The Testament Of Abraham

PART I: THE LONGER RECENSION

(20 Chapters)

Michael's commission. (Chapter I.)

I. Abraham lived the span of his life, nine hundred ninety and five years. All the years of his life lived he in peace, gentleness and justice, and the just man was exceeding hospitable. He pitched his tent in the four-cross-roads at the oak of Mamre, and welcomed all, rich and poor, kings and rulers, the halt and the weak, friends and strangers, neighbours and wayfarers, that devout, all-holy, just, and hospitable man Abraham did welcome equally. The bitter cup of death that cometh to all inexorably, even the unforeseen end of his life, overtook him too. Now the Lord GOD called His archangel Michael, and spake unto him: "Michael, chief-captain, go down to Abraham, and tell him concerning his death, that he shall take order for the settling of his temporal estates: for I have blessed him as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand that is beside the sea-shore. He liveth in abundance of much substance and great estates, and he is exceeding rich. But above all else, he is just with all goodness, hospitable and loving kindly, even unto the end of his life. Do thou, archangel Michael, depart to Abraham, my well-beloved friend, and tell him concerning his death; give him this assurance: 'In this season thou art destined to depart from this vain world, and shalt quit the body, and thou shalt come unto thine own Master among the righteous.'"

The archangel visits Abraham and, after a time, discloses his errand. Abraham is reluctant to give up his soul. (Chapters II-IX.)

II. The chief-captain went out from the presence of GOD, and went down unto Abraham to the oak of Mamre, and found the just man Abraham very nigh unto the place, sitting by the yokes of oxen for tillage, with the sons of Masek and among others his servants, twelve in number. And behold, the chief-captain was coming towards him. Then Abraham seeing the chief-captain Michael coming from afar, like unto a most glorious warrior, rose up and went to meet him, as was his wont, advancing to meet all strangers and welcoming them. Then the chief-captain saluted him first and spake unto him: Hail, most reverend father, just soul, chosen of GOD, true friend of the Heavenly One. Abraham said unto the chief-captain: Hail, most reverend warrior, beaming as the sun, all-glorious, above all the sons of men. Thy arrival is well-timed! Wherefore I beseech thee by thy presence whence hath come the youth of thy years? Tell me, thy suppliant, whence, from what host, and from what journey hath come thy beauty? Then said the chief-captain: I, just Abraham, am come from the great city; from the great king have I been sent to take the place of a true friend of his, for the king doth summon him. Abraham said: Come hither, my lord, with me, as far as my place. The chief-captain said: I come. Then went they and sat them down to converse in the place of the tillage. Abraham said to his servants, the sons of Masek: Go ye to the drove of horses and take two horses tame, and gentle, that have known the bit, that we may sit thereon, this stranger guest and I. Then the chief-captain said: Nay, my lord Abraham, let them not bring horses, for I abstain therefrom, even from ever sitting upon a four-footed beast. Is not my king rich in great possessions, having authority both over men and all manner of beasts of burden? Yet I abstain therefrom, even from ever sitting upon a four-footed beast. Let us depart, then, O just soul, on foot, walking gently until we reach thy house. And Abraham said: Amen, so be it.

III. Now as they were going from the field to his house, along that road stood a cypress tree, and at the bidding of GOD the tree spake with a human voice, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord GOD who is summoning him to (be with) those that love Him. And Abraham hid the mystery, for he thought that the chief-captain had not heard the voice of the tree. Then came they nigh unto the house and sat them down in the court. And Isaac saw the face of the angel, and said to Sarah his mother: My lady mother, behold, the stranger that sitteth with my father Abraham is no son of the race of those that dwell on the earth. Then ran Isaac, and [greeted] him, and [stood before] the spirit. And the spirit blessed him and said: The Lord GOD will freely grant thee His promise which He promised thy father Abraham and his seed, and He will grant thee freely even the precious prayer of thy father and thy mother. Then Abraham said to Isaac his son: Isaac, my son, draw water from the well and bring it to me in the bason that we may wash the feet of this stranger. He is weary, for he hath come unto us after a long journey. Then ran Isaac to the well and drew water in the bason, and brought it to them. Then Abraham came nigh and washed the feet of the chief-captain Michael, and the bowels of Abraham were moved, and he wept upon the stranger. And Isaac saw his father weeping and himself wept too, and the chief-captain saw them weeping and wept with them, even himself with them; and the tears of the chief-captain fell upon the bason into the water of the vessel, and they became pearls of wondrous value. And Abraham was astonished when he saw the marvel and took the stones secretly, and hid the mystery, keeping it with himself alone in his heart.

IV. Then spake Abraham unto Isaac his son: Depart, my beloved son, into the reception chamber, and adorn it: spread there for us two couches, one for me, and one for the guest here who is sojourning with us to-day. And get thou ready for us there a large seat and a lamp-stand and a table with abundance of every good thing. Adorn the chamber, my son, and unfold fine cloths, purple and linen. Burn every precious incense of high repute, and take sweet-smelling herbs from the garden, and fill our house therewith. Kindle seven lamps full of oil, that we may make merry, for the guest here who is sojourning with us to day is more glorious than kings and rulers, for even his appearance surpasseth all the sons of men. Then Isaac made ready all things well, and Abraham took the archangel Michael by his side, and went up into the reception chamber; and they both sat them down on the couches, and between them he brought forward a table with abundance of every good thing. Then the chief-captain arose and went outside, as if by constraint to ease himself, and ascended into heaven in the twinkling of an eye, and stood before the face [presence] of GOD and spake unto Him: Lord and Master, may it please Thy might to know that I cannot skill to announce to that just man the mention of death: I have not seen upon the earth his like, pitiful, hospitable, just, true, GOD-fearing, abstaining from every evil deed. Now know, Lord, that I cannot skill to make mention to him of death. Then said the Lord: "Go down, Michael, chief-captain, to my friend Abraham, and whatsoever he says unto thee, that do thou even do: if he eateth, do thou too [seem to eat] with him. And I will send my holy spirit upon his son Isaac, and will cause the mention of his death to enter into the heart of Isaac, that even he may see in a vision the death of his father, and Isaac will tell the vision and thou shalt interpret it, and he, even Abraham, shall recognize the end thereof." Then said the chief-captain: Lord, all the heavenly spirits lack bodies. They neither eat nor drink. This man spread at my side a table with abundance of all the good substance of the earth that perisheth. Now, O Lord, what shall I do? How can I escape his notice, sitting at one table with him? The Lord said: "Go down to him and take no thought with thyself concerning it. While thou art sitting with him I will send upon thee an all-devouring spirit, and he shall consume all that is on the table, [as if] from thy hands and through thy mouth. Be thou merry with him in all things. Only thou shalt interpret fairly the truth of the vision, that Abraham may recognize the sickle of death, and the unforeseen end of his life, and make order for the settling of all his worldly possessions, seeing that I have blessed him above the sand of the sea and as the stars of the heaven."

V. Then the chief-captain went down into the house of Abraham, and sat with him at the table, and Isaac ministered unto them. Now when supper was finished, Abraham made his wonted prayer and the archangel prayed with him, and they rested, each on his couch. And Isaac spake unto his father: Father, I too would fain have seated with you on this couch, that I too also may hear your discourse, for I love to hear the excellence of the conversation of this all-virtuous man. And Abraham said: Nay, my son, but depart to thy chamber and rest upon thy bed, that we may not be too wearisome to this guest. Then Isaac received his blessing, and blessed him, and departed to his own couch, and fell upon his bed. And GOD caused the mention of death to enter into the heart of Isaac as in dreams. And about the third hour of the night Isaac awaked from sleep and rose from his couch and came running to the chamber where his father was sleeping with the archangel. So Isaac knocked quickly at the door, saying: Arise, father Abraham, open unto me quickly, that I may enter and hang upon thy neck and salute thee ere they snatch thee up from me. So Abraham arose and opened unto him, and Isaac entered and hung upon his neck, and began to weep with a loud voice. And the bowels of Abraham were moved with him, and he too wept with a loud voice. And the chief-captain saw them weeping and wept himself too. And Sarah, who was in her tent, heard their weeping and came running unto them, and she found them embracing one another and weeping. And Sarah said with weeping: My lord Abraham, what is this, that thou weepest? Tell me, my lord, has this brother here, who is sojourning with us to-day, brought thee news concerning thy nephew Lot, that he has died? and is it for this that ye weep thus? But the chief-captain broke in upon her, and said unto her: Nay Sister Sarah, it is not so, as thou sayest, but methinks, thy son Isaac saw a dream and came unto us weeping, and we saw him, and our bowels were moved in pity with him, and we wept.

VI. When Sarah heard the excellence of the conversation of the chief-captain, she straightway recognized that the speaker was an angel of the Lord. So Sarah beckoned Abraham to go without towards the door, and said unto him: My lord Abraham, knowest thou who this man is? And Abraham said: I know not. Then said Sarah: Thou knowest, my lord, the three men, the heavenly ones, who sojourned in our tent beside the oak of Mamre, when thou didst slay the calf without blemish and set a table by their side; and when the meat [seemed to be] eaten the calf rose again and sucked its mother in great joy. Knowest thou not, my lord Abraham, that they [announced] unto us Isaac according to their promise, even the fruit of my womb? Of those three holy men this is one. Then spake Abraham: O Sarah, this is truth that thou hast spoken. Praise and glory from GOD even [the Lord]. Yea, even I, in the late evening, while I was washing his feet in the bason of the vessel, said I in my heart: These are the feet which I once did wash among the three men. And later, his tears fell in the vessel and became pearls of great price. Then took he them from his bosom and gave them to Sarah, saying: If thou believest me not, now behold these. And Sarah took them and [marvelled], and clung fondly to them, and said: Glory be to GOD who sheweth unto us wonders. Now know, my lord Abraham, that a revelation of some event is among us, whether it be evil or good.

VII. And Abraham left Sarah and went in to the chamber and said unto Isaac: Come, my beloved son, tell me the truth; what were the visions and what didst thou experience, that thou earnest running unto us? Isaac cut him short and began to speak: I saw, my lord, in this night, the sun and the moon above my head, and the rays thereof, encircling me, and giving me light. As I was thus beholding them and enjoying (the sight), I saw the heaven open, and saw a man bearing light coming down from heaven and flashing more brilliantly than the beams of seven suns. Then that man, like unto the sun in visage, took the sun from off my head, and went up into the heavens where he had come down. And I was exceeding grieved for that he took the sun away from me. And after a little, while I was still grieving and lamenting, I saw that man a second time coming down from heaven. And he took away from me the moon also, from off my head. And I wept exceedingly and cried unto that man light-bearer, and said: Do not, my lord, do not take away my glory from me; pity me and hearken unto me, and even though thou hast taken away the sun from me, spare me yet the moon. But he said: Let them be taken up to the king that reigneth above, for he would fain have them there. And he took them away from me, but spared to me the rays. Then spake the chief-captain: Hearken, just Abraham. The sun, which thy son hath seen, thou art, even his father, and the moon likewise is his mother Sarah. The man who bore light, who came down from heaven, he is the messenger from GOD, who is destined to take thy just soul from thee. Now know, most reverend Abraham, that thou art destined in this season to leave the life of the world and migrate unto GOD. Then said Abraham to the chief-captain: O most novel of marvels! Indeed now, art thou he who is destined to take my soul from me? The chief-captain said unto him: I am Michael, the chief-captain, who standeth in the presence of GOD, and I have been sent to thee to put thee in remembrance of thy death. This done I shall return to Him as we were bidden. Abraham said: Now know I that thou art an angel of the Lord, and thou wast sent to take my soul. Nevertheless I will not follow thee; but do as thou art bidden.

VIII. The chief-captain heard this word and straightway vanished from sight. He went up to heaven and stood in the presence of GOD, and told all that he saw in the house of Abraham. This word also spake the chief-captain to the Lord: Even thus saith thy friend Abraham: I will not follow thee; nevertheless do as thou art bidden. Now, O omnipotent Lord, doth Thy glory and Thy deathless dominion command aught? Then GOD spake unto the chief-captain Michael: "Go down to my friend Abraham yet once again and speak thou unto him: 'Thus saith the Lord thy GOD, who brought thee into the land of the promise, who blest thee above the sand of the sea and above the stars of the heaven, who opened the womb of Sarah the barren, and blessed thee with Isaac, the fruit of the womb, in old age: Verily I say unto thee, that blessing, I will bless thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thy seed, and I will give unto thee all the boons thou askest of me, for that I am the Lord thy GOD, and beside me there is none other. But tell thou me why thou art withstanding me, and why is grief within thee? And why art thou withstanding my archangel Michael? Knowest thou not that all who are (sprung) from Adam and Eve have died? Yea, none of the prophets hath escaped death: and none of those who rule is immortal; neither hath any of thy forefathers escaped from the mystery of death. All have perished, and all have made their peace in the grave--all are gathered in by the sickle of death. But against thee I have not sent death, neither have I allowed deadly disease to overtake thee. I have not permitted the sickle of death to overtake thee, neither have I allowed the snares of hell to enmesh thee: never did I will thee to meet with any harm. But for good comfort have I sent my chief-captain Michael to thee, that thou mayest know thy departure from the world, and make disposition concerning thine house and concerning all thy estates, and that thou mayest bless Isaac thy well-beloved son. Now recognize that I have done thus desiring not to grieve thee. Wherefore then saidst thou to my chief-captain: I will not follow thee? Wherefore hast thou thus spoken? Knowest thou not that if I give leave to Death, and he cometh upon thee, thus I should [make known] whether thou wouldest come, or whether thou wouldest not come?'"

IX. Then the chief-captain took the exhortations of the Lord, and went down unto Abraham; and when the just one saw him he fell upon his face to the ground as one dead; and the chief-captain told him all that he had heard from the Most High. Then did the holy and just Abraham rise up with many tears and [stood] before the spirit, and besought him saying: I beseech thee, chief-captain of the powers above, since thou hast deigned to come thyself altogether unto me a sinner and thine all-unworthy servant, I implore thee even now, O chief-captain, to be the medium of my word yet once (again) unto the Most High, and thou shalt say unto Him: Thus saith Abraham, Thy servant, O Lord GOD: In every deed and word which I have asked of Thee Thou hast heard me, and hast fulfilled every desire of mine. Now, O Lord, I resist not Thy might, for I also know that I am not immortal but mortal. Even so, to Thy command, all things yield, and shudder, and quake at the presence of Thy might, so I too. Yet one boon ask I of Thee. Now, Lord GOD, hear my request; while I am yet in this body, I would fain see all the world and all created things which Thou didst stablish together, through one word, O Lord, and when I have seen these, then cheerfully will I depart from life. So the chief-captain departed again, and stood in the presence of GOD and told Him all, saying: Thus saith Thy friend Abraham: I would fain behold all the world in my life, before I die. When the Most High heard this request, He again commanded the archangel Michael, and said unto him: "Take a cloud of light and those angels that bear command over the chariots, and go down, and take the just man Abraham on a chariot of the cherubim and exalt him into the air of heaven so that he may see all the world."

Abraham enters the Divine Chariot and rides through the Heavens. (Chapters X-XIV.)

X. Then went down the archangel Michael, and took Abraham upon a chariot of cherubim, and exalted him into the air of heaven, and led him with sixty angels on the cloud, and Abraham went up on the chariot over all the earth. And Abraham saw the world just as it was that day: some ploughing, others driving wains: in one place shepherds tending flocks, and in another, watching in the fields by night; men dancing, sporting, playing the lyre; in one place wrestling and pleading, in another, weeping; and then saw he the dead held in memory by monument. And he beheld too the newly-wedded being escorted, in a word, saw he all that was going on in the world, good and evil. So Abraham, as he went through [the air], saw warriors bearing swords, wielding in their hands whetted swords; and Abraham enquired of the chief-captain: Who are these? And the chief-captain said: These are robbers, who intend to murder and steal, and burn, and destroy. And Abraham said: Lord, Lord, hear my cry and bid that wild beasts come forth from the thicket and devour them. And even as he uttered (the word) there came forth wild beasts from the thicket, and devoured them. And in another place saw he a man with a woman committing fornication with each other, and he said: Lord, Lord, bid that the earth open and swallow them up. And immediately the earth opened and swallowed them up. In another place he beheld men digging through an house, and robbing the goods of others, and he said: Lord, Lord, bid that fire may come down from heaven and devour them. And at his word, fire came down from heaven and devoured them. Then straightway came a voice from heaven to the chief-captain, thus saying: "Michael, chief-captain, bid the chariot to stop, and turn away Abraham, that he may not see all the world. If he sees all that are living in sin, he will destroy every existing thing. For behold, Abraham has not sinned, neither pities he sinners; but I made the world, and will not to destroy any creature from among them, but I delay the death of the sinner, until he repent and live. Bring up Abraham to the first gate of heaven, that he may behold there the judgements and the requitals, and may change his mind toward the souls of the sinners, which he hath destroyed."

XI. So Michael turned the chariot, and brought Abraham to the east, to the first gate of heaven. And Abraham saw two ways, the one way narrow and compressed, and the other broad and spacious; and there also he saw two gates, one gate broad on the broad way, and one gate narrow on the narrow way. And outside the two gates there I saw a man seated upon a golden throne, and the appearance of that man was terrible, like unto that of [an angel of] the Lord. And I saw many souls being driven by angels and led in through the broad gate; and other souls I saw, few in number, that were being borne by angels through the narrow gate. And when the marvellous being who sat upon the golden throne saw few entering in through the narrow gate, but many entering through the broad gate, straightway that marvellous man did pluck the hairs of his head and the sides of his beard, and hurled himself on the ground from his throne, weeping and wailing. And when he saw many souls entering through the narrow gate, then he arose from the ground and sat upon his throne, rejoicing and exulting with great jubilation. Then Abraham asked the chief-captain: My lord, chief-captain, who is this all-marvellous Man, who is adorned with such majesty, and sometimes weeps and wails, and sometimes rejoices and exults? The spirit said: This is Adam, the first-created man, who is in such majesty, and he beholds the world, for all are sprung from him; and when he sees many souls entering through the narrow gate, then he rises and sits upon his throne, rejoicing and exulting jubilantly, because this narrow gate is that of the just, which leads unto life, and these that enter through it, enter into paradise. And therefore the first-created, Adam, rejoices, because he sees the souls being saved. But when he sees many souls entering through the broad gate, then he plucks out the hairs of his head, and hurls himself on the ground, weeping and wailing bitterly. For the broad gate is that of sinners, which leads to destruction and to everlasting punishment. Wherefore the first-created, Adam, falls from his throne, weeping and wailing for the destruction of sinners, for many are they that are perishing but few they that are being saved. For in seven thousand scarce is there to be found one soul saved, that is righteous and undefiled.

XII. And while I was thus speaking, lo, two angels fiery in visage, and pitiless in intent, and harsh in looks, were even (now) driving on a thousand souls, pitilessly beating them with fiery lashes. And one soul the angel seized. And they drove all the souls into the broad gate towards destruction. So we also followed the angels, and came within that broad gate, and in between the two gates stood a throne, dread in appearance, of dread crystal, flashing like unto fire, and upon it sat a wondrous Man, shining as the sun, like unto [a servant] of GOD. Before him stood a table like crystal, all of gold and fine linen. And upon the table was lying a book, the thickness thereof six cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits, and on the right hand thereof and on the left stood two angels, holding paper, and ink, and pen. And before the table sat an angel light-bearer, holding in his hand a balance, and on the left sat an angel, fiery, altogether pitiless and harsh, holding a trumpet in his hand, which contained within it all-devouring fire to test the sinners. And the marvellous Man who was seated on the throne, himself [bore witness to] the souls. And the two angels on the right hand and on the left recorded. The one on the right hand recorded the righteousnesses, and the one of the left the sins. And the one before the table, who held the balance, weighed the souls; and the fiery angel, who held the fire, tested the souls. Then Abraham asked the chief-captain Michael: What is this which we behold? And the chief-captain said: These things which thou seest, holy Abraham, are the judgement and recompense. And behold the angel who was holding the soul in his hand, brought it before the [witness]. And the [witness] said: Open me this book and find me the sins of this soul. And he opened the book and found its sins and its righteousnesses equally balanced; and he [left it] neither to the testers nor to the saved, but set it in the midst.

XIII. Then Abraham said: My lord chief-captain, who is this [witness], most all-marvellous? and who are the recording angels? and who is the angel, like unto the sun, holding the balance? and who is the angel, the fiery one, holding the fire? And the chief-captain said: Seest thou, most holy Abraham, the dread Man that sits upon the throne? This Man is the son of the first-created Adam who is called Abel, whom Cain, the wicked one, slew; and he sits thus [as a witness over] all creation, [observing] both righteous and sinners. For GOD has said: "I judge you not [yet], but every man shall by man be [testified against]." For this reason He has given to him [witness], to [testify over] the world, until His great and glorious [Day]. And then, O righteous Abraham, comes the perfect judgement and recompense, everlasting and irrevocable, which no one can question. For every man has sprung from the first-created, and therefore here first by his son all are [testified against]. And at the second advent they shall be [testified against] by the twelve tribes of Israel, both every spirit and every creature. At the third time, by the Lord GOD of all shall they be judged; and thereupon the end of that judgement is near, and dreadful is that sentence, and there is none to release. Thereupon the judgement and recompense of the world is made through three [testimonies]. And therefore a matter is not finally established by one or two witnesses, but every matter shall be established by three witnesses. And the two angels, the one on the right, and the one on the left, these are they which record the sins and the righteousnesses. The one on the right hand records the righteousnesses, and the one on the left the sins. And the angel who is like unto the sun, holding the balance in his hand, is Dokiel, the archangel, the just holder of the balance, and he weighs the righteousnesses and the sins with the righteousness of GOD. And the fiery and pitiless angel, who is holding in his hand the fire, this is the archangel Puruel, who

has authority over the fire, and tests the works of men through fire. And if the fire shall burn up the work of any man, straightway the angel of judgement takes him and carries him away into the place of sinners, place of punishment most bitter; but if the fire shall try the work of any man without laying hold upon it, this man is justified, and the angel of righteousness takes him and carries him up to be saved in the lot of the just. Thus, most just Abraham, all works among all men are tried by fire and by the balance.