In the beginning, He Who Is made the heavens and the earth. He made spirits to rule the heavens and the earth in His name.

The first heaven He gave to Levanah (who is called Selene), to rule in His name.

The second heaven He gave to Kokhav (who is called Hermes), to rule in His name.

The third heaven He gave to Nogah (who is called Aphrodite), to rule in His name.

The fourth heaven He gave to Chammah (who is called Helios), to rule in His name.

The fifth heaven He gave to Ma’adim (who is called Ares), to rule in His name.

The sixth heaven He gave to Tzedeq (who is called Zeus), to rule in His name.

The seventh heaven He gave to Shabtai (who is called Cronos), to rule in His name.

But the earth He gave to the greatest of all spirits, Helel (who is called Phosphorus), to rule in His name.

On that first day, He Who Is revealed His plan to the spirit archons. Come the sixth day, He would make man, both male and female. The Man would be King of Heaven and Earth, and the Woman would be Queen of Heaven and Earth: yea, even above the spirits.

The archons of the seven heavens trusted and were loyal, humbling themselves below the flesh that He Who Is would by His grace raise above even them.

But Helel, who is called the Light Bearer, would not serve any other creature. He meant to rule earth forever and always. Thus he rebelled against his Maker.

For his rebellion, the Light Bearer was cast down into the very heart of the earth. His name was blotted out, and he became known as the Enemy.

Still, He Who Is allowed the Enemy to rule the earth until Man and Woman would be raised above him. The Enemy dreaded this day; he resolved to do all in his power against it, though he knew he must lose.

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On the sixth day, He Who Is made the Man, Ish, and the Woman, Ishah. He gave them dominion over all the earth.

He made the Man from the earth, east of Bliss, and led him westward into Bliss as high priest. The Man tended the garden of golden apples, and picked the finest fruits as his first offering. Taking wood which he cut from the trees, he carried his offering to the mountain in the west. The Man climbed the mountain with his offering, approaching the Throne of He Who Is. On the peak of the mountain, the Man blessed a rock and placed the wood on the rock, with his offering of the first fruits. He offered it to He Who Is, and his offering was accepted. Lightning from the sky struck the offering and set it aflame, and the offering was burned to ashes.

After this, He Who Is put the Man into a deep sleep. He opened the side of the Man’s chest, and blood and water came out. From this He Who Is made the Woman. Then He awakened the Man and let him behold the Woman. As the two had been one flesh, so they would be one flesh forever. And they would multiply their kind, and their children would spread to all four corners of the world, and have dominion over the earth forever.

And He let them eat the fruit of the Tree of Life, in the middle of the garden, the golden apples of immortality, that they might live forever. And He let them eat the fruit of all the trees in Bliss, save one.

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Now the Enemy saw his chance to strike. More easily could he lead the Woman away from the Man, than the Man from He Who Is. And so there was enmity between him and the Woman forever.

But being only spirit, the Enemy could not directly harm the Woman. He could only lead her astray. And so he lied to her, to sow seeds of doubt in the goodness of He Who Is, that she might be tempted to disobey.

The Enemy took a fleshly form that the Woman could see: a dragon.

And the Dragon said, “Will your Master not let you eat the fruit of the trees in Bliss?” For he was not allowed to know his Maker’s name.

And the Woman said, “He will let us eat the fruit of the trees, just not the one in the middle of the garden. He will not let us eat the fruit of that tree, nor even touch it—for if we do, we will sleep and not awaken.”

And the Dragon lied, “That will not happen. Your Master knows that if you eat the fruit of thst tree, you will know things as He knows them. He does not want you to know them; He wants to keep the knowledge for Himself.”

As he said this, the Dragon backed the Woman against the forbidden tree. The Woman saw that when she touched the fruit, nothing seemed to have happened. She beheld the fruit: it was beautiful to behold, and looked delicious to eat.

The Woman picked the fruit and ate of it.

But the Enemy’s plan had not been fulfilled. The Man, who had done nothing to prevent this, was still loyal and had not disobeyed.

When the Woman beheld the Man, she knew that something terrible had happened. She was ashamed of her nakedness, exposed before her husband. And so she picked leaves to cover herself. And when she beheld the Man’s nakedness, she was at the mercy of her carnal appetite. No more did she see her husband as her equal partner, but as an object, his purpose to satisfy her lust. But he would not cover himself.

So the Woman offered the Man the forbidden fruit, that he might eat of it as she had done. The Man knew that he must not eat the fruit, seeing what it had done to his wife. But was he not one flesh with her? How could he be one flesh forever with a Woman who would be put to sleep forever?

The Enemy watched in delight as doubt in his Maker’s goodness disturbed the Man’s peace. Rather than trust He Who Is, the Man chose to disobey, to eat of the fruit himself, that he too would be put to sleep forever.

Once the Man ate, the Enemy rejoiced in his victory. Man, male and female alike, had disobeyed. How now could Man receive the grace to be raised above the spirits, even over himself? Now they would be returned to the earth from whence they came—forever. Now they would remain beneath him—forever.

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But the Enemy was troubled. He knew that He Who Is speaks the Truth. And had He not said that the Man and the Woman would be raised even above himself, to become King and Queen of Heaven and Earth?

But how now was this possible? The Man and the Woman had disobeyed! They were disloyal! They would die and return to the earth, never to see the heavens! Try as he might, the Enemy could not comprehend it—and this troubled him greatly.

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When the Man beheld the Woman, he was ashamed of his nakedness before his wife. And so he picked leaves to cover himself. And when he beheld the Woman naked, he was at the mercy of his carnal appetite. No more did be see her as an equal partner, but as an object, her purpose to satisfy his lust.

But the will of the Woman was no longer in union with the will of the Man. And the Man was stronger than the Woman.

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He Who Is, in His tender love for His creatures, took the form of a Man and entered Bliss where the Man and the Woman were. He called out: “Man, Man, where are you?”

The Man was naked, having his way with his wife, when he heard his Master’s call. For once, the Man was afraid in the Presence of his Maker. He did not respond. He hid in the trees, that he might not be seen. He cared not for his wife.

Again the Master cried, “Man, Man, where are you?”

The Man could not resist his Master’s voice, try though he would. He came before his Master—naked.

“Man, Man, why did you not come when I called you?”

And the Man said, “I was afraid, because I am naked.”

“Have you eaten the fruit I forbade you to eat?”

In cowardice, the Man said, “The Woman—whom You made and gave me for my wife—gave me the fruit!”

The Master called the Woman, who was likewise naked and unclean. “Woman, Woman, why did you do this?”

In cowardice, the Woman said, “The Dragon tricked me into eating the fruit!”

The Master called the Dragon by the name He had given him, and the Dragon could not resist, try though he might.

And the Master said, “Cursed are you below all creatures for this. You would not eat the bread of heaven; now eat the dust of the earth. You shall have the Woman for your enemy forever; your son shall have her Son for his enemy forever. She shall crush your head beneath her heel; you shall strike her heel, but in vain.”

And the Master said to the Woman, “Now your childbearing will be painful, and you are at the mercy of your husband’s greater strength.”

And the Master said to the Man, “Now the earth shall not be your friend. Thorns and thistles shall prick you; your work shall be tiresome and painful.”

And the Master told the Man to bring two sheep, the finest from the flock. And the Man obeyed. He picked two male lambs, the finest from the flock. He took wood cut from the trees. And taking the wood on his shoulders, the Man prepared to lead the lambs up the mountain.

But the Master said, “Because you have disobeyed, you shall have no fire from heaven. You must make the fire yourself.”

So the Master taught the Man the secret of fire. The Man rubbed two sticks together until there was a flame. And taking the wood on his shoulders, the Man prepared to lead the lambs up the mountain.

But the Master said, “Shall my creatures know pain as they are offered to Me? Make a knife, that you may slaughter them.”

And the Master taught the Man how to make a knife. And the Man made a knife, and took it with the fire. And taking the wood on his shoulders, the Man prepared to lead the lambs up the mountain.

The wood was heavy upon the Man’s back. He fell once. He stood up and carried the wood up the mountain.

He fell a second time. He stood up, and carried the wood up the mountain.

He fell a third time. He stood up, and carried the wood up the mountain.

Tired and pained, the Man placed the wood upon the rock. Then he placed the lambs upon the rock. He raised the knife, and slaughtered the lambs, draining them of their blood. Then he lit them on fire.

The Master took the lambs, except for the skins. He gave them to the Man and Woman for garments, and they clothed themselves.

And the Master said, “You may no more eat from the Tree of Life, lest you live and suffer forever. Go from before My sight, to the east, out of Bliss.”

And the Man and the Woman never knew Bliss again, for the Master sent a spirit with a flaming sword to guard the entrance against them.

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The Enemy tried to eavesdrop as the Master whispered to the Man, and the Man repeated it to the Woman. But try as he might, the Enemy could not hear. And he was greatly troubled.