Chapter 18 - Of Adam's Knowing Eve

When Adam and Eve went forth from Paradise, they were both virgins. 

After thirty years Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain together with his sister Kelêmath at one birth. And after thirty years Eve conceived and brought forth Abel and Lebôdâ his sister at one birth. 

And when they arrived at the age for marriage, Adam wished and intended to give Abel's sister to Cain and Cain’s sister to Abel; but Cain desired his own sister more than Abel's. Both (i.e. Kelêmath and Lebôdâ) were his sisters, but because of their birth at one time I have called them thus. Now Cain's sister was exceedingly beautiful. 

The two brothers made an offering to God because of this matter. Abel, because he was a shepherd, offered up of the fat firstlings of his flock in great love, with a pure heart and a sincere mind. Cain, because he was a husbandman, made an offering of some of the refuse of the fruits of his husbandry with reluctance. He made an offering of ears of wheat that were smitten by blight; but some say of straw only. And the divine fire came down from heaven and consumed the offering of Abel, and it was accepted; while the offering of Cain was rejected. 

And Cain was angry with God, and envied his brother; and he persuaded his brother to come out into the plain, and slew him. Some say that he smashed his head with stones, and killed him; and others say that Satan appeared to him in the form of wild beasts that fight with one another and slay each other. At any rate, he killed him, whether this way or that way. 

Then God said to Cain, 'Where is Abel thy brother?' 

Cain said, 'Am I forsooth my brother's keeper?' 

God said, 'Behold, the sound of the cry of thy brother Abel's blood has come unto me;' and God cursed Cain, and made him a wanderer and a fugitive all the days of his life. 

From the day in which the blood of Abel was shed upon the ground, it did not again receive the blood of any animal until Noah came forth from the ark. 

Adam and Eve mourned for Abel one hundred years. In the two hundred and thirtieth year, Seth, the beautiful, was born in the likeness of Adam; and Adam and Eve were consoled by him, Cain and his descendants went down and dwelt in the plain, while Adam and his children, that is the sons of Seth, dwelt upon the top of the Mount of Eden, And the sons of Seth went down and saw the beauty of the daughters of Cain, and lay with them; and the earth was corrupted and polluted with lasciviousness; and Adam and Eve heard of it and mourned. 

Now Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years. Some say that in the days of Seth the knowledge of books went forth in the earth; but the Church does not accept this. 

• When Seth was 250 years old, he begat Enos; and Seth lived 913 years, and he died. 

• Enos was 290 years old when he begat Cainan; and Enos first called upon the name of the Lord. Some say that he first composed books upon the course of the stars and the signs of the Zodiac. Enos lived 905 years. 

• Cainan was 140 years old when he begat Mahalaleel; and he lived 910. 

• Mahalaleel was 165 years old when he begat Jared; and he lived 895 years. 

• Jared was one 162 years old when he begat Enoch; and he lived 962 years. 

• Enoch was 165 years old when he begat Methuselah; and when he was 365 years old, God removed him to the generation of life, that is to Paradise. 

• Methuselah was 187 years old when he begat Lamech; and he lived 969 years. 

• Lamech was 182 years old when he begat Noah; and he lived 777 years.