Samael-Iblis Research

For my revision this week on the Who's to Blame in the Garden of Eden story, I decided to do research. I knew I had read a version of this story in the Islamic tradition (I used it in a World Literature class I taught years ago), so I wanted to track that down, and I also wanted to see what I could find out about Ginzberg's source. My research was very productive. Here is what I learned:

I started from the footnote in Ginzberg, but it was not very helpful. "This legend was published by Ginzberg in Ha-Goren IX 38-41." So, I went to Hathi Trust to see if I could access this journal, and while I found Volumes 1-7 at Hathi, I could not find Volume 9, and I also learned it is a Hebrew-language publication, so even if I did find it, I would not be able to read it.

But something would be better than nothing, so I Googled that citation, and it led to this amazing discovery: a webpage by Professor John C. Reeves at UNC Charlotte (Religious Studies) called Son of Samael, which translates Ginzberg's version. Unfortunately, he does not provide Ginzberg's commentary (if there was any?), simply a note that Ginzberg says he copied the story from a Yemenite manuscript.

Reeves did provide, however, this reference: reference: Zohar Hadromi-Allouche, “The Death and Life of the Devil’s Son: A Literary Analysis of a Neglected Tradition,” Studia Islamica 107 (2012): 157-83. I found this article online at the OU Libraries, and it was so informative!

From that article, I learned that the Termedhi version which I knew about is the oldest Islamic version. The story is also reported in modern folklore: Rushdi al-Ashhab, Popular Stories from Palestine, Jerusalem: The Arab Studies Society, 1987, which is available online: This Week in Palestine - Story of the Week [online]. Jerusalem Media & Communication Centre ( JMCC), February 2000.

So, below are the two Islamic versions, the ancient one from al-Termedhi, and the modern Palestinian folktale version.

The Islamic version is remarkable for being a three-part story, which is not a feature of the Jewish version. Adam kills little Khannas not once but three times. The first two times Iblis reassembles him, and the third time Adam and Eve eat him, which was Iblis's goal: he wanted to insinuate himself into the human heart! Unlike the Jewish version, God does not provide relief for this disaster. I might even decide to make this into a chain-tale story of my own and have Adam try to kill the child in even more ways. It would be gruesome... but lots of chain-tales are gruesome. And this is a pretty astounding story! I am glad I had a chance to do this research and add this resource page to my Portfolio.

Al-Termedhi

Source: Attar, Muslim Saints and Mystics (Episodes from the Tadhkirat al-Auliya, or Memorial of the Saints). Translated by A. J. Arberry. 1966.

The following narrative is ascribed to Termedhi.

When Adam and Eve came together and their repentance was accepted, one day Adam went out on business. Then Iblis brought his child called Khannas to Eve.

“Something important has come up,” he told her. “Please look after my child till I return.”

Eve consented to do so, and Iblis went on his way.

“Who is this?” demanded Adam on his return.

“The child of Iblis,” Eve answered. “He left him in my charge.”

“Why did you consent?” Adam reproved her. In a fury he slew the child and cut him into pieces, and hung each piece from the branch of a tree. Then he went off.

Presently Iblis returned.

“Where is my son?” he asked.

Eve reported to him what had happened. “He cut him in pieces and hung each piece on the branch of a tree.”

Iblis called to his son. He reassembled and became alive and ran to his father.

“Take him,” Iblis begged Eve again. “I have another task to do.”

At first Eve would not agree, but Iblis pleaded and entreated her so earnestly that at last she consented. So Iblis took his departure, and Adam returned to find the child there again.

“What is this?” he demanded.

Eve explained what had happened. Adam beat her severely.

“I do not know what the mystery of this is,” he cried, “that you disobey me and obey that enemy of God, and are duped by his words.”

He slew the child and burned his body, then scattered his ashes, half in the water and half to the winds.

So he departed.

Iblis came back again and asked for his son. Eve told him what had come to pass. Iblis shouted to his son, and the pieces reassembled and came to life, and sat before Iblis.

Once more Iblis spoke to Eve, and she refused him. “Adam will kill me.”

Iblis adjured her with many oaths, until she consented. Iblis then departed, and Adam returned to discover the child with her once more.

“God knows what will happen now,” he cried out in anger. “You heed his words and not mine.”

Furious, he slew Khannas and cooked him. He ate one half himself, and the other half he gave to Eve. (They also say that on the final occasion Iblis had brought Khannas back in the form of a sheep.) Iblis returned and demanded his son. Eve recounted what had transpired.

“He cooked him. One half I ate, and one half Adam.”

“This was what I was after,” Iblis shouted. “I aimed to insinuate myself into Adam. Now that his breast has become my abode, my purpose is realized.”


Palestinian Folktale versions

Source: Rushdi al Ashhab, Popular Stories from Palestine. Published by the Arab Studies Society, Jerusalem, 1987.

Our great father, Adam, was busy checking out the trees in the wood, while our great mother, Eve, was doing some house work in the cave, when she heard the sound of a child crying, She ran outside to find to her surprise a naked baby on the ground. Eve didn't know that this baby was the son of Satan, sent by his father to seduce Adam and Eve and their children and drag them into evil. Eve carried the baby and pampered him until he stopped crying.

When Adam returned and saw the child, he took him from her and threw him in the river. After making sure that he drowned he returned home.

On the second day, after Adam went out to his business, Satan came by and called to his son: "Where are you my little devil?" and his son answered as he came out of the water: "Here I am." Satan ordered him to stay by the river side until he returns.

When Adam came back home he found the child so he threw him into the fire until he turned to ashes.

The next morning, Satan came by and called on his son who returned to life immediately.

When Adam returned from work in the evening he saw the devil whom he thought he had finished with. He was extremely angry and told Eve: "The best way to get rid of this devil is to cook him and eat him." The parents of mankind did exactly that.

The next morning, Satan came calling his son: "Where are you my little devil?" and two voices came from inside the bodies of Adam and Eve answering: "Here I am father, resting." His father answered:" Excellent, this is exactly what I wanted."

Since then, all human beings are born with a good part of the devil within them.