The Life of Adam and Eve is a group of ancient stories that tell what happened to Adam and Eve after they were sent out of the garden of Eden. These stories are not part of the Bible. They survive in several forms, the most complete being the Apocalypse of Moses in Greek and the Vita Adae et Evae in Latin. Related versions also appear in Armenian, Slavonic, and other languages.
Most scholars believe the original work was written in Hebrew during the late first century BC or early first century AD. The book is Jewish in origin, but later additions by Christians gave it a more Christian character in some versions.
The Latin Version
In the Latin tradition, Adam and Eve spend seven days without food after they leave the garden of Eden. Eve feels deep sorrow for her part in their sin and begs Adam to kill her. Adam refuses and instead suggests that they show repentance. In some manuscripts, Adam stands in the Jordan River for 40 days while Eve stands in the Tigris River for 37 days (in other manuscripts the rivers are reversed).
While Eve is in the water, Satan appears as an angel of light and deceives her again. He tells her that God has accepted her repentance, but this is a lie. In some versions, Satan also explains that he rebelled against God because he refused to bow before a creature made from dust.
Later, the archangel Michael gives Adam seeds so he can grow food. Eve dreams that Cain will kill Abel. In some manuscripts, Adam and Eve separate their sons to prevent conflict, but Abel is still killed. God then gives them another son, Seth.
When Adam is about to die, he tells his family the story of the temptation and fall. He gives a full account of their creation, the glory they once had, God’s command not to eat from the tree, and how Satan used the serpent to deceive Eve. He describes their loss of splendor, God’s judgment on them, and the angel with the flaming sword who barred them from returning to paradise.
Seth and Eve go to the gate of paradise to ask for healing for Adam. On their way, a serpent bites Seth. The archangel Michael appears and tells them that Adam must die. Angels bury Adam, and Eve dies soon after. Before her death, she tells Seth to write down their story on stone and clay so it will survive both flood and fire. She also asks him to mourn for six days but not on the Sabbath.
The Greek Version
The Greek Life of Adam and Eve is not only similar to the Latin version but also represents a different form of the story. It includes several longer narratives, especially about the temptation and fall of Eve, the death of Adam, and the promise that he will rise again. In this version, Adam’s body is taken up to the third heaven, where God promises his resurrection. It also adds the detail that the earth at first refuses to receive Abel’s body until God commands it to do so.
However, the Greek text also removes important material found in the Latin version, including detailed acts of repentance and some longer speeches and revelations.
The Greek version was likely influenced by both Jewish and early Christian thought. Later Latin manuscripts included parts of this Greek account, blending the two traditions.
Related Versions
Besides the Greek Apocalypse of Moses and the Latin Vita Adae et Evae, several other versions of the Life of Adam and Eve survive in ancient languages. These include:
Armenian Penitence of Adam: closely related to the Greek text but with unique expansions.
Slavonic Life of Adam and Eve: a translation influenced by both Greek and Latin sources.
Georgian Book of Adam: an independent rendering that preserves distinctive details about Adam’s death and burial.
Coptic and Syriac fragments: shorter versions that show early Christian transmission in Egypt and Syria.
Together, these witnesses demonstrate the wide reach of the story throughout Jewish and Christian communities from the eastern Mediterranean to Eastern Europe.
Themes and Influence
These stories explore what the life of Adam and Eve was like outside the garden of Eden. They discuss the beginnings of sin and death, the meaning of repentance (turning back to God), the role of angels as messengers, and the problem of human suffering. Ideas and images from the Life of Adam and Eve writings appear again in later Jewish and Christian works. These include interests in angels and the early history of the world. The stories also shaped how later writers retold the story of Adam, Eve, and the fall.
See also Apocrypha.