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The Death of Adam — An Armenian Adam Book

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2011

Michael Stone
Michael Stone
Affiliation:
The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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Extract

This short work was published by S. Hovsepceancc, and the present translation is made from that text. The only previous English translation is that of J. Issaverdens, from which this rendering differs at a number of points. A German translation based on three MSS was published by E. Preuschen. Since he offers neither an Armenian text nor any information at all about his MSS or their location, use has been made as far as possible of his translation and notes. Significant variants reflected in his translation have been recorded in the notes on the translation offered here. For convenience a system of verse numbering was introduced.

Type
Research Article
Information
Harvard Theological Review , Volume 59 , Issue 3 , July 1966 , pp. 283 - 291
Copyright
Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College 1966

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References

1 S. Hovsepceancc, Ankanon Girkc Hin Ktakaranacc (Venice, Monastery of St. Lazarus, 1896), 24–26.

2 J. Issaverdens, The Uncanonical Writings of the Old Testament (Venice, Monastery of St. Lazarus, 1900), 85–89.

3 Erwin Preuschen, “Die Apokryphen Gnostischen Adamschriften,” in Festgruss Bernhard Stade, by W. Diehl and others (Giessen, Ricker's, 1900), 165–252. The text is on pp. 186–188. Preuschen's lack of any information about his MSS means that the only MS of which details are known is that printed by Hovsepceancc.

4 Arm. mnaccordaccn. Preuschen translated Apokryphen.

5 Preuschen: der in jenem Garten gewohnt hatte, evidently based on a different text.

6 Issaverdens: nephews; Preuschen: Enkeln; Arm.: tcoṙanc c.

7 This seems more likely than Preuschen: und nicht wurde er (Adam) so erfahren wie Thobel.

8 Preuschen reads geschehen war, evidently ełin. The text of Hovsepceancc is elin, which is awkward with the relative or in the nominative.

9 Preuschen points to corruption at this point. Only Eve dreamed. His suggested original is improbable, however, and perhaps one should read ew 〈ewa〉 tesanēr, through a process of haplography and correction producing ew tesanēin.

10 Armenian 3rd pers. pl. act. used with impersonal sense. Thus right through this section.

11 The phrase is difficult. Atcoṙov is in the instrumental, which is problematic. Preuschen translates, evidently from a different text, auf einem Thron, auf einem hohen glänzenden Podium.

12 Preuschen's repetition of trat hinter Adam must be a misprint.

13 Preuschen suggests that a whole vision seen by Seth may be omitted. It seems likely, however, that he is corroborating Eve's vision. In any case, the text is difficult at this point.

14 Issaverdens, for no discernible reason, renders this phrase in oratio obliqua.

15 Arm. hangeac c, an euphemism for dying, or perhaps a hint of future salvation; cf. “fall asleep” in N.T., 1 Thess. 4:13, 14 etc.

16 This sentence is omitted by Preuschen.

17 Preuschen translated “‥‥ und was thatest du, das du starbst?” evidently from a different text.

18 Preuschen omits.

19 Thus M.T. and LXX, Gen. 5:3–5. The Greek and Massoretic traditions vary in the division of these years, but both agree on the total of 930. Thus too Arm. Gen. 5:3–5, Ap. M. 5:1, Vit. Ad. 30:1, C. Bezold, Die Schatzhöhle (Leipzig, Hinrich's, 1883), I, 9. Rabbinic sources reflecting the same tradition are gathered by L. Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews (Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, 1928), I, 72, 93 and notes there.

20 For example, Schatzhöhle, I, 6; Lactantius, Div. Ins. II: 13; S.C. Malan, The Book of Adam and Eve (London, Williams and Northgate, 1882), passim; cf. Gen. R. 8:3, etc. Malan is referred to henceforth as the Ethiopic Adam Book.

21 Cf. also Ginzberg, Legends, V, 105, 112.

22 Verse L of addition following 8:62. See M. Stone, “Contradictions of Translation as Revealed in the Apocrypha,” to appear shortly in Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Armenian Language.

23 II: 52.

24 Schatzhöhle, I, 8, Ethiopic Adam Book, I, Iren. adv. Haer. 22:4. See Ginzberg, L., “Die Haggada bei den Kirchenvätern und in die Apokryphischen Litteratur,” Monatsschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judentums 43 (1899), 222–25Google Scholar, for a discussion of Jewish evidence for this view.

25 For a treatment of the views according to which Abel had two twin sisters see J. Theodor and Ch. Albek, Bereschit Rabba (Berlin, Akademie Verlag, 1929), comm. ad loc. (22:2). Philo, de Post. Caini 34, knows of no daughters until after the birth of Seth. One daughter is found in Ps.-Ph. Bib. Ant. 1:1, Jub. 4:1.

26 This may be related to the name Kelimath (Schatzhöhle, I, 8) and Aklemia (Eth. Adam Book, 1:74) given for Abel's sister. Armenian Kayinan here is to be distinguished from Kaynan = Kenan, Adam's grandson (Gen. 5:9).

27 The reversal of the names in Schatzhöhle and the Ethiopic Adam Book is confirmed by Midrash Haggadol which has Iwbdʼ as Abel's sister, which name is given to Cain's sister in Schatzhöhle (Lebhudha, I, 8). Ethiopic Adam Book has Luluwa, probably somehow connnected with these, as Cain's sister in 1:74.

28 Cf. Targ. Ps. Jon. to Gen. 4:1.

29 De Migr. Abr. 74. He also offers other explanations; cf. Quod Det. 78, etc., “offered up.” Compare the text treated by A. Levene, The Early Christian Fathers on Genesis (London, Taylors, 1951), trn., 79.

30 “Foundation” Levene, 80. “Resurrection” Augustine, Civ. Dei 18 may well come from the fact that Seth was seen as a type of Christ; see Augustine ibid. In general on the Seth legend see E.C. Quinn, The Quest of Seth for the Oil of Life (Chicago, Univ. of Chicago Press, 1962).

31 Preuschen, 217ff. Many cases of brightness are to be observed, for example, in 1 En. 104:2, Ap. Bar. 51:5, Dan. 12:3, etc.

32 See G. Scholem, Jewish Gnosticism, Merkabah Mysticism and Talmudic Tradition (New York, Jewish Theological Seminary, 5720–1960), 18f. and notes there.

33 See, for example, the energetic defence by Irenaeus, adv. Haer. 23.

34 See Quinn, The Quest of Seth, 35–46, for detailed discussion of these ideas.

35 “Descent,” Latin A, 8 (24):1, 2 etc., Greek, 8 (24):1 etc., “Death,” v.21.

36 “Descent,” Latin B, 9 (25):1, “Death,” v.22.

37 “Descent,” Greek, 8 (24):1, “Death,” implied v.22.

38 See the detailed discussion of this and related matters in G. Kretschmar, Studien zur frühchristlichen Trinitätstheologie (Tübingen, Mohr, 1956). Compare also the vision of Asc. Is. 9. “Other servants” in v.20 remains problematic.

39 See N. Johansson, Parakletoi (Lund, Gleerup, 1940), 181–225, 302–08. On the Spirit see 256ff.

40 Vit. Ad. 30ff., Ap. M. 6.

41 Schatzhöhle, I, 9, Ethiopic Adam Book, 11:8.

42 Mish. Sanh. 6:6, Mid. Teh. 26:219, Sanh. 74a.

43 Av. de R.N. 1, Ethiopic Adam Book, III:17, 20, Schatzhöhle, I, 4, etc. See Ginzberg, “Haggada …,” 68–71.