THE FORGOTTEN BOOKS OF EDEN: Introduction

THE FORGOTTEN BOOKS OF EDEN

Translated in the late 1800’s

by

Dr. S. C. Malan and Dr. E. Trumpp.

Translated into King James English from both the Arabic version and the
Ethiopic version which was then published in The Forgotten Books of Eden in
1927 by The World Publishing Company.

INTRODUCTION TO
THE FORGOTTEN BOOKS OF EDEN

By WILLIAM N. GUTHRIE, D.D.

Rector of St. Mark’s-in-the-Bouwerie.

AN American Indian’s Song is his very own. No other man can sing it without
his explicit permission. It is impregnate with his aura. It is not in our sense,
however, property. It is believed to invest magically the singer with the mood
whence it proceeded, and must, therefore, merge in some way the performer’s
identity with that of the originator’s. To sing another’s song is an invasion
of his personality, a sort of spiritual piracy involving sacrilege.

When last year in Arcady and Andritzena, I induced primitive shepherds to
sing and play for me lustily all sorts of occasional songs and rituals, they
refused to do a burial chant, most positively. For to perform one would surely
cause a death in the house.

A little reflection on these two paragraphs may perhaps, make the reader
realize that authorship was once a thing of great hazards. If one had something
great and new to say, and wanted it to circulate widely, one would naturally
prefer anonymity.

Indeed, by the Hebrews a story was popularly presumed to have its hero for
its author. Moses wrote the account of his own death. Deuteronomy was of course,
his own work, although obviously intended to alter the traditional religion.
Jonah wrote the little novel about himself. David was the author of the Psalms
because reported to have instituted the first temple choir, and as a lad to
have played the harp soothing the nerves of King Saul. When an author for the
book of Job was wanted, though the whole discussion of the work proves it was
written to refute the Wisdom literature which by tradition began with the Proverbs
of Solomon, Moses was chosen as a suitable author!

So for centuries among the Jews, writers sought to shelter themselves behind
the names of the great dead. In this they were guilty of no fraud. They imagined
what Solomon or Enoch would say, or sing, upon a particular theme under given
circumstances. It was not really they themselves, but their Solomon, their Enoch,
Solomon or Enoch in them, who uttered the new prophesies or temple praises.

Thus arose that body of literature, called by modern scholars, “Pseudepigrapha,”
that is, writings erroneously, unhistorically, and yet sincerely, ascribed to
heroic figures summed from the vasty deep by a self-denying imagination, eager
to alter man’s belief and custom, to interpret his hope and sorrow, without
personal gain or fame, and also, may one add, without the deterrent of persecution
to arrest free utterance!

Now it is a foolish modern prejudice against an ancient piece of literature
that its author veiled his person in this fashion. The only question is: Was
the writing of inherent value? Did it exercise influence?

It is not too much to say that no modern can intelligently understand the
New Testament, unless he is acquainted with the so-called “Apocrypha,” and with
the “Pseudepigrapha” as well. The very words of Jesus were in many instances,
suggested by sayings current in his day, more or less as unconscious quotations
from the Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs.

The figure of the Messiah which Jesus adapted to his creative purpose, cannot
be imagined by a modern without a perusal of the book of Enoch which is its
classic and most entrancing glorification. Without the Odes and Songs of Solomon
the atmosphere breathed by the earliest church cannot be divined.

Hitherto access to this literature has been confined to technical scholars.
Its assembly would require special information and considerable expenditure.
With this enterprise of the Alpha House, Inc., it becomes democratic property.
We shall have a more intelligent clergy and laity, when this volume has taken
its place in every library, and is familiarly brought into every discussion
of the historic Christ and of His times.