Chapter 1 The Descent into Sheol and the Mysteries of Souls
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After the resurrection from the dead of our Adon Yeshua ha'Mashiach. Bar-Talmai (Bartholomew) came unto the Adon and questioned Him, saying: Adon, reveal unto me the mysteries of the heavens.
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Yeshua answered and said unto him: If I put off the body of the basar (flesh), I shall not be able to tell them unto thee.
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Om. (So be it.)
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Bar-Talmai therefore drew near unto the Adon and said: I have a word to speak unto Thee, Adon.
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And Yeshua said to him: I know what thou art about to say; say then what thou wilt, and I will answer thee.
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And Bar-Talmai said: Adon, when Thou wentest to be hanged upon the cross, I followed Thee afar off and saw Thee hung upon the cross, and the angels coming down from heaven and worshipping Thee. And when there came darkness,
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I beheld, and I saw Thee that Thou wast vanished away from the cross and I heard only a voice in the parts under the earth, and great wailing and gnashing of teeth on a sudden. Tell me, Adon, whither wentest Thou from the cross?
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And Yeshua answered and said: Blessed art thou, Bar-Talmai, My beloved, because thou sawest this mystery, and now will I tell thee all things whatsoever thou askest Me.
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For when I vanished away from the cross, then went I down into Sheol (Hades) that I might bring up Adam and all them that were with him, according to the supplication of Mikha'el the archangel.
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Then said Bar-Talmai: Adon, what was the voice which was heard?
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Yeshua saith unto him: Sheol said unto Beliar (Belial): As I perceive, an Elohim cometh hither. And the angels cried unto the powers, saying: Remove your gates, ye princes, remove the everlasting doors, for behold the King of glory cometh down.
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Sheol said: Who is the King of glory, that cometh down from heaven unto us?
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And when I had descended five hundred steps, Sheol was troubled, saying: I hear the breathing of Elyon (the Most High), and I cannot endure it.
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But the devil answered and said: Submit not thyself, O Sheol, but be strong: for Elohim Himself hath not descended upon the earth.
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But when I had descended yet five hundred steps, the angels and the powers cried out: Take hold, remove the doors, for behold the King of glory cometh down. And Sheol said: O, woe unto me, for I hear the breath of Elohim.
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And Beliar said unto Sheol: Look carefully who it is that cometh, for it is Eliyahu (Elias), or Chanokh (Enoch), or one of the prophets that this man seemeth to me to be.
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But Sheol answered Death and said: Not yet are six thousand years accomplished. And whence are these, O Beliar; for the sum of the number is in mine hands.
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(Beliar said): Be not troubled, make safe thy gates and strengthen thy bars: consider, Elohim cometh not down upon the earth.
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Sheol saith unto him: These be no good words that I hear from thee: my belly is rent, and mine inward parts are pained: it cannot be but that Elohim cometh hither. Alas, whither shall I flee before the face of the power of the great King? Suffer me to enter into myself: for before thee was I formed.
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Then did I enter in and scourged him and bound him with chains that cannot be loosed, and brought forth thence all the patriarchs and came again unto the cross.
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Bar-Talmai saith unto Him: Tell me, Adon, who was he whom the angels bare up in their hands, even that man that was very great of stature?
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Yeshua answered and said unto him: It was Adam the first-formed, for whose sake I came down from heaven upon earth. And I said unto him: I was hung upon the cross for thee and for thy children’s sake. And he, when he heard it, groaned and said: So was Thy good pleasure, O Adon.
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Again Bar-Talmai said: Adon, I saw the angels ascending before Adam and singing praises.
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But one of the angels which was very great, above the rest, would not ascend up with them: and there was in his hand a sword of fire, and he was looking steadfastly upon Thee only.
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And when He had thus spoken, He said unto the shlichim (apostles): Tarry for Me in this place, for today a sacrifice is offered in paradise.
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And Bar-Talmai answered and said unto Yeshua: Adon, what is the sacrifice which is offered in paradise? And Yeshua said: There be souls of the righteous which today have departed out of the body and go unto paradise, and unless I be (there...).
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And Bar-Talmai said: Adon, how many souls depart out of the world daily? Yeshua saith unto him: Thirty thousand.
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Bar-Talmai saith unto Him: Adon, when Thou wast with us teaching the word, didst Thou receive the sacrifices in paradise? Yeshua answered and said unto him: Amen I say unto thee, My beloved, that I both taught the word with you and continually sat with My Av (Father), and received the sacrifices in paradise every day.
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Bar-Talmai answered and said unto Him: Adon, if thirty thousand souls depart out of the world every day, how many souls out of them are found righteous? Yeshua saith unto him: Hardly fifty-three, My beloved.
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Again Bar-Talmai saith: And how do three only enter into paradise? Yeshua saith unto him: The fifty-three enter into paradise or are laid up in Avraham’s bosom: but the others go into the place of the resurrection, for the three are not like unto the fifty.
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Bar-Talmai saith unto Him: Adon, how many souls above the number are born into the world daily? Yeshua saith unto him: One soul only is born above the number of them that depart.
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And when He had said this He gave them the shalom (peace), and vanished away from them.
Chapter 2 The Mystery of the Incomprehensible
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Now the shlichim (apostles) were in the place with Miryam.
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And Bar-Talmai came and said unto Kefa (Peter) and Andraus (Andrew) and Yochanan (John): Let us ask her that is highly favoured how she conceived the Incomprehensible, or how she bare Him that cannot be carried, or how she brought forth so much greatness. But they doubted to ask her.
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Bar-Talmai therefore said unto Kefa: Thou that art the chief, and my teacher, draw near and ask her. But Kefa said to Yochanan: Thou art a virgin and undefiled and thou must ask her.
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And as they all doubted and disputed, Bar-Talmai came near unto her with a cheerful countenance and said to her: Thou that art highly favoured, the tabernacle of Elyon (the Most High), unblemished, we, even all the shlichim, ask thee to tell us how thou didst conceive the Incomprehensible, or how thou didst bear Him that cannot be carried.
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But Miryam said unto them: Ask me not concerning this mystery. If I should begin to tell you, fire will issue forth out of my mouth and consume all the world.
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But they continued yet the more to ask her. And she, for she could not refuse to hear the shlichim, said: Let us stand up in tefillah (prayer).
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And the shlichim stood behind Miryam: but she said unto Kefa: Kefa, thou chief, thou great pillar, standest thou behind us? Said not our Adon: The head of the man is Mashiach? Now therefore stand ye before me and pray.
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But they said unto her: In thee did Yahuah set His tabernacle, and it was His good pleasure that thou shouldest contain Him, and thou oughtest to be the leader in the prayer.
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But she said unto them: Ye are shining stars, and as the navi (prophet) said, ‘‘I did lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence shall come mine help’’; ye, therefore, are the hills, and it behoveth you to pray.
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The shlichim say unto her: Thou oughtest to pray, thou art the mother of the heavenly King.
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Miryam saith unto them: In your likeness did Elohim form the sparrows, and sent them forth into the four corners of the world.
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But they say unto her: He that is scarce contained by the heavens — thou didst contain Him.
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Then Miryam stood up before them and spread out her hands toward the heaven and began to speak thus: Elphue Zarethra Charboum Nemioth Melitho Thraboutha Mephnounos Chemiath Aroura Maridon Elison Marmiadon Seption Hesaboutha Ennouna Saktinos Athoor Belelam Opheoth Abo Chrasar
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And when she had ended the prayer she began to say unto them: Let us sit down upon the ground; and come thou, Kefa the chief, and sit on my right hand and put thy left hand beneath mine armpit; and thou, Andraus, do so on my left hand; and thou, Yochanan, the virgin, hold together my bosom; and thou, Bar-Talmai, set thy knees against my back and hold my shoulders, lest when I begin to speak my bones be loosed one from another.
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And when they had so done she began to say: When I abode in the Beit ha’Mikdash (Temple) of Elohim and received my food from an angel, on a certain day there appeared unto me one in the likeness of an angel, but his face was incomprehensible, and he had not in his hand bread or a cup, as did the angel which came to me aforetime.
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And straightway the robe of the Temple was rent and there was a very great earthquake, and I fell upon the earth, for I was not able to endure the sight of him.
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But he put his hand beneath me and raised me up, and I looked up into heaven and there came a cloud of dew and sprinkled me from the head to the feet, and he wiped me with his robe.
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And said unto me: Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the chosen vessel, grace inexhaustible. And he smote his garment upon the right hand and there came a very great loaf, and he set it upon the altar of the Temple and did eat of it first himself, and gave unto me also.
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And again, he smote his garment upon the left hand and there came a very great cup full of wine: and he set it upon the altar of the Temple and did drink of it first himself, and gave also unto me. And I beheld and saw the bread and the cup whole as they were.
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And he said unto me: Yet three years, and I will send My word unto thee and then shalt thou conceive My Son, and through Him shall the whole creation be saved. Shalom (Peace) be unto thee.
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And when he had so said he vanished away from mine eyes, and the Temple was restored as it had been before.
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And as she was saying this, fire issued out of her mouth; and the world was at the point to come to an end: but Yeshua appeared quickly and said unto Miryam: Utter not this mystery, or this day My whole creation will come to an end. And the shlichim were taken with fear lest haply the Adon should be wroth with them.
Chapter 4 The Anatomy of Beliar and the Angelic Ranks
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And He took them and brought them again unto the Mount of Olives.
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And Kefa (Peter) said unto Miryam: Thou that art highly favoured, entreat the Adon that He would reveal unto us the things that are in the heavens.
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And Miryam said unto Kefa: O stone hewn out of the rock, did not the Adon build His kehillah (assembly) upon thee? Go thou therefore first and ask Him.
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Kefa saith again: O tabernacle that art spread abroad…
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Miryam saith: Thou art the image of Adam: was not he first formed and then Chavah (Eve)? Look upon the sun, that according to the likeness of Adam it is bright; and upon the moon, that because of the transgression of Chavah it is full of clay. For Elohim did place Adam in the east and Chavah in the west, and appointed the lights that the sun should shine on the earth unto Adam in the east in his fiery chariots, and the moon in the west should give light unto Chavah with a countenance like milk. And she defiled the mitzvah (commandment) of Yahuah. Therefore, was the moon stained with clay and her light is not bright. Thou therefore, since thou art the likeness of Adam, oughts’ to ask Him: but in me was He contained that I might recover the strength of the female.
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Now when they came up to the top of the mount, and the Master was withdrawn from them a little space, Kefa saith unto Miryam: Thou art she that hast brought to nought the transgression of Chavah, changing it from shame into joy; it is lawful, therefore, for thee to ask.
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When Yeshua appeared again, Bar-Talmai saith unto Him: Adon, show us the adversary of men that we may behold him, of what fashion he is, and what is his work, and whence he cometh forth, and what power he hath that he spared not even Thee, but caused Thee to be hanged upon the tree.
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But Yeshua looked upon him and said: Thou bold heart! thou askest for that which thou art not able to look upon.
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But Bar-Talmai was troubled and fell at Yeshua’s feet and began to speak thus: O lamp that cannot be quenched, Adon Yeshua ha’Mashiach, maker of the eternal light that hast given unto them that love Thee the grace that beautifieth all, and hast given us the eternal light by Thy coming into the world, that hast accomplished the work of the Av, hast turned the shame-facedness of Adam into mirth, hast done away the sorrow of Chavah with a cheerful countenance by Thy birth from a virgin: remember not evil against me but grant me the word of mine asking.
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And as he thus spake, Yeshua raised him up and said unto him: Bar-Talmai, wilt thou see the adversary of men? I tell thee that when thou beholdest him, not thou only but the rest of the shlichim (shall be shaken).
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But they all said unto Him: Adon, let us behold him.
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And He led them down from the Mount of Olives and looked wrathfully upon the angels that keep hell, and beckoned unto Mikha’el to sound the trumpet in the height of the heavens. And Mikha’el sounded, and the earth shook, and Beliar came up, being held by five hundred and sixty angels and bound with fiery chains.
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And the length of him was one thousand six hundred cubits and his breadth forty cubits, and his face was like a lightning of fire and his eyes full of darkness. And out of his nostrils came a stinking smoke; and his mouth was as the gulf of a precipice, and the one of his wings was four-score cubits.
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And straightway when the shlichim saw him, they fell to the earth on their faces and became as dead.
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But Yeshua came near and raised the shlichim and gave them a spirit of power, and He saith unto Bar-Talmai: Come near, Bar-Talmai, and trample with thy feet on his neck, and he will tell thee his work, what it is, and how he deceiveth men.
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And Yeshua stood afar off with the rest of the shlichim.
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And Bar-Talmai feared, and raised his voice and said: Blessed be the name of Thine immortal kingdom from henceforth even forever. And when he had spoken, Yeshua permitted him, saying: Go and tread upon the neck of Beliar: and Bar-Talmai ran quickly upon him and trode upon his neck: and Beliar trembled.
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And Bar-Talmai was afraid, and fled, and said unto Yeshua: Adon, give me an hem of Thy garments that I may have courage to draw near unto him.
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But Yeshua said unto him: Thou canst not take an hem of My garments, for these are not My garments which I wore before I was crucified.
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And Bar-Talmai said: Adon, I fear lest, like as he spared not Thine angels, he swallow me up also.
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Yeshua saith unto him: Were not all things made by My word, and by the will of My Av the spirits were made subject unto Shlomo (Solomon)? Thou, therefore, being commanded by My word, go in My name and ask him what thou wilt.
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And Bar-Talmai made the sign of the cross and prayed unto Yeshua and went behind him. And Yeshua said to him: Draw near. And as Bar-Talmai drew near, fire was kindled on every side, so that his garments appeared fiery. Yeshua saith to Bar-Talmai: As I said unto thee, tread upon his neck and ask him what is his power. And Bar-Talmai went and trode upon his neck, and pressed down his face into the earth as far as his ears.
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And Bar-Talmai saith unto him: Tell me who thou art and what is thy name. And he said to him: Lighten me a little, and I will tell thee who I am and how I came hither, and what my work is and what my power is.
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And he lightened him and saith to him: Say all that thou hast done and all that thou doest.
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And Beliar answered and said: If thou wilt know my name, at the first I was called Satanael, which is interpreted a messenger of Elohim, but when I rejected the image of Elohim my name was called Satanas (Satan), that is, an angel that keepeth hell.
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And again Bar-Talmai saith unto him: Reveal unto me all things and hide nothing from me.
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And he said unto him: I swear unto thee by the power of the glory of Elohim that even if I would hide aught I cannot, for He is near that would convict me. For if I were able I would have destroyed you like one of them that were before you.
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For, indeed, I was formed the first angel: for when Elohim made the heavens, He took a handful of fire and formed me first, Mikha'el second, Gavri'el third, Uri'el fourth, Refa'el fifth, Netana'el sixth, and other angels of whom I cannot tell the names. For they are the rod-bearers of Elohim, and they smite me with their rods and pursue me seven times in the night and seven times in the day, and leave me not at all and break in pieces all my power. These are the angels of vengeance which stand before the throne of Elohim: these are the angels that were first formed.
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And after them were formed all the angels. In the first heaven are an hundred myriads, and in the second an hundred myriads, and in the third an hundred myriads, and in the fourth an hundred myriads, and in the fifth an hundred myriads, and in the sixth an hundred myriads, and in the seventh is the first firmament wherein are the powers which work upon men.
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For there are four other angels set over the winds. The first angel is over the north, and he is called Chairoum, and hath in his hand a rod of fire, and restraineth the superfluity of moisture that the earth be not overmuch wet.
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And the angel that is over the north (wind) is called Oertha: he hath a torch of fire and putteth it to his sides, and they warm the great coldness of him that he freeze not the world.
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And the angel that is over the south is called Kerkoutha and they break his fierceness that he shake not the earth.
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And the angel that is over the south-west is called Naoutha, and he hath a rod of snow in his hand and putteth it into his mouth, and quencheth the fire that cometh out of his mouth. And if the angel quenched it not at his mouth it would set all the world on fire.
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And there is another angel over the sea which maketh it rough with the waves thereof.
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But the rest I will not tell thee, for He that standeth by suffereth me not.
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Bar-Talmai saith unto him: How chastisest thou the souls of men?
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Beliar saith unto him: Wilt thou that I declare unto thee the punishment of the hypocrites, of the back-biters, of the jesters, of the idolaters, and the covetous, and the adulterers, and the wizards, and the diviners, and of them that believe in us, and of all whom I look upon?
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Bar-Talmai saith unto him: I will that thou declare it in few words.
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And he smote his teeth together, gnashing them, and there came up out of the bottomless pit a wheel having a sword flashing with fire, and in the sword were pipes.
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And I asked him, saying: What is this sword?
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And he said: This sword is the sword of the gluttonous: for into this pipe are sent they that through their gluttony devise all manner of sin; into the second pipe are sent the backbiters which backbite their neighbour secretly; into the third pipe are sent the hypocrites and the rest whom I overthrow by my contrivance.
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And Bar-Talmai said: Dost thou then do these things by thyself alone?
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And Satan said: If I were able to go forth by myself, I would have destroyed the whole world in three days: but neither I nor any of the six hundred go forth. For we have other swift ministers whom we command, and we furnish them with an hook of many points and send them forth to hunt, and they catch for us souls of men, enticing them with sweetness of divers baits, that is by drunkenness and laughter, by backbiting, hypocrisy, pleasures, fornication, and the rest of the deeds that be of the flesh.
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And I will tell thee also the rest of the names of the angels. The angel of the hail is called Mermeoth, and he holdeth the hail upon his head, and my ministers do adjure him and send him whither they will. And other angels are there over the snow, and other over the thunder, and other over the lightning, and when any spirit of us would go forth either by land or by sea, these angels send forth fiery stones and set our limbs on fire.
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Bar-Talmai saith: Be still, thou dragon of the pit.
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And Beliar said: Many things will I tell thee of the angels. They that run together throughout the heavenly places and the earthly are these: Mermeoth, Onomatath, Douth, Melioth, Charouth, Graphathas, Oethra, Nephonos, Chalkatoura. With them do fly the things that are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
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Bar-Talmai saith unto him: Be still and be faint, that I may entreat my Adon.
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And Bar-Talmai fell upon his face and cast earth upon his head and began to say: O Adon Yeshua ha’Mashiach, the great and glorious name. All the choirs of the angels praise Thee, O Master, and I that am unworthy with my lips do praise Thee, O Master. Hearken unto me Thy servant, and as Thou didst choose me from the receipt of custom and didst not suffer me to have my conversation unto the end in my former deeds, O Adon Yeshua ha’Mashiach, hearken unto me and have mercy upon the sinners.
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And when he had so said, the Adon saith unto him: Rise up, suffer him that groaneth to arise: I will declare the rest unto thee.
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And Bar-Talmai raised up Satan and said unto him: Go unto thy place, with thine angels, but the Adon hath mercy upon all His world.
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But the devil said: Suffer me, and I will tell thee how I was cast down into this place and how the Adon did make man.
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I was going to and fro in the world, and Elohim said unto Mikha’el: Bring Me a clod from the four corners of the earth, and water out of the four rivers of paradise. And when Mikha’el brought them Elohim formed Adam in the regions of the east, and shaped the clod which was shapeless, and stretched sinews and veins upon it and established it with joints; and He worshipped him, Himself for His own sake first, because he was the image of Elohim, therefore He worshipped him.
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And when I came from the ends of the earth Mikha’el said: Worship thou the image of Elohim, which He hath made according to His likeness. But I said: I am fire of fire, I was the first angel formed, and shall worship clay and matter?
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And Mikha’el saith to me: Worship, lest Elohim be wroth with thee. But I said to him: Elohim will not be wroth with me; but I will set my throne over against His throne, and I will be as He is. Then was Elohim wroth with me and cast me down, having commanded the windows of heaven to be opened.
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And when we were cast down, He asked also the six hundred that were under me, if they would worship: but they said: Like as we have seen the first angel do, neither will we worship him that is less than ourselves. Then were the six hundred also cast down by Him with me.
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And when we were cast down upon the earth we were senseless for forty years, and when the sun shone forth seven times brighter than fire, suddenly I awaked; and I looked about and saw the six hundred that were under me senseless.
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And I awaked my son Salpsan and took him to counsel how I might deceive the man on whose account I was cast out of the heavens.
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And thus did I contrive it. I took a vial in mine hand and scraped the sweat from off my breast and the hair of mine armpits, and washed myself in the springs of the waters whence the four rivers flow out, and Chavah (Eve) drank of it and desire came upon her: for if she had not drunk of that water I should not have been able to deceive her.
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Then Bar-Talmai commanded him to go into hell.
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And Bar-Talmai came and fell at Yeshua’s feet and began with tears to say thus: Abba, Av (Father), that art past finding out by us, Word of the Father, whom the seven heavens hardly contained, but who wast pleased to be contained easily and without pain within the body of the Virgin: whom the Virgin knew not that she bare: Thou by Thy thought hast ordained all things to be: Thou givest us that which we need before Thou art entreated.
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Thou that didst wear a crown of thorns that Thou mightest prepare for us that repent the precious crown from heaven; that didst hang upon the tree, that Thou mightest give us to drink of the wine of compunction, and wast pierced in the side with a spear that Thou mightest fill us with Thy body and Thy blood:
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Thou that gavest names unto the four rivers: to the first Phison, because of the faith which Thou didst appear in the world to preach; to the second Geon, for that man was made of earth; to the third Tigris, because by Thee was revealed unto us the consubstantial Trinity in the heavens; to the fourth Euphrates, because by Thy presence in the world Thou madest every soul to rejoice through the word of immortality.
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My Elohim, and Av, the greatest, my King: save, Adon, the sinners.
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When he had thus prayed, Yeshua said unto him: Bar-Talmai, My Father did name Me Mashiach (Christ), that I might come down upon earth and anoint every man that cometh unto Me with the oil of life: and He did call Me Yeshua (Jesus) that I might heal every sin of them that know not… and give unto men the truth of Elohim.
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And again Bar-Talmai saith unto Him: Adon, is it lawful for me to reveal these mysteries unto every man? Yeshua saith unto him: Bar-Talmai, My beloved, as many as are faithful and are able to keep them unto themselves, to them mayest thou entrust these things.
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For some there are that be worthy of them, but there are also other some unto whom it is not fit to entrust them: for they are vain, drunkards, proud, unmerciful, partakers in idolatry, authors of fornication, slanderers, teachers of foolishness, and doing all works that are of the devil, and therefore are they not worthy that these should be entrusted to them.
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And also they are secret, because of those that cannot contain them; for as many as can contain them shall have a part in them. Herein therefore, My beloved, have I spoken unto thee, for blessed art thou and all thy kindred which of their choice have this word entrusted unto them; for all they that… of My judgement.
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Then I, Bar-Talmai, which wrote these things in mine heart, took hold on the hand of the Adon the Lover of men and began to rejoice and to speak thus: Glory be to Thee, O Adon Yeshua ha’Mashiach, that givest unto all Thy grace which all we have perceived. Halleluyah (Alleluia). Glory be to Thee, O Adon, the life of sinners. Glory be to Thee, O Adon, death is put to shame. Glory be to Thee, O Adon, the treasure of tzedakah (righteousness). For unto Elohim do we sing.
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And as Bar-Talmai thus spake again, Yeshua put off His mantle and took a kerchief from the neck of Bar-Talmai and began to rejoice and say: I am good. Halleluyah. I am meek and gentle. Halleluyah. Glory be to Thee, O Adon: for I give gifts unto all them that desire Me. Halleluyah. Glory be to Thee, O Adon, world without end. Amen. Halleluyah.
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And when He had ceased, the shlichim kissed Him, and He gave them the shalom (peace) of love.