It is well-known that he came into existence about 7,000* years ago through the perfect power of God, without the intervention of a father's loins or a mother's womb and that he was equably compounded of the four elements. His soul emanated from the fountain of bounty in perfection proportionate to his body. He was entitled man (insān) and received the name of Adam.
At that time the first degree of Capricorn* coincided with the eastern horizon, and Saturn was in that Sign, while Jupiter was in Pisces, Mars in Aries, the Moon in Leo, the Sun and Mercury in Virgo, and Venus in Libra. Some have said that at that time, all the planets were in their degrees of exaltation, but clearly this does not accord with astronomy for there is a difficulty about Mercury,— the Sun's exaltation being in Aries and Mercury's in Virgo. But Mercury can never be more than 27° distant from the Sun, how then can he be in exaltation when the Sun is in exaltation, or how can the Sun be in exaltation when Mercury is so? And reflecting on the astrological principle that Mercury takes the nature of whatever planet he be associated with, it has occurred to me that Mercury may have been in the condition of applying* to some other planet which was in exaltation.
Adam was of lofty stature, of a wheaten colour, had curling hair and a handsome countenance. There are different accounts of the stature of this patriarch, but most agree that he was sixty cubits high. Almighty God produced Eve from his left side and gave her in marriage to him, and by her he begat children. Historians have told many strange and wondrous things about this hero and though there be no difficulty about the extent of God's power, yet experienced and practical men of the world, on looking to the course of nature, rather hesitate about accepting them. It is said that at the time of his death, he had 40,000 descendants, and that his immediate children were 41, viz., 21 boys and 20* girls, but some say there were 19 girls. Seth was the most eminent of them all.
Some have said that Adam wrote about elixirs* (?) (ta‘fīnāt) and other occult sciences. For example the very learned Shahrazūrī* has so stated in his “Lives of Philosophers.” It is said Adam died in India and was buried on a mountain in Ceylon* (an island) which lies towards the south and which is now known by the name of Qadamgāh-i-ādam (Adam's footprint, i.e., Adam's Peak.) He was ill 21 days and Eve died, according to one account, a year, according to another, seven years and according to a third, three days after him. Seth, his successor and administrator, buried her by Adam's side, and it is reported that Noah brought their coffin on board the Ark at the time of the Deluge, and afterwards buried them on Abū qubais.* According to another account, they were buried in Jerusalem, and according to a third tradition, in Najf-Kūfa.*
Was the most excellent of Adam's immediate descendants, and was born after the catastrophe of Abel. It is said that whenever Eve became pregnant, she gave birth to a son and a daughter, but that Seth was born alone. Iqlīmīyā,* the (twin) sister of Cain was given in marriage to him (Seth.) When Adam reached the age of a thousand, he made Seth his successor, and enjoined all to submit to him. In succession to Adam, he carried on, by his weighty intellect, the administration of the temporal and spiritual worlds. He always conducted himself with outward composure and inward efficiency, and his were the only descendants who survived Noah's Flood. He is called the first Uria,* a word which in Syriac means teacher. He occupied himself with the medical,* mathematical and theological sciences, and spent most of his life in Syria. Many of his descendants abandoned secular affairs and practised asceticism in hermitages. He left the world when he was 912 years old. Some say that he was Adam's grandson and that his father was Sulha,* but this tale is without foundation.
Enosh was born when Seth was 600 years old. A number of writers say that his mother was an immaculately-born* one who, like Adam, was clothed with the garment of life without the instrumentality of father or mother. He succeeded his father in accordance with a testament, and was the first who in this cycle, laid the foundations of sovereignty.* They say he reigned 600 years. According to Jewish and Christian* traditions, he lived 965 years,— according to Ibn Jauzī,* 950,—and according to Qāẓī Baiāwī,* 600. He had many children.
Kenan was the most enlightened, fortunate and sagacious of the sons of Enosh. After his father's death, this hero, in accordance with a testamentary disposition, swayed the affairs of mankind and walked in the ways of his illustrious ancestors. He erected the buildings of Babylon and founded the city of Sūs.* They ascribe to him the first establishment of houses and gardens.
The numbers of mankind greatly increased during his time. By his wisdom, he distributed them (over the earth), and himself settled with the descendants of Seth in Babylonia. He lived 926 years, but some say he drank the water of life, (i.e., lived) 640 years, and one school says that he consoled the sorrows of the world, (i.e., reigned) for about a century.
Mahalalil was the best of Kenan's sons. Kenan placed him on the throne when he himself had attained the age of 900. He ruled for 300 years. He lived either 928 or 840 or 895 years.
Jared was the most right-minded of the sons of Mahalalil and by his honoured father's orders, he administered the affairs of the world. He made canals and conduits, and attained the age of 962 or, according to some, of 967 years.
All these magnates of the household of fortune came into existence during Adam's lifetime.
Enoch is generally known as Idrīs, and was the distinguished son of Jared and born after Adam's death. Though the last-born of Jared's sons, he was, in wisdom and intelligence, older than all of them, and was before them all in felicity and understanding. He is the first lawgiver since the time of Seth. Some say that Idrīs was 100 years old at the time of Adam's death and some that he was 360 years. He was unrivalled in his knowledge of the science of government and the refinements of contrivance. Though some assign all sciences and arts to Adam, yet, according to most, astronomy, writing,* spinning, weaving and sewing were introduced by Enoch. He learned wisdom from Agathodæmon* of Egypt whom they call Uria the Second.
Among his lofty titles is that of Harmasu-l-harāmasa* (Hermes of Hermeses or Trismegistus) and he is also called the third Uria. He attained high rank in theology and summoned* mankind to worship in seventy-two languages. He founded 100* cities, of which Madīna-i-roha* was the least. It was a city of Mesopotamia (Jazā'ir) though some place it in the Ḥijāz (Petrœa Arabia). It was inhabited up to the time of Hulākū Khān who, it is said, destroyed it for the sake of the honour of the country and the well-being of the people.*
He (Idrīs) instructed every tribe and every rank of mankind by a special procedure in accordance with their capacities. They say that he guided men to the reverence of the Great Light (the Sun) for most of them, before his time, were without his abounding wisdom and did not give thanks for that light of lights. He regarded it as the stock of visible and invisible fortune, and prescribed a great festival at the time of its passing* from one Sign to another which is a special time of glory, and above all when it enters Aries. And whenever the planets, who are fed from the bounteous table of its rays, entered their own Houses or attained their exaltation, he regarded them as of special dignity, and gave thanks for the wonders of creation. Such seasons he looked upon as stations and manifestations of the favour of God, and he spent all his days in the service of holy spirits and pure forms.
He also built the pyramids of Egypt which are known as the Domes of Haramān (Gumbaẕ-i-haramān). And in those lofty buildings, all the arts and their tools have been depicted, so that if the knowledge of them be lost, it may be recovered. It is recorded that he deputed one of his nobles to lay the foundations of these pyramids whilst he himself traversed the entire world, eventually returning to Egypt.
Abū Ma‘shar* of Balkh relates that there have been many Hermes but that three were preëminent;—(1). Harmasi-harāmasa (Hermes of Hermeses) or Idrīs whom the Persians call the grandson of Kayūmar.* (2). Hermes of Babylon who built Babylon after the Deluge. Pythagoras was one of his disciples. By the exertions of this Hermes of Babylon, the sciences which had been lost in Noah's Flood were resuscitated. His home was in the city of the Chaldeans (Kaldānīn)* which is called the city of the philosophers (wise men) of the East (Madīna-i-filāsafa-i-mashriq). (3) The Hermes of Egypt who was the teacher of Esculapius (Asqlīnus).* He too excelled in all sciences, especially in medicine and chemistry and spent much time in travel.
The birth-place of Harmasu-l-harāmasa (Idrīs) was Manīf (Memphis) now known by the name of Manūf,* in the land of Egypt. Before the founding of Alexandria, it was called the city of philosophers, but when Alexander built that city,* he brought the philosophers of Memphis and other places to Alexandria.
Among the sayings of Enoch is this, “The three* most excellent things are truth when angry, bounty when poor and mercy when strong.” Wonderful stories are told in histories about his departure from this world, which wise men hesitate about accepting. One tradition is that he was then 865, another that he was 405 and a third that he was 365.