The Retrieval of Adam’s Contract

There are at least two oral accounts on this subject, both of which affirm that the contract was written on paper rather than on a brick.

Version One: Christ Descends and the Chains Are Forged

Six days after His resurrection, Christ returned once more to the earth. From there, He descended into Hell to reclaim Adam’s contract—and with it, the souls of the dead.

The Devil, or as some call him, Nefrtate, had heard of Christ’s coming. To trap Him, he crafted a chair—a cursed throne—designed so that anyone who sat upon it would never rise again. With cunning, the Devil invited Christ to sit.

But Christ replied, "You sit first, for I do not know how."

As the Devil demonstrated, Christ gave the command, and chains sprang forth to bind him. Then He proclaimed:

"As many times as the blacksmith strikes his anvil in vain, so too shall your chains be strengthened!"

To this day, the blacksmith's hammer echoes in the world, and with every blow, the Devil’s chains are reinforced. Though he writhes and schemes, he cannot escape.

Christ then led the liberated souls from the underworld and ascended to heaven. Hell howled in fury, crying out,

"Why have you left me empty?"

But the Lord replied,

"Do not weep. The top shall be yours, and the tail shall be Mine."

Thus, the rich were left to the Devil, and the poor to God.

Judas, tormented by guilt, hanged himself, believing he might yet be taken by Christ. But he did not understand: the soul lingers for three days where the body dies. By the time his spirit reached the underworld, Hell was already empty. He was too late.

And the Devil remains chained, waiting for the second judgment.

Version Two: The Sealed Contract Beneath the Sea

When Adam fell, a contract was drawn—granting the Devil dominion over all human souls, the guilty and the innocent alike. The Devil sealed the parchment in a bottle and cast it beneath a stone in the sea’s depths.

God, seeing the suffering of the souls, sent Saint Nicholas to Hell. "Ask the Devil," He said, "who can reclaim the contract."

Saint Nicholas did as commanded. The Devil replied with scorn:

"No one can retrieve it—save for one born of a virgin and baptized twice."

At that time, Hell overflowed. Souls wailed in torment, taken without trial—both the living and the dead.

God, moved by mercy, sent Christ into the world—begotten not of man, but of the Holy Spirit.

When Christ reached the age of thirty, He sought out Saint John by the Jordan River. "Baptize Me," He said.

"I do not know how," replied John.

"Do as your heart knows," said Christ.

So John poured water upon Him, saying, "Yours is the Kingdom and the Power, in Heaven and on Earth. Amen."

Then Christ cast three burning candles into the water. They sank to the seabed and found the Devil’s bottle, burning the contract to ash.

Still, the Devil would not yield. In his pride, he forged a new chair in Hell to trap Christ. But when Christ descended, He blessed the chains and they sprang forth and bound the Devil.

Now, the Devil sits bound. All year long, he strains against his chains. But when Epiphany comes and the priest cries, "Lord, have mercy!" the chains tighten again.