The Crime Bible is a religious text used as the central reading for the Religion of Crime, also known as the "Dark Faith".
History
Details
It's similar to the regular Christian Bible in form and function, but differs immensely in content and aim in mass-manipulation. It features Cain as its central character, known as "The First", as in the first person to have committed murder. Like the Bible, it is divided into sections such as the "Book of Moriarty" and the "Book of Kurten". An especially key part of the Crime Bible is the Four Lessons of Blood, pillars of the faith akin to the Ten Commandments in Judaism and Christianity. The four lessons are Deceit, Lust, Greed, and Murder. There is also a fifth book of blood in which the four lessons are taught to a woman who questions them. She is thus named "Faithless".
According to the Question's research, there are only three known complete copies of the Crime Bible: "The High Madame's Binding", which is the rarest of the three, "The Prophet's Codex", and "The Sana'a Edition". The latter two are now lost, although Renee had read both of them. The Prophet's Codex is the one depicted in 52. A fourth edition, called "The Bastard's Folio", which is said to be the second rarest edition, was made available for auction but this book was later revealed to be a fake. Renee has also discovered that each true copy of the Crime Bible is different from each other. Some have codes, rituals and/or spells among other possible variations.
History of Usage
The Crime Bible was first seen by members of the known superhero community during the events of 52, as used by Bruno Mannheim, leader of the criminal organization known as Intergang. The two most common heroes to come in contact with it are Batwoman and the Question, specifically the Question, who has led a serious personal vendetta against the Faith.
As of Final Crisis, it appears the enigmatic supervillain known as Libra was using it as sort of a recruiting tool with the Secret Society of Super-Villains, claiming to be putting an end to the "age of heroes".
Book of Lilith
In Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood (Volume 1), the first page of each issue is an excerpt from the Crime Bible. Around the border of each page (starting in the upper left corner) are a lengthy series of numbers in the following format: #:#:#:#. Each number combination represents a word that, once deciphered, forms a bonus excerpt from the Crime Bible, one which explains Brother Flay's motivation throughout the series and addresses the fate of Question.
The key to solving the code is:
- The first number represents the Book of Blood and is numbered 1 through 5.
- The second number represents the Chapter within the Book.
- The third number represents the Verse within the Chapter.
- The fourth number represents the Word within the Verse.
Thus the first code (1:8:21:22) is First Book, Chapter 8, Verse 21, 22nd word = from. When translated, they reveal the following prophecy:
From Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #1:
From the words of Lilith, 6:6–13.
These are the words of Lilith, who divined that which was, that which would be, who made seen all things hidden and who did counsel the First, all bow before him, and was equal in all things to him, and who laid waste the lands of the righteous.
(6) Behold, the vile person will speak villainy, and His heart will work iniquity, to practise the four, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and cause the drink of the thirsty to fail, and for this shall he be most praised.
From Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #2:
(7) In devotion shall come one with fists like unto stone, who strips flesh from bone, and who leadeth them of His kind that also serve the First, bow before him, and following in all things the high madame of His teachings.
(8) Tremble, for there shall come a time when the Faithless will cast out the prophet from the city of the foolish and wise; and then shall the high madame be lost to us, and the followers of the First, bow before him, will lack for guidance, and be as lost as he in His wanderings.
From Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #3:
(9) Then shall he who strips flesh from bone go forth from the abandoned shore to seek another, to prepare the way for that darkness to come, and so shall pass on the knowing of the four to the Faithless, and her countenance will be as a scoured bone, devoid of feature and empty, and in it all questions will be writ.
(10) And the Faithless will come to know each lesson in turn, and thus come to know the ways and words of Cain,
From Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #4:
bow before him, and be thus changed by them, and the devoted of the kind will look upon her, and see her for a sign of the darkness ascending, for she will turn the fourth lesson upon he who strips flesh from bone, and lay him low.
(11) And then shall her vision become clear, and she who was Faithless will come to know her slavery, and see now her freedom, and the devoted of the abandoned shore shall fall on knee before her, and gaze upon her countenance themselves, and see their most-praised villainy;
From Crime Bible: Five Lessons of Blood #5:
(12) Then shall they call out to her, and call her face-less, and offer service of the First, bow before him, at her command, and thus shall she take a new faith, in service of Cain, and bow before him.
(13) So shall the face-less lead them, and raise up the devoted, and herald the coming of the last high madame upon the world; and the gods once new, now old stained see the sign, and know the time of their reckoning is come.
Trivia
- While each copy of the Crime Bible may vary in weight, the Bastard's Folio, which Renee Montoya acquired in Gotham City weighed 24 lbs.
See Also
- Appearances of Crime Bible
- Item Gallery: Crime Bible
- Images featuring Crime Bible