1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But when the earth was not visible, covered with thick darkness, and a wind moved upon its surface, God commanded that there should be light: and when that was made, he considered the whole mass, and separated the light and the darkness; and the name he gave to one was night, and the other he called day: and he named the beginning of light, and the time of rest, the evening and the morning. And this was indeed the first day. But Moses said it was one day; the cause of which I am able to give even now; but because I have promised to give such reasons for all things in a treatise by itself, I will put off its exposition until that time. After this, on the second day, he placed the heavens over the whole world, and separated them from the other parts; and he determined it should stand by itself. He also placed a crystalline layer around it; and put it together in a way suited to the earth; and fitted it for giving moisture and rain, and for providing the advantage of dew. On the third day he appointed the dry land to appear, with the sea itself around it. And on the very same day he made the plants and the seeds spring out of the earth. On the fourth day he adorned the heavens with the sun, the moon, and the other stars; and appointed them their motions and courses: so that the changes of the seasons might be clearly signified. And on the fifth day he produced the living creatures, both those that swim and those that fly; the former in the sea, the latter in the air. He also arranged them for society and procreation so their kinds would increase and multiply. On the sixth day he created the four-footed beasts, and made them male and female. On the same day he also formed man. Accordingly, Moses says that in exactly six days the world, and all that is in it, was made. And that the seventh day was a rest, and a release from the labor of such operations. That is why we celebrate a Rest from our labors on that day, and call it the Sabbath: which word denotes Rest in the Hebrew language. 2 Moreover Moses, after the seventh day was over, begins to speak philosophically; and concerning the formation of man says this: that God took dust from the ground, and formed man, and placed in him a spirit and a soul. This man was called Adam: which in the Hebrew language signifies one who is red; because he was formed out of red earth combined together, for that kind is virgin and true earth. God also presented the living creatures, when he had made them, according to their kinds, both male and female, to Adam, and gave them those names by which they are still called. But when he saw that Adam had no female companion—no companionship, for no female companion had been created—and that he wondered at the other animals that were male and female, he put him to sleep, and took away one of his ribs, and from it formed the woman. Then Adam recognized her when she was brought to him, and acknowledged that she was made out of himself. Now a woman is called in the Hebrew language Issa, but the name of this woman was Eve, which signifies the Mother of all living. 3 Moses says further that God planted a paradise in the east, flourishing with all kinds of trees; and that among them was the Tree of Life, and another of Knowledge, by which one was to learn what was Good and what was Evil. And that when he brought Adam and his wife into this garden, he commanded them to take care of the plants. Now the garden was watered by one river, which ran around the whole earth, and was divided into four parts. And Phison, which denotes a Multitude, runs into India, and empties into the sea; and is called Ganges by the Greeks. Euphrates also, as well as Tigris, flows down into the Red Sea. Now the name Euphrates, or Phrath, denotes either a Dispersion or a Flower; by Tigris or Diglath is meant what is swift and narrow; and Geon runs through Egypt, and means what arises from the East, which the Greeks call Nile. 4 God therefore commanded that Adam and his wife could eat from all the rest of the plants, but should avoid the Tree of Knowledge; and foretold that if they touched it, it would lead to their destruction. But while all the living creatures had one language at that time, the serpent, which then lived together with Adam and his wife, showed an envious disposition⁠a at his assumption of their living happily and in obedience to God’s commands. And thinking that if they disobeyed them, they would fall into misery, he persuaded the woman, out of a malicious intention, to taste the Tree of Knowledge, telling them that in that tree was the Knowledge of Good and Evil; and that when they obtained it, they would lead a happy life, indeed a life not inferior to that of a God. In this way he overcame the woman and persuaded her to disregard God’s command. Now when she had tasted that tree, and was pleased with its fruit, she persuaded Adam to eat of it also. Then they realized that they were naked before one another; and being ashamed to appear like this in public, they invented a covering for themselves, for the tree sharpened their understanding. They covered themselves with fig leaves, and, tying them in front from modesty, believed they were happier than before, because they had discovered what they lacked. But when God came into the garden, Adam, who had previously come and spoken with him, being aware of his wrongdoing, hid himself. This behavior surprised God, and he asked about the cause of his actions, and why he, who had once delighted in their conversations, now avoided it. When Adam offered no answer, knowing he had disobeyed God’s command, God said, “I had already decided how you both might live a happy life, without affliction, worry, or suffering, and that everything that would give you pleasure and delight would grow by my providence, without your labor and toil, which would soon bring old age, and death would not be far off. But now you have misused my goodwill and disobeyed my commands. Your silence is not a sign of virtue, but of guilt.” However, Adam excused his sin and begged God not to be angry with him, blaming his wife, saying she deceived him and so he became a wrongdoer. She in turn blamed the serpent. But God punished Adam because he weakly followed his wife’s advice, and said that the ground would no longer automatically give up its produce, but only by hard work. It would yield some fruits but keep others back. Eve he made subject to the pains of childbirth and the difficulties of childbearing, because she had coaxed Adam with the same arguments the serpent used on her, thus placing him in a tragic state. He also removed the serpent’s ability to speak, because of its malicious intent toward Adam. In addition, he placed venom under the serpent’s tongue and made it humanity’s enemy, commanding that people strike at its head, where its deadly designs lay, and where it was easiest to avenge themselves on it. And after God gave these punishments, he removed Adam and Eve from the garden to another place.