Then God had pity on them, and commanded the angels Sariel and
Salathiel to bear them in their arms and carry them back to their
cave. And when they were come there, Adam prayed to God that, if they
might not be permitted to go into the garden any more, He would at
least give them something for a remembrance of it to comfort them. So
God commanded the archangel Michael to go as far as the Sea of India,
and fetch thence some gold, and dip it in the water that flows from
under the Tree of Life, and give it to Adam. Likewise He commanded
Gabriel to speak to the cherub that kept the gate of the garden, and
go in and fetch some frankincense; and Raphael to bring myrrh also
from the garden. And they did so. And Michael brought seventy rods of
gold, and Gabriel twelve pounds weight of frankincense, and Raphael
three pounds of myrrh; and these were all laid up in the cave where
Adam and Eve lived: wherefore it was called the Cave of Treasures.
And when the appointed time was fulfilled, and the Word took upon Him
the flesh of the sons of Adam, three kings came from the East to do
Him honour, and offered to Him that same gold and frankincense and
myrrh, which had come down to them through many generations.
After some days, Adam and Eve made a vow that they would go, one of
them to the river Tigris and the other to the river Euphrates, and
would wade into the water up to the neck, and stand there for forty
whole days and nights, praying earnestly that they might be forgiven;
for even yet they went on hoping that, if they accomplished some
great act of repentance, they might be permitted to return into Eden.
They separated, therefore, and stood in the water of the river,
fasting and praying. But Satan suspected that they had made such a
vow, and it frightened him, for he did not feel sure that God would
not change His purpose and forgive them; and he said to himself, "I
will take care that they shall not keep their vow." Accordingly, on
the thirty-fifth day, as Eve stood praying in the water, she heard a
voice as of an angel praising God, and she looked and saw one in
bright raiment coming to her, and he called to her and said, "God has
forgiven Adam! All is well. I have just now brought the good tidings
to Adam, and he bade me come and tell you; and lest you should doubt
of the truth, he said, 'Remind her of the sign which was given to us
in the cave: how the angels brought the gold and laid it on the
south side, and the incense on the east, and the myrrh on the west.'"
Then Eve was sure that the messenger spoke true, and she rejoiced
greatly, and came, as well as she could, out of the water, and
followed him. But when they came in sight of the river Euphrates, she
saw Adam still standing in the water praying, and she knew that she
had been deceived; and at that moment Satan vanished away, and Eve
fell upon the ground, for she was stiff with the cold, and weak with
fasting. As for Adam, when he saw her, he cried out and smote upon
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