Apocrypha
Apocalypse of Moses
Life of Adam and Eve
18 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
The Greek version of the Life of Adam and Eve: the couple grown old, Adam falling ill, and Eve telling their children for the first time exactly how the fall happened — from her side.
Where this text comes from
Greek, estimated between the 1st and 4th centuries AD, from a lost Semitic original. The title is misleading and was given by a modern editor: Moses does not appear in the book.
Why it is not in the Bible
Never in any canon. It circulated as devotional narrative in Greek, Latin, Armenian, Georgian and Slavonic, each version with notable differences.
What you will find
- The account of the fall in Eve's own voice, with details Genesis does not give — including what the serpent said to persuade her.
- Seth and Eve return to paradise to ask for the oil of mercy for the dying Adam, and the answer they receive.
- Adam's death and the funeral conducted by angels, with God forgiving him at the last.
- The couple's penance standing in the rivers, and the second time Satan deceives Eve.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is it called the Apocalypse of Moses if Moses is not in it?
- The name comes from the heading of a Greek manuscript and was kept by modern editors. The content is the Life of Adam and Eve, with no role for Moses.