Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth — Large Print

Introduction

There are books that inform, books that entertain, and books that transform. And then there are texts so ancient, so layered with meaning, so saturated with the accumulated spiritual longing of countless generations, that to open them is to step through a threshold — not merely into another time, but into another order of reality altogether. What you hold in your hands belongs to this last and rarest category. It is a work that has traveled through centuries of silence, partial preservation, and deliberate concealment, emerging now into the full light of modern scrutiny not diminished by that long journey, but made more luminous by it. The very fact that it survived at all is a kind of miracle, and the story of its survival is inseparable from the meaning encoded within its pages.

Ancient apocryphal literature occupies a uniquely fascinating position in the history of human thought. The word 'apocryphal' itself carries a double weight: in common usage it has come to suggest something doubtful or legendary, yet its Greek root, apokryphos, means simply 'hidden' or 'concealed.' These were not texts dismissed as fraudulent by their original communities. They were texts set apart — reserved, guarded, transmitted only to those considered ready to receive them. The distinction between canonical scripture and apocryphal writing was, in many early religious communities, less a judgment of authenticity than a judgment of audience. Some truths, it was believed, were too vast, too destabilizing, too cosmically consequential to be handed to every seeker without preparation. They required a context, a guide, a certain ripening of the soul. The text you are about to read was born from precisely this tradition of sacred concealment.

To understand why such a text matters — why it deserves not just academic attention but genuine spiritual engagement — one must first appreciate the world from which it emerged. The ancient Near East, that fertile crescent of civilization stretching from Egypt through Mesopotamia and into the highlands of Persia and beyond, was not a world that drew sharp lines between the sacred and the secular, between cosmology and theology, between the movements of stars and the fate of human souls. For the thinkers, priests, scribes, and visionaries of this world, the universe was a unified and living whole, animated by divine intelligence, populated by hierarchies of spiritual beings, and governed by laws that were simultaneously physical and moral. To understand the structure of the heavens was to understand the structure of the soul. To trace the genealogy of angels was to trace the genealogy of human virtue and human failure. Science, in our modern sense, did not yet exist as a separate enterprise — but a form of sacred science, a disciplined and reverent inquiry into the nature of all things, flourished with extraordinary sophistication.

It is within this intellectual and spiritual climate that the traditions collected and synthesized in this volume were first articulated. The specific doctrines — the detailed accounts of creation, the elaborate angelology, the descriptions of celestial realms and their inhabitants, the explanations of how divine will flows through hierarchical intermediaries into the material world — did not spring fully formed from a single inspired mind. They were the product of centuries of theological reflection, mystical experience, cross-cultural exchange, and careful textual transmission. Scholars will recognize echoes of Enochic literature, of Merkabah mysticism, of Gnostic cosmology, of Neoplatonic metaphysics, of Zoroastrian angelology, and of the rich esoteric traditions of late antique Judaism and early Christianity. But to reduce this text to its sources is to miss its genius. What it achieves is not mere synthesis but genuine revelation — a coherent and breathtaking vision of reality that transcends any single tradition and speaks to the deepest questions human beings have ever asked.

Those questions are, at their core, always the same. How did everything come to exist? What is the relationship between the infinite and the finite, between the divine source and the created world? Why is there suffering? What are we, really — these strange creatures who can contemplate our own existence, who hunger for meaning, who sense in our better moments that we are connected to something far greater than our individual lives? What happens when we die? Are we alone in the cosmos, or are there other orders of being, other intelligences, other forms of consciousness that share this universe with us? Every great religious and philosophical tradition has grappled with these questions, and each has offered its own vocabulary, its own mythological and metaphysical framework for approaching answers. What distinguishes the tradition preserved in these pages is the extraordinary specificity and internal consistency of its answers — the sense that we are being given not vague poetic gestures toward mystery, but a genuine map of the invisible architecture of existence.

The angelology alone — the detailed taxonomy of celestial beings, their names, their functions, their relationships to one another and to the divine source — would justify the attention of any serious student of religion or spirituality. But the text goes far beyond even this rich material. It addresses the mechanics of creation itself: how the divine will, which is by nature beyond all form and all limitation, nevertheless gives rise to a universe of form and limitation without diminishing itself in the process. It describes the structure of the heavenly realms in terms that are simultaneously spatial and moral — the higher one ascends, the closer one approaches not merely a different location but a different quality of being, a greater transparency to the divine light. It accounts for the origin of evil not as an arbitrary cosmic accident but as a necessary consequence of the gift of freedom, a freedom that exists at every level of the created order from the highest angelic being to the humblest human soul. And it traces, with remarkable precision, the path by which consciousness — human consciousness, your consciousness — can make its way back toward the source from which it came.

This last theme, the theme of return, of ascent, of the soul's journey back through the celestial realms toward reunion with the divine, is perhaps the most personally urgent element of the text. It is not presented as a distant eschatological hope, something that might happen after death in some indefinitely postponed future. It is presented as a present possibility, a journey that begins here and now, in the conditions of ordinary embodied life, through the cultivation of specific qualities of understanding, attention, and moral seriousness. The esoteric traditions of every culture have insisted on this point: the mystical path is not an escape from life but a more intense and more conscious engagement with it. To understand the heavens is to understand the earth. To know the angels is to know the deepest possibilities of your own nature. To trace the lineage of creation is to discover your own place within it — not as an insignificant accident in an indifferent cosmos, but as a necessary and beloved participant in an ongoing divine project of almost incomprehensible scope and beauty.

Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth

There was never a time when they did not exist; there was never a beginning to their existence, and there will never be an end to it. They explain all things, and no one else can explain them; they possess knowledge of all things, and nobody else knows it; they see all things, and nobody else can see them; to them all things belong, and nobody else can take them. How can I speak to you about the great goodness of the Creator? How could I describe the creation he has made? For it is not possible to say how great he is, or how vast his majesty.

Praise to you, O sea of mercy and humility. You forgive whom you wish and punish whom you wish. O sea of grace and majesty, you bestow grace, majesty, and beauty on whom you will. O sea of wisdom and knowledge, you give wisdom and knowledge to whomever you will. O sea of gentleness and compassion, you give purity of heart to whom you will. O sea of glory and richness, you enrich and honor whom you will, and you reveal your secrets to whom you will. Since the Scriptures speak of you before the world — that is to say, before Adam — there was no world before Adam. Genesis speaks of you when Adam was created: the heavens and the earth were built, and God finished building all the universe, thus completing his work. On this point the Scriptures agree. The inheritance of the righteous and the punishment of the ungodly were created on Sunday, as it is said: when he created the heavens and the earth, he first made for the world — that is to say, for Adam — judgment and punishment. The earthly paradise was created on Tuesday, but what was created on Sunday was the inheritance of the righteous.

Take careful note that the kingdom of heaven was created on Sunday, and the kingdom of heaven is the celestial Jerusalem, which will later be opened to the righteous. And Peter says to our Lord: "Before the heavens and the earth, there was nothing." Yet the Gospel tells you: "Come, you who are blessed of the Lord, and inherit the kingdom that was prepared before the world was made." Do not wonder at this, as though something existed before the heavens and the earth, for nothing existed before the heavens and the earth apart from the three named beings who are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

On the first day, our God made the heavens, which are called Gêrgêl. As proof that the heavens are his seat, listen to what Isaiah said: the heavens are his throne and the earth the footstool of his feet. These heavens he made of white crystal, as Ezekiel said: "I saw the sky in the color of crystal, spread above the heads of the living creatures." As for the crystal — from where did he draw it? He alone knows his secrets. Let us all declare: nothing is impossible for God. And do not think that he began creating from below; he began from above. Moses said at the beginning of Genesis: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form, and the Spirit of God was hovering above the waters."

Take careful note, then, of how the Trinity appears at the very beginning of Genesis. It says "In the beginning" because of the Son, for the Scriptures call the Son "the First." It calls God the Father, and the earth is Adam, who existed beforehand in God's thoughts. As for the Holy Spirit, the text tells you plainly: "The Spirit of God was hovering above the waters." All the work of Genesis, the entire story of Genesis, is contained within the Trinity. The text also says: "Let us make man in our image." Note well that this points to the Trinity. It also says: "Let us go down and see what the sons of men have done." Note again that this points to the Trinity, and see how it reveals the Trinity from the very beginning.

Let us return, then, to the story of creation. He made the second heaven out of fog and named it Êrâr. From where did he draw the fog? Only he knows his secrets.

The third heaven was made of fire. He named it Rêmâ and blessed it.

The fourth heaven he also made of fire. Its colors are those of a pearl from the sea. It is made of chalcedony, with twelve pearls, and one of its gates is ten thousand times larger than this world. If only one of its gates is larger than this world, how marvelously vast must it be in its entirety! He who was sent before me tells me: only God himself knows its dimensions. Twelve angels stand guard over it. The main gate is of many colors; its windows are the color of the rays of the sun, its ceiling is lofty, and its roof is painted red. Its four walls resemble the ferem tree, which has the color of the sky, and its windows are like the moon at its full.

Within it there is a representation of creation as large as seven suns, or as twelve, or as four, or as the stars.

There too is the image of the radiant face. Before he created Adam, the elect were represented here, as Wisdom says: "The justice of these men who are shown here shall not be forgotten." The altar of fire is found there, as well as the ark of fire. One can see seven tabernacles of fire, seven seas of light, garments of light, crowns of light, and diadems of beauty. There stand mighty thrones and white and red horses. There are also flaming spears, luminous swords, gleaming breastplates and shields, javelins and blades of fire, as well as blazing arrows and lances. There too are the luminous cross, the luminous censers, and the luminous trees. All of this is found in the fourth heaven, which is Jerusalem.

He did not reveal it to the angels until his birth in the flesh, and he did not place man there before man had put on flesh. Glory to him who has revealed to us what we have learned of his wonders, and to the Spirit who blesses all things.

God created the fifth heaven from water and named it Lêwên.

He likewise created the sixth heaven from water and named it Dirigon. This heaven, which can be seen by human eyes, is drawn out of water. Three heavens have been made from water, as our Lord said to Peter: "We have gathered pure water and created three skies." Yet the Scriptures tell us: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth, the fire, the wind, the light, and the families of the sacred angels." He made these six things on Sunday.

Since he says, "We have taken water and created heaven," does that mean water was created before heaven? The Scriptures do not state that water was made before heaven. And what can we add to this? He alone knows his secrets.

The angels were made from the flame of fire. Each of them had his own language. Just as the children of Adam have many tongues and many countries, so do angels have many tongues, each his own, as the children of men have different lands. One angel can be understood by another. He might say to him, "Where do you come from?" and the other would answer, "From such a place."

But just as their tongues are of different kinds, so too are their praises different. There are three who say "Holy," three who say "Praised," three who say "Blessed," and three who say what mortal ears cannot understand. Do not think that the angels were all created at once. In the first hour of the day were created the angels of the front, who belong to the family of Michael; and just as Michael, the prince of the first angels, is faithful, he has come to save us.

In the second hour were created the angels of divine service, who are the priests.

In the third hour the thrones were made; in the fourth hour the dominions; in the fifth hour the noblemen; in the sixth the powers; in the seventh the myriads; in the eighth the princes; in the ninth the archangels.

But before all these angels, who form the tenth order, he created the family of Setnâêl, that is Satan.

All the work of our God is made in wisdom and art. Having learned all this, let us say: "You can do everything; nothing is impossible for you." His work is a marvel of artistry. What has not been described is even more marvelous than what has been, but the eighty-one books have told us what we are able to understand. Our soul prevails over all creatures, for it is bound to the word of God.

Let us now return to the creation of the earth. Like the seven heavens, the earth was made from water, as the apostle Peter says: "He created the earth with water and hardened it by the word of God." Below it he created a great female sea, a division of the male sea that is in the heavens. This earth rests above the water, and below the Ocean Wqyânos there is a terrible abyss of water; under the abyss a rock; under the rock the sheol; under the sheol the wind; and under the wind the borders of darkness.

And what lies beyond that? He alone knows his secrets. All these things the Holy Spirit has blessed. Leave that to another time. He blessed the sheol according to its nature, for if he had not blessed all things, the earth herself would not have been able to sustain all creatures. As for the height of the heavens, it is six times greater than that of our sky and double compared to the earth that we see. And even so, the heavens are higher than seven skies and seven earths.

O God of the mighty, we have come to know all your wonders.

Do not believe, O mortal, that the first day was a day like one of our days. It was a day that spanned the length of seven years. We marvel at this and write: "Your works are wonders of art." For above seven heavens you are, and below seven earths you are also. There is no place where you are not present in your Divinity. There are no boundaries to your power, no limit to your dominion, no number that can measure your richness and your wisdom, no measure to your vast mercy, for your mercy calms your anger and your pity removes punishment. You do not punish man according to his error, but according to your vast mercy. Who is God apart from you? Praise to you, glory to your kingship. Before the world you existed, and you will be here until the end of the ages; and in the same way you exist still.

On the second day, God created a firmament and the column of wind. Then, beneath the earth, he made one or four chambers for the winds, with small windows, one hundred to the right and one hundred to the left, and a gate. Through all of this and through all these openings, we have discovered your wonders, O Lord.

On the third day, God made the sea and the dry land, as well as the garden of Eden in Eden, and all trees that bear fruit and those that do not. He created several gardens beyond the east and the west.

Among the trees in the garden, some resembled transparent hail, others looked like a flame of fire, and others resembled the sun and sparkled with light. The trees in the garden were not like those of this earth; they were taller than the tallest mountains by about fifteen cubits, measured in cubits of the Holy Spirit. There one would find all manner of beautiful things that eyes have never seen and ears have never heard, things that have never entered the heart of man, which God had prepared for those who love him.

On the fourth day, he created the sun, the moon, and the stars. Do not think that the light of the sun was like what you see now; it was twelve times stronger. The angels said to him, "We cannot go where you send us. Withdraw it a little." And God withdrew it a little, dividing it. He took six parts of it and left six. From four parts he made the moon; he mixed one part with the stars, one with the waters, one with the clouds, and one with the lightning. When you hear this, do not cry out and say, "How can this be?" The Scriptures say that on the fourth day he created the sun, the moon, and the stars. And truly, it is so.

But when Setnâ'êl Satan saw the splendour of the sun and moon, a thought shook his spirit, and he said: "I will establish my throne above the stars and I will become like the Most High and All-Powerful." Do not imagine that this thought seized him on the fourth day. It was on a Friday, in the second week.

And so there was war in heaven. Michael prepared for battle and the army of heaven marched forward. God said, "Let us go and see," and He observed it from every side, speaking in this way.

As for Satan, the bravest of His creatures among the angels, he rose up against Him and attacked Him. But the Most High gave orders to Michael, and Michael obeyed. He rushed forward with his army: 120,000 cavalry, 600,000 fighters equipped with shields, 700,000 armored horsemen riding horses of fire, 700,000 warriors armed with weapons of fire, 800,000 bearing two-edged swords of fire, 1,000,000 launching stones, 500,000 with axes, 300,000 carrying the cross of light, and 400,000 with flaming torches. This was the great army of heaven.

All the angels shouted and launched their attack with fierce energy, but Satan broke through their ranks and they fled. They charged again, but once more Satan drove them back and put them to flight. The third time, God gave Michael the cross of light, upon which was written this inscription: "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." When Satan saw this inscription, he was defeated. Michael struck him down, and Satan took flight together with all the troops that were with him.

Such was the form of Satan: his height was 1,700 angel cubits, his head like a great mountain, his mouth 40 cubits wide, and the brows of his eyes as long as three days' journey. When he wished to cover the pupil of his eye, he could barely manage it in seven days. His hand measured 70 cubits, his feet 7,000 cubits, his face the height of one day's journey, and his member 100 cubits.

As proof that the angels have a member, hear what the prophet Ezekiel says: "With two of their wings they cover their faces; with two others they cover their feet; with two others they hide their hands; and with two others they hide their member." Know then that the angels have a member, yet there are no males and females among them. They neither give birth nor are born. As for Satan, the matter discharged from his mouth resembled a mountain requiring a journey from morning until the seventh hour, and his spittle was like the Jordan. Thus did God create Satan, to make his appearance terrible. Job tells you on this subject: there is nothing like him on earth, and no one who, like him, makes Sheol boil like a cauldron.

The demons had great power before the coming of Our Lord. There were people whose eyes they would strike with blindness, others whose ears they would rob of hearing, others whose feet they would break or whose hands they would wither, others to whom they would bring headaches, others they would cause to vanish, and others they would drive to madness — and all this while looking you in the face. He looks at you, he looks; but all these sufferings Christ has abolished through his cross.

Do not think that I have forgotten to tell you something about Satan. Wait a little while, and I will resume the account of creation with the creatures made on the fifth day. On that day were created the birds, the fish, the great sea creatures, and the reptiles — that is, the monsters. Leviathan lives in the water, which is why Job tells you: "It is through them that the dwelling of the great sea creatures under the sky has been overturned." And Enoch also says: "There was a day when he was merciful, free from all anger." The great sea creatures will be divided into two groups; on that day there will be an oath for the chosen and a reckoning for the sinners. See, then, how the animals that were created were named.

Genesis also says: God said, "Let the sea bring forth reptiles and birds." Behold and listen carefully, for I tell you their marvelous history, wonderful to hear — how they conceive and reproduce, their creation more astonishing than that of other birds. There is nothing like them under the sky, and their dwelling is near the garden. From the moment they were created, there were no males among these birds; all are female. In the sixth year after their birth, they fly up to the highest heaven. They ascend into the heavens during three months: the first month, the third month, and the sixth. It is during these months that their fertilization takes place. By whom are they made fertile? By the sun. This is a marvelous thing we have learned.

Once this bird has been fertilized by the sun, it plunges into the abyss of the sea and descends to the very bottom, and after remaining there for seven months it gives birth in the middle of the eighth month. When it gives birth, it first brings forth the birds that are on its left side, for it holds two different things within itself: on the right side it holds precious and admirable pearls, and on the left side it holds its young. The name of this bird is Karbê-Dinel, which means the purest of birds. In its first birthing it brings forth 5 young, in its second 3, and in its third 49. After that it proceeds to ejecting the pearls it holds on its right side: the first time it pushes out 12, the second time 70, and the third time it produces one magnificent pearl. On learning this, you would be amazed and cry out: great is the work of this artisan who is the Son of God.

Drawn by the brightness of the precious pearls, a great beast arrives to swallow them; it enters the sea by night and then tears apart the other beasts on the land. As for the birds brought forth from the left side, after they have remained in the sea for 40 days and 40 nights, they come out of the water and begin to fly, their wings having grown. It is astonishing that in 40 days their wings should have grown so fully. Merchants arrive quickly to search for the pearls; they catch the fish, draw it out of the water, and remove the pearls from inside its belly. This is a well-attested thing; it is found in the lands of the East, among the magi.

This bird carries its meaning through the Son. Moreover, bees conceive only once, while their queen is singing. Let us marvel at this and say: Your wonders are true. These birds that are impregnated by the sun are fertilized by the sun that is in the heavens; the pearls of the sea that are brought forth by the bird are the faithful peoples; the twelve pearls that are born first are the twelve apostles; the seventy that are mentioned next are the seventy disciples; and the single pearl is the one faith. The fish is the world; the five birds are the five books of the Pentateuch; the three birds are the three books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth; and the thirty-nine are the thirty-nine books of the prophets.

On the sixth day, our God created the animals, the four-footed creatures, and everything that moves.

After creating all of this, He said to His angels: "Bring me dust." To the angels of light He said: "Bring me mareb" — which means fire in the Syrian tongue — and they brought it to Him. To the angels of waters He said: "Bring me a little water," and they carried out His command. To the angels of winds He said: "Bring me a little wind," and they brought it to Him. He mixed these four elements together and from them fashioned a perfect man. Then He breathed into Adam's face the breath of life that was in His own mouth. When Adam was created, He named him Adam, which means "I love you."

Then He said to His angels: "This is my likeness. I give him everything that is under me and appoint him as its master, in these terms: Take four sheep that are in the garden, sacrifice them, and anoint with their blood your hand, your right ear, the fingers of your right hand, and your right foot. This shall be a remembrance for your children, and you shall share in the mysteries with the seraphs." Then He clothed Adam in a garment of light that shone like a rose, and crowned his head with a beautiful crown, partly the color of a flame of fire and partly the color of the sun. He also made for him robes of light, girded his loins, and set a helmet of iron upon his forehead. Then He commanded the elephant to come forward, ordered Adam to mount it, placed a lance in his hand, and put shoes of gold upon his feet.

Michael's companions rode proud white horses; the seraphs carried the cross of light and sang as they went. They had five hundred and seventy censers of gold, five hundred and seventy of silver, five hundred and seventy of iron, five hundred and seventy of sapphire, five hundred and seventy of jasper, five hundred and seventy of sardius, five hundred and seventy of chalcedony, five hundred and seventy of topaz, five hundred and seventy of crystal, and five hundred and seventy of amethyst. All this splendor was displayed in honor of Adam, and with one voice they proclaimed: Holy is the Father; holy is the Son; holy is the Holy Spirit. The foot of our most high God resembles a stone of sapphire, and as for His works, we have learned that they are marvelous.

Then the man of God, Abba Bahayla Mikael, spoke and asked: "If a man celebrates the honoring of angels, will God have mercy on him?" And the angel answered: "Yes, if he also celebrates the feast days of the prophets and apostles." The angel spoke again and said to me: "Listen, and I will tell you of the power that was given to the angels. There was a man who had not done a single good deed in all his days, but had lived in evil from the moment he was born. He had only one virtue: every month he celebrated the feast of Michael and showed mercy to the poor. When this man died, the demons shouted for joy, saying: This soul belongs to us — and they came to claim it from God. God said to them: Choose between two things: either Michael will hide the man and you will search for him, or you will hide him and Michael will search for him — but if Michael finds him, he will keep him. The demons said to themselves: What shall we do? If Michael hides him, we will never find him, for he will place him beside the throne of God — so where would we look? And so they answered: We will hide him ourselves. And those impure demons hid the man in a corner of Hell, in its deepest place. Then they said: Let Michael come now and search, and if he finds him, let him take the man back. And Michael found him."

Michael said: "Come, move away from this place." He entered Sheol and plunged deep into it, but did not find the one he was looking for. The first time, he drew out sixty thousand of the accursed with his wings; and in this way, each time he swept through with his wings, he brought out sixty thousand of the accursed. The second time he brought them out again, but still did not find this man. He searched a third time, turned Hell upside down, and brought the man out. The total number of those who came out because of him was five hundred and forty-six thousand. Among them were pagans, and the angels of heaven said: This is an astonishing thing.

God says in the Gospel: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." How then did these ones escape? And you, son of man — do you understand that pagans were saved? But they did not enter Paradise without being baptized, for Michael baptized them, and they became radiant as the sun. Saint Abba was filled with wonder and cried out: "Nothing is impossible for Emmanuel!" Then Gabriel spoke again, saying: "I am troubled by the children of men; they do not repay those who have done good to them, and those who do are very hard to find."

As for Satan, do not think I have forgotten to speak to you about him. First of all, he used cunning and came to the garden to bring about Adam's fall. Before anything else, he encountered a white bird whose name was Arzel. Satan said to it: "Do what I am about to command you." The bird replied: "What is it?" Satan said: "Carry me to Eve." The bird answered: "I will not." Satan went on and found a green bird called Berel. He said to it: "Carry me to Eve." The bird refused. Then Satan came upon a bird that was entirely red and gave it the same command. That bird also refused, and in this way every bird of every kind turned him away.

He then turned towards the animals and met at the outset a great animal whose name is Falfal, which in the Ethiopian language means Harmaz elephant. With him there was also a lion. Satan said to them: Carry me to Eve. They answered: No, we will not, and refused. He then found a vicious animal named Yeberd, which in the Ethiopian language means Namer tiger, and said to him: Carry me to Eve. He also refused. Satan went farther and found an impure animal named Fenfenet, called Zeeb hyena in the Abyssinian language, which also refused. After that he met a black animal called Magdel, which is the Deb bear. This one also refused. He then found Haraweyâ, which is the Mafeles wild boar, whose teeth are vicious. It attacked Satan, who ran away. He then met an animal named Serg, whose name means gravedigger and who now lives in the sea. He said to it: Carry me to Eve, and this animal refused. He then met an animal called Taman in the Abyssinian language, which at first glance resembles a young camel. Satan gave it the same command, and it accepted.

Satan climbed onto the animal's body and appeared before Eve, saying to her: "What has your God commanded you?" She answered him: He told us to eat the fruit of all the trees in the garden, except for one tree alone, from which we are forbidden to eat. And the serpent, speaking through the mouth of Satan, told her: If He said that to you, it was so that you would not become God as He is. And Eve took the fruit of that tree, ate from it, and gave it to her husband. They both ate of it together.

The name of the tree from which Adam and Eve ate is sezen, which means sandalê fig tree, or cinnamon in the Ethiopian language. But do not imagine that it resembled any tree of this world, or any ear of grain of this world. Its appearance was magnificent; the ear had 150,000 grains. The trees that surrounded it were four in number: one at the corner of the East, one toward the West, one toward the North, and one toward the South, just as Our Lord said to the cherubs and to the seraphs: Guard the tree of life that turns away, that is to say, that returns toward Adam. He also said: Adam has become one of us; perhaps he will reach out and eat of the fruit of the tree in the garden and live forever.

And it is the body of Christ that the seraphs themselves do not touch without reverence. It was at the third Ethiopian hour, nine o'clock in the morning, when Adam gave in and ate of the fruit of the tree. And just as the tree suffered through Adam, so did Our Lord suffer on the cross, and before being crucified, Pilate ordered that he be given forty lashes.

Let us turn now to the story of the people of the flood. In those times, the angels came down from the sky, and when they took on the body of a man, the madness of sin took hold of them, and they were expelled from the mysteries they had witnessed in heaven.

Their number was 10,000, and their young children numbered 4,900.

First among them was Akârê, who carries in his eyes four entalâm, that is, the number four. Pipiros runs with the sun. Ruridê breaks the mountains. Zar'êl is the founder of the cycle, which is the month. Pinênê taught how to make horses race. Gâlê taught them how to use the gadab, which is the fishhook in the Abyssinian language. Tigâna showed them how to make the shield. Horêri taught them how to play the zither. Ybê taught them how to work iron. Mêgêd taught them how to ride the horse. Negodi taught them the signs that point to the sources of thermal waters, in order to heal the sick, and the proper time for healing. One of them sought to rob the children of Cain Qâyal of everything they had learned, and in a single instant he seized fifty sâdâla, meaning fifty entalâm, which he carried in his right hand.

O what a marvelous thing, a gift from the One who created the weak and the strong!

Gargê taught them how to grind grain. Sêtêr showed them how to knead. Gimêr taught them to cook food from dough. Zârê taught how to milk the animals. Hegegê taught them how to work wood and build roofs for their houses. Tentorab taught them how to build doors. Sêper taught them how to make cheese from quail milk. Hâlêge taught them sculpture. Hêder taught them how to make trees yield fruit. Sinô taught them how to build. Tof taught them how to make pottery. Artorbegâs taught them how to make sewing tools. Cêbêdêguâz taught them how to make eye-drops. Zârê taught them how to prepare barley beer. Bêtênêlâdas taught them how to build bread ovens. Nâfil taught them to plant trees. Yârbeh taught them to split wood. Êlyo taught them how to dance. Pênêmus taught them architecture and writing. Agâlêmun taught them to put a yoke on bulls and how to make the handle of the plow. Kuers taught them how to build the plow and the whip. Akor taught them how to work bronze.

Others among them taught how to work cedar and willow. All of these crafts were taught by Wasag and Abêrgya, whose heads shine in the clouds. They taught men how to play the tabat. Nêr and Zabêrêniguêd showed them the game of Atawma, and Akis showed them the game of the circus.

It is because of them that the earth was flooded. Seven floodgates in the heavens and seventy on the earth — such were the waterfalls that were opened in those days. The wickedness was great and had filled the earth. Great impurity reigned; even the animals had gone astray. The father no longer recognized his son, nor the son his father; humans were sinning with animals.

The earth was disturbed by this and groaned aloud.

The Creator said to her: Silence! My eye sees them and my ear hears them. My patience with them has been great, but today the sin is too great for God not to order vengeance. And so He took vengeance on the giants. A voice rang out saying: Kill one another with the sword. Then the waters swallowed them up to their chests, and they were cutting off one another's heads with their own swords. In those times Noah and his sons had kept justice and were saved from destruction.

Later on, their descendants did not observe justice and began to build a tower. While they were building it, they reached a point where they could hear the noise made by the angels. And the Lord said: Let us go down and see what the children of men are doing, for all their work is vain and futile, and their words also are vain and worthless. Then He knocked down the tower, and many of them died from the fall, crushed against the earth and dust — 70,000, not counting women and children. At that time they all spoke only one language; they were struck with confusion and could no longer speak to one another. They went each to a different country and were dispersed.

Here are the names of the languages of the children of Shem: Ari, Azi, Sori, Ebri, Fili, Keli, Heni, Seni, A'eyi, Takeli, Nogi, Qeni, Meleyari, Kakeli, Mati, Lemi, Heheni, Semede, Yeyeni, Keteti, Lememi, Aseri, Tori, Modi. Their names are twenty-four in number.

Ori means Arab — the Ori people are those who have stayed. By Seri we refer to the Zamin, and by Ori Ebri, the Hebrew. Firi are the Persians. Keli are the Chaldeans and Heni the Henosawians; Seri are the Aserawians, a son of Shem. Tekuli means Tekun; Nogi the Nagebawians; Qane the Qanawians; Meli the Malawians; Yare the Yaremawians; Kekeni the Canaanians; Mati the Matenans; Lema the Lemawians; Heneni the Henotawians; Semdi the Semadawians; Yeyeni the Ionians; Keteti the Ketewons; Lememi the Lemawians; Sori the Syrians; and Mosi the Mosavians. These are the descendants of Shem, according to their families and languages.

As for the children of Ham, these are their languages: Qebti, Gebes, Habasi, Nozazi, Denkil, Demesawi, Enzi, Enderi, Suli, Didubi, Kani, Manbari, Taribni, Tori, Duri, Miki, Kue'ezi, Hemi, Lebi, Serewi, Lezi.

Qebti means Coptic; Gebes means Egyptian; the Habasi are the people of Tigris; the Nobi are the Nubians; Fesi means Philistine; Zari means Zarawians, a people who live toward the mountains of fire; the Liba are to the east of here. The Bali live in the land where a woman reigns, on the eastern side of Japheth. As for this woman who reigns, when her days draw near their end, demons will take hold of her and appoint another in her place. It is in this way that they will govern that part of the country until the end of the world. Zezi means Zagua; Zahi means Seho; Mesi means Mes; Hazi means Hazo; Naki means Dankelen; and to the east of these are the Semi. Sewi means Sewa Shoa; Enzi means Angot; Enderi is Sel'edan; Sori is the army of Sel'edan; and Dedubi are their brothers. Koni is Canaan; Manbari is Manbarta; Deri is Enderta; Buni means Beguena. And these are not all the sons of Ham: among the sons of Ham, Duri means Dabr; Maki means Malaki; and Kue'ez means Kue'en. Hami means Ham; Lebi means Libyan; Sori means Syria; Legi means Lago, the envious ones; and Waquiri means Waquart — the tailors and diamond-cutters of precious stones in the days when Solomon was building the temple. These are the countries and languages of the children of Ham. They are thirty in number.

And here are the languages of the children of Japheth: Romen, Afengen, Aterni, Aflekni, Nani, Kalani, Ari, Yesi, Yeni, Dibikueri, Yadi, Piri, Mari, Seti, Bari, Nari. These are the children of Japheth, according to their families.

Later, Abraham was found to be a believer. On the day of his birth his house was filled with a brilliant light, many things were overturned, and a great cry was heard, made by a powerful voice saying: "Woe to me, woe to me! The one who will overthrow my reign has just been born." And the one who spoke these words wept, uttering words unknown to men, and cried out: "He is the one who will burn my house."

Some said: Kill this child now. Those who gave this counsel did so because they had perceived the grace that had been given to Abraham. But the Lord placed mercy in the heart of his father, who said to the demons: Where do you come from, you who advise me to kill my son, who is a gift from God? And he raised the child. At the beginning of the seventh month, Abraham went outside during the night, saw the moon and the stars, and cried out: Lord, who has created these stars!

Then God answered him: I am the God of your fathers. I will make you holy and I will raise you up. And He gave him a code of law and ordinance.

Abraham was circumcised by the hand of Michael, with Gabriel assisting him. The man of God says: This revelation of mystery is astonishing; there is no other man who knows it. The angel replied to me: God did not tell Moses that Abraham had been circumcised by the hands of angels; He told this neither to His prophets nor to His apostles.

Praise to Him who reveals His secrets to whom He wills. As He Himself says: I give my gifts to whom I will, and no one can say to me, You have wronged this one and done good to that one; You have made this one rich or You have made him poor.

What He chose to show through Abraham was the fullness of the work of justice: faith was shown by Abraham, and the law was shown by Abraham. And in this we marvel at the whole law of our God, which endures to this day without being abolished. As Enoch says: I saw fourteen trees that had not lost their leaves, while all the other trees were dry and their leaves had fallen. And what do these fourteen trees that Enoch speaks of signify? asked Abba Bahayla Mikael. The Holy Spirit said: They are the ten words of the law, the covenant of Noah, the circumcision of the patriarchs, the priesthood of Melchizedek, and the baptism of John.

God said to Abraham when he was offering a sacrifice: Know that your children will descend into Egypt, that they will be strangers in a land that is not their own, and that the Egyptians will oppress them for four hundred years. This came to pass because Sarah had laughed, not having faith in the word of God. If Moses had not been saved, the Jews would not have gone out through the sea. In the new law it is said: If our Lord had not escaped from the hand of Herod, the nations would not have gone out of the sea of sin.

But do not believe that the Magi came immediately after his birth, or that they set out from their country only then — they had departed two years before our Lord was born. Taking the form of a star, Michael guided them. It was Michael also who helped the Jews escape from Egypt: when he struck the sky, rain poured down, the angels of the clouds drew out water and made it fall. Through that rain, a thousand warriors died; then for three days and three nights it turned bitterly cold, and through the cold another thousand men died. As for the Jews, they remained in the water for three days and three nights; then there came out of the water great beasts that killed the Egyptians. Some resembled lions, others leopards, others bears, and still others dragons. All of them roared at once, and the Egyptians were seized with terror. Before the Egyptians ever reached the water, they encountered these creatures.

This is why the prince of the wise said: By the voice of beasts that move on roaring, the Egyptians became frightened. Pharaoh's horse wanted to pass through on land, but Moses said: "Nesêbeho, yesêbah sebuh — We glorify Him, so that the Glorious is glorified," and the horse leaped as high as fifteen cubits. When the people saw the leap of Pharaoh's horse, they were afraid. Moses cursed it, and from that moment on the vigor of the horse was reduced by two thirds. All that belonged to Pharaoh was devoured by the sea and went down into Sheol.

It is on this subject that Ezekiel said: "The abyss cried out and he went down into Sheol." The abyss that cried out is the sea, which for seven days and seven nights wept like a child.

These are Your wonders, O Lord, and we have understood them all when they were told to our ears. Your wonders, O Lord, are magnificent. You are a sacred Word; Your throne is built on righteousness and Your roof rests on justice. Before the throne there is an undulating wind and an ardent fire; everything around it is seized by the wind from four corners, over a length of ten thousand cubits. This wind resembles a flame, and no one can see it except God. This wind carries the chariots of the cherubim, Kirubêl. There is the sea of fire, and its name is Seven. There are the seven abysses of light, the seven radiant stars, the seven vessels of light, the seven luminous clouds, the seven clusters of water, the seven hailstones, and the seven mountains of light where Enoch, son of Yârêd, lives — for he heard the words of the angels, and it is thus that the angels instructed him.

This is the genealogy of the patriarchs: Abraham fathered Isaac; Isaac fathered Jacob; Jacob fathered the twelve patriarchs.

These were jealous of Joseph and sold him. But before selling him they said: "Let us kill him." Ruben stopped them and told them: "Far from us this thought of killing him," and he saved him. And because he had saved Joseph, his sin was pardoned.

While Joseph was sitting in the shade under a tree, the tree said to him: "Your brothers intend to kill you." Joseph was afraid and ran. He stayed in the desert for three days and three nights and was hungry. A stone said to him: "Eat me, for I am bread." He ate it and gave thanks to the Creator, and water also came out of that bread. He went a little farther from that place and met a hunter of partridges, who asked him: "Where are you coming from?" He answered: "I have hidden myself out of fear of my brothers." The hunter gave him one of the partridges he had caught in his net. On the seventh day his brothers found him and sold him, so that he would go to another country.

Even there the grace of God did not abandon him. What shall we say then, O men, if the grace of God was with him? Under one accusation he was imprisoned, and there too the grace of God was with him. As Solomon says: even in the prison He did not abandon him. The king named him El, El, and Abrir — that is to say: "Listen, listen!" Other details about the story of Joseph are told in Genesis, the law.

The people of Israel went down into Egypt, and the Egyptians oppressed them. In those times there lived the son of Fânika, whose name was Finâhas, and the name of his wife was Râhêl. While they were working with bricks under great hardship, his wife, who was pregnant with twins, lost the pregnancy and cried out: "Have you forgotten your people, O God of Israel?" So God came down upon the mountain Sinai and said: "I have seen the sufferings of my people, I have heard their cries of anguish, and I have come down to save them."

Moses obeyed his Lord, and this is the law that God imposed on the children of Israel in the land of Egypt. He told them: "Take a lamb in the first month, on the tenth day, and keep it until the fourteenth day." What He said in this way is a prophecy announcing, in the last days, the coming of Our Lord. For the head of the lamb is the divine Word, Our Lord Jesus Christ; its limbs are the prophets from Adam until Abraham; its left feet the prophets from Moses until Elijah; and its right limbs the prophets from Samuel until Jeremiah. The fingers of its hands and feet are the children of the prophets; its skin the gift of the Holy Spirit that warms the nations, as Solomon says: "If two people sleep together, they will warm each other," which signifies the old and the new law. Its eyes are the apostles, for their eyes are a light for the entire world. Its two ears are the apostles Peter and Paul; the breath of its two nostrils is the zeal of faith in the martyrs; its interior organs are the voice of the Scriptures; its belly the priests, the faith, the love, the baptism, and the sacred Sacrifice. The two horns of the lamb and its bone that is not broken represent the body of Mary, who had not known man.

That is why Isaiah says: "A bruised reed that is not broken, and a smoking brand that cannot be extinguished." The bruised reed he speaks of is the body of man, or of the true Adam, that was not broken on the cross; and the smoking brand is the sacrifice of the nations, whose rite will never disappear.

God said to Moses: "When you have finished the tabernacle, you will appoint them there as I appointed you." Then He added: "Take a calf from among the calves, fat sheep, unleavened breads molded with oil and fine flour, and place them in a basket. Afterwards you will ask Aaron and his two sons to come to the entrance of the tabernacle of testimony, and you will wash them with water. The clothing of Aaron will be the tunic, and on the turban he will wear a crown lamina of gold. Such shall be their costume: they will be girdled by a belt and they will wear the headband."

And here is the symbolic spiritual explanation of this passage. When He says "the calf," He indicates Adam, as Enoch says: "A white calf came out, and from its side the heifer came out" — what Enoch told you is related to the creation of Eve. The horns of the altar that are sprinkled with the blood of the calf are the prophets who have received the gift of prophecy. When He speaks of the fat of the calf's intestines, that signifies the priests; its fatty outer layer and its two kidneys are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

When He says "You shall burn the calf outside, after having removed it from the camp," the calf represents the second Adam, that is to say Christ, who died outside the city, as Scripture tells us: "They led Him out of the city and took Him to the crucifixion." Adam himself, the father of humankind, came out of the earthly paradise and was consumed by fire. But do not imagine that he was consumed forever, like those among his children who were corrupted; the prophets remained in Sheol and Sheol did not consume them — it was for them as cool and refreshing as a kingdom of water, for the one who has not sinned, Sheol is a kingdom of mercy. This is why David says: "From the depths of the earth, you have brought me up again."

The other ram He speaks of is Moses, and this ram, in which perfection was not found, represents the sacrifice of Israel: their sacrifices and their prophets were nothing perfect, but everything was made perfect by the Gospel.

The third ram, which is perfect, is Our Lord, the perfection of all that was imperfect.

When He speaks of the ram's chest, it is the part where the breasts meet, which we call samsam.

I will now tell how the Levites are consecrated. The angel told me: Like the Levites, the priests are consecrated with bread, when the bishop ordains them. When they receive the bread, they bring it on the paten — a plate usually made of precious metal, used to carry the bread at the Eucharist — and carry out their priestly functions. And so, under different aspects, they perceive the mystery: some see it under the appearance of a perfect loaf of bread, others under the aspect of fire, others under the form of an ear of wheat.

While contemplating this revelation about the mystery, a man would cry out: "You can do all things; nothing is impossible for You." As Solomon says: "From ancient times, you take on all manner of forms." But the priests, even though they are set above all things, do not all apply themselves to contemplating the mysteries. Among them, there are those who throughout the entire day offer sacrifices and see the lamb as it is sacrificed on the dish, and others who, as is customary, offer the sacred sacrifice without seeing the lamb. As the apostles say, they share the same priestly dignity, but their portions of grace are not equal; whereas the Christian people must receive the mysteries in a single spirit and a single faith.

As for those who say in the humility of their heart, "I am not worthy to be a priest," God looks upon them with favor. It is right and fitting that a person cultivate humility; there are some to whom the Holy Spirit has not opened wisdom after their baptism.

Just as the extremities of all the fingers of Aaron and his sons were anointed, so the Holy Spirit anoints the tip of the right hand and the tip of the right ear of priests when they are consecrated. And this happens through a wondrous sign invisible to the eye.

As for the soul, it is helpless on account of what a person does not know, for the thoughts of a mortal are dark.

The basket signifies the Christians, as the body of Our Lord is buried within us. And when we are dying, the soul cries out: "Abba, my Father, through the Holy Spirit!" — and the Father answers: "O soul, I take pity on you, because you have eaten the body of my Son."

The body itself, lying in the dust of the grave, is guarded by the angels. Scripture says: "Many will rise up from the dust of the earth, from the depths of the earth." Our Lord Himself guards the bones of the righteous. This is why Daniel says: "Michael will arise, the great angel who is appointed over the children of men. There will be a great tribulation through his doing, such as has never been since the creation of the world." Michael means a marvelous thing. And when it is said that he has risen, it points to the Son who rose upon the cross; and the sufferings that Our Lord endured, no one who has ever lived or is now living could bear them. We adore Him together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Let us return to the description of the sacred tabernacle. Here is the word that Moses spoke to the children of Israel. He said to them: "Bring me, from what you have, silver, fabric material, hyacinth, crimson, scarlet, fine linen, millet, hair of male goat, prepared skins of ram, and mahan." The ram skin that we call mahan is of red leather, and masasit means sârâk, that is to say what the Levites put on their feet. What was commanded to Moses was carried out exactly.

When He speaks of the decay-resistant tree whose name is sôm, it refers to a black tree that we call zopê in Ge'ez. Podêrê refers to the Holy Spirit; podêrê means a white garment. Papira is a tail of white bull used to drive away insects. The mêlât is of white color and is interpreted as Adam; the mêlât is the purest of fabrics.

When it is said that the pillars of the tabernacle are of gold, the gold signifies the apostles and the silver the prophets. The bars on the grids of the pillars, their points and their bases, the tools, the brackets, the columns above and below, and their shafts were of bronze. And they made of gold what they placed on Aaron's garment. They set there four rows of stones, engraved upon them the names of the children of Israel, and sealed each of those names.

Here is the symbolic meaning of this passage: the four rows of stones represent the four Gospels. The twelve names of Israel are represented by the twelve apostles, as Solomon says: "The glory of the fathers is engraved on four rows of stones; on the garment of the high priest is the whole world." And Solomon said this because the high priest makes mention of everyone while burning the incense.

The garment called lagyon is equal in length and width, and the color of this garment resembles that of the sea; it is the most precious of garments. Aaron and his sons wore it only on the days of great celebrations. But the garment Qâs, the mitre, and the garment Agê — a black cotton garment — they put on only when they were sweeping and when they cooked the meat. The mitre was always worn for this ceremony.

As for the enclosures, each one measured four cubits and the width of a palm. They hung there a veil of hyacinth and deep red, depicted a cherub in the interior, and placed it between four pillars of rot-proof wood covered with gold, with bases of gold. The gate of the tabernacle was made in golden crimson, and in the interior they depicted cherubs of the forms of creation.

What he calls the forms of creation are two series of thrones toward the four corners, of which one has the face of a man, the second the face of an animal, the third the face of an ox, and the fourth the face of a lion. The face of man represents humanity; the face of the lion represents the lions; the eagle, whose face is also depicted, represents the birds; and the face of the animal represents the animals. From the wings of the cherubs falls a rain of mercy upon all who call upon them.