The Testament of Solomon

Book I: Creation

In the silence that came before all things, the first Song was sung. The Lord God made music from the emptiness and from the blackness, a melody. From his song the stars were born and began to light the void.

From the stars came three elemental spirits and the Lord God sung again and made them flesh. To the first he gave the name Ziz and her form was that of a great bird and to her was given dominion over the air. Ziz lifted up her voice in song and brought forth the four winds and they swept away the black sky, replaced by blue.

To the second spirit he gave the name Leviathan and his form was like that of a great serpent and to him dominion over the seas were given. Leviathan lifted his voice and brought forth a great torrent of water, it’s waves filling the emptiness and the sea was created.

To the third spirit he gave the name Behemoth and his form was like that of a great aurochs and to him dominion over the earth was given. Behemoth then lifted his voice and brought dry land up from the depths of the sea, taming it’s violent torrents.

The Lord God then saw that the earth was exceedingly beautiful. He turned to the three beasts and said unto them “Come, let us together sing and bring forth life from this place.” The Lord God began to sing and the beasts all joined in harmony. From the Dust of the Earth, a body was formed, a firm foundation. From the sea life blood was created to sustain the body. From the air, the breath of life was given and made the body animate. And finally, The Lord God gave unto him his spirt and named him Man and to him, dominion over all the Earth was given.

The Lord God then Turned to the Beasts and said; “just as we have done together, now go and do to your own domains.” Leviathan was the first to lift his voice and he brought forth all of the fish and creatures that live in the sea. Behemoth was the next to sing and he brought forth the animals and all of the creatures that walk upon the earth. Next Ziz lifted her voice, and brought forth all the birds of the air and every winged thing that flys upon the wind.

Man then turned to the Lord God and said; “I too, wish to bring wonderful things such as these into being.” And the Lord God smiled upon Man and unto him gave two seeds and said to him; “You may bury these two seeds into the Earth. From one seed you will gain my knowledge and from the other, life eternal will grow.” Man turned now to The Lord God and asked; “Am I to toil the earth alone?” The Lord God laughed and lifted his voice once more and from his song, Woman was called forth from the Earth, in the same manner as Man.
Man and Woman were each given one of the seeds, to Woman the Seed of Life, and to Man the Seed of Knowledge.

They then each buried their seed into the earth and tended to them whilst they grew, each after their own seed. At last the seeds grew into full trees with seven great branches and bore seven fruits upon them. From the roots of the trees began to sprout all sorts of grasses and lesser trees in it’s image and the Earth at once became green.

The Lord God looked upon the Earth and was satisfied. The Lord God then turned to Man and Woman and said unto them; “If you eat of the Tree of Knowledge, you will know the world as I do and if you eat of the Tree of Life you will be granted an exceedingly long life and you will not die. Each of you and your offspring may eat only the fruit from one of the trees. This is my only commandment to you.”

In those days and the days after the Lord God walked to and fro and world was as paradise and there was no want or need upon the whole of the Earth. But, Man in his leisure began to wonder after the taste of the fruit. Both Man and Woman had chosen the fruit of the Tree of Life and now lusted jealously after the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. So they conspired, Man and Woman both, to eat of the forbidden Tree.

Man and Woman stole into the Garden of the Tree of Knowledge under the cover of darkness, when the Lord God was gone from that place and ate of the fruit of the Tree of Life. The Lord God knew at the very moment that Man and Woman had become like him. The lord God was angry with them and said unto them; “No longer will I go to and fro, if Man and Woman wish to be like gods on the Earth, then I shall let them! I will go back into the Heavens, and they may no longer meet with me face to face for they have disobeyed my only commandment to them!”

From the great mountain of the Lord, he departed into the Heavens. But the Lord God still loved Man and Woman and the whole of Creation so he again sung to the stars and from them the Seraphim were formed. The Lord God said unto them: “Go and tend to Man and his offspring and ensure that no other eats the fruits of both the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life unless I command it. For I say unto you, I will not forsake the Earth completely.” The Lord God lifted his voice and the great light of the Sun was set into the firmament and it’s light shone upon the Earth. The Lord God Departed into the Heavens and death began to creep into the world.

The Seraphim set their rule upon the Earth and instructed the offspring of Man to tend to the gardens of the world. All the day they tilled and toiled in the earth. But the Seraphim were kind masters and no man was given more than he could bear and the Earth remained green for a time though the decay of death slowly ate away at the paradise.

Ziz the Beast of the Air and firstborn of all creation looked upon the world that the Lord God had forsaken and became embittered. She turned to her brothers, Leviathan and Behemoth and said unto them; “Look at these lesser peoples, these disobedient peoples. Who are they to decide where to sow and what to harvest? They do nothing to slow the decay of the world, they only tend their gardens for the sake of their bellies! Us three, the firstborn of creation ought to wrest the dominion of the Earth from these wicked peoples. And the Earth again will be a paradise like in the first days.” All three of them were in agreement and set out to do this thing that they had spoken of.

The Seraphim were divided, about half their number defended mankind while the others had taken to the side of the Beasts. But the might of the beasts had laid them low and all those who fought on the side of Men had fallen and the war was over quickly. Ziz now ruled over the whole of the Earth and of mankind as a tyrant and her dominion was unrivaled for a time.

Underneath the heel of the beasts mankind toiled and worked the earth without rest and they were made as slaves to the Beasts. The Seraphim had also turned to cruelty under the rule of the Beasts and they treated mankind with great violence and were harsh in punishment Many were slain under the rule of Ziz but her harsh treatment of mankind did not stay the decay of death, it instead hastened it and much of the world became bare.

But the Lord God spoke to a certain man in a dream and said unto him “Behold, I see the suffering of mankind and the decay of the Earth, I am not deaf, nor am I blind. I will reach my hand out and anoint a Messiah and he will lead mankind from under the heel of Ziz, my once beloved daughter. Mankind will once again claim dominion over the Earth, and if he follows my ways, he will make the Earth a Paradise once more.”

The prophet spread this message amongst all peoples who would hear and to all places of the world where men toiled under the tyranny of Ziz. When these sayings reached the ear of Ziz however, she was very displeased and had the Prophet executed in a public display. But the message of the Lord could not be stopped and was spread to all of mankind who waited in prayer and in fasting for the Lord God’s chosen Messiah.