The Book of the Bee 18

1Of Adam’s knowing Eve.

2When Adam and Eve went forth from Paradise, they were both virgins. After thirty years Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain and Leboda his sister with him; and again she conceived and bare Abel and Kelemath his sister with him. When the youths had grown up, Adam said to Eve, “ Let Cain take to wife Kelemath who was born with Abel, and let Abel take Leboda who was born with Cain.” But Cain said to Eve his mother, “ I will take to wife my own sister, and let Abel take his;” for Leboda was beautiful. When Adam heard these words, he was very grieved, and said, “ It is a transgression of the […] Cain’s sister to Abel; but Cain desired his own sister more than Abel’s. Both (i. e. Kelemath and Leboda) were his sisters, but because of their birth at one time I have called them thus. Now Cain’s sister was exceedingly beautiful. The two brothers made an offering to God because of this matter. Abel, because he was a shepherd, offered up of the fat firstlings of his flock in great love, with a pure heart and a sincere mind. Cain, because he was a husbandman, made an offering of some of the refuse of the fruits of his husbandry with reluctance. He made an offering of ears of wheat that were smitten by blight; but some say of straw only. And the divine fire came down from heaven and consumed the offering of Abel, and it was accepted; while the offering of Cain was rejected. And Cain was angry with God, and envied his brother; and he persuaded his brother to come out into the plain, and slew him. Some say that he smashed his head with stones, and killed him; and others say that Satan appeared to him in the form of wild beasts that fight with one another and slay each other. [VI At any rate, he killed him, whether this way or that way. Then God said to Cain, ‘ Where is Abel thy brother?’ Cain said, ‘Am I forsooth my brother’s keeper?’ God said, ‘ Behold, the sound of the cry of thy brother Abel’s blood has come unto me; ’ and God cursed Cain, and made him a wanderer and a fugitive all the days of his life. From the day in which the blood of Abel was shed upon the ground, it did not again receive the blood of any animal until Noah came forth from the ark. Adam and Eve mourned for Abel one hundred years. In the two hundred and thirtieth year, Seth, the beautiful, was born in the likeness of Adam; and Adam and Eve were consoled by him. Cain and his descendants went down and dwelt in the plain, while Adam and his children, that is the sons of Seth, dwelt upon the top of the Mount of Eden. And the sons of Seth went down and saw the beauty of the daughters of Cain, and lay with them; and the earth was corrupted and polluted with lasciviousness; and Adam and Eve heard of it and conceived by them and brought forth mighty men, the sons of heroes, like towers. Hence early writers have erred and written, “ The angels came down from heaven, and had intercourse with mankind, and from them were born mighty men of renown.” But this is not true; they have said this because they did not understand. Now see, my brother readers, and know that this is neither in the nature of spiritual beings, nor in the nature of the impure and evil-doing demons who love adultery; for there are no males nor females among them, nor has there been even one added to their number since they fell. If the devils were able to have intercourse with women, they would not leave one single virgin undefiled in the whole human race.’ oIaAL/.a,.JIch-s&a,? mourned. Now Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years \ Some say that in the days of Seth the knowledge of books went forth in the earth; but the Church does not accept this. When Seth was two hundred and fifty years old, he begat Enos; and Seth lived nine hundred and thirteen years, and he died. Enos was two hundred and ninety years old when he begat Cainan; and Enos first called upon the name of the Lord. Some say that he first composed books upon the course of the stars and the signs of the Zodiac. Enos lived nine hundred and five years. Cainan was a hundred and forty years old when he begat Mahalaleel; and he lived nine hundred and ten years. Mahalaleel was one hundred and sixty-five years old when he begat Jared; and he lived eight hundred and ninety-five years. Jared was one hundred and sixty-two years old when he begat Enoch; and he lived nine hundred and sixty-two years. Enoch was one hundred and sixty-five years old when he begat Methuselah; and when he was three hundred and sixty-five years old, God removed him to the generation of life, that is to Paradise. Methuselah was one hundred ‘Seth became a leader to the children of his people, and he ruled them in purity and holiness. And because of their purity they received this name, which is better than all names, that they should be called the children of God. and they went up in place of that band of demons which fell from and eighty-seven years old when he begat Lamech; and he lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years. Lamech was a hundred and eighty-two years old when he begat Noah; and he lived seven hundred and seventy-seven years.