The First Book of Adam and Eve
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Chapter LX - The Devil appears like an old man. He offers "a place of rest."
1 Then on the eighty-ninth day, Satan came to the cave, clad in a garment of light, and girt about with a bright girdle.
2 In his hands was a staff of light, and he looked most awful; but his face was pleasant and his speech was sweet.
3 He thus transformed himself in order to deceive Adam and Eve, and to make them come out of the cave, before they had fulfilled the forty days.
4 For he said within himself, "Now that when they had fulfilled the forty days’ fasting and praying, God would restore them to their former state; but if He did not do so, He would still be favorable to them; and even if He had not mercy on them, would He yet give them something from the garden to comfort them; as already twice before."
5 Then Satan drew near the cave in this fair appearance, and said:
6 "O Adam, get up, stand up, you and Eve, and come along with me, to a good land; and don’t be afraid. I am flesh and bones like you; and at first I was a creature that God created.
7 And it was so, that when He had created me, He placed me in a garden in the north, on the border of the world.
8 And He said to me, ‘Stay here!’ And I remained there according to His Word, neither did I transgress His commandment.
9 Then He made a slumber to come over me, and He brought you, O Adam, out of my side, but did not make you stay with me.
10 But God took you in His divine hand, and placed you in a garden to the eastward.
11 Then I worried about you, for that while God had taken you out of my side, He had not let you stay with me.
12 But God said to me: ‘Do not worry about Adam, whom I brought out of your side; no harm will come to him.
13 For now I have brought out of his side a help-meet* for him; and I have given him joy by so doing.’ "
14 Then Satan said again, "I did not know how it is you are in this cave, nor anything about this trial that has come over you—until God said to me, ‘Behold, Adam has transgressed, he whom I had taken out of your side, and Eve also, whom I took out of his side; and I have driven them out of the garden; I have made them live in a land of sorrow and misery, because they transgressed against Me, and have obeyed Satan. And look, they are in suffering until this day, the eightieth.’
15 Then God said to me, ‘Get up, go to them, and make them come to your place, and suffer not that Satan come near them, and afflict them. For they are now in great misery; and lie helpless from hunger.’
16 He further said to me, ‘When you have taken them to yourself, give them to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Life, and give them to drink of the water of peace; and clothe them in a garment of light, and restore them to their former state of grace, and leave them not in misery, for they came from you. But grieve not over them, nor repent of that which has come over them.
17 But when I heard this, I was sorry; and my heart could not patiently bear it for your sake, O my child.
18 But, O Adam, when I heard the name of Satan, I was afraid, and I said within myself, I will not come out because he might trap me as he did my children, Adam and Eve.
19 And I said, ‘O God, when I go to my children, Satan will meet me in the way, and war against me, as he did against them.’
20 Then God said to me, ‘Fear not; when you find him, hit him with the staff that is in your hand, and don’t be afraid of him, for you are of old standing, and he shall not prevail against you.’
21 Then I said, ‘O my Lord, I am old, and cannot go. Send Your angels to bring them.’
22 But God said to me, ‘Angels, verily, are not like them; and they will not consent to come with them. But I have chosen you, because they are your offspring and are like you, and they will listen to what you say.’
23 God said further to me, ‘If you don’t have enough strength to walk, I will send a cloud to carry you and set you down at the entrance of their cave; then the cloud will return and leave you there.
24 And if they will come with you, I will send a cloud to carry you and them.’
25 Then He commanded a cloud, and it bear me up and brought me to you; and then went back.
26 And now, O my children, Adam and Eve, look at my old gray hair and at my feeble state, and at my coming from that distant place. Come, come with me, to a place of rest."
27 Then he began to cry and to sob before Adam and Eve, and his tears poured on the ground like water.
28 And when Adam and Eve raised their eyes and saw his beard, and heard his sweet talk, their hearts softened towards him; they obeyed him, for they believed he was true.
29 And it seemed to them that they were really his offspring, when they saw that his face was like their own; and they trusted him.
· The existence of the two words helpmeet and helpmate, meaning exactly the same thing, is a comedy of errors. God’s promise to Adam, as rendered in the King James version of the Bible, was to give him an help meet for him (that is, a helper fit for him). In the 17th century the two words help and meet in this passage were mistaken for one word, applying to Eve, and thus helpmeet came to mean a wife. Then in the 18th century, in a misguided attempt to make sense of the word, the spelling helpmate was introduced. Both errors are now beyond recall, and both spellings are acceptable.
Chapter LXI - They begin to follow Satan.
1 Then he took Adam and Eve by the hand, and began to bring them out of the cave.
2 But when they had come a little ways out of it, God knew that Satan had overcome them, and had brought them out before the forty days were ended, to take them to some distant place, and to destroy them.
3 Then the Word of the Lord God again came and cursed Satan, and drove him away from them.
4 And God began to speak to Adam and Eve, saying to them, "What made you come out of the cave, to this place?"
5 Then Adam said to God, "Did you create a man before us? For when we were in the cave there suddenly came to us a friendly old man who said to us, ‘I am a messenger from God to you, to bring you back to some place of rest.’
6 And we believed, O God, that he was a messenger from you; and we came out with him; and knew not where we should go with him."
7 Then God said to Adam, "See, that is the father of evil arts, who brought you and Eve out of the Garden of Delights. And now, indeed, when he saw that you and Eve both joined together in fasting and praying, and that you came not out of the cave before the end of the forty days, he wished to make your purpose vein, to break your mutual bond; to cut off all hope from you, and to drive you to some place where he might destroy you.
8 Because he couldn’t do anything to you unless he showed himself in the likeness of you.
9 Therefore he came to you with a face like your own, and began to give you tokens as if they were all true.
10 But because I am merciful and am favorable to you, I did not allow him to destroy you; instead I drove him away from you.
11 Now, therefore, O Adam, take Eve, and return to your cave, and remain in it until the morning after the fortieth day. And when you come out, go towards the eastern gate of the garden."
12 Then Adam and Eve worshipped God, and praised and blessed Him for the deliverance that had come to them from Him. And they returned towards the cave. This happened in the evening of the thirty-ninth day.
13 Then Adam and Eve stood up and with a fiery passion, prayed to God, to give them strength; for they had become weak because of hunger and thirst and prayer. But they watched the whole of that night praying, until morning.
14 Then Adam said to Eve, "Get up, let us go towards the eastern gate of the garden as God told us."
15 And they said their prayers as they were accustomed to do every day; and they left the cave to go near to the eastern gate of the garden.
16 Then Adam and Eve stood up and prayed, and appealed to God to strengthen them, and to send them something to satisfy their hunger.
17 But after they finished their prayers, they were too weak to move.
18 Then came the Word of God again, and said to them, "O Adam, get up, go and bring the two figs here."
19 Then Adam and Eve got up, and went until they came near to the cave.
Chapter LXII - Two fruit trees.
1 But Satan the wicked was envious, because of the consolation God had given them.
2 So he prevented them, and went into the cave and took the two figs, and buried them outside the cave, so that Adam and Eve should not find them. He also had in his thoughts to destroy them.
3 But by God’s mercy, as soon as those two figs were in the ground, God defeated Satan’s counsel regarding them; and made them into two fruit trees, that overshadowed the cave. For Satan had buried them on the eastern side of it.
4 Then when the two trees were grown, and were covered with fruit, Satan grieved and mourned, and said, "It would have been better to have left those figs where they were; for now, behold, they have become two fruit trees, whereof Adam will eat all the days of his life. Whereas I had in mind, when I buried them, to destroy them entirely, and to hide them forever.
5 But God has overturned my counsel; and would not that this sacred fruit should perish; and He has made plain my intention, and has defeated the counsel I had formed against His servants."
6 Then Satan went away ashamed because he hadn’t thought his plans all the way through.
Chapter LXIII - The first joy of trees
1 But Adam and Eve, as they got closer to the cave, saw two fig trees, covered with fruit, and overshadowing the cave.
2 Then Adam said to Eve, "It seems to me that we have gone the wrong way. When did these two trees grow here? It seems to me that the enemy wishes to lead us the wrong way. Do you suppose that there is another cave besides this one in the earth?
3 Yet, O Eve, let us go into the cave, and find in it the two figs; for this is our cave, in which we were. But if we should not find the two figs in it, then it cannot be our cave."
4 They went then into the cave, and looked into the four corners of it, but found not the two figs.
5 And Adam cried and said to Eve, "Did we go to the wrong cave, then, O Eve? It seems to me these two fig trees are the two figs that were in the cave." And Eve said, "I, for my part, do not know."
6 Then Adam stood up and prayed and said, "O God, You commanded us to come back to the cave, to take the two figs, and then to return to you.
7 But now, we have not found them. O God, have you taken them, and sown these two trees, or have we gone astray in the earth; or has the enemy deceived us? If it be real, then, O God, reveal to us the secret of these two trees and of the two figs."
8 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, when I sent you to fetch the figs, Satan went before you to the cave, took the figs, and buried them outside, eastward of the cave, thinking to destroy them; and not sowing them with good intent.
9 Not for his mere sake, then, have these trees grown up at once; but I had mercy on you and I commanded them to grow. And they grew to be two large trees, that you be overshadowed by their branches, and find rest; and that I made you see My power and My marvelous works.
10 And, also, to show you Satan’s meanness, and his evil works, for ever since you came out of the garden, he has not ceased, no, not one day, from doing you some harm. But I have not given him power over you."
11 And God said, "From now on, O Adam, rejoice on account of the trees, you and Eve; and rest under them when you feel weary. But do not eat any of their fruit or come near them."
12 Then Adam cried, and said, "O God, will You again kill us, or will You drive us away from before Your face, and cut our life from off the face of the earth?
13 O God, I beg you, if You know that there be in these trees either death or some other evil, as at the first time, root them up from near our cave, and with them; and leave us to die of the heat, of hunger and of thirst.
14 For we know Your marvelous works, O God, that they are great, and that by Your power You can bring one thing out of another, without one’s wish. For Your power can make rocks to become trees, and trees to become rocks."
Chapter LXIV - Adam and Eve partake of the first earthly food.
1 Then God looked at Adam and at his strength of mind, at his endurance of hunger and thirst, and of the heat. And He changed the two fig trees into two figs, as they were at first, and then said to Adam and to Eve, "Each of you may take one fig." And they took them, as the Lord commanded them.
2 And He said to them, "You must now go into the cave and eat the figs, and satisfy your hunger, or else you will die."
3 So, as God commanded them, they went into the cave about sunset. And Adam and Eve stood up and prayed during the setting sun.
4 Then they sat down to eat the figs; but they knew not how to eat them; for they were not accustomed to eat earthly food. They were afraid that if they ate, their stomach would be burdened and their flesh thickened, and their hearts would take to liking earthly food.
5 But while they were thus seated, God, out of pity for them, sent them His angel, so they wouldn’t perish of hunger and thirst.
6 And the angel said to Adam and Eve, "God says to you that you do not have the strength that would be required to fast until death; eat, therefore, and strengthen your bodies; for you are now animal flesh and cannot subsist without food and drink."
7 Then Adam and Eve took the figs and began to eat of them. But God had put into them a mixture as of savory bread and blood.
8 Then the angel went from Adam and Eve, who ate of the figs until they had satisfied their hunger. Then they put aside what was left; but by the power of God, the figs became whole again, because God blessed them.
9 After this Adam and Eve got up, and prayed with a joyful heart and renewed strength, and praised and rejoiced abundantly the whole of that night. And this was the end of the eighty-third day.
Chapter LXV - Adam and Eve acquire digestive organs. Final hope of returning to the Garden is lost.
1 And when it was day, they got up and prayed, after their custom, and then went out of the cave.
2 But they became sick from the food they had eaten because they were not used to it, so they went about in the cave saying to each other:
3 "What has our eating caused to happen to us, that we should be in such pain? We are in misery, we shall die! It would have been better for us to have died keeping our bodies pure than to have eaten and defiled them with food."
4 Then Adam said to Eve, "This pain did not come to us in the garden, neither did we eat such bad food there. Do you think, O Eve, that God will plague us through the food that is in us, or that our innards will come out; or that God means to kill us with this pain before He has fulfilled His promise to us?"
5 Then Adam besought the Lord and said, "O Lord, let us not perish through the food we have eaten. O Lord, don’t punish us; but deal with us according to Your great mercy, and forsake us not until the day of the promise You have made us."
6 Then God looked at them, and then fitted them for eating food at once; as to this day; so that they should not perish.
7 Then Adam and Eve came back into the cave sorrowful and crying because of the alteration of their bodies. And they both knew from that hour that they were altered beings, that all hope of returning to the garden was now lost; and that they could not enter it.
8 For that now their bodies had strange functions; and all flesh that requires food and drink for its existence, cannot be in the garden.
9 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold, our hope is now lost; and so is our trust to enter the garden. We no longer belong to the inhabitants of the garden; but from now on we are earthy and of the dust, and of the inhabitants of the earth. We shall not return to the garden, until the day in which God has promised to save us, and to bring us again into the garden, as He promised us."
10 Then they prayed to God that He would have mercy on them; after which, their mind was quieted, their hearts were broken, and their longing was cooled down; and they were like strangers on earth. That night Adam and Eve spent in the cave, where they slept heavily by reason of the food they had eaten.
Chapter LXVI - Adam does his first day’s work.
1 When it was morning, the day after they had eaten food, Adam and Eve prayed in the cave, and Adam said to Eve, "Look, we asked for food of God, and He gave it. But now let us also ask Him to give us a drink of water."
2 Then they got up, and went to the bank of the stream of water, that was on the south border of the garden, in which they had before thrown themselves. And they stood on the bank, and prayed to God that He would command them to drink of the water.
3 Then the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, your body has become brutish, and requires water to drink. Take some and drink it, you and Eve, then give thanks and praise."
4 Adam and Eve then went down to the stream and drank from it, until their bodies felt refreshed. After having drunk, they praised God, and then returned to their cave, after their former custom. This happened at the end of eighty-three days.
5 Then on the eighty-fourth day, they took the two figs and hung them in the cave, together with the leaves thereof, to be to them a sign and a blessing from God. And they placed them there so that if their descendants came there, they would see the wonderful things God had done for them.
6 Then Adam and Eve again stood outside the cave, and asked God to show them some food with which they could nourish their bodies.
7 Then the Word of God came and said to him, "O Adam, go down to the westward of the cave until you come to a land of dark soil, and there you shall find food."
8 And Adam obeyed the Word of God, took Eve, and went down to a land of dark soil, and found there wheat* growing in the ear and ripe, and figs to eat; and Adam rejoiced over it.
9 Then the Word of God came again to Adam, and said to him, "Take some of this wheat and make yourselves some bread with it, to nourish your body therewith." And God gave Adam’s heart wisdom, to work out the corn until it became bread.
10 Adam accomplished all that, until he grew very faint and weary. He then returned to the cave; rejoicing at what he had learned of what is done with wheat, until it is made into bread for one’s use.
· In this book, the terms ‘corn’ and ‘wheat’ are used interchangeably. The reference is possibly used to indicate a type of ancient grain resembling Egyptian Corn also known as Durra. Durra is a wheat-like cereal grain frequently cultivated in dry regions such as Egypt.
Chapter LXVII - "Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve. . . ."
1 When Adam and Eve went down to the land of black mud and came near to the wheat God had showed them and saw that it was ripe and ready for reaping, they did not have a sickle to reap it with. So they readied themselves, and began to pull up the wheat by hand, until it was all done.
2 Then they heaped it into a pile; and, faint from heat and from thirst, they went under a shady tree, where the breeze fanned them to sleep.
3 But Satan saw what Adam and Eve had done. And he called his hosts, and said to them, "Since God has shown to Adam and Eve all about this wheat, wherewith to strengthen their bodies—and, look, they have come and made a big pile of it, and faint from the toil are now asleep—come, let us set fire to this heap of corn, and burn it, and let us take that bottle of water that is by them, and empty it out, so that they may find nothing to drink, and we kill them with hunger and thirst.
4 Then, when they wake up from their sleep, and seek to return to the cave, we will come to them in the way, and will lead them astray; so that they die of hunger and thirst; when they may, perhaps, deny God, and He destroy them. So shall we be rid of them."
5 Then Satan and his hosts set the wheat on fire and burned it up.
6 But from the heat of the flame Adam and Eve awoke from their sleep, and saw the wheat burning, and the bucket of water by them, poured out.
7 Then they cried and went back to the cave.
8 But as they were going up from below the mountain where they were, Satan and his hosts met them in the form of angels, praising God.
9 Then Satan said to Adam, "O Adam, why are you so pained with hunger and thirst? It seems to me that Satan has burnt up the wheat." And Adam said to him, "Yes."
10 Again Satan said to Adam, "Come back with us; we are angels of God. God sent us to you, to show you another field of corn, better than that; and beyond it is a fountain of good water, and many trees, where you shall live near it, and work the corn field to better purpose than that which Satan has consumed."
11 Adam thought that he was true, and that they were angels who talked with him; and he went back with them.
12 Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve eight days, until they both fell down as if dead, from hunger, thirst, and faintness. Then he fled with his hosts, and left them.
Chapter LXVIII - How destruction and trouble is of Satan when he is the master. Adam and Eve establish the custom of worship.
1 Then God looked at Adam and Eve, and at what had come over them from Satan, and how he had made them perish.
2 God, therefore, sent His Word, and raised up Adam and Eve from their state of death.
3 Then, Adam, when he was raised, said, "O God, You have burnt and taken from us the corn You have given us, and You have emptied out the bucket of water. And You have sent Your angels, who have caused us to lose our way from the corn field. Will You make us perish? If this be from you, O God, then take away our souls; but punish us not."
4 Then God said to Adam, "I did not burn down the wheat, and I did not pour the water out of the bucket, and I did not send My angels to lead you astray.
5 But it is Satan, your master who did it; he to whom you have subjected yourself; my commandment being meanwhile set aside. He it is, who burnt down the corn, and poured out the water, and who has led you astray; and all the promises he has made you were just a trick, a deception, and a lie.
6 But now, O Adam, you shall acknowledge My good deeds done to you."
7 And God told His angels to take Adam and Eve, and to bear them up to the field of wheat, which they found as before, with the bucket full of water.
8 There they saw a tree, and found on it solid manna; and wondered at God’s power. And the angels commanded them to eat of the manna when they were hungry.
9 And God admonished Satan with a curse, not to come again, and destroy the field of corn.
10 Then Adam and Eve took of the corn, and made of it an offering, and took it and offered it up on the mountain, the place where they had offered up their first offering of blood.
11 And they offered this offering again on the altar they had built at first. And they stood up and prayed, and besought the Lord saying, "Thus, O God, when we were in the garden, our praises went up to you, like this offering; and our innocence went up to you like incense. But now, O God, accept this offering from us, and don’t turn us away, deprived of Your mercy."
12 Then God said to Adam and Eve, "Since you have made this offering and have offered it to Me, I shall make it My flesh, when I come down on earth to save you; and I shall cause it to be offered continually on an altar, for forgiveness and for mercy, for those who partake of it duly."
13 And God sent a bright fire over the offering of Adam and Eve, and filled it with brightness, grace, and light; and the Holy Ghost came down on that offering.
14 Then God commanded an angel to take fire tongs, like a spoon, and with it to take an offering and bring it to Adam and Eve. And the angel did so, as God had commanded him, and offered it to them.
15 And the souls of Adam and Eve were brightened, and their hearts were filled with joy and gladness and with the praises of God.
16 And God said to Adam, "This shall be to you a custom, to do so, when affliction and sorrow come over you. But your deliverance and your entrance in to the garden, shall not be until the days are fulfilled as agreed between you and Me; were it not so, I would, of My mercy and pity for you, bring you back to My garden and to My favor for the sake of the offering you have just made to My name."
17 Adam rejoiced at these words which he heard from God; and he and Eve worshipped before the altar, to which they bowed, and then went back to the Cave of Treasures.
18 And this took place at the end of the twelfth day after the eightieth day, from the time Adam and Eve came out of the garden.
19 And they stood up the whole night praying until morning; and then went out of the cave.
20 Then Adam said to Eve, with joy of heart, because of the offering they had made to God, and that had been accepted of Him, "Let us do this three times every week, on the fourth day Wednesday, on the preparation day Friday, and on the Sabbath Sunday, all the days of our life."
21 And as they agreed to these words between themselves, God was pleased with their thoughts, and with the resolution they had each taken with the other.
22 After this, came the Word of God to Adam, and said, "O Adam, you have determined beforehand the days in which sufferings shall come over Me, when I am made flesh; for they are the fourth Wednesday, and the preparation day Friday.
23 But as to the first day, I created in it all things, and I raised the heavens. And, again, through My rising again on this day, will I create joy, and raise them on high, who believe in Me; O Adam, offer this offering, all the days of your life."
24 Then God withdrew His Word from Adam.
25 But Adam continued to offer this offering thus, every week three times, until the end of seven weeks. And on the first day, which is the fiftieth, Adam made an offering as he was accustomed, and he and Eve took it and came to the altar before God, as He had taught them.
Chapter LXIX - Twelfth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve, while Adam was praying over the offering on the altar; when Satan beat him.
1 Then Satan, the hater of all good, envious of Adam and of his offering through which he found favor with God, hastened and took a sharp stone from among the sharp iron stones; appeared in the form of a man, and went and stood by Adam and Eve.
2 Adam was then offering on the altar, and had begun to pray, with his hands spread before God.
3 Then Satan hastened with the sharp iron stone he had with him, and with it pierced Adam on the right side, from which flowed blood and water, then Adam fell on the altar like a corpse. And Satan fled.
4 Then Eve came, and took Adam and placed him below the altar. And there she stayed, crying over him; while a stream of blood flowed from Adam’s side over his offering.
5 But God looked at the death of Adam. He then sent His Word, and raised him up and said to him, "Fulfil your offering, for indeed, Adam, it is worth much, and there is no shortcoming in it."
6 God said further to Adam, "Thus will it also happen to Me, on the earth, when I shall be pierced and blood and water shall flow from My side and run over My body, which is the true offering; and which shall be offered on the altar as a perfect offering."
7 Then God commanded Adam to finish his offering, and when he had ended it he worshipped before God, and praised Him for the signs He had showed him.
8 And God healed Adam in one day, which is the end of the seven weeks; and that is the fiftieth day.
9 Then Adam and Eve returned from the mountain, and went into the Cave of Treasures, as they were used to do. This completed for Adam and Eve, one hundred and forty days since their coming out of the garden.
10 Then they both stood up that night and prayed to God. And when it was morning, they went out, and went down westward of the cave, to the place where their corn was, and there rested under the shadow of a tree, as they were accustomed.
11 But when there a multitude of beasts came all around them. It was Satan’s doing, in his wickedness; in order to wage war against Adam through marriage.
Chapter LXX - Thirteenth apparition of Satan, to trick Adam into marrying Eve.
1 After this Satan, the hater of all good, took the form of an angel, and with him two others, so that they looked like the three angels who had brought to Adam gold, incense, and myrrh.
2 They passed before Adam and Eve while they were under the tree, and greeted Adam and Eve with fair words that were full of deceit.
3 But when Adam and Eve saw their pleasant expression, and heard their sweet speech, Adam rose, welcomed them, and brought them to Eve, and they remained all together; Adam’s heart the while, being glad because he thought concerning them, that they were the same angels, who had brought him gold, incense, and myrrh.
4 Because, when they came to Adam the first time, there came over him from them, peace and joy, through their bringing him good tokens; so Adam thought that they had come a second time to give him other tokens for him to rejoice therewith. For he did not know it was Satan; therefore he received them with joy and consorted with them.
5 Then Satan, the tallest of them, said, "Rejoice, O Adam, and be glad. Look, God has sent us to you to tell you something."
6 And Adam said, "What is it?" Then Satan answered, "It is a simple thing, yet it is the Word of God, will you accept it from us and do it? But if you will not accept it, we will return to God, and tell Him that you would not receive His Word."
7 And Satan said again to Adam, "Don’t be afraid and don’t tremble; don’t you know us?"
8 But Adam said, "I do not know you."
9 Then Satan said to him, "I am the angel that brought you gold, and took it to the cave; this other angel is the one that brought you incense; and that third angel, is the one who brought you myrrh when you were on top of the mountain, and who carried you to the cave.
10 But as to the other angels our fellows, who bare you to the cave, God has not sent them with us this time; for He said to us, ‘You will be enough’. "
11 So when Adam heard these words he believed them, and said to these angels, "Speak the Word of God, that I may receive it."
12 And Satan said to him, "Swear, and promise me that you will receive it."
13 Then Adam said, "I do not know how to swear and promise."
14 And Satan said to him, "Hold out your hand, and put it inside my hand."
15 Then Adam held out his hand, and put it into Satan’s hand; when Satan said to him, "Say, now—So true as God is living, rational, and speaking, who raised the stars in heaven, and established the dry ground on the waters, and has created me out of the four elements,* and out of the dust of the earth—I will not break my promise, nor renounce my word."
16 And Adam swore thus.
17 Then Satan said to him, "Look, it is now some time since you came out of the garden, and you know neither wickedness nor evil. But now God says to you, to take Eve who came out of your side, and to marry her so that she will bear you children, to comfort you, and to drive from you trouble and sorrow; now this thing is not difficult, neither is there any scandal in it to you.
· See the previous footnote in chapter XXXIV regarding the ‘four elements’.
Chapter LXXI - Adam is troubled by the thought of marrying Eve.
1 But when Adam heard these words from Satan, he sorrowed much, because of his oath and of his promise, and said, "Shall I commit adultery with my flesh and my bones, and shall I sin against myself, for God to destroy me, and to blot me out from off the face of the earth?
2 Since, when at first, I ate of the tree, He drove me out of the garden into this strange land, and deprived me of my bright nature, and brought death over me. If, then, I should do this, He will cut off my life from the earth, and He will cast me into hell, and will plague me there a long time.
3 But God never spoke the words that you have said; and you are not God’s angels, and you weren’t sent from Him. But you are devils that have come to me under the false appearance of angels. Away from me; you cursed of God!"
4 Then those devils fled from before Adam. And he and Eve got up, and returned to the Cave of Treasures, and went into it.
5 Then Adam said to Eve, "If you saw what I did, don’t tell anyone; for I sinned against God in swearing by His great name, and I have placed my hand another time into that of Satan." Eve, then, held her peace, as Adam told her.
6 Then Adam got up, and spread his hands before God, beseeching and entreating Him with tears, to forgive him what he had done. And Adam remained thus standing and praying forty days and forty nights. He neither ate nor drank until he dropped down on the ground from hunger and thirst.
7 Then God sent His Word to Adam, who raised him up from where he lay, and said to him, "O Adam, why have you sworn by My name, and why have you made agreement with Satan another time?"
8 But Adam cried, and said, "O God, forgive me, for I did this unwittingly; believing they were God’s angels."
9 And God forgave Adam, saying to him, "Beware of Satan."
10 And He withdrew His Word from Adam.
11 Then Adam’s heart was comforted; and he took Eve, and they went out of the cave, to prepare some food for their bodies.
12 But from that day Adam struggled in his mind about his marrying Eve; afraid that if he was to do it, God would be angry with him.
13 Then Adam and Eve went to the river of water, and sat on the bank, as people do when they enjoy themselves.
14 But Satan was jealous of them; and planned to destroy them.
Chapter LXXII - Adam’s heart is set on fire. Satan appears as beautiful maidens.
1 Then Satan, and ten from his hosts, transformed themselves into maidens, unlike any others in the whole world for grace.
2 They came up out of the river in presence of Adam and Eve, and they said among themselves, "Come, we will look at the faces of Adam and Eve, who are of the men on earth. How beautiful they are, and how different is their look from our own faces." Then they came to Adam and Eve, and greeted them; and stood wondering at them.
3 Adam and Eve looked at them also, and wondered at their beauty, and said, "Is there, then, under us, another world, with such beautiful creatures as these in it?"
4 And those maidens said to Adam and Eve, "Yes, indeed, we are an abundant creation."
5 Then Adam said to them, "But how do you multiply?"
6 And they answered him, "We have husbands who have married us, and we bear them children, who grow up, and who in their turn marry and are married, and also bear children; and thus we increase. And if so be, O Adam, you will not believe us, we will show you our husbands and our children."
7 Then they shouted over the river as if to call their husbands and their children, who came up from the river, men and children; and every man came to his wife, his children being with him.
8 But when Adam and Eve saw them, they stood dumb, and wondered at them.
9 Then they said to Adam and Eve, "See all our husbands and our children? You should marry Eve, as we have married our husbands, so that you will have children as we have." This was a device of Satan to deceive Adam.
10 Satan also thought within himself, "God at first commanded Adam concerning the fruit of the tree, saying to him, ‘Eat not of it; else of death you shall die.’ But Adam ate of it, and yet God did not kill him; He only decreed on him death, and plagues and trials, until the day he shall come out of his body.
11 Now, then, if I deceive him to do this thing, and to marry Eve without God’s permission, God will kill him then."
12 Therefore Satan worked this apparition before Adam and Eve; because he sought to kill him, and to make him disappear from off the face of the earth.
13 Meanwhile the fire of sin came over Adam, and he thought of committing sin. But he restrained himself, fearing that if he followed this advice of Satan, God would put him to death.
14 Then Adam and Eve got up, and prayed to God, while Satan and his hosts went down into the river, in presence of Adam and Eve; to let them see that they were going back to their own world.
15 Then Adam and Eve went back to the Cave of Treasures, as they usually did; about evening time.
16 And they both got up and prayed to God that night. Adam remained standing in prayer, yet not knowing how to pray, by reason of the thoughts in his heart regarding his marrying Eve; and he continued so until morning.
17 And when light came up, Adam said to Eve, "Get up, let us go below the mountain, where they brought us gold, and let us ask the Lord concerning this matter."
18 Then Eve said, "What is that matter, O Adam?"
19 And he answered her, "That I may request the Lord to inform me about marrying you; for I will not do it without His permission or else He will make us perish, you and me. For those devils have set my heart on fire, with thoughts of what they showed us, in their sinful apparitions.
20 Then Eve said to Adam, "Why need we go below the mountain? Let us rather stand up and pray in our cave to God, to let us know whether this counsel is good or not."
21 Then Adam rose up in prayer and said, "O God, you know that we transgressed against you, and from the moment we transgressed, we were stripped of our bright nature; and our body became brutish, requiring food and drink; and with animal desires.
22 Command us, O God, not to give way to them without Your permission, for fear that You will turn us into nothing. Because if you do not give us permission, we shall be overpowered, and follow that advice of Satan; and You will again make us perish.
23 If not, then take our souls from us; let us be rid of this animal lust. And if You give us no order respecting this thing, then sever Eve from me, and me from her; and place us each far away from the other.
24 Then again, O God, if You separate us from each other, the devils will deceive us with their apparitions that resemble us, and destroy our hearts, and defile our thoughts towards each other. Yet if it is not each of us towards the other, it will, at all events, be through their appearance when the devils come to us in our likeness." Here Adam ended his prayer.
Chapter LXXIII - The marriage of Adam and Eve.
1 Then God considered the words of Adam that they were true, and that he could long await His order, respecting the counsel of Satan.
2 And God approved Adam in what he had thought concerning this, and in the prayer he had offered in His presence; and the Word of God came to Adam and said to him, "O Adam, if only you had had this caution at first, before you came out of the garden into this land!"
3 After that, God sent His angel who had brought gold, and the angel who had brought incense, and the angel who had brought myrrh to Adam, that they should inform him respecting his marriage to Eve.
4 Then those angels said to Adam, "Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and promise to marry her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a present; and be you, you and she, one flesh."
5 Adam obeyed the angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve’s bosom in her garment; and promised to marry her with his hand.
6 Then the angels commanded Adam and Eve to get up and pray forty days and forty nights; when that was done, then Adam was to have sexual intercourse with his wife; for then this would be an act pure and undefiled; so that he would have children who would multiply, and replenish the face of the earth.
7 Then both Adam and Eve received the words of the angels; and the angels departed from them.
8 Then Adam and Eve began to fast and pray, until the end of the forty days; and then they had sexual intercourse, as the angels had told them. And from the time Adam left the garden until he wedded Eve, were two hundred and twenty-three days, that is seven months and thirteen days.
9 Thus was Satan’s war with Adam defeated.
Chapter LXXIV - The birth of Cain and Luluwa. Why they received those names.
1 And they lived on the earth working in order to keep their bodies in good health; and they continued so until the nine months of Eve’s pregnancy were over, and the time drew near when she must give birth.
2 Then she said to Adam, "The signs placed in this cave since we left the garden indicate that this is a pure place and we will be praying in it again some time. It is not appropriate then, that I should give birth in it. Let us instead go to the sheltering rock cave that was formed by the command of God when Satan threw a big rock down on us in an attempt to kill us with it.
3 Adam then took Eve to that cave. When the time came for her to give birth, she strained a lot. Adam felt sorry, and he was very worried about her because she was close to death and the words of God to her were being fulfilled: "In suffering shall you bear a child, and in sorrow shall you bring forth a child."
4 But when Adam saw the distress in which Eve was, he got up and prayed to God, and said, "O Lord, look at me with the eye of Your mercy, and bring her out of her distress."
5 And God looked at His maid-servant Eve, and delivered her, and she gave birth to her first-born son, and with him a daughter.
6 The Adam rejoiced at Eve’s deliverance, and also over the children she had borne him. And Adam ministered to Eve in the cave, until the end of eight days; when they named the son Cain, and the daughter Luluwa.
7 The meaning of Cain is "hater," because he hated his sister in their mother’s womb; before they came out of it. Therefore Adam named him Cain.
8 But Luluwa means "beautiful," because she was more beautiful than her mother.
9 Then Adam and Eve waited until Cain and his sister were forty days old, when Adam said to Eve, "We will make an offering and offer it up in behalf of the children."
10 And Eve said, "We will make one offering for the first-born son and then later we shall make one for the daughter."
Chapter LXXV - The family revisits the Cave of Treasures. Birth of Abel and Aklia.
1 Then Adam prepared an offering, and he and Eve offered it up for their children, and brought it to the altar they had built at first.
2 And Adam offered up the offering, and asked God to accept his offering.
3 Then God accepted Adam’s offering, and sent a light from heaven that shown on the offering. Adam and his son drew near to the offering, but Eve and the daughter did not approach it.
4 Adam and his son were joyful as they came down from on the altar. Adam and Eve waited until the daughter was eighty days old, then Adam prepared an offering and took it to Eve and to the children. They went to the altar, where Adam offered it up, as he was accustomed, asking the Lord to accept his offering.
5 And the Lord accepted the offering of Adam and Eve. Then Adam, Eve, and the children, drew near together, and came down from the mountain, rejoicing.
6 But they returned not to the cave in which they were born; but came to the Cave of Treasures, in order that the children should go around in it, and be blessed with the tokens brought from the garden.
7 But after they had been blessed with these tokens, they went back to the cave in which they were born.
8 However, before Eve had offered up the offering, Adam had taken her, and had gone with her to the river of water, in which they threw themselves at first; and there they washed themselves. Adam washed his body and Eve hers also clean, after the suffering and distress that had come over them.
9 But Adam and Eve, after washing themselves in the river of water, returned every night to the Cave of Treasures, where they prayed and were blessed; and then went back to their cave, where their children were born.
10 Adam and Eve did this until the children had been weaned. After they were weaned, Adam made an offering for the souls of his children in addition to the three times every week he made an offering for them.
11 When the children were weaned, Eve again conceived, and when her pregnancy came to term, she gave birth to another son and daughter. They named the son Abel and the daughter Aklia.
12 Then at the end of forty days, Adam made an offering for the son, and at the end of eighty days he made another offering for the daughter, and treated them, as he had previously treated Cain and his sister Luluwa.
13 He brought them to the Cave of Treasures, where they received a blessing, and then returned to the cave where they were born. After these children were born, Eve stopped having children.
Chapter LXXVI - Cain becomes jealous of Abel because of his sisters.
1 And the children began to grow stronger and taller; but Cain was hard-hearted, and ruled over his younger brother.
2 Often when his father made an offering, Cain would remain behind and not go with them, to offer up.
3 But, as to Abel, he had a meek heart, and was obedient to his father and mother. He frequently moved them to make an offering, because he loved it. He prayed and fasted a lot.
4 Then came this sign to Abel. As he was coming into the Cave of Treasures, and saw the golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he asked his parents, Adam and Eve, to tell him about them and asked, "Where did you get these from?"
5 Then Adam told him all that had befallen them. And Abel felt deeply about what his father told him.
6 Furthermore his father, Adam, told him of the works of God, and of the garden. After hearing that, Abel remained behind after his father left and stayed the whole of that night in the Cave of Treasures.
7 And that night, while he was praying, Satan appeared to him under the figure of a man, who said to him, "You have frequently moved your father into making offerings, fasting and praying, therefore I will kill you, and make you perish from this world."
8 But as for Abel, he prayed to God, and drove away Satan from him; and did not believe the words of the devil. Then when it was day, an angel of God appeared to him, who said to him, "Do not cut short either fasting, prayer, or offering up an offering to your God. For, look, the Lord had accepted your prayer. Be not afraid of the figure which appeared to you in the night, and who cursed you to death." And the angel departed from him.
9 Then when it was day, Abel came to Adam and Eve, and told them of the vision he had seen. When they heard it, they grieved much over it, but said nothing to him about it; they only comforted him.
10 But as to the hard-hearted Cain, Satan came to him by night, showed himself and said to him, "Since Adam and Eve love your brother Abel so much more than they love you, they wish to join him in marriage to your beautiful sister because they love him. However, they wish to join you in marriage to his ugly sister, because they hate you.
11 Now before they do that, I am telling you that you should kill your brother. That way your sister will be left for you, and his sister will be cast away."
12 And Satan departed from him. But the devil remained behind in Cain’s heart, and frequently aspired to kill his brother.
Chapter LXXVII - Cain, 15 years old, and Abel 12 years old, grow apart.
1 But when Adam saw that the older brother hated the younger, he endeavored to soften their hearts, and said to Cain, "O my son, take of the fruits of your sowing and make an offering to God, so that He might forgive you for your wickedness and sin."
2 He said also to Abel, "Take some of your sowing and make an offering and bring it to God, so that He might forgive you for your wickedness and sin."
3 Then Abel obeyed his father’s voice, took some of his sowing, and made a good offering, and said to his father, Adam, "Come with me and show me how to offer it up."
4 And they went, Adam and Eve with him, and they showed him how to offer up his gift on the altar. Then after that, they stood up and prayed that God would accept Abel’s offering.
5 Then God looked at Abel and accepted his offering. And God was more pleased with Abel than with his offering, because of his good heart and pure body. There was no trace of guile in him.
6 Then they came down from the altar, and went to the cave in which they lived. But Abel, by reason of his joy at having made his offering, repeated it three times a week, after the example of his father Adam.
7 But as to Cain, he did not want to make an offering, but after his father became very angry, he offered up a gift once. He took the smallest of his sheep for an offering and when he offered it up, his eyes were on the lamb.
8 Therefore God did not accept his offering, because his heart was full of murderous thoughts.
9 And they all thus lived together in the cave in which Eve had brought forth, until Cain was fifteen years old, and Abel twelve years old.
Chapter LXXVIII - Jealousy overcomes Cain. He makes trouble in the family. How the first murder was planned.
1 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold the children are grown up; we must think of finding wives for them."
2 Then Eve answered, "How can we do it?"
3 Then Adam said to her, "We will join Abel’s sister in marriage to Cain, and Cain’s sister to Abel.
4 The said Eve to Adam, "I do not like Cain because he is hard-hearted; but let them stay with us until we offer up to the Lord in their behalf."
5 And Adam said no more.
6 Meanwhile Satan came to Cain in the figure of a man of the field, and said to him, "Behold Adam and Eve have taken counsel together about the marriage of you two; and they have agreed to marry Abel’s sister to you, and your sister to him.
7 But if it was not that I love you, I would not have told you this thing. Yet if you will take my advice, and obey me, I will bring to you on your wedding day beautiful robes, gold and silver in plenty, and my relations will attend you."
8 Then Cain said with joy, "Where are your relations?"
9 And Satan answered, "My relations are in a garden in the north, where I once meant to bring your father Adam; but he would not accept my offer.
10 But you, if you will receive my words and if you will come to me after your wedding, you shall rest from the misery in which you are; and you shall rest and be better off than your father Adam."
11 At these words of Satan Cain opened his ears, and leaned towards his speech.
12 And he did not remain in the field, but he went to Eve, his mother, and beat her, and cursed her, and said to her, "Why are you planning to take my sister to wed her to my brother? Am I dead?"
13 His mother, however, quieted him, and sent him to the field where he had been.
14 Then when Adam came, she told him of what Cain had done.
15 But Adam grieved and held his peace, and said not a word.
16 Then on the next morning Adam said to Cain his son, "Take of your sheep, young and good, and offer them up to your God; and I will speak to your brother, to make to his God an offering of corn."
17 They both obeyed their father Adam, and they took their offerings, and offered them up on the mountain by the altar.
18 But Cain behaved haughtily towards his brother, and shoved him from the altar, and would not let him offer up his gift on the altar; but he offered his own on it, with a proud heart, full of guile, and fraud.
19 But as for Abel, he set up stones that were near at hand, and on that, he offered up his gift with a heart humble and free from guile.
20 Cain was then standing by the altar on which he had offered up his gift; and he cried to God to accept his offering; but God did not accept it from him; neither did a divine fire come down to consume his offering.
21 But he remained standing over against the altar, out of humor and meanness, looking towards his brother Abel, to see if God would accept his offering or not.
22 And Abel prayed to God to accept his offering. Then a divine fire came down and consumed his offering. And God smelled the sweet savor of his offering; because Abel loved Him and rejoice in Him.
23 And because God was well pleased with him, He sent him an angel of light in the figure of a man who had partaken of his offering, because He had smelled the sweet savor of his offering, and they comforted Abel and strengthened his heart.
24 But Cain was looking on all that took place at his brother’s offering, and was angry because of it.
25 Then he opened his mouth and blasphemed God, because He had not accepted his offering.
26 But God said to Cain, "Why do you look sad? Be righteous, that I may accept your offering. Not against Me have you murmured, but against yourself.
27 And God said this to Cain in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.
28 And Cain came down from the altar, his color changed and with a sad face, and came to his father and mother and told them all that had befallen him. And Adam grieved much because God had not accepted Cain’s offering.
29 But Abel came down rejoicing, and with a glad heart, and told his father and mother how God had accepted his offering. And they rejoiced at it and kissed his face.
30 And Abel said to his father, "Because Cain shoved me from the altar, and would not allow me to offer my gift on it, I made an altar for myself and offered my gift on it."
31 But when Adam heard this he was very sorry, because it was the altar he had built at first, and on which he had offered his own gifts.
32 As to Cain, he was so resentful and so angry that he went into the field, where Satan came to him and said to him, "Since your brother Abel has taken refuge with your father Adam, because you shoved him from the altar, they have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him, far more than over you."
33 When Cain heard these words of Satan, he was filled with rage; and he let no one know. But he was laying wait to kill his brother, until he brought him into the cave, and then said to him:
34 "O brother, the country is so beautiful, and there are such beautiful and pleasurable trees in it, and charming to look at! But brother, you have never been one day in the field to take your pleasure in that place.
35 Today, O, my brother, I very much wish you would come with me into the field, to enjoy yourself and to bless our fields and our flocks, for you are righteous, and I love you much, O my brother! But you have alienated yourself from me."
36 Then Abel consented to go with his brother Cain into the field.
37 But before going out, Cain said to Abel, "Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of wild beasts."
38 Then Abel stood waiting in his innocence. But Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and went out.
39 And they began, Cain and his brother Abel, to walk in the way; Cain talking to him, and comforting him, to make him forget everything.
Chapter LXXIX - A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion. Cain is frightened. "Am I my brother’s keeper?" The seven punishments. Peace is shattered.
1 And so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where there were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain, "Behold, my brother, we are tired from walking; for we see none of the trees, nor of the fruits, nor of the flourishing green plants, nor of the sheep, nor any one of the things of which you told me. Where are those sheep of your you told me to bless?"
2 Then Cain said to him, "Come on, and you shall see many beautiful things very soon, but go before me, until I catch up to you."
3 Then went Abel forward, but Cain remained behind him.
4 And Abel was walking in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would kill him.
5 Then Cain, when he came up to him, comforted him with his talk, walking a little behind him; then he ran up to him and beat him with the staff, blow after blow, until he was stunned.
6 But when Abel fell down on the ground, seeing that his brother meant to kill him, he said to Cain, "O, my brother, have pity on me. By the breasts we have sucked, don’t hit me! By the womb that bore us and that brought us into the world, don’t beat me to death with that staff! If you will kill me, take one of these large stones and kill me outright."
7 Then Cain, the hard-hearted, and cruel murderer, took a large stone, and beat his brother’s head with it, until his brains oozed out, and he wallowed in his blood, before him.
8 And Cain repented not of what he had done.
9 But the earth, when the blood of righteous Abel fell on it, trembled, as it drank his blood, and would have destroyed Cain because of it.
10 And the blood of Abel cried mysteriously to God, to avenge him of his murderer.
11 Then Cain began at once to dig the ground wherein to lay his brother; for he was trembling from the fear that came over him, when he saw the earth tremble on his account.
12 He then cast his brother into the pit he made, and covered him with dust. But the ground would not receive him; but it threw him up at once.
13 Again Cain dug the ground and hid his brother in it; but again the ground threw him up on itself; until three times the ground thus threw up on itself the body of Abel.
14 The muddy ground threw him up the first time, because he was not the first creation; and it threw him up the second time and would not receive him, because he was righteous and good, and was killed without a cause; and the ground threw him up the third time and would not receive him, that there might remain before his brother a witness against him.
15 And so the earth mocked Cain, until the Word of God, came to him concerning his brother.
16 Then was God angry, and much displeased at Abel’s death; and He thundered from heaven, and lightning's went before Him, and the Word of the Lord God came from heaven to Cain, and said to him, "Where is Abel your brother?"
17 Then Cain answered with a proud heart and a gruff voice, "How, O God? Am I my brother’s keeper?"
18 Then God said to Cain, "Cursed be the earth that has drunk the blood of Abel your brother; and as for you, you will always be trembling and shaking; and this will be a mark on you so that whoever finds you, will kill you."
19 But Cain cried because God had said those words to him; and Cain said to Him, "O God, whosoever finds me shall kill me, and I shall be blotted out from the face of the earth."
20 Then God said to Cain, "Whoever finds you will not kill you;" because before this, God had been saying to Cain, "I shall put seven punishments on anyone that kills Cain." For as to the word of God to Cain, "Where is your brother?" God said it in mercy for him, to try and make him repent.
21 For if Cain had repented at that time, and had said, "O God, forgive me my sin, and the murder of my brother," God would then have forgiven him his sin.
22 And as to God saying to Cain, "Cursed be the ground that has drunk the blood of your brother" That also, was God’s mercy on Cain. For God did not curse him, but He cursed the ground; although it was not the ground that had killed Abel, and committed a wicked sin.
23 For it was fitting that the curse should fall on the murderer; yet in mercy did God so manage His thoughts as that no one should know it, and turn away from Cain.
24 And He said to him, "Where is your brother?" To which he answered and said, "I know not." Then the Creator said to him, "Be trembling and quaking."
25 Then Cain trembled and became terrified; and through this sign did God make him an example before all the creation, as the murderer of his brother. Also did God bring trembling and terror over him, that he might see the peace in which he was at first, and see also the trembling and terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble himself before God, and repent of his sin, and seek the peace that he enjoyed at first.
26 And in the word of God that said, "I will put seven punishments on anyone who kills Cain," God was not seeking to kill Cain with the sword, but He sought to make him die of fasting, and praying and crying by hard rule, until the time that he was delivered from his sin.
27 And the seven punishments are the seven generations during which God awaited Cain for the murder of his brother.
28 But as to Cain, ever since he had killed his brother, he could find no rest in any place; but went back to Adam and Eve, trembling, terrified, and defiled with blood. . . .
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