The Book of the Vestment

[Running head:] The Book of the Angel Raziel (Sefer Raziel ha-Mal'akh) THE BOOK OF THE VESTMENT (Sefer ha-Malbush) — engraved in holiness and in purity, filled with secrets of wisdom, making known the issues of understanding; that makes the humble wise; that makes the face shine with oil; that teaches a pure tongue; that clarifies and refines the heart; that becomes healing to the body; that gives drink to the bone; that shines like the star Venus (kokhav nogah); that girds with strength and might; that is established for ever and ever; that was wrought before his generations; that delighted [unclear: אלם] from of old; the glory of the people of His holy ones on high; written in refined gold; welling up like a spring of purity; established in the midst of power; exalted above [all] works; more honoured than all pearls, more precious than all desirable things; gold and price cannot be compared to it, nor can it be valued with the gold of Ophir. There is no weight to its wisdom, no searching of its understanding, no number to the words of its secrets. As [are] the angels (ha-elohim), so are all who know it; as the troops of fire, so is everyone who searches it; as the princes on high, so is everyone who reads it. It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it. Its keepers it will keep as the apple of the eye; its honourers shall inherit honour; its finders shall find life; its students shall gain learning. It saves its guardians from death; it delivers their soul from the pit; it strengthens their arm in the fear of the LORD (ה'); it teaches the discipline of understanding; it fills their heart with understanding; it brings them to the life of the World to Come; it multiplies their root unto the end; [their] deeds [are] their portion in the Garden of Eden. For [He is] the living God (Elohim hayyim); His treasure is the fear of the LORD; the whole earth is full of His glory. In the heavens He has established His throne, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and the seven springs of the height He bent down to water. A thousand thousands are His ministers and myriads of myriads His hosts, troops of flaming fire; rivers of fire draw [along] before Him. At His majesty the mighty ones (elim) are afraid, and at His voice the posts of the thresholds shake. His likeness is as the appearance of fire; His bow like beryl (tarshish) and onyx; His arrows swift as lightning; His throne awesome as the colour of ice; His angels girded with [unclear: קשרת]; His wheels (ofannim) sparks of flame. Dominion and dread are with Him; His words are fear and trembling. He is hidden from the eyes of all living, and the eyes [of all] have not glimpsed Him; cloud and thick darkness are round about Him, and the hashmal is His swaddling. He sits and dwells alone. Closed things are before Him in order; hidden things He brings out to light; deep things He removes; closed things He reveals; revealed things do not dim Him, and darkness does not darken from Him; for all the world is as nothing over against Him, in all its wealth [unclear: עושרה]. According to His will and desire, according to the dominion of His word, He hastens and fulfils His counsel; there is none who may say to Him, "What do You do?", and none can answer Him. The deposit of souls is in His hand; He abases and raises up at His desire; [unclear: מנים]; at His rebuke He dries up the sea, the deeps; He darkens the moon and the sun; He dims all the stars of light; He removes mountains and they know it not; He makes the earth tremble when He looks on it. His is counsel and might, and from Him knowledge and understanding; He gives His wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding [Aram. לחכימין ומנדעא ליודעי בינה]. And He [gave it] in this holy book, in seventy-two letters, and gave [it] to Michael (מיכא"ל), the great prince who is over the seven princes who minister before the King, the King of the kings of kings; from whom He made wise Adam the First (Adam ha-Rishon) — the beginning of wisdom — and by it he acted shrewdly and called names to every beast, living creature and bird, creeping thing and fish; and by it he understood and [unclear: וחר…] his wisdom of all that God (Elohim) created in the six days of creation; and [unclear: ומערת] that he read in this book and mentioned its letters, his dread was cast upon the creatures, and all who saw him trembled before him. Thereby Adam understood that true is this book and true are all the holy letters that are in it; and he greatly honoured it with all his strength and in his holiness, to act in purity and in modesty and in humility. And so he grew wise in the spirit of wisdom, and understood the tongue of gold and refined it in fire twice, and searched in it the letters of the holy book in holiness and in purity, and placed it in the cleft of the rock, east of the Garden of Eden; for the earth could not contain its power. For every place where Adam held it and read it would sway like a ship. And if he mentioned it on a mountain, it would melt like wax; and if he mentioned it upon the sea, it would congeal [Aram.-form נפקא] like hoar-frost; and if he mentioned it upon fire, it would become like dust; and if upon the lions, upon the leopards, upon bears and upon evil beasts he mentioned it, they would stand like the dumb; if upon a serpent and upon every creeping thing he mentioned it, he would silence them like a bird. If in the heavens he spoke and mentioned this holy Name in its letters and in its holiness before the sun and the moon and Orion (ha-kesil) and all the lights of light, he would rule, as a righteous man rules in the fear of God; and also over the spirit, and over demon (shed), and over mishap (pega') and Satan he would take [power over] male and female; and if he mentioned it over male and female they would obey him according to his desire and will. If over a high tower or a fortified wall he mentioned it, it would fall to the ground suddenly; and if over a fruit tree he mentioned it, it would give fruit out of its season; and if over battle and war he mentioned it, they would flee before him. And also everything he knew, and it was known to him from this holy spirit: whether for death or for life, whether to do good or to do evil; and also the secrets of hours and the moments of times, and the number of days, and the investigation of seasons (tequfot), and the reckoning of seasons and jubilees to the end of the world — from it he learned from end to end. And when Seth his son stood [ובעמוד], when he was ten years old, he trained him according to his way, and made him understand all the pure letters in this holy book, and told him all its mighty acts, and what its power and wonders are, and how it had done with him; and he made known to him that he had placed it in the cleft of the rock; and he taught him that at the time he would speak with it he should guard himself every day for six weeks of days, and not eat during them any onion or garlic or [unclear: וחרפה], or any small [fish?: דקה — unclear], or fish, or any meat, or anything that brings out blood; and every single day he would run to the [unclear: הרהטום — water-channel?] and wash in purity, once at morning and once at evening. He adjured him not to conduct himself with it in a coarse spirit, nor in lightness of head, but only in humility and in fear and in purity and in holiness; for such is the way of all who know it and understand its letters. And after all this he departed to his eternal house, and Seth his son arose and held fast to it with all his strength, without turning right or left from anything he was commanded by Adam his father; for he too was wise and discerning, and knew understanding and insight; for from the wisdom of this holy book the gates of wisdom and shrewdness were opened to him, to discern between good and evil, to despise the evil and to choose the good. And he saw, and behold, the first generations were going after vanity and chaos (tohu), and after the work of their hands, and began to call an idol by the name of God (El), and exchanged the Bearer for the borne, and they did not know nor understand that they walk in darkness. And Seth grew wise in the secret of this book and in the letters of the holy Name engraved in it, [and knew] that God would break the bound of the sea and flood the whole world with His power; and he made a [unclear: גלום קמום] of gold, and put it inside, together with all the chief spices, and hid it in a cave in the city called Enoch (Hanokh), which Cain his brother had built. [Catchword:] "This is the prayer"

[Running head:] The Book of the Angel Raziel — [folio] 3 (ג) [Within an ornamental frame:] THIS IS THE PRAYER OF ADAM THE FIRST (Adam ha-Rishon) which he prayed at the time when he was driven out of the Garden of Eden, and until this holy book was given to him. And he made supplication before the Might (ha-Gevurah) and said: LORD (ה'), God of the world, You created the whole world for splendour, honour and strength, and You do according to Your will; and Your kingdom is for ever and ever, and Your glory from generation to generation; and nothing is hidden from You, and nothing is concealed from before Your eyes. And You established me among the works of Your hands, and made me rule over all Your creatures, to be ruler over Your works. And the serpent, the cunning, the cursed one, beguiled me with the tree of desire, of delight; and moreover the wife of my bosom beguiled me. And You did not make known to me what will be, and what will be for my sons, and what will come upon me and upon the generations coming after me. And I know and understand that no living being is righteous before You; and what is my strength, to make my face bold before You? I have no mouth to answer or to speak, and no eye to lift up, for I have sinned and done wickedly, and through my iniquity I was driven out today. And behold, I break and cleave the earth, to work that from which I was taken. And my fear and dread are not upon the dwellers of the earth as at the beginning; for from the time I ate of the tree of knowledge and transgressed Your words, my wisdom was taken from me, and I am brutish and do not know, and a fool and do not understand what will be. And now, Merciful and Gracious One, return in Your great mercies upon the head of Your creation, and upon the spirit that You breathed, and upon the soul that You gave. Come before me in Your lovingkindness, for You are kind, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness. Let my prayer go up before the throne of Your glory, and let my cry reach before the throne of Your mercies, and [let] my supplications [rise]; let the words of my mouth be acceptable before You, and do not hide Yourself from my supplication. You were and You will be for ever; You ruled and You will rule. Have pity, please, on the work of Your hands; make me understand and make known to me what will be for my offspring and my generations, and what will come upon me each and every day and each and every month; and do not hide from me the wisdom of [unclear: עור"ך]; another reading (נ"א): of Your [unclear: עריך] and Your angels. After three days of his supplications, Raziel (רזיאל) the angel came to him — he who sits by the river that goes out of the Garden of Eden — and revealed himself to him at the heat of the sun, and in his hand a book. And he said to him: Adam, why are you dismayed? Why are you grieved and anxious? From the day that you stood in prayer and in supplications your words were heard, and I have come to make you understand pure utterances and great wisdom, and to make you wise in the words of this holy book; and by them you will know what will befall you until the day of your death. And any man of your sons who will stand after you, and all the later generations who will conduct themselves with this holy book in purity, in uprightness, and in humility of spirit, and will do all that is written in it — like you he will know what will come in each and every month, and between day and night; and everything will be revealed to him, and he will understand and know whether there will be evil, or famine, or heavy [unclear: ערוב — swarm of wild beasts?], or rains, or drought, or whether the grain will increase or decrease, or the wicked will rule in the world; whether there will be locust or caterpillar (hasil); and whether the tree will cast its fruit; and whether there will be the plague of boils among men; and whether there will be wars; and whether there will be sufferings; and whether death will rule among men or among beasts; and whether a good decree will go forth from on high, or an evil one; and whether blood will be shed, or the slain will groan in the city. And you, Adam, draw near hither and [unclear: וחן — "set"?] your heart, and I will make known to you what is the way of this book and what is its holiness. And Raziel the angel opened the book and read in the ears of Adam. And it came to pass, when he heard the words of this holy book from the mouth of Raziel the angel, that he fell on his face trembling. And he said: Adam, arise, be strong, and do not fear and do not be afraid; and take this book from my hand, and guard [yourself] with it; for from it you will know and understand, and you will make it known to everyone who merits it, and it will be his portion. And at the time that Adam took this book, a fire kindled on the bank of the river, and the angel went up in the flame of fire heavenwards. Then Adam understood and knew that he was an angel of God (Elohim), and that from before the Holy King this book was sent; and he held fast to it in holiness and in purity. And these are the words of the book: if a man seeks to prosper and to do a thing by it, let him count three days before the coming of the day of the new moon (rosh hodesh) of the month; and let him not eat anything of doubtful impurity, nor anything that brings out blood; and let him not drink wine; and let him keep apart from lying with a woman. And on these days let him wash in water before the sun rises; and let him bring two white turtledoves and slaughter them with a knife of copper that has two mouths [edges], and let him slaughter the one dove with the one mouth of the knife, and the second with the other side; and let him take out their entrails and wash [them] in water; and let him bring three shekels of old wine and pure frankincense and a little [Signature:] א [Catchword:] רבש [unclear]

[Running head:] The Book of the Angel Raziel [continuing the rite begun on p11:] …pure and clear honey, and [unclear: ובלבם — mix?] them together with the entrails of the turtledoves, and fill them, and cut them into pieces, piece by piece, and put [them] on the coals before the rising of the dawn. And he shall be wrapped in a white garment, and stand, and walk barefoot, and mention the names of the angels who minister in that month in which he is asking; and let him burn some of the pieces every day, three times a day, each piece. And on the third day let him bring all the ashes and scatter them on the floor inside the house, and sleep on it, and mention over it the names of the mighty, strong, heroic, holy, ruling angels; and let him sleep and not speak with any man. And the angels will come to him at night in a vision, in appearance and not in riddles, and will make known to him and reveal to him every thing that he asks, without fear. And after four generations arose Enoch (Hanokh) son of Jared, and he grew wise in the fear of God (Elohim), and conducted himself in purity, and would wash and sanctify himself in living water, and cast supplication before the Creator of all. And there was revealed [to him] in a dream the place where the book was hidden, the way to conduct himself with it, and what its work is, and the holiness of its purity. And he rose early and went to the cave, and tarried until noon; and from the strength of the sun [unclear: בא נפשן] there, so that the people of the place would not understand him; and before God (ha-El), blessed be He, he made supplication, and went up in purity, and held fast to the pure Name. And when he understood it, his eyes were enlightened in all his ways, and he conducted himself by it, and went until he became like the holy ones on high, and was separated from the dwellers of the earth — "and he was not, for God took him." For by this book he grew wise and shrewd in the seasons (tequfot) and constellations (mazzalot) and in all the lights that minister to each and every month, and the names called for each season, and the angels who minister in the four seasons of the year; and he understood the names of the earth and the names of the heavens, and also the names of the sun and the moon. And he increased in honouring it with all his strength, and understood all wisdom more than Adam the First; and he understood that the generations coming after him would not have strength to stand in it, for it is mighty and weighty; and he hid it until there arose Noah son of Lamech, a righteous man, perfect in his generations. And in the five-hundredth year of his life the earth was corrupted by the violent deeds of the generations, and all flesh corrupted its way on the earth, and the cry of the earth went up [to] the heavens, before the throne of glory of the Holy One, blessed be He; and Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD (ה'). And then Raphael (רפא"ל), the holy prince, was sent to him and said to him: I have been sent by the word of God to you, to heal the earth and to make known what will be and what he shall do and be saved. Then he gave him this holy book, and made him understand how to conduct himself with it, and what its work is, and what the holiness of its purity is. And he said to him: Hear the word of the LORD, for you have been found a righteous man, perfect in your generations. Behold, I have given you this holy book and made known to you all its secrets and mysteries, to do it in holiness and in purity, in modesty and in humility; and from it you will learn to make an ark of gopher wood, and you shall enter, you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives, to hide a little moment until the wrath passes. And Noah took the book from the hand of Raphael the holy prince; and when he understood it, by the engraved letters, the spirit of the LORD rested on him, and he made the ark in length and breadth by the knowledge that he understood through this holy Name; and it was heard by him: "Come, you and all your house, into the ark, for you have I seen righteous." And then Noah son of Lamech hid it before they came into the ark, and understood all its letters, and [unclear: ובן] to bring into the ark two and seven, male and female [lit. "a man and his wife"]. And the LORD shut him in, and the Flood was forty days and forty nights. Then he opened his mouth in a spirit of wisdom and understanding, and blessed the LORD God, the great, mighty and awesome King. And he said: Blessed be the LORD who has given of His wisdom to those who fear His name. Blessed is He who makes man rule by His fear, who saves the souls of His pious ones, who hides those who trust in Him in His shadow and leaves a remnant to keep alive, who graciously gives His servants a spirit of insight and understanding to speak with every man and beast and living creature, bird, creeping thing and fish, to make known to them Your power and the greatness of Your might. And from the abundance of insight that he gained with this book, he knew whether it was day or night, and he knew the food of each beast in its time. And his prayer was heard before the Throne of Glory, and he was remembered, he and all who were with him in the ark; and God made a wind pass over the earth, and the waters abated, and the ark rested in this month upon the mountains of Ararat. By the wisdom of this book Noah conducted himself; and he made [it] known to Shem his son, for from it he had understood [how to act] in the ark. And Shem his son used it and held fast to it likewise after him in its holiness; and Shem handed it to Abraham, and Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to Levi, and Levi to Moses, and Moses to Aaron, and Aaron to Phinehas, and Phinehas to his son, and all the generations one after another. And whoever is worthy of it, happy is he and good for him, for it will come up in his portion and his lot to know it; and he will understand that his portion is in it, for it is not given to all, and not all men will understand or grow wise from it; for wisdom is from the fear of the LORD, and with Him it is. A wise man of heart will understand it, and men of understanding will stand upon it. And whoever holds this book in purity will not die; his face will not grow pale; no enemy will deceive him, and no plotters of iniquity will come against him; he will spend his days in good, and counsel of evil will be broken from him; for he has found good life — happy is he, for he found life; and in his death he will find rest; and demon (shed) and evil mishap (pega' ra') will not hate him; and from an evil man he will be saved speedily. Blessing will come upon his house, and he will tread upon the high places of his enemies; his name will be remembered for good and blessing; for by the holy Name he is enlightened, and he will find favour in the eyes of all who see him, and good understanding in the eyes of God and man, and insight before all who see; from evil death his soul will be saved; for righteousness [unclear: בת"ה] his soul; and those who strike in secret will be removed from him; for [like] a gift in secret is its power. Before kings he will be praised, in the uprightness of the Name of the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. [Catchword:] "For every"

[Running head:] The Book of the Angel Raziel — [folio] 4 (ד) For everyone who holds to this book, and keeps himself pure, and does not defile his flesh, and does not touch a woman in her menstrual impurity, and does not come near a dead body, and is not defiled by any uncircumcised person, and sanctifies his flesh in living water and purifies himself to be like the angels (elohim), and does not eat any unclean thing, and does not touch any impurity, and acts in its holiness according to all that is written in it — then you will prosper. And whoever acts presumptuously with the letters of the holy Name, and does not sanctify himself, and does not purify his flesh, and touches it without purity, and conducts himself with it in lightness of head, and does not keep it according to its way, and acts presumptuously with it to profane it — he will be punished and perish from the world, and inherit his portion for reproach, and be an everlasting abhorrence; and its benefit [unclear: לא תמורת] and its fire will not be quenched; and from [the] world they will drive him out, and from light into darkness they will thrust him. But if he goes after the fear of his Creator, and uses it in purity and in holiness, he merits all his words, and will prosper in all his deeds, and will be given grace, lovingkindness and mercy in the eyes of all who see him; and all his enemies will fear him and [be afraid] before him, for he is called by the holy Name. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; prudent, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD (ה') are upright, and transgressors stumble in them. [Aram.] For success, for the establishment of blessing, for Torah, for praise, to take account of them all — in truth, this book is [to be] done in modesty; and everything that you do, with the rising of the sun and with its [unclear: מציאותיה] in its sign, in every month, five days at the beginning and five days in the middle, and you will prosper in all your work. [Aram.] For this book is great, and a praise, and the LORD God (ה' אלהים) shows [it] to [unclear: לבעיוהי], that everyone who does it and keeps it, as is written in it, will prosper in all his works. [Aram.] This book: by this one shall do [it], everyone who wishes to act: let him say the name of the moon and the name of the sun, five days in the moon, and five in the middle, and five at its end. The first season (tequfah): when the sun was in Aries, in Taurus and in Gemini — 91 days and 3 hours and one of four and a third of an hour. The second season: Cancer, Leo, Virgo — ninety-one days and six hours and one of four to three hours. The fourth season: Capricorn and Aquarius and Pisces — ninety-one days, of the one, and four to three hours. [The third season is not listed in the print.] If you seek to hide money in the earth, or if you act on water: take water and pour it on the earth; say the name of the earth in each and every season, and the earth will drink from your hand, and you will act and prosper. [Aram.] If in the first season your soul [wishes] to act by day upon the seed of the earth, say the name of the sun in its uprightness: YH"W H"W AY"N (יה"ו ה"ו אי"ן); and the name of the first day of the week: PYGNW"TQR (פיגנו"תקר); and the name of the first season: Samael (סמא"ל) and Ana'el (ענא"ל) and GNShW"RASh (וגנשו"ראש); and its prince: AY"R MST"R (אי"ר מסט"ר); and the name of the sun: PNYW"TH (פניו"תה); and the name of the sign Aries: Sha'atan (שע"טן); and the name of those who rule over the seed of the earth: YSWR"YN (יסור"ין), TWR"TH (תור"תה), YWB"A (יוב"א), 'RK"T (ערכ"ת), Dakhdi'el (דכדי"אל) and Ana'el (ענא"ל) — and the seven names — and say: "I ask of you, holy ones of the worlds, that you do for me all that I wish"; they are ShD"N and AS"RN (שד"ן ואס"רן). [Aram.] If in the second season your soul [wishes] to act upon a tree, say the name of the earth: KL AT"R (כל את"ר); and the name of its prince: ALYH"WN (אליה"ון); and the name of the second day of the week: MWHT"R (מוחת"ר); and the name of the angels of the season: Namli'el (נמלי"אל), Tzadqi'el (צדקי"אל), Ani'el (עני"אל); and its prince: ABY"R (אבי"ר), ABYRY"M (אבירי"ם); and the name YHW"H AB"YN (יהו"ה אב"ין); and the name of the sign Cancer: QHD"R (קהד"ר); and the name of those who rule over the tree: 'QRY"H (עקרי"ה) and its offspring (?) RBTYHW (רבתיהו), 'RBRTY"HW (ערברתי"הו), QRBYTY"H (קרביתי"ה), ABKL"T (אבכל"ת), NTLB"A (נתלב"א), Darkati'el (דרכתי"אל) — and the seven names; and cast [unclear: מן דעתך] to the Lord, and ask of them, and they do, whether good or evil. [Aram.] If in the third season your soul [wishes] to act to bind creeping things, say the name of the creeping things; and the name of the earth: YShY"ShYH (ישי"שיה); and its prince: Yahm'el (יהמ"אל); and the name of the east wind: ABY"AN (אבי"אן); and its princes: Raphael (רפ"אל), Gabriel (גברי"אל), Uriel (אורי"אל); and the name of the third [day]: PRT"AN (פרת"אן); and the name of the third season: ShM"AL (שמ"אל), AShM"RH (אשמ"רה), Gabriel (גברי"אל); and its prince: ALB"RA AY"H (אלב"רא אי"ה); and the name YHW"H SWFWTW"NYN (סופותו"נין); and the name of the sign Libra: TShG"WN (תשג"ון); and the name of those who rule over the creeping things: Raphael (רפ"אל), Roqi'el (רוקי"אל), Gabriel (גברי"אל), Tzuri'el (צורי"אל), YH"W (יה"ו), YHY"H (יהי"ה), MHY"H (מהי"ה), Michael (מיכ"אל), Shelishi'el (שלישי"אל); and by the [unclear: ובחתרא] of the head, and by the covenant of Abraham, and by the place where Abraham drew near, and by the name of the two angels who serve, one on his right and one on his left — and they pass over every [unclear: פוקרינו] of death. But his Torah is established in his hand, and his words are heard, and his dread is cast upon the creatures, and his possessions prosper, and it brings about good for him and for all his family to the end of all the generations. When God is angry with the world, He sends them — the one who is on His right — and he sustains the world. And these are MRKP"RA (מרכפ"רא), Markefi'el (מרכפי"אל) and the seven names. Loose [?] and raise your hand heavenward, and take [unclear: צלותית] and fill it with precious oil, with ointment, from a [unclear: דוכית]; another reading (נ"א): glass. Thereby the creeping things of the earth are bound for us. [Aram.] If in the fourth season your soul [wishes] to act upon beasts, say: the fourth day of the week: RA"MY ShWR ST"R (רא"מי שור סט"ר); and the name of the fourth season: AGR"YA (אגר"יא), Gedudi'el (גדורי"אל), Berakhi'el (ברכי"אל), RB"YW DRF"A (רב"יו דרפ"א); and the name of the sun: ABLA"R (אבלא"ר), AShK"WR (אשכ"ור), KHD"WN (כחד"ון), ShHR"WN (שחר"ון), QLR"WN (קלר"ון); and the name of the sign Capricorn: ShG"R LW"Y (שג"ר לו"י); and the name of those who rule over the beasts: AHDYRY"R (אהדירי"ר), Mitgad'el (מתגד"אל), Azri'el (עזרי"אל), ZBN"A ZRQYTA (זבנ"א זרקיתא) — and the seven names; and the day: the beast of So-and-so son of So-and-so, by the holy word and the refined [names] of the sun. [Aram.] And if in the first season your soul [wishes] to bind a clean beast, say the name of the fifth day of the week in the season: ABRYMW"NS (אברימו"נס); and the name YHW"H [Signature:] א ב [Catchword:] פניות [Note: the small-type angel and magical names were read from the photograph and given in letter-by-letter transliteration. Single letters may be misread; check against the Hebrew.]