(artwork: WIlliam Blake)

5 [BEFORE]

Doctor Elizabeth Johnson’s loafers made a strange sound as she walked through dusty hallway of the Antiquities department, increasing her anxiety. She’s been in academia all her life, but this place sounded, and  smelled different. It smelled like an ancient relic itself, carrying the same scent she remembered in the Ein Feshkha caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were uncovered, just 20 kilometers from this distinguished location of the University of Jerusalem. She liked the fact that her study of Paleo-Hebrew blended with the work so many did here, making her work not-so-special.

That helped to mask her raging fear that she’s discovered something… fearful.

She entered her work-room and took up residence at her station, which was half-laptop desk, half photo studio and half environmentally-controlled box with hot-box design.

Elizabeth laid a sealed photo-folder on the counter, and opened her encrypted laptop file translation.

The barely-together ancient document in that box, recently brought from a cave discovered near Jericho, was the focus of her translation skills, and now her attempts to understand. How it had survived in that cave is still under study, but every dating method places it somewhere before 1800 BCE, around the time of the Hebrew patriarch Abraham. It was written in a form of proto-Hebrew, something way before Paleo-Hebrew, and matched all literary comparisons to what proto-Hebrew should look like, except… over 8 centuries older than the current ‘oldest’ manuscripts dated around 1000BCE in the early Monarchic Period.

And now, what about the photo-file…

Elizabeth continued her work. She typed “translational note: all undetermined or in-debate phrases or words in italics”, and continued her disturbing labor.

 [ANCIENT BEFORE]

THE THIRD BOOK (fragment)  ‘War Tebel-hadam Dark-Song‘

6       And it came to pass, from Fifth heaven, Iblis-Shaytan and the two-hundred Irin champions

7       to war YHWH Elohim for Their heavy/angry judgement and to retribute their banishment from Kuchavim of the Twelve Star Mansions to shackles of Dispairing Night.

8       Spearing Tov V’ra/ Un-Tree into Jannah of Four Waters to give Iri-shine/Iri-breath to Tebel-hadam, the Grigori alit their boat/craft with twisted arms and fragrant growth to pollute.

9       Walked YHWH-Elohim with those of Tebel-hadam, the Adan and the Chava, whom They had formed and breath-winded/kissed,

10      “Tebel-barakah, Tebel-good. Joy for Adan, Chava and many. Tov V’ra of the Irin, do not eat or take, for they will sing astrange to you. Think thee the song sweet, but forever destroy you, it will; Chayim-et-Elohim will cease and Tebel-barakah will be no more to all Tebel-hadam, for surely maveth will rule Tebel day and night”.

11      Semjaza and Azazel, not made to discern YHWH-Elohim speech but perceiving curious be Adan and Chava, spoke with one voice, “Mighty Iblis-Shaytan, our Hated bids Tebel-hadam away from our devices; perhaps shall ye cloak as a kind creature and, by your wits bring these clay-made to desire the song of the Tov V’ra and come into Irin.”

12      In that moment, a lowly nachash was sleeping in the daylight; Iblis-Shaytan’s dagger pierced the nachash

belly and took his skin did he.

13      Death dawned on Tebel-hadam.

14      Arum were Adam and Chava, to the Tov V’ra they began to walk.

15      “Song? I hear nothing” said the Adan.

16      “Go and see, will I” said Chava, more curious, she than he.

17      Standing next to the Tov V’ra, Chava heard nothing.

18      Iblis-Shaytan, disguised in nachash-skin, spoke; “Comely this tree, and beautiful it’s growth. See the glow of fruit. Surely Elohim wishes you joy in it”

19      Chava turned and took leave, and walked three days to the far south of Jannah to gaze deep upon the water.

20      She spoke not to Adan, or counseled with Elohim, for strange storms raged within; desire burned for Tov V’ra tree and it’s unheard song.

(end of existing fragment Third Book)

crisbaj

<<<>>> 

‘The Last Last Lecture’ is copyright ©2018-2020 by crisbaj. All rights reserved. No reproductions, reprinting or reposting without express permission of the author.

Contact:  http://www.crisbaj.com

<<>>