35.
Jesus departed from Jerusalem, and went to the desert beyond Jordan: and his disciples that were seated round him said to Jesus: 'O master, tell us how Satan fell through pride, for we have understood that he fell through disobedience, and because he always tempteth man to do evil.'Jesus answered: 'God having created a mass of earth, and having left it for twenty-five thousand years without doing aught else; Satan, who was as it were priest and head of the angels, by the great understanding that he possessed, knew that God of that mass of earth was to take one hundred and forty and four thousand signed with the mark of prophecy, and the messenger of God, the soul of which messenger he had created sixty thousand years before aught else. Therefore, being indignant, he instigated the angels, saying: ''Look ye, one day God shall will that this earth be revered by us. Wherefore consider that we are spirit, and therefore it is not fitting so to do."'Many therefore forsook God.
Whereupon said God, one day when all the angels were assembled:
"Let each one that holds me for his lord straightway do reverence to this earth."'
They that loved God bowed themselves, but Satan, with them that were of his mind, said: "O Lord, we are spirit, and therefore it is not just that we should do reverence to this clay."
Having said this, Satan became horrid and of fearsome look, and his followers became hideous; because for their rebellion God took away from them the beauty wherewith he had endued them in creating them.
Whereat the holy angels, when, lifting their heads, they saw how terrible a monster Satan had become, and his followers, cast down their face to earth in fear.'Then said Satan: "O Lord, thou hast unjustly made me hideous, but I am content thereat, because I desire to annul all that thou shalt do.
And the other devils said: "Call him not Lord, O Lucifer, for thou art Lord."'
Then said God to the followers of Satan: "Repent ye, and recognize me as God, your creator."'
They answered: "We repent of having done thee any reverence, for that thou art not just; but Satan is just and innocent, and he is our Lord."'Then said God: "Depart from me, O ye cursed, for I have no mercy on you."'And in his departing Satan spat upon that mass of earth, and that spittle the angel Gabriel lifted up with some earth, so that therefore now man has the navel in his belly.'
.....
skip to chapter 40
40.
'When Satan had knowledge of this he became mad with indignation. And so he drew near to the gate of paradise, whereat stood on guard a horrid serpent, which had legs like a camel, and the nails of his feet cut like a razor on every side. To him said the enemy: "Suffer me to enter into paradise."'
The serpent answered: "And how shall I suffer thee to enter, God having commanded me to drive thee out?"'
Satan answered: "Thou seest how much God loveth thee, since he hath set thee outside of paradise to keep guard over a lump of clay, which is man. Wherefore, if thou bring me into paradise I will make thee so terrible that every one shall flee thee, and so at thy pleasure thou shalt go and stay."'
Then said the serpent: "And how shall I set thee within?"'
Said Satan. "Thou art great: therefore open thy mouth, and I will enter into thy belly, and so thou entering into paradise shalt place me near to those two lumps of clay that are newly walking upon the earth."'
Then the serpent did so, and placed Satan near to Eve, for Adam, her husband, was sleeping.
Satan presented himself before the woman like a beauteous angel, and said to her "Wherefore eat ye not of those apples and of corn?"'
Eve answered: "Our God hath said to us that eating thereof we shall be unclean, and therefore he will drive us from paradise."'
Satan answered: "He saith not the truth. Thou must know that God is wicked and envious, and therefore he brooketh no equals, but keepeth every one for a slave. And so he hath thus spoken unto you, in order that ye may not become equal to him. But if thou and thy companion do according to my counsel, ye shall eat of those fruits even as of the others, and ye shall not remain subject to others, but like God ye shall know good and evil, and ye shall do that which ye please, because ye shall be equal to God."'
Then Eve took and ate of those [fruits]. And when her husband awoke she told all that Satan had said; and he took of them, his wife offering them, and did eat. Whereupon, as the food was going down, he remembered the words of God; wherefore, wishing to stop the food, he put his hand into his throat, where every man has the mark.
41.
'Then both of them knew that they were naked: wherefore, being ashamed, they took fig leaves and made a clothing for their secret parts.
When midday was passed, behold God appeared to them, and called Adam, saying: "Adam, where art thou?"'
He answered: "Lord, I did hide myself from thy presence because I and my wife are naked, and so we are ashamed to present ourselves before thee."'
Then said God: "And who hath robbed you of your innocence, unless ye have eaten the fruit by reason of which ye are unclean, and will not be able to abide longer in paradise?"'
Adam answered: "O Lord, the wife whom thou hast given me besought me to eat, and so I have eaten thereof."'
Then said God to the woman: "Wherefore gavest thou such food to thy husband?"'
Eve answered: "Satan deceived me, and so I did eat."'"
And how did that reprobate enter in hither?" said God.'
Eve answered: "A serpent that standeth at the northern gate brought him near to me."'
Then said God to Adam: "Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife and hast eaten the fruit, cursed be the earth in thy works; it shall bring forth for thee brambles and thorns, and in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. And remember that thou art earth, and to earth shalt thou return."'
And he spake to Eve, saying: "And thou who didst hearken to Satan, and gavest the food to thy husband, shalt abide under the dominion of man, who shall keep thee as a slave, and thou shalt bear children with travail."'
And having called the serpent, God called the angel Michael, him who holdeth the sword of God, [and] said:
"First drive forth from paradise this wicked serpent, and when outside cut off his legs: for if he shall wish to walk, he must trail his body upon the earth."
Afterwards God called Satan, who came laughing, and he said to him: "Because thou, reprobate, hast deceived these and hast made them to become unclean, I will that every uncleanness of them and of all their children, whereof they shall be truly penitent and shall serve me, in going forth from their body shall enter through thy mouth, and so shalt thou be satiated with uncleanness."'
Satan then gave a horrible roar, and said: "Since thou willest to make me ever worse, I yet will make me that which I shall be able!"'
Then said God: "Depart, cursed one, from my presence!"
Then Satan departed: whereupon God said to Adam [and] Eve, who were both weeping:
"Go ye forth from paradise, and do penance, and let not your hope fail, for I will send your son to such wise that your seed shall lift the dominion of Satan from off the human race: for he who shall come, my messenger, to him will I give all things."'
God hid himself, and the angel Michael drove them forth from paradise. Whereupon Adam, turning him round, saw written above the gate, "There is only one God, and Mohammed is messenger of God."
Whereupon, weeping, he said: "May it be pleasing to God, O my son, that thou come quickly and draw us out of misery."'
And thus,' said Jesus, 'sinned Satan and Adam through pride, the one by despising man, the other by wishing to make himself equal with God.'