First Book of Adam and Eve.
by Rutherford Platt.
Prologue
The First Book of Adam and Eve details the life and times of Adam and Eve after they were expelled from the garden to the time that Cain kills his brother Abel. It tells of Adam and Eve"s first dwelling--the Cave of Treasures; their trials and temptations; Satan"s many apparitions to them; the birth of Cain, Abel, and their twin sisters; and Cain"s love for his beautiful twin sister, Luluwa, whom Adam and Eve wished to join to Abel.
This book is considered by many scholars to be part of the "Pseudepigrapha" (soo-duh-pig-ruh-fuh). The "Pseudepigrapha" is a collection of historical biblical works that are considered to be fiction. Because of that stigma, this book was not included in the compilation of the Holy Bible. This book is a written history of what happened in the days of Adam and Eve after they were cast out of the garden. Although considered to be pseudepigraphic by some, it carries significant meaning and insight into events of that time. It is doubtful that these writings could have survived all the many centuries if there were no substance to them.
This book is simply a version of an account handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular version is the work of unknown Egyptians. The lack of historical allusion makes it difficult to precisely date the writing, however, using other pseudepigraphical works as a reference, it was probably written a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. Parts of this version are found in the Jewish Talmud, and the Islamic Koran, showing what a vital role it played in the original literature of human wisdom. The Egyptian author wrote in Arabic, but later translations were found written in Ethiopic.
The present English translation was translated in the late 1800"s by Dr. S. C. Malan and Dr. E. Trumpp. They translated into King James English from both the Arabic version and the Ethiopic version which was then published in The Forgotten Books of Eden in 1927 by The World Publishing Company. In 1995, the text was extracted from a copy of The Forgotten Books of Eden and converted to electronic form by Dennis Hawkins. It was then translated into more modern English by simply exchanging "Thou" s for "You"s, "Art"s for "Are"s, and so forth. The text was then carefully re-read to ensure its integrity.
Chapter I - The crystal sea, G.o.d commands Adam, expelled from Eden, to live in the Cave of Treasures.
1 On the third day, G.o.d planted the garden in the east of the earth, on the border of the world eastward, beyond which, towards the sun-rising, one finds nothing but water, that encompa.s.ses the whole world, and reaches to the borders of heaven.
2 And to the north of the garden there is a sea of water, clear and pure to the taste, unlike anything else; so that, through the clearness thereof, one may look into the depths of the earth.
3 And when a man washes himself in it, he becomes clean of the cleanness thereof, and white of its whiteness--even if he were dark.
4 And G.o.d created that sea of his own good pleasure, for He knew what would come of the man He would make; so that after he had left the garden, on account of his transgression, men should be born in the earth. Among them are righteous ones who will die, whose souls G.o.d would raise at the last day; when all of them will return to their flesh, bathe in the water of that sea, and repent of their sins.
5 But when G.o.d made Adam go out of the garden, He did not place him on the border of it northward. This was so that he and Eve would not be able to go near to the sea of water where they could wash themselves in it, be cleansed from their sins, erase the transgression they had committed, and be no longer reminded of it in the thought of their punishment.
6 As to the southern side of the garden, G.o.d did not want Adam to live there either; because, when the wind blew from the north, it would bring him, on that southern side, the delicious smell of the trees of the garden.
7 Wherefore G.o.d did not put Adam there. This was so that he would not be able to smell the sweet smell of those trees, forget his transgression, and find consolation for what he had done by taking delight in the smell of the trees and yet not be cleansed from his transgression.
8 Again, also, because G.o.d is merciful and of great pity, and governs all things in a way that He alone knows--He made our father Adam live in the western border of the garden, because on that side the earth is very broad.
9 And G.o.d commanded him to live there in a cave in a rock--the Cave of Treasures below the garden.
Chapter II - Adam and Eve faint when they leave the Garden. G.o.d sends His Word to encourage them.
1 But when our father Adam, and Eve, went out of the garden, they walked the ground on their feet, not knowing they were walking.
2 And when they came to the opening of the gate of the garden, and saw the broad earth spread before them, covered with stones large and small, and with sand, they feared and trembled, and fell on their faces, from the fear that came over them; and they were as dead.
3 Because--whereas until this time they had been in the garden land, beautifully planted with all manner of trees--they now saw themselves, in a strange land, which they knew not, and had never seen.
4 And because, when they were in the garden they were filled with the grace of a bright nature, and they had not hearts turned toward earthly things.
5 Therefore G.o.d had pity on them; and when He saw them fallen before the gate of the garden, He sent His Word to our father, Adam and Eve, and raised them from their fallen state.
Chapter III - Concerning the promise of the great five and a half days.
1 G.o.d said to Adam, "I have ordained on this earth days and years, and you and your descendants shall live and walk in them, until the days and years are fulfilled; when I shall send the Word that created you, and against which you have transgressed, the Word that made you come out of the garden, and that raised you when you were fallen.
2 Yes, the Word that will again save you when the five and a half days are fulfilled."
3 But when Adam heard these words from G.o.d, and of the great five and a half days, he did not understand the meaning of them.
4 For Adam was thinking there would be only five and a half days for him until the end of the world.
5 And Adam cried, and prayed to G.o.d to explain it to him.
6 Then G.o.d in his mercy for Adam who was made after His own image and likeness, explained to him, that these were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then come and save him and his descendants.
7 But before that, G.o.d had made this covenant with our father, Adam, in the same terms, before he came out of the garden, when he was by the tree where Eve took of the fruit and gave it to him to eat.
8 Because, when our father Adam came out of the garden, he pa.s.sed by that tree, and saw how G.o.d had changed the appearance of it into another form, and how it shriveled.
9 And as Adam went to it he feared, trembled and fell down; but G.o.d in His mercy lifted him up, and then made this covenant with him.
10 And again, when Adam was by the gate of the garden, and saw the cherub with a sword of flashing fire in his hand, and the cherub grew angry and frowned at him, both Adam and Eve became afraid of him, and thought he meant to put them to death. So they fell on their faces, trembled with fear.
11 But he had pity on them, and showed them mercy; and turning from them went up to heaven, and prayed to the Lord, and said;--
12 "Lord, You sent me to watch at the gate of the garden, with a sword of fire.
13 But when Your servants, Adam and Eve, saw me, they fell on their faces, and were as dead. O my Lord, what shall we do to Your servants?"
14 Then G.o.d had pity on them, and showed them mercy, and sent His Angel to keep the garden.
15 And the Word of the Lord came to Adam and Eve, and raised them up.
16 And the Lord said to Adam, "I told you that at the end of the five and a half days, I will send my Word and save you.
17 Strengthen your heart, therefore, and stay in the Cave of Treasures, of which I have before spoken to you."
18 And when Adam heard this Word from G.o.d, he was comforted with that which G.o.d had told him. For He had told him how He would save him.
Chapter IV - Adam mourns over the changed conditions. Adam and Eve enter the Cave of Treasures.
1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the garden, their first home.