Fate of the Edenites

CHAPTER 4

After being cast out of Eden, the Edenites journey into the Land of Barrenness where they undergo many trials and tribulations, but make their new home in the Land of Nodkash on the shores of Lake Kamoya. Three new brothers of light, Jared, Micah, and Enoch, come to Earth from the Celestine Light of Elohim to teach the people of Nodkash things that will help them to better survive the harshness of the land. The true story of Cain and Abel is revealed in great detail. Elohim the Father speaks twice from the heavens above, which is the last time he speaks to the people at large and thereafter only speaks to the people through a prophet.

 1 And it came to pass that a great fear came upon the Edenites in the Land of Barrenness, for they knew it not at all and knew not what was to become of them. Their fears caused many to shake with uncontrollable tremors, and they could not speak, but only wail in grief and anxiety.

 2 While the daylight was still upon them, they looked across the river in agony as the land of Eden burned and they wept and sobbed in sorrow until they could weep no more, and most just curled up tightly upon the ground, exhausted in the depth of their sadness.

 3 As night fell upon them, the fires on the Isle of Eden still burned and the sky glowed red with an eerie light, and dark shadows seemed to move upon them from all directions.

 4 Suddenly, Ninichur, son of Kasher, gave a loud and forsaken scream, and ripping his clothes and pulling on his hair, he jumped up and ran quickly to the river, and before anyone could move to stop him, he leaped in and was immediately carried away by the swift current, never to be seen again.

 5 Many of the Edenites gathered to the riverbank and looked downstream by the pale red glow of the burning fires to see what had become of Ninichur. But barely had they gathered upon the bank than Calliya, the wife of Ninichur, rushed passed them and flung herself into the roiling waters to join her husband in oblivion.

 6 Then it was that the demented thought to dive into the river of no return came upon several of the Edenites, and in an instant, many sprang forward to fulfill their pitiful desires. And three, standing upon the bank, jumped into the river before the other Edenites could react, and others rushed from further back to reach the river before anyone could stop them.

 7 And it came to pass that Adam stood upon the riverbank with his back to the river, and holding up his arms, he commanded in a loud voice, “Stop! Let none approach the river! Move back from the river!”

 8 Many stopped upon hearing his words, but still three more Edenites, overcome in their sorrow and grief, ran and leaped into the river even as Adam was speaking.

 9 Then it was that Adam looked to his brethren among the twelve who still seemed to have their wits about them, and he called out to them saying, “Brothers! Come quickly to me! Stand beside me and form a barrier that no more of our children will depart in madness!”

 10 Heeding his call, the eleven other original brothers of Eden quickly came to Adam and spread out with their backs to the river, facing their children and grandchildren, and prevented any more from leaping into the river of no return.

 11 So stood the twelve brothers of Eden, all through the night until the dawn of the next day. And seeing their fathers and grandfathers standing as one united in their love and purpose, the children of Eden lost their madness and fell upon the ground, both sitting and lying, in stupors of disbelief at all that had transpired.

 12 The following day, the Isle of Eden was naught but a smoldering ruin, and even the Land of Barrenness seemed desirable in comparison. So it was the Edenites that remained that began to lift their heads and wonder what lay beyond the cleavage of the ridge of the small canyon near the river upon which they had come across the stone bridge from Eden.

 13 There was no food among them, and other than occasional clumps of an unknown short grass, there was no food to be found within sight. Thus, it was that Adam and his brothers and sisters conferred, and it was decided by the Elders that the Edenites should venture away from the river through the cleft in the ridge, where the animals from Eden had passed, and seek out food and discover what lay beyond.

 14 Before they left, Adam gathered them all into a circle of prayer and spoke unto Elohim for all of them, saying, “Dear Father and Mother of Light, forgive us; oh forgive us, for the errors of our ways. We have learned the painful lesson of the consequences of not following and heeding your words, given to us in love for our happiness.

 15 “We venture forth now into a new and frightening world. Nevertheless, like unto Eden, we know it was created by you. Therefore, help us to remember that truth that we will not be afraid of the unknown.

 16 Please look upon your children with mercy. We have injured among us and mothers who nurse and many young children. We beseech you to ease our suffering and guide us to food and shelter that we might survive, to prove to you that we are worthy children and can become greater than we have been.

 17 These things we humbly ask in the name of your son, even he who has called us brother, who comforts us, and abides in our hearts.”

 18 And it came to pass that the Edenites journeyed out of the canyon by the river and passed through the cleft in the ridge.

 19 As each of the Edenites stood upon the crest of the ridge, they took a moment to look out into the Land of Barrenness. To their surprise, they discovered that it was not barren after all, for they could see trees near some hills not far off and many unusual plants within sight, and the occasional sounds of animals and the songs of birds could be heard.

 20 It was decided by the Elders, the twelve brothers and twelve sisters who were the original Edenites; that they should seek to reach the hills in the distance where they could see trees growing on the hillsides and imagined water would run downhill and gather into streams.

 21 Though the hills seemed not that distant from the ridge, as the Sun set, after a long walk in the hot Sun through the day, the Edenites failed to reach the hills and dejectedly lay upon the ground uncovered, with empty stomachs and parched-off thirst from their journey of the day, for they had no containers among them to carry water from the river and had left the canyon with only the water they could carry in their stomachs.

 22 Shortly after sunrise the next day, they began again to travel toward the hills, spurred onward by their ever-growing thirst.

 23 Hunger was also gnawing at their stomachs. In their innocence and ignorance, everyone ate freely of the red berries they encountered on short bushes while they walked toward the hills.

 24 But shortly thereafter, those who had eaten earliest began to get dizzy and their mouths began to burn, and their stomachs brought forth that which they had eaten.

 25 Those who had eaten the most passed out, and Miliya, daughter of Yaconi, did not awaken. And Yaconi shook his daughter and pleaded with her to awaken, but her breathing stopped and she awoke not.

 26 Yaconi looked to Adam and implored him, “Has Elohim forsaken us? How can my daughter sleep and not be able to be awakened? Why would berries Elohim has put upon the Earth cause her to sleep so deeply? I do not understand anything at all that has happened to us. Help me, Brother Adam, for I am lost.”

 27 Adam put his hand upon Yaconi’s shoulder and spoke aloud to Elohim, saying, “Dear Father and Mother of Light, hear the words of my mouth and feel the pain of our hearts. We do not understand all that has befallen us. We beseech you in utter humility to give us the light of knowledge.”

 28 And it came to pass that the voice of Elohim the Father rumbled across the sky and was heard by each of the Edenites. And the voice of the Father said unto them, “My children learn now the Law of Consequence; that each action you do begets another action; the good to good, and the bad to bad.

 29 “And learn the Law of Knowledge and Ignorance; that knowledge brings reward and ignorance brings penalty. And the knowledge you must possess, you must gain from your efforts and experiences and desire and focus, for never again will it be given to you freely as it was in Eden.

 30 So you have now learned that beyond Eden there are things that look to be desirable that instead will hurt you if you partake of them. And that the action ripples like a stone upon water, with like actions, be they good or bad.

 31 In Eden, you had never seen death, but in the world it shall be your regular companion, even now, as the girl does not sleep, but has returned to us, and will be among you upon the Earth no more.

 32 In Eden, there was nothing you could not eat, save the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, but upon the world into which you are now cast there are more plants to bring pain, suffering, and death than to bring health and life.

 33 In Eden, all animals were your friends, but in the Land of Bareness, many will be your enemies, and many will seek you to be their food, so beware.

 34 In Eden, sickness and suffering were unknown, but in the Land of Bareness, you will only be as healthy and free from sickness as you are faithful to the commandments and guidance we have given you.

 35 Among women, their travails will be many, and in pain they will now bring forth children, unless they abide strictly by the teachings of the Elohim.

 36 Among men, never again will the Earth bring forth fruits unto you in unbidden abundance, but you must work with sweat and perseverance, fighting the thorns and the thistles and praying rain and Sun, to bring forth the food that in Eden came freely unto you.

 37 In Eden, there was a balance between the male and the female inside each of you, thereby the men never angered and the women never wavered.

 38 But now in the world that is yours, the men will need to strive to remember the female within them lest they are overcome by the male and become even as the animals.

 40 And the women must ever strive to hold onto the male within them, lest they become without a voice and mere chattel to the men.

 41 Nor will the Elohim ever again speak openly to the children of men, save once more in great condemnation. Hereafter, only to the prophet or prophetess we have called will we speak words for all people to heed, but only the worthy will hear their voice and take to their hearts the words we have spoken unto them.

 42 This is the world you have called unto you by your actions; and so the ripples shall go forth throughout time, generations upon generations, until the end of times.

 43 You will experience great sadness in your travails, but so too will you find great joys, even greater than those of Eden in your accomplishments of eternal significance.

 44 Therefore, fear not, for we are still with you. If you seek us out and live as we have given you, you shall always have our spirit to be upon you, and guide you, and bring you toward the Celestine Light.”

 45 And it came to pass that in sadness the Edenites continued on their journey toward the hills and took turns carrying the body of Miliya, for they did not know what they should do with it. None of the others perished from eating the red berries but most were sick, some more than others.

 46 Shortly before dusk, they reached the hills and under Adam’s direction, two parties of three men each quickly set out in opposite directions along the base of the hills to seek out water. As evening fell, both parties returned, their missions unfulfilled, and another day passed for the Edenites without water or food.

 47 The following day, Adam sent out three parties of three men each. Two were told to explore further along the base of the hills and the third to climb to the top of the hills and ascertain what lay beyond. All were instructed not to return until they had found water or were unsuccessful after two days.

 48 While the main exploration parties were gone, the Edenites set up a rudimentary camp making shelters from what tree branches and brush they could gather.

 49 Additional exploration parties ventured out short distances from camp and brought back several kinds of berries, plus some fruits that were the same as fruits that had grown in Eden.

 50 The Edenites were hesitant to eat the unknown berries but were overjoyed to see fruits they recognized. The entire camp quickly returned to the spot where the largest fruit tree had been found and gorged themselves on the ripe fruit, except for saving a couple of dozen of the least ripe fruits to give to the men of the main exploration parties when they returned.

 51 While eating at the fruit tree, Ezias, one of the twelve brothers, spoke to Adam, saying, “This tree requires water to live and it is thriving on this spot. Though we see no water nearby there must be some beneath the ground to feed the tree. Therefore, let us dig beneath it that we might come upon the source of its water and be able to partake of it.”

 52 Adam agreed that Ezias had an excellent thought, and after explaining it to the others, the men began to dig enthusiastically.

 53 By mid-afternoon, they had dug a hole of the height of three men, which was no small feat considering that they lacked tools other than their hands and sticks and the compact hardness of the ground.

 54 But still they had not found water or any trace of it, and all were now greatly fatigued from their efforts and their initial enthusiasm had been replaced with disappointment.

 55 Dejectedly, everyone returned to their camp to await the hoped-for arrival of the three exploration parties with better news of success.

 56 Back at camp, Eve came to Adam and spoke unto him, saying, “Adam, why is it that you and your brethren are only doing what seems to you best in search of water and food, instead of inquiring of the Elohim?”

 57 Adam answered Eve, saying, “The Father has said he will speak to us no more and that we must discover and learn for ourselves from our experiences.”

 58 “No,” Eve replied. “That is not what he said. The Father said that the Elohim would still speak to their prophet, for how else might their children be guided in light and truth? And it is you, Adam, who is the prophet of Elohim. And so it has been long before we were cast out of Eden.”

 59 Adam looked down at his feet for a moment and then looked up at his wife and said unto her, “You are true in your words, Eve. I will go and inquire of our Father and Mother and Brother.”

 60 But before Adam could leave the camp and seek out a place of privacy to speak with Elohim, there was a sudden scream from one of the women and they looked to see Hamaqila, daughter of Sesh, writhing upon the ground.

 61 Rushing over to her, Adam and Eve saw two puncture wounds on her wrist and a snake, such as they had never seen before, slithering off into the brush.

 62 Adam looked at the friends of Hamaqila and asked, “Did the snake bite her?” And they nodded affirmatively, and one said, “It was such a pretty little snake, she just picked it up to hold it, even as she had done with snakes many times in Eden, but it bit her with viciousness and immediately she fell to the ground in pain.”

 63 Adam looked closely at the two wounds, saying to himself, but loud enough for others to hear as well, “But this is a most strange bite. What snake has only two teeth?”

 64 His question was answered by Gorag, son of Kilith, who spoke to all, saying, “Like everything in this miserable place, what was harmless in Eden, even a small, pretty-colored snake, can be the source of pain and bitterness here in the Land of Barrenness.”

 65 “You speak true, Gorag,” Adam replied. “Until we know that something is harmless or beneficial we must assume the opposite.”

 66 They moved Hamaqila to the place of greatest comfort that they could make and prayed over her that Elohim would help her to live.

 67 That night, most slept fitfully, anxious in their hearts for the exploration parties that remained away and because of the many unknown and disquieting sounds they heard moving about in the darkness beyond their camp.

 68 After the passage of two days, none of the exploration parties had returned and most of the Edenites lay upon the ground too fatigued and parched to move. But on the morning of the third day, the party that had gone into the hills and the one that had gone into the rising Sun returned. Both had found small quantities of water to sustain them, and each had found some plants such as those grew in Eden for food. To the delight of everyone, they brought back as much of the food as they could carry and some water in hollow gourds.

 69 But there was more to their reports. Obetas of the hill party spoke first, saying, “We did not find a place ascending the mountain that would be good for our people to reside, for nowhere did we find upon the mountain a large body of standing water or a running stream of substance. But there are great trees and much material for building up on the slopes.

 70 “We saw many kinds of animals and some birds, but we recognized only a few from the Isle of Eden.

 71 When we topped the hill we looked down into a vast valley which we could not see the end of. It is bound by hills on three sides and we were at the end of it upon the place where we stood. In the valley there is a large lake, so there is constant water source and probably a good place to make our permanent camp.”

 72 Everyone’s mood was buoyed by this news, for it gave them hope of which they had begun to sorely lack.

 73 Then the team that had gone into the Sun along the base of the hills gave their report, and Yammigon spoke unto the Edenites, saying, “We also saw many beasts, some in the hills above us and some upon the plains. Not as many as in Eden but some very terrifying in size, equal to three or four Zarumps from Eden.”a

 74 At this proclamation, many stared at Yammigon in amazement, for the Zarump was the biggest animal of Eden.

 75 “There cannot be an animal so large,” scoffed Cain, a son of Adam.

 76 “Yammigon speaks true,” defended Haglad, who was one of the two that had accompanied him on the exploration. “And more than this, we saw tracks of a creature that is likely twice the size of that beast.

 77 We also found some plants to eat that were the same as those from Eden, but there were not many and we found only small catch basins of water.”

 78 “You have done well, my brothers,” Adam commended. “It would seem that we should make our way over the hills and down into the valley, unless the third party returns with better news.”

 79 Night was falling when two of the men from the third party that had traveled along the hills with the Sun at their backs returned. They were greatly fatigued and collapsed into the arms of their brethren.

 80 “Where is Dolash?” asked his father with apprehension.

 81 “He is as Miliya,” answered one of the two men. “On our second day, shortly after the Sun had risen, we came upon a group of five or six very strange creatures. They looked somewhat like men, but they wore no clothes and were covered with hair, and walked with a stoop. They are also very broad of body, but short of stature.

 82 We approached seeking to befriend them, but they immediately fell upon us and commenced to beat us with heavy sticks. Dolash was felled by a blow to the head and then hit again until his head was no more.”

 83 Hearing this, the parents of Dolash wailed in grief as did many of his friends. But Adam grabbed the hand of the man speaking and asked, “How is it that you escaped?”

 84 “We ran,” answered the man. “We ran very fast and very long. But in truth we did not need to run much, for these manlike creatures cannot run fast at all. Nevertheless, we ran until we could run no more to put as much distance between us and them as possible.”

 85 Considering the news brought by the three exploration parties, the Elders met in the early evening beneath the light of a full moon and decided to make their way over the hills and down into the valley beyond shortly after first light and to eat and drink as they traveled whenever a source for either was found.

 86 In the morning before leaving, after a short prayer by Adam remembering her goodness, they buried the body of Miliya in the hole they had dug at the base of the fruit tree, for it had begun to stink and they knew not what else to do with it.

 87 Hamaqila was still very sick and weak from her snakebite, so her father and brothers made a litter to carry her upon.

 88 Remembering the admonishment of Eve, before they departed, Adam beckoned everyone into a circle of prayer and called upon the Elohim to watch over them, to help them be cautious of the unknown, and to lead them to a new home where they could thrive and prosper upon the land and to sufficient food and water in their travels to sustain them.

 89 Their journey over the hills and down into the valley was uneventful. Along the way, they were able to forage water from small catch basins hidden in the shade and food from plants that they recognized from Eden, so by the time they reached the valley floor, they were greatly invigorated.

 90 The Edenites that came into the valley were just over five hundred in number, with skin hues of many shades and physical appearances of great diversity.

 91 And the years passed one after another and the Edenites grew upon the land, and the women bore many children, and the Edenites multiplied in numbers greatly.

 92 The Edenites came to call the Land of Barrenness Nodkash, meaning bitter salvation, for though they were able to till the ground for food, catch fish in the lake, and harvest some fruits in the wilderness, life was very difficult and challenging, and they worked from dawn until dusk every day except the Day of Elohim, simply to survive.

 93 And the community that they built upon the lake, they called Kamoya and the lake they named after the community, calling it Lake Kamoya.

 94 Even as the Edenites welcomed new life with the birth of many children, so too did they come to experience much of death of which they had never known on the Isle of Eden.

 95 During the first hundred years of the cycles of the Sun in the Land of Nodkash, the old ways of eating were followed by everyone, and they had no sickness among them.

 96 But death and injury and infection still came to them, for many were the dangers upon the land.

 97 There were large and fearsome creatures hidden in the lake that from time to time leaped above the surface, swamping the logs upon which they fished, grabbing even the most alert of fishermen, and pulling them beneath the surface never to be seen again.

 98 So too had many a wild forager gone into the wilderness to gather fruits only to be attacked by terrifying wild beasts and pulled from the arms of their valiant friends and dragged away into the forest.

 99 In the early days in Kamoya, many men were lost, leaving behind grieving widows and children and parents.

 100 And the face and voice of Elohim the Mother came unto Adam while he slept and told him it was not good that any woman should be without a husband or child without a father. And he was commanded that the men of Kamoya should take unto them the wives and children of the men that had fallen, if the widow would choose them for a husband and their wife should agree, and they should be their wives and their children too.b

 101 And it came to pass that Adam spoke unto the people of Kamoya and told them the words Elohim the Mother had spoken unto him.

 102 Some of the men heeded his dream and when they were chosen by a widow and their wives agreed, they took unto them the wives and children of men who had fallen and joined them to the wife and children that were already theirs, and they became one family.

 103 But others heeded him not and ridiculed him, scoffing that he would presume that God would speak to him and command him concerning their private affairs.

 104 Therefore, there remained some widows without husbands and children without fathers, and these were taken in by the parents or brothers of the widow until such time as they could be joined in a union with another family.

 105 And it came to pass that for all the joy that children brought, so too was their sadness, as from time to time a mother would perish while giving birth to her newborn son or daughter.

 106 Seeing all the calamities continuing to befall his people, Adam prayed mightily to Elohim, asking for wisdom that the Edenites might know how to better be protected from harm and prosper in the land.

 107 And the Elohim heard the pleas of Adam and gave unto the Edenites greater wisdom, which came into their minds like a sudden wind that was not expected.

 108 From this new knowledge, they came to build stout homes of stone that kept out the strongest winds and rain.

 109 And they began to make greater observations of the animals that roamed about the Land of Nodkash and learned that they could fish in the early morning safely, for the creatures of the lake slept until the midday. And they learned that they could forage for fruits in the wilderness when the Sun was high in the sky, for this was when the beasts of the land were most likely to rest and digest their morning meals.

 110 Nevertheless, the people of Kamoya continued to lose men to the creatures that consumed them and women to the pains of childbirth. So too were parties of men sometimes attacked by hordes of the manlike creatures that flitted mostly unseen in the shadows of the forest. And though these were easily outrun, broken bones from the crushing blows of clubs were often the penalty before they could escape.

 111 Once again Adam prayed mightily unto the Elohim seeking greater wisdom, but they answered him not.

 112 And it came to pass that Adam desired greatly to hear the words of the Elohim, therefore he fasted for twelve days, drinking water only, that he might be free from the concerns of the world and able to hear the voice of God.

 113 And it came to pass that Elohim the Mother came to him again in a dream and told him they would send down more of their sons, even as Adam and his brothers and sisters had first come to Eden, and they would bring more knowledge that the people of Kamoya could have greater safety and more prosperity.

 114 And it came to pass that three more sons of Elohim came down upon the Earth, and they appeared the next day before the house of Adam.

 115 Though the Mother had told him of their coming, Adam was astonished when he saw them before him, for though they seemed familiar, they were men he had never before encountered since he had been placed in the garden, and they were dressed in colorful and astounding ways, not like the people of Kamoya.

 116 Seeing Adam speechless before them, one spoke unto him, saying, “Adam, we have come from the presence of our Father and Mother in the great light Celestine Light. I am Jared, and these are my brothers, Micah and Enoch. We are now to be numbered among you and have come to bring you greater knowledge.”

 117 And it came to pass that Adam embraced his new brothers who had come from the light of Elohim, and he called all the people of Kamoya to come to him that they might meet the sons of Elohim who had come in answer to his fast and prayers.

 118 The people came, everyone, to see for themselves. And most were even more astounded than Adam, for other than within their own community, they had never before seen men who resembled sons of Elohim.

 119 Nor could they remember their lives in the great light, before the world was, for a veil had been put over their memories by the Elohim that they could grow in faith.

 120 And it came to pass that Jared, Micah, and Enoch taught many things to the people living in the Land of Nodkash that greatly improved their lives and safety.

 121 So it was that the people of Kamoya became learned in the ways of extracting metals from the rocks of the Earth and melding them one with another, and from this, they made sharp-pointed spears and daggers to protect the wild foragers and fishermen from the beasts that would consume them.

 122 And they fashioned axes from the metal and honed their edges and used them to fell trees and built a great palisade of thick, vertical poles with sharpened points completely encircling Kamoya to keep out the predators of the day and the night.

 123 They were instructed in the creation of large canoes linked three abreast by beams; from these, they were able to travel safely far out into the lake and catch many more fish than they had ever previously been able, and the monsters of the lake could no longer breach their vessels before they could fend them off with long spears.

 124 So too did they teach them the way of writing in great detail and of engineering that they could build a tall and magnificent temple to honor Elohim from whom all blessings flowed.

 125 But there were some among the people of Kamoya, including Cain, a son of Adam and Eve, who did not accept the coming of Jared, Micah, and Enoch and wished to cast them out from amongst them.

 126 Yet most people marveled at their coming and accepted them to be numbered among them.

 127 And it came to pass that the three brothers from the Celestine Light took unto them as wives the widows of men who had died and who had not yet found new husbands among the people of Kamoya.

 128 Seeing that the three brothers took unto them wives whom others had rejected, many of the other men and their wives were shamed, and many of the wives having husbands went to the widows whom they had previously rejected and asked them to come with their children and be one with their family.

 129 And it came to pass that there were no more widows among the women of Kamoya, for all were welcomed into the homes of others and many new families were thus created, and there was joy among most in the land.

 130 Nevertheless, there began also to be schisms among some of the people, even among Cain and Abel, the two eldest sons of Adam and Eve.

 131 For Cain was opposed to the marriages of widows or that one man should have more than one wife.

 132 And he had anger toward the three newcomers and resented the immediate authority and respect that they were given, whereas he had labored faithfully for the people of Eden all of his life and was not so esteemed.

 133 And it came to pass that Cain began to kill animals with his spear, not for defense but to drink their blood and eat their flesh.

 134 Seeing that Cain did not die from eating the flesh of the animals, others of the Land of Nodkash began to kill animals so that they too could drink their blood and eat their flesh, for that was a much easier way to get a full belly than tilling the fields for endless days.

 135 Upon seeing this, Adam and Eve had great sorrow as did the three brothers who had come from the light, and many of the other people of Kamoya, especially those who had lived the longest in Eden.

 136 Adam came to his son and pleaded with him to cease killing animals to drink their blood and consume their flesh, but Cain said unto him, “I will not cease, for I have found a great treasure that the Elohim have kept hidden from you. I watched the great beasts of the world kill and eat the smaller beasts and I thought that I too could be great upon this land if I killed and ate the beasts, instead of waiting for them to try and kill and eat me.

 137 “Now I have strength such as I have never known, and my time is freed from toiling for many hours each day in the fields. It is you who should begin to eat the animals and you will discover a life more fulfilling than the simple one the Elohim gave us to live.”

 138 Thereafter, Adam was greatly saddened because of Cain, for he would heed not any of the commandments of Elohim and thought that he knew better than God.

 139 A significant number of others agreed with Cain and aligned themselves with him in opposition to the newcomers and many of the new ways that had been adopted by the people of Kamoya and also began to take joy in the slaying of animals and the consuming of their flesh and blood.

 140 Thus was the last innocence of Eden destroyed, and a lust for blood and callousness for the sanctity of life did come upon the world.

 141 Abel came to his brother Cain upon a hillside where he was hunting and tried to persuade him to return to the ways of Elohim, saying, “We are only doing as Elohim has commanded, and you can see that by obeying the loving commandments of our parents of light, our people are happier and prosper on the land.”

 142 But Cain was very wroth with his brother Abel, and he shouted at him, saying, “Do not instruct me! I am your elder brother, and it is you who must listen to me! Truly, I am happier with one wife, and a belly full of animal flesh than you can possibly be!”

 143 Abel was surprised by the vehemence of his brother Cain. But he did not back down and said unto him, “I will listen to you when you are speaking wisdom and heed you not when you speak foolishness, even as you should do with me.”

 144 “You are younger and are always more foolish,” sneered Cain. “You have never said anything in all of your life worth listening to, and you have never given me the respect that is my due.”

 145 Abel was saddened by the words of his brother and held his head down contemplating how he should answer, and thus he did not see Cain withdraw his dagger. But sensing his movement, he looked up into his brother’s eyes, even as Cain drove the dagger into his heart, saying, “Respect me now with your last breath.” And then Abel fell to the ground dead with Cain’s dagger protruding from his heart.

 146 Realizing what he had done, Cain pulled the dagger from his brother’s body and dragged his body to a nearby gully and collapsed the rocky hillside upon him. He then returned to Kamoya and spoke nothing of what had happened to anyone.

 147 As evening fell, Adam and Eve and the wives of Abel began to ask if anyone knew where he was or where he had last been seen, for he was not within the walls of the community, and it was unsafe to be beyond the palisade at night because of the beasts that roamed about in the dark.

 148 When Adam asked Cain if he knew the whereabouts of his brother, he answered with some fear, saying, “Why do you ask me? Am I my brother’s keeper?”

 149 But the night came and went, and the new day dawned without Abel appearing, and the worst began to be feared.

 150 During the day, search parties were sent out to look for Abel, and on the second day, a party led by Enoch noticed the freshly collapsed gully where Cain had buried his brother; being led by the spirit of Elohim, he asked the men with him to dig into the rocks, and in only minutes, they discovered the dead body of Abel. One of the men stripped, and they used his garment to cradle Abel’s body and returned with him to Kamoya.

 151 As the searchers passed through the palisade, the people of Kamoya quickly saw that Abel whom they carried was dead, and many women began to weep and wail and many men too had tears in their eyes for he had been much loved in the community.

 152 Though there were many wounds from the rocks Cain had collapsed upon him, the single wound in Abel’s heart was still evident, and the Elders and searchers and people of Kamoya knew not what to make of it.

 153 “What manner of beast kills with a single tooth through the heart?” wondered many.

 154 “It is like a spear or dagger wound,” ventured another.

 155 Then Cain rose up among them and feeling somewhat contrite for having slain his brother, he said unto them, “It is a dagger wound, which I know, for I am the one who stabbed him in the heart when he spoke to me with condescension.”

 156 Upon his confession, there was an audible and collective gasp from everyone near enough to have heard his words, and whispers passed quickly back to those further away of the foul deed just confessed.

 157 Cain continued saying, “We fought with words, and in my anger I slew him that he would not speak as he had to me ever again. I am sorry now for what I have done, but I cannot bring back my brother.”

 158 Adam looked at Cain as if he had never known him and asked, “Yesterday you said you knew not of your brother’s whereabouts and that you were not his keeper. Yet today you admit this terrible deed. How could you say nothing yesterday, extending the anxiety of everyone, and speak openly today?”

 159 Cain answered him, saying, “Yesterday I was ashamed for what I had done and sought to hide what occurred. Today I am sorry, but feel justified because of the way in which Abel has treated me, his elder brother for many years, as if he were better than me.”

 160 Adam stood before his son, and though he was smaller in stature, he seemed to tower over him in his wrath, saying unto him, “You have done the greatest sin. You have killed another. You have stopped the eternal progression of your brother by taking him from this mortal life before his time.

 161 “Such a thing has never occurred in the history of man and now you have begun the chain that will have no end while man reigns upon the Earth.

 162 “For this great horror there can be no justification; no, not one; save the defense of your own life. Yet by your own admission, it is you that attacked Abel. How can you possibly seek to justify the unjustifiable?”

 163 Cain bristled at his father’s words and his contriteness vanished, replaced instead with anger. And he said unto his father, “What do you know? Your head is always in the clouds speaking to a God of your imagination whom nobody else can hear!

 164 “Though Abel attacked me not with a weapon, his words cut me just as deep and caused pain to wounds he had inflicted upon me all my life. Therefore it was in self-defense, to stop his endless attacks of words upon me, that I at last could take no more and silenced him forever. He brought his own death upon him, so do not think to cast it upon me.”

 165 Then there was a great shaking and rumbling of the ground, and dark clouds gathered quickly, hiding the Sun, echoing with thunder, and flashing lightning out and all around the people of Kamoya.

 166 And the voice of Elohim the Father rumbled from the clouds and everyone heard, and with every word he spoke, the Earth shook. And the Father said, “Cain, your life shall be desolation and your eternity shall be darkness. You sought to stop the eternal progression of Abel, but you have only succeeded in damning your own.

 167 “Abel shall be reborn into mortality once more to resume his journey, but you have dropped yourself into a deep abyss, and only through time unmeasured will you be able to come again even to the place you were the day you did this great sin.

 168 Therefore, leave Kamoya and journey to another land. Take with you all who drink the blood and eat the flesh of animals, save they repent this very moment and sin no more. And know that it is from the killing of the innocent animals and the eating of their flesh, that callousness for death has been nurtured and made manifested in the evil you have done.”

 169 And it came to pass that Cain left Kamoya, and all of his family went with him. And many of the people of Kamoya also departed with Cain, even all those that desired to still kill animals and eat their flesh and repented not. And these numbered over three hundred people, including children.

 170 The meat-eaters journeyed far away from Kamoya and the Land of Nodkash, and after some years, it was only with the infrequent visits from traders of goods were they still known by the people of Kamoya that had seen them depart.

 171 Thereafter, the meat-eaters were called Caininites, after Cain whom they had followed rather than obey the voice of God that had spoken to them.

 172 And those that remained were no longer remembered as Edenites, but thereafter were called Kamoyans. 

73 a: A Zarump is about a third larger than the size of a modern day African bull Elephant

100 b: This involved men who were already married as the people of Kamoya married very young and there were no single men of a mature age available.