And Jehovah created a vineyard upon the high lands, from whose mountains
flowed away four rivers. Being parted in four ways from the vineyard.
The first and second are those which encompass the land of Havilah and
Ethiopia, and flow into the Caspian Sea. The third and fourth are the
Euphrates and Hiddekel which flow into the Persian gulf. And in the
sixth day Jehovah said let us make man in our own image after our
likeness in our similitude. And he formed the body of man out of the
clay of the earth, with his hands and with his spirit he made him after
his own form and likeness. Then he called one of the rebellious souls
which had been cast out of Heaven and he cast the soul into the body
which he had made, and the body arose up with the vigor of life, and
became an active soul before Jehovah, its creator. And he called his
name Adam, because he had made him out of the red clay of the heights,
and man was red after the appearance of Jehovah. And Jehovah caused all
of the beasts to pass before Adam. And Adam gave names to them after
their kinds. And he called the beast which had hands and feet and stood
upright as himself, Serpent. And Jehovah placed Adam in the vineyard to
live, and gave to him the serpent to be his servant, in the garden of
rest which he so named Eden. And Jehovah returned about and refrained
from his work on the seventh day, and sanctified it as a day of rest.
And Adam dwelt alone in Eden. And he was lonesome. But after a time
Jehovah returned with his hosts, and he said it is not good for Adam to
dwell thus alone. I will now make for man his mother. And she shall be
wiser and mightier than he in wisdom, and shall be his counselor, and a
light to rule over him that his days be many in the earth.
And Jehovah caused a sleep to come over Adam, and he took out one of his
ribs with the flesh of the bone, and closed up the flesh of Adam. And
out of it he made the body of a child,--leaving Adam twelve ribs on one
side and eleven on the other side. But the ribs of the child were even
twelve on both sides. And Jehovah placed within her a soul and gave her
to Adam, and he knew that she had been made of his flesh, and he called
her Woman. And also shall her name be Eve, because she is the beginning
of the mothers of man.
And there was a tree which Jehovah had planted in the garden of Eden. As
if a hundred feet to the first limb, and the leaves of the tree hung to
the ground--touching the ground on all sides, "Broad and strong like
rubber, yet with velvet softness. Beneath this tree was the home of Adam
and Eve." Beneath the downy fragrant leaves they were shielded from all
heat and cold. And the eagles and the fowl of the air run into the
branches of the tree in time of storm. Here in this sublimeness Eve grew
up with Adam, and the Serpent was their servant.
The Trees of the vineyard brought forth every thing which was good for
food. There were trees which bare fruits large and shining as gold,
fruits of all manner colors as a field of stars in glory. A river run
through the Garden. Crystal waters rifting over fields of beautiful
stones. The bedellium and onyx stones and much gold abounding in and
about the waters. And on one side of the river stood a tree which bare
fruit twelve times in the year, whose substance would cause one to live
forever. It was the tree of life. None that eat of its fruit should
ever die. From month to month and from year to year it had power to
renew life perpetually. And on the other side of the river stood a tree
which had power to make one wise. It was a tree of knowledge, one whose
fruit would intoxicate and revitalize,--speeding up the action of life,
causing one to think rapidly, and to see with a clearer vision. Setting
the vitalities in a key where they must wear out, bringing forth the
order of death. This tree was called the tree of Knowledge of Good and
Evil, because its power was the division between man and sin. He could
eat of the tree of life and realize the power and nature of life in all
its glory. But he could not realize the nature and effect of death and
sorrow until he should eat of the fruit of the tree of death, and become
intoxicated with the mania of its devastating forces. And for this cause
Jehovah commanded Adam that he should not eat of the fruit of the tree
of death or come near it.
But the command was not given to Eve, for she was but a child--left in
Adam's keeping. And they dwelt in glory in their home beneath the wings
of the tree in the vineyard. And they were naked 'But knew it not.'
Satan was upon earth, and envied them in their salvation, but he could
not come near the vineyard, neither could he tempt them to sin. For they
were redeemed, and Satan could not break the decree. But when Eve was
grown the servant walked to and fro beyond the templed paradise, and sat
with Satan by a pool. And Satan taught the servant how that it could
become free from its masters. Then she hastened back and came again into
the vineyard. And Eve stood by the tree of death admiring its beauty.
And the servant came and said to her, "has Jehovah said that you shall
not eat of every tree in this garden?" And Eve said, "we may eat of the
fruit of every tree but this tree, which stands in the midst of the
garden we shall not eat of it, neither shall we touch it lest we die."
And the servant said, "you shall not surely die,--For the Creator he
knows that in the day you eat of the fruit of this tree your eyes shall
be open and you shall become wise like before the fall--as gods knowing
the effect of good and evil."
And when she saw that the tree was good for food and excellent in
beauty, she commanded the servant and she brought to her the fruit and
she ate of it. Then she was enlightened and was as another woman. Then
she with her own hands brought of the fruit to Adam, and when he saw its
power upon her he also ate of the fruit, and the mind of them both were
enlightened, and the mist was removed from over their souls; and they
knew that they were not as the beast, but were naked. And they sewed
leaves together for clothes and dwelt in great fear.
And it was so that in the evening time of a day they heard the voice of
Jehovah as he walked through the garden. And they fled from their temple
and hid themselves from his presence among the trees, and were not where
they were wanted to be found. And Jehovah called unto Adam and said,
"where are you Adam?" And Adam said I heard you talking in the garden
and I was afraid, and I hid myself because I was naked.
And Jehovah said who told you that you was naked? Have you eaten of the
tree which I commanded thee not to eat? And he said the woman which you
gave me she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat. And Jehovah
said unto Eve, what have you done. And she said the serpent bewitched me
and I did eat. And Jehovah said to the serpent, because you have done
this thing you are cursed beyond everything which I have created. Upon
your belly you shall travel, and you shall not henceforth eat. In this,
that you have caused my children to sin in the process of eating.
The dust shall be your food, and I shall put envy between your race and
the race of the woman. And she shall bruise your head, and you shall
bruise her heel. And the serpent fell upon the earth before Jehovah, and
her arms and legs became into one straight body. And he took her teeth
out of her mouth so that she should not masticate food. But he left in
her mouth the imprints of her teeth, which is yet to be seen in the
mouth of the serpent. And he placed great crooked fangs in her mouth and
filled them with poison. If she should masticate food her own poison
would destroy her life.
But she was given power to reach forth and to inject the poison of her
fangs into the flesh of man and other living things--to destroy their
lives. Then he parted her tongue in two parts, and upon the end of each
probescue he tied a small round knot, that is the knot which is yet to
be seen on the ends of the serpent's tongue unto this day.
And according to the decree were all the serpents changed, in the
process of nature. That they should not again speak with the voice of
man. But their knowledge was not veiled. And while they cannot speak to
man; yet while in contact they show their tongues and say with
unmistakable signs "by my speech I cause thee to fall." This is the life
of the serpent who through envy was finally bound in hell. And to Eve,
he said, "I will greatly multiply sorrow upon thee. With your children
you shall be distressed. And man shall set thee at naught, and curse his
days--defying and bearing rule over thee. And your desire shall be to
your man."
And unto Adam he said "because you have eaten of the tree which I
commanded thee not to eat, cursed is the fruit of the ground for your
sake. They shall come forth in thistles and thorns before thee. And you
shall turn unto the herbs of the field for food, and shall spend your
days in toil, eating of the vintage in sorrow, until you return unto the
ground from which you was taken. Dust you are and unto the dust you
shall return." And he drove Adam and Eve out of paradise, and left an
angel to keep the vineyard, from whose sword issued a stream of power
like fire as he turned about every way upon the plains.
And Adam and Eve went out a little ways from Edon northward towards the
Caspian Sea, and set up for themselves a place of abode, and soon began
to till the earth. And Eve became the mother of children. Her first born
son she called Node, and she bare him also a sister and called her name
Midre. And Node went forth with his sister to the Eastward of Edon. And
in time there built a city, which was called the City of Nod. But Node
was a man of sin.
And again Eve bare Havilah, and his sister Zillah. But he also was a man
of sin. And he dwelt to the west, and proclaimed a land which was called
the land of Havilah. And again Eve bare Cain, and she said he is a man
to serve Jehovah. And she bare also his brother Abul, one to seek the
will of Jehovah. And Adah and her brothers and sisters were also born
unto the house of Adam.
And Cain and Abul sought to worship Jehovah. And Abul offered of the
noblest of his sheep as a sacrifice to Jehovah, and Jehovah was well
pleased with his offering. And then Cain offered of the finest of his
fruit of his harvest. And Jehovah had no respect for his sacrifice,
saying, "why bring of the things before me which I have defamed.
Redemption shall be found alone in the blood of that which I have not
cursed." Then Cain was very wroth, and Jehovah said unto him repent;
but he would not.
And in process of time as he talked with Abul in a field he arose up
against him and slew him. And the soul of Abul cried unto Jehovah from
the earth. And he said to Cain the voice of your brother's soul cries
unto me from the ground. And now are you cursed in the blessings of the
earth which has received your brother's blood by your hand. When you
till the soil it shall not yield unto you her strength. A fugitive and a
vagabond shall you be in the earth. And Cain repented and said, "my
punishment is greater than I can bear; you have driven me out from among
the people, and from your face I shall be hid; and it shall come to pass
that if any one should find me that they shall slay me."
And Jehovah said to the people, whosoever slays Cain, "Vengeance shall
be taken upon him seven fold." And he set a mark upon Cain's forehead of
many colors. And Cain went from the presence of Jehovah and dwelt in the
land of Nod. And in time he became the father of a generation. But his
days were evil and sullen, and when he was aged a lad slew him with an
arrow.
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