Page:Apocryphal Gospels and Other Documents Relating to the History of Christ.djvu/104

c easy to believe that the writer had overlooked his first statement, which represents the story as told by Seth in the Underworld. Whether he forgot it or not, he eventually mentions that the same thing was already written in a book which the Jews had. I am inclined to believe that the last assertion is perfectly correct.

If I am asked what the writer means by "the first book of the Septuagint," I must own my ignorance. The expression naturally signifies the book of Genesis, but it never contained what is quoted about Michael and Seth; and therefore I conclude the title is either intentionally or accidentally misstated. One thing is certain, however, and it is that Seth cut a great figure in the legends and literary forgeries of the first few centuries of our era. One of the early Christian sects was named after him. All sorts of visions, inventions, etc., were ascribed to him. He was taught by angels, and carried away to heaven for forty days: was the father of the prophets and the inventor of letters, gave names to the stars and observed the motion of the heavens, divided time by months, weeks, etc., wrote a book about the star which should appear at the nativity of Christ, and was the author of many other books. He was also