Paradise

Justice next created Paradise. It was beautiful and lay outside the orbit of the moon and the orbit of the sun,⁠a inside the Land of Delight, in the east among the stones, and desire dwells among the beautiful, satisfying trees, and the tree of eternal life appeared, in accord with the will of God, to the north of Paradise, in order that the souls of the saints could become deathless, those who shall emerge from the lowly shaped forms at the consummation of the age. The color of the tree of life resembles the sun, and its branches are lovely. Its leaves resemble those of the cypress. Its fruit resembles a cluster of grapes when white. Its height reaches up to heaven, and beside it (is) the tree of knowledge, possessing the strength of God. Its glory resembles the moon when it is in full light, and its branches are lovely. Its leaves resemble fig leaves. Its fruit resembles a good, satisfying date, and this tree is to the north of Paradise, in order that it could shake souls from the lethargy of the demons, in order that they could draw near to the tree of life, and eat of its fruit, and in this way denounce the authorities and their angels. The impact of this tree is detailed in holy Scripture, namely: “You are the tree of knowledge, which is in Paradise, from which the first man ate, and which opened his mind, and he loved his female companion, and denounced the other alien likenesses, even despising them.” After this, the olive tree sprouted up to sanctify kings and high priests of righteousness, who were to appear in the last days, given that the olive tree appeared from out of the light of the first Adam to supply the anointing they were to obtain.