The First Book of Adam and Eve is a restored edition of one of the most intriguing pseudepigraphic texts from ancient religious literature. This 2026 edition presents the material in a clean, modern format for readers interested in biblical apocrypha, early origin myths, and the spiritual traditions surrounding the fall from Eden.
The narrative follows Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the Garden, detailing their trials, temptations, and encounters with Satan. It includes the birth of Cain and Abel, the story of the Cave of Treasures, and mythic episodes that echo across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Though not part of the canonical Bible, the text offers a rich and symbolic account of early humanity’s struggle, faith, and resilience.
Designed for readers of ancient texts, comparative religion, and mythic storytelling, this volume is part of the Rectory Print Antiquities series — a collection dedicated to restoring significant works that illuminate the spiritual and cultural foundations of human history.
Prologue
The First Book of Adam and Eve details the life and times of Adam and Eve after they were expelled from the garden to the time that Cain kills his brother Abel. It tells of Adam and Eve's first dwelling—the Cave of Treasures; their trials and temptations; Satan's many apparitions to them; the birth of Cain, Abel, and their twin sisters; and Cain's love for his beautiful twin sister, Luluwa, whom Adam and Eve wished to join to Abel.
This book is considered by many scholars to be part of the "Pseudepigrapha" (soo-duh-pig-ruh-fuh). The "Pseudepigrapha" is a collection of historical biblical works that are considered to be fiction. Because of that stigma, this book was not included in the compilation of the Holy Bible. This book is a written history of what happened in the days of Adam and Eve after they were cast out of the garden. Although considered to be pseudepigraphic by some, it carries significant meaning and insight into events of that time. It is doubtful that these writings could have survived all the many centuries if there were no substance to them.
This book is simply a version of an account handed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation, linking the time that the first human life was created to the time when somebody finally decided to write it down. This particular version is the work of unknown Egyptians. The lack of historical allusion makes it difficult to precisely date the writing, however, using other pseudepigraphical works as a reference, it was probably written a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. Parts of this version are found in the Jewish Talmud, and the Islamic Koran, showing what a vital role it played in the original literature of human wisdom. The Egyptian author wrote in Arabic, but later translations were found written in Ethiopic. The present English translation was translated in the late 1800's by Dr. S. C. Malan and Dr. E. Trumpp. They translated into King James English from both the Arabic version and the Ethiopic version which was then published in The Forgotten Books of Eden in 1927 by The World Publishing Company.
