The Life of Adam and Eve and the nature of Second Temple religious devotion: Can Satan be trusted concerning the worship of Adam?

This article examines the episode in the ancient text *The Life of Adam and Eve* (LAE) where Satan narrates that Adam was worshiped by angels at God's command, a tradition relevant to debates about Jewish monotheism during the Second Temple period. It explores whether this episode reflects genuine cultic worship of Adam, which would challenge the view that only the God of Israel received worship, or if it represents a theological anomaly. The study highlights the complex textual history of the LAE and argues that Satan, as the narrator of this episode, should be considered an unreliable source due to his established role as a deceiver in Second Temple literature, supported by narrative clues within the text. Consequently, the article suggests that the tradition of Adam's worship in the LAE likely reflects Satan's deception rather than an authentic practice, thereby reinforcing the position that Jewish worship remained exclusively directed to the God of Israel and limiting the episode's significance for understanding early Jewish or Christian devotion.