towards the cave. This happened at eventide of the thirty-ninth day.
13 Then Adam and Eve stood up and with great zeal, prayed to God, to
be brought out of their want for strength; for their strength had
departed from them, through hunger and thirst and prayer. But they
watched the whole of that night praying, until morning.
14 Then Adam said unto Eve, "Arise, let us go towards the eastern gate of the garden as God told us."
15 And they said their prayers as they were wont to do every day; and
they went out of the cave, to go near to the eastern gate of the
garden.
16 Then Adam and Eve stood up and prayed, and besought God to
strengthen them, and to send them something to satisfy their hunger.
17 But when they had ended their prayers, they remained where they were by reason of their failing strength.
18. Then came the Word of God again, and said unto them, "O Adam, arise, go and bring hither two figs."
19 Then Adam and Eve arose, and went until they drew near to the cave.
CHAP. LXII.
Two fruit trees.
BUT Satan the wicked was envious, because of the consolation God had given them.
2 So he prevented them, and went into the cave and took the two figs,
and buried them outside the cave, so that Adam and Eve should not find
them. He also had in his thoughts to destroy them.
3 But by God's mercy, as soon as those two figs were in the earth,
God defeated Satan's counsel regarding them; and made them into two
fruit-trees, that overshadowed the cave. For Satan had buried them on
the eastern side of it.
4 Then when the two trees were grown, and were covered with fruit,
Satan grieved and mourned, and said, "Better were it to have left those
figs as they were; for now, behold, they have become two fruit-trees,
whereof Adam will eat all the days of his life. Whereas I had in mind,
when I buried them, to destroy them entirely, and to hide them for aye.
5 "But God has overturned my counsel; and would not that this sacred
fruit should perish; and He has made plain my intention, and has
defeated the counsel I had formed against His servants."
6 Then Satan went away ashamed, of not having wrought out his design.
CHAP. LXIII
The first joy of trees.
BUT Adam and Eve, as they drew near to the cave, saw two fig-trees, covered with fruit, and overshadowing the cave.
2 Then Adam said to Eve, "It seems to me we have gone astray. When
did these two trees grow here? It seems to me that the enemy wishes to
lead us astray, Sayest thou that there is in the earth another cave than
this?
3 "Yet, O Eve, let us go into the cave, and find in it the two figs;
for this is our cave, in which we were. But if we should not find the
two figs in it, then it cannot be our cave."
4 They went then into the cave, and looked into the four corners of it, but found not the two figs.
5 And Adam wept and said to Eve, "Are we come to a wrong cave, then, O
Eve? It seems to me these two fig-trees are the two figs that were in
the cave." And Eve said, "I, for my part, do not know."
6 Then Adam stood up and prayed and said, "O God, Thou didst command
us to come back to the cave, to take the two figs, and then to return to
Thee.
7 "But now, we have not found them. O God, hast Thou taken them, and
sown these two trees, or have we gone astray in the earth; or has the
enemy deceived us? If it be real, then, O God, reveal to us the secret
of these two trees and of the two figs."
8 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said unto him, "O Adam, when
I sent thee to fetch the figs, Satan went before thee to the cave, took
the figs, and buried them outside, eastward of the cave, thinking to
destroy them; and not sowing them with good intent.
9 "Not for his mere sake, then, have these trees grown up at once;
but I had mercy on thee and I commanded them to grow. And they grew to
be two large trees, that you be overshadowed by their branches, and find
rest; and that I make you see My power and My marvellous works.
10 "And, also, to show you Satan's meanness, and his evil
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works, for ever since ye came out of the garden, he has not ceased,
no, not one day, from doing you some harm. But I have not given him
power over you."
11 And God said, "Henceforth, O Adam, rejoice on account of the
trees, thou and Eve; and rest under them when ye feel weary. But eat not
of their fruit, nor come near them."
12 Then Adam wept, and said, "O God, wilt Thou again kill us, or wilt
Thou drive us away from before Thy face, and cut our life from off the
face of the earth?
13 "O God, I beseech Thee, if Thou knowest that there be in these
trees either death or some other evil, as at the first time, root them
up from near our cave, and wither them; and leave us to die of the heat,
of hunger and of thirst.
14 "For we know Thy marvellous works, O God, that they are great, and
that by Thy power Thou canst bring one thing out of another, without
one's wish. For Thy power can make rocks to become trees, and trees to
become rocks."
CHAP. LXIV.
Adam and Eve partake of the first earthly food.
THEN God looked upon Adam and upon his strength of mind, upon his
endurance of hunger and thirst, and of the heat. And he changed the two
fig-trees into two figs, as they were at first, and then said to Adam
and to Eve, "Each of you may take one fig." And they took them, as the
Lord commanded them.
2 And he said to them, "Go ye into the cave, and eat the figs, and satisfy your hunger, lest ye die."
3 So, as God commanded them, they went into the cave, about the time
when the sun was setting. And Adam and Eve stood up and prayed at the
time of the setting sun.
4 Then they sat down to eat the figs; but they knew not how to eat
them; for they were not accustomed to eat earthly food. They feared also
lest, if they ate, their stomach should be burdened and their flesh
thickened, and their hearts take to liking earthly food.
5 But while they were thus seated, God, out of pity for them, sent them His angel, lest they should perish of hunger and thirst.
6 And the angel said unto Adam and Eve, "God says to you that ye have
not strength to fast until death; eat, therefore, and strengthen your
bodies; for ye are now animal flesh, that cannot subsist without food
and drink."
7 Then Adam and Eve took the figs and began to eat of them. But God had put into them a mixture as of savoury bread and blood.
8 Then the angel went from Adam and Eve, who ate of the figs until
they had satisfied their hunger. Then they put by what remained; but by
the power of God, the figs became full as before, because God blessed
them.
9 After this Adam and Eve arose, and prayed with a joyful heart and
renewed strength, and praised and rejoiced abundantly the whole of that
night. And this was the end of the eighty-third day.
CHAP. LXV.
Adam and Eve acquire digestive organs. Final hope of returning to the Garden is quenched.
AND when it was day, they rose and prayed, after their custom, and then went out of the cave.
p. 45
2 But as they felt great trouble from the food they had eaten, and to
which they were not used, they went about in the cave saying to each
other:--
3 "What has happened to us through eating, that this pain should have
come upon us? Woe be to us, we shall die! Better for us to have died
than to have eaten; and to have kept our bodies pure, than to have
defiled them with food."
4 Then Adam said to Eve, "This pain did not come to us in the garden,
neither did we eat such bad food there. Thinkest thou, O Eve, that God
will plague us through the food that is in us, or that our inwards will
come out; or that God means to kill us with this pain before He has
fulfilled His promise to us?"
5 Then Adam besought the Lord and said, "O Lord, let us not perish
through the food we have eaten. O Lord, smite us not; but deal with us
according to Thy great mercy, and forsake us not until the day of the
promise Thou hast made us."
6 Then God looked upon them, and at once fitted them for eating food; as unto this day; so that they should not perish.
7 Then Adam and Eve came back into the cave sorrowful and weeping
because of the alteration in their nature. And they both knew from that
hour that they were altered beings, that their hope of returning to the
garden was now cut off; and that they could not enter it.
8 For that now their bodies had strange functions; and all flesh that
requires food and drink for its existence, cannot be in the garden.
9 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold, our hope is now cut off; and so is
our trust to enter the garden. We no longer belong to the inhabitants of
the garden; but henceforth we are earthy and of the dust, and of the
inhabitants of the earth, We shall not return to the garden, until the
day in which God has promised to save us, and to bring us again into the
garden, as He promised us."
10 Then they prayed to God that He would have mercy on them; after
which, their mind was quieted, their hearts were broken, and their
longing was cooled down; and they were like strangers on earth. That
night Adam and Eve spent in the cave, where they slept heavily by reason
of the food they had eaten.
CHAP. LXVI.
Adam does his first day's work.
WHEN it was morning, the day after they had eaten food, Adam and Eve
prayed in the cave, and Adam said unto Eve, "Lo, we asked for food of
God, and He gave it. But now let us also ask Him to give us a drink of
water."
2 Then they arose, and went to the bank of the stream of water, that
was on the south border of the garden, in which they had before thrown
themselves. And they stood on the bank, and prayed to God that He would
command them to drink of the water.
3 Then the Word of God came to Adam, and said unto him, "O Adam, thy
body is become brutish, and requires water to drink. Take ye, and drink,
thou and Eve; give thanks and praise."
4 Adam and Eve then drew near, and drank of it, until their bodies
felt refreshed. After having drunk, they praised God, and then returned
to their cave, after their former custom. This happened at the end of
eighty-three days.
5 Then on the eighty-fourth
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day, they took two figs and hung them in the cave, together with the
leaves thereof, to be to them a sign and a blessing from God. And they
placed them there until there should arise a posterity to them, who
should see the wonderful things God had done to them.
6 Then Adam and Eve again stood outside the cave, and besought God to show them some food wherewith to nourish their bodies.
7 Then the Word of God came and said unto him, "O Adam, go down to
the westward of the cave, as far as a land of dark soil, and there thou
shalt find food."
8 And Adam hearkened unto the Word of God, took Eve, and went down to
a land of dark soil, and found there wheat growing, in the ear and
ripe, and figs to eat; and Adam rejoiced over it.
9 Then the Word of God came again to Adam, and said unto him, "Take
of this wheat and make thee bread of it, to nourish thy body withal."
And God gave Adam's heart wisdom, to work out the corn until it became
bread.
10 Adam accomplished all that, until he grew very faint and weary. He
then returned to the cave; rejoicing at what he had learned of what is
done with wheat, until it is made into bread for one's use.
CHAP. LXVII.
"Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve. . . ."
BUT when Adam and Eve went down to the land of black mud, and came
near to the wheat God had showed them, and saw it ripe and ready for
reaping, as they had no sickle to reap it withal--they girt themselves,
and began to pull up the wheat, until it was all done.
2 Then they made it into a heap; and, faint from heat and from
thirst, they went under a shady tree, where the breeze fanned them to
sleep.
3 But Satan saw what Adam and Eve had done. And he called his hosts,
and said to them, "Since God has shown to Adam and Eve all about this
wheat, wherewith to strengthen their bodies--and, lo, they are come and
have made a heap of it, and faint from the toil are now asleep--come,
let us set fire to this heap of corn, and burn it, and let us take that
bottle of water that is by them, and empty it out, so that they may find
nothing to drink, and we kill them with hunger and thirst.
4 "Then, when they wake up from their sleep, and seek to return to
the cave, we will come to them in the way, and will lead them astray; so
that they die of hunger and thirst; when they may, perhaps, deny God,
and He destroy them. So shall we be rid of them."
5 Then Satan and his hosts threw fire upon the wheat and consumed it.
6 But from the heat of the flame Adam and Eve awoke from their sleep,
and saw the wheat burning, and the bucket of water by them, poured out.
7 Then they wept and went back to the cave.
8 But as they were going up from below the mountain where they were,
Satan and his hosts met them in the form of angels, praising God.
9 Then Satan said to Adam, "O Adam, why art thou so pained with
hunger and thirst? It seems to me that Satan has burnt up the wheat."
And Adam said to him, "Ay."
10 Again Satan said to Adam, "Come back with us; we are angels of
God. God sent us to thee, to show thee another field of corn, better
than that; and
p. 47
beyond it is a fountain of good water, and many trees, where thou
shalt dwell near it, and work the corn-field to better purpose than that
which Satan has consumed."
11 Adam thought that he was true, and that they were angels who talked with him; and he went back with them.
12. Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve eight days, until
they both fell down as if dead, from hunger, thirst, and faintness. Then
he fled with his hosts, and left them.
CHAP. LXVIII.
How destruction and trouble is of Satan when he is the master. Adam and Eve establish the custom of worship.
THEN God looked upon Adam and Eve, and upon what had come upon them from Satan, and how he had made them perish.
2 God, therefore, sent His Word, and raised up Adam and Eve from their state of death.
3 Then, Adam, when he was raised, said, "O God, Thou hast burnt and
taken from us the corn Thou hadst given us, and Thou hast emptied out
the bucket of water. And Thou hast sent Thy angels, who have waylaid us
from the corn-field. Wilt Thou make us perish? If this be from Thee, O
God, then take away our souls; but punish us not."
4 Then God said to Adam, "I did not burn down the wheat, and I did
not pour the water out of the bucket, and I did not send My angels to
lead thee astray.
5 "But it is Satan, thy master who did it; he to whom thou hast
subjected thyself; My commandment being meanwhile set aside. He it is,
who burnt down the corn, and poured out the water, and who has led thee
astray; and all the promises he has made you, verily are but feint, and
deceit, and a lie.
6 "But now, O Adam, thou shalt acknowledge My good deeds done to thee."
7 And God told His angels to take Adam and Eve, and to bear them up
to the field of wheat, which they found as before, with the bucket full
of water.
8 There they saw a tree, and found on it solid manna; and wondered at
God's power. And the angels commanded them to eat of the manna when
they were hungry.
9 And God adjured Satan with a curse, not to come again, and destroy the field of corn.
10 Then Adam and Eve took of the corn, and made of it an offering,
and took it and offered it up on the mountain, the place where they had
offered up their first offering of blood.
11 And they offered this oblation again on the altar they had built
at first. And they stood up and prayed, and besought the Lord saying,
"Thus, O God, when we were in the garden, did our praises go up to Thee,
like this offering; and our innocence went up to thee like incense. But
now, O God, accept this offering from us, and turn us not back, reft of
Thy mercy."
12 Then God said to Adam and Eve, "Since ye have made this oblation
and have offered it to Me, I shall make it My flesh, when I come down
upon earth to save you; and I shall cause it to be offered continually
upon an altar, for forgiveness and for mercy, unto those who partake of
it duly."
13 And God sent a bright fire upon the offering of Adam and Eve, and
filled it with brightness, grace, and light; and the Holy Ghost came
down upon that oblation.
14 Then God commanded an
p. 48
angel to take fire-tongs, like a spoon, and with it to take an
offering and bring it to Adam and Eve. And the angel did so, as God had
commanded him, and offered it to them.
15 And the souls of Adam and Eve were brightened, and their hearts
were filled with joy and gladness and with the praises of God.
16 And God said to Adam, "This shall be unto you a custom, to do so,
when affliction and sorrow come upon you. But your deliverance and your
entrance into the garden, shall not be until the days are fulfilled, as
agreed between you and Me; were it not so, I would, of My mercy and pity
for you, bring you back to My garden and to My favour for the sake of
the offering you have just made to My name."
17 Adam rejoiced at these words which he heard from God; and he and
Eve worshipped before the altar, to which they bowed, and then went back
to the Cave of Treasures.
18 And this took place at the end of the twelfth day after the eightieth day, from the time Adam and Eve came out of the garden.
19 And they stood up the whole night praying until morning; and then went out of the cave.
20 Then Adam said to Eve, with joy of heart, because of the offering
they had made to God, and that had been accepted of Him, "Let us do this
three times every week, on the fourth day Wednesday, on the preparation
day Friday, and on the Sabbath Sunday, all the days of our life."
21 And as they agreed to these words between themselves, God was
pleased with their thoughts, and with the resolution they had each taken
with the other.
22 After this, came the Word of God to Adam, and said, "O Adam, thou
hast determined beforehand the days in which sufferings shall come upon
Me, when I am made flesh; for they are the fourth Wednesday, and the
preparation day Friday.
23 "But as to the first day, I created in it all things, and I raised
the heavens. And, again, through My rising again on this day, will I
create joy, and raise them on high, who believe in Me; O Adam, offer
this oblation, all the days of thy life."
24 Then God withdrew His Word from Adam.
25 But Adam continued to offer this oblation thus, every week three
times, until, the end of seven weeks. And on the first day, which is the
fiftieth, Adam made an offering as he was wont, and he and Eve took it
and came to the altar before God, as He had taught them.
CHAP. LXIX.
Twelfth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve, while Adam was praying over the offering upon the altar; when Satan smote him.
THEN Satan, the hater of all good, envious of Adam and of his
offering through which he found favour with God, hastened and took a
sharp stone from among sharp iron-stones; appeared in the form of a man,
and went and stood by Adam and Eve.
2 Adam was then offering on the altar, and had begun to pray, with his hands spread unto God.
3 Then Satan hastened with the sharp iron-stone he had with him, and
with it pierced Adam on the right side, when flowed blood and water,
then Adam fell upon the altar like a corpse. And Satan fled.
p. 49
4 Then Eve came, and took Adam and placed him below the altar. And
there she stayed, weeping over him; while a stream of blood flowed from
Adam's side upon his offering.
5 But God looked upon the death of Adam. He then sent His Word, and
raised him up and said unto him, "Fulfil thy offering, for indeed, Adam,
it is worth much, and there is no shortcoming in it."
6 God said further unto Adam, "Thus will it also happen to Me, on the
earth, when I shall be pierced and blood shall flow blood and water
from My side and run over My body, which is the true offering; and which
shall be offered on the altar as a perfect offering."
7 Then God commanded Adam to finish his offering, and when he had
ended it he worshipped before God, and praised Him for the signs He had
showed him.
8 And God healed Adam in one day, which is the end of the seven weeks; and that is the fiftieth day.
9 Then Adam and Eve returned from the mountain, and went into the
Cave of Treasures, as they were used to do. This completed for Adam and
Eve, one hundred and forty days since their coming out of the garden.
10 Then they both stood up that night and prayed to God. And when it
was morning, they went out, and went down westward of the cave, to the
place where their corn was, and there rested under the shadow of a tree,
as they were wont.
11 But when there a multitude of beasts came all round them. It was
Satan's doing, in his wickedness; in order to wage war against Adam
through marriage.
CHAP. LXX.
Thirteenth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve, to make war against him, through his marriage with Eve.
AFTER this Satan, the hater of all good, took the form n angel, and
with him two others, so that they looked like the three angels who had
brought to Adam gold, incense, and myrrh.
2 They passed before Adam and Eve while they were under the tree, and
greeted Adam and Eve with fair words that were full of guile.
3 But when Adam and Eve saw their comely mien, and heard their sweet
speech, Adam rose, welcomed them, and brought them to Eve, and they
remained all together; Adam's heart the while, being glad because he
thought concerning them, that they were the same angels, who had brought
him gold, incense, and myrrh.
4 Because, when they came to Adam the first time, there came upon him
from them, peace and joy, through their bringing him good tokens; so
Adam thought that they were come a second time to give him other tokens
for him to rejoice withal. For he did not know it was Satan; therefore
did he receive them with joy and companied with them.
5 Then Satan, the tallest of them, said, "Rejoice, O Adam, and be glad. Lo, God has sent us to thee to tell thee something."
6 And Adam said, "What is it?" Then Satan answered, "It is a light
thing, yet it is a word of God, wilt thou hear it from us and do it? But
if thou hearest not, we will return to God, and tell Him that thou
wouldest not receive His word."
And Satan said again to
Adam, "Fear not, neither let a trembling come upon thee; dost not thou know us?"
8 But Adam said, "I know you not."
9 Then Satan said to him, "I am the angel who brought thee gold, and
took it to the cave; this other one is he who brought thee incense; and
that third one, is he who brought thee myrrh when thou wast on the top
of the mountain, and who carried thee to the cave.
10 "But as to the other angels our fellows, who bare you to the cave,
God has not sent them with us this time; for He said to us, 'You
suffice.'"
11 So when Adam heard these words he believed them, and said to these angels, "Speak the word of God, that I may receive it."
12 And Satan said unto him "Swear, and promise me that thou wilt receive it."
13 Then Adam said, "I know not how to swear and promise."
14 And Satan said to him, "Hold out thy hand, and put it inside my hand."
15 Then Adam held out his hand, and put it into Satan's hand; when
Satan said unto him, "Say, now--so true as God is living, rational, and
speaking, who raised the heavens in the space, and established the earth
upon the waters, and has created me out of the four elements, and out
of the dust of the earth--I will not break my promise, nor renounce my
word."
16 And Adam swore thus.
17 Then Satan said to him, "Lo, it is now some time since thou camest
out of the garden, and thou knowest neither wickedness nor evil. But
now God s says to thee, to take Eve who came out of thy side, and to wed
her, that she bear thee children, to comfort thee, and to drive from
thee trouble and sorrow; now this thing is not difficult, neither is
there any scandal in it to thee."
CHAP. LXXI.
Adam is troubled by his wedding with Eve.
BUT when Adam heard these words from Satan, he sorrowed much, because
of his oath and of his promise, and said, "Shall I commit adultery with
my flesh and my bones, and shall I sin against myself, for God to
destroy me, and to blot me out from off the face of the earth?
2 "Since, when at first, I ate of the tree, He drove me out of the
garden into this strange land, and deprived me of my bright nature, and
brought death upon me. If, then, I should do this, He will cut off my
life from the earth, and He will cast me into hell, and will plague me
there a long time.
3 "But God never spoke the words thou hast told me; and ye are not
God's angels, nor yet sent from Him. But ye are devils, come to me under
the false appearance of angels . Away from me; ye cursed of God!"
4 Then those devils fled from before Adam. And he and Eve arose, and returned to the Cave of Treasures, and went into it.
5 Then Adam said to Eve, "If thou sawest what I did, tell it not; for
I sinned against God n swearing by His great name, and I have placed my
hand another time into that of Satan." Eve, then, held her peace, as
Adam told her.
6 Then Adam arose, and spread his hands unto God, beseeching and
entreating Him with tears, to forgive him what he had done. And Adam
remained thus standing and praying forty days and forty nights.
He neither ate nor drank until he dropped down upon the earth from hunger and thirst.
7 Then God sent His Word unto Adam, who raised him up from where he
lay, and said unto him, "O Adam, why hast thou sworn by My name, and why
hast thou made agreement with Satan another time?"
8 But Adam wept, and said, "O God, forgive me, for I did this unwittingly; believing they were God's angels."
9 And God forgave Adam, saying, to him, "Beware of Satan."
10 And He withdrew His Word from Adam.
11 Then Adam's heart was comforted; and he took Eve, and they went out of the cave, to make some food for their bodies.
12 But from that day Adam struggled in his mind about his wedding
Eve; afraid as he was to do it, lest God should be wroth with him.
13 Then Adam and Eve went to the river of water, and sat on the bank, as people do when they enjoy themselves.
14 But Satan was jealous of them; and would destroy them.
CHAP. LXXII.
Adam's heart is set on fire.
THEN Satan, and ten from his hosts, transformed themselves into maidens, unlike any others in the whole world for grace.
2 They came up out of the river in presence of Adam and Eve, and they
said among themselves, "Come, we will look at the faces of Adam and of
Eve, who are of the men upon earth. How beautiful they are, and how
different is their look from our own faces." Then they came to Adam and
Eve, and greeted them; and stood wondering at them.
3 Adam and Eve looked at them also, and wondered at their beauty, and
said, "Is there, then, under us, another world, with such beautiful
creatures as these in it"'
4 And those maidens said to Adam and Eve, "Yes, indeed, we are an abundant creation."
5 Then Adam said to them, "But how do you multiply?"
6 And they answered him, "We have husbands who wedded us, and we bear
them children, who grow up, and who in their turn wed and are wedded,
and also bear children; and thus we increase. And if so be, O Adam, thou
wilt not believe us, we will show thee our husbands and our children."
7 Then they shouted over the river as if to call their husbands and
their children, who came up from the river, men and children; and every
one came to his wife, his children being with him.
8 But when Adam and Eve saw them, they stood dumb, and wondered at them.
9 Then they said to Adam and Eve, "You see our husbands and our
children, wed Eve as we wed our wives, and you shall have children the
same as we." This was a device of Satan to deceive Adam.
10 Satan also thought within himself, "God at first commanded Adam
concerning the fruit of the tree, saying to him, 'Eat not of it; else of
death thou shalt die.' But Adam ate of it, and yet God did not kill
him; He only decreed upon him death, and plagues and trials, until the
day he shall come out of his body.
11 "Now, then, if I deceive him to do this thing, and to wed Eve without God's commandment, God will kill him then."
12 Therefore did Satan work this apparition before Adam and Eve;
because he sought to kill him, and to make him disappear from off the
face of the earth.
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13 Meanwhile the fire of sin came upon Adam, and he thought of
committing sin. But he restrained himself, fearing lest if he followed
this advice of Satan God would put him to death.
14 Then Adam and Eve arose, and prayed to God, while Satan and his
hosts went down into the river, in presence of Adam and Eve; to let them
see that they were going back to their own regions.
15 Then Adam and Eve went back to the Cave of Treasures, as they were wont; about evening time.
16 And they both arose and prayed to God that night. Adam remained
standing in prayer, yet not knowing how to pray, by reason of the
thoughts of his heart regarding his wedding Eve; and he continued so
until morning.
17 And when light arose, Adam said unto Eve, "Arise, let us go below
the mountain, where they brought us gold, and let us ask the Lord
concerning this matter."
18 Then Eve said, "What is that matter, O Adam?"
19 And he answered her, "That I may request the Lord to inform me
about wedding thee; for I will not do it without His order, lest He make
us perish, thee and me. For those devils have set my heart on fire,
with thoughts of what they showed us, in their sinful apparitions."
20 Then Eve said to Adam, "Why need we go below the mountain? Let us
rather stand up and pray in our cave to God, to let us know whether this
counsel is good or not."
21 Then Adam rose up in prayer and said, "O God, thou knowest that we
transgressed against Thee, and from the moment we transgressed, we were
bereft of our bright nature; and our body became brutish, requiring
food and drink; and with animal desires.
22 "Command us, O God, not to give way to them without Thy order,
lest Thou bring us to nothing. For if Thou give us not the order, we
shall be overpowered, and follow that advice of Satan; and Thou wilt
again make us perish.
23 "If not, then take our souls from us; let us be rid of this animal
lust. And if Thou give us no order respecting this thing, then sever
Eve from me, and me from her; and place us each far away from the other.
24 "Yet again, O God, when Thou hast put us asunder from each other,
the devils will deceive us with their apparitions, and destroy our
hearts, and defile our thoughts towards each other. Yet if it is not
each of us towards the other, it will, at all events, be through their
appearance when they show themselves to us." Here Adam ended his prayer.
CHAP. LXXIII.
The betrothal of Adam and Eve.
THEN God looked upon the words of Adam that they were true, and that
he could long await His order, respecting the counsel of Satan.
2 And God approved Adam in what he had thought concerning this, and
in the prayer he had offered in His presence; and the Word of God came
unto Adam and said to him, "O Adam, if only thou hadst had this caution
at first, ere thou earnest out of the garden into this land!"
3 After that, God sent His angel who had brought gold, and the angel
who had brought incense, and the angel who had brought myrrh to Adam,
that they should inform him respecting his wedding Eve.
4 Then those angels said to
Adam, "Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and betroth
her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be ye, thou
and she, one flesh."
5 Adam hearkened to the angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve's bosom in her garment; and bethrothed her with his hand.
6 Then the angels commanded Adam and Eve, to arise and pray forty
days and forty nights; and after that, that Adam should come in to his
wife; for then this would be an act pure and undefiled; and he should
have children who would multiply, and replenish the face of the earth.
7 Then both Adam and Eve received the words of the angels; and the angels departed from them.
8 Then Adam and Eve began to fast and to pray, until the end of the
forty days; and then they came together, as the angels had told them.
And from the time Adam left the garden until he wedded Eve, were two
hundred and twenty-three days, that is seven months and thirteen days.
9 Thus was Satan's war with Adam defeated.
CHAP. LXXIV.
The birth of Cain and Luluwa. Why they received those names.
AND they dwelt on the earth working, in order to continue in the
well-being of their bodies; and were so until the nine months of Eve's
childbearing were ended, and the time drew near when she must be
delivered.
2 Then she said unto Adam, "This cave is a pure spot by reason of the
signs wrought in it since we left the garden; and we shall again pray
in it. It is not meet, then, that I should bring forth in it; let us
rather repair to that of the sheltering rock, which Satan hurled at us,
when he wished to kill us with it; but that was held up and spread as an
awning over us by the command of God; and formed a cave."
3 Then Adam removed Eve to that cave; and when the time came that she
should bring forth, she travailed much. So was Adam sorry, and his
heart suffered for her sake; for she was nigh unto death; that the word
of God to her should be fulfilled: "In suffering shalt thou bear a
child, and in sorrow shalt thou bring forth thy child."
4 But when Adam saw the strait in which Eve was, he arose and prayed
to God, and said, "O Lord, look upon me with the eye of Thy mercy, and
bring her out of her distress."
5 And God looked at His maid-servant Eve, and delivered her, and she brought forth her first-born son, and with him a daughter.
6 Then Adam rejoiced at Eve's deliverance, and also over the children
she had borne him. And Adam ministered unto Eve in the cave, until the
end of eight days; when they named the son Cain, and the daughter
Luluwa.
7 The meaning of Cain is "hater," because he hated his sister in
their mother's womb; ere they came out of it. Therefore did Adam name
him Cain.
8 But Luluwa means "beautiful," because she was more beautiful than her mother.
9 Then Adam and Eve waited until Cain and his sister were forty days
old, when Adam said unto Eve, "We will make an offering and offer it up
in behalf of the children."
10 And Eve said, "We will make one offering for the firstborn son; and afterwards we shall make one for the daughter."
CHAP. LXXV.
The family revisits the Cave of Treasures. Birth of Abel and Aklemia.
THEN Adam prepared an offering, and he and Eve offered it up for
their children, and brought it to the altar they had built at first.
2 And Adam offered up the offering, and besought God to accept his offering.
3 Then God accepted Adam's offering, and sent a light from heaven
that shone upon the offering. And Adam and the son drew near to the
offering, but Eve and the daughter did not approach unto it.
4 Then Adam came down from upon the altar, and they were joyful; and
Adam and Eve waited until the daughter was eighty days old; then Adam
prepared an offering and took it to Eve and to the children; and they
went to the altar, where Adam offered it up, as he was wont, asking the
Lord to accept his offering.
5 And the Lord accepted the offering of Adam and Eve. Then Adam, Eve,
and the children, drew near together, and came down from the mountain,
rejoicing.
6 But they returned not to the cave in which they were born; but came
to the Cave of Treasures, in order that the children should go round
it, and be blessed with the tokens brought from the garden.
7 But after they had been blessed with these tokens, they went back to the cave in which they were born.
8 However, before Eve had offered up the offering, Adam had taken
her, and had gone with her to the river of water, in which they threw
themselves at first; and there they washed themselves. Adam washed his
body and Eve hers also clean, after the suffering and distress that had
come upon them.
9 But Adam and Eve, after washing themselves in the river of water,
returned every night to the Cave of Treasures, where they prayed and
were blessed; and then went back to their cave where the children were
born
10 So did Adam and Eve until the children had done sucking. Then,
when they were weaned, Adam made an offering for the souls of his
children; other than the three times he made an offering for them, every
week.
11 When the days of nursing the children were ended, Eve again
conceived, and when her days were accomplished she brought forth another
son and daughter; and they named the son Abel, and the daughter Aklia.
12 Then at the end of forty days, Adam made an offering for the son,
and at the end of eighty days he made another offering for the daughter,
and did by them, as he had done before by Cain and his sister Luluwa.
13 He brought them to the Cave of Treasures, where they received a
blessing, and then returned to the cave where they were born. After the
birth of these, Eve ceased from childbearing.
CHAP. LXXVI.
Cain becomes jealous because of his sisters.
A ND the children began to wax stronger, and to grow in stature; but Cain was hardhearted, and ruled over his younger brother.
2 And oftentimes when his father made an offering, he would remain behind and not go with them, to offer up.
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3 But, as to Abel, he had a meek heart, and was obedient to his
father and mother, whom he often moved to make an offering, because he
loved it; and prayed and fasted much.
4 Then came this sign to Abel. As he was coming into the Cave of
Treasures, and saw the golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he
inquired of his parents Adam and Eve concerning them, and said unto
them, "How did you come by these?"
5 Then Adam told him all that had befallen them. And Abel felt deeply about what his father told him.
6 Furthermore his father Adam, told him of the works of God, and of
the garden; and after that, he remained behind his father the whole of
that night in the Cave of Treasures.
7 And that night, while he was praying, Satan appeared unto him under
the figure of a man, who said to him, "Thou hast oftentimes moved thy
father to make an offering, to fast and to pray, therefore I will kill
thee, and make thee perish from this world."
8 But as for Abel, he prayed to God, and drove away Satan from him;
and believed not the words of the devil. Then when it was day, an angel
of God appeared unto him, who said to him, "Shorten neither fasting,
prayer, nor offering up an oblation unto thy God. For, lo, the Lord has
accepted thy prayer. Be not afraid of the figure which appeared unto
thee in the night, and who cursed thee unto death." And the angel
departed from him.
9 Then when it was day, Abel came to Adam and Eve, and told them of
the vision he had seen. But when they heard it, they grieved much over
it, yet said nothing to him about it; they only comforted him.
10 But as to hard-hearted Cain, Satan came to him by night, showed
himself and said unto him, "Since Adam and Eve love thy brother Abel
much more than they love thee, and wish to join him in marriage to thy
beautiful sister, because they love him; but wish to join thee in
marriage to his ill-favoured sister, because they hate thee;
11 "Now, therefore, I counsel thee, when they do that, to kill thy
brother; then thy sister will be left for thee; and his sister will be
cast, away."
12 And Satan departed from him. But the wicked One remained behind in
the heart of Cain, who sought many a time, to kill his brother.
CHAP. LXXVII.
Cain, 15 years old, and Abel 12 years old, grow apart.
BUT when Adam saw that the elder brother hated the younger, he
endeavoured to soften their hearts, and said unto Cain, "Take, O my son,
of the fruits of thy sowing, and make an offering unto God, that He may
forgive thee thy wickedness and thy sin."
2 He said also to Abel, "Take thou of thy sowing and make an offering
and bring it to God, that He may forgive thy wickedness and thy sin."
3 Then Abel hearkened unto his father's voice, and took of his
sowing, and made a good offering, and said to his father, Adam, "Come
with me, to show me how to offer it up."
4 And they went, Adam and Eve with him, and showed him how to offer
up his gift upon the altar. Then after that, they stood up and prayed
that God would accept Abel's offering.
5 Then God looked upon Abel and accepted his offering. And
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[paragraph continues]
God was more pleased with Abel than with his offering, because of his
good heart and pure body. There was no trace of guile in him.
6 Then they came down from the altar, and went to the cave in which
they dwelt. But Abel, by reason of his joy at having made his offering,
repeated it three times a week, after the example of his father Adam.
7 But as to Cain, he took no pleasure in offering; but after much
anger on his father's part, he offered up his gift once; and when he did
offer up, his eye was on the offering he made, and he took the smallest
of his sheep for an offering, and his eye was again on it. '
8 Therefore God did not accept his offering, because his heart was full of murderous thoughts.
9 And they all thus lived together in the cave in which Eve had
brought forth, until Cain was fifteen years old, and Abel twelve years
old.
CHAP. LXXVIII.
Jealousy overcomes Cain. He makes trouble in the family. How the first murder was planned.
THEN Adam said to Eve, "Behold the children are grown up; we must think of finding wives for them."
2 Then Eve answered, "How can we do it?"
3 Then Adam said to her, "We will join Abel's sister in marriage to Cain, and Cain's sister to Abel."
4 Then said Eve to Adam, "I do not like Cain because he is
hard-hearted; but let them bide until we offer up unto the Lord in their
behalf."
5 And Adam said no more.
6 Meanwhile Satan came to Cain in the figure of a man of the field,
and said to him, "Behold Adam and Eve have taken counsel together about
the marriage of you two; and they have agreed to marry Abel's sister to
thee, and thy sister to him.
7 "But if it was not that I love thee, I would not have told thee
this thing. Yet if thou wilt take my advice, and hearken to me, I will
bring: thee on thy wedding day beautiful robes, gold and silver in
plenty, and my relations will attend thee."
8 Then Cain said with joy, "Where are thy relations?"
9 And Satan answered, "My relations are in a garden in the north,
whither I once meant to bring thy father Adam; but he would not accept
my offer.
10 "But thou, if thou wilt receive my words and if thou wilt come
unto me after thy wedding, thou shalt rest from the misery in which thou
art; and thou shalt rest and be better off than thy father Adam."
11 At these words of Satan Cain opened his ears, and leant towards his speech.
12 And he did not remain in the field, but he went to Eve, his
mother, and beat her, and cursed her, and said to her, "Why are ye about
taking my sister to wed her to my brother? Am I dead""
13 His mother, however, quieted him, and sent him to the field where be had been.
14 Then when Adam came, she told him of what Cain had done.
15 But Adam grieved and held his peace, and said not a word.
16 Then on the morrow Adam said unto Cain his son, "Take of thy
sheep, young and good, and offer them up unto thy God; and I will speak
to thy brother, to make unto his God an offering of corn."
17 They both hearkened to their father Adam, and they
p. 57
took their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the altar.
18 But Cain behaved haughtily towards his brother, and thrust him
from the altar, and would not let him offer up his gift upon the altar;
but he offered his own upon it, with a proud heart, full of guile, and
fraud.
19 But as for Abel, he set up stones that were near at hand, and upon
that, he offered up his gift with a heart humble and free from guile.
20 Cain was then standing by the altar on which he had offered up his
gift; and he cried unto God to accept his offering; but God did not
accept it from him; neither did a divine fire come down to consume his
offering.
21 But he remained standing over against the altar, out of humour and
wroth, looking towards his brother Abel, to see if God would accept his
offering or not.
22 And Abel prayed unto God to accept his offering. Then a divine
fire came down and consumed his offering. And God smelled the sweet
savour of his offering; because Abel loved Him and rejoiced in Him.
23 And because God was well pleased with him He sent him an angel of
light in the figure of man who had partaken of his offering, because He
had smelled the sweet savour of his offering, and they comforted Abel
and strengthened his heart.
24 But Cain was looking on all that took place at his brother's offering, and was wroth on account of it.
25 Then he opened his mouth and blasphemed God, because He had not accepted his offering.
26 But God said unto Cain, "Wherefore is thy countenance sad? Be righteous, that I may accept thy offering. Not against
Me hast thou murmured, but against thyself."
27 And God said this to Cain in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.
28 And Cain came down from the altar, his colour changed and of a
woeful countenance, and came to his father and mother and told them all
that had befallen him. And Adam grieved much because God had not
accepted Cain's offering.
29 But Abel came down rejoicing, and with a gladsome heart, and told
his father and mother how God had accepted his offering. And they
rejoiced at it and kissed his face.
30 And Abel said to his father, "Because Cain thrust me from the
altar, and would not allow me to offer my gift upon it, I made an altar
for myself and offered my gift upon it."
31 But when Adam heard this he was very sorry, because it was the
altar he had built at first, and upon which he had offered his own
gifts.
32 As to Cain, he was so sullen and so angry that he went into the
field, where Satan came to him and said to him, "Since thy brother Abel
has taken refuge with thy father Adam, because thou didst thrust him
from the altar, they have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him,
far more than over thee."
33 When Cain heard these words of Satan, he was filled with rage; and
he let no one know. But he was laying wait to kill his brother, until
he brought him into the cave, and then said to him:--
34 "O brother, the country is so beautiful, and there are such
beautiful and pleasurable trees in it, and charming to look at! But
brother, thou hast never been one day in the field to take thy pleasure
therein.
35 "To-day, O, my brother, I very much wish thou wouldest
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come with me into the field, to enjoy thyself and to bless our fields
and our flocks, for thou art righteous, and I love thee much, O my
brother! but thou hast estranged thyself from me."
36 Then Abel consented to go with his brother Cain into the field.
37 But before going out, Cain said to Abel, "Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts."
38 Then Abel stood waiting in his innocence. But Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.
39 And they began, Cain and his brother Abel, to walk in the way;
Cain talking to him, and comforting him, to make him forget everything.
CHAP. LXXIX.
A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion. Cain is
frightened. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The seven punishments. Peace is
shattered.
AND so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where there
were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain, "Behold, my brother, we are weary
of walking; for we see none of the trees, nor of the fruits, nor of the
verdure, nor of the sheep, nor any one of the things of which thou
didst tell me. Where are those sheep of thine thou didst tell me to
bless?"
2 Then Cain said to him, "Come on, and presently thou shalt see many
beautiful things. but go before me, until I come up to thee."
3 Then went Abel forward, but Cain remained behind him.
4 And Abel was walking in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would kill him.
5 Then Cain, when he came up to him, comforted him with his talk,
walking a little behind him; then he hastened, and smote him with the
staff, blow upon blow, until he was stunned,
6 But when Abel fell down upon the ground, seeing that his brother
meant to kill him, he said to Cain, "O, my brother, have pity on me. By
the breasts we have sucked, smite me not! By the womb that bare us and
that brought us into the world, smite me not unto death with that staff!
If thou wilt kill me, take one of these large stones, and kill me
outright."
7 Then Cain, the hard-hearted, and cruel murderer, took a large
stone, and smote his brother with it upon the head, until his brains
oozed out, and he weltered in his blood, before him.
8 And Cain repented not of what he had done.
9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Abel fell upon it,
trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have brought Cain to naught
for it.
10 And the blood of Abel cried mysteriously to God, to avenge him of his murderer.
11 Then Cain began at once to dig the earth wherein to lay his
brother; for he was trembling from the fear that came upon him, when he
saw the earth tremble on his account.
12 He then cast his brother into the pit he made, and covered him
with dust. But the earth would not receive him; but it threw him up at
once.
13 Again did Cain dig the earth and hid his brother in it; but again
did the earth throw him up on itself; until three times did the earth
thus throw up on itself the body of Abel.
14 The muddy earth threw him up the first time, because he was not the first creation; and it threw him up the second
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time and would not receive him, because he was righteous and good,
and was killed without a cause; and the earth threw him up the third
time and would not receive him, that there might remain before his
brother a witness against him.
15 And so did the earth mock Cain, until the Word of God, came to him concerning his brother.
16 Then was God angry, and much displeased at Abel's death; and He
thundered from heaven, and lightnings went before Him, and the Word of
the Lord God came from heaven to Cain, and said unto him, "Where is Abel
thy brother?"
17 Then Cain answered with a proud heart and a gruff voice, "How, O God? am I my brother's keeper?"
18 Then God said unto Cain, "Cursed be the earth that has drunk the
blood of Abel thy brother; and thou, be thou trembling and shaking; and
this will be a sign unto thee, that whosoever finds thee, shall kill
thee."
19 But Cain wept because God had said those words to him; and Cain
said unto Him "O God, whosoever finds me shall kill me, and I shall be
blotted out from the face of the earth."
20 Then God said unto Cain, "Whosoever shall find thee shall not kill
thee;" because before this, God had been saying to Cain, "I shall
forego seven punishments on him who kills Cain." For as to the word of
God to Cain, "Where is thy brother?" God said it in mercy for him, to
try and make him repent.
21 For if Cain had repented at that time, and had said, "O God,
forgive me my sin, and the murder of my brother," God would then have
forgiven him his sin.
22 And as to God saying to Cain, "Cursed be the ground that has drunk
the blood of thy brother" that also, was God's mercy on Cain. For God
did not curse him, but He cursed the ground; although it was not the
ground that had killed Abel, and had committed iniquity.
23 For it was meet that the curse should fall upon the murderer; yet
in mercy did God so manage His thoughts as that no one should know it,
and turn away from Cain.
24 And He said to him, "Where is thy brother?" To which he answered
and said, "I know not." Then the Creator said to him, "Be trembling and
quaking."
25 Then Cain trembled and became terrified; and through this sign did
God make him an example before all the creation, as the murderer of his
brother. Also did God bring trembling and terror upon him, that he
might see the peace in which he was at first, and see also the trembling
and terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble himself
before God, and repent of his sin, and seek the peace he enjoyed at
first.
26 And in the word of God that said, "I will forego seven punishments
on whomsoever kills Cain," God was not seeking to kill Cain with the
sword, but He sought to make him die of fasting, and praying and weeping
by hard rule, until the time that he was delivered from his sin.
27 And the seven punishments are the seven generations during which God awaited Cain for the murder of his brother.
28 But as to Cain, ever since he had killed his brother, he could
find no rest in any place; but went back to Adam and Eve, trembling,
terrified, and defiled with blood. . . .
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