ASTRONOMY
1 The book of the courses of the lights of the shamayim, the relations of each, according to their classes, their dominion and their seasons, according to their names and places of origin, and according to their months, which Uri’ĕl, the qodesh messenger, who was with me, who is their guide, showed me; and he showed me all their laws exactly as they are, and how it is with regard to all the years of the world and unto everlasting, till the new creation is accomplished which endures till everlasting.
2 And this is the first law of the lights: the light, the Sun has its rising in the eastern portals of the shamayim, and its going down in the western portals of the shamayim.
3 And I saw six portals in which the sun rises, and six portals in which the sun goes down and the moon rises and goes down in these portals, and the leaders of the stars and those whom they lead: six in the east and six in the west, and all following each other in accurately corresponding order: also many windows to the right and left of these portals.
4 And first there goes forth the great light, named the sun, and its circumference is like the circumference of the shamayim, and he is quite filled with illuminating and heating fire.
5 The chariot on which he ascends, the wind drives, and the sun goes down from the shamayim and returns through the north in order to reach the east, and is so guided that he comes to that portal and shines in the face of the shamayim.
6 In this way he rises in the first month in the great portal, which is the fourth.
7 And in that fourth portal from which the sun rises in the first month are twelve window-openings, from which proceed a flame when they are opened in their season.
8 When the sun rises in the shamayim, he comes forth through that fourth portal thirty mornings in succession, and goes down exactly in the fourth portal in the west of the shamayim.
9 And during this period the day becomes daily longer and the night, nightly shorter to the thirtieth morning.
10 On that day the day is longer than the night by a ninth part, and the day amounts exactly to ten parts and the night to eight parts.
11 And the sun rises from that fourth portal, and goes down in the fourth and returns to the fifth portal of the east thirty mornings, and rises from it and goes down in the fifth portal.
12 And then the day becomes longer by two parts and amounts to eleven parts, and the night becomes shorter and amounts to seven parts.
13 And it returns to the east and enters into the sixth portal, and rises and goes down in the sixth portal thirty-one mornings on account of its sign.
14 On that day the day becomes longer than the night, and the day becomes double the night, and the day becomes twelve parts, and the night is shortened and becomes six parts.
15 And the sun mounts up to make the day shorter and the night longer, and the sun returns to the east and enters into the sixth portal, and rises from it and goes down thirty mornings.
16 And when thirty mornings are accomplished, the day decreases by exactly one part, and becomes eleven parts, and the night seven.
17 And the sun goes forth from that sixth portal in the west, and goes to the east and rises in the fifth portal for thirty mornings, and goes down in the west again in the fifth western portal.
18 On that day the day decreases by two parts, and amounts to ten parts and the night to eight parts.
19 And the sun goes forth from that fifth portal and goes down in the fifth portal of the west, and rises in the fourth portal for thirty-one mornings on account of its sign, and goes down in the west.
20 On that day the day is equalised with the night, and the night amounts to nine parts and the day to nine parts.
21 And the sun rises from that portal and goes down in the west, and returns to the east and rises thirty mornings in the third portal and goes down in the west in the third portal.
22 And on that day the night becomes longer than the day, and night becomes longer than night, and day shorter than day till the thirtieth morning, and the night amounts exactly to ten parts and the day to eight parts.
23 And the sun rises from that third portal and goes down in the third portal in the west and returns to the east, and for thirty mornings rises in the second portal in the east, and in the same way goes down in the second portal in the west of the shamayim.
24 And on that day the night amounts to eleven parts and the day to seven parts.
25 And the sun rises on that day from that second portal and goes down in the west in the second portal, and returns to the east into the first portal for thirty-one mornings, and goes down in the first portal in the west of the shamayim.
26 And on that day the night becomes longer and amounts to the double of the day: and the night amounts exactly to twelve parts and the day to six.
27 And the sun has traversed the divisions of its orbit and turns again on those divisions of its orbit, and enters that portal thirty mornings and goes down also in the west opposite to it.
28 And on that night, the night has decreased in length by a ninth part, and the night has become eleven parts, and the day seven parts.
29 And the sun has returned and entered into the second portal in the east, and returns on those, its divisions of its orbit for thirty mornings, rising and going down.
30 And on that day the night decreases in length, and the night amounts to ten parts and the day to eight.
31 And on that day the sun rises from that portal, and goes down in the west, and returns to the east, and rises in the third portal for thirty-one mornings, and goes down in the west of the shamayim.
32 On that day the night decreases and amounts to nine parts, and the day to nine parts, and the night is equal to the day and the year is exactly as to its days three hundred and sixty-four.
33 And the length of the day and of the night, and the shortness of the day and of the night arise – through the course of the sun they are separated.
34 So it comes that its course becomes daily longer, and its course nightly shorter.
35 And this is the law and the course of the sun, and its return as often as he returns sixty times and rises – the great light which is named the sun, forever and ever.
36 And that which rises is the great light, and is so named according to its appearance, according as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commanded.
37 As he rises, so he goes down and does not decrease, and does not rest, but runs day and night, and its light is sevenfold brighter than that of the moon; but as regards size, they are both equal.