Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil (17 page)

5 The name of the second is Kesabel, who pointed out evil counsel to the sons of the holy angels, and induced them to corrupt their bodies by generating mankind.

6 The name of the third is Gadrel: he discovered every stroke of death to the children of men.

7 He seduced Eve; and discovered to the children of men the instruments of death, the coat of mail, the shield, and the sword for slaughter; every instrument of death to the children of men.

8 From his hand were
these things
derived to them who dwell upon earth, from that period for ever.

9 The name of the fourth is Penemue: he discovered to the children of men bitterness and sweetness;

10 And pointed out to them every secret of their wisdom.

11 He taught men to understand writing, and
the use of
ink and paper.

12 Therefore numerous have been those who have gone astray from every period of the world, even to this day.

13 For men were not born for this, thus with pen and with ink to confirm their faith;

14 Since they were not created, except that, like the angels, they might remain righteous and pure.

15 Nor would death, which destroys everything, have affected them;

16 But by this their knowledge they perish, and by this also
its
power consumes
them.

17 The name of the fifth is Kasyade: he discovered to the children of men every wicked stroke of spirits and of demons:

18 The stroke of the embryo in the womb, to diminish
it
[or, “the blows (which attack) the embryo in the womb so that it miscarries” (Knibb, p. 162)]; the stroke of the spirit
by
the bite of the serpent, and the stroke which is
given
in the mid-day
by
the offspring of the serpent, the name of which is Tabaet [literally, “male” or “strong” (Knibb p. 162)].

19 This is the number of the Kesbel; the principal part of the oath which the Most High, dwelling in glory, revealed to the holy ones.

20 Its name is Beka. He spoke to holy Michael to discover to them the sacred name, that they might understand that secret name, and thus remember the oath; and that those who pointed out every secret thing to the children of men might tremble at that name and oath.

21 This is the power of that oath; for powerful it is, and strong.

22 And he established this oath of Akae by the instrumentality of the holy Michael.

23 These are the secrets of this oath, and by it were they confirmed.

24 Heaven was suspended
by it
before the world was made, for ever.

25 By it has the earth been founded upon the flood; while from the concealed parts of the hills the agitated waters proceed forth from the creation to the end of the world.

26 By this oath the sea has been formed, and the foundation of it.

27 During the period of
its
fury he has established the sand against it, which continues unchanged for ever; and by this oath the abyss has been made strong; nor is it removable from its station for ever and ever.

28 By this oath the sun and moon complete their progress, never swerving from the command given to them for ever and ever.

29 By this oath the stars complete their progress;

30 And when their names are called, they return an answer, for ever and ever.

31 Thus
in
the heavens
take place
the blowings of the winds: all of them have breathings [or, “spirits” (Laurence, p. 87)], and
effect
a complete combination of breathings.

32 There the treasures of thunder are kept, and the splendour of the lightning.

33 There are kept the treasures of hail and of frost, the treasures of snow, the treasures of rain and of dew.

34 All these confess and laud before the Lord of spirits.

35 They glorify with all their power of praise; and he sustains them in all that
act of
thanksgiving; while they laud, glorify, and exalt the name of the Lord of spirits for ever and ever.

36 And with them he establishes this oath, by which they and their paths are preserved; nor does their progress perish.

37 Great was their joy.

38 They blessed, glorified, and exalted, because the name of the Son of man was revealed to them.

39 He sat upon the throne of his glory; and the principal part of the judgment was assigned to him, the Son of man. Sinners shall disappear and perish from the face of the earth, while those who seduced them shall be bound with chains for ever.

40 According to their ranks of corruption shall they be imprisoned, and all their works shall disappear from the face of the earth; nor thenceforward shall there be any to corrupt; for the Son of man has been seen, sitting on the throne of his glory.

41 Everything wicked shall disappear, and depart from before his face; and the word of the Son of man shall become powerful in the presence of the Lord of spirits.

42 This is the third parable of Enoch.

1 After this the name of the Son of man, living with the Lord of spirits, was exalted by the inhabitants of the earth.

2 It was exalted in the chariots of the Spirit; and the name went forth in the midst of them.

3 From that time I was not drawn in the midst of them; but he seated me between two spirits, between the north and the west, where the angels received their ropes, to measure out a place for the elect and the righteous.

4 There I beheld the fathers of the first men, and the saints, who dwell in that place for ever.

1 Afterwards my spirit was concealed, ascending in to the heavens. I beheld the sons of the holy angels treading on flaming fire, whose garments and robes were white, and whose countenances were transparent as crystal.

2 I saw two rivers of fire glittering like the hyacinth.

3 Then I fell on my face before the Lord of spirits.

4 And Michael, one of the archangels, took me by my right hand, raised me up, and brought me out
to
where
was
every secret
of
mercy and secret
of
righteousness.

5 He showed me all the hidden things of the extremities of heaven, all the receptacles of the stars, and the splendours of all, from whence they went forth before the face of the holy.

6 And he concealed the spirit of Enoch in the heaven of heavens.

7 There I beheld, in the midst of that light, a building raised with stones of ice;

8 And in the midst of these stones vibrations [literally, “tongues” (Laurence, p. 90)] of living fire. My spirit saw around the circle of this flaming habitation, on one of its extremities,
that there were
rivers full of living fire, which encompassed it.

9 Then the Seraphim, the Cherubim, and Ophanin [the “wheels” of Ezek. 1:15–21 (Charles, p. 162)] surrounded
it:
these are those who never sleep, but watch the throne of his glory.

10 And I beheld angels innumerable, thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads, who surrounded that habitation.

11 Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Phanuel, and the holy angels who were in the heavens above, went in and out of it. Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel went out of that habitation, and holy angels innumerable.

12 With them
was
the Ancient of days, whose head
was
white as wool, and pure, and his robe
was
indescribable.

13 Then I fell upon my face, while all my flesh was dissolved, and my spirit became changed.

14 I cried out with a loud voice, with a powerful spirit, blessing, glorifying, and exalting.

15 And those blessings, which proceeded from my mouth, became acceptable in the presence of the Ancient of days.

16 The Ancient of days came with Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel, with thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads, which could not be numbered.

17 Then that angel
came to me, and with his voice saluted me, saying, Thou art the Son of man,
[123]
who art born for righteousness, and righteousness has rested on thee.

18 The righteousness of the Ancient of days shall not forsake thee.

19 He said, On thee shall he confer peace in the name of the existing world; for from thence has peace gone forth since the world was created.

20 And thus shall it happen to thee for ever and ever.

21 All who shall exist, and who shall walk in thy path of righteousness, shall not forsake thee for ever.

22 With thee shall be their habitations, with thee their lot; nor from thee shall they be separated for ever and ever.

23 And thus shall length of days be with the Son of man.
[124]

24 Peace shall be to the righteous; and the path of integrity shall the righteous pursue, in the name of the Lord of spirits, for ever and ever.

1 The book of the revolutions of the luminaries of heaven, according to their respective classes, their respective powers, their respective periods, their respective names, the places where they commence their progress, and their respective months, which Uriel, the holy angel who was with me, explained to me; he who conducts them. The whole account of them, according to every year of the world for ever, until a new work shall be effected, which will be eternal.

2 This is the first law of the luminaries. The sun
and
the light arrive at the gates of heaven, which are on the east, and on the west of it at the western gates of heaven.

3 I beheld the gates whence the sun goes forth; and the gates where the sun sets;

4 In which gates also the moon rises and sets; and
I beheld
the conductors of the stars, among those who precede them; six
gates were
at the rising, and six at the setting of the sun.

5 All these respectively, one after another, are on a level; and numerous windows are on the right and on the left sides of those gates.

6 First proceeds forth that great luminary, which is called the sun; the orb of which is as the orb of heaven, the whole of it being replete with splendid and flaming fire.

7 Its chariot, where it ascends, the wind blows.

8 The sun sets in heaven, and, returning by the north, to proceed towards the east, is conducted so as to enter by that gate, and illuminate the face of heaven.

9 In the same manner it goes forth in the first month by a great gate.

10 It goes forth through the fourth of those six gates, which are at the rising of the sun.

11 And in the fourth gate, through which the sun with the moon proceeds, in the first part of it [or, “from which the sun rises in the first month” (Knibb, p. 168)], there are twelve open windows; from which issues out a flame, when they are opened at their proper periods.

12 When the sun rises in heaven, it goes forth through this fourth gate thirty days, and by the fourth gate in the west of heaven on a level with it descends.

13 During that period the day is lengthened from the day, and the night curtailed from the night for thirty days. And then the day is longer by two parts than the night.

14 The day is precisely ten parts, and the night is eight.

15 The sun goes forth through this fourth gate, and sets in it, and turns to the fifth gate during thirty days; after which it proceeds from, and sets in, the fifth gate.

16 Then the day becomes lengthened by a second portion, so that it is eleven parts: while the night becomes shortened, and is only seven parts.

17 The sun
now
returns to the east, entering into the sixth gate, and rising and setting in the sixth gate thirty-one days, on account of its signs.

18 At that period the day is longer than the night, being twice
as long as
the night; and becomes twelve parts;

19 But the night is shortened, and becomes six parts. Then the sun rises up, that the day may be shortened, and the night lengthened.

20 And the sun returns towards the east, entering into the sixth gate, where it rises and sets for thirty days.

21 When that period is completed, the day becomes shortened precisely one part, so that it is eleven parts, while the night is seven parts.

22 Then the sun goes from the west, from that sixth gate, and proceeds eastwards, rising in the fifth gate for thirty days, and setting again westwards in the fifth gate of the west.

23 At that period the day becomes shortened two parts; and is ten parts, while the night is eight parts.

24 Then the sun goes from the fifth gate, as it sets in the fifth gate of the west; and rises in the fourth gate for thirty-one days, on account of its signs, setting in the west.

25 At that period the day is made equal with the night; and, being equal with it, the night becomes nine parts, and the day nine parts.

26 Then the sun goes from that gate, as it sets in the west; and returning to the east proceeds by the third gate for thirty days, setting in the west at the third gate.

27 At that period the night is lengthened from the day during thirty mornings, and the day is curtailed from the day during thirty days; the night being ten parts precisely, and the day eight parts.

28 The sun now goes from the third gate, as it sets in the third gate in the west; but returning to the east, it proceeds by the second gate of the east for thirty days.

29 In like manner also it sets in the second gate in the west of heaven.

30 At that period the night is eleven parts, and the day seven parts.

31 Then the sun goes at that time from the second gate, as it sets in the second gate in the west; but returns to the east,
proceeding
by the first gate, for thirty-one days.

32 And sets in the west in the first gate.

33 At that period the night is lengthened as much again as the day.

34 It is twelve parts precisely, while the day is six parts.

35 The sun has
thus
completed its beginnings, and a second time goes round from these beginnings.

36 Into that [first] gate it enters for thirty days, and sets in the west, in the opposite part
of heaven.