THE BOOK OF THE COURSES OF THE HEAVENLY LUMINARIES
Chapter 74
1 There I saw another progress and regulation which he made in the law of the moon. The progress of the moons, and everything relating to them,
2 Uriel the holy angel who conducted them all shewed to me. I wrote down all their situations, as he shewed them to me.I wrote down their months as they are, with the appearance of their light, until it is filled up in fifteen days.
3 In each of its single seven portions, it completes all its light at rising, and in each of its single seven portions, it completes all its darkness at setting.
4 On appointed months it goes its course alone,
5 and in two gates the moon sets with the sun, in the two gates which are in the middle, in the third and fourth gates.
6 It goes forth seven days, and makes its circuit. And it turns again to the gate whence the sun goes forth, and in that makes full all its light, then it declines from the sun, and comes in eight days into the sixth gate, and returns in seven days into the third gate, from which the sun goes forth.
7 When the sun goes forth from the fourth gate, the moon goes forth for seven days, until it goes forth from the fifth gate. Again it turns in seven days to the fourth gate, and there makes full all its light, and turns, and comes by the first gate, eight days,
8 and returns in seven days to the fourth gate, from which the sun goes forth.
9 Thus I saw their situations, according to the fixed order of the months the sun rises and sets.
10 At these times there are in five years, thirty days belonging to the sun. All the days belonging to each year of the five years, when completed, amount to three hundred and sixty-four days,
11 and to the sun and stars belong six days, six days in each of the five years, thus thirty days belong to them. So that the moon has thirty days less than the sun and stars.
12 The moon brings on all the years exactly, that their places may neither be before, or be delayed a single day, but that the exact changing of the year may be in three hundred and sixty-four days.
13 Three years have one thousand and ninety-two days, and five years, one thousand eight hundred and twenty days, so there are in eight years two thousand nine hundred and twelve days.
14 After these in the fourth quarter are the winds to the west, and from the first gate inclining to the north, go forth dew, rain, frost, snow, cold, and chill. And from the middle gate go forth dew, rain, health, and blessing.
15 And from the last gate which is southwards, proceed drought, destruction, scorching, and perdition.
16 The account of the twelve gates of the four quarters of heaven is ended. I have shewn all their laws, all their punishment, and all their health, to thee my son Mathusala.
Chapter 75
1 These are the heads of the chiefs of thousands, which are over the whole creation, and over all the stars, with the four days which are added, and never separated from their place according to the exact account of the year. And these four days are wanted, which are not reckoned in the account of the year.
2 And men err concerning them, for in truth these lights want, in the place of the course of the world, one day in the first gate, one in the third gate, one in the fourth, and one in the sixth gate. And the course of the world becomes exactly finished every three hundred and sixty-fourth state of it,
3 for the signs, the seasons, the years, and the days, Uriel shewed me, the angel whom the Lord of Glory, who is forever, appointed over all the lights of heaven. In heaven, and in the world, that they might rule in the face of the sky, and appear over the earth, and become conductors of the days and nights, the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the ministers of heaven, who make their revolutions with all the chariots of heaven.
4 Thus Uriel shewed me twelve in open for the circuit of the chariots of the sun in heaven, from which the rays of the sun go forth. And from these the heat goes forth over the earth, when they are opened at their appointed seasons.
5 They are for the winds, and the spirit of the dew, when in their seasons they are opened at the ends of heavens.
6 I saw twelve gates in heaven at the ends of the earth, through which the sun, moon, and stars, and all the works of heaven go forth at their rising and setting.
7 And many windows are open on their right and on their left side. One window at a certain time grows very hot, so also are those gates from whence the stars go forth, according to their law, and in which they set according to their number.
8 I also saw the chariots of heaven running in the world above, and below these gates in which the stars turn, which never set.
9 One of these is greater than all, and this goes round the whole world.