Chapter-074 Section I I I. Chapters LXXII- LXXXII

Section I I I. Chapters LXXII- LXXXII The Book of the Heavenly

Luminaries 72.1 The Book of the Revolutions of the Lights of Heaven.

Each as it is; according to their classes, according to their period of rule and their times, according to their names and places of origin, and according to their months. That Uriel, the Holy Angel who was with me, and is their leader, showed to me. And he showed me all their regulations, exactly as they are, for each year of the world and for ever, until the new creation shall be made which will last forever.

72.2 And this is the First Law of the Lights. The light called the Sun; its rising is in the Gates of Heaven that are towards the east, and its setting is in the western Gates of Heaven.

72.3 And I saw six Gates from which the Sun rises, and six Gates in which the Sun sets, and the Moon also rises and sets in those Gates, and the leaders of the stars together with those whom they lead. There are six in the east and six in the west, all exactly in place, one next to the other; and there are many windows to the south and the north of those Gates.

72.4 And first there rises the greater light, named the Sun, and its disc is like the disc of Heaven, and the whole of it is full of a fire which gives light and warmth.

72.5 The wind blows the chariots on which it ascends, and the Sun goes down in the sky and returns through the north in order to reach the east, and is led so that it comes to the appropriate Gate and shines in the sky.

72.6 In this way it rises in the first month, in the large Gate, namely; it rises through the fourth of those six Gates that are towards the east.

72.7 And in that fourth Gate, through which the Sun rises in the first month, there are twelve window-openings from which, whenever they are opened, flames come out.

72.8 When the Sun rises in Heaven it goes out through that fourth Gate for thirty days, and exactly in the fourth Gate, in the west of Heaven, it goes down.

72.9 And in those days the day grows daily longer, and the night grows nightly shorter, until the thirtieth morning.

72.10 And on that day the day becomes longer than the night by a double part, and the day amounts to exactly ten parts, and the night amounts to eight parts.

72.11 And the Sun rises from that fourth Gate, and sets in the fourth Gate, and returns to the fifth Gate in the east for thirty mornings; and it rises from it and sets in the fifth Gate.

72.12 And then the day becomes longer by two parts, and the day amounts to eleven parts, and the night becomes shorter and amounts to seven parts.

72.13 And the Sun returns to the east and comes to the sixth Gate, and rises and sets in the sixth Gate for thirty-one mornings, because of its sign.

72.14 And on that day the day becomes longer than the night, and the day becomes double the night; and the day amounts to twelve parts, and the night becomes shorter and amounts to six parts.

72.15 And the Sun rises up so that the day may grow shorter, and the night longer; and the Sun returns to the east, and comes to the sixth Gate, and rises from it, and sets, for thirty mornings.

72.16 And when thirty mornings have been completed the day becomes shorter, by exactly one part; and the day amounts to eleven parts, and the night to
seven parts.

72.17 And the Sun goes out from the west, through that sixth Gate, and goes to the east, and rises in the fifth Gate for thirty mornings and it sets in the west again, in the fifth Gate in the west.

72.18 On that day the day becomes shorter by two parts, and the day amounts to ten parts, and the night to eight parts.

72.19 And the Sun rises from that fifth Gate, and sets in the fifth Gate in the west, and rises in the fourth Gate for thirty-one mornings because of its sign, and sets in the west.

72.20 On that day the day becomes equal with the night, and is of equal length; and the night amounts to nine parts, and the day to nine parts.

72.21 And the Sun rises from that Gate and sets in the west, and returns to the east, and rises in the third Gate for thirty mornings, and sets in the west in the third Gate.

72.22 And the Sun rises from that third Gate, and sets in the third Gate in the west, and returns to the east; and the Sun rises in the second Gate in the east for thirty mornings, and likewise, it sets in the second Gate, in the west of Heaven.

72.24 And on that day the night amounts to eleven parts and the day to seven parts.

72.25 And the Sun rises, on that day, from the second Gate, and sets in the west in the second Gate, and returns to the east to the first Gate for thirty-one mornings, then sets in the west in the first Gate.

72.26 And on that day the night becomes longer, and becomes double the day; and the night amounts to exactly twelve parts, and the day to six parts.

72.27 And with this, the Sun has completed the divisions of its journey, and it turns back again, along these divisions of its journey; and it comes through that first Gate for thirty mornings, and sets in the west opposite it.

72.28 And on that day the night becomes shorter in length by one part, and amounts to eleven parts, and the day to seven parts.

72.29 And the Sun returns, and comes to the second Gate in the east, and it returns along those divisions of its journey for thirty mornings, rising and setting.

72.30 And on that day the night becomes shorter in length and the night amounts to ten parts and the day to eight parts.

72.31 And on that day, the Sun rises from the second Gate, and sets in the west, and returns to the east, and rises in the third Gate for thirty one mornings, and sets in the west of the sky.

72.32 And on that day the night becomes shorter, and amounts to nine parts, and the day amounts to nine parts, and the night becomes equal with the day. And the year amounts to exactly

364 days.

72.33 And the length of the day and the night, and the shortness of the day and the night - they are different because of the journey of the Sun.

72.34 Because of it, its journey becomes daily longer, and nightly shorter.

72.35 And this is the law and the journey of the Sun and its return, as often as it returns; sixty times it returns and rises, that is the great eternal light, which for ever and ever is named the Sun.

72.36 And this that rises is the great light, which is named after its appearance, as the Lord commanded.

72.37 And thus it rises and sets; it neither decreases, nor rests, but runs day and night in its chariot. And its light is seven times brighter than that of the Moon but in size the two are equal.