Abraham receives a Divine Command to offer Sacrifice after Forty Days as a Preparation for a Divine Revelation (Chapter IX.)

IX. Then a voice came to me speaking twice: "Abraham, Abraham!" And I said: "Here am I!" And He said: "Behold, it is I; fear not, for I am before the worlds, and a mighty GOD who hath created the light of the world. I am a shield over thee, and I am thy helper. Go, take Me a young heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove and a pigeon, and bring Me a pure sacrifice. And in this sacrifice I will lay before thee the ages (to come), and make known to thee what is reserved, and thou shalt see great things which thou hast not seen (hitherto); because thou hast loved to search Me out, and I have named thee My Friend. But abstain from every form of food that proceedeth out of the fire, and from the drinking of wine, and from anointing (thyself) with oil, forty days, and then set forth for Me the sacrifice which I have commanded thee, in the place which I will shew thee, on a high mountain, and there I will shew thee the ages which have been created and established, made and renewed, by My Word, and I will make known to thee what shall come to pass in them on those who have done evil and (practised) righteousness in the generation of men."

Abraham, under the Direction of the Angel Jaoel, proceeds to Mount Horeb, a Journey of Forty Days, to offer the Sacrifice (Chapters X.-XII.)

X. And it came to pass, when I heard the voice of Him who spake such words to me, (and) I looked hither and thither and lo! there was no breath of a man, and my spirit was affrighted, and my soul fled from me, and I became like a stone, and fell down upon the earth, for I had no more strength to stand on the earth. And while I was still lying with my face upon the earth, I heard the voice of the Holy One speaking: "Go, Jaoel [an angel acting by GOD's Name], and by means of My ineffable Name raise Me yonder man, and strengthen him (so that he recover) from his trembling." And the angel came, whom He had sent to me, in the likeness of a man, and grasped me by my right hand, and set me up upon my feet, and said to me: "Stand up, Abraham, Friend of GOD who loveth thee; let not the trembling of man seize thee! For, lo! I have been sent to thee to strengthen thee and bless thee in the name of GOD—who loveth thee—the Creator of the celestial and terrestrial. Be fearless and hasten to Him. I am called Jaoel by Him who moveth that which existeth with me on the seventh expanse upon the firmament, a power in virtue of the ineffable Name that is dwelling in me. I am the one who hath been given to restrain, according to His commandment, the threatening attack of the living creatures of the Cherubim against one another, and teach those who carry Him the song of the seventh hour of the night of man. I am ordained to restrain the Leviathan, for unto me are subject the attack and menace of every single reptile. I am he who hath been commissioned to loosen Hades, to destroy him who stareth at the dead. I am the one who was commissioned to set on fire thy father's house together with him, because he displayed reverence for dead (idols). I have been sent to bless thee now, and the land which the Eternal One, whom thou hast invoked, hath prepared for thee, and for thy sake have I wended my way upon the earth. Stand up, Abraham! Go without fear; be right glad and rejoice; and I am with thee! For eternal honour hath been prepared for thee by the Eternal One. Go, fulfil the sacrifices commanded. For lo! I have been appointed to be with thee and with the generation prepared (to spring) from thee; and with me Michael blesseth thee for ever. Be of good cheer, go!"

XI. And I rose up and saw him who had grasped me by my right hand and set me up upon my feet: and the appearance of his body was like sapphire, and the look of his countenance like chrysolite, and the hair of his head like snow, and the turban upon his head like the appearance of the rainbow, and the clothing of his garments like purple; and a golden sceptre was in his right hand. And he said to me: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here am I, thy servant." And he said: "Let not my look affright thee, nor my speech, that thy soul be not perturbed. Come with me and I will go with thee, until the sacrifice, visible, but after the sacrifice, invisible for ever. Be of good cheer, and come!"

XII. And we went, the two of us together, forty days and nights, and I ate no bread, and drank no water, because my food was to see the angel who was with me, and his speech—that was my drink. And we came to the Mount of GOD, the glorious Horeb. And I said to the angel: "Singer of the Eternal One! Lo! I have no sacrifice with me, nor am I aware of a place of an altar on the mountain: how can I bring a sacrifice?" And he said to me: "Look round!" And I looked round, and lo! there were following us all the prescribed sacrificial (animals)—the young heifer, and the she-goat, and the ram, and the turtle-dove, and the pigeon. And the angel said to me: "Abraham!" I said: "Here am I." And he said to me: "All these slaughter, and divide the animals into halves, one against the other, but the birds do not sever; and give to the men, whom I will shew thee, standing by thee, for these are the altar upon the Mountain, to offer a sacrifice to the Eternal; but the turtledove and the pigeon give to me, for I will ascend upon the wings of the bird, in order to shew thee in heaven, and on the earth, and in the sea, and in the abyss, and in the under-world, and in the Garden of Eden, and in its rivers and in the fulness of the whole world and its circle—thou shalt gaze in (them) all."

Abraham accomplishes the Sacrifice, under the Guidance of the Angel, and refuses to be diverted from his Purpose by Azazel (Chapters XIII.-XIV.)

XIII. And I did everything according to the commandment of the angel, and gave the angels, who had come to us, the divided animals, but the angel took the birds. And I waited for the evening sacrifice. And there flew an unclean bird down upon the carcasses, and I drove it away. And the unclean bird spake to me, and said: "What doest thou, Abraham, upon the holy Heights, where no man eateth or drinketh, neither is there upon them (any) food of man, but these consume everything with fire, and (will) burn thee up. Forsake the man, who is with thee, and flee; for if thou ascendest to the Heights they will make an end of thee." And it came to pass, when I saw the bird speak, I said to the angel: "What is this, my lord?" And he said: "This is ungodliness, this is Azazel [Satan]." And he said to it: "Disgrace upon thee, Azazel! For Abraham's lot is in heaven, but thine upon the earth. Because thou hast chosen and loved this for the dwelling-(place) of thine uncleanness, therefore the eternal mighty Lord made thee a dweller upon the earth and through thee every evil spirit of lies, and through thee wrath and trials for the generations of ungodly men; for GOD, the Eternal, Mighty One, hath not permitted that the bodies of the righteous should be in thy hand, in order that thereby the life of the righteous and the destruction of the unclean may be assured. Hear, friend, begone with shame from me. For it hath not been given to thee to play the tempter in regard to all the righteous. Depart from this man! Thou canst not lead him astray, because he is an enemy to thee, and of those who follow thee and love what thou wiliest. For, behold, the vesture which in heaven was formerly thine hath been set aside for him, and the mortality which was his hath been transferred to thee."

XIV. The angel said to me: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here am I, thy servant." And he said: "Know from henceforth that the Eternal One hath chosen thee, (He) whom thou lovest; be of good courage and use this authority, so far as I bid thee, against him who slandereth truth; should I not be able to put him to shame who hath scattered over the earth the secrets of heaven and hath rebelled against the Mighty One? Say to him: 'Be thou the burning coal of the Furnace of the earth; go, Azazel, into the inaccessible parts of the earth; for thy heritage is (to be) over those existing with thee being born with the stars and clouds, with the men whose portion thou art, and (who) through thy being exist; and thine enmity is justification. On this account by thy perdition disappear from me.'" And I uttered the words which the angel had taught me. And he said: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here am I, thy servant."

And the angel said to me: "Answer him not; for GOD hath given him power (lit. will) over those who do answer him." And the angel spake to me a second time and said: "Now rather, however much he speak to thee answer him not, that his will may have no free course in thee because the Eternal and Mighty One hath given him weight and will; answer him not." I did what was commanded me by the angel; and however much he spake to me, I answered him nothing whatsoever.

Abraham and the Angel ascend on the Wings of the Birds to Heaven (Chapters XV.-XVI.)

XV. And it came to pass when the sun went down, and lo! a smoke as of a furnace. And the angels who had the portions of the sacrifice ascended from the top of the smoking furnace. And the angel took

me with the right hand and set me on the right wing of the pigeon, and set himself on the left wing of the turtle dove, which (birds) had neither been slaughtered nor divided. And he bore me to the borders of the flaming fire and we ascended as with many winds to the heaven which was fixed upon the surface. And I saw on the air on the height, to which we ascended a strong light, which it was impossible to describe, and lo! in this light a fiercely burning fire for people, many people of male appearance, all (constantly) changing in aspect and form, running and being transformed, and worshipping and crying with a sound of words which I knew not.

XVI. And I said to the angel: "Why hast thou brought me up here now, because I cannot now see, for I am already grown weak, and my spirit departeth from me?" And he said to me: "Remain by me; fear not! And [that] which thou seest come straight towards us with great voice of holiness—that is [the glory of] the Eternal One who loveth thee; but Himself thou canst not see. But let not thy spirit grow faint on account of the loud crying, for I am with thee, strengthening thee."

Abraham, taught by the Angel, utters the Celestial Song and prays for Enlightenment (Chapter XVII.)

XVII. And while he yet spake (and) lo! fire came against us round about, and a voice was in the fire like a voice of many waters, like the sound of the sea in its uproar. And the angel bent his head with me and worshipped [GOD]. And I desired to fall down upon the earth, and the high place, on which we stood, at one moment rose upright, but at another rolled downwards. And he said: "Only worship, Abraham, and utter the song which I have taught thee;" because there was no earth to fall upon. And I worshipped only, and uttered the song which he had taught me. And he said: "Recite without ceasing." And I recited, and he also himself with me recited the song:

Eternal, mighty, Holy, El,

GOD only—Supreme!

Thou who art self-originated, incorruptible, spotless,

Uncreate, immaculate, immortal.

Self-complete, self-illuminating;

Without father, without mother, unbegotten,

Exalted, fiery One!

Lover of men, benevolent, bountiful,

[watchful] over me and very compassionate;

Eli, that is, My GOD—

Eternal, mighty holy Sabaoth,

very glorious El, El, El, El, Jaoel [Thy Name]!

Thou art He whom my soul hath loved!

Eternal Protector, shining like fire,

Whose voice is like the thunder,

Whose look is like the lightning, all-seeing,

Who receiveth the prayers of such as honour Thee!

And turneth away from the requests of such as embarrass with the embarrassment of their provocations,

Who dissolveth the confusions of the world which arise from the ungodly and righteous in the corruptible age,

renewing the age of the righteous!

Thou, O Light, shinest before the light of the morning upon Thy creatures,

so that it becometh day upon the earth,

And in Thy heavenly dwelling places there is no need of any other light

than (that) of the unspeakable splendour from the lights of Thy countenance.

Accept my prayer and be well-pleased with it,

likewise also the sacrifice which Thou hast prepared

Thee through me who sought Thee!

Accept me favourably, and shew me, and teach me,

And make known to Thy servant as Thou hast promised me!

Abraham's Vision of the Divine Throne (Chapter XVIII.)

XVIII. And while I still recited the song, the mouth of the fire which was on the surface rose up on high. And I heard a voice like the roaring of the sea; nor did it cease on account of the rich abundance of the fire. And as the fire raised itself up, ascending into the height, I saw under the fire a throne of fire, and, round about it all-seeing ones, reciting the song, and under the throne four fiery living creatures singing, and their appearance was one, each one of them with four faces. And such was the appearance of their countenances, of a lion, of a man, of an ox, of an eagle: four heads were upon their bodies so that the four creatures had sixteen faces; and each had six wings; from their shoulders, and their sides and their loins. And with the (two) wings from their shoulders they covered their faces, and with the (two) wings which (sprang) from their loins they covered their feet, while the (two) middle wings they spread out for flying straightforward. And when they had ended the singing, they looked at one another and threatened one another. And it came to pass when the angel who was with me saw that they were threatening each other, he left me and went running to them and turned the countenance of each living creature from the countenance immediately confronting him, in order that they might not see their countenances threatening each other. And he taught them the song of peace which hath its origin in the Eternal One.

And as I stood alone and looked, I saw behind the living creatures a chariot with fiery wheels, each wheel full of eyes round about; and over the wheels was a throne; which I saw, and this was covered with fire, and fire encircled it round about, and lo! an indescribable fire environed a fiery host. And I heard its holy voice like the voice of a man.

GOD discloses to Abraham the Powers of Heaven (Chapter XIX.)

XIX. And a voice came to me out of the midst of the fire, saying: "Abraham, Abraham!" I said: "Here am I!" And He said: "Consider the expanses which are under the firmament on which thou art (now) placed, and see how on no single expanse is there any other [ruler] but He whom thou hast sought, or who hath loved thee." And while He was yet speaking (and) lo! the expanses opened, and beneath me the heavens. And I saw upon the seventh firmament upon which I stood a fire widely extended, and light, and dew, and a multitude of angels, and a power of invisible glory over the living creatures which I saw; but no other being did I see there.

And I looked from the mountain in which I stood downwards to the sixth firmament, and saw there a multitude of angels, of (pure) spirit, without bodies, who carried out the commands of the fiery angels who were upon the eighth firmament, as I was standing suspended over them. And behold, upon this firmament there were no other powers of (any) other form, but only angels of (pure) spirit, like the power which I saw on the seventh firmament. And He commanded that the sixth firmament should be taken away. And I saw there, on the fifth firmament, the powers [angels] of the stars which carry out the commands laid upon them, and the elements of the earth obeyed them.

The Promise of a Seed (Chapter XX.)

XX. And the Eternal Mighty One said to me: "Abraham, Abraham!" And I said: "Here am I." And He said: "Consider from above the stars which are beneath thee, and number them, and make known their number." And I said: "When can I? For I am but a man of dust and ashes." And He said to me: "As the number of the stars and their power, (so will) I make thy seed a nation and a people, set apart for Me in My heritage [apart from] Azazel."

And I said: "O Eternal, Mighty One! Let thy servant speak before Thee, and let not Thine anger kindle against Thy chosen one! Lo, before Thou leddest me up Azazel inveighed against me. How, then, while he is not now before Thee, hast Thou [dealt] with him?"

A Vision of Sin and Paradise: the Mirror of the World (Chapter XXI.)

XXI. And He said to me: "Look, now, beneath thy feet at the firmaments and understand the creation foreshadowed in this expanse, the creatures existing on it, and the age prepared according to it." And I saw beneath the surfaces of the feet, and I saw beneath the sixth heaven and what was therein, and then the earth and its fruits, and what moved upon it and its animate beings; and the power of its men, and the ungodliness of their souls, and their righteous deeds and the beginnings of their works, and the lower regions and the perdition therein, the Abyss and its torments. I saw there the sea and its islands, and its monsters and its fishes, and Leviathan and his dominion, and his camping-ground, and his caves, and the world which lay upon him, and his movements, and the destructions of the world on his account. I saw there streams and the rising of their waters, and their windings. And I saw there the Garden of Eden and its fruits, the source of the stream issuing from it, and its trees and their bloom, and those who behaved righteously. And I saw therein their foods and blessedness. And I saw there a great multitude—men and women and children half of them on the right side of the picture and half of them on the left side of the picture.

The Fall of Man and its Sequel (Chapters XXII.-XXV.)

XXII. And I said: "O Eternal, Mighty One! What is this picture of the creatures?" And He said to me: "This is My will with regard to those who exist in the (divine) world-counsel, and it seemed well-pleasing before My sight, and then afterwards I gave commandment to them through My Word. And it came to pass whatever I had determined to be, was already planned beforehand in this (picture), and it stood before Me ere it was created, as thou hast seen."

And I said: "O Lord, mighty and eternal! Who are the people in this picture on this side and on that?" And He said to me: "These which are on the left side are the multitude of the peoples which have formerly been in existence and which are after thee destined, some for judgement and restoration, and others for vengeance and destruction at the end of the world. But these which are on the right side of the picture—they are the people set apart for Me of the peoples with Azazel. These are they whom I have ordained to be born of thee and to be called My People.

XXIII. "Now look again in the picture, who it is who seduced Eve and what is the fruit of the tree, and thou wilt know what there shall be, and how it shall be to thy seed among the people at the end of the days of the age, and so far as thou canst not understand I will make known to thee, for thou art well-pleasing in My sight, and I will tell thee what is kept in My heart."

And I looked into the picture, and mine eyes ran to the side of the Garden of Eden. And I saw there a man very great in height and fearful in breadth, incomparable in aspect, embracing a woman, who likewise approximated to the aspect and shape of the man. And they were standing under a tree of (the Garden of) Eden, and the fruit of this tree was like the appearance of a bunch of grapes of the vine, and behind the tree was standing as it were a serpent in form, having hands and feet like a man's, and wings on its shoulders, six on the right side and six on the left, and they were holding the grapes of the tree in their hands, and both were eating it whom I had seen embracing.

And I said: "Who are these mutually embracing, or who is this who is between them, or what is the fruit which they are eating, O Mighty Eternal One?"

And He said: "This is the human world, this is Adam, and this is their desire upon the earth, this

is Eve; but he who is between them representeth ungodliness, their beginning (on the way) to perdition, even Azazel [Satan]."

And I said: "O Eternal, Mighty One! Why hast Thou given to such power to destroy the generation of men in their works upon the earth?"

And He said to me: "They who will (to do) evil — and how much I hated (it) in those who do it! — over them I gave him power, and to be beloved of them."

And I answered and said: "O Eternal, Mighty One! Wherefore hast Thou willed to effect that evil should be desired in the hearts of men, since Thou indeed art angered over that which was willed by Thee, at him who is doing what is unprofitable in Thy counsel?"

XXIV. And He said to me: "Being angered at the nations on thy account, and on account of the people of thy family who are (to be) separated after thee, as thou seest in the picture the burden (of destiny) that (is laid) upon them — and I will tell thee what shall be, and how much shall be, in the last days. Look now at everything in the picture."

And I looked and saw there what was before me in creation; I saw Adam, and Eve existing with him, and with them the cunning Adversary, and Cain who acted lawlessly through the Adversary, and the slaughtered Abel, (and) the destruction brought and caused upon him through the lawless one. I saw there also Impurity, and those who lust after it, and its pollution, and their jealousy, and the fire of their corruption in the lowest parts of the earth. I saw there Theft, and those who hasten after it, and the arrangement of their retribution, the judgement of the Great Assize. I saw there naked men, the foreheads against each other, and their disgrace, and their passion which (they had) against each other, and their retribution. I saw there Desire, and in her hand the head of every kind of lawlessness and her scorn and her waste assigned to perdition.

XXV. I saw there the likeness of the idol of jealousy, having the likeness of woodwork such as my father was wont to make, and its statue was of glittering bronze; and before it a man, and he worshipped it; and in front of him an altar, and upon it a boy slain in the presence of the idol.

But I said to Him: "What is this idol, or what is the altar, or who are they that are sacrificed, or who is the sacrificer? Or what is the Temple which I see that is beautiful in art, and its beauty (being like) the glory that lieth beneath Thy throne?"

And He said: "Hear, Abraham. This which thou seest, the Temple and altar and beauty, is My idea of the priesthood of My glorious Name, in which dwelleth every single prayer of man, and the rise of kings and prophets, and whatever sacrifice I ordain to be offered to Me among My people who are to come out of thy generation. But the statue which thou sawest is Mine anger wherewith the people anger Me who are to proceed for Me from thee. But the man whom thou sawest slaughtering — that is he who inciteth murderous sacrifices, of which are a witness to Me of the final judgement, even at the beginning of creation."