124 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



later Abel is born. Eve has a vision of Cain drinking Abel's blood. She 

 tells Adam, who, to prevent the murder, makes a separate house for each. 

 God sends Gabriel to tell Adam that Cain is attempting to slay Abel. He is 

 nob to tell Eve. Cain is " a true son of the Devil." The birth of Seth is 

 foretold. Adam had altogether seventy-two sons and seventy-two daughters. 

 Cain kills Abel when the latter is two hundred years old. God forbids 

 Adam's progeny to slay Cain, lest they come under vengeance. He puts a 

 mar): on Cain, namely, a lump on his forehead. Cain dies by evening in the 

 Valley of Jehoshaphat, where a crooked tree strikes against the lump. Since 

 that event the valley has been barren. Seth is born, and begets children at 

 the age of forty. 



Canto XII (11. 2021-2240). — Adam is about to die at the age of nine 

 hundred and thirty, and tells Eve she will die nine months later. She asks- 

 what is to be done with his body, and he replies that no one is to touch 

 it till God sends to dispose of it. He bids her go out and commence a 

 " cross-vigil," and while she is so employed a heavenly messenger comes to- 

 tell her that Adam's soul is parted from its body, and in the care of Michael. 

 She goes to him, and finds him dead. She weeps, but the messenger bids 

 her look up, and see Adam's soul with Michael. She sees a seraph, with 

 three golden wings, bearing the "beloved thing," i.e. Adam's soul. She 

 beholds three white shining birds. The angels range themselves in ranks- 

 round the altar of Adam, on which is burnt the herb called oriuimentum. 

 The smoke spreads through the air, the doors of the firmament open, and God 

 comes down with the Kine Orders of angels. He bids a seraph wash the 

 soul of Adam in " the impassable (?) river of the ever-li^•ing host indatinum 

 ciriasu." It is then commended to the care of Michael, who is dii'ected to- 

 place it until the Eesurrection in the third Heaven, which is called 

 Ficconicia. Angels praise God for His clemency towards Adam. The Oil 

 of Mercy and the herb ornamcntiim are bestowed about the body, which is 

 wrapped in three linen cloths and buried in Hebron, beside Abel's sepulchre. 

 The wat-ers of the Deluge washed away Adam's head and carried it t& 

 Jerusalem. It remained before the gate of Jerusalem until the cross of 

 Christ was planted in the flesh (i.e. skull) of Adam. Here follow lines- 

 Ill. 2241-2292) ^ hich deal with the Patriarchs. 



The two oldest versions of the Adam-apocrypha are contained in the 

 Greek Apoccdijpsi'i Mosis and the Latin Vita Adue ct Svae, which will here- 

 after be alluded to as A and V respectively.^ A brief comparison of S with 



' Greek text of Apocalypsis in Tischendorf, Apocalypse'! Apocryphae ; English trans, in- 

 Ante-2>icene library, vol. xvi. Latin text of Vitti in Meyer, Vita Adae et Evo.e, in 

 Abhandlungen der bayer. Altai, der TFiss., CI. liv, Bd. ui ; English trans, in Charles, 

 Apocrypha and Psetidepigrapha of Old Testament^ vol. ii. 



