The Book of Raziel the Angel

The Book of the Garment

Hebrew: Sefer HaMalbush. In mystical tradition, this refers to the "garment" of light or the divine names that clothe the Creator's essence.

Engraved in holiness and purity, filled with the secrets of wisdom, making known the outcomes of understanding; it brings wisdom to the humble and makes the face shine more than oil; it teaches eloquent speech and clarifies and refines the heart. It serves as a healing for the body and a refreshing drink for the bone; it shines like a bright star with mighty strength and power. Prepared forever and ever, enacted before the generations, it has delighted the world from of old, the glory of His holy people on high. Written in refined gold, flowing like a fountain of purity, prepared in the foundations of power, elevated above all difficulties. It is more honored than all pearls, dearer than all precious objects; gold and glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for a vessel of fine gold original: Kethem Ophir, a high-quality gold mentioned in the Bible. There is no weight to its wisdom, no searching out its understanding, and no number to the words of its secrets. As for God—so are all who know Him; like His fiery legion—so is everyone who investigates it; like the princes on high—so is everyone who reads it. It is a tree of life to those who grasp it; its guardians are protected as the apple of an eye; those who honor it shall inherit honor. They have found it and found life; those who contemplate it shall gain insight. It saves its keepers from death, filling their souls from the pit, strengthening their arm in the fear of the Lord. It teaches them disciplined wisdom, fills their hearts with intelligence, and draws them toward the life of the World to Come. It increases their root until the very end; their portion is made in the Garden of Eden. For He is the Living God; His treasury is the fear of the Lord; His glory fills the earth. He established His throne in the heavens, yet the highest heavens cannot contain Him. The springs of the heights were bent to His majesty; a thousand thousands are His ministers, and myriads upon myriads are His hosts—walled in by a lapping fire, with rivers of fire flowing before Him. At His majesty, the mighty tremble, and at His voice, the foundations of the thresholds shake. His form is like the appearance of fire, His bow is like beryl and onyx; His arrows are swift as lightning. His throne is awesome like the color of ice; His angels are girded with knots; His wheels are sparks of flame. Dominion and fear are with Him; His words are of awe and trembling. He is hidden from the eyes of all living, and eyes in their fullness have not seen Him. Cloud and thick darkness are around Him, and the Chashmal a mystical "electrum" or glowing amber light described in the vision of Ezekiel is His outer wrap. He sits and dwells alone. Hidden things are before Him like an open book; concealed things come to light; deep and ancient secrets He reveals. Disclosed things do not dim His sight, and darkness does not hide from Him, for the whole world is as nothing against Him. All is done by His will and desire; as a ruler, His word hastens and fulfills His counsel. There is no one to say to Him, "What are You doing?" and none to challenge Him. The deposit of souls is in His hand; He humbles and lifts up according to His desires. He drives back the sea with His rebuke, dries up the depths, darkens the moon and sun, and dims all the stars of light. He moves mountains without them knowing; He shakes the earth when He looks upon it. Counsel and might are His, and from Him come knowledge and discernment; He gives His wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who know understanding.

And it is in this holy book, containing seventy-two letters A reference to the Shem HaMephorash, the 72-fold name of God, that it was given to Michael, the Great Prince, who stands over the seven princes who minister before the King, the King of kings. From him, Adam the First Man learned wisdom. Through it, Adam gained cunning and called names for every beast, animal, fowl, creeping thing, and fish. Through it, his wisdom grew greater than everything God created in the six days of Creation. From the arrangement of what he read in this book and the mentioning of its letters, his dread was cast upon all creatures, and all who saw him trembled. From this, it is right for a person to understand that this book is truth, and all the holy letters within it are truth. Adam honored it greatly with all his strength, maintaining it in purity, in secrecy, and in humility. Thus shall you gain insight through the spirit of wisdom. Adam prepared a golden tablet, refined it in fire seven times, and engraved upon it the letters of this holy book in holiness and purity. He deposited it in a cleft of the rock east of the Garden of Eden, for the earth was not able to contain its power. For in any place where a person held it in its weightiness, it would drift like a cloud; if he mentioned it upon a mountain, it would melt in wrath; if upon the water, it would split like ice; if upon fire, it would be extinguished like dust. If he mentioned it over lions, leopards, wolves, or bears, or any evil beasts, they would stand mute. If over a snake or any creeping thing, it would silence them like a bird. If he spoke and recounted this Holy Name in its letters and holiness in the heavens—before the sun, the moon, the Pleiades Hebrew: Kesil, and all the luminaries of light—he would rule like a righteous man ruling in the fear of God. They [the letters] have power over the Charutz a type of spirit or demon, over demons, over plagues, and over Satan. He could take male or female [spirits], and if he mentioned it over them, they would obey him according to his desire and will. If he mentioned it over a high tower or a fortified wall, it would fall to the earth suddenly. If over a fruit tree, it would give fruit out of its season. If over battle or war, they would flee from before him. Also, he knew every matter, and it was known to him through this Holy Spirit—whether for death or for life, whether for good or for evil. Also the months, the hours, the moments of the times, the number of days, the investigation of the seasons, and the calculation of the cycles and jubilees until the end of the world—from this book he learned it all, from end to end.

And when Seth his son stood, when he was ten years old, Adam trained him in its way and awakened him to all the letters engraved in this holy book. He told him all its mighty deeds, what its power and wonders were, and how it had acted with him. He informed him that he had placed it in the cleft of the rock and taught him that at the time he speaks of it, he must guard himself every day for six weeks of days. During these, he shall not eat any onion, garlic, or leeks original: Charpah, likely referring to pungent or sharp-tasting herbs, nor any small spice or fish, nor any meat, nor anything that produces blood. Every single day he would run to the water-trough and wash in purity, once in the morning and once in the evening. He was immersed so that he would not behave with a haughty spirit or lightheadedness, but only with humility, fear, purity, and holiness. For this is the way of all who know it and gain insight into its letters.

And after all this, Adam departed to his eternal home. Seth his son stood and held onto the book with all his strength, without turning right or left from anything he was commanded by Adam his father. For he too was wise, upright, and possessed of intelligence and understanding. From the wisdom of this holy book, the gates of wisdom and cunning were opened to him to distinguish between good and evil, to loathe the evil and choose the good. He saw the early generations following vanity and being terrified by it, following the work of their hands; they began to call idols by the name of God and rebelled with foolishness. They did not know or understand, for they walked in darkness. But Seth gained insight through the secret of this book and the letters of the Holy Name engraved within it—how God sets a limit for the sea and overflows the whole world with His power. Seth made a chest of gold and placed it therein with all the chief spices, and he hid it in a cave in the city called Enoch, which Cain his brother had built.