CHAP. XI.

A recollection of the glorious days in the
Garden .


THEN Adam and Eve felt themselves
burning with thirst, and heat, and sorrow.
2 And Adam said to Eve, "We shall not
drink of this water, even if we were to die.
O Eve, when this water comes into our
inner parts, it will increase our
punishments and that of our children, that
shall come after us."
3 Both Adam and Eve then withdrew from
the water, and drank none of it at all; but
came and entered the Cave of Treasures.
4 But when in it Adam could not see Eve;
he only heard the noise she made. Neither
could she see Adam, but heard the noise
he made.
5 Then Adam wept, in deep affliction, and
smote upon his breast; and he arose and
said to Eve, "Where art thou?"
6 And she said unto him, "Lo, I am
standing in this darkness."
7 He then said to her, "Remember the
bright nature in which we lived, while we
abode in the garden!
8 "O Eve! remember the glory that rested
on us in the garden. O Eve! remember the
trees that overshadowed us in the garden
while we moved among them.
9 "O Eve! remember that while we were in
the garden, we knew neither night nor day.
p. 11
Think of the Tree of Life, from below which
flowed the water, and that shed lustre over
us! Remember, O Eve, the garden-land,
and the brightness thereof!
10 "Think, oh think of that garden in which
was no darkness, while we dwelt therein.
11 "Whereas no sooner did we come into
this Cave of Treasures than darkness
compassed us round about; until we can
no longer see each other; and all the
pleasure of this life has come to an end."


Next: Chapter XII

Chapter XII

How darkness came between Adam and
Eve .


THEN Adam smote upon his breast, he and
Eve, and they mourned the whole night
until dawn drew near, and they sighed over
the length of the night in Miyazia.
2 And Adam beat himself, and threw
himself on the ground in the cave, from
bitter grief, and because of the darkness,
and lay there as dead.
3 But Eve heard the noise he made in
falling upon the earth. And she felt about
for him with her hands, and found him like
a corpse.
4 Then she was afraid, speechless, and
remained by him.
5 But the merciful Lord looked on the
death of Adam, and on Eve's silence from
fear of the darkness.
6 And the Word of God came unto Adam
and raised him from his death, and opened
Eve's mouth that she might speak.
7 Then Adam arose in the cave and said,
"O God, wherefore has light departed from
us, and darkness come over us? Wherefore
dost Thou leave us in this long darkness?
Why wilt Thou plague us thus?
8 "And this darkness, O Lord, where was it
ere it came upon us? It is such, that we
cannot see each other.
9 "For, so long as we were in the garden,
we neither saw nor even knew what
darkness is. I was not hidden from Eve,
neither was she hidden from me, until now
that she cannot see me; and no darkness
came upon us, to separate us from each
other.
10 "But she and I were both in one bright
light. I saw her and she saw me. Yet now
since we came into this cave, darkness
has come upon us, and parted us asunder,
so that I do not see her, and she does not
see me.
11 "O Lord, wilt Thou then plague us with
this darkness?"

Next: Chapter XIII

CHAP. XIII.

The fall of Adam. Why night and day were
created.


THEN when God, who is merciful and full of
pity, heard Adam's voice, He said unto
him:--
2 "O Adam, so long as the good angel was
obedient to Me, a bright light rested on
him and on his hosts.
3 "But when he transgressed My
commandment, I deprived him of that
bright nature, and he became dark.
4 "And when he was in the heavens, in the
realms of light, he knew naught of
darkness.
5 "But he transgressed, and I made him
fall from heaven upon the earth; and it was
this darkness that came upon him.
6 "And on thee, O Adam, while in My
garden and obedient to Me, did that bright
light rest also.
7 "But when I heard of thy transgression, I
deprived thee of that bright light. Yet, of
My mercy, I did not turn thee into
darkness, but I made thee thy body of
flesh, over which I spread this skin, in
order that it may bear cold and heat.
8 "If I had let My wrath fall
p. 12
heavily upon thee, I should have destroyed
thee; and had I turned thee into darkness,
it would have been as if I killed thee.
9 "But in My mercy, I have made thee as
thou art; when thou didst transgress My
commandment, O Adam, I drove thee from
the garden, and made thee come forth into
this land; and commanded thee to dwell in
this cave; and darkness came upon thee,
as it did upon him who transgressed My
commandment.
10 "Thus, O Adam, has this night deceived
thee. It is not to last for ever; but is only
of twelve hours; when it is over, daylight
will return.
11 "Sigh not, therefore, neither be moved;
and say not in thy heart that this darkness
is long and drags on wearily; and say not
in thy heart that I plague thee with it.
12 "Strengthen thy heart, and be not
afraid. This darkness is not a punishment.
But, O Adam, I have made the day, and
have placed the sun in it to give light; in
order that thou and thy children should do
your work.
13 "For I knew thou shouldest sin and
transgress, and come out into this land.
Yet would I not force thee, nor be heard
upon thee, nor shut up; nor doom thee
through thy fall; nor through thy coming
out from light into darkness; nor yet
through thy coining from the garden into
this land.
14 "For I made thee of the light; and I
willed to bring out children of light from
thee and like unto thee.
15 "But thou didst not keep one day My
commandment; until I had finished the
creation and blessed everything in it.
16 "Then I commanded thee concerning
the tree, that thou eat not thereof. Yet I
knew that Satan, who deceived himself,
would also deceive thee.
17 "So I made known to thee by means of
the tree, not to come near him. And I told
thee not to eat of the fruit thereof, nor to
taste of it, nor yet to sit under it, nor to
yield to it.
18 "Had I not been and spoken to thee, O
Adam, concerning the tree, and had I left
thee without a commandment, and thou
hadst sinned--it would have been an
offence on My part, for not having given
thee any order; thou wouldst turn round
and blame Me for it.
19 "But I commanded thee, and warned
thee, and thou didst fall. So that My
creatures cannot blame me; but the blame
rests on them alone.
20 "And, O Adam, I have made the day for
thee and for thy children after thee, for
them to work, and toil therein. And I have
made the night for them to rest in it from
their work; and for the beasts of the field
to go forth by night and seek their food.
21 "But little of darkness now remains, O
Adam; and daylight will soon appear."


Next: Chapter XIV

CHAP. XIV.

The earliest prophecy of the coming of
Christ.


THEN Adam said unto God: "O Lord, take
Thou my soul, and let me not see this
gloom any more; or remove me to some
place where there is no darkness."
2 But God the Lord said to Adam, "Verily I
say unto thee, this darkness will pass from
thee, every day I have determined for thee,
until the fulfilment of My covenant; when I
will save thee and bring thee back again
into the garden, into the abode of light
thou longest for, wherein is no darkness. I
will bring thee, to it--in the kingdom of
heaven."
p. 13
3 Again said God unto Adam, "All this
misery that thou hast been made to take
upon thee because of thy transgression,
will not free thee from the hand of Satan,
and will not save thee.
4 "But I will. When I shall come down from
heaven, and shall become flesh of thy
seed, and take upon Me the infirmity from
which thou sufferest, then the darkness
that came upon thee in this cave shall
come upon Me in the grave, when I am in
the flesh of thy seed.
5 "And I, who am without years, shall be
subject to the reckoning of years, of times,
of months, and of days, and I shall be
reckoned as one of the sons of men, in
order to save thee."
6 And God ceased to commune with
Adam.


Next: Chapter XV

CHAP. XV.

THEN Adam and Eve wept and sorrowed by reason of God's word to them, that they should not return to the garden until the fulfilment of the days decreed upon them; but mostly because God had told them that He should suffer for their salvation