The Lost Books of the Bible: The Great Rejected Texts Read online

  3 In single seventh parts she accomplishes all her light in the east, and in single seventh parts accomplishes all her darkness in the west.

  4 And in certain months she alters her settings, and in certain months she pursues her own peculiar course.

  5 In two months the moon sets with the sun: in those two middle doors the third and the fourth.

  6 She goes out for seven days, and turns about and returns again through the door where the sun rises, and all her light is full; and she recedes from the sun, and in eight days enters the sixth door from which the sun goes out.

  7 And when the sun goes out from the fourth door she goes out seven days, until she goes out from the fifth and turns back again in seven days into the fourth door and accomplishes all her light; and she recedes and enters into the first door in eight days.

  8 And she returns again in seven days into the fourth door from which the sun goes out.

  9 Thus I saw their positions, how the moons rose and the sun set in those days.

  10 And if five years are added together the sun has an excess of thirty days, and all the days which accrue to it for one of those five years, when they are full, amount to 364 days.

  11 And an excess of the sun and of the stars amounts to six days; in five years six days every year come to 30 days, and the moon falls behind the sun and stars to the number of 30 days.

  12 And the sun and the stars bring in all the years exactly, so that they do not advance or delay their position by a single day to eternity; but complete the years with perfect justice in 364 days.

  13 In three years there are 1,092 days, and in five years 1,820 days, so that in eight years there are 2,912 days.

  14 For the moon alone the days amount in three years to 1,062 days, and in five years she falls 50 days behind to the sum of 1,770 there is five to be added 1,000 and 62 days.

  15 And in five years there are 1,770 days, so that for the moon the days six in eight years amount to 21,832 days.

  16 For in eight years she falls behind to the amount of 80 days, all the days she falls behind in eight years are 80.

  17 And the year is accurately completed in conformity with their world-stations and the stations of the sun, which rise from the doors through which the sun rises and sets 30 days.

  [Chapter 75]

  1 And the leaders of the heads of the (ten) thousands, who are in charge of the whole creation and over all the stars, have also to do with the four days of the year which are not counted in the yearly calendar, being not separated from their office, according to the reckoning of the year, and these render service on the four days which are not counted in the reckoning of the year.

  2 And because of them men go wrong in them, for those luminaries truly render service to the stations of the world, one in the first door, one on the third door of heaven, one in the fourth door, and one in the sixth door, and the exactness of the year is accomplished through its separate three hundred and sixty-four stations.

  3 For the signs and the times and the years and the days the angel Uriel showed to me, whom the Lord of glory hath set for ever over all the luminaries of heaven, in heaven and in the world, that they should rule on the face of heaven and be seen on the earth, and be leaders for the day via the sun and the night via the moon, and stars, and all the ministering creatures which make their revolution in all the chariots of heaven.

  4 In like manner, twelve doors Uriel showed me, open in the sphere (disc) of the sun's chariot in heaven, through which the rays of the sun break out; and from them is warmth diffused over the earth, when they are opened at their appointed seasons.

  5 And there are openings for the wind and the spirit of dew that when they are opened, stand open in heaven at the ends of the earth.

  6 As for the twelve doors in the heaven, at the ends of the earth, out of which go out the sun, moon, and stars, and all the works of heaven in the east and in the west; there are many windows open to the left and right of them,

  7 And one window at its appointed season produces warmth, corresponding to the doors from which the stars come out as He has commanded them; and in which they are set, corresponding to their number.

  8 And I saw chariots in heaven, running in the world, above those doors in which the stars that never set.

  9 And one is larger than all the rest, and it is that that makes its course through the entire world.

  [Chapter 76]

  1 At the ends of the earth I saw twelve doors open to all quarters of heaven, from which the winds go out and blow over the earth.

  2 Three of them are open on the face of heaven, and three in the west; and three on the right of heaven, and three on the left.

  3 And the three first are those of the east, and three are of the north, and three, after those on the left, of the south, and three of the west.

  4 Through four of these come winds of blessing and prosperity (peace), and from those eight come hurtful winds; when they are sent, they bring destruction on all the earth and the water on it, and on all who dwell on it, and on everything which is in the water and on the land.

  5 And the first wind from those doors, called the east wind, comes out through the first door which is in the east, inclining towards the south; from it desolation, drought, heat, and destruction come out .

  6 And through the second door in the middle comes what is fitting (right, correct), and there come rain and fruitfulness and prosperity and dew. And through the third door which lies toward the north comes cold and drought.

  7 And after these, comes out the south winds through three doors; through the first door of them inclining to the east comes out a hot wind.

  8 And through the middle door next to it there comes out fragrant smells, and dew and rain, and prosperity and health.

  9 And through the third door which lies to the west dew comes out and also rain, locusts and desolation.

  10 And from the seventh door in the east comes the north winds, and dew, rain, locusts and desolation.

  11 And from the center door come health and rain and dew and prosperity; and through the third door in the west come cloud and hoar-frost, and snow and rain, and dew and locusts.

  12 And after these came the four west winds; through the first door adjoining the north come out dew and hoar-frost, and cold and snow and frost.

  13 And from the center door come out dew and rain, and prosperity and blessing.

  14 And through the last door which adjoins the south, come drought and desolation, and burning and destruction. And the twelve doors of the four quarters of heaven are therewith completed, and all their laws and all their plagues and all their benefactions have I shown to you, my son Methuselah.

  [Chapter 77]

  1 And the first quarter is called the east, because it is the first; and the second, the south, because the Most High will descend there. From there will He who is blessed for ever descend.

  2 And the west quarter is named the diminished, because there all the luminaries of the heaven wane and go down.

  3 And the fourth quarter, named the north, is divided into three parts: the first of them is for the dwelling of men; and the second contains seas of water, and the abyss (deep) and forests and rivers, and darkness and clouds; and the third part contains the garden of righteousness.

  4 I saw seven high mountains, higher than all the mountains which are on the earth: and from here comes hoar-frost, and days, seasons, and years pass away.

  5 I saw seven rivers on the earth larger than all the rivers. One of them coming from the west pours its waters into the Great Sea.

  6 And these two come from the north to the sea and pour their waters into the Erythraean Sea in the east.

  7 And the remaining four come out on the side of the north to their own sea, two of them to the Erythraean Sea, and two into the Great Sea and some say they discharge themselves there into the desert.

  8 I saw seven great islands in the sea and in the mainland, two in the mainland and five in the Great Sea.

&nbs
p; [Chapter 78]

  1 And the names of the sun are the following: the first Orjares, and the second Tomas.

  2 And the moon has four names: the first name is Asonja, the second Ebla, the third Benase, and the fourth Erae.

  3 These are the two great luminaries; their spheres (disc) are like the sphere (disc) of the heaven, and the size of the spheres (disc) of both is alike.

  4 In the sphere (disc) of the sun there are seven portions of light which are added to it more than to the moon, and in fixed measurements it is transferred until the seventh portion of the sun is exhausted.

  5 And they set and enter the doors of the west, and make their revolution by the north, and come out through the eastern doors on the face of heaven.

  6 And when the moon rises one-fourteenth part appears in heaven, and on the fourteenth day the moon’s light becomes full.

  7 And fifteen parts of light are transferred to her until the fifteenth day when her light is full, according to the sign of the year, and she becomes fifteen parts, and the moon grows by an additional fourteenth parts.

  8 And as the moon’s waning decreases on the first day to fourteen parts of her light, on the second to thirteen parts of light, on the third to twelve, on the fourth to eleven, on the fifth to ten, on the sixth to nine, on the seventh to eight, on the eighth to seven, on the ninth to six, on the tenth to five, on the eleventh to four, on the twelfth to three, on the thirteenth to two, on the fourteenth to the half of a seventh, and all her remaining light disappears wholly on the fifteenth.

  9 And in certain months the month has twenty-nine days and once twenty-eight.

  10 And Uriel showed me another law: when light is transferred to the moon, and on which side it is transferred to her by the sun.

  11 During all the period during which the moon is growing in her light, she is transferring it to herself when opposite to the sun during fourteen days her light is full in heaven, and when she is ablaze throughout, her light is full in heaven.

  12 And on the first day she is called the new moon, for on that day the light rises on her.

  13 She becomes full moon exactly on the day when the sun sets in the west, and from the east she rises at night, and the moon shines the whole night through until the sun rises over against her and the moon is seen over against the sun.

  14 On the side whence the light of the moon comes out, there again she wanes until all the light vanishes and all the days of the month are at an end, and her sphere (disc) is empty, void of light.

  15 And three months she makes of thirty days, and at her time she makes three months of twenty-nine days each, in which she accomplishes her waning in the first period of time, and in the first door for one hundred and seventy-seven days.

  16 And in the time of her going out she appears for three months consisting of thirty days each, and she appears for three months consisting of twenty-nine each.

  17 By night she looks like a man for twenty days each time, and by day she appears like heaven, and there is nothing else in her save her light.

  [Chapter 79]

  1 And now, my son Methuselah, I have shown you everything, and the law of all the stars of heaven is completed.

  2 And he showed me all the laws of these for every day, and for every season of every rule, and for every year, and for its going out, and for the order prescribed to it every month and every week.

  3 And the waning of the moon which takes place in the sixth door, for in this sixth door her light is accomplished, and after that there is the beginning of the waning.

  4 And the waning which takes place in the first door in its season, until one hundred and seventy-seven days are accomplished, calculated according to weeks, twenty-five weeks and two days.

  5 She falls behind the sun and the order of the stars exactly five days in the course of one period, and when this place which you see has been traversed.

  6 Such is the picture and sketch of every luminary which Uriel the archangel, who is their leader, showed to me.

  [Chapter 80]

  1 And in those days the angel Uriel answered and said to me: 'Behold, I have shown you everything, Enoch, and I have revealed everything to you that you should see this sun and this moon, and the leaders of the stars of heaven and all those who turn them, their tasks and times and departures.

  2 And in the days of the sinners the years shall be shortened, and their seed shall be tardy on their lands and fields, and all things on the earth shall alter, and shall not appear in their time. And the rain shall be kept back, and heaven shall withhold it.

  3 And in those times the fruits of the earth shall be backward, and shall not grow in their time, and the fruits of the trees shall be withheld in their time.

  4 And the moon shall alter her customs, and not appear at her time.

  5 And in those days the sun shall be seen and he shall journey in the evening on the extremity of the great chariot in the west and shall shine more brightly than accords with the order of light.

  6 And many rulers of the stars shall transgress their customary order. And these shall alter their orbits and tasks, and not appear at the seasons prescribed to them.

  7 And the whole order of the stars shall be concealed from the sinners, and the thoughts of those on the earth shall err concerning them, and they shall be altered from all their ways, they shall err and take them to be gods.

  8 And evil shall be multiplied on them, and punishment shall come on them so as to destroy all.'

  [Chapter 81]

  1 And he said to me: 'Enoch, look at these heavenly tablets and read what is written on them, and mark every individual fact.'

  2 And I looked at the heavenly tablets, and read everything which was written on it and understood everything, and read the book of all the deeds of mankind, and of all the children of flesh; that shall be on the earth to the end of generations.

  3 And I blessed the great Lord the King of glory for ever, in that He has made all the works of the world, and I exalted the Lord because of His patience, and blessed Him because of the children of men (sons of Abraham).

  4 And then I said: 'Blessed is the man who dies in righteousness and goodness, concerning whom there is no book of unrighteousness written, and against whom no day of judgment shall be found.'

  5 And the seven holy ones brought me and placed me on the earth before the door of my house, and said to me: 'Declare everything to your son Methuselah, and show to all your children that no flesh is righteous in the sight of the Lord, for He is their Creator.

  6 For one year we will leave you with your son, until you give your last commands, that you may teach your children and record it for them, and testify to all your children; and in the second year they shall take you from their midst.

  7 Let your heart be strong, for the good shall proclaim righteousness to the good; the righteous shall rejoice with the righteous, and shall wish one another well.

  8 But the sinners shall die with the sinners, and the apostate shall go down with the apostate.

  9 And those who practice righteousness shall die on account of the deeds of men, and be taken away on account of the deeds of the godless.'

  10 And in those days they finished speaking to me, and I came to my people, blessing the Lord of the world.