Book of Adam

By Scriptural Research Institute

The Book of Adam is the Georgian version of the Life of Adam and Eve. The original version is believed to have been written in a Semitic language, as there as terms transliterated into all the versions from a Semitic language, however, it is not known positively which language as the original text is lost, and so far, no fragments have been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls that can be firmly linked to it. The closest text discovered to date among the Dead Sea Scrolls would be the Genesis Apocryphon scroll, written in Aramaic and generally dated to between 37 BC to 50 AD. The original language that the Book of Adam was translated from was likely also Aramaic, as demonstrated by the transliteration of the name Beladi (ბელადი) in places were Belial would likely have been in Aramaic texts. Likewise. the Armenian Penitence of Adam appears to have been translated from Aramaic as it has the name Ovel (Ովէլ) in places were Uriel (Ուրիել) would normally be.
The Book of Adam closely follows the Armenian and Latin versions of the text, so much so, that it is not clear how much was translated from Aramaic, and how much was translated from Armenian or Latin. Given the distance between Western Europe and Georgia, versus the proximity of Armenia, the Armenian Penitence of Adam is a more likely source than the Latin Life of Adam, however, the presence of a transliteration of Belial is a strong indicator of an Aramaic source in addition to the assumed Armenian primary source.
The Book of Adam translates the term found in the Latin and Armenian texts as ‘powers’ (virtutes / զաւրութիւնք), as dzala (ძალა), which translates as forces, powers, strengths, or might. This means the Georgian translator either agreed with the Armenian and Latin translators or was simply using one of their texts as a source. The obvious Hebrew or Aramaic term for them to have been translating was Elohim, which Jews have traditionally translated the term as ‘powers’ as it is a plural form, and Jews only worship one God. The Greek scholars that translated the Septuagint at the Library of Alexandria translated the word Elohim as either God or gods, depending on the context, however, there is no reason for the Latin, Armenian, or Georgian scholars to have been dependent on Greek translation norms when translating directly from Hebrew or Aramaic into Latin, Armenian, or Georgian. If the powers in the Latin, Armenian, and Georgian translations were the Elohim in the Semitic source-texts, then this would place the origin of the text to the Persian era at the latest, and almost certainly to the early-Persian era (525 to 330 BC), before Ezra the Scribe reformed Judaism, as there were two Elohim present, and therefore, these Elohim would have to date to the Samaritan priesthood from before the time of Ezra.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scriptural Research Institute
• Release date: Oct 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781989604199

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