Testament of Adam

The Testament of Adam

[The Hours]

Adam spoke to his son Seth concerning the hours of the night and the day, and how in each one the whole creation gives praise to God.

In the hours of the night: the first hour, the praise of the demons, who in that hour do no harm to anyone; the second, the praise of the doves; the third, the praise of the fish and of the fire and of all the depths below; the fourth, the Thrice-Holy of the seraphim; the fifth, the praise of the waters above the heavens; the sixth, the making of the clouds and great fear; the seventh, the resting of the powers while the waters sleep, when, if a man take water and a priest mix holy oil with it, he may heal the sick; the eighth, the springing up of the grass and the coming forth of the dew; the ninth, the praise of the cherubim; the tenth, the praise of mankind, and the gate of heaven is opened, and the prayer of every living thing enters, and they worship and depart; the eleventh, joy and gladness over all the earth as the sun rises from Paradise and shines upon creation; the twelfth, the waiting and silence, until the priest burns incense, and all the heavenly powers are stilled.

In the hours of the day: the first hour, the prayer of the heavenly beings; the second, the prayer of the angels; the third, the praise of the birds; the fourth, the praise of the beasts; the fifth, the praise of all things above the heaven; the sixth, the praise of the cherubim who plead against the wickedness of men; the seventh, the going in and out before God of all the powers; the eighth, the praise of the fire and the waters; the ninth, the supplication of the angels who stand before the throne; the tenth, the visiting of the waters, when the spirits descend upon the waters and the springs, and were a foul spirit sent forth, that man would perish unless a priest had mixed holy oil and anointed and prayed; the eleventh, the joy and praise of the righteous; the twelfth, the supplication of mankind, that God may favor the work of his hands.

[The Prophecy]

Then Adam said to Seth, “My son, hear me. When I was made and set in the Garden, God walked among us in the cool of the day. But after I transgressed his commandment and was deceived, he drove me out, and the cherub kept the way of the tree of life.

“Yet the LORD said to me: ‘Do not grieve, Adam. Because you sought to be a god, I have set you over the works of my hands. But in the fullness of time the Word of God will clothe himself with a body born of a virgin daughter of your line. He will be persecuted and pierced, and after three days he will rise; and he will lift you out of the dust and set you among the company of heaven, and the deceiver shall be cast down.’

“A flood is coming upon the whole earth because of the children of Seth and the daughters of Cain, who will mingle and do wickedness. Therefore, my son, keep these words; lay them up, and let your sons after you keep them.”

[The Orders of the Powers]

And Adam declared the orders of the heavenly powers, which are nine: angels, archangels, principalities, authorities, powers, dominions, thrones, seraphim, and cherubim. The angels are set over men, that no one perish unguarded; the archangels govern the moving things of the world; the powers restrain the hostile spirits; and the seraphim and cherubim stand within the veil, before the throne of glory, and never cease from their song.

When Adam had finished, he died; and Seth embalmed him, and wrote down these words, and hid them. [Meaning uncertain]