Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 7, 1896.djvu/229

Rh "Then the angel Raziel opened the book and read unto Adam. And it came to pass that when Adam heard the words of this holy book from the lips of the angel Raziel, he trembling fell on his face. And the angel said, 'Adam, rise and be strong; do not tremble and do not be afraid, but take this book from my hand and keep to it, for from it will you get knowledge and wisdom, and from it will you learn what will befall everyone.' And at the time when Adam took this book a fire arose on the shore of the river, and the angel went up to Heaven in the midst of the fire. Then [i.e. seeing it] Adam knew and understood that it was an angel, and by an angel [in my copy mlkh is printed, but it is evidently a mistake for ml'kh] this book was sent to him; and he kept it therefore in holiness and pureness. These are the words of the book: If a man be wishing to prosper and to make anything out of it, let him count three days before the beginning of the month, and let him eat nothing forbidden by the law, or having blood in it; let him drink no wine and approach no woman; let him wash himself with water during these days before the rising of the sun; let him bring two white doves and cut their throats with a copper knife with both sides sharp, so that he may cut one dove with one side and the other dove with the other side. Then let him take out their intestines and wash them with water. Let him bring some old wine, pure perfume, and some clean and pure honey, mix them up and fill with this mixture the intestines of the doves. Afterwards let him put the intestines so filled up on burning embers before the rising of the morning aurora; let him walk round about it in a white dress, and barefooted; let him mention the names of the angels serving in the month when he is praying [evidently angels of the stars of this month are meant. Later in the book the names of the angels are given, and I think that some day later on the theory that Jewish mysticism is not an invention of the Rabbis, but a remnant of some heathen religion, perhaps the religion of Babylon, will not seem quite untenable], and let him burn all the pieces sacrificed; every piece three times in a day; on the third day let him bring the ashes, spread them on the floor, sleep on them, and mention the names [shēm—here as well as elsewhere—can mean not only name, but also magical formula causing a certain supernatural being to give assistance to the person using it. This signification probably arose from the attribution of magical power to the sacred name