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Apocalypse  of  Abr^h 

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^h«  Apocalypse  off^ 


Abraham 


'translations  of  early  documents 

SERIES    I 

PALESTINIAN    JEWISH    TEXTS 
(PRE-RABBINIC) 

V 


THE   APOCALYPSE   OF 
ABRAHAM 


THE    APOCALYPSE 


OF   ABRAHAM 


NOV  15  191R 


'V:lnL  0' 


EDITED,   WITH   A  TRANSLATION   FROM   THE   SLAVONIC 
TEXT  AND   NOTES 


BY 


G.    H.    BOX,   M.A. 

LECTURER    IN    RABBINIC   HEBREW,    KINO's   COLLEGE,    LONDON  ; 
HON.    CANON    OF   ST.    ALBANS 


WITH    THE    ASSISTANCE    OF 

J.  I.  LANDSMAN 


SOCIETY    FOR    PROMOTING 
CHRISTIAN      KNOWLEDGE 

LONDON:    68,    HAYMARKET,    S.W.    i. 

NEW  YORK:   THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1918 


Printed    in    G:?eat    Britain     by 

Richard  Clay    &  Sons,  Limited, 

brunswick  st.,  stamford  st.,  s.e.  t, 

and  bungay,  suffolk. 


EDITORS'    PREFACE 

The  object  of  this  series  of  translations  is  primarily 
to  furnish  students  with  short,  cheap,  and  handy 
text-books,  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  facilitate  the 
study  of  the  particular  texts  in  class  under  com- 
petent teachers.  But  it  is  also  hoped  that  the 
volumes  will  be  acceptable  to  the  general  reader 
who  may  be  interested  in  the  subjects  with  which 
they  deal.  It  has  been  thought  advisable,  as  a 
general  rule,  to  restrict  the  notes  and  comments  to 
a  small  compass ;  more  especially  as,  in  most  cases, 
excellent  works  of  a  more  elaborate  character  are 
available.  Indeed,  it  is  much  to  be  desired  that 
these  translations  may  have  the  effect  of  inducing 
readers  to  study  the  larger  works. 

Our  principal  aim,  in  a  word,  is  to  make  some 
difficult  texts,  important  for  the  study  of  Christian 
origins,  more  generally  accessible  in  faithful  and 
scholarly  translations. 

In  most  cases  these  texts  are  not  available  in  a 
cheap  and  handy  form.  In  one  or  two  cases  texts 
have  been  included  of  books  which  are  available 
in  the  official  Apocrypha;  but  in  every  such  case 
reasons  exist  for  putting  forth  these  texts  in  a  new 
translation,  with  an  Introduction,  in  this  series. 

H«  >|;  sH  ^>  ^ 

An  edition  of  The  Apocalypse  of  Abraham  is  in- 
cluded in  the  present  volume.  The  explanatory 
notes,  in  this  case,  given  in  the  commentary  on  the 


VI 


PREFACE 


text,  are  rather  longer  and  fuller  than  usual.  This 
was  rendered  necessary  by  the  fact  that  the  Book  is 
made  accessible  here  to  Enghsh  readers  for  the 
first  time ;  and  the  difficulties  and  obscurities  in  the 
text  are  not  inconsiderable. 

W.  O.  E.  Oesterley. 

G.  H.  Box. 


INTRODUCTION 


Short  Account  of  the  Book 

The  Apocalypse  oj  Abraham,  which  has  been 
preserved  in  old  Slavonic  literature,  falls  into  two 
distinct  parts  (cf.  the  somewhat  similar  case  of  The 
Ascension  of  Isaiah).  The  first  part,  contained  in 
chaps,  i.-viii.,  consists  of  a  Midrashic  narrative 
based  upon  the  legend  of  Abraham's  conversion 
from  idolatry,  which  has  several  peculiar  features.^ 
The  second  part  (chaps,  ix.-xxxii.)  is  purely 
apocalyptic  in  character,  and  contains  a  revelation 
made  to  Abraham  about  the  future  of  his  race,  after 
his  (temporary)  ascent  into  the  heavenly  regions, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  archangel  Jaoel,  who  here 
seems  to  play  the  part  of  Metatron-Michael.  It  is 
based  upon  the  account  of  Abraham's  trance-vision 
described  in  Genesis  xv. — a  favourite  theme  for 
apocalyptic  speculation.  In  the  Book,  as  it  lies  before 
us,  the  two  parts  are  organically  connected.  Thus 
in  chap.  x.  the  archangel  says  :  /  am  the  one  who 
was  commissioned  to  set  on  fire  thy  father's  house 
together  with  him,  because  he  displayed  reverence  for 
dead  (idols) — an  allusion  to  the  narrative  of  chap.  viii. ; 
and  the  general  plan  of  the  whole  work  seems  to  be 
based  upon  the  idea  that  Abraham's  dissatisfaction 
with  the  idol-worship  by  which  he  was  surrounded, 
which  found  vent  in  his  strong  protest  to  his  father 
Terah  (chaps,  i.-viii.),  appealed  so  much  to  the  divine 
favour,  that  the  archangel  Jaoel  was  specially  sent 

1  See  Appendix  I,  esp.  p.  93. 
vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

by  God  to  instruct  him  and  initiate  him  into  the 
knowledge  of  heavenly  mysteries.  Whether  the 
apocalyptic  portion  ever  existed  in  a  shorter  and 
independent  form  will  be  discussed  below. 

The  Book  opens  with  a  description  of  Abraham's 
activities  as  a  maker  and  seller  of  idols,  his  father 
Terah  being  a  manufacturer  of  idols.  His  doubts 
as  to  the  justifiable  character  of  the  idol-worship  are 
roused  especially  by  an  accident  that  befell  the  stone 
image  called  Merumath,  and  by  a  similar  accident  that 
happened  to  "  five  other  gods,"  by  which  they  were 
broken  in  pieces  (chaps,  i.-ii.).  Reflecting  on  this,  he 
is  led  to  protest  to  his  father  against  the  unreality 
of  asking  a  blessing  from  such  helpless  images,  thereby 
rousing  Terah's  anger  (chaps,  iii.-iv.).  He  is  led  to 
test  further  the  powers  of  the  idols  by  placing  a 
wooden  god  Barisat  before  the  fire,  and  telling  the 
idol  to  see  that  the  fire  must  not  be  allowed  to  die 
down  during  his  absence.  On  returning  he  finds  Barisat 
fallen  backwards  and  "  horribly  burnt  "  (chap.  v.). 
He  again  protests  to  his  father  against  the  futility  of 
such  worship,  sarcastically  contrasting  the  relative 
merits  of  gold,  silver  and  wooden  idols  (chap.  vi.). 
He  then  proceeds  to  show  that  the  elements  of  fire, 
water,  earth,  and  the  heavenly  bodies  (sun,  moon, 
and  stars)  are  more  worthy  of  honour  than  the  idols, 
and  yet,  as  each  is  subjected  to  some  superior  force, 
they  can  none  of  them  claim  to  be  God  (chap.  vii.). 
While  he  was  j^et  speaking  to  his  father  a  voice  came 
from  heaven  bidding  him  leave  his  father's  house. 
He  had  scarcely  left  the  house  when  fire  descended 
and  consumed  all  within  it. 

The  apocalyptic  part  opens  with  a  divine  command 
to  Abraham  to  prepare  a  sacrifice  with  a  view  to 
receiving  a  divine  revelation  concerning  the  future 
(chap.  ix.).  Abraham,  terrified  at  the  experience,  is 
confronted  by  the  angel  Jaoel,  who  encourages  him, 
and  explains  his  commission  to  be  with  Abraham,  and 
act  as  his  celestial  guide.  Under  the  direction  of  the 
angel  he  proceeds  to  Horeb,  the  Mount  of  God,  a 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

journey  of  forty  days  (chaps,  x.-xii.),  and  there,  with 
the  help  of  Jaoel,  accomphshes  the  sacrifice.  At  this 
point  Azazel,  the  fallen  archangel  and  seducer  of  man- 
kind, intervenes  and  attempts  to  dissuade  Abraham 
from  his  purpose.  In  the  form  of  an  unclean  bird  he 
flies  down  "  upon  the  carcasses  "  (cf.  Gen.  xv.  ii), 
and  tries  to  induce  Abraham  to  leave  the  holy  place, 
but  in  vain.  Jaoel  denounces  the  evil  spirit,  bidding 
him  depart,  and  telling  him  that  the  heavenly 
garment  which  was  formerly  his  has  been  set  aside 
for  Abraham  (chaps,  xiii.-xiv.). 

After  this  Abraham  and  the  angel  ascend  on  the 
wings  of  the  unslaughtered  birds  (of  the  sacrifice) 
to  heaven,  which  is  described  at  length.  It  is  filled 
with  "  a  strong  light  "  of  power  inexpressible,  and 
there  they  see  the  angels  who  are  born  and  disappear 
daily,  after  singing  their  hymn  of  praise  (chaps,  xv.- 
xvi.).  At  this  point  Abraham,  hearing  the  divine 
voice,  falls  prostrate,  and,  taught  by  the  angel,  utters 
the  celestial  song  of  praise,  and  prays  for  enlighten- 
ment (chap.  xvii.).  He  sees  the  divine  throne  with 
the  Cherubim  and  the  holy  Creatures  (hayyoth),  of 
whom  a  description  is  given,  and  particularly  of  their 
rivalry  which  is  mitigated  by  the  activity  of  Jaoel 
(chap,  xviii.).  God  now  speaks  and  discloses  to 
Abraham  the  powers  of  heaven  in  the  various  firma- 
ments below  (chap.  xix.).  God  promises  him  a  seed 
numerous  as  the  stars  (chap.  xx.).  In  answer  to  a 
question  by  Abraham  about  Azazel,  God  shows  him 
a  vision  of  the  world,  its  fruits  and  creatures,  the 
sea  and  its  monsters  (including  Leviathan),  the 
Garden  of  Eden,  its  fruits,  streams,  and  blessedness. 
He  sees  also  a  multitude  of  human  beings  "  half  of 
them  on  the  right  side  of  the  picture,  and  half  of 
them  on  the  left  "  (chap.  xxi.).  The  fall  of  man  is 
explained  to  him,  being  traced  to  the  sin  of  Adam 
and  Eve  in  the  Garden,  a  vision  of  which  appears 
in  the  picture  and  also  of  its  results  upon  the  destinies 
of  mankind,  who  are  divided  into  the  people  on  the 
right   side   of   the  picture,  representing  the   Jewish 


X  INTRODUCTION 

world,  and  the  people  on  the  left  representing  the 
heathen  world.  In  particular  the  sin  of  idolatry 
resulting  in  impurity  and  murder  is  sketched  and 
made  manifest  (chaps,  xxii.-xxv.).  The  question, 
why  sin  is  permitted,  is  answered  by  God  (chap,  xxvi.), 
and  this  is  followed  by  a  vision  of  judgement  in  which 
the  destruction  of  the  Temple  is  pourtrayed.  In 
answer  to  Abraham's  anguished  question  it  is  ex- 
plained to  him  that  this  is  due  to  the  sin  of  idolatry 
on  the  part  of  his  seed.  At  the  same  time  a  hint  is 
given  him  of  coming  salvation  (chap,  xxvii.).  In 
answer  to  the  question,  how  long  shall  the  judgement 
last  ?  a  description  is  given  of  the  troubles  preceding 
the  Messianic  Age,  and  the  dawn  of  the  latter  (chaps, 
xxviii.-xxix. ;  the  latter  chapter  contains  a  long 
Christian  interpolation) .  At  this  point  Abraham  finds 
himself  "  upon  the  earth,"  but  receives  a  further 
disclosure  regarding  the  punishment  of  the  heathen 
and  the  ingathering  of  Israel  (chaps,  xxx.-xxxi.). 
A  short  paragraph  repeating  the  promise  of  the 
chosen  people's  dehverance  from  oppression  closes 
the  Book  (chap,  xxxii.). 

The  character  of  the  Book,  as  a  whole,  is  thoroughly 
Jewish.  Its  original  language  was  probably  Hebrew 
or  Aramaic,  from  which  a  Greek  version  (underlying 
the  Slavonic)  was  made ;  and  the  date  of  the  original 
composition  may  be  placed  at  the  end  of  the  first 
or  the  beginning  of  the  second  century  a.d. 


The  Slavonic  Text  and  MSS  ^ 

The  Slavonic  version,  or  rather  translation,  of 
The  Apocalypse  of  Abraham  (Ap.  Abr.)  has  been 
preserved  in  a  number  of  MSS.  The  oldest  and 
most  valuable  of  these  is  the  famous  Codex  Sylvester, ^ 

1  The  substance  of  this  section  of  the  Introduction  has 
been  contributed  by  Mr.  J.  I.  Landsman. 

2  Sylvester,  after  whom  the  MS.  is  named,  was  a  prominent 
priest  in  the  early  years  of  the  reign  of  Ivan  the  Terrible, 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

which  now  belongs  to  the  Library  of  the  Printing- 
department  of  the  Holy  Synod  in  Moscow.  The 
MS.,  which  dates  from  the  first  half  of  the  fourteenth 
century,  is  written  on  parchment,  with  two  columns 
on  each  page,  and  contains  216  leaves  in  all,  our 
Apocalypse  occupying  leaves  164-182.^  It  con- 
tains a  collection  of  lives  of  different  saints,  and  The 
Apocalypse  of  Abraham  stands  in  it  as  a  work  com- 
plete in  itself,  without  any  connexion  with  the  works 
which  precede  and  follow  it. 

The  text  of  our  Apocalypse  according  to  Codex 
Sylvester  (cited  as  S)  has  been  edited  by  Professor 
N.  Tikhonravov  in  his  Memorials  of  Rtissian  Apocry- 
phal Literature  (Pamyatniki  otrechennoi  russkoi  lite- 
ratury),  Moscow,  1863,  Vol.  I.  pp.  32-53;  and  also 
Professor  J.  Sreznevsky  in  his  Ancient  Monuments  oj 
Russian  Writing  and  Language  [Drevnie  Pamyatniki 
russkovo  pis'ma  i  yazyka),  Petrograd,  1863,  I.  pp. 
247^-256'^,  with  readings  from  the  Uvaroff  MS., 
which  apparently  is  a  mere  copy  of  S.  Tikhonravov 
has  supplied  his  edition  with  corrections  of  the 
numerous  clerical  mistakes  which  abound  in  S, 
thereby  earning  the  gratitude  of  students,  while 
Sreznevsky  has  satisfied  himself  with  producing  a 
mere  copy  of  the  text,  with  all  its  mistakes.  Apart 
from  these  editions  there  has  also  been  published 
by  the  Imperial  Society  of  Bibliophiles  a  facsimile 
edition  of  the  text  of  our  Apocalypse,  according  to 
S  (Petrograd,  1890),  thus  affording  students  the  means 
of    consulting    the    MS.    itself.     Apart    from    S    the 


upon  whom  he  for  some  years  exercised  a  salutary  influence. 
He  was  an  author  and  lover  of  books,  and  the  Codex  was 
one  of  a  collection  of  MSS.  which  remained  after  his  death 
in  the  Kirillo  monastery,  whither  he  was  banished  :  see 
Sreznevsky,  Narratives  about  the  Saints  Boris  and  Gleb 
{Skazan  ia  0  sv'yatykh  Borise  i  Glebe),  Petrograd,  i860,  Pt.  I., 
and  The  Orthodox  Encyclopcedia  {Pravoslavnaya  Bogoslovskaya 
E.)  iv.  1 195  {s.v.  Domostroi). 

^  A  full  description  of  S  is  given  by  Sreznevsky,  op.  cit., 
pp.  i-viii. 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

text  of  Aj).  Abr.  is  also  contained  in  many  Palceas.^ 
The  Palaea,  as  its  name  indicates  (rj  TraXatd  sc.  haOrjKr]), 
deals  with  the  Old  Testament,  especially  with  the 
historical  part  of  it,  beginning  with  creation  and 
ending  with  David  or  Solomon,  the  biblical  narratives 
being  enlarged  and  embellished  with  apocryphal  and 
pseudepigraphical  matter.  The  origin  of  the  Slavonic 
Palsea  must  be  sought  in  some  Greek  prototype,^ 
which  by  way  of  Bulgaria  and  Serbia  had,  at  an  early 
date,  found  an  entrance  into  Russia,  where  for 
centuries  it  enjoyed  great  popularity — at  least  so 
long  as  a  translation  of  the  whole  Bible  had  not 
been  made  accessible  to  both  clergy  and  people,  that 
is  up  till  the  sixteenth  century. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  Palaeas,  the  historical 
and  the  expository,  the  former  being  also  known 
as  the  "  eyes  "  of  the  Palaea,  because  it  contains  the 
text  upon  which  the  expository  Palaea  comments. 
The  expositions  are  of  a  polemical  character,  the 
polemic  being  invariably  directed  against  the  Jews 
(Zhidovin),  to  whom  it  is  demonstrated  that  all  the 
prophecies  and  the  manifold  types  had  found  their 
true  fulfilment  in  Christ.  The  Palaea  draws  richly 
upon  the  Jewish  Midrashic  Literature,  and  then  uses 
the  material  as  an  argument  against  the  Jews  from 
whom  it  was  borrowed. 

Originally  our  Apocalypse  had  no  place  in  the 
Palaea,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  oldest  Palaea  MS., 
which  dates  from  the  fourteenth  century,  and  is 
preserved  in  the  Alexander-Nevsky  Monastery 
(Petrograd).  Later,  it  was  inserted,  but  still  retained 
its  original  character  of  an  independent  work  (as 
is  the  case  in  the  Uvaroff  Palaea) ;   but  later  still 

^  On  the  subject  of  the  Palaea  see  the  works  of  N.  S. 
Tikhonravov  [So chin eni a),  yioscow,  1898,  Vol.  I.  pp.  156-170, 
and  the  valuable  notes  at  the  end  of  the  volume ;  cf .  also 
the  article  PalcBa  in  the  Russian  Encyclopaedia  published  by 
Brockhaus — Ef  ron . 

2  A  MS.  of  a  Greek  Palaea  is  known  to  exist  in  the  Vienna 
Library,  and  has  been  edited  by  A.  V.  Vasil'eff  in  Anecdota 
grcBco-hyzantina,  I.  pp.  188-192  (Moscow,  1892). 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

(from  the  sixteenth  century  and  onwards)  the  text 
of  Ap.  Abr.  loses  its  original  character  of  an  in- 
dependent work,  the  material  being  worked  into  the 
life  of  Abraham.  The  title  of  the  Book  is  dropped, 
and  the  first  person  in  which  Abraham  speaks  in  S  is 
altered  into  the  third,  that  is,  it  is  changed  into  a  nar- 
rative about  Abraham,  though  the  scribe  often  forgets 
himself  and  retains  the  first  person  of  the  original. 

The  apocryphal  and  pseudepigraphical  writings 
must  have  been  introduced  into  Russia  at  a  very 
early  date.  Large  parties  of  devout  Russians, 
conducted  by  some  learned  monk,  made  frequent 
pilgrimages  to  Constantinople  and  the  Holy  Land. 
It  was  on  such  pilgrimages  that  the  people  were, 
for  the  first  time,  made  acquainted  with  these 
writings,  and  the  learned  monk  would,  on  the  spot, 
translate  the  book,  which  had  enriched  his  know- 
ledge concerning  the  Patriarchs  or  the  Apostles, 
into  Slavonic,  and  then  bring  it  back,  as  a  most 
precious  treasure  to  his  own  country,  to  the  great 
delight  of  his  fellow-monks  in  the  monastery.  It 
may,  therefore,  be  taken  for  granted  that  the  Greek 
original  of  our  Apocalypse  had  never  been  brought 
to  Russia,  and  that  there  never  existed  more  than 
one  translation  of  it  into  Slavonic,  for  S  and  the 
Palaea  do  not  represent  different  translations,  but 
only  different  types  or  recensions  of  one  and  the  same 
version.  The  differences  between  the  Palaea  and  S 
are  very  slight,  the  former  only  modernising  here 
and  there  the  style  and  the  orthography.  The 
Palaea  is,  therefore,  of  great  value  for  the  reconstruc- 
tion of  the  original  text,  especially  as  it  has  pre- 
served, in  many  cases,  a  more  correct  copy  than  is 
the  case  with  S.  The  Palaea  version  is,  however, 
disfigured  by  the  many  interpolations  made  by 
subsequent  scribes  which  are  all  absent  from  S,  and 
which  are  easily  discernible  as  being  interpolations.^ 

1  Matter  which  is  not  found  in  S  is,  in  the  translation 
printed  below,  enclosed  in  square  brackets,  and  printed  in 
smaller  type. 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

The  Palaea  version  of  our  Apocalypse  has  been 
edited  by  Tikhonravov  ^  from  •  a  MS.  which  once 
belonged  to  the  Joseph-Monastery  in  Volokolamsk, 
whence  it  has  been  transferred  to  the  Library  of 
the  Moscow  Academy  of  Divinity,^  the  MS.  dating 
from  the  fifteenth  century.  Then  I.  Porfir'ev  edited 
it  in  his  Apocryphal  Narratives  about  Old  Testament 
Persons  and  Events  {Apokrificheskia  skazania  o 
vetkhozavetnykh  litsakh  i  sohytiakh),  Petrograd,  1877, 
pp.  111-130,^  from  a  MS.  dating  from  the  seventeenth 
century,  originally  the  property  of  the  Library  of  the 
Solovetzk-Monastery,  whence  it  was  transferred  to 
the  Library  of  the  Kasan  Academy  of  Divinity.* 
A  and  K  are  closely  related  to  each  other,  and  repre- 
sent a  type  of  text  common  to  them  both.  Thus 
the  same  mistakes  are  found  in  both,  and  also  the 
same  additional  matter,  not  extant  in  S.^ 

Another  Palaea-text,  containing  part  of  the  text 
of  our  Apocalypse,  viz.  the  legendary  narrative  in 
chaps,  i.-viii.  only,  has  been  edited  by  A.  Pypin  in 
Pseudepigrapha  and  Apocrypha  of  Russian  Antiquity 
{Lo&nyja  i  otrechennyja  knigi  russkoi  stariny)  in  the 
third  volume  of  Kuselev-Bezborodko,  Memorials  of 
Old  Russian  Literature  (Pam'yatniki  starinnoj  russkoi 
literatury),  Petrograd,  1882,  pp.  24-26.  This  is 
from  the  Palsea  of  the  Rumjancov  Museum,  dating 
from  the  year  1494.^ 

In  S  the  end  of  the  Book  is  missing,  but  is, 
fortunately,  extant  both  in  A  and  K.  K  also  has 
at  the  end  a  short  paragraph  not  found  in  A, 
which  forms  an  appropriate  conclusion  to  the  whole 
Book.     The  reader  will  find  it  given  in  the  notes  on 

1  Op.  cit.,  pp.  54-77- 

^  Cited  below  as  A. 

^  Forming  part  of  Vol.  XVII,  published  by  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Russian  Language  and  Literature  of  the  Imperial 
Academy  of  Sciences. 

*  Cited  below  as  K. 

^  For  some  examples  of  identical  errors  in  the  text  which 
appear  in  both  A  and  K  see  Bonwetsch,  p.  8. 

*  Cited  as  R  below. 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

the  concluding  passage.     See  further  Appendixes  II. 
and  III.i 


Date  of  Composition  and  Origi'nal  Language 
OF  THE  Book 

The  Slavonic  text,  it  is  obvious,  was  made  from  a 
Greek  version  which,  no  doubt,  was  current  in 
Constantinople.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  the 
Greek  text  underlying  the  Slavonic  was  itself  a 
translation  of  a  Semitic  original.  A  number  of 
indications  suggest  this.  The  simple  co-ordination 
of  the  sentences,  the  naive  repetitions,  and  the 
frequency  of  the  phrase  "  Here  am  I  "  (=  Hebrew 
hinneni),  which  characterise  all  parts  of  the  Book, 
point  in  this  direction.  Then,  too,  the  sarcastic 
names  given  to  the  idols  in  the  first  part  (chaps,  i.-viii.) 
— the  stone  idol  Merumath  (=  'ehen  Merumd,  "  stone 
of  deceit  "),  the  wooden  idol  Barisat  {=  bar  'ishtd 
"  son  of  the  fire,"  Aramaic) — presuppose  a  know- 
ledge of  Hebrew  or  Aramaic,  or  both,  on  the  part 
of  the  original  readers  which  would  hardly  be  likely 
in  a  purely  Greek  composition.  The  fact,  too,  that 
Abraham  is  supposed  to  be  the  speaker  throughout 
may  lend  some  weight  to  the  argument  for  a  Hebrew 
original.  The  cumulative  effect  of  these  considera- 
tions taken  in  conjunction  with  the  intensely  Jewish 
character  of  the  Book  as  a  whole  makes  a  Semitic 
original  highly  probable.  Perhaps  the  Book  was 
composed  in  Hebrew,  with  a  slight  admixture  of 
Aramaic,  such  as  occurs  in  the  early  Palestinian 
Midrashim. 

The  date  of  the  composition  of  the  Book  can  be 
determined,  within  narrow  limits,  with  some  proba- 
bility. Clearly  the  terminus  a  quo  is  the  destruction 
of  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem  in  70  a.d.  which  is  be- 
wailed by  Abraham  in  the  apocalyptic  part  of  the 
Book.     The   fact,    too,    that   it   forms    the    central 

^  See  further,  Bonwetsch,  pp.  i-ii. 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

point  of  the  picture,  that  the  revelation  leads  up  to 
it  as  a  sort  of  climax,  and  that  the  apocalyptist  is 
so  deeply  moved  at  the  disclosure,  suggests  that  the 
event  is  fairly  recent.  Ginzberg  (J.E.,  i.  92)  thinks 
"  the  last  decades  of  the  first  century  "  are  probably 
the  period  to  which  the  composition  of  the  Book 
should  be  assigned,  at  any  rate  in  its  earliest  form. 
In  any  case  the  termimis  ad  qitem  can  hardly  be  later 
than  the  first  decades  of  the  second  century.  The 
fact  that  the  Book  won  acceptance  in  Christian 
circles,  and  was  adapted  by  slight  interpolation  to 
Christian  purposes — though  its  intensely  Jewish 
character  is  manifest  on  every  page — strongly 
supports  the  early  date.  Such  a  Book  would  have 
appealed  to  Jewish-Christians  in  Palestine,  when 
Jewish-Christianity  was  still  in  close  touch  with  a 
non-Christian  Jewish  community  in  the  Holy  Land — 
and  it  may  be  assumed,  in  view  of  the  Semitic  char- 
acter of  its  original  language,  that  the  Book  was  of 
Palestinian  origin.  It  must,  therefore,  have  been 
produced  at  a  time  when  early  apocalyptic  literature 
was  still  being  written  in  Hebrew  or  Aramaic,  i.  e. 
not  later  than  the  early  decades  of  the  second 
century.^ 

The  question  as  to  the  existence  of  the  Book  at 
first  in  a  shorter  and  much  simpler  form  is  discussed 
below. 


Early  Attestation  of  the  Book 

That  the  Book  must  have  enjoyed  some  consider- 
able vogue  and  popularity  in  certain  Christian  circles 
is  proved  by  its  survival,  in  more  than  one  form,  in 
old  Slavonic  literature.  And  this  must  be  equally 
true  of  the  Greek  form  of  the  Book  from  which  the 
Slavonic  was  derived.  There  is,  as  we  should  expect, 
some  early  evidence  of  the  Book's  existence,  though 
some  of  it  is  vague  and  uncertain.     What  seems  to 

1  See  E.A.,  p.  Iviii  ff. 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

be  the  clearest  and  most  explicit  piece  of  e^'idence  of 
this  kind  is  found  in  the  Clementine  Recognitions,  I. 
32,  which  carries  us  back  to  at  least  the  early  part 
of  the  fourth  century,  and  which,  not  improbably, 
through  the  sources  of  the  Clementine  Literature, 
may  go  back  to  an  earlier  period,  still,  perhaps  an- 
other century,^  The  section  in  the  Recognitions 
deals  with  Abraham,  and  the  part  which  specially 
concerns  us  runs  as  follows  : 

From  the  first  this  same  man  [Abraham],  being  an 
astrologer,  was  able,  from  the  account  and  order  of  the 
stars,  to  recognise  the  Creator,  while  all  others  were  in 
error,  and  understood  that  all  things  are  regulated 
by  His  providence.  Whence  also  an  angel,  standing  by 
him  in  a  vision,  instructed  him  more  fully  concerning 
those  things  which  he  was  beginning  to  perceive.  He 
shewed  him  also  what  belonged  to  his  race  and  posterity, 
and  promised  them  that  those  districtc  should  be  restored 
rather  than  given  to  them. 

Here  the  first  sentence  clearly  refers  to  some  form 
of  the  legend  of  Abraham's  conversion  from  idolatry ; 
but  it  agrees  rather  with  Philo's  account  in  de 
Abrahamo,  §  15  (see  Appendix  I.)  than  with  that 
embodied  in  the  first  part  of  our  Book,  which  depicts 
Abraham  in  his  early  days  as  a  maker  and  seller  of 
idols  rather  than  as  an  astrologer.  But  the  second 
sentence  forms  a  good  description  of  the  second  or 
apocalyptic  part  of  our  Book,  and  may  be  taken  as 
a  reference  to  it.  That  in  fact  a  book  known  as  "  the 
Apocalypse  of  Abraham  "  existed  in  his  time  is 
explicitly  stated  by  Epiphanius  (Hc^r.  xxxix.  5) 
where,  in  speaking  of  the  Gnostic  sect  called  "  the 
Sethians,"  he  says  they  possessed  a  number  of  books 
"  written  in  the  name  of  great  men,"  seven  in  the 
name  of  Seth,  and  among  others  one  "  in  the  name 
of  Abraham  which  they  also  declare  to  be  an  apoca- 
lypse," and  which  is  "  full  of  all  wickedness  "  (Trao-Tys 
KaKiaq  e/xTrXcwv).  Schiirer  thinks  that  this  heretical 
book  cannot  be  identified  with  our  Apocalypse. 
^  Cf.  Hort,  Clementine  Recognitions,  pp.  80  ff. 
B 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

Dr.  M.  R.  James,  however,^  is  inclined  to  believe 
"  that  Epiphanius  on  his  authority  is  here  going 
too  far,  and  is  fathering  on  the  Sethians  a  book, 
which  they  may  well  have  used,  but  which  they  did 
not  manufacture."  It  is  quite  possible,  and  not 
improbable  that  this  Gnostic  sect  made  use  of  our 
Book  in  an  interpolated  form.  As  we  shall  see, 
there  are  Gnostic  features  in  it  in  the  form  in  which 
it  has  reached  us,  and  Ginzberg  is  inclined  to  regard 
these  as  interpolations  from  a  Gnostic  book  bearing 
the  same  name.  A  heretical  Book  (or  Apocalypse) 
of  Abraham  may  also  possibly  be  referred  to  in  a 
passage  in  the  Apostolic  Constitutions,  vi.  i6  (com- 
piled in  its  present  form  probably  in  the  second  half 
of  the  fourth  century),  which  runs  as  follows  : 

And  among  the  Ancients  also  some  have  written 
apocryphal  books  of  Moses,  and  Enoch,  and  Adam,  and 
Isaiah,  and  David,  and  Elijah,  and  of  the  three  patri- 
archs, pernicious  and  repugnant  to  the  truth  {<f>0opo7roLa 

KOi  TYJs  aXrjOetas  i)(6p(i). 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  is  a  list  of  Old  Testament 
Pseudepigrapha,  most  of  the  items  of  which  are  easily 
recognisable.  By  "  the  three  patriarchs  "  can  only 
be  meant  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  Thus  the 
passage  attests  the  existence,  at  the  time  when  the 
compiler  wrote,  of  an  apocryphal  Book  of  Abraham, 
which  may  well  be  identical  with  our  Apocalypse.^ 
Lastly  there  is  the  evidence  of  the  lists  of  books 
(containing  the  bare  names)  included  in  the  Synopsis 
of  Pseudo-Athanasius)  compiled  probably  about 
500  A.D.)  and  the  Stichometry  of  Nicephorus  (drawn 
up  in  Jerusalem  perhaps  about  850  A.D.).  The 
latter  is  identical  with  the  former,  except  that  it 
attaches  to  the  name  of  each  book  the  number  of 
stichoi  or  lines  contained  in  it.     The  first  six  names 

^  The  Testament  of  Abraham  (Cambridge  "  Texts  and 
Studies  "),  p.  14. 

2  It  might,  of  course,  refer  to  some  other  apocryphal  Book 
of  Abraham;  Dr.  M.  R.  James  thinks  the  reference  may  be 
to  The  Testament  of  Abraham. 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

on  these  lists  are  as  follows  :  (i)  Enoch ;  (2)  Patri- 
archs ;  (3)  Prayer  of  Joseph  ;  (4)  Testament  of  Moses  ; 
(5)  Assumption  of  Moses  ;  (6)  Abraham.  The  second 
list  adds  to  the  sixth  name  "  stichometry  300,"  thus 
giving  us  "a  book  [of  Abraham]  rather  shorter  than 
the  Greek  Esther,  which  has  350  a-rixoi."  Dr.  M.  R. 
James  ^  is  of  opinion  that  the  word  aTroKdXvxpi<i  is 
to  be  supplied  before  'A^padfx  here,  and  this  view  we 
may  safely  accept.  We  have  thus  another  piece  of 
evidence  of  the  existence  of  a  Book  called  "  the 
Apocalypse  of  Abraham,"  which  was  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  be  included  in  a  list  of  books  of  Old 
Testament  apocrypha  containing  such  well-known 
names  as  the  Book  of  Enoch,  the  Testaments  of  the 
Twelve  Patriarchs,  and  the  Assumption  of  Moses. 

From  a  survey  of  this  evidence  it  may  be  con- 
cluded that  an  apocryphal  book  (or  books)  under  the 
name  of  Abraham  was  current  in  the  early  Christian 
centuries ;  and  that  our  Apocalypse  is  one  product  or 
form  of  this  literature.  The  so-called  Testament  of 
Abraham  is,  no  doubt,  another.  The  possibility 
remains  to  be  considered  that  our  Apocalypse  may 
have  assumed  different  forms  (by  enlargement  or 
curtailment)  and  have  been  adapted  at  different 
times  for  different  purposes. 

Gnostic  Elements  in  the  Text 

Among  the  Gnostic  features  in  the  text  of  our 
Book  may  be  reckoned  the  significant  emphasis 
laid  upon  "  right  "  and  "  left  "  in  the  apocalyptic 
representation  (cf.  xxii.  (end),  xxiii.),  the  "right" 
side  being  the  source  of  purity  and  light,  the  "  left  " 
that  of  impurity  and  darkness.  This  idea  is  ancient, ^ 
depending  upon  the  dualism  which  insists  upon  the 
categor}^  of  Hght  and  darkness,  and  can  be  traced 
back  to  ancient  Zoroastrianism.  But  it  was  de- 
veloped in  the  early  Gnostic  systems  (see  Irenaeus, 
adv.  HcBr.  I.,  xi.  2;  II.  xxiv.  6),  and  in  the  Jewish 

^  Op.  cit.,  p.  9.     The  synopsis  embraces  eleven  items. 
2  Cf.  Matt.  XXV. 


XX  INTRODUCTION 

Kabbalah,  where  "  right  side  "  and  "  left  side  " 
{sitrd  yemind  we-sitrd  'ahdrd)  become  technical  terms. 
In  the  Emanistic  system  of  the  Zohar,  the  whole 
world  is  divided  between  "  right  "  and  "  left,"  where 
pure  and  impure  powers  respectively  operate — on 
the  right  side  the  Holy  One  and  His  powers,  on  the 
left  the  serpent  Sammael  and  his  powers  (cf.  Zohar, 
Bereshith,  4yb,  53/,  1696  and  following,  1746).  When, 
therefore,  we  find  our  Book  dividing  mankind  into 
two  hosts,  one  on  the  right  side  (=  the  Jews)  and 
one  on  the  left  (=  the  heathen),  the  presence  of 
Gnostic  influence  seems  clear.  At  the  same  time,  it 
may  well  be  an  original  feature  of  the  Book,  as  the 
idea  had  already  been  assimilated  by  the  ancient 
Jewish  mystical  tradition  (Kabbalah),  and  if  our 
Apocalypse  was  of  Essene  origin  there  would  be 
nothing  surprising  in  the  presence  of  such  an  element. 

The  opposition  between  light  and  darkness  seems 
also  to  be  present  in  an  obscure  passage  in  chap,  xiv., 
which  is  absent  from  S.  It  runs  as  follows  (Azazel 
is  being  addressed)  : 

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. 

Perhaps  by  those  "  being  born  with  the  stars  and 
clouds  "  is  meant  those  who  by  birth  and  creation 
belong  to  the  sphere  of  night  and  darkness,  as  opposed 
to  the  righteous  who  belong  to  the  sphere  of  light. 
This  again  accords  with  the  ancient  dualistic  con- 
ception referred  to  above,  and  may  very  well  be  an 
original  feature.  The  absence  of  the  clause  from  S 
may  be  due  to  excision.  It  can  hardly  be  an  inter- 
polation from  Slavonic  sources. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  two  passages  where 
the  original  text  may  have  been  modified  under 
Christian  Gnostic  influence  (apart  from  the  obvious 
interpolation  indicated  by  itahc  type  in  chap.  xxix.). 
In  chap.  XX.  God,  addressing  Abraham,  says  :  "  As 
the  number  of  the  stars  and  their  power,  (so  will)  I 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

make  thy  seed  a  nation,  and  a  people  set  apart  for 
me  in  my  heritage  with  Azazel."  And  again  in 
chap.  xxii.  :  "  But  those  which  are  on  the  right  side 
of  the  picture — they  are  the  people  set  apart  for  me 
of  the  peoples  with  Azazel."  Here  God  is  represented 
as  sharing  His  heritage  (=  the  Jewish  people)  with 
the  evil  spirit  Azazel.  "  This,"  says  Ginzberg  {J.E., 
i.  92),  "  is  no  doubt  the  Gnostic  doctrine  of  the  God 
of  the  Jews  as  kakodaimon,"  i,  e.  that  the  God  of 
the  Old  Testament  is  an  inferior  deity,  whose  work  was 
fused  with  evil  elements.  Still,  these  Gnostic  ele- 
ments in  our  Book  are  not  very  pronounced;  there 
are  no  clear  and  explicit  allusions  to  any  of  the  full- 
blown doctrines  of  the  Ophites  or  kindred  Gnostic 
sects.  The  phenomena  suggest  that  the  Book  is  an 
essentially  Jewish  one,  which  may  have  been  used  and 
read  by  Gnostic  Christians,  and  adapted  by  slight 
revision  to  make  it  acceptable  to  such  readers. 


General  Character  of  the  Book  and  Integrity 
OF  ITS  Text 

The  Book  is  essentially  Jewish,  and  there  are 
features  in  it  which  suggest  Essene  origin ;  such  are 
its  strong  predestinarian  doctrine,  its  duahstic  con- 
ceptions, and  its  ascetic  tendencies.  It  may  well 
have  passed  from  Essene  to  Ebionite  circles — the 
interpolation  in  chap.  xxix.  certainly  looks  like  the 
work  of  a  Jewish-Christian — and  thence,  in  some 
form,  have  found  its  way  into  Gnostic  circles. 

Is  the  Book  as  it  lies  before  us — apart  from  the 
interpolation  in  chap.  xxix. — substantially  in  its 
original  shape  ?  To  this  question  an  affirmative 
answer  may,  with  some  probability,  be  given. 
Ginzberg,  it  is  true,  suggests  a  different  view.  He 
says  (J.E.,  i.  92)  : 

It  is  quite  probable  that  certain  parts  of  the  heretical 
Apocalypse  of  Abraham,  which  was  in  circulation  among 
the  Gnostics  (Epiphanius,  xxxix.  5),  were  incorporated  in  the 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

present  text  [of  our  Apocalypse].  Subtracting,  then,  the 
first  part  [i.  e.  chaps,  i.-viii.,  containing  the  "  Legend  "], 
which  does  not  belong  to  the  Apocalypse,  and  the  Gnostic 
and  Christian  interpolations,  only  about  three  hundred  lines 
remain,  and  this  number  would  exactly  correspond  with  the 
number  which,  according  to  the  stichometry  of  Nicephorus, 
the  Apocalypse  of  Abraham  contained. 

There  are  considerable  difficulties  attaching  to  this 
theory.  It  is  difficult  to  suppose  that  the  Book  in 
its  original  form  was  without  the  opening  chapters 
(i.-viii.)  narrating  Abraham's  conversion  from 
idolatry.  There  are  several  allusions  in  the  later 
chapters  to  this  opening  narrative,  which  come  in 
quite  naturally.  The  chapters  form  a  good  intro- 
duction to  what  follows,  and,  as  such,  were  probably 
put  into  their  present  shape  by  the  original  author 
of  the  Book.  The  material  of  the  legend  was,  of 
course,  much  older;  but  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  our 
author  has  handled  this  material  in  a  very  free  way, 
and  this  fact  also  suggests  that  these  chapters  were 
no  mere  addition  to  the  Book,  borrowed  from  one 
of  the  current  forms  of  the  legend.  It  seems  more 
probable  that  the  shorter  "  Apocalypse  of  Abraham  " 
implied  by  the  Stichometry  of  Nicephorus  was  a 
shortened  recension  of  the  original  book,  probably 
adapted  for  orthodox  Christian  purposes.  It  is  by 
no  means  impossible  that  a  shorter  recension  may  have 
existed  side  by  side  with  the  fuller  original  form  at  a 
later  date.  The  latter  may  have  survived  and  have 
been  read  in  certain  circles  by  preference,  and  thence 
have  passed  over  into  the  old  Slavonic  Church  literature. 
Whether  the  heretical  "  Apocalypse  of  Abraham  " 
referred  to  by  Epiphanius  which,  according  to  him 
was  "  full  of  all  wickedness "  was  another  and 
independent  recension,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  On  the 
whole  it  seems  more  likely  that  the  older  form  of 
the  Book — especially  if  it  had  grown  up  in  Ebionite 
(Jewish-Christian)  circles — was  the  form  in  which  it 
was  read  by  the  Sethian  Gnostics.  The  mere  fact 
that  it  was  read  in  such  circles  would  make  it  sus- 
picious in  the  eyes  of  a  later  orthodoxy,  which  may 


INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

have  endeavoured  to  suppress  it  by  issuing  a  shorter 
recension  of  the  text.  But  the  older  form  was  too 
popular  to  be  eliminated  in  this  way  entirely — 
though  it  has  almost  disappeared  from  Christian 
literature,  and  in  its  Greek  and  Semitic  forms  has, 
in  fact,  disappeared,  only  surviving  in  its  old  Slavonic 
dress. 

That  such  a  Jewish-Christian  Book  would  have 
been  acceptable  to  Sethian  Gnostic  readers  is  not 
surprising.  This  Gnostic  sect  held  the  doctrine 
that  the  Sophia  "  found  means  to  preserve  through 
every  age,  in  the  midst  of  the  Demiurge's  world,  a 
race  bearing  within  them  the  spiritual  seed  which 
was  related  to  her  own  nature  "...  they  "  regarded 
Cain  as  a  representative  of  the  Hylic;  Abel,  of  the 
Psychical ;  and  Seth,  who  was  finally  to  reappear 
in  the  person  of  the  Messiah,  of  the  Pneumatic 
principle."  ^  ' 

The  emphasis  laid  in  our  Book  (chap,  xxiv.)  upon 
the  lawlessness  of  Cain,  "  who  acted  lawlessly  through 
the  Adversary,"  and  its  evil  consequence  in  the 
slaughter  of  Abel  would  appeal  to  such  Gnostic 
readers  no  less  than  the  division  of  mankind  into 
"  right  "  and  "  left,"  and  the  assignment  of  the 
latter  to  the  dominion  of  the  "  lawless  Adversary  " 
Azazel.  Abraham,  too,  the  hero  of  the  Book,  was 
in  the  line  of  Seth,  and  it  is  from  him  that  the 
Messiah  springs  (chap,  xxix.).  All  this  would  be 
read  by  such  Gnostic  readers  in  the  light  of  their 
own  presuppositions. 

We  conclude,  then,  that  the  Book,  substantially 
as  it  lies  before  us,  is  a  Jewish  and  Essene  production,  << 
like  the  related  Testament  of  Abraham.  It  depicts 
the  initiation  of  Abraham  into  the  heavenly  mysteries 
associated  with  the  Divine  "  Chariot  "  (cf.  Ezek.  i.). 
Its  angelology  is  in  line  with  Essene  speculation, 
and  in  chap.  xvii.  Abraham  is  taught  by  the  arch- 
angel, in  the  form  of  the  celestial  hymn,  the  mystery 
of  the  Divine  Name.  We  have  reached  the  stage 
1  Neander,  Church  Hi,story,  ii.  154. 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION 

when  Enoch  has  fallen  into  the  background,  and 
Abraham,  like  Moses,  has  become  the  centre  of  mystic 
lore,  that  is  "  when  the  seal  of  circumcision  had 
become  the  pledge  of  life."  ^  It  is  noteworthy 
that  the  Kabbalistic  book  Sefer  Yesird  ( ?  second 
century  a.d.)  was  attributed  to  Abraham. 

It  may  occur  to  some  readers  as  an  objection  to 
this  view  that  the  prominence  assigned  to  Abraham's 
sacrifice  in  the  Book,  and  to  the  destruction  of  the 
Temple,  regarded  as  the  supreme  calamity,  is  incon- 
sistent with  Essene  authorship,  since  the  Essenes 
rejected  animal  sacrifices.  But,  as  Kohler  has 
shewn, 2  the  Essenes,  who  accepted  the  Mosaic  Law, 
were  not  opposed  to  such  sacrifices  on  principle. 
What  they  opposed  was  the  priesthood  in  the  Temple 
"  out  of  mistrust  as  to  their  state  of  holiness  and 
purity,  rather  than  out  of  aversion  to  sacrifice."  To 
Abraham,  the  Essene  saint,  acting  under  direct 
divine  command,  no  such  objection  would  apply. 

It  should  be  added  that  the  Slavonic  MSS.  yield  a  text 
which  is  markedly  shorter  than  the  texts  of  the  Palaean  MSS. 
Some  of  the  omitted  passages  are  perhaps  cases  of  deliberate 
excision,  and  others  of  accidental  omission.  But  there 
remain  a  substantial  number  where  the  shorter  text  is  prob- 
ably original,  and  the  presence  of  glosses  or  later  amplifica- 
tions is  to  be  suspected.  All  such  passages  are  indicated  in 
the  text  of  the  translation  given  below. 


Theology  of  the  Book 

The  apocalyptic  part  of  the  Book  is  based  upon 
the  story  of  Abraham's  sacrifice  and  trance,  as 
described  in  Gen.  xv.  This  experience  is  inter- 
preted to  mean  that  Abraham  received  a  divine 
disclosure  as  to  the  destinies  of  his  descendants, 
which  is  also  the  view  of  the  Rabbinical  Midrash 
(cf.  Bereshith  rahha,  xhv.  15  f.).  This  scheme  provides 
the    framework    in    which    our    apocalypse    is    set. 

^  Cf.  Kohler  in  J.Q.R.,  vii.  594  (July  1895). 
2  In  J.E.,  V.  230  (s.v.  Essenes). 


INTRODUCTION  xxv 

Abraham,  after  completing  the  prescribed  sacrifice, 
ascends  to  heaven,  under  tlie  guidance  of  the  angel, 
and  from  thence  sees  below  him  the  drama  of  the 
world's  future,  and  also  the  various  powers  and 
forces  that  operate  in  the  celestial  sphere.  In  exactly 
the  same  way  the  Midrash  (Bereshith  rabba,  xliv.  14) 
interprets  Abraham's  experience  as  an  ascension,  y 
According  to  a  saying  of  R.  Jehuda,  citing  the 
authority  of  R.  Johanan,  God  caused  him  [Abraham] 
to  ascend  above  the  vaidt  of  the  firmament,  and  said 
to  him  :  "  Look  now  toward  heaven  "  :  "  looking  " 
[here]  means  nought  else  but  from  [the  height]  above 
to  [what  is]  below.  This  is  a  continuation  of  a  com- 
ment on  the  sentence  :  And  He  brought  him  forth 
outside  (Gen.  xv.  5)  interpreted  to  mean:  "And 
He  (God)  brought  him  (Abraham)  forth  outside  the 
world." 

The  angel  who  conducts  Abraham  on  his  celestial 
journey  is  the  archangel  Jaoel,  who  plays  an  all- 
important  role.  As  is  pointed  out  in  the  notes,  he 
fulfils  the  functions  elsewhere  assigned  to  Michael 
and  Metatron.  Just  as  Metatron  bears  the  tetra- 
grammaton  (cf.  Ex.  xxiii.  21,  "  My  Name  is  in 
him),"  so  Jaoel  here  (chap,  x.)  is  possessed  of  the 
power  of  the  Ineffable  Name.  The  name  Jaoel 
itself  is  evidently  a  substitute  for  the  tetragram- 
mation,  which  was  too  sacred  to  be  written  out  in 
full.  This  angelic  being  is  thus  God's  vicegerent, 
second  only  to  God  Himself.  Yet  he  may  not  be 
worshipped,  but  rather  himself  sets  Abraham  the 
example  of  worshipping  God.  He  is  thus  the 
supreme  figure  in  Jewish  angelology.  Like  Enoch, 
who  was  also  transformed  into  Metatron,  Jaoel  acts 
as  celestial  guide.  Jaoel  is  also  the  heavenly  choir- 
master (chap.  xii.  "  Singer  of  the  Eternal  " ;  cf. 
also  chap,  xvii.),  a  function  assigned  elsewhere  to 
Michael ;  like  Michael  he  is  the  guardian  of  the  chosen 
race  (chap,  x.,  end),  and  is  potent  to  subdue  "  the 
attack  and  menace  of  every  single  reptile  "   (ibid.). 

It  is  this  supreme  angehc  being  who  in  one  line 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION 

of  apocalyptic  tradition  becomes  the  heavenly  Son 
of  Man — a  conception  that  exercised  an  important 
influence   on    Christological   development.^ 

Over  against  Jaoel  stands  Azazel,  who  here  appears 
as  the  arch-fiend,^  and  as  active  upon  the  earth 
(chap,  xiii.),  though  his  real  domain  is  in  Hades, 
where  he  reigns  as  lord  (chap.  xxxi.).  In  fact,  accord- 
ing to  the  peculiar  representation  of  our  Apocalypse, 
Azazel  is  himself  the  fire  of  Hell  (cf.  chap.  xiv.  "  Be 
thou  the  burning  coal  of  the  furnace  of  the  earth," 
and  xxxi.,  "  burnt  with  the  fire  of  Azazel's  tongue  "). 
He  is  the  source  of  all  wickedness  and  uncleanness 
(chap,  xiii.),  and  the  godless  are  his  heritage  (ibid.). 
He  is  denounced  as  the  slanderer  of  truth  and  the 
seducer  of  mankind,  having  "  scattered  over  the 
earth  the  secrets  of  heaven,"  and  "  rebelled  against 
the  Mighty  One  "  (chap.  xiv.).  The  radical  dualism 
of  the  Book  comes  out  not  only  in  the  sharp  division 
of  mankind  into  two  hosts,  which  stand  for  Jewry 
and  heathendom  respectively,  but  also  in  the  clearly 
defined  contradistinction  of  two  ages,  the  present 
Age  of  ungodliness  and  the  future  Age  of  righteous- 
ness (cf.  chap.  xxix.  and  ix.).  The  present  Age — 
called  "  this  aeon  "  (chap,  xxxi) — is  "  corruptible  " 
(chap,  xvii.),  "  the  Age  of  ungodliness  "  (chap,  xxix., 
xxxii.),  during  which  the  heathen  have  the  dominion 
over  the  Jews  (chap,  xxxi.) ;  it  is  to  last  "  twelve  " 
years  or  "  hours "  (chap.  xxix.).  Over  against  it 
stands  "  the  coming  Age  "  (chap,  xxxi.),  or  "  Age  of 
the  righteous "  (chap,  xvii.,  xxix.).  The  origin  of 
sin  is  traced  to  the  Fall,  which  is  described  in  chap, 
xxiii.  The  agent  is,  of  course,  the  serpent,  who  is 
merely  the  instrument  of  Azazel.  Indeed,  the  twelve 
wings  of  the  latter  are  given  in  the  description  to 
the  serpent.     The  evil  spirit,   who  is  described   as 

1  Cf.  E.A.,  p.  284.  The  name  Jaoel  (Yahoel)  occurs  as 
the  name  of  a  principal  angel, (over  fire)  in  the  Kabbalistic 
Book  Berith  Menuha  57a,  and  below  him  are  seven  others, 
including  Gabriel  :  see  Lueken,  Michael,  p.  54. 

2  So  in  one  form  of  the  tradition  in  i  Enoch,  Azazel  standg 
^t  the  head  of  the  fallen  angels. 


INTRODUCTION  xxvii 

being  "  between  "  the  human  pair  in  the  Garden, 
"  representeth  ungodhness,  their  beginning  (on  the 
way)  to  perdition,  even  Azazel,"  and  the  seer  pro- 
ceeds to  ask  why  God  has  given  "  power  to  such 
to  destroy  the  generation  of  men  in  their  works 
upon  the  earth."  In  some  sense,  then,  according 
to  the  representation  of  our  Apocalypse,  the  sin  of 
Adam  affects  the  destinies  of  all  his  descendants. 
The  moral  poison  of  sensuality  (Heb.  zohdmd)  with 
which  the  serpent  infected  Eve  (T.  B.,  Yehdmoth, 
103  h)  passed  on  to  all  generations  (cf.  Wisdom  ii. 
24,  4  Ezra  iii.  21).^  This  has  an  important  bearing 
on  the  Pauline  doctrine  of  original  sin.  At  the  same 
time,  our  Apocalypse,  in  spite  of  its  strong  expression 
of  predestinarian  views  elsewhere,  insists  with 
marked  emphasis  upon  the  freedom  of  man's  will 
(cf.  chap.  xxvi.). 

The  Book  apparently  knows  nothing  of  a  resur-  y/ 
rection.  The  righteous  dead,  it  would  seem,  proceed 
straight  to  the  heavenly  Paradise  ("  the  Garden  of 
Eden "),  where  they  enjoy  heavenly  "  fruits  and 
blessedness "  (chap,  xxi.),  while  the  wicked  dead 
go  immediately  to  the  underworld  and  Azazel. 
Nothing  is  said  of  an  intermediate  state.  The  more 
usual  view  is  that  the  heavenly  Paradise  is  reserved 
for  the  righteous  dead,  who  will  enter  it  after  the 
final  judgement  (except  for  a  few  privileged  saints 
like  Enoch,  who  are  allowed  to  enter  it  beforehand). 
The  nearest  parallel  to  the  idea  of  our  Book,  seems 
to  occur  in  i  Enoch  Ix.  8,  23,  Ixi.  12,  Ixx.  4,  where 
the  elect  righteous  already  dwell  in  the  garden  of 
hfe. 

"  A  judgement  "  is  spoken  of  "at  the  end  of  the 

^  In  T.B.  Aboda  zava  22b  R.  Johanan  refers  to  this  as 
follows  :  At  the  moment  when  the  serpent  came  upon  Eve  he 
infected  her  with  sensuality  [zohdmd).  Was  this  also  the  case 
with  Israel  (generally)  ?  When  the  Israelites  stood  upon 
Mount  Sinai  their  infection  [impulse  to  sensuality ,  zohdmdthdn) 
ceased  ;  the  aliens  (heathen)  who  did  not  stand  upon  Mount 
Sinai — their  infection  (of  sensuality)  did  not  cease.  The 
Covenant  on  Mount  Sinai  annulled  the  effects  of  the  Fall. 


U^ 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION 

world,"  but  it  is  a  judgment  upon  the  heathen  nations 
effected  by  Israel  at  the  end  of  the  present  age  of 
ungodliness^  (cf.  chap,  xxii.,  xxix.). 

A  detailed  eschatological  description  of  the  end 
of  the  present  age  of  ungodliness  and  the  coming  in 
of  the  age  of  righteousness  is  given  in  chap,  xxix.- 
xxxi.  In  chap.  xxix.  it  is  stated  that  before  the 
beginning  of  the  new  Age  God's  judgement  will  be 
effected  on  the  ruthless  heathen  nations  by  God's 
people  ^ ;  ten  plagues  come  upon  all  creatures  of  the 
earth  on  account  of  sin ;  those  who  are  of  Abraham's 
seed  survive  according  to  a  pre-determined  number, 
hasten  to  Jerusalem,  wreak  vengeance  on  their  foes, 
and  rejoice  before  God,  to  whom  they  return  (chap, 
xxix.).  In  the  following  chapter  (xxx.)  a  detailed 
description  is  given  of  the  ten  plagues  which  visit 
the  heathen  "  at  the  twelfth  hour  of  the  present 
Age."  Chap.  xxxi.  describes  the  trumpet-blast  which 
announces  the  mission  of  God's  Elect  One  (the 
Messiah),  who  gathers  together  the  dispersed  of 
Israel,  and  the  annihilation  and  horrible  doom  of 
the  godless  foes  of  Israel  and  of  God's  enemies  both 
within  and  without  Israel  (the  former  renegade  Jews), 
and  the  joy  which  the  downfall  of  these  wicked 
people  and  the  signal  manifestation  of  God's 
righteousness  cause. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  chaps,  xxx.  and  xxxi.  duplicate 
to  some  extent  the  contents  of  chap.  xxix.  They  read 
like  an  appendix.  Moreover,  the  figure  of  the  Messiah  first 
emerges  here,  and  his  rdle  is  a  somewhat  limited  one.  The 
last  words  of  chap.  xxix.  ("  And  lo'!  I  am  with  you  for 
ever  ")  may  well  have  formed  the  conclusion  of  the  Apocalypse. 

It  should  be  noted  also  that  in  the  Christian  addition  in 
chap.  xxix.  no  emphasis  is  laid  upon  Christ's  divinity. 
The  description  reads  like  an  Ebionitic  one. 

1  The  "  judgement  of  the  Great  Assize  "  mentioned  in 
chap.  xxiv.  occurs  in  a  clause  which  is  absent  from  S,  and 
may  be  an  interpolation. 

^  According  to  chapter  xxii.  these  peoples  are  destined 
"  some  for  judgement  and  restoration,  and  others  for  ven- 
geance and  destruction  at  the  end  of  the  world." 


INTRODUCTION  xxix 

111  this  connexion  it  may  be  noted  that  the  identification 
of  the  fruit  of  the  forbidden  tree  in  chap,  xxiii.  with  the 
grape  may  reflect  the  ascetic  tendency,  which  grew  up  in 
Jewish  (and  Jewish-Christian)  circles  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem,  to  abstain  from  wine  as  a  mark  of  mourning. 
This  feeling  may  have  stimulated  the  view  that  wine  was  y^ 
the  source  of  woe  to  m.ankind  (see  note  on  passage).  Appar- 
ently the  Essenes  regarded  Jonadab,  the  founder  of  the  sect 
of  "water-drinkers"  (Rechabites) ,  as  a  prototype  of  the 
Essene  order  (see  /.£.,  v.  230&). 

As  has  been  pointed  out  above,  our  Apocalypse, 
like  the  companion  one  of  The  Ascension  of  Isaiah, 
and  other  examples  in  the  apocalyptic  literature, 
expresses  the  mystical  tradition  and  experience 
associated  with  the  mysteries  of  the  Divine  Chariot 
or  Throne.  The  speculation  which  gave  rise  to  this 
tradition  starts  from  Ezekiel's  Chariot- Vision  (Ezek. 
i.),  and  is  embodied  in  a  fairly  extensive  literature 
especially  in  i.  and  ii.  Enoch  in  the  earlier  Apocalyptic, 
and  in  the  neo-Hebraic  "  Hekalot  "  literature  (eighth 
to  tenth  centuries  a.d.).  The  material  of  which 
it  is  composed,  and  which  is  constantly  re-shaped, 
consists  mainly  of  descriptions  of  the  seven  heavens 
"  with  their  hosts  of  angels,  and  the  various  store- 
houses of  the  world,  and  of  the  divine  throne  above 
the  highest  heaven."  ^  Heaven  is  pictured  as 
filled  with  light  of  inexpressible  brilliance,  and  the 
Divine  Chariot  is  surrounded  by  fiery  angels  of 
warlike  aspect.  The  mystic  who  is  allowed  to  enter 
the  celestial  sphere  usually  receives  divine  disclosures 
about  the  future  or  the  spiritual  world. 

In  order  to  enjoy  this  experience  the  mystic  has 
to  prepare  himself  to  enter  the  ecstatic  state  which 
is  brought  about  especially  by  ablutions  and  fasting, 
but  also  sometimes  by  fervent  invocations  and  by 
other  means.  He  is  rew^arded  by  "  the  vision  of  the 
Merkabah "  or  "  Divine  Chariot "  {sefiyyath  ha- 
merkdbd).  Those  who  thus  imagined  themselves 
entering  the  Heavenly  Chariot  and  floating  through 
the   air   were   called    Yorede  Merkdbd,   i.e.    "those 

^  Cf.  J.E.,  viii.  499&. 


XXX  INTRODUCTION 

who  go  down  (embark)  into  the  ship-hke  chariot  " 
(JelHnek).  "  In  this  chariot  they  are  supposed  to 
ascend  to  the  heavens,  where  in  the  dazzhng  hght 
surrounding  them  they  behold  the  innermost  secrets 
of  ah  persons  and  things  otherwise  impenetrable 
and  invisible."  ^  The  heavenly  charioteer  is  Metatron 
(according  to  Kohler  suggested  by  Mithra),  the  angel 
next  the  Throne,  w'hose  name  is  like  God's,  and  who 
possesses  all  knowledge,  and  imparts  it  to  man. 
]\Ietatron,  as  we  have  seen,  is  Enoch  transformed. 
In  our  Book  he  seems  to  appear  under  the  name 
Jaoel.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  according  to 
the  late  Jewish  "  Hekalot  "  the  initiated  one  who  is 
admitted  to  the  heavenly  regions,  in  order  to  be 
allowed  to  step  before  the  Divine  Throne  must  recite 
certain  prayers  until  God  Himself  addresses  him, 
if  he  be  worthy;  cf.  with  this  the  Hymn-Prayer 
\vhich  Abraham  is  taught  to  recite  in  chap.  xvii.  of 
our  Book.  According  to  Kohler  ^  the  Merkabah- 
mysteries  "  remained  the  exclusive  property  of  the 
initiated  ones,  the  Senuim  or  Hashshd'im,"  whom 
he  identifies  with  the  Essenes. 

[The  emphasis  that  is  laid  throughout  all  parts  of 
the  Book  upon  the  sin  of  idolatry  is  noteworthy, 
and  especially  that  the  Temple-sacrifices  had  been 
polluted  by  idolatrous  rites  (cf.  chap.  xxiv.).  Per- 
haps this  is  intended  to  suggest  a  reason  why  the 
sanctuary  was  destroyed.] 

Literary  Affinities  and  Special  Importance 
OF  THE  Book 

Our  Apocalypse  has  affinities,  as  has  already  been 
pointed  out,  with  such  books  as  The  Ascension  of 
Isaiah,  which  like  it  deals  with  the  mysteries  of  the 
heavens  ^  and  is  set  in  a  similar  mystical  framework. 

1  Cf.  J.E.,  viii.  499&. 

-  The  seven  heavens  are  referred  to,  and  partly  described 
in  our  Apocalypse  in  chap.  xix.  Another  point  of  contact 
is  the  reference  to  the  "  heavenly  garment  "  in  chap,  xiii.. 


INTRODUCTION  xxxi 

But  the  latter  work  has  a  pronouncedly  Christian 
element,  and  is  a  production  of  Jewish-Christian 
origin  in  its  present  form,  whereas  in  our  Book  the 
Christian  element  is  confined  to  a  short  interpolated 
passage  in  chap.  xxix. 

With  the  Testament  of  Abraham,  there  is  a  certain 
affinity,  and  this  work,  like  our  Apocalypse,  may 
be  of  Essene  origin.  But  the  two  books  are  quite 
distinct,  and  their  historical  setting  is  different. 
The  Testament,  though  it  contains  an  apocalyptic 
element  in  the  parts  which  describe  Abraham's 
"  ride  "  through  the  heavenly  regions  when  he  sees 
the  fate  of  departed  souls,  is  based  upon  the  idea  of 
Abraham's  death;  moreover,  the  chief  angelic  figure 
in  the  Testament  is  Michael,  and  the  eschatology  is 
different.  Possibly  the  eschatology  of  the  two 
Books  may  be  regarded  as  complementary,  the 
Apocalypse  giving  the  national,  and  the  Testament  the 
individual  aspects  of  it  from  the  Essene  standpoint. 

There  is,  too,  a  certain  affinity  with  the  Clementine 
literature  (Homilies  and  Recognitions) ,  which  is  highly 
important  for  the  history  of  Gnostic  Judseo-Chris- 
tianity.  Thus  in  the  Clementine  Homilies  the  doctrine 
of  contrasts  is  much  elaborated.  The  ruler  of  this 
world  is  Satan,  the  ruler  of  the  future  world  is  the 
Messiah.  The  divinity  of  Christ  is  not  recognised, 
no  stress  is  laid  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement, 
and  strict  asceticism  is  enjoined. 

Our  Book  is  important  as  illustrating  the  Jewish 
ideas  that  lie  behind  the  doctrine  of  original  sin  in 
connexion  with  the  story  of  the  Fall,  and  in  its 
angelology  and  demonology.  In  the  angelic  figure 
of  Jaoel  (=  Michael  =  Metatron),  God's  vicegerent 
and  the  imparter  of  divine  revelation  to  man  (in 
the  person  of  Abraham)  we  have  one  more  illustration 
of  the  range  of  conceptions  on  the  Jewish  side  which 


end.  For  a  discussion  of  the  theological  affinities  of  these 
ideas  with  the  New  Testament  writings  cf.  Introduction  to 
The  Ascension  of  Isaiah,  pp.  xxi.-xxiv. 


xxxii  INTRODUCTION 

influenced  the  Logos-idea  and  Christological  develop- 
ment. The  pessimistic  estimate  of  the  world  as  it 
is — "  the  aeon  of  ungodliness — which  to  a  large 
extent  is  under  the  dominion  of  Azazel,  illustrates 
such  phrases  as  "  the  god  of  this  world  "  (2  Cor.  iv. 
4),  "  the  ruler  of  this  world  "  (John  xii.  31)  which 
are  applied  to  Satan.  These  probably  reflect  popular 
Jewish  feeling.  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,  as  St.  Paul 
himself  insists  (i  Cor.  x.  26),  but  has  fallen  under 
the  dominion  of  the  evil  one,  and  can  only  be  re- 
deemed therefrom  by  God's  Messiah. 

Our  Book  is  specially  important  as  one  more 
interesting  example  of  the  apocalyptic  ideas  of  late 
Judaism,  and,  more  particularly,  as  throwing  a 
welcome  light  on  the  ideas  specially  congenial  to  early 
Jewish-Christianity  when  it  had  already  become, 
to  some  extent,  detached  from  the  common  stream 
of  Church  hfe. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

For  the  editions  of  the  Slavonic  text  see  the  second  section 
of  this  Introduction. 

A  valuable  German  translation  of  the  Slavonic  text,  with 
critical  notes  and  Introduction,  has  been  published  in  the 
series  Stiidien  zuv  Geschichte  der  Theologie  iind  Kirche  :  it  is 
edited  by  Prof.  G.  Nathanael  Bonwetsch  (Leipzig,  1897). 
'  Articles  by  Ginzberg  in  J.E.,  i.  91  f. ;  Lagrange  in  Revue 
Biblique,  1905,  pp.  511-514;  see  also  Schiirer,  Geschichte  des 
judischen  Volkes,  iii.  pp.  336-338. 


SHORT  TITLES.   ABBREVIATIONS,   AND   BRACKETS 
USED    IN    THIS    EDITION 

1  Enoch  =  The  Ethiopic  Book  of  Enoch. 

2  Enoch  =  The  Slavonic  Book  of  Enoch. 

Ap.  Bar.  =  The  Syriac  Apocalypse  of  Baruch. 

The  Greek  Apocalypse  of  Baruch  =  The  Apocalypse  edited 
under  this  title  (and  based  upon  a  Greek  and  also  a  Slavonic 
text)  by  Dr.  H.  Maldwyn  Hughes  in  the  Oxford  Corpus  of 
The  Apocrypha  and  Pseudepigrapha  of  the  Old  Testament, 
ii.  pp.  527-541. 


INTRODUCTION  xxxiii 

Asc.  Is.  —  Tl:^ Ascension  of  Isaiah. 

Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  is  cited  according  to  the  edition  (English 
translation  and  notes)  of  G.  Friedlander  (London,  1916). 

Beer  =  Leben  Abraham's  nach  Auffassung  der  judischen 
Sage,  von  Dr.  B.  Beer  (Leipzig,  1859). 

Bonwetsch  =  Die  Apokalypse  Abrahams  .  .  .  herausge- 
geben  von  G.  Nathanael  Bonwetsch  (Leipzig,  1897,  in  the 
series  Studien  zur  Geschichte  der  Theologie  und  der  Kirche). 

Volz  =  Jiidische  Eschatologie  von  Daniel  bis  Akiba,  danges- 
vellt  von  Paul  Volz  (Tiibingen  und  Leipzig,  1903). 

Weber  =  Jiidische  Theologie  auf  Grund  des  Talmud  und 
verwandter   Schriften :   von  Dr.   Ferdinand   Weber    (Leipzig, 

1897)- 

S  =  Codex  Sylvester  (first  half  of  fourteenth 
century)  :  Facsimile  Edition,  Petrograd,  1890 
(edited  also  by  Tikhonravov) . 

P  =  Palaea  (Old  Testament  narratives  and  \ 
expositions  in  Slavonic). 

A  =  a  Palaea-text  of  Ap.  Abr,  edited  by 
Tikhonravov    from   a   MS.    of   the   fifteenth     See  further 
century.  [  the  second 

K  =  a  Palsea-text  of  Ap.  Abr.,  edited  by  (  section  of  the 
I.  Porfir'ev  from  a  MS.  of  the  seventeenth  Introduction, 
century. 

R  =  a  Palaea-text  of  Ap.Abr.,  i.-viii.,  edited 
by  A.  Pypin  from  a  MS.  dated  1494. 

Lueken  =  Michael  :  eine  Darstellung  und  Vergleichung  der 
■judischen  und  der  morgenldndisch-christlichen  Tradition  vom 
Erzengel  Michael:  von  Wilhelm  Luecken  (Gottingen,  1898). 

E.A.  =  The  Ezra- Apocalypse,  edited  by  G.  H.  Box  (1912). 

J.Q.R.  —  Jewish  Quarterly  Review. 

D.B.  =  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 

J.E.  =  Jewish  Encyclopaedia. 

M.T.  =  Masoretic  Text. 

[  ]  Square  brackets  enclosing  words  in  smaller  type 
indicate  additional,  and  in  most  cases  presumably  inter- 
polated, matter,  which  is  absent  from  S. 

(  )  Round  brackets  enclosing  words  in  italic  type 
indicate  glosses  or  editorial  additions. 

(  )  Round  brackets  enclosing  words  in  ordinary  type 
indicate  additions  to  the  text  of  the  translation  made  for 
the  sake  of  clearness. 

For  the  works  cited  under  the  following  names — 

Tikhonravov,  see  pp.  xi,  xiv. 

Sreznevsky,  see  p.  xi. 

Pypin,  see  p.  xiv. 

Porfir'ev,  see  p.  xiv. 

[The  translation  that  follows  has  been  prepared  with 
the  assistance  of  Mr.  J.  I.  Landsman,  who  has  consulted 
c 


xxxiv  INTRODUCTION 

for  this  purpose  the  Facsimile  Edition  oj  Codex  S,  and 
the  various  printed  editions  referred  to  above.  For 
the  form  of  the  translation  here  given  Mr.  Landsman 
takes  full  responsibility.  No  previous  translation  or 
edition  of  the  Book  has  been  published  in  English  so 
far  as  the  Editor  is  aware.] 


THE    APOCALYPSE    OF 
ABRAHAM 

PART   I 

The  Legend  (Chapters  L-VIII.) 

Title  1 

The  Book  of  the  Revelation  of  Abraham,  the  son 
of  Terah,  the  son  of  Nahor,  the  son  of  Serug,  the  son 
of  Roog  (Reu  2),  the  son  of  Arphaxad,  the  son  of 
Shem,  the  son  of  Noah,  the  son  of  Lamech,  the  son 
of  Methuselah,  the  son  of  Enoch,  the  son  of  Jared 
(Arad). 

Abraham's  Conversion  from  Idolatry 

(Chapters  I.-VIIL). 

I.  On  the  day  when  I  planed  the  gods  of  my  father  ^ 
Terah  and  the  gods  of  Nahor  his  brother,^  when  I 
was  searching  as  to  who  the  Mighty  God  in  truth 
is — I,  Abraham,  at  the  time  when  it  fell  to  my 
lot,  when  I  fulfilled  the  services  [the  sacrifices  ^)  of 

^  The  whole  of  the  title  occurs  only  in  S. 

2  Some  links  in  the  genealogical  chain  are  omitted  :  Reu 
son  of  Peleg,  son  of  Eber,  son  of  Shelah,  son  of  Arphaxad 
(Gen.  xi.  10-16) ;  Abraham  was  thus  "  the  tenth  from  Noah  " 
(Josephus,  Ant.,  i.  6,  5). 

^  Abraham  is  represented  as  having  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  his  father,  that  of  an  idol-maker;  cf.  Bereshith  rabba 
on  Gen.  xi.  28  (see  Appendix,  p.  90). 

*  his  {i.  e.  Abraham's)  brother ;  probably  a  gloss  (the 
structure  of  the  narrative  demands  "  my  ") ;   A  omits. 

^  Probably  a  gloss  (so  Tikhonravov) ;  or  read  of  the  altar 
for  sacrifices  (Bonwetsch). 

35 


36  APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM       [chap,  i 

my  father  Terah  to  his  gods  of  wood  and  stone,  gold 
and  silver,  brass  and  iron ;  ^  having  entered  into  their 
temple  for  service,  I  found  the  god  whose  name  was 
Merumath  ^  (which  was)  hewn  out  of  stone,  fallen 
forward  at  the  feet  of  the  iron  god  Nahon.^  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  I  saw  it,  my  heart  was  per- 
plexed, and  *  I  considered  in  my  mind  that  I  should 
not  be  able  to  bring  him  back  to  his  place,  I,  Abraham, 
alone, ^  because  he  was  heavy,  being  of  a  large  stone,® 
and  I  went  forth  and  made  it  known  to  my  father. 
And  he  entered  with  me,  and  when  both  of  us  moved 
him  (the  god)  forward,  so  that  we  might  bring  him 
back  ^  to  his  place,  his  head  fell  from  him  ^  while  I 
was  still  holding  him  by  the  head.  And  it  came 
to  pass,^  when  my  father  saw  that  the  head  of 
Merumath  ^  had  fallen  from  him,  he  said  to  me  : 
"  Abraham  !  "  And  I  said  :  "  Here  am  I."  And 
he  said  to  me  :  "  Bring  me  an  axe,  of  the  small 
ones,^^  from  the  house."  And  I  brought  it  to  him. 
^^  And  he  hewed  aright  another  Merumath  out  of 
another  stone,  without  head,  and  the  head  which 
had  been  thrown  down  from  Merumath  he  placed 
upon  it,  and  the  rest  of  Merumath  he  shattered. ^^ 
II.  And  he  made  five  other  gods,  and  gave  them 
to  me  [and]  ^^  commanded  me  to  sell  them  outside 
in  the  street  of  the  town.    And  I  saddled  my  father's  ^^ 

1  Cf.  Dan.  V.  4. 

2  The  stone  idol  Merumath  (=  Heb.  'eben  merumd,  "  stone 
of  deceit  ")  was  the  chief  object  of  Abraham's  worship  at 
this  period. 

3  So  A;   S  has  Naritson  ;   K,  by  name  Nahin. 
*  and  omitted  by  S. 

^  /  Abraham  alone  :  K  omits;   S,   +  ^^(^  lo  ! 

^  being  of  a  large  stone  :   R  omits. 

''  so  that  we  might  bring  him  back  :  R  omits. 

8-8  R  omits.  ^   +  his  god,  K. 

^^  of  the  small  ones  :  K  omits. 

u-n  K  reads  :  And  he  cut  off  the  head  of  another  god  of  stone 
and  fastened  it  upon  the  god  Merumath  which  fell  before,  and 
the  head  which  fell  down  from  him  and  the  rest  of  the  other  god 
he  shattered. 

12  and  :  S  K  omit. 

13  father's  :  A  omits. 


CHAP.  II]  PART   I  37 

ass,  and  placed  them  upon  it,  and  went  towards 
the  inn  to  sell  them.  And  lo  !  merchants  from 
Fandana  ^  in  Syria  were  traveUing  with  camels 
going  to  Egypt, 2  to  trade. ^  And  I  spoke  with  them. 
And  one  of  their  camels  uttered  a  groan,  and  the 
ass  took  fright  and  sprang  away  and  upset  the  gods ; 
and  three  of  them  were  smashed,  and  two  were 
preserved.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  Syrians 
saw  that  I  had  gods,  they  said  to  me  :  "  Why  didst 
thou  not  tell  us  [that  thou  hadst  gods  ?  Then  we  would 
have  bought  them]  *  before  the  ass  heard  the  sound  of 
the  camel,  and  they  would  not  have  been  lost.  Give 
us,  at  any  rate,  the  gods  that  remain,  and  we  will 
give  thee  the  proper  price  ^  for  the  broken  gods, 
also  for  the  gods  that  have  been  preserved."  ^  For 
I  was  concerned  in  my  heart  as  to  how  I  could  bring 
to  my  father  the  purchase-price ;  ®  and  the  three 
broken  ones  I  cast  into  the  water  of  the  river  Gur, 
which  was  at  that  place,  and  they  sank  into  the 
depths,'^  and  there  was  nothing  more  of  them. 

III.  When  I  was  still  going  on  the  way,  my  heart 
was  perplexed  within  me,  and  my  mind  was  distracted. 
And  I  said  in  my  heart :  ["  What  evil  deed  is  this  that  my 
father  is  doing  ?  Is  not  he,  rather,  the  god  of  his  gods,  since 
they  come  into  existence  through  his  chisels  and  lathes,  and  his 
wisdom,  and  is  it  not  rather  fitting  that  they  should  worship 
my  father,  since  they  are  his  work  ?  What  is  this  delusion  of 
my  father  in  his  works  ?  ]^  Behold,  Merumath  fell  and 
could  not  rise  in  his  own  temple,  nor  could  I,  by  myself, 
move  him  until  my  father  came,  and  the  two  of  us 
moved  him;    and  as  we  were   thus  too  weak,   his 

^  Fandana  probably  =  Paddan-Aram  (Gen.  xxv.  20). 

^  Cf.  Gen.  xxxvii.  25 . 

^  K  reads  :  in  order  to  buy  from  thence  papyrus  from  the 
Nile.     And  I  questioned  them,  and  they  informed  me. 

*  S  omits. 

5'^  A  K  omit;  they  read  instead:  And  I  deliberated  in  my 
heart,  and  they  gave  me  the  value. 

®  K  reads  :  and  he  took  the  pieces  of  the  broken  gods  and 
cast  them  in  the  Dead  Sea,  from  which  it  could  never  emerge. 

'  A  K,  -{-of  the  river  Gur. 

8  This  passage  is  given  by  A  K,  but  is  absent  from  S  ; 
apparently  it  is  a  later  interpolation. 


38  APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  iii 

head  fell  from  him,  and  he  {i.e.  my  father)  set  it  upon 
another  stone  of  another  god,^  which  he  had  made 
without  head.  And  the  other  five  gods  were  broken 
in  pieces  down  from  the  ass,  which  were  able  neither 
to  help  themselves,^  nor  to  hurt  the  ass,  because  ^ 
it  had  broken  them  to  pieces;  nor  did  their  broken 
fragments  come  up  out  of  the  river."  ^  And  I  said 
in  my  heart :  "If  this  be  so,  how  can  Merumath, 
my  father's  god,  having  the  head  of  another  stone, 
^and  himself  being  made  of  another  stone, ^  rescue  a 
man,  or  hear  a  man's  prayer  and  reward  him?  "  ^ 

IV.  And  while  I  cogitated  thus,  I  reached  my 
father's  house ;  and  having  watered  the  ass,  and  set 
out  hay  for  it,  I  brought  the  silver  and  gave  it  into 
the  hand  of  my  father  Terah.  When  he  saw  it  he 
was  glad,  [and]  ''  he  said  :  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Abra- 
ham, of  my  gods,^  because  thou  hast  brought  the 
price  of  the  gods,  so  that  my  work  was  not  in  vain." 
And  I  answered  and  said  to  him  :  "  Hear,  O  my 
father,  Terah  !  Blessed  are  the  gods  ^  of  thee, 
for  thou  art  their  god,  since  ^  thou  hast  made  them ; 
for  their  blessing  is  ruination,  and  their  power  ^^  is 
vain ;  ^^  they  who  did  not  help  themselves, ^^  how  shall 
they,  then,  help  thee  or  bless  me  ^^  ?     I  have  been 

1  Cf.  Wisdom  xiii.  lo  ("a  useless  stone,  the  work  of  an 
ancient  hand  ") ;  K  reads  :  and  set  upon  him  the  stone  head 
of  another  god. 

2  Cf.  Wisdom  xiii.  i6  ("  knowing  that  it  is  unable  to  help 
itself  "). 

3  =   ?  although  (Heb.  'aph  ki  ;   Rabbinic  'aph  ' al  pi). 

*  According  to  the  Mishna  ' Ahodd  zdrd  iii.  3  it  was  the 
duty  of  Jews  to  destroy  an  idol  by  sinking  it  in  the  waters 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  from  which  it  could  never  emerge. 

5-5  Omitted  by  K. 

*  Cf.  Wisdom  xiii.  17  f.  (the  whole  chapter  should  be 
compared  in  this  context). 

'  S  omits. 

8  Lit.  to  my  gods  :  read   ?  of  (by)  my  god  (Bonwetsch). 

»'9  Text  of  S  here  corrupt. 

i»  A,  help. 

^^  K,  powerless. 

^^  Cf.  note  2  in  previous  chapter. 

13  For  the  thought  cf.  Heb.  vii.  7. 


CHAP.  IV]  PART  I  39 

kind  to  thee  in  this  affair,^  because  by  (using)  my 
inteUigence,  I  have  brought  thee  the  money  for  the 
broken  gods."  And  when  he  heard  my  ^  word, 
he  became  furiously  angry  with  me,  because  I  had 
spoken  hard  words  against  his  gods. 

V.  I,  however,  having  thought  over  my  father's 
anger,  went  out ;  [and  after  I  had  gone  out]  ^  my  father  * 
cried,  saying  :  "  Abraham  !  "  And  I  said  :  "  Here 
am  I."  And  he  said  :  "  Take  and  collect  the 
splinters  of  the  wood  out  of  which  I  made  gods  of 
pine-wood  before  thou  camest ;  and  make  ready 
for  me  the  food  of  the  mid-day  meal."  ^  And  it 
came  to  pass,  when  I  collected  the  splinters  of  wood, 
I  found  under  them  a  Httle  god  which  had  been 
lying  among  the  brush-wood  on  my  left,  and  on  his 
forehead  was  written:  God  Barisat.^  And  ^  I 
did  not  inform  my  father  that  I  had  found  the 
wooden  god  Barisat  under  the  chips.  And  it  came 
to  pass,  when  I  had  laid  the  splinters  in  the  fire, 
in  order  that  I  might  make  ready  food  for  my  father 
— on  going  out  to  ask  a  question  regarding  the 
food,  I  placed  Barisat  before  the  kindled  fire,^  saying 
threateningly  to  him  :  "  Pay  careful  attention, 
Barisat,  [that]  ^  the  fire  do  not  die  down  until  I  come ; 
if,  however,  it  dieth  down,  blow  on  it  that  it  may 
burn  up  again."  And  I  went  out  and  accomplished 
my  purpose. ^^  And  on  returning  I  found  Barisat 
fallen  backwards,  and^^  his  feet  surrounded  by  fire 
and  horribly  burnt. ^^  I  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter, 
and   I   said   to   myself  :     "  Truly,    O    Barisat,    thou 

^  Lit.  transaction.  ^  K,  this. 

3  S  omits.  *  S,  he. 

^  Cf.  Is.  xliv.  15,  Wisdom  xiii.  12  f. 

*  Barisat  =  probably  bar  'ishtd,  "  son  of  the  fire." 

'  A  K,  -\-  it  came  to  pass,  when  I  found  him,  I  kept  him 
and. 

®  Lit.  kindling  of  the  fire.  *  S  omits. 

^°  Lit.  did  my  counsel :  a  Hebrew  phrase,  'dsd  'esd,  "  execute 
a  plan  "  (Is.  xxx.  i). 

^^  S,  -}-  before. 

^^  A,  +  And  it  came  to  pass  when  I  saw  it. 


40  APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  v 

canst  kindle  the  fire  and  cook  food  !  "  And  it 
came  to  pass,  while  I  spake  (thus)  in  my  laughter  ^ 
he  (i.e.Barisat)  was  gradually  burnt  up  by  the  fire 
and  reduced  ^  to  ashes.  And  I  brought  the  food 
to  my  father,  and  he  did  eat.  And  I  gave  him  wine 
and  milk,^  and  he  was  gladdened  and  blessed  his 
god  Merumath.  And  I  said  to  him  :  "  O  father 
Terah,  bless  not  thy  god  Merumath,  and  praise  him 
not,  but  rather  praise  thy  god  Barisat  because, 
loving  thee  more,  he  hath  cast  himself  into  the  fire 
to  cook  thy  food  !  "  And  he  said  to  me  :  "  And 
where  is  he  now?  "  [And  I  said :]  *  "  He  is  burnt  to 
ashes  in  the  violence  of  the  fire  and  is  reduced  to 
dust."  And  he  said :  "  Great  is  the  power  of 
Barisat  !  I  (will)  make  another  to-day,  and  to- 
morrow he  will  prepare  ^  my  food." 

VI.  When  I,  Abraham,  however,  heard  such  words 
from  my  father,  I  laughed  in  my  mind  and  sighed 
in  the  grief  and  in  the  anger  of  my  soul,  and  said  :  ^ 
"  How  then  can  that  which  is  made  by  him — manu- 
factured statues — be  a  helper  of  my  father?  Or 
shall  the  body  then  be  subject  to  its  soul,  and  the 
soul  to  the  spirit,  and  the  spirit  to  folly  and 
ignorance  !  "  '^  And  I  said:  ^  "  It  is  fitting  once 
to  endure  evil.  So  I  will  direct  my  mind  to  what 
is  pure  and  lay  my  thoughts  open  before  him." 
[And]  ®  I  answered  and  said  :  "  O  father  Terah, 
whichever  of  these  thou  praisest  as  a  god,  thou  art 
foolish  in  thy  mind.     Behold  the  gods  of  thy  brother 

^  A,  mind  ;   K,  in  my  mind  and  laughed. 

2  Lit.  became. 

^  Wine  was  sometimes  mixed  not  only  with  water,  but 
with  milk,  in  Palestine;  cf.  Cant.  V.  i  (7  have  drunk  my 
wine  with  my  milk) ;   cf.  also  Is.  Iv.  i. 

*  S  A  omit. 

^  Lit.  make. 

^  i.  e.  thought  ("  said  in  my  heart  ").  The  sentence  that 
follows  ("  It  is  fitting  once  to  endure  evil  ")  means  :  "It  is  well 
to  suffer  in  this  way  for  a  good  cause." 

'  In  this  sentence  the  text  of  S  is  not  in  order,  and  has 
been  corrected  by  Tikhonravov  in  accordance  with  A  and  K. 

8  Omitted  by  S. 


CHAP,  vi]  PART   I  41 

Ora/  which  stand  in  the  holy  temple,  are  more 
worthy  of  honour  than  [these  of]  ^  thine.  For  behold 
Zucheus,  the  god  of  thy  brother  Oron,^  is  more  worthy 
of  honour  than  thy  god  Merumath,  because  he  is 
made  of  gold  which  is  highly  valued  by  people,  and 
when  he  groweth  old  in  years  he  will  be  re-modelled ; 
but  if  your  god  Merumath  is  changed  or  broken, 
he  will  not  be  renewed,  because  he  is  a  stone ; 
the  which  is  also  the  case  with  the  god  Joavon  * 
^  [who  standeth  with  Zucheus  over  the  other  gods — how  ^ 
much  more  worthy  of  honour  is  he  than  the  god  Barisat, 
who  is  made  of  wood,  while  he  is  forged  of  silver  !  How  ^ 
is  he  made,  by  adaptation  of  man,  valuable  to  outward 
appearance  !  But  thy  god  Barisat,  while  he  was  still,  before 
he  had  been  prepared,  rooted  up  ( ?)  '  upon  the  earth  and 
was  great  and  wonderful  with  the  glory  of  branches  and 
blossom,^  thou  didst  hew  out  with  the  axe,  and  by  means 
of  thy  art  he  hath  been  made  into  a  god.  And  lo  !  his 
fatness  is  already  withered  and  perished,  he  is  fallen  from 
the  height  to  the  ground,  he  hath  come  from  great  estate 
to  littleness,  and  the  appearance  of  his  countenance  hath 
vanished,  and  he]  Barisat  himself  is  burnt  up  by  fire 
and  reduced  to  ashes  and  is  no  more ;  and  thou  sayest : 
"  To-day  I  will  make  another  which  ^  to-morrow  shall 
make  ready  my  food  !  "  ^^  "  He  hath  perished  to  utter 
destruction  !  "  10 

VII.  ^1 "  Behold,  the  fire  is  more  worthy  of  honour 

^  i.  e.  Haran  (so  S) ;  A  has  thy  father  Nahor,  K  my  brother 
Nahor.  2  Omitted  by  S. 

3  Another  form  of  Haran  (so  S) ;  A  and  K  read  as  indi- 
cated in  the  previous  note. 

■*  So  S  :   A,  Joaitv  ;  K,  Joav  ;  R,  Jav. 

^  The  long  passage  in  brackets  which  here  follows  is 
extant  in  A  and  K,  but  is  wanting  in  S.  It  consists  of  a 
long  comparison  between  the  gods  Joauv  (Joavon)  and 
Barisat,  and  is  very  obscure.  It  is  probably  a  later  inter- 
polation. 

^  Lit.  that.  7    p  j-ead  rooted. 

^  i.  e.  while  it  was  growing  as  a  tree.        '  Lit.  and  he. 

^°'^°  Hath  he  not  abandoned  this  {once  for  all)  by  perishing  to 
utter  destruction  ?  A  (K). 

"  A  K  insert  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter  :  Having 
thought  thus,  Abraham  came  to  his  father,  saying  :  "  Father 
Terah,"  forgetting  that  Abraham  was  already  speaking  to 
him.     The  sentence  is  wanting  in  S. 


42         APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  vii 

than  ^  all  things  formed  because  even  that  which  is 
not  subjected  is  subjected  unto  it,  and  things  easily 
perishable  are  mocked  by  its  flames.^  ^  But  even 
more  worthy  of  honour  is  the  water, ^  because  it 
conquereth  the  fire  and  ^  satisfieth  the  earth.  ^  But 
even  it  I  do  not  call  God,  because  ^  it  is  subjected 
to  the  earth  under  which  the  water  inclineth.*  But 
I  call  the  earth  much  more  w^orth}^  of  honour,  because 
it  overpowereth  the  nature  {and  the  fulness)  ^  of 
the  water.  Even  it  (viz.  the  earth),  however,  I 
do  not  call  god,  [because]  ®  it,  too,  is  dried  up  by 
the  sun,  [and]  ^  is  apportioned  to  man  to  be  tilled. "^ 
[I  call  the  sun  more  worthy  of  honour  than  the  earth,]  * 
because  it  with  its  rays  illumineth  the  whole  world 
®and  the  different  atmospheres.^  [But]  ^  even  it 
I  do  not  call  god,  because  at  night  ^^and  by  clouds 
its  course  is  obscured. ^^  Nor,  again,  do  I  call  the 
moon  or  the  stars  god,  because  they  also  in  their 
season  obscure  [their]  ^^  light  at  night. ^^  [But]  ^^  hear 
[this],^^  Terah  my  father ;  for  ^^  I  will  make  known  to 
thee  ^^  the  God  who  hath  made  everything,  not  these 
we  consider  as  gods.  Who  then  is  He  ?  or  what  is  He  ? 
Who  hath  crimsoned  the  heavens,  and  made  the 
sun  golden, 

^•1  So  S ;  for  this  A  K  have  thy  honoured  gods  of  gold,  silver, 
stone,  and  wood,  because  it  burneth  up  thy  gods  ;  yea,  thy  gods 
are  burnt  up  in  subjection  to  the  fire,  while  the  fire  mocked 
them,  devouring  thy  gods. 

2-2  A  Kread  :  But  that  (viz.  the  fire)  /  do  not  call  god,  because 
it  hath  been  subjected  to  the  water,  while  the  water  is  more 
worthy  of  honour  than  it  {i.e.  the  fire). 

^.2  A  K,  maketh  the  fruits  of  the  earth  sweet. 

*•*  A  K,  the  water  inclineth  under  the  earth. 

^  So  S;   but  A  K  omit — it  is  probably  a  gloss. 

®  S  omits.  '  Lit.  for  work  (=  Heb.  la'dbod). 

*  Omitted  by  S  ;  but  it  must  have  belonged  to  the  original 
text.     It  is  attested  by  A  K. 

'"'  So  S ;  A  K  omit  :  atmospheres  ( ?  lower  and  upper) 
=  'aepes;   cf.  4  Ezra  vi.  4,  altitudines  aerum. 

10-10  ^  K,  it  is  obscured  by  the  darkness. 

11  S  omits.  ^2  Or  by  {through)  night. 

13-13  Lj-t,  J  ^iii  investigate  (or  examine)  before  thee  concern- 
ing. The  question  that  follows,  Who  then  is  He  ?  etc.,  gives 
the  subject  of  the  investigation. 


CHAP,  viil  PART   I 


43 


And  the  moon  lustrous,  and  with  it  the  stars; 

And  hath  made  the  earth  dry  in  the  midst  of  many 
waters, 
And    set    thee    in  ^  ....    ^  [and   tested   me  in   the 
confusion  of  my  thoughts]  ^ 

"  Yet  may  God  reveal  Himself  to  us  through 
Himself !  " 

VHI.  And  it  came  to  pass  while  I  spake  ^  thus  to 
my  father  Terah  in  the  court  of  my  *  house,  there 
Cometh  down  ^  the  voice  of  a  Mighty  One  ^  from 
heaven  in  a  fiery  cloud-burst, '^  saying  and  crying  : 
"  Abraham,  Abraham  !  "  And  I  said  :  "  Here  am 
I."  And  He  said  :  ^  "  Thou  art  seeking  in  the  under- 
standing of  thine  heart  the  God  of  Gods  and  the 
Creator ;  ^  ^  I  am  He  :  ^  Go  out  from  thy  father 
Terah,  and  get  thee  out  from  the  ^^  house,  that  thou 
also  be  not  slain  in  the  sins  of  thy  father's  house." 
And  I  went  out.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  I  went 
out,  that  before  I  succeeded  in  getting  out  in  front 
of  the  door  of  the  court,  there  came  a  sound  of  a 
[great]  ^^  thunder  ^^  and  burnt  ^^  him  and  ^^  his 
house, ^^  and  everything  whatsoever  in  his  house, 
down  to  the  ground,  forty  cubits.^* 

1  Something  has  to  be  supphed  here. 

2-2  So  A  K;   S  omits.  3  g  K,  reflected. 

*  A  K,  his  [i.  e.  Terah's),  rightly.  At  this  point  there 
follows  in  A  K  (R)  an  insertion  which  contains,  among 
other  things,  a  version  of  the  well-known  legend  about 
Abraham's  burning  of  the  idol-temple,  and  with  it  his  brother 
Haran;   cf.  Appendix  I. 

5  Lit.  falleth  (S) ;    K,  fell  (A  omits) . 

^  =  LXX.  6  l<Txvpos  (frequent  as  a  rendering  of  Heb. 
hd'el,  "  God  ") ;   cf.  4  Ezra  ix.  45,  etc.  '   K,  flame. 

^■^  The  text  of  S  is  not  in  order;  Sreznevsky  reads  : 
Cogu  Coisya,  God  thoit  dost  fear,  and  the  Creator  thou  art  seeking. 

9  »  A  omits.  10  K,  his.  "  S  omits. 

^2  K,  -{-  and  there  fell  fire  from  heaven. 

13-13  A  (K  R)  omit. 

^3  K,  +  and  the  dwellers  therein,  both  men  and  beasts. 

^*  Here  R  ends.  The  Midrashic  story  about  the  burning 
of  Terah's  house  is  really  based  upon  an  interpretation  of 
the  Biblical  "  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  "  (Gen.  xi.  31,  xv.  7). 
Here  "  Ur  "  is  interpreted  as  =  "  fire  ";  Abraham  was 
brought  out  of  "  TTr  "  ("  fire  ")  by  the  Lord, 


;^< 


PART  II 
The  Apocalypse  (Chapters  IX. -XXXII.). 

Abraham  receives  a  Divine  Command  to  offer 
Sacrifice  after  Forty  Days  as  a  Prepara- 
tion for  a  Divine  Revelation  (Chapter  IX.  ; 
cf.  Gen.  XV.). 

IX.  Then  a  voice  came  to  me  speaking  twice  : 
"  Abraham,  Abraham  !  "  And  I  said  :  "  Here  am 
I  !  "  And  He  said  :  "  Behold,  Mt  is  I  ^ ;  fear  not,^ 
for  I  am  before  the  worlds,^  and  a  mighty  God  who 
hath  created  *  the  hght  of  the  world.*  /  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  titrtledove  and  a 
pigeon,^  and  bring  me  a  pure  sacrifice.  And  in  this  ^^^^"^^ 
sacrifice  I  will  lay  before  thee  the  ages  (to  come),  and  rf-'^°^ 
make  known  to  thee  what  is  reserved,  and  thou  shalt 
see  great  things  which  thou  hast  not  seen  (hitherto) ;  ^ 

^•1  K,  /  am  with  thee.  ^  Cf.  Gen.  xv.  i. 

'  Or  ages  {"  aeons  "). 

*'^  A,  the  first  light  ;  K,  in  the  beginning  heaven  and  earth 
and  then  the  first  luminary  of  light  and  of  the  ivorld  (cf.  Gen. 
i.  if.).  The  reference  is  apparently  to  the  created  (not  the 
uncreated)  light.     For  the  latter  cf.  note  on  chap.  xvii. 

°  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  9. 

^  The  revelation  made  to  Abraham  which  is  described  in 
Gen.  XV.  9  f.  early  became  a  favourite  theme  for  apocalyptic 
speculation,  and  an  intimation  was  discovered  in  the  passage  ■ 
of  Israel's  later  captivity  and  subjection  to  the  four  oppres-  \ 
sive  world-powers  of  the  Book  of  Daniel   (see  the  Targums  ' 
ad  loc).     This  apocalyptic  experience  of  Abraham  is  referred 
to  in  4  Ezra  iii.  14  {and  unto  him  [Abraham]  only  didst  thou 
reveal  the  end  of  the  times  secretly  by  night).     According  to 
the  Ap.  Bar.  iv.  4  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  was  shown  to 
Abraham  "  by  night  among  the  portions  of  the  victims." 

44 


CHAP.  IX]  PART    II  45 

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  (prac- 
tised) 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.-XIL). 

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 

1  Or  "  lover."  Abraham,  as  God's  chosen  friend  (or 
"  lover  of  God,"  cf.  2  Chron,  xx.  7,  Is.  xli.  8,  Ep.  James 
ii.  23)  can  receive  special  revelation;  for  the  juxtaposition 
of  the  two  ideas  cf.  4  Ezra  iii.  14. 

2  Or  refrain  thyself.  By  every  form  of  food  that  proceedeth 
out  of  the  fire,  flesh-meat  is  no  doubt  meant. 

3  Fasting  as  a  preparation  for  the  reception  of  a  divine  .^ — ^tM.fY\ 
revelation   was    much   practised   by   the    apocalyptists.     In 

4  Ezra  four  fasts  of  seven  days  followed  in  each  case  by  a 
divine  revelation  are  referred  to.  Here,  it  is  to  be  noted, 
the  period  is  one  of  forty  days.  For  the  terms  here  used 
cf.  4  Ezra  ix.  24.  Anointing  the  body  (especially  the  face) 
with  oil  was  a  mark  of  joy  used  in  connexion  with  feasting 
(cf.  Eccles.  ix.  8,  Ps.  xxiii.  5,  Amos  vi.  6),  and  omitted  in 
mourning  as  a  sign  of  grief  (cf.  2  Sam.  xiv.  2,  Dan.  x.  3). 

*  Cf.  Gen.  xxii.  2. 
^^  A  omits. 

^  The  "  Word  "  of  God  here  has  a  quasi-personal  sig- 
nificance; cf.  4  Ezra  vi.  38  ("and  thy  Word,  O  Lord, 
perfected  the  work  "),  43,  etc. 

'  and  omitted  by  A. 

*  Omit  (a  Hebraism  ?  marks  apodosis) . 


46  PART   II  [CHAP.  X 

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,^  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  like- 
ness 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  terrestial.  Be  fearless 
and  hasten  to  Him.  I  am  called  Jaoel  ^^  by  Him 
who  moveth  that  which  existeth  with  me  on  the 


^  Cf.  4  Ezra  vii.  29  ("  omnes  qui  spiramentum  habent 
hominis  "). 

2-2  K  reads  :  and  he  was  affrighted  in  his  spirit,  and  his 
soul  perished  in  him,  and  he  became  like  a  dead  man,  and  fell 
down  like  a  stone  upon  the  earth,  and. 

^  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  28;  Dan.  viii.  17,  x.  8  f. ;  i  Enoch  xiv.  14, 
24;  4  Ezra  X.  29  f. 

*-*  K  omits. 

^  The  name  of  the  archangel  Joel  (Jaoel)  is  differently 
spelt  in  the  various  texts  (cf.  the  Slavonic  version  of  The 
Book  of  Adam,  ed.  by  Jagic,  in  Denkschriften  des  Kaiserlichen 
Akademie  der  Wissenschaften  in  Wien,  philol.-histor.  Classe, 
Vol.  XLII.)  :  S,  Naoil,  I  toil ;  A,  Aol,  K,  Jaol,  Book  of 
Adam,  foil  =  Joel.  Jaoel  (=  Heb.  Yahoel)  is  represented  in 
our  Apocalypse  as  a  being  possessed  of  the  power  of  the 
ineffable  name,  a  function  assigned  in  the  Rabbinical  writings 
to  Metatron,  "  whose  name  is  like  unto  that  of  God  Himself  " 
(T.B.  Sanh.  38&).  The  name  Yahoel  (Jaoel)  is  evidently  a 
substitute  for  the  ineffable  name  Yahweh,  the  writing  out 
of  which  in  full  was  forbidden.  In  chap.  xvii.  below  God 
Himself  is  addressed  as  Jaoel.  For  Jaoel  as  the  heavenly 
choirmaster  cf.  note  on  chap.  xvii. 

*  A  omits.  '  Cf.  4  Ezra  x.  30. 

*"^  A  omits.  •  S  omits. 

10  A  K,  if. 

11  S,  Eloel:  A,  Aol;  K,  loal. 


CHAP.  X]  PART   II  47 

seventh^  expanse  upon  ^  the  firmament,^  a  power  in 
virtue  of  the  ineffable  Name  that  is  dwelHng  in  me.'* 
I  am  the  one  who  hath  been  given  to  restrain,  accord- 
ing to  His  commandment,  the  threatening  attack  of 
the  Hving  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 

^  A,  middle.  ^  i.  e.   ?  "  over." 

'  The  angel  sent  to  Isaiah  to  conduct  him  through  the 
various  "  heavens  "  had  "  come  from  the  seventh  [i.  e.  the 
highest]  heaven";   cf.  Asc.  Is.  vi.  13,  vii.  27. 

*  Cf.  Ex.  xxiii.  21  ("  my  name  is  in  him,"  i.  e.  the  angel 
of  Jahveh) ;  here  Jaoel  seems  to  play  the  role  of  Michael 
(see  Introduction,  p.  xxv). 

^  By  "  the  living  creatures  of  the  Cherubim  "  are  meant 
the  "  holy  hayyoth  "  of  Ezek.  i.  who  are  expressly  identified 
with  the  [heavenly]  Cherubim  in  Ezek.  x.  20.  They  are 
four  in  number  (each  with  four  faces),  and  are  the  bearers 
of  the  divine  throne  (see  next  note).  Apparently  they  are 
here  represented  as  of  threatening  aspect  and  in  danger  of 
menacing  attack  upon  one  another,  so  that  a  restraining 
influence  was  necessary.  According  to  the  Midrash  {Exodus 
rabha  v.)  envy  and  mistrust  are  absent  from  the  angelic 
world,  though  the  angels  envied  Israel  the  possession  of  the 
Law;   but  cf.  Asc.  Is.  vii.  9. 

'  i.  e.  "  the  holy  hayyoth  ['  living  creatures  ']  who  carry 
the  throne  of  glory  "  {Sijva  on  Lev.  i.  i). 

'  According  to  T.B.  Abodd  zdrd  3&,  "  God  sits  [at  night] 
and  listens  to  the  song  of  the  living  creatures  [hayyoth'], 
as  it  is  said  (Ps.  xlii.  8)  :  By  day  the  Lord  commandeth  His 
loving-kindness  [i.  e.  judges  and  sustains  the  world,  and 
occupies  Himself  in  the  study  of  the  Law],  and  in  the  night 
His  song  is  with  me."  In  T.B.  Hag.  12b  it  is  said  that  the 
companies  of  ministering  angels  in  the  fifth  heaven  "  utter 
His  song  in  the  night,  and  are  silent  in  the  day  for  the  sake 
of  the  glory  of  Israel."  In  Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  iv.  Michael 
is  represented  as  the  head  of  the  first  of  four  bands  of 
ministering  angels  who  utter  praise  before  the  Holy  One; 
cf.  also  Mekilta  to  Ex.  xv.  i ;  and  in  the  New  Testament 
Luke  ii.  13  (the  angelic  song  at  night). 

"  Michael  is  represented  in  Kabbalistic  literature  as  the 
angel-prince  who  is  set  over  the  element  of  water  (cf.  Lueken, 
Michael,  p.  54) ;  this  conception  is  probably  old,  for  on  it 
rests  the  haggadic  story  that  when  Solomon  married  Pharaoh's 


48  APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM      [chap,  x 

Hades,    to    destroy    him    who    stareth    at    the  dead.]  ^      I 

iam  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 


daughter,  Michael  drove  into  the  bed  of  the  sea  a  stick, 
around  which  sUme  gathered,  and  on  w^hich  Rome  was 
ultimately  built  {Midrash  rabba  on  Cant.  i.  6,  in  the  name 
of  R.  Levi,  end  of  third  century  a.d.).  Michael  is  also  the 
prince  of  snow,  which  belongs  to  the  element  of  water  {Dent, 
rabba  v.  12).  Leviathan  as  the  sea-monster  par  excellence 
would  be  subject  to  him,  with  all  reptiles,  though  the  task 
of  slaying  the  monster  is  assigned,  by  Jewish  legend,  to 
Gabriel;  but  Michael  and  Gabriel  are  often  confused  in 
these  connexions.  [For  the  "  spirit  of  the  sea  "  that  restrains 
it  cf.  I  Enoch  Ix.  16.]  The  representation  here  is  parallel  in 
a  sense  with  that  which  depicts  Michael  as  the  enemy  and 
conqueror  of  Satan  (cf.  Rev.  xii.  7  ff.)  and  in  later  Christian 
tradition  as  the  vanquisher  of  the  dragon  (cf.  Lueken,  op. 
cit.,  pp.  106  ff.).  It  should  be  noted  that  according  to  the 
Kabbalistic  book  Raziel  fol.  4a  the  name  of  Michael  is  a 
powerful  charm  against  the  reptiles  (cf.  Lueken,  p.  28). 

1  The  bracketed  clause  is  omitted  by  S.  One  of  Michael's 
functions  (with  Gabriel)  is  to  open  the  gates  of  Hell  and 
release  the  sinners  therein;  see  Yalqut  Shim,  on  Is.  xxvi.  2, 
and  cf.  Lueken,  op.  cit.,  p.  52.  What  is  meant  by  "  destroy- 
ing "  him  who  stareth  at  the  dead  is  not  clear.  It  might 
conceivably  refer  to  the  duty  of  burying  the  dead.  To  allow 
a  corpse — even  an  enemy's — to  remain  unburied  was  con- 
sidered an  impiety  (cf.  Ps.  Ixxix.  2  f . ;  Tobit  i.  17,  ii.  7; 
Josephus,  Apion,  ii.  29),  and  it  is  notable  that,  according  to 
The  Life  of  Adam  and  Eve,  xlviii.  4  f . ;  (cf.  Charles,  Corpus 
ii.  151),  Michael  and  Uriel  bury  the  bodies  of  Adam  and 
Abel  in  Paradise.  But  the  language  of  the  phrase  here 
hardly  suits  this.  In  view  of  the  next  clause,  where  "  dead  " 
=  dead  idols,  the  reference  may  perhaps  be  to  idol-worship. 
In  a  Byzantine  text  the  story  of  Michael's  contest  with  the 
devil  about  the  body  of  Moses  is  given  a  somewhat  similar 
motive.  The  devil  is  represented  as  seeking  to  bring  down 
Moses'  dead  body  to  the  Israelites  in  order  that  they  may 
worship  it — and  this  may  depend  originally  upon  a  Jewish 
source  which  in  this  way  protested  against  the  Christian 
worship  of  saints  and  relics  (cf.  Lueken,  op.  cit.,  p.  121  f.). 
But  perhaps  stareth  at  should  be  altered  to  terrifeth,  and  the 
reference  is  to  Death  personified ;   cf .  Add.  Note,  p.  86  f . 

2  In  the  Rabbinical  form  of  the  legend  (see  Appendix) 
Abraham  is  rescued  from  the  fiery  oven  into  which  he  had 
been  cast  by  Nimrod  by  Michael,  according  to  the  opinion 


CHAP.  X]  PART   II  49 

sent  to  bless  thee  now,  and  the  land  ^  which  the  Eter- 
nal One,  whom  thou  hast  invoked,  hath  prepared  for 
thee,  and  for  thy  sake  have  I  wended  my  way  upon 
the  earth. 2  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  !  " 

XL  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  : 

of  Eliezer  b.  Jacob  {Genesis  rabbaxliv.  i6).  Michael,  accord- 
ing to  the  Rabbis,  was  the  defender  of  the  Patriarchs.  Strictly 
it  is  Gabriel  who  is  the  prince  of  fire. 

^  i.  e.  the  land  of  Palestine.  In  Mohammedan  tradition 
Michael  is  the  good  angel  who  brings  peace  and  plenty. 

2  It  was  Michael  who,  according  to  Rabbinic  tradition,  at 
various  times  appeared  to  Abraham,  e.g.  he  told  Abraham 
that  Lot  had  escaped,  protected  Sarah  from  being  defiled 
by  Abimelech  {Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  xxvi.),  announced  to  Sarah 
that  she  should  have  a  son  (Gen.  xviii.  lo),  rescued  Lot  from 
Sodom  (T.B.  Baha  mesia,  866),  and  prevented  Isaac  from 
being  sacrificed  by  substituting  a  ram.  In  The  Test,  of 
Abraham  (i.)  it  is  Michael  who  comes  down  and  visits  Abraham 
in  order  to  take  his  soul. 

3  Here  Michael  is  associated  with  the  speaker,  the  arch- 
angel Jaoel.  This  rather  suggests  that  the  latter  is  really 
fulfilling  the  role  of  Metatron  (Michael  and  Metatron  are 
companions,  Zohar  i.  149&).  But  Jaoel  really  combines  the 
functions  of  both.  The  writer  wishes  to  make  it  clear  that 
Jaoel  is  closely  associated  with  Michael. 

*  K,  +  his  feet  (a  gloss?  suggested  by  Rev.  i.  15). 

^  Cf.  Rev.  xix.  12  ("  upon  his  head  many  diadems  "). 

^  Cf.  Rev.  i.  16  ("  and  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven 
stars  ").  There  is  a  general  resemblance  here  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  exalted  Christ  in  Rev.  i.  14-16,  but  the  details 
D 


50  APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xi 

"  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  !  " 

Xn.  And  we  went,  the  two  of  us  together,  fort\^ 
days  and  nights,^  and  I  ate  no  bread,  and  drank  no 
water,  because  my  food  *  was  to  see  the  angel  wljo 
was  with  me,  and  his  speech — that  was  my  drink. ^ 
And  we  came  to  the  Blount  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." 

are  different  except  that  both  have  the  characteristic  descrip- 
tive phrase,  derived  from  Dan.  vii.  9  ("  the  hair  of  his  head 
Uke  pure  wool,"  here  "  hke  snow,"  cf.  Rev.  i.  14) ;  cf.  also 
2  Enoch  i.  5  (the  description  of  the  two  angels  who  visit 
Enoch).  The  figure  described  is  regal  (notice  the  purple 
garments  and  the  sceptre),  and  is  invested  with  the  divine 
glory;   cf.  Ezek.  i.  26  f. 

1  Or  "  troubled";  cf.  2  Enoch  i.  8,  and  often  in  apoca- 
lyptic writings. 

2  K,  -|-  7  will  be.  The  angel  appears  in  visible  form  for 
the  time  being.  So  Michael  appears  to  Abraham  "  like  a 
very  comely  warrior  "  {Test.  Abrah.  i.). 

^  Cf.  I  Kings  xix.  8.  *  S,  +  ^^^  ^^>'  drink. 

^  Cf.  John  iv.  31-34.  Elijah  ate  and  drank  before  starting 
on  his  journey  to  Horeb,  and  "  went  in  the  strength  of  that 
meat  forty  days  and  forty  nights  "  (i  Kings  xix.  8) ;  cf, 
Ex.  xxiv.  18.  There  is  a  close  parallel  to  our  text  in  Philo, 
Life  of  Moses,  Bk.  III.  i,  where  it  is  said  of  Moses  in  the 
Mount  :  "he  neglected  all  meat  and  drink  for  forty  days 
together,  evidently  because  he  had  more  excellent  food  than 
that  in  those  contemplations  with  which  he  was  inspired 
from  above  from  heaven." 

^  Cf.  Gen.  xxii.  7.  'A,  behind. 

^"'  A  K  omit.  •  Cf.  Gen.  xv.  9. 


CHAP.  XII]  PART   II  51 

And  he  said  to  me  :  "  All  these  slaughter j  and  divide 
the  animals  into  halves,  one  against  the  other,  but  the 
birds  do  not  sever;  ^  and  ("  but  ")  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  gi\-e 
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  com- 
mandment 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  car- 
casses,^ 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 

^  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  10. 

^  Living  men  (or  rather  angels)  take  the  place  of  the 
material  altar;  cf.  the  metaphorical  use  of  "temple"  as 
applied  to  the  body  (cf.  John  ii.  21;  i  Cor.  iii.  16,  vi.  19). 
But  such  a  use  of  the  term  "  altar  "  does  not  appear  to  have 
become  current  in  Jewish  literature. 

^  The  ascent  to  heaven  is  accomplished  on  the  wings  of 
a  dove.  The  dove  is  appropriate  in  this  connexion  because 
of  its  swiftness  (cf.  Ps.  Iv.  (6)  7,  "  Oh  that  I  had  wings  like  a 
dove,"  etc.;  cf.  also  Virgil,  J£w.  vi.  190  ff.),  and  its  purity. 
For  the  symbolism  of  the  dove  applied  to  Israel,  and  also 
to  the  Holy  Spirit  (Matt.  iii.  16),  cf.  I.  Abrahams,  Studies  in 
Pharisaism  and  the  Gospels,  pp.  47  ff . 

*  The  revelations  here  promised  to  Abraham  correspond 
to  the  earlier  models  given  in  i  and  2  Enoch. 

^  K,  +  Jaoel. 

^  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  11, 


52        APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xiii 

drinketh,^  neither  is  there  upon  them  (any)  food  of 

man,  but  these  ^  consume  everything  with  fire,  and 

^f     (will)  burn  thee  up.     ^  Forsake  the  man,  who  is  with 

x'^        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  : 

i-^  "  What  is  this,  my  lord?  "     And  he  said  :    "  This  is 

ungodliness,*  this  is  Azazel."  ^     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 

1  i.e.  they  are  in  the  domain  of  the  spiritual  sphere,  where 
there  is  no  eating  and  drinking;  cf.  Test.  Abrah.  (A)  iv., 
' '  all  the  heavenly  spirits  are  incorporeal,  and  neither  eat 
nor  drink." 

^  i.  e.  the  heavenly  beings. 

3-3  Omitted  by  A  K. 

4  Cf.  Zech.  V.  8.  ^ 

^  Azazel  is  the  fallen  archangel,  the  seducer  of  mankind, 
who  here,  as  in  the  Book  of  Enoch,  fills  the  role  of  Satan 
or  Sammael.  He  is  essentially  the  spirit  of  uncleanness, 
and,  in  this  character,  is  depicted  in  our  text  as  descending 
in  the  form  of  an  unclean  bird.  It  is  interesting  to  note 
that  the  Palestinian  Targum  on  Gen.  xv.  ii  interprets  the 
unclean  birds  figuratively  of  idolatrous  peoples  ("  And  there 
came  down  idolatrous  peoples  which  are  like  to  unclean 
birds,  to  steal  away  the  sacrifices  of  Israel ;  but  the  right- 
eousness of  Abram  was  a  shield  over  them  "). 

^  Azazel,  who  is  here  clearly  a  fallen  archangel  like  the 
later  Satan  (cf.  Bousset,  Relig.  d.  Judeutums^,  386),  has  been 
expelled  from  heaven  by  God.  According  to  2  Enoch  xxix.  5 
Satan's  domain,  after  his  expulsion,  was  the  air  (cf.  Eph. 
ii.  2),  but  here  Azazel  is  a  "  dweller  upon  the  earth,"  where 
he  controls  the  evil  powers  (cf.  John  xii.  31,  "  prince  of  this 
world,"  Matt.  iv.  8  f.).  In  The  Testaments  of  the  Twelve 
Patriarchs  (cf.  also  Asc.  Is.)  Beliar  is  the  arch-fiend,  the  head 
of  the  evil  spirits,  and  the  source  of  impurity  and  lying. 
But  Azazel,  like  all  celestial  beings,  can  fly  through  the  air 
{Gen.  rabba  xix.)  and  assume  any  form,  such  as  that  of  a  bird 
{T.  B.  Sanh.,  loja). 

'  Azazel's  expulsion  carried  with  it  that  of  his  hosts,  of 
which  he  was  the  leader.  [Note  that  in  chap.  xxxi.  of  our 
Book  Azazel  is  depicted  as  the  lord  of  hell.] 


CHAP.  XIIl] 


PART   II 


53 


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,2  in  order  that  thereby  the  life  of  the  right- 
eous and  the  destruction  of  the  unclean  may  be  as- 
sured.^ 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  r^K}.<^\f^\^ 
him,^  and  the  mortahty  which  was  his  hath  been  "^  — •" 
transferred  to  thee."  ® 

XIV.  The  angel  said  to  me  :  "^  ["  Abraham  !  "    And 

1  For  the  sin  and  misery  brought  upon  the  earth  by  the 
fallen  angels  cf.  i  Enoch  viii.  2,  ix.  6,  8,  x.  7  f.,  etc. 

2  According  to  T.B.  Baba  bathra,  17a  the  "  evil  impulse  " 
{ye$er  hd-ra')  had  no  power  over  the  three  righteous  men, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob.  In  The  Test.  Abrah.  Abraham 
is  represented  as  sinless. 

3  Notice  the  strong  dualism.  The  activity  of  the  evil 
powers  makes  perdition  certain  for  their  victims,  while,  on 
the  other  hand,  by  its  very  failure  in  the  case  of  the  righteous 
it  makes  their  felicity  more  certain  in  the  end. 

4  [Lit.  "  counsellor,"  an  idiomatic  expression  still  found 
in  Russian  dialects  (cf.  Dalj's  Dictionary  of  the  Russian 
Language,  s.v.  sovetnik)  meaning  "  friend,"  used  in  a  good- 
humoured  way. — J.  I.  L.] 

5  The  "  heavenly  garments  "  are  here  referred  to  "  which 
are  now  stored  up  on  high  in  the  seventh  heaven  "  according 
to  Asc.  Is.  iv.  16.  The  idea,  originally  a  realistic  one,  was 
gradually  spiritualised,  and  came  to  mean  the  spiritual  bodies 
in  which  the  righteous  will  be  clothed  in  heaven ;  cf .  i  Enoch 
Ixii.  15  f.  ("garments  of  glory,"  "garments  of  life");  cf. 
also  2  Enoch  xxii.  8  f.,  where  Michael  is  bidden  by  God  to 
"  take  from  Enoch  his  earthly  robe  .  .  .  and  clothe  him 
with  the  garment  of  my  glory."  In  The  Ascension  of  Isaiah 
the  seer  is  unable  to  ascend  to  the  highest  heaven  until  his 
"  garment  "  has  been  brought  to  him  {Asc.  Is.  ix.  1-2). 
There  he  sees  the  crowns  and  garments  which  are  reserved 
for  the  righteous  {ibid.  ix.  13  ff.) ;  cf.  also  Asc.  Is.  viii.  14; 
Rev.  iii.  4,  5,  18,  vi.  11,  vii.  9;  2  Cor.  v.  3  ff. 

«  Azazel  has  thus  lost  his  "  garment  of  Hfe,"  or  robe  of 
immortality,  and  become  mortal,  while  Abraham  gains  it. 
'  S,  Abraham. 


54        APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xiv 

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 

^  Cf.  John  viii.  44  ("  he  [the  Devil]  is  a  liar  and  the  father 
thereof").  Satan — here  Azazel — is  par  excellence  "the 
slanderer  "   (6  5ia/3oA.os),  "  he  who  slandereth  truth." 

2  The  fallen  angels  (i  Enoch  vii.,  Ixix.  6ff.),  and  especially 
Azazel  (i  Enoch  viii.  i),  are  represented  as  having  brought 
moral  ruin  upon  the  earth  by  teaching  men  the  use  of  magic, 
astrology,  and  science  (including  the  use  of  warlike  weapons) . 
A  close  parallel  to  our  text  exists  in  i  Enoch  ix.  6  :  "  See 
what  Azazel  hath  done,  how  he  hath  taught  all  unrighteous- 
ness on  earth  and  revealed  the  secret  things  of  the  world 
which  were  wrought  in  the  heavens." 

^  So  Sammael,  "  the  great  prince  in  heaven,"  is  reproached 
by  the  Torah  for  rebellion  against  God  [Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer 
xiii.  :  "  The  Torah  began  to  cry  aloud  saying  :  Why,  0 
Sammael  •/  vow  that  the  world  is  created,  is  it  the  time  to  rebel 
against  the  Omnipresent  ?  Is  it  like  a  time  when  thou  shouldest 
lift  lip  thyself  on  high  (Job  xxxix.  18)  ?  ").  Thus  the  two 
chief  sins  of  Azazel  consist  in  "  scattering  the  secrets  of 
heaven  upon  the  earth,"  and  in  devising  rebellion  against 
the  Most  High. 

^  =  probably  LXX.  6  laxvpos  (Heb.  ha  'el) ;  see  chap.  viii. 
note  ^.  Kohler  suggests  Heb.  'abir,  "  Mighty  One  "  (of 
Jacob),  Gen.  xlix.  24  (LXX,  6  Bvudarrjs) ,  Is.  xlix.  26  (LXX, 
ierxvs) . 

5  Bracketed  clause  attested  by  A  K,  omitted  by  S. 

^  Azazel  is  condemned  to  be  in  himself  the  fire  of  Hell ; 
cf.  xxxi.  ("  burnt  with  the  fire  of  Azazel's  tongue  ").  Thus 
wherever  he  goes  he,  as  it  were,  carries  Hell  with  him — a 
conception  that  appears  to  be  peculiar  to  our  Apocalypse  in 
early  apocalyptic  literature  (cf.  Volz,  p.  291). 

''i.e.  into  those  parts  of  the  earth  reserved  for  him  till 
the  final  judgement.  In  i  Enoch  x.  4  Azazel  is  condemned 
to  be  bound  and  placed  in  Dudael,  in  the  desert,  and  there 
to  be  imprisoned  in  darkness  till  the  final  judgement. 

^  This  expression  is  obscure.  It  apparently  refers  to  the 
men  who  belong  ( ?  by  birth)  to  Azazel,  whose  lot  has  been 
pre-determined  (see  next  note). 


CHAP.  XIV 


PART   II  55 


portion  thou  art,  and  (who)  through  thy  being  exist ;  and 
thine  enmity  is  justification.  On  this  account  by  thy  per- 
dition 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 ;  tor 
God  hath  given  him  power  (ht.  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  com- 
manded 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.-XVL). 

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

1  The  wicked  are  Azazel's  "  portion,"  i.  e.  they  have  been 
assigned  to  him  from  the  beginning.  The  idea  seems  to  be 
predestinarian ;  cf.  Wisdom  ii.  24  ("by  the  envy  of  the 
devil  death  entered  into  the  world,  and  they  that  are  his 
portion  make  trial  thereof  "),  Ap.  Bar.  xlii.  7  ("  for  corrup- 
tion will  take  those  that  belong  to  it,  and  life  those  that 
belong  to  it  ") ;  i  Enoch  xH.  8.  [Does  the  phrase  in  the  pre- 
vious clause,  "  being  born  with  the  stars  and  clouds,"  mean 
those  who  by  birth  and  creation  belong  to  the  sphere  of 
night  and  darkness,  as  opposed  to  the  righteous,  who  belong 
to  the  realm  of  Hght  ?     See   i   Enoch  xli.   8  and  Charles's 

'^^a^The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K,  but  is  absent 
from  S.  It  may  be  a  later  interpolation  (but  see  Intro- 
duction) . 

3  A  fine  psychological  touch. 

*-*  The  text  may  be  corrupt.  It  might  mean  an  over- 
powering will.  »    T-    t.   ^  •      1,       ^ 

5  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K,  but  is  absent 
from  S.  It  is  obviously  a  parallel  and  alternative  text  to 
the  preceding  clause.  •.•   ,-^   << 

«-6  According  to  Sreznevsky's  reading  [no  se  ni  ti,  lit.      not 

this  nor  that  ").  «  ^r     1  ••     i 

7  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  17  (also  xv.  12).  «  Cf.  ehap.  xu.  above, 


c^^ 


56  APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xv 


f.(^  "n   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 

f  r^j     heaven  which  was  fixed   upon  the  surface.  ^     And  I  saw  on 

^^^■i,n  "    the  air]  *  on  the  height,  to  which  we  ascended  a  strong 

I  ^^  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  He  whom  thou  seest  come  straight 

towards  us  with  great  voice  of  holiness  ^^ — that  is  the 

1  A,  his.  ^  A  omits. 

^  i.  e.    ?  the  heaven  above  the  firmament. 

*  Omitted  accidentally  in  S  by  homoiotelenton  ("  ascended 
.   .   .  ascended  "). 

^  i.  e.  the  uncreated  light,  which  originally  illuminated 
the  earth,  but  was  withdrawn  when  Adam  sinned.  See 
further  notes  on  xvii.  below.  ^  K,  sex. 

'  The  description  refers  to  the  host  of  angels  who  are 
born  daily,  sing  their  song  of  praise  before  God,  and  then 
disappear;  cf.  Genesis  rabba  Ixxviii.  i  :  Rabbi  Helbo  in  the 
name  of  R.  Samuel  bar  Nahman  said  :  "  One  angel-host  never 
repeats  the  song  of  praise,  but  every  morning  God  creates  a  new 
angel-host  and  these  cantillate  a  new  song  before  Him  and  then 
disappear."  They  are  created  daily  out  of  the  stream  of 
fire  that  proceeds  from  the  holy  hayyoth  {ibid.) ;  cf.  Ps. 
civ.  4.  Cf.  also  2  Enoch  xxix.  3  :  "  And  from  the  fire  I 
made  the  ranks  of  the  spiritual  hosts,  ten  thousand  angels, 
and  their  weapons  are  fiery,  and  their  garment  is  a  burning 
flame";   see  further  Weber,  p.  166  f. 

®  S,  where.  ^  K,  mine  eyes. 

^°  The  mortal  man,  conscious  of  his  weakness,  is  blinded 
by  the  heavenly  light.  On  the  other  hand,  Adam,  before 
he  fell,  was  able  to  see  by  its  aid  "  from  one  end  of  the  world 
to  the  other  "  (T.B.  Hag.  12a). 

^1  i.e.  proclaiming  His  holiness,  so  A;  in  S  the  word  is 
corrupt.     K    (which   may  preserve   the   right   reading  here) 


CHAP,  xvi]  PART   II  57 

Eternal  One  who  loveth  thee ;  but  Himself  thou  canst 
not  see.^  But  let  not  thy  spirit  grow  faint  [on  account 
of  the  loud  crying], 2  for  I  am  with  thee,  strengthening 
thee."rf 

Abraham,  taught  by  the  Angel,  utters  the 
Celestial  Song  and  prays  for  Enlighten- 
ment (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.''  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.® 

-^ 

has  :  "  [with  a  great  voice]  saying  :  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the 
Lord."  In  i  Enoch  xxxix.  12  the  trisagion  (Is.  vi.  5)  is  the 
song  of  the  angelic  watchers. 

^  God  is  Himself  invisible.  ^  Omitted  by  S. 

^  The  Divine  Presence  is  revealed  by  fire  (Ex.  iii.  2,  Deut. 
iv.  36,  Ps.  Ixxviii.  14),  and  God  Himself  is  spoken  of  as  "  a 
consuming  fire  "  (Deut.  iv.  24,  ix.  3).  But  here  the  fiery 
chariot  which  bore  the  Divine  Presence  is  probably  thought 
of;   cf.  Ezek.  i.  4  ("  a  great  cloud  with  a  fire  infolding  itself  "). 

*•*  A  omits. 

^  Cf.  Rev.  i.  15  (Dan.  x.  6).  This  feature  is  part  of  the 
supernatural  colouring  so  characteristic  of  Apocalyptic — 
the  heavenly  light  is  of  dazzling  brilliance,  the  divine  voice 
is  like  thunder  (cf.  2  Enoch  xxxix.  7  :  "  like  great  thunder 
with  continual  agitation  of  the  clouds  ") ;  see  Volz,  Der 
Geist  Gottes,  p.  120  f.  ®  Cf.  Is.  xvii.  12. 

'  A  strongly  Jewish  touch — divine  honour  may  be  paid  to 
God  alone,  and  to  none  other,  even  the  most  exalted  of 
heavenly  beings;   cf.  Rev.  xxii.  9.  ^  S  omits. 

^  This  description  is  interesting.  The  seer  has  ascended 
"  as  with  many  winds  "  to  heaven,  and  is  standing  "  on  the 
height  "  (chap.  xv.).  He  experiences  a  strong  feeling  of 
desire  to  fall  down  upon  the  earth,  because  the  high  place 
on  which  he  is  standing  with  the  angel,  at  one  moment  rose 
upright,  at  another  plunged  downward  (cf.  4  Ezra  vi.  29 
and  13-16).  The  commotion  is  produced  by  the  Divine  Voice. 
In  chap.  XXX.  the  seer  finds  himself  suddenly  (while  God  is 
speaking)  again  upon  the  earth. 


58        APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM    [chap,  xvii 

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  onl}', 
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,  spot- 
less, 
Uncreate,  immaculate,  immortal. 
Self-complete,  self-illuminating ; 
®  Without    father,   without    mother,    unbegotten,^ 
Exalted,  fiery  One  ! 

^  A  omits  Jio. 

2  Only  the  angels  understand  how  to  utter  the  divine 
song  of  praise,  though  the  blessed  among  mortals  may  (as 
here)  be  taught  to  sing  thus  in  a  state  of  ecstasy.  Each  of 
the  angelic  spheres  has  its  own  "  Voice  "  (cf.  i  Enoch  xl.  3  ft.), 
and  the  angelic  language  is  incomprehensible  to  mortals  (cf. 
chap.  XV.  above,  end),  though  the  illuminated  and  inspired 
seer  may  be  taught  both  to  understand  and  utter  such 
"  words  "  (as  here;  cf.  iv  yXwaaais  AaAfli'  in  N.T.).  The 
exalted  Enoch  in  heaven  underwent  a  similar  experience 
(cf.  I  Enoch  Ixxi.  11  f.  :  "I  fell  on  my  face  and  my  whole 
body  melted  away,  but  my  spirit  was  transfigured,  and  I 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,"  etc.),  as  also  did  Isaiah  {Asc.  Is. 
viii.  17).  According  to  Philo  no  beings  can  adequately 
express  the  praise  due  to  God  {Life  of  Moses,  ii.  xxxi.  [§  239]), 
contrast  Ecclus.  xxxix.  6.     See  further  Volz,  op.  cit.,  p.  137. 

2  3  A  omits. 

*•*  S  omits.  In  Asc.  Is.  viii.  17  the  inspired  seer  joins  with 
the  angel  in  the  celestial  song  of  praise. 

^  K,  +  the  first  song  of  Abyaham  which  I,  the  holy  angel 
Jaoel,  taught  him  {while)  moving  with  him  in  the  air. 

6  A  K  omit  El. 

'•'  Cf.  the  opening  lines  of  the  Jewish  mediaeval  hymn, 
' Adon  '61dm,  "  Lord  of  the  world  He  reigned  alone,  while 
yet  creation  was  unformed,"  and  for  "  self-originated  "  the 
phrase  "  beginningless  "  {beli  reshith)  applied  to  God  in  the 
same  context.  The  divine  name  Shaddai  was  traditionally 
explained  as  =  "  the  self-sufhcient  "  {she-dai  hvi  16).  This 
idea  may  underlie  the  text  here. 

®"^  Cf.  Heb.  vii.  3,  aTrdrcop  aur^rcap  ay€V€a\6yriTus,  of  Mel- 
chizedek  (=  Heb.  be'en  'db  be' en  'em  be' en  yahas).  As  West- 
cott  remarks  {ad  loc),  "  The  words  (oTarw/j,  afx-fjrcap)  were  used 


CHAP,  xvii]  PART   II  59 

Lover  of  men,^  benevolent, ^  bountiful,^ 
jealous  over  me  and  very  compassionate ;  ^ 
Eli,  that  is,  My  God- 
Eternal,  mighty  holy  Sabaoth,^ 
very  glorious  El,  El,  El,  El,  Jaoel  !  ^ 
Thou  art  He  whom  my  soul  hath  loved  ! 
Eternal  Protector,  shining  like  fire, 
Whose  voice  is  like  the  thunder, "^ 


constantly  in  Greek  mythology  {e.  g.  of  Athene  and  Hephaes- 
tus) ;  and  so  passed  into  the  loftier  conceptions  of  the  Deity, 
as  in  that  of  Trismegistus  quoted  by  Lactantius  (iv.  13)  : 
ipse  enim  pater  Dens  et  origo  et  principiiim  rerum  quoniani 
parentibns  caret  airdTcop  atqiie  aa-nrwp  a  Trismegisto  verissime 
nominatur,  quod  ex  nullo  sit  procreatns." 

1  =  (pixdvOpwirou :  cf.  Wisdom  i.  6  ("  For  Wisdom  is  a 
spirit  that  loveth  men  "  [(piXduOpwTrov  Trvsvixa]). 

*  Cf.  Deut.  V.  9  f .  The  whole  clause  (from  "  lover  of  men  " 
to  "  compassionate  ")  contains  a  short  summary  of  the 
divine  attributes  based  upon  Ex.  xxxiv.  6,  7,  a  passage 
much  used  in  later  literature  (cf.  e.  g.  Wisdom  xv.  i),  and 
especially  in  the  Liturgy;  cf.  4  Ezra  vii.  132-viii.  3  and  the 
writer's  notes  thereon.  These  attributes  are  predicable 
especially  of  the  Tetragrammaton  {Jahveh),  which  connotes 
more  particularly  the  elements  of  mercy  and  compassion, 
while  'Elohim  denotes  multiplied  power  (the  Almighty),  and 
is  associated  with  the  idea  of  justice  and  fixed  law;  'El  is 
part  of  'Elohhn  and  denotes  simply  power. 

^  The  use  of  Sabaoth  alone  as  a  designation  of  God  is 
unusual,  but  not  unexampled ;  cf .  Ex.  rabha  iii.  6  [in  answer 
to  Moses'  question,  What  is  His  name  ?  Ex.  iii.  13]  :  "  The 
Holy  One,  blessed  be  He,  said  :  Dost  thou  seek  to  know  my 
name?  I  am  called  according  to  my  deeds.  I  am  called 
at  various  times  by  the  names  'El  Shaddai,  Sabaoth,  Elohim, 
Jahveh.  When  I  judge  the  creatures  I  am  named  Elohim, 
and  when  I  wage  war  against  the  wicked  I  am  called  Sabaoth, 
and  when  I  suspend  (the  punishment)  of  man's  sins  I  am 
called  'El  Shaddai,  and  when  I  compassionate  my  world  I 
am  called  Jahveh,  because  Jahveh  means  nought  else  but  the 
attribute  of  compassion,  as  it  is  said  (Ex.  xxxiv.  6  f.)  Jahveh, 
Jahveh  a  God  full  of  compassion,"  etc. 

®  The  fourfold  El  (attested  only  by  S)  looks  like  a  substi- 
tution for  the  Tetragrammaton ;  Jaoel  (liere  applied  to  God) 
is  undoubtedly  so.  Elsewhere  in  this  book  it  is  the  designa- 
tion of  the  archangel. 

■^  Cf.  Note  ^  at  beginning  of  this  chapter. 


6o        APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM    [chap,  xvii 

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  !  ^j  ^ 

Thou,  O  Light,  shinest  ^  before  the  hght  of  the  ® 
morning  upon  Thy  creatures, 

^  Cf.  Dan.  X.  6  ("  and  his  face  as  the  appearance  of  light- 
ning, and  his  eyes  as  lamps  of  fire  ")  and  Ezek.  i.  13,  14. 

2  Lit.  "  the  all  "  (Heb.  ha-kol) ;  the  expression  is  some- 
times so  used  in  the  later  Hebrew  Liturgy. 

^  The  mixture  of  good  and  evil,  or  rather  of  the  righteous 
and  ungodly,  in  this  world,  makes  the  present  aeon  "  cor- 
ruptible "  (cf.  4  Ezra  iv.  26-30) ;  even  the  righteous  them- 
selves suffer  from  contact  with  the  godless — their  holiness  is 
dimmed. 

*  i.  e.  the  present  corruptible  age  (or  "  aeon  ") ;  cf.  4  Ezra 
vii.  112,  xiv.  13  ("  the  life  that  is  corruptible  "). 

^  The  confusions  of  the  present  world  will  be  overcome 
by  the  elimination  of  the  godless ;  then  the  renovated  world 
{i.  e.  the  present  world  purified)  will  become  the  fit  habita- 
tion of  the  righteous.  This  view  harmonises  with  the  Rab- 
binical, which  contemplated  a  renovation  of  the  present  world ; 
see  further  Volz,  Eschatologie,  p.  297,  and  cf.  Jubilees,  passim. 

^  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K,  but  omitted 
by  S  ;  it  is  probably  an  interpolation.  The  rhythm  is  much 
improved  by  its  omission. 

'  Or  "  Thou  shinest  as  Light  ";  the  original  Semitic  text 
should  probably  be  rendered  "  Thou  didst  shine."  Light  is 
the  most  striking  feature  in  the  highest  heaven  (cf.  2  Enoch 
XX.  i,  "  I  saw  there  a  very  great  light,"  and  xxxi.  2);  God 
is  Light  (cf.  I  John  i.  5).  His  majesty  is  surrounded  with 
light  to  make  Him  invisible  to  all  beings  {T.B.  Megilla,  igb). 
It  is  this  heavenly  light  which  is  referred  to  here  (cf.  also 
Wisdom  vii.  26  f.,  where  Wisdom  is  represented  as  the 
radiance  of  the  everlasting  light).  The  first  act  of  creation 
was  when  God  "  robed  Himself  with  light  as  with  a  garment  " 
(Ps.  civ.  2),  while  the  "  radiance  of  His  glory  "  (Heb.  ziv 
hdddro)  illumined  the  earth  from  one  end  to  the  other  (cf. 
Gen.  rabba  iii.,  Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  iii.).  This  heavenly  light 
was  afterwards  withdrawn ;  the  luminaries  receive  their  light 
from  a  spark  of  it.  For  light  as  a  symbol  of  blessedness  cf. 
Volz,  Eschatologie,  p.  328.  Ps.  xix.  contrasts  natural  (created) 
and  spiritual  light. 

®  Perhaps,  as  Ginzberg  suggests,  "  before  the  morning 
light  "  is  a  mistranslation  of  the  Semitic  original  "  before 


CHAP,  xvii]  PART   II  6i 

[so  that  it  becometh  ^  day  upon  the  earth,]  ^ 

And  in  Thy  ^  heavenly  dwelHng  places  there  is  no 

need  of  any  other  light 
than  (that)  of  the  unspeakable  splendour  from  the 

hghts  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 

the  primaeval  morning  "  {'or  rishdn  or  nehord  kadmdniyyd). 
The  meaning  of  the  original  line  would  be  that  God  at  first 
illumined  the  earth  with  the  heavenly  radiance. 

^  Render  became. 

2  S  omits. 

'  Cf.  Rev.  xxii.  5,  xxi.  23,  Is.  Ix.  19  f.  [The  theme  is 
expanded  in  the  Synagogue  Liturgy  in  connexion  with  the 
Benediction  over  light  which  precedes  the  recitation  of  the 
Shema  :  "  Blessed  art  Thou,  O  Lord,  who  formest  light  and 
createst  darkness.  .  .  .  Yea,  eternal  light  (Heb.  'or  '61dm) 
in  the  treasury  of  life ;  for  He  spake,  and  out  of  darkness 
there  was  light."] 

*  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K;   S  omits. 

^  Abraham  prays  that  the  sacrifice  may  be  accepted,  andii 
as  a  result  of  this  that  the  secrets  of  the  future  may  be  dis-|A 
closed  by  revelation.     The  prayer  seems  to  be  a  personal! 
addition  to  the  song  of  praise  on  the  part  of  Abraham.     The  | 
structure  of  the  whole  with  its  opening  invocation,  made  up 
of  clauses  describing  the   divine  attributes  and  transcend-  j 
ence,  and  followed  by  a  prayer,  is  similar  to  that  of  4  Ezra  J 
viii.  20  ff.  (cf.  especially  verses  20-27),  which  is  also  poetical/ 
in  form.     Here  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  "  song  "  proper 
appears  to  be  a  midrashic  development  of  the  divine  attri- 
butes and  character  as  deduced  from  the  various  names  of 
God  {El  Shaddai,  Elohim,  Jahveh,  Sabaoth). 

'  S  omits. 


62      APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM    [chap,  xviii 

sea ;  nor  did  it  cease  on  account  of  ^  the  rich  abund- 
ance ^  of  the  lire. 2  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 

1-1  So  A  K;   S  is  corrupt  here. 

^  i.  e.  ?  the  voice  was  still  audible  even  through  the 
crackling  of  the  fire. 

^  Cf.  2  Enoch  XX.  3.  The  vision  of  God's  throne  of  glory 
was  the  central  point  of  the  mystical  experience. 

*  "  The  watchfulness  of  many  eyes  "  (2  Enoch  xx.  i),  cf. 
Ezek.  i.  18,  X.  12  :  the  "  Ophannim  "  ("  Wheels  ")  are  so 
described,  and  are  regarded  as  an  order  of  heavenly  beings 
(like  the  Cherubim).  But  here  the  Cherubim  are  probably 
meant. 

5  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  5,  6.  e  S  K  omit. 

'  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  10  (Rev.  iv.  7).  ^  S  omits. 

®  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K;  S  omits.  It 
looks  like  a  scribal  gloss. 

1°  So  Rev.  iv.  8  (based  on  Is.  vi.  2) ;  in  Ezek.  i.  6  the  four 
"  living  creatures  "  have  each  four  wings.  Here  S  reads 
three  {i.  e.    ?  three  pairs  of  wings). 

"  S  omits. 

12  Cf.  Is.  vi.  2,  Ezek.  i.  11,  12. 

13  The  underlying  idea  of  this  strange  representation  seems 
to  be  that  of  emulation  and  rivalry  (in  service).  This  may 
be  illustrated  from  the  Midrash  Tanhuma  on  Gen.  ii.  4  (ed. 
Buber,  p.  10),  where  in  a  comment  on  the  verse  Dominion 
and  fear  are  with  him,  he  maketh  peace  in  his  high  places 
(Job  XXV.  2)  it  is  said  :  "  Dominion,  i.  e.  Michael,  and  fear, 
i.e.  Gabriel;  who  maketh  peace  in  his  high  places,  even  the 
celestials  [hd-  elyonim)  need  peace.     The  constellations  rise  : 


Chap.  XVIII]  PART   II  63 

when  the  angel  who  was  with  nie  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  con- 
fronting 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  |\  pasj^^- 
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  : 

Taurus  says,  "  I  am  first,  and  I  see  what  is  before  him  "  ; 
the  Gemini  say,  "  I  am  first,  and  I  see  what  is  before  him  "  ; 
and  so  every  single  one  says,  "  I  am  first  "  (corrected  text).  It 
is  to  be  noted  that  in  the  mystical  Hebrew  literature  concerned 
with  the  theme  of  the  Divine  Chariot  and  Throne  {Merkaba) 
the  angels  who  guard  the  Chariot  are  represented  as  fierce 
and  warlike  in  aspect — ^flames  dart  forth  from  their  eyes, 
and  they  are  armed  with  fiery  weapons  (cf.  Jellinek,  Beth 
ha-Midrash  iii.  94  f.).     See  further  Additional  Note  II  (p.  87). 

^  The  relative  position  of  the  celestial  beings  about  the 
divine  throne  is  thus  described  in  the  Liturgy  :  "  The 
hayyoth  ['  living  creatures  ']  sing  :  the  Cherubim  glorify  : 
the  Seraphim  exult,  and  the  Arelim  bless.  The  face  of 
every  hayya,  Ophan,  and  Cherub  is  set  toward  the  Seraphim, 
and  thus  confronting  each  the  other,  they  utter  praise  and  say, 
Blessed  be  the  glory  of  the  Lord  from  His  place  "  [Service  of 
the  Synagogue,  Festival  Prayers  (New  Year),  p.  87  (ed.  Davis)). 

2;.^,  Lit.  which  is  in  itself  [of  the  Eternal  One]  :   S  omits  the 
bracketed  words. 

^  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  15,  18,  x.  9,  12. 

*  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  26. 

*  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  27. 

'  Cf.  Ezek.  i.  28  (end)  combined  with  i.  26. 


64        APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xix 

"  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  but  He  whom  thou  hast 
sought,  or  who  hath  loved  thee."  ^  And  while  He  ^ 
was  yet  speaking  (and)  lo  !  the  expanses  opened, 
iv/and  beneath  me  ^  the  heavens.  And  I  saw  upon  the 
^  ^  ^  seventh  firmament  upon  which  I  stood  a  fire  widely 
''**'^'a*^  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  ^firma- 
ment, as  I  was  standing  suspended  over  them.     And 

1  Cf.  Ex.  iii.  4,  4  Ezra  xiv.   i   (K,  +  Lord). 

2  Abraham  is  now  presumably  "  placed  "  in  the  seventh 
1  heaven,  and  surveys  from  above  what  is  disclosed  to  him 
\  as  existing  in  the  various  firmaments  below  him,  and  in  the 

;  earth   (the  angels,   celestial  bodies,   and  everything  that  is 
moving  on  the  earth). 

3  ?  God  is  the  sole  controller  of  all  these,  and  in  this 
sense  is  the  only  reality. 

^  A  K  this  {voice). 

^  A,  them. 

®  In  Asc.  Is.  vii.  7  f.  it  is  said  that  Isaiah  saw  in  the  seventh 
heaven  "  a  wonderful  light  and  angels  innumerable,"  and 
"  all  the  righteous  from  the  time  of  Adam  "  (including  Abel 
and  Enoch) ;  in  T.B.  Hag.  12b  the  seventh  heaven  {'Araboth) 
contains  judgement  and  righteousness,  the  treasures  of  life, 
peace,  and  blessing,  the  souls  of  the  departed  righteous,  the 
spirits  and  souls  yet  unborn,  the  dew  with  which  God  will 
awake  the  dead,  the  Seraphim,  Ophannim,  Hayyoth,  and 
other  angels  of  service,  and  God  Himself  sitting  on  the 
Throne  of  Glory.  No  doubt  the  "  dew  "  in  our  passage  is 
the  resurrection-dew.  Fire  and  light  are  much  dwelt  upon 
in  this  connexion.  Possibly  this  mystical  literature  was 
influenced  by  the  cult  of  Mithra,  who  was  especially  the 
God  of  Light. 

'•'  Lit.  of  my  standing. 

*  S  omits. 

*  eighth  can  hardly  be  right  :  read   ?  seventh. 


CHAP.  XIX]  PART   II  6^ 

behold,  upon  this  firmament  ^  there  were  no  other 
powers  1  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  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 
[for  me],^  and  make  known  [to  me]  ^  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  with  Azazel."  ^^ 

^"^  So  A;   S,  their  powers  were  not. 

2  In  2  Enoch  xix.  the  seer  describes  what  he  saw  in  the 
sixth  heaven  :  legions  of  angels  more  resplendent  than  the 
sun,  the  archangels  set  over  the  sun,  stars,  seasons,  rivers, 
vegetation,  the  living  things  and  the  souls  of  men,  with  six 
phoenixes,  seven  cherubim,  and  seven  hayyoth  in  the  midst, 
all  singing  with  a  voice  indescribably  beautiful;  cf.  also 
Asc.  Is.  viii.  I  ff,  6  ff.,  where  the  sixth  heaven  is  described 
as  full  of  hosts  of  angels  uttering  praise.  In  our  passage 
apparently  the  angels  of  service  (ministering  angels)  are 
located  in  this  heaven. 

^'^  A  K,  the  sixth  firmament  and  it  went  away  :  S  reads 
third  for  sixth.  *  Lit.  surface. 

^  In  T.B.  Hag.  12b  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  are  located 
in  the  second  heaven;  in  2  Enoch  xi.  1-5  "  the  course  of  the 
sun  "  and  the  angels  "  which  wait  upon  the  sun  "  are  located 
in  the  fourth  heaven. 

^  S  omits;   K,  -|-  to  me.         '  Cf.  Gen.  xv.  5.         *  S  omits. 

'  Cf.  Gen.  xviii.  27,  4  Ezra  iv.  5,  6.  The  bracketed  clause 
is  attested  by  A  K,  but  omitted  by  S. 

1"  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  5  (the  MSS.  read  for  thy  seed  instead  of 
thy  seed) .     S  adds  (after  nation)  of  people  wrongly. 

^^  The  underlying  idea  seems  to  be  that  God's  heritage, 
the  created  world,  is,  under  the  conditions  of  sin,  "  shared  " 


66         APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM      [chap,  xx 

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 
constituted  Thyself  with  him?" 

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

XXL  And  He  said  to  me:  "  Look,  now,  beneath 
thy  feet  at  the  firmaments  '^  and  understand  ^  the 
creation  *  foreshadowed  ^  in  this  expanse,  the  crea- 
tures 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  there- 
in,^^  and  then  the  earth  and  its  fruits,  and  what  moved 
upon  it  and  its  animate  beings ;  ^^  and  the  power  of 
its  men,  and  the  ungodhness  of  their  souls,  and  their 
righteous  deeds  [and  the  beginnings  of  their  works], ^^  ^^(j^ 
the  lower  regions  ^^  and  the  perdition  therein,  the 
Abyss  ^'^  and  its  torments.    I  saw  there  the  sea  and  its 

with  Azazel  (see  further  Introduction,  p.  xxxii),  i.  e.  it  is  largely 
under  the  dominion  of  evil  powers.  This  is  one  of  the  funda- 
mental conceptions  of  Apocalyptic.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Chosen  People — who  are  ideally  identified  with  the  righteous 
— redeem  the  world,  and  in  themselves  make  it  once  again 
fit  to  be  God's  heritage.  From  another  point  of  view  the 
same  question  is  discussed  in  4  Ezra — the  problem,  why,  if 
the  world  was  created  for  Israel,  is  Israel  disinherited  ?  (cf, 
4  Ezra  vi.  38-59). 

^  Cf.  Gen.  xviii.  32.  2  lj^    surface.  ^   -\-  now. 

*  Slavonic  text,  creature.  ^  Or  represented. 

^  So  S;   A  K,  ages  ("  aeon,"  "  aeons  "). 

■^  K,  my.  ^  S  omits. 

'  A  K,  the  likeness  of  heaven  (or  for  the  sixth  heaven  render 
the  six  heavens). 

^°  A,  what  was  with  it.  ^^  =  ?  "  its  spirits"  (Bonwetsch), 

12  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K;   S  omits. 

^3  Cf.  Ephesians  iv.  9  ("  the  lower  parts  of  the  earth  "). 

^*  i.e.  Tartarus;  cf.  2  Enoch  xxviii.  3,  xxix.  5.  The 
"Abyss"  is  described  in  i  Enoch  xviii.  11-16  (xxi.  1-6, 
xc.  25,  26),  where  it  is  the  abode  of  the  impure  angels;  cf. 
Luke  viii.  31;   Rev.  ix.  i,  xi.  7. 


CHAP,  xxi]  PART   II  67 

islands,  and  its  monsters  and  its  fishes,  and  Levia- 
than 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.' 

1  Or  possession.  Leviathan's  dwelling  is  "in  the  lowest 
waters  "  {Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  ix.).  All  the  great  sea-monsters 
in  the  sea  are  Leviathan's  food,  one  being  devoured  every 
day  (ibid.). 

2  "  and  between  its  [Leviathan's]  fins  rests  the  middle 
bar  of  the  earth  "  {op.  cit.,  ibid.). 

3  When  Leviathan  is  hungry,  one  haggadic  saying  runs, 
"it  sends  forth  from  its  mouth  a  heat  so  great  as  to  make 
all  the  waters  of  the  deep  boil."  [The  two  great  monsters 
in  the  original  form  of  the  legend  were  Behemoth  (the  male) 
and  Leviathan  (the  female)  :  cf.  Job  xl.-xli. ;  i  Enoch  Ix.  7  f. ; 
Ap.  Bar.  xxix.  4.  In  the  Rabbinical  form  of  the  Haggada 
(cf.  T.  B.  Baba  bathra  y^b)  each  monster  was  multiplied  into 
a  pair,  male  and  female;  but  they  were  rendered  incapable 
of  producing  any  progeny,  lest  by  so  doing  they  should 
"  destroy  the  world."  The  female  leviathan  was  killed  and 
reserved  for  the  righteous  in  the  world  to  come;  the  male 
leviathan  will  not  be  slain  till  the  last;  see  further  4  Ezra 
vi.  49-52,  and  the  writer's  discussion  in  E.A.,  pp.  90  &.,  with 
references.  *  A,  sources. 

^  The  heavenly  Paradise  is  referred  to  which  is  to  be  the 
abode  of  the  righteous  ("  those  who  behaved  righteously  "), 
whose  fruits  are  "  incorruptible  "  (4  Ezra  vii.  123),  wherein 
is  "  the  tree  of  life  "  (Rev.  ii.  7)  whose  "  leaves  are  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations"  (Rev.  xxii.  2).  In  2  Enoch  viii.  2 
the  seer  describes  how  he  saw  in  Paradise  "all  the  trees  of 
beautiful  colours  and  their  fruits  ripe  and  fragrant,  and  all 
kinds  of  food  which  they  produced,  springing  up  with  delightful 
fragrance."  Note  that  Paradise  is  here  located  on  the  earth, 
though  the  transcendental  Paradise  is  meant ;  see  E.A .,  p.  196. 

®  The  bracketed  clause  is  omitted  (accidentally)  in  S. 

'  The  whole  world  is  divided  into  two  parts;  the  people 
of    God   on   the   right   half,    and   the   nations    on   the   left. 


68       APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxii 

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 

The  latter   (=  the  heathen)   are  Azazel's  portion   (cf.   chap. 
xxxi.). 

1  Emended  text  (Bonwetsch) ;   MSS.  read  in  the  light. 

2  Note  this  hypostasising  use  of  Word  developed  from 
such  passages  as  Ps.  xxxii.  6;  cf.  Heb.  xi.  3,  2  Pet.  iii.  5, 
4  Ezra  vi.  38. 

2  The  whole  conception  is  strongly  predestinarian ;  the 
whole  course  of  creation — the  rise  of  evil,  and  the  coming 
of  the  righteous — is  predetermined;  cf.  i  Enoch  xciii.,  cvi. 
19,  cvii.  I,  and  Charles's  note  on  i  Enoch  xlvii.  3.  A 
strong  expression  of  this  idea  occurs  in  4  Ezra  iv.  36,  37. 
For  the  "  picture  "  of  our  passage  we  may  perhaps  compare 
the  "  pattern  "  (wTroSet^^a)  of  Heb.  viii.  5  (Ex.  xxv.  40, 
xxvi.  30,  Acts  vii.  44).  In  the  Rabbinical  literature  Israel's 
election  is  spoken  of  as  predestined  before  the  creation  of 
the  world,  and  this  idea  is  applied  to  certain  other  things, 
such  as  the  name  of  the  Messiah,  the  Torah,  and  repentance. 
In  such  connexions  they  often  employ  the  figure  of  an  archi- 
tect and  plans.  One  passage  {Gen.  rabba  i.)  runs  :  When  a 
man  erects  a  building,  at  the  time  when  the  building  is  erected 
he  enlarges  it  as  it  is  erected,  or  otherwise  he  enlarges  it  below, 
and  contracts  it  above  :  but  the  Holy  One  .  .  .  does  not  act 
thus,  but  "  the  heavens  "  {which  He  created)  were  the  heavens 
which  had  ascended  in  {His)  thought,  and  "  the  earth  "  {which 
He  created)  was  the  earth  which  had  ascended  in  His  thought. 
It  was,  however,  the  Essenes  who  insisted  on  an  absolute 
predestination.  The  Rabbis,  while  allowing  for  a  certain 
amount  of  predestination,  emphasised  man's  moral  freedom  : 
"  Everything  is  foreseen,  but  free  will  is  given,"  as  Akiba 
said. 


CHAP,  xxii]  PART    II  69 

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  restora- 
tion, 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 

^  Lit.  prepared. 

-  Of  the  peoples  on  the  left  side,  who  represent  the  heathen 
world  as  opposed  to  the  Jews,  some  are  to  be  spared  at  the 
final  judgement,  while  the  rest  will  be  annihilated;  of. 
Ap.  Bar.  Ixxii,  2,  where  it  is  said  of  the  Messiah  that  he 
will  summon  all  the  nations,  and  some  of  them  He  will  spare, 
and  some  of  them  He  will  slay.  Sometimes  (as  in  4  Ezra 
xiii.  37  ff.)  the  whole  heathen  world  is  doomed  to  annihila- 
tion, and  this  view  is  very  prominent  in  later  Judaism. 
The  idea  of  our  text  accords  with  the  older  view  based  upon 
such  passages  as  Ps.  Ixxii.  11,  17;  Is.  Ixvi.  12,  19-21  (of. 
Psalms  of  Solomon,  xvii.  34).  Notice  that  our  passage  says 
nothing  about  the  Messiah  in  this  connexion. 

2  Cf.  chap.  XX.  note  ^^.  *  S  omits. 

^  So  A  K,  reading  semeni  ;  S  has  to  thy  name  (reading 
im,eni). 

«•«  So  S;   but  A  K  omit. 

'  Adam's  great  stature  is  often  referred  to  in  Rabbinical 
literature  :  "it  reached  "  (when  he  was  first  created)  "  from 
one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other,"  but  when  he  sinned  it 
was  diminished  (T.  B.  Hag.  12a);  his  manly  beauty  is  also 
refeiTed  to  T.  B.  Baba  mesia  84a). 


70      APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxiii 

like^vise  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  Hke  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  Hke  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 

1  K,    +  both.  2  cf.  Gen.  iii.  6. 

3  Cf.  T.  B.  Berakoth  40a,  where  it  is  recorded  that  R.  Meir 
declared  that  the  tree  of  which  Adam  ate  was  a  vine,  because 
the  one  thing  that  brings  woe  upon  mankind  is  wine;  cf. 
Gen.  ix.  21  ("  And  he  drank  of  the  wine  and  was  drunken  "). 
So  also  the  Greek,  Ap.  Bay.  iv.  8  (cf.  Sank.  70a,  Bereshith  rabba 
xix.  8).  The  usual  opinion  was  that  the  tree  was  a  fig-tree; 
according  to  another  view  {Gen.  rabba  xi.  8)  the  fruit  was 
barley;  another  (Samuel  ben  Isaac)  a  date.  With  this  last 
agrees  the  varia  lectio  of  A  K  here  ("  palm-tree  "). 

*  Cf.  Gen.  rabba  xx.  8  :  "  Upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go  : 
At  the  moment  when  the  Holy  One  .  .  .  said  to  the  serpent 
ttpou  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go  the  ministering  angels  descended 
and  cut  off  its  hands  and  its  feet,  and  its  cry  went  from  one 
end  of  the  world  to  the  other."  This  legend  was  well  known 
in  antiquity.  According  to  Syncellus  (i.  14)  the  serpent  had 
originally  four  feet;  cf.  also  Josephus  i.  i,  4,  who  declares 
that  the  serpent  was  deprived  of  both  language  and  feet. 
For  the  punishment  of  the  serpent  see  Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer 
xiv.  (ed.  Friedlander,  p.  99  and  notes). 

^  v.l.  three. 

«  This  description  really  applies  to  Sammael  (or  Azazel), 
who  had  twelve  wings  [Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  xiii.),  and  who 
descended  and,  finding  the  serpent  skilful  to  do  evil,  mounted 
and  rode  upon  it.  Before  its  punishment  by  God  the  serpent 
had  the  appearance  of  a  camel,  according  to  the  same  authority 
[ibid.). 

'-'  A  K  omit. 

«  8  Lit.  "council  of  the  world,"  so  K;  A  S,  "  hght  of  the 
world."  Adam  (whose  body  is  compounded  of  the  four 
primal  elements)  is  the  microcosm. 


CHAP.  XXIIIj 


PART   II 


71 


is  Eve ;  but  he  who  is  between  them  representetli 
ungodhness,  their  beginning  (on  the  way)  to  perdi- 
tion, even  Azazel."  ^ 

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."  2 

And  I  answered  and  said  :  "  O  Eternal,  ]\Iighty 
One  !  Wherefore  hast  Thou  willed  to  effect  that  evil 
should  be  desired  in  the  hearts  of  men,  since  Thou 
indeed  art  angered  over  that  w^hich  was  willed  b}^ 
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 

^  Azazel  plays  the  part  elsewhere  assigned  to  Sammael ;  he 
uses  the  serpent  as  his  instrument  (cf.  Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  xiii.). 

2  In  chap.  xiii.  (end)  the  wicked  (as  distinguished  from  the 
righteous)  are  spoken  of  as  those  who  "  follow  "  Azazel,  and 
"love"  what  he  wills.  They  are  Azazel's  "portion."  A 
striking  feature  of  our  book  is  the  way  in  which  the  souls 
and  bodies  of  men  are  represented  as  possessed  by  either 
good  or  evil  powers. 

^  A  K,  world  (which  may  be  right).  The  word  in  S  ren- 
dered counsel  is  an  unusual  one  in  this  meaning. 

*  A,  men.  , 
^  This  apparently  is  the  answer  to  the  question  given  at 

the  end  of  the  previous  chapter.  God  allows  men  to  desire 
evil  (with  its  inevitable  punishment  later)  because  of  the 
treatment  meted  out  by  the  nations  to  the  chosen  seed 
(Abraham  and  his  descendants). 

*  Cf.  2  Cor.  xi.  3  ("  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve  in  his  crafti- 
ness "). 


CO 


^2      APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxiv 

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  judge- 
ment 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  wor- 
shipped 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 

1  According  to  Pirke  de  R.  Eliezer  xxi.  Cain  was  the  off- 
spring of  Eve  and  Sammael. 

2  In  Ep.  Barnabas  xv.  5  the  Devil  is  called  "  the  Lawless 
One  "  (6  avofjLos)  :  when  His  Son  shall  come,  and  shall  abolish 
the  time  of  the  Lawless  One  (cf.  also  2  Thess.  ii.  8). 

3  Notice  that  here  and  below  certain  evil  tendencies  are  per- 
sonified (Impurity,  Theft,  Desire ;  the  catalogue  seems  to  have 
been  influenced  by  the  Decalogue,  Commandments  vii.,  viii., 
X.) .  In  later  Kabbalistic  books  such  tendencies  are  personified 
as  demons;  cf.  e.g.  The  Testament  of  Solomon,  §  34  {J.Q.R., 
xi.  24;  1899),  where  seven  female  demons  appear  before 
Solomon  bearing  such  names  as  "  Deception,"  "  Strife," 
"  Jealousy,"  "  Power." 

*  The  bracketed  clause  is  missing  in  S. 

^  A,  also  (instead  of  there). 

^  Omitted  by  S.  Perhaps  the  clause  is  an  interpolation; 
in  any  case  the  text  appears  to  be  corrupt.  The  word  here 
rendered  scorn  {moltshanie ,  lit.  "  silence  ")  is  sometimes  used 
in  this  sense,  expressing  "  contempt,"  "  scorn  ";  see  D'ya- 
chenko's  Church  Slavonic  Dictionary,  s.v. 

7  Cf.  Ezek.  viii.  3,  5.  ^  Or  body. 

*-^  K,  who  is  the  sacrificed  one. 


CHAP,  xxv]  PART   II  73 

which  I  see  that  is  beautiful  in  art,  and  its  beauty 
(being  hke)  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  w^hich 
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  (sic)  which 
are  a  witness  ®  to  me  of  the  final  judgement,  even 
at  the  beginning  of  creation." 

Why  Sin  is  permitted  (Chapter  XXVI.). 

XXVI.  And  I  said  :  "  O  Eternal,  Mighty  One  ! 
Wherefore  hast  Thou  estabhshed  "^  that  it  should  be 
so,  and  then  proclaim  the  knowledge  thereof?  " 

And  He  said  to  me:  "Hear,  Abraham;  under- 
stand what  I  say  to  thee,  and  answer  me  as  ®  I  ques- 
tion thee.  Why  did  thy  father  Terah  not  listen  to 
thy  voice,  and  (why)  did  he  not  cease  from  the 
devilish  idolatry  until  he  perished  [and]  ®  his  whole 
household  with  him?  " 

And  I  said  :    "  O  Eternal,   [Mighty  One]  !  »     (It 

^  S,  my  (a  scribal  mistake  ?). 

2  The  whole  sacrificial  system  and  the  Levitical  cultus  are 
of  divine  origin,  and  embody  the  divine  ideal.  The  "  rise  of 
kings  and  prophets  "  is  apparently  involved  in  it  as  a  sub- 
ordinate development  from  it.  The  tone  of  the  passage  is 
reminiscent  rather  of  Jubilees.  In  apocalyptic  literature 
such  allusions  to  the  cultus  are  rare. 

3  "  The  image  of  jealousy  "  is  correctly  explained  here  as 
meaning  the  image  which  provokes  God's  jealousy  or  anger. 
Idolatrous  practices  in  Israel  are  referred  to. 

^  K  omits  the  people. 

^  i.  e.  sacrifices  involving  the  slaughter  of  human  beings 
such  as  the  offering  (through  fire)  of  children  to  Moloch. 
®  A,  witnesses.  ^  Or  ordained.  *  Lit.  what. 

•  S  omits. 


74      APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxvi 

was)  entirely  because  he  did  not  choose  to  Hsten  to 
me;  but  I,  too,  did  not  follow  his  works." 

And  He  said  [to  me]  :  ^  "  Hear,  Abraham.  As 
the  counsel  ^  of  thy  father  is  in  him,  and  as  thy 
counsel  is  in  thee,  so  also  is  the  counsel  of  my  will 
in  me  ready  for  the  coming  days,  before  thou  hast 
knowledge  of  these, ^  or  (canst)  see  with  thine  eyes 
what  is  future  in  them.  How  those  of  thy  seed  will 
be,  look  in  the  picture." 

A  Vision  of  Judgement  and  Salvation 

(Chapter  XXVH.). 

XXVn.  And  I  looked  and  saw  :  lo  !  the  picture 
swayed  and  [from  it]  *  emerged,  on  its  left  side,^  a 
heathen  people,  and  they  pillaged  those  who  were  on 
the  right  side,  men  and  women  and  children  :  [some 
the}^  slaughtered,]  *  others  they  retained  with  them- 
selves.® Lo  !  I  saw  them  run  towards  them  through 
four   entrances,'^    and    they  burnt  the  Temple  with 

^  S  omits.  ^  i.  e.  "  will." 

^  God's  will  is  free,  but  so  also  is  man's.  The  argument 
is  interesting.  From  the  fact,  proved  by  the  two  contrary 
instances  of  Terah  and  Abraham,  that  man's  will  is  free, 
the  writer  justifies  God's  freedom  to  permit  sin,  hinting, 
however,  that  the  future  will  still  further  justify  the  divine 
counsel.  The  vision  that  follows  (chap,  xxvii.)  serves  to 
illustrate  this. 

4  Omitted  by  S. 

^  The  use  of  "  right  "  and  "  left  "  throughout  these  chap- 
ters is  notable.  The  conception  of  the  right  side  being  the 
source  of  light  and  purity,  while  the  left  is  the  source  of 
darkness  and  impurity,  is  Gnostic,  and  passed  from  the 
Gnostics  into  the  Kabbalah ;  see  further  Introduction  p.  xix.  f. 

®  Sc.  in  slavery. 

'  So  A  K;  S  {schody),  descents  {—  ?  "  generations  ").  The 
four  "  entrances  "  or  "  descents  "  by  which  the  heathen 
make  inroads  upon  the  chosen  people  apparently  correspond 
to  the  four  hundred  years  of  slavery  for  Israel  predicted  by 
God  to  Abraham  in  the  vision  of  Gen.  xv.  (cf.  vs.  13).  This 
was  interpreted  by  our  apocalyptist,  in  accordance  with 
current  tradition,  to  refer  to  Israel's  captivity  and  subjec- 
tion by  the  four  oppressive  world-powers  of  the  Book  of 
Daniel,  understood  to  be  Babylon,  Media,  Greece,  and  Rome 
(cf.  chap.  ix.  above,  note  ^)  :  thus  the  Palestinian  Targum  to 
Gen.   XV.    13   runs  ;   And  behold,  Ahvam   saw   four  kingdoms 


CHAP,  xxvii]  PART   II  75 

fire,  and  the  holy  things  that  were  therein  the}^ 
plundered.^ 

And  I  said  :  "  O  Eternal  One  !  Lo  !  the  people 
(that  spring)  from  me,  whom  Thou  hast  accepted, 
the  hordes  of  the  heathen  do  plunder,  and  some  they 
kill,  while  others  they  hold  fast  as  aliens,^  and  the 
Temple  they  have  burnt  with  fire,  and  the  beauti- 
ful things  therein  they  do  rob  [and  destroy].^  O 
Eternal,  Mighty  One  !  If  this  be  so,  wherefore  hast 
Thou  now  *  lacerated  ^  my  heart,  and  why  should 
this  be  so?  " 

And  He  said  to  me  :  "  Hear,  Abraham.  What  ^ 
■^  thou  hast  seen  '^  shall  happen  on  account  of  thy  seed 
who  anger  me  by  reason  of  the  statue  which  thou 
sawest,  and  on  account  of  the  human  slaughter  in 
the  picture,  through  zeal  in  the  Temple ;  ^  and  as 
thou  sawest  ^  so  shall  it  be."  ^ 

And  I  said  :  "  O  Eternal,  Mighty  One  !  May  the 
works  of  evil  (wrought)  in  ungodliness  now  pass  by, 
but  ^^  (show  me)  ^^  rather  those  who  fulfilled  the  com- 
mandments, even  the  works  of  his  ( ?)  ^^  righteousness. 
For  thou  canst  do  this." 


which  should  arise  to  bring  his  sons  into  subjection.  It  is 
important  to  remember  that  the  fourth  "  entrance  "  here 
corresponds  to  the  Roman  Empire  [cf.  also  Pirke  de  R. 
Eliezer  xxviii.].  Possibly  "  descent  "  (S)  is  the  right  reading 
here,  and  means  "  generation,"  a  generation  being  roughly 
reckoned  as  equivalent  to  a  hundred  years  :  Heb.  ?  flTX^W. 

^  The  writer  obviously  has  in  mind  the  operations  of  the 
Romans  under  Titus,  which  ended  in  the  destruction  of  the 
Temple  by  fire  in  a.d.  70.  For  the  burning  and  pillaging  of 
the  Temple  cf.  Josephus,  War,  vi.  4,  5  f. ;  cf.  also  4  Ezra  x.  21  f. 

2  Of  those  who  were  not  killed  in  the  Roman  war,  some 
were  reserved  for  the  victor's  trivimph,  some  for  the  arena, 
and  the  rest  were  sold  as  slaves ;  cf.  Josephus,  War,  vi. 
9,  2  f.  3  Omitted  by  S.  *  A,  from  now  onward. 

5  K,  angered.  ^  Lit.  so  much.  "'  "^  A  omits. 

^  Israel's  captivity  and  sufferings  arc  due  to  lapse  into 
idolatry. 

9»  So  A  K;   but  S  omits.  ^^  A  omits  but. 

^^  Something  has  fallen  out  of  the  text  here. 

12  So  A  K;  S,  this.  [The  sentence  O  Eternal  Mighty  One 
.  .  .  his  ( ?)  righteousness  is  rendered  according  to  the  text 
of  A  K ;   the  text  of  S  here  is  not  in  order.] 


76       APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM  [chap,  xxvii 

And  He  said  to  me  :  "  The  time  of  the  righteous 
meeteth  [them]  ^  first  through  ^  the  hohness  (flowing) 
from  kings  ^  and  righteous-deahng  rulers  whom  I  at 
first  created  in  order  from  such  to  rule  among  them.^ 
But  from  these  issue  men  who  care  for  their  interests,* 
as  I  have  made  known  to  thee  and  thou  hast  seen." 

How  long  ?   (Chapters  XXVHI.-XXIX.). 

XXVni.  And  I  answered  and  said  :  "O  Mighty, 
[Eternal  One],^  hallowed  by  Thy  power  !  Be 
favourable  to  my  petition,  [for  for  this  hast  Thou  brought 
me  up  here — and  shew  me].^  As  Thou  hast  brought  me 
up  to  Thy  height,  so  make  [this]  ^  known  to  me, 
Thy  beloved  one,  as  much  as  I  ask — whether  what  I 
saw  shall  happen  to  them  for  long?  "  '^ 

And  He  showed  me  a  multitude  of  His  people,  and 
said  to  me  :  "On  their  account  through  four  issues,^ 
as  thou  sawest,  I  shall  be  provoked  by  them,  and 
in  these  ^  my  retribution  for  their  deeds  shall  be 
(accomphshed).  But  in  the  fourth  outgoing  ^^  of  a 
hundred  years  ^^  and  one  hour  of  the  age — the  same 
is  a  hundred  years  ^^ — it  shall  be  in  misfortune  among 

1  So  K;   A,  him;  S  omits. 

2  So  S;   A  K,  the  type  {set)  by. 

^  The  "  kings  "  and  "  righteous-deahng  rulers  "  referred 
to  are,  presumably,  such  as  David,  Hezekiah,  and  Josiah, 
under  whose  rule  the  claims  of  righteousness  were  recognised 
and  the  sovereignt}^  of  God,  to  some  extent,  realised. 

*  Lit.  "  for  them  "  (=  ?  "  for  themselves  ") — from  the 
righteous  rulers  spring  sons  who  are  faithless  to  their  heritage 
(such  as  Manasseh).  The  sentence  is  obscure,  and  the 
meaning  uncertain. 

^  S  omits. 

*  Omitted  accidentally  in  S  (by  homoioteleuton,  "  brought 
up   .    .    .  brought  up  "). 

'  Cf.  4  Ezra  iv.  33  ff. 

^  S  K  {schody)  =  descents  (cf.  chap,  xxvii.  note  "  above) ; 
cf.  Gen.  XV.  13-16  :   "  four  descents  "  =  "  four  generations." 

'  Sc.  four  generations.  ^°  S,  descent  (as  above). 

^1  i.  e.  in  the  fourth  generation  (cf.  Gen.  xv.  16). 

12  In  chap.  xxx.  the  coming  of  the  ten  plagues  on  the 
heathen  world  is  placed  "  at  the  passing  over  of  the  twelfth 
hour";  then  follows  (chap,  xxxi.)  the  Messianic  salvation. 
Apparently   the   present    age    is    reckoned    as    enduring    for 


CHAP,  xxviii]  PART   II  77 

the  heathen  [but  one  hour  in  mercy  and  contumely,  as 
among  the  heathen]."^ 

XXIX.  And  I  said  :  "  O  Eternal  [Mighty  One]  !  ^ 
And  how  long  a  time  is  an  hour  of  the  Age  ?  "  ^ 

And  He  said  :  "  Twelve  years  *  have  I  ordained  of 
this  ungodly  Age  ^  to  rule  among  the  heathen  and 


twelve  hours  (each  hour  =  loo  years),  i.  e.  one  day  (cf. 
John  xi.  9).  The  apocalyptic  writer  may  possibly  reckon 
this  day  as  beginning  with  the  founding  of  the  Holy  City  by 
David  (cf.  4  Ezra  x.  46)  and  culminating  in  the  destruction 
of  the  last  Temple  by  Titus,  which  calamity  was  to  be  followed 
by  the  period  of  woes  described  in  chap,  xxx.,  these  bringing 
the  present  age  (or  aeon)  to  a  close.  Now  according  to 
Josephus  {War,  vi.  10)  the  period  from  David's  reign  in 
Jerusalem  to  the  destruction  of  the  Temple  by  Titus  amounted 
to  1 1 79  years.  If  we  suppose  the  seer  to  be  writing  at  the 
close  of  the  first  or  in  the  early  years  of  the  second  century 
A.D.  the  period  would  include  about  1200  years.  Like  all  the 
apocalyptists  he  obviously  supposes  himself  to  be  standing  on 
the  brink  of  the  new  age.  Perhaps  in  the  text  above  "  and 
one  hour  of  the  Age  "  is  intended  to  synchronise  with  the 
■"'  fourth  out-going  of  a  hundred  years."  [In  Pirke  de  R. 
Eliezer  xxviii.  a  dictum  ascribed  to  R.  Elazar  ben  Azariah 
runs  :  (from  Gen.  xv.)  thou  mayest  learn  that  the  rule  of  these 
four  kingdoms  will  only  last  one  day,  according  to  the  Day 
of  the  Lord  (=  1000  years).] 

^  The  bracketed  clause  is  attested  by  A  K,  but  not  by  S. 
It  may  be  an  addition  to  the  text.  Contumely  can  hardly  be 
right.  Perhaps  there  was  an  error  in  the  Greek  text  from 
which  the  Slavonic  Version  was  made ;  ?  rifxri  misread 
ariixiT.:   read,  then,  "  in  merc)^  and  honour." 

2  S  omits. 

^  This  question  has  already  been  answered  at  the  end  of 
the  previous  chapter  (one  hour  =  100  years) ;  moreover,  the 
reply  that  follows  here  does  not  really  answer  the  question. 
There  is  probably  something  wrong  in  the  text;  "hours" 
and  "  years  "  seem  to  be  confused.  Perhaps  the  question 
originally  ran  somewhat  as  follows  :  How  much  time  is  there 
{in)  the  hours  of  the  age  ? 

*  ?  Read  hours  for  years.  We  may  compare  4  Ezra  xiv.  11 
("  For  the  world-age  is  divided  into  twelve  parts  "),  and  the 
cloud  and  water  vision  in  Ap.  Bar.  liii.  f.,  where  a  similar 
division  appears.  If  "  years  "  be  kept,  each  year  will  prob- 
ably stand  for  a  generation  (reckoned  at  100  years  ?) ;  cf. 
4  Ezra  X.  45  (3000  years  =  30  generations). 

^  The  present  age  is  the  age  of  ungodliness,  where  the 
organised  forces  of  evil  are  dominant ;  cf .  i  Enoch  xlviii.  7 
("  the  world  of  unrighteousness  "),  4  Ezra  iv.  29  f. 


y^      APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxix 

in  th}^  seed;  and  until  the  end  of  the  times  it  shall 
be  as  thou  sawest.  ^  And  do  thou  reckon  and  under- 
stand and  look  into  the  picture." 

And  I  [looked  and]  ^  saw  a  man  going  out  from  the 
lejt  side  oj  the  heathen ;  ^  and  there  went  out  men  and 
IV omen  and  children,  from  the  side  of  the  heathen,  many 
hosts,  and  worshipped  him.^  And  while  I  still  looked 
there  came  out  from  the  right  side  ^  (many),  and  some 
insulted  that  man,  while  some  struck  him  ^ ;  others, 
however,  worshipped  him.  [And]  ^  I  saw  how  these 
worshipped  him,  and  Azazel  ran  and  worshipped  him, 
and  having  kissed  his  face  he  turned  and  stood  behind 
him."^ 

And  I  said:  "  0  Eternal,  Mighty  One!  Who  is 
the  man  insulted  and  beaten,  who  is  worshipped  by  the 
heathen  with  Azazel?  " 

1  The  passage  printed  in  italic  type  that  follows  can  only 
be  regarded  as  a  Christian  interpolation  (probably  a  Jewish- 
Christian  one).  -  S  omits. 

3  The  man  is  clearly  intended  to  be  Jesus.  His  emerging 
"  from  the  left  side  of  the  heathen  "  is  curious.  If  the  text 
is  in  order  it  must  apparently  refer  to  the  emergence  into 
prominence  of  the  Early  Christian  Church  in  the  Gentile 
world.  It  clearly  cannot  refer  to  racial  origin,  for  it  is 
stated  further  on  in  the  chapter  that  "  the  man  "  sprang 
from  Abraham's  "  generation  "  and  God's  people.  But  in 
view  of  the  definite  statement  below — this  man  from  thy 
generation  whom  thou  sawest  {issue)  from  my  people — it  is 
better  to  suppose  that  the  text  here  is  out  of  order  :  read  ? 
from  the  right  side  and  omit  of  the  heathen  as  an  incorrect  gloss. 

^  i.  e.  His  followers  are  to  include  large  numbers  from  the 
Gentile  world. 

^  i.  e.  from  the  Jewish  world.  ^  Cf.  Is.  liii.  3. 

'  The  worship  of  Christ  by  the  Devil  (Azazel)  is  a  striking 
feature  in  this  representation.  It  is  difficult  to  determine 
its  exact  significance  here.  Does  it  reflect  the  Jewish- 
Christian  feeling  that  the  access  of  so  large  a  part  of  the 
heathen  world  to  Christianity  endangered  the  purity  of  the 
new  faith  by  inevitably  bringing  in  its  train  a  large  admix- 
ture of  heathenism  ?  It  can  hardly  mean  that  Azazel  had 
been  truly  converted.  Indeed,  his  homage  is  significantly 
depicted  as  lip-homage  ("  kissed  his  face  " ;  cf.  the  treacher- 
ous kiss  of  Judas).  Perhaps  the  real  meaning  is  that  the 
kingdom  of  evil,  and  the  Satanic  powers,  have  been  van- 
quished by  Christ  (cf.  Luke  x.  18,  Phil.  ii.  9,  10,  Col.  ii.  15, 
Ephes.  i.  21  f.).  The  homage  of  Azazel — the  head  of  the 
unredeemed  heathen  world — marked  the  triumph  of  Christ. 


CHAP,  xxixj  PART   IT  79 

And  He  answered  and  said:  "  Hear,  Abraham  !  The 
man  whom  thou  sawest  insulted  and  beaten  and  again 
worshipped — that  is  the  relief  ^  (granted)  by  the  heathen 
to  the  people  who  proceed  from  thee,  in  the  last  days,^ 
in  this  twelfth  hour  ^  of  the  Age  of  ungodliness.  But 
in  the  twelfth  year  ^  of  my  final  Age  '^  I  will  set  up  this 
man  from  thy  generation,  whom  thou  sawest  (issue) 
from  my  people  ;  this  one  all  will  follow,^  and  such 
as  are  called  by  me  ^  (will)  join,  (even)  those  who  change 
in  their  counsels.'^  And  those  whom  thou  sawest  emerge 
from  the  left  side  of  the  pictttre — the  meaning  is  :  ^ 
There  shall  be  many  from  the  heathen  who  set  their 
hopes  upon  him ;  ^  and  as  for  those  whom  thou 
sawest  from  thy  seed  on  the  right  side,  some  insulting 
and  striking,  others  worshipping  him — many  of  them 
shall  be  offended  at  him}^     He,  however,  is  testing  ^^ 

^   =  &u€(ris  {—  Heb.  meniihd). 

-  Wliat  is  meant  by  the  relief  [granted)  by  the  heathen  to  the 
people  who  proceed  from  thee,  in  the  last  days  ?  The  expres- 
sion is  difficult  and  obscure.  Perhaps  the  "  reHef  "  spoken 
of  means  the  mitigation  of  the  process  of  "  hardening  "  that 
has  taken  place  in  Israel  (by  its  rejection  of  Jesus),  which  is 
brought  about  by  the  adhesion  of  some  (a  remnant)  in  Israel 
to  the  new  faith,  in  conjunction  with  the  great  numbers  who 
are  streaming  in  from  the  Gentile  world;  cf.  Rom.  xi.,  espe- 
cially xi.  25  ("a  hardening  in  part  hath  befallen  Israel  until 
the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  be  come  in  and  all  Israel  shall  be 
saved,"  and  vss.  29-30  :  "  For  as  ye  in  time  past  were 
disobedient  .  .  .  but  now  have  obtained  mercy  by  their 
disobedience,  even  so  have  these  also  now  been  disobedient 
that  by  the  mercy  shewn  to  you  they  also  may  obtain  mercy  ") . 

3-3  Omitted  by  A  (homoioteleuton) .  For  the  confusion  of 
"  hour  "  and  "  year  "  see  note  ^  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter,  ■*  Lit.  of  the  Age  of  mine  end. 

5  Or  "  imitate,"  "  become  like." 

®  Cf.  2  Tim.  i.  9  ("  God  who  hath  called  us  with  a  holy 
calling  "),  Ephes.  iv.  i,  4,  and  often. 

'  those  who  change  in  their  counsels,  i.  e.  repent  {ixeravoc7v 
=  "  change  one's  mind  or  will  "). 

8  Lit.  "  that  (is)." 

^  Cf.  Is.  xi.  10  ("  unto  him  shall  the  nations  seek  "), 
Matt.  xii.  21,  Rom.  xv.  12. 

^^  Cf.  Matt.  xi.  6.  John  vi.  66,  Rom.  xi.  8,  etc. 

^^  Cf.  Rev.  iii.  10  ("  the  season  of  trial  that  is  coming  upon 
the  whole  habitable  earth  ").  The  time  of  "  trial  "  or 
"  testing  "  referred  to  is,  no  doubt,  the  period  of  the  Messianic 
woes  which  precedes  the  advent  of  the  new  age. 


8o      APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM      chap,  xxix 

those  who  have  worshipped  him  oj  thy  seed,  in  that 
twelfth  hotiv  of  the  End}  with  a  view  to  shortening  the 
Age  of  ungodliness.'^ 

"  Before  the  Age  of  the  righteous  beginneth  to  grow,^ 
my  judgement  shall  come  upon  the  lawless  heathen 
through  the  people  of  thy  seed  ^  who  have  been 
separated  for  me.  In  those  days  I  will  bring  upon 
all  creatures  of  the  earth  ten  plagues,^  through  mis- 
fortune and  disease  and  sighing  of  the  grief  of  their 
soul.  Thus  much  will  I  bring  upon  the  generations 
of  men  that  be  upon  it  on  account  of  the  provocation 
and  the  corruption  of  its  creatures,®  whereby  they 

1  i.  e.  the  time  immediately  preceding  the  End  of  the 
present  Age. 

2  Cf.  Matt.  xxiv.  22,  Ep.  Barnabas  iv.  3,  Ap.  Bar.  xx.  2 
("  Therefore  have  I  now  taken  away  Sion  in  order  that  I 
may  the  more  speedily  visit  the  world  in  its  season  ").  In 
the  latter  passage  the  fall  of  Jerusalem  is  regarded  as  hasten- 
ing the  End.  Impatient  longing  for  the  End  is  characteristic 
of  the  Apocalyptists ;   see  e.  g.  4  Ezra  iv.  33  ff. 

3  The  coming  Age  is  the  "  Age  of  the  righteous  "  (for  the 
expression  cf.  also  chap.  xvii.  of  our  Book) ;  it  has  been 
"  prepared  "  for  them  (4  Ezra  viii.  52),  and  they  will  inherit 
it  (4  Ezra  vii.  17).  For  the  metaphor  of  growth  in  this 
connexion  cf .  4  Ezra  iv.  29,  35 ;  the  community  of  the 
righteous  has  already  been  "sown"  (i  Enoch  Ixii.  8;  cf. 
also  I  Enoch  x.  16,  "  the  plant  of  righteousness  will  appear  "), 
but  its  full  growth  will  only  become  visible  after  the  judgement. 

*  Judgement  on  the  heathen  will  be  executed  by  the 
agency  of  Israel  itself;  cf.  i  Enoch  xc.  19.  In  the  Midrash 
rabba  on  Ruth  ii.  19  a  saying  ascribed  to  R.  Eliezer  b.  Jacob 
runs  :  "  Vengeance  on  the  nations  of  the  world  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  Israelites  (Ezek.  xxv.  14)." 

^  A  saying  handed  down  in  the  name  of  R.  Eleazar  b. 
Pedath  runs  :  "  Just  as  the  Holy  One  .  .  .  brought  (plagues) 
upon  Egypt  He  will  bring  (plagues)  upon  this  (wicked)  nation 
[i.  e.  Rome],  as  it  is  said  [Is.  xxiii.  5]  :  '  As  at  the  report 
from  Egypt  so  shall  they  be  pained  at  the  report  of  Sor 
(read  Sdr  "  adversary,"  which  is  to  be  understood  as  mean- 
ing "Rome"):  see  Midrash  Tanhuma,  ed.  Buber,  ii.  30; 
Bacher,  Pal.  Amorder  ii.  87.  For  a  description  of  the  plagues 
see  the  next  chapter. 

^  On  account  of  the  sins  of  men  God's  anger  must  be 
visited  upon  the  earth  in  judgement;  cf.  Jubilees  xxiii.  22, 
etc.  The  idea  that  a  time  of  great  calamity  and  suffering 
would  immediately  precede  the  Messianic  Age  is  a  standing 
feature  in  Apocalyptic;  cf.  e.g.  Matt.  xxiv.  8,  Mark  xiii.  8 
("  the  birth-pangs  of  the  Messiah  "). 


CHAP.  XXIX]  PART   II  8i 

provoke  me.  And  then  shall  righteous  men  of  thy 
seed  be  left  ^  in  the  number  which  is  kept  secret  by 
me,^  hastening  ^  in  "*  the  glory  of  My  Name  to  the 
place  prepared  beforehand  for  them,  which  thou 
sawest  devastated  in  the  picture ;  ^  and  they  shall 
live  and  be  estabhshed  through  sacrifices  and  gifts 
of  righteousness  and  truth  ^  in  the  Age  of  the  right- 
eous,   and   shall    rejoice    in    Me    continually;'    and 

^  i.  e.  shall  survive  the  Messianic  "  woes."  The  term 
"  survive,"  "  be  left  "  {ol  irepiA^nrofxevoi,  Vulg.  qui  residui 
sitmus,  I  Thess.  iv.  15),  became  a  technical  one  in  Apocalyptic 
in  this  connexion;  cf.  4  Ezra  vi.  25,  ix.  7,  xiii.  16-24,  26,  48. 

2  The  number  of  the  elect  righteous  is  pre-determined. 
This  idea  recurs  in  more  than  one  form  in  Apocalyptic. 
Here  apparently  what  is  meant  is  that  the  number  of  elect 
righteous  who  shall  survive  the  Messianic  woes  has  been 
fixed  beforehand,  and  is  a  secret  known  only  to  God.  These 
living  righteous  shall  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  the  new  Age 
upon  the  renovated  earth  (in  Jerusalem).  Nothing  is  said 
about  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  dead  to  share  in  this 
felicity.  In  chap.  xxi.  the  latter  enjoy  a  blessed  existence 
in  the  heavenly  Paradise.  Our  Book  apparently  knows 
nothing  of  a  resurrection.  On  the  other  hand,  in  Rev.  vi.  11 
it  is  the  number  of  the  righteous  dead  (the  martyrs)  that  is 
predetermined.  Another  application  of  the  same  idea  is  to 
the  whole  number  of  mankind  who  are  to  be  born,  which  is 
predetermined;  cf.  Ap.  Bar.  xxiii.  4.  For  those  who  sur- 
vive the  period  of  calamity,  and  share  in  the  bliss  of  the 
new  Age,  see  4  Ezra  vi.  25,  vii.  27,  ix.  7  f.,  Ap.  Bar.  xxix.  2; 
but  in  none  of  these  passages  is  their  number  said  to  have 
been  fixed  beforehand. 

*  Cf.  4  Ezra  vii.  98. 

*  A  K,  to. 

^  By  the  place  prepared  beforehand  (cf.  Rev.  xii.  6)  is  here 
meant  Jerusalem  {which  thou  sawest  devastated  in  the  picture), 
presumably  the  renovated  city  on  a  renovated  earth.  The 
expression  place  prepared  beforehand  certainly  suggests  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  (cf.  Ap.  Bar.  iv.  2-6),  which  according 
to  Rev.  xxi.  2,  9  f.  is  to  descend  from  heaven  upon  the 
renovated  earth.  But  this  is  not  certain.  Our  Book  may 
contemplate  nothing  more  than  the  earthly  Jerusalem 
transformed  and  glorified. 

^  The  sacrificial  cultus  in  a  purified  form  will  be  revived 
in  the  new  Jerusalem;  cf.  ?  i  Enoch  xxv.  6  ("  the  fragrance 
thereof  "  =  ?  of  the  incense) .  Prayer  for  the  restoration  of  the 
Temple  and  cultus  is  a  central  feature  in  the  Jewish  Liturgy. 

'  With   the   restoration   of  the   cultus   the   righteous   will 
enjoy  the  privilege  of  seeing  God's  glory  continually. 
F 


82      APOCALYPSE   OF   ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxix 

they  shall  destroy  those  who  have  destroyed  them, 
And  shall  insult  those  who  have  insulted  them,^ 

"And  of  those  who  defamed  them  the\^  shall  spit 
in  the  face,  scorned  by  Me,  while  they  (the  righteous) 
shall  behold  Me  full  of  joy,  rejoicing  with  My 
people,  and  receiving  those  who  return  to  Me  -  [in 
repentance].^ 

See,  Abraham,  what  thou  hast  seen, 
And  [hear]  ^  what  thou  hast  heard. 
And  [take  full  knowledge  of]  ^  what  thou  hast  come 

to  know. 
Go  to  thy  heritage,* 
And  lo  !    I  am  with  you  for  ever." 

The  Punishment  of  the  Heathen  and  the  In- 
gathering of  Israel  (Chapters  XXX. -XXXI.). 

XXX.  But  while  He  was  still  speaking,  I  found 
myself  upon  the  earth.  And  I  said  :  "  O  Eternal, 
[Mighty  One],^  I  am  no  longer  in  the  glory  in  which 
I  was  (while)  on  high,  and  w^hat  my  soul  longed  to 
understand  in  mine  heart  I  do  not  understand." 

And  He  said  to  me  :  "  What  is  desired  in  thine  ^ 
heart  I  will  tell  thee,  because  thou  hast  sought  to  see 
the  ten  plagues  which  I  have  prepared  for  the  heathen, 
and  have  prepared  beforehand  '^  at  the  passing  over 
of  the  twelfth  hour  ^  of  the  earth.  Hear  what  I 
divulge    to    thee,  so   shall    it    come    to    pass :  ^    the 

1  Cf .  Jubilees  xxiii.  30  and  see  note  *  p.  80. 

2  ?  Heathen  who  are  converted.  ^  S  omits. 

*  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  15  [Thou  shalt  go  to  thy  father  in  peace) ; 
A  K,  my. 

^  S  omits.  *  A  K,  mine. 

'  These  also  have  been  pre-determined. 

*  i.  e.  the  last  hour  of  the  present  Age. 

^  It  is  God's  property  to  announce  beforehand  what  is  to 
occur  and  then  to  bring  it  to  pass  ;  cf.  Justin  Martyr,  Apology 
i.  14  (end)  :  For  this  ...  75  the  work  of  God  to  declare  a  thing 
shall  come  to  he  long  before  it  is  in  being,  and  then  to  bring 
about  that  thing  to  pass  according  to  the  same  declaration. 
Cf.  also  4  Ezra  ix.  6  (Gunkel's  rendering  of  the  "  times  of  the 
Most  High  ")  :  their  beginning  is  in  word  {i.  e.  the  prophetic 
word)  and  portents,  but  their  end  in  deeds  and  marvels. 


CHAP.  XXX]  PART   II  83 

first  ^  (is)  pain  of  great  distress ;  ^  the  second,  con- 
flagration of  many  cities ;  ^  the  third,  destruction  and 
pestilence  of  animals  * ;  the  fourth,  hunger  of  the  whole 
world  and  of  its  people  ^ ;  the  fifth  by  destruction 
among  its  rulers,^  destruction  by  earthquake^  and  the 
sword ;  the  sixth,  multiplication  of  hail  and  snow ;  ^ 
the  seventh,  the  wild  beasts  will  be  their  grave ;  the 
eighth,  hunger  and  pestilence  will  alternate  with  their 

^  The  ten  "  plagues  "  here  enumerated  mark  the  distress- 
ful period  which  precedes  the  advent  of  the  new  Age ;  they 
correspond  to  the  "  signs  "  which  are  a  common  feature  in 
the  traditional  eschatology ;  cf.  4  Ezra  iv.  52-v,  13,  vi.  13-28, 
ix.  1—6,  xiii.  16  fi.,  Ap.  Bar.  xxv.— xxvii.,  xlviii.  30-38,  Ixx., 
I  Enoch  xcix.  4  f.,  7-10,  c.  1-6  (Dan.  xii).  The  first  of  the 
Ezra  passages  just  cited  affords  a  good  example  of  the  con- 
tents of  these  descriptions.  It  depicts  a  time  of  commo- 
tions, and  the  general  break-up  of  moral  and  religious  forces ; 
the  heathen  world-power  (i.  e.  Rome)  will  be  destroyed; 
there  will  be  portents  in  nature,  general  chaos  in  society ; 
monstrous  and  untimely  births,  the  failure  of  the  means  of 
subsistence,  and  internecine  strife ;  and  wisdom  and  under- 
standing will  have  perished  from  the  earth.  With  our  pas- 
sage depicting  ten  plagues  may  be  compared  T.B.  Sank,  g^ja, 
which  divides  the  period  into  seven  years ;  in  the  first  there 
will  be  rain  on  one  city  and  no  rain  on  another  (cf.  Amos 
iv.  7) ;  in  the  second  arrows  of  famine ;  in  the  third  a  great 
famine  in  which  men,  women,  and  children  and  pious  will 
perish,  and  the  Torah  will  be  forgotten ;  in  the  fourth  abund- 
ance and  dearth;  in  the  fifth  great  abundance,  the  people 
will  eat  and  drink,  and  the  Torah  will  return ;  iji  the  sixth 
voices  announcing  the  coming  of  the  Messiah ;  in  the  seventh 
war,  and  at  its  end  Messiah  ben  David  will  come.  In  the 
New  Testament,  besides  the  Apocalyptic  passage  in  Matt. 
xxiv.  8—31  and  parallels,  there  is  a  marked  parallelism  with 
the  Apocalypse  of  the  seven  trumpets  (Rev.  viii.  6-ix.  21, 
X.  7,  xi.  14-19),  six  of  which  mark  partial  judgements,  while 
the  seventh  ushers  in  the  final  judgement.  Several  of  the 
"  trumpets  "  announce  judgements  like  the  Egyptian  plagues. 

^  i.e.  distressful  pain,  sickness. 

^  The  fall  of  fire  is  one  of  the  portents  of  the  End  in  Ap. 
Bar.  xxvii.  10;  cf.  the  fiery  hail  of  the  seventh  Egyptian 
plague  (Ex.  ix.  23  f.)  and  the  "  first  trumpet  "  (Rev.  viii. 
6-7);   cf.  also  Rev.  xi.  196  ("  great  hail  "). 

*  Cf.  the  fifth  Egyptian  plague  (murrain  among  the  cattle, 
Ex.  ix.  I  ff.). 

*  Cf.  4  Ezra  vi.  22,  Ap.  Bar.  xxvii.  5-6,  Matt.  xxiv.  7. 

*  Cf.  Ap.  Bar.  xxvii.  3,  4  Ezra  ix.  3. 

'  Cf.  Ap.  Bar.  xxvii.  7.  ^  Cf.  Ex.  ix.  23  f. 


84        APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     Tchap.  xxx 

destruction ;  the  ninth,  punishment  by  the  sword 
and  flight^  in  distress;  the  tenth,  ^ thunder  and 
voices  ^  and  destructive  earthquake.^ 

XXXI.  "And  then  I  will  sound  the  trumpet  *  out 
of  the  air,  and  will  send  mine  Elect  One,^  having  in 
him  all  my  power,  one  measure  ® ;  and  this  one  shall 
summon  ^  my  despised  people  from  the  nations,^ 
and  I  will  burn  with  fire  ^  those  ^^  who  have  insulted 
them  and  who  have  ruled  among  ^^  them  in  (this)  Age. 

"  And  I  will  give  those  who  have  covered  me  with 

1  Cf.  Matt.  xxiv.  i6. 
^'^  K,  "  voices  of  thunder." 

^  Cf.  Rev.  xi.  19&.  [Perhaps  the  passage  most  closely 
parallel  with  our  text  is  Ap.  Bar.  xxvii.  1-13.] 

*  The  trumpet  is  blown  to  announce  the  Divine  inter- 
vention and  the  coming  of  salvation ;  it  is  not  a  direct 
summons  to  the  exiles  to  return  (cf.  Volz,  p.  310) ;  cf.  Bene- 
diction X  in  the  Shemdne  'Esre  Prayer  (Singer,  p.  48)  :  Sound 
the  great  horn  for  our  freedom  ;  lift  up  the  ensign  to  gather  our 
exiles,  and  gather  its  from  the  four  corners  of  the  earth. 

,^-This  title  of  the  Messiah  is  a  favourite  one  in  the  "  Simili- 
tudes "  of  I  Enoch;  cf.  i  Enoch  xlviii.  9,  Iv.  4,  etc.  It 
recurs  as  a  Messiani:  title  in  Luke  ix.  35,  xxiii.  35,  and  goes 
back  to  Is.  xUi.  i. 

^  i.e.  a  measure  of  all  the  divine  attributes — he  reflects  in 
little  the  totality  of  the  divine  character.  This  is  an  exalted 
conception,  but  does  not  seem  to  imply  more  than  that  the 
Messiah  is  a  divinely  endowed  man,  full  of  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  (Is.  xi.  i),  which  makes  him  free  from  sin  {Ps. 
Sol.  xvii.  36  f.).  He  is  not  depicted  as  a  supernatural  angelic 
being  like  Metatron.  He  is  sent  by  God  at  the  appointed 
time;    cf.  Ps.  Sol.  xvii.  23,  Gal.  iv.  4,  John  xvii.  3. 

'  Note  that  it  is  the  Messiah  here  who  summons  the 
outcast  Israelites  from  the  nations  (so  also  Ps.  Sol.  xvii.  28, 
Matt.  xxiv.  31,  4  Ezra  xiii.  39).  More  usually  this  is  per- 
formed by  God  Himself  (cf.  the  prayer  cited  in  note  *  above). 

«  Cf.  Is.  Ix.  4. 

*  Punishment  of  the  godless  by  fire  at  God's  hands  is  a 
common  feature  in  the  eschatology.  It  is  the  fire  of  the 
divine  anger  that  is  thought  of,  and  is  based  upon  Mai.  iv.  i 
(iii.  19) ;  cf.  the  "  fiery  stream  "  and  "  flaming  breath  " 
which  the  Messiah  emits  from  his  mouth  to  destroy  his 
enemies  in  4  Ezra  xiii.  10  (interpreted  figuratively  in  verses 
36  f.).  A  adds  through  him  (after  /  will),  i.  e.  through  the 
Messiah;    K,  through  them. 

^°  i.e.  the  heathen  nations. 

^1  i.e.  "over."  Cf.  Ap.  Bar.  Ixxii.  6  ("But  all  those  who 
have  ruled  over  you  .   .   .  shall  be  given  to  the  sword  "). 


CHAP.  XXXI]  PART   II  85 

mockery  to  the  scorn  of  the  coming  Age  ;  ^  and  I  have 
prepared  them  to  be  food  ^  for  the  fire  of  Hades  and 
for  ceaseless  flight  to  and  fro  through  the  air  in  the 
underu  orld  beneath  the  earth  ^  [the  body  filled  with 
worms.*  For  on  them  shall  they  see  the  righteousness  of 
the  Creator — those,  namely,  who  have  chosen  to  do  my 
will,  and  those  who  have  openly  kept  my  ^  commandments,* 
(and)  they  shall  rejoice  with  joy  over  the  downfall  of  the 
men  who  still  remain,  who  have  followed  the  idols  and 
their  murders."  For  they  shall  putrefy  in  the  body  of  the 
evil  worm  Azazel,®  and  be  burnt  with  the  fire  of  Azazel's 
tongue ;  •   for  I  hoped  that  they  would  come  to  me,^°  and 

^  Those  who  have  scorned  shall  be  scorned;  cf.  Wisdom 
iv.  18,  Dan.  xii.  2,  Ps.  Sol.  ii.  32  f.  ("  the  coming  Age  "  is  the 
Age  of  the  righteous).  Possibly  renegade  Jews  are  referred 
to,  and  are  the  subject  of  the  remaining  part  of  this  chapter. 

2  Cf.  Mai.  iv.  I  (iii.  19). 

^  Here  two  conceptions  seem  to  be  mixed ;  there  is 
(i)  the  idea  of  "  the  fire  of  Hades  "  (or  Hell),  which  is  located 
beneath  the  earth  (for  "  Hades  "  =  Hell  in  this  sense;  cf. 
Ps.  Sol.  XV.  11);  this  fire  consumes  their  bodies;  (2)  com- 
bined with  this  is  the  idea  of  wandering  (flying)  restlessly 
about  (properly  in  the  air  or  outer  darkness) ;  cf .  4  Ezra 
vii.  80.  In  T.  B.  Shabb.  152b  the  souls  of  the  wicked  are 
said  to  be  given  no  place  of  rest  till  the  judgement.  Here 
(at  the  word  earth)  S  ends.  The  rest  of  the  text  (printed  in 
small  type)  is  found  both  in  A  and  K. 

*  In  Judith  xvi.  17  "  fire  and  worms  "  await  the  heathen 
enemies  of  Israel;  cf.  Ecclus.  vii.  17,  i  Enoch  xlvi.  6  ("  dark- 
ness will  be  their  dwelling  and  worms  their  bed  "),  Is.  Ixvi.  24. 
Here  renegade  Jews  are  probably  meant. 

^  A,  thy.  *  Cf.  Is.  Ixvi.  24,  4  Ezra  vii.  93. 

■^  The  renegade  Jews  here  referred  to  are  described  as 
idolaters  (cf.  Ezek.  xx.  16,  Jer.  vii.  9) ;  and  the  righteous 
rejoice  over  their  "  downfall";  cf.  i  Enoch  Ivi.  8  ("  Sheol 
will  devour  the  sinners  in  the  presence  of  the  elect  "),  xciv.  10 
("  Your  creator  will  rejoice  at  your  destruction  "),  xcvii.  2 
("  the  angels  rejoice  "  over  it),  Is.  Ixvi.  24.  Notice  that 
idolatry  and  murder  are  here  conjoined;  cf.  Acts  xv.  29 
(according  to  one  view  of  the  text). 

®  Cf.  the  Greek  Apocalypse  of  Baruch  iv.  (the  dragon  of 
Hades,  which  devours  the  bodies  of  the  ungodly).  In 
2  Enoch  xlii.  i  the  guardians  of  the  gates  of  Hell  are  said 
to  be  "  like  great  serpents." 

*  Here  the  Evil  Spirit  is  identified  with  Hell ;  his  tongue 
devours  the  ungodly;  and  he  himself  is  "  the  burning  coal 
of  the  furnace  of  the  earth  "  (chap.  xiv.).  Hell  (Gehenna) 
is  essentially  a  place  of  fire ;  cf.  Is.  xxx.  33  and  Mekilta  to 
Ex.  xiv.  21.  ^°    ?  in  repentance, 


86      APOCALYPSE   OF  ABRAHAM     [chap,  xxxi 

not  have  loved  and  praised  the  strange  (god),^  and  not  have 
adhered  to  him  for  whom  they  were  not  allotted, ^  but 
(instead)  they  have  forsaken  the  mighty  Lord." 

Conclusion  (Chapter  XXXII.) 

XXXII.  "Therefore  hear,  O  Abraham,  and  see;  lo  I 
thy  seventh  generation  ^  (shall)  go  with  thee,  and  they  shall 
go  out  into  a  strange  land,  and  they  shall  enslave  them,  and 
evil-intreat  them  *  as  it  were  an  hour  of  the  Age  of  ungodli- 
ness 5    hilt  the  nation  whom  they  shall  serve  I  will  judge."]  ^ 


ADDITIONAL    NOTES 


/  am  he  who  hath  been  commanded  to  loosen  Hades 
to  destroy  him  who  stareth  at  the  dead. 

This  obscure  clause,  which  occurs  in  Jaoel's  speech  in 
chap.  X.,  is  absent  from  S.  The  Slavonic  text  runs  as 
follows — 

Az  esm'  povelevy  razreshiti  ada, 
istliti  divya^cas  mertvym. 

Dr.  St.  Clair  Tisdall  suggests  the  following  rendering — 

/  am  commanded  to  loosen  Hades, 

to  turn  to  corruption,  {by)  gazing  at  the  dead. 

Dr.  Tisdall  explains  the  meaning  thus  :  "  The  speaker  has 
power   given   to   him   to   '  deliver   over   to   corruption  '    the 

^  i.  e.  probably  Azazel. 

-  This  clearly  indicates  that  renegade  Jews  are  referred 
to.  For  a  similar  reference  cf.  4  Ezra  viii.  25-31.  It  would 
appear  that  large  numbers  of  Jews  had  lapsed,  after  the  fall 
of  Jerusalem,  into  indifference,  or  even  open  apostasy;  cf. 
the  Rabbinical  references  to  "  the  people  of  the  land  " 
{'am  hd-'dres). 

3  Including  Abraham,  the  seven  generations  may  be 
reckoned  thus  :  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Levi,  Kohath, 
Amram,  Moses. 

^  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  13. 

^  i..e.    ?  100  years;    cf.  Chap,  xxviii,  end. 

^  Cf.  Gen.  XV.  14.  K  concludes  with  the  following  words  : 
And  this,  too,  said  the  Lord  :  Hast  thou  heard,  Abraham,  what 
I  have  announced  to  thee,  what  shall  befall  thy  people  in  the 
latter  days?  And  Abraham  heard  the  words  of  the  Lord,  and 
received  them  into  his  heart. 


PART   II  ^  87 

bodies  of  the  dead  by  gazing  at  them.     The  verb  [rendered 
'  gazing  ']  strictly  denotes  marvelling,  admiring." 

Mr.  Landsman  writes  as  follows  :  "  The  verb  diviyati  is 
used  in  Slavonic,  meaning  '  to  be  ferocious,'  '  to  rage  ' ; 
divya^Scas  means  thus  '  to  stare  at  '  somebody  in  such  a  way 
that  he  is  frightened  by  the  ferocity  of  the  look.  It  can  be 
translated  as  Dr.  Tisdall  translates  it,  but  does  this  render- 
ing and  interpretation  harmonise  with  the  context  ?  "  Mr. 
Landsman  goes  on  to  suggest  that  the  second  line  refers  to 
Death  personified;  cf.  Ps.  xlix.  14  ("  Death  shall  be  their 
shepherd  ")  and  Rev.  xx.  13,  14,  where  "  Death  and  Hades  " 
are  "  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."     Then  render — 

/  am  he  who  hath  been  commanded  to  loosen  Hades, 
to  destroy  him  [i.  e.  Death]  who  terrifieth  the  dead. 

This  yields  an  admirable  sense,  and  is  probably  right. 
Jaoel  thus  claims  to  be  commissioned  to  abolish  the  terrors 
of  Hades  and  Death. 


II 

A)id  when  they  [the  Cherubim]  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  h^th  its  origin  in 
the  Eternal  One  (chap,  xviii.). 

In  addition  to  the  illustration  given  in  note  ^^  (p.  62)  on 
this  passage,  the  following  extract  from  The  Revelation  of 
Moses  {Gedulath  Moshe),  translated  by  Dr.  Gaster  in  The 
Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society  for  July  1893,  p.  576 
("  Hebrew  Visions  of  Hell  and  Paradise  ")  may  be  quoted — 

Moses  went  to  the  fifth  heaven,  and  he  saw  there  troops  of 
angels,  half  of  fire  and  half  of  snow  ;  and  the  snow  is  above 
the  fire  without  extinguishing  it,  for  God  maketh  peace  between 
them  [as  it  is  said:  "He  maketh  peace  in  his  high  places," 
Job.  xxv.  2],  and  all  praise  the  Almighty.  Cf.  also  the 
Midrash  Debarim  rabba  (to  Deut.  xx.  10),  where  with  refer- 
ence to  the  same  passage  of  Job  (xxv.  2)  it  is  said  :  Michael 
[who  presides  over  the  water]  is  altogether  snow,  Gabriel  is 
altogether  fire,  and  they  stand  next  each  other  without  being 
harmed  on  either  side  (so  also  Midrash  rabba  to  Cant.  iii.  11) ; 
cf.  also  2  Enoch  xxix.  2. 


APPENDIX   I 

The  Legend  of  Abram's  Conversion  from 
Idolatry 

(Cf.  Chapters  I.-VIII.  of  our  Book.) 

Abram's  emergence  from  the  prevalent  idolatry 
early  became  the  theme  of  legend,  which  has  assumed 
various  forms  and  was  widespread.  These  are  col- 
lected, with  full  references,  in  Beer's  Lehen  Abrahams 
(Leipzig,  1859),  Chaps.  I.  and  II.,  and  are  well 
summarised  in /.£.  I.  84-87  ("  Abraham  in  apocryphal 
and  Rabbinical  Literature  "). 

The  earliest  literary  evidence  appears  to  be  some 
extracts  from  Jewish  Alexandrine  works  cited  by 
Josephus  under  the  names  of  Hecataeus  and  Berosus, 
of  the  third  and  second  centuries  B.C.,  and  sum- 
marised by  him  {Ant.  I.  i,  7)  :  [Abraham  ]  was  a  person 
oj  great  sagacity  both  for  understanding  all  things  and 
persuading  his  hearers,  and  not  mistaken  in  his  opinions  ; 
for  which  reason  he  began  to  have  higher  notions  of 
virtue  than  others  had,  and  he  determined  to  renew  and 
to  change  the  opinion  all  men  happened  then  to  have 
concerning  God  :  for  he  was  the  first  that  vejttured  to 
publish  this  notion,  that  there  was  but  one  God,  the 
Creator  of  the  Universe  ;  and  that  as  to  other  [go^s] 
if  they  contributed  anything  to  the  happiness  of  men, 
that  each  of  them  afforded  it  only  according  to  his 
appointment,  and  not  by  their  own  power.  This  his 
opinion  was  derived  from  the  irregiUar  phenomena 
that  were  visible  both  on  land  and  sea,  as  well  as  those 
that  happen  to  the  sun,  and  moon,  and  all  the  heavenly 
bodies,  thus  :  "If  [said  he]  these  bodies  had  power  of 
their  own,  they  woidd  certainly  take  care  of  their  own 
regidar  motions  ;  but  since  they  do  not  preserve  such 
regularity,  they  make  it  plain,  that  so  far  as  they  co- 
operate to  our  advantage,  they  do  it  not  of  their  own 

88 


APPENDIX  89 

abilities,  but  as  they  are  subservient  to  him  that  com- 
mands them,  to  whom  alone  we  ought  justly  to  offer  our 
honour  and  thanksgiving."  For  which  doctrines, 
when  the  Chaldceans  and  other  peoples  of  Mesopotamia 
raised  a  tumult  against  him,  he  thought  fit  to  leave  that 
country  ;  and  at  the  command,  and  by  the  assistance 
of  God,  he  came  and  lived  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

Another  early  attestation  of  the  legend  occurs  in 
The  Book  of  Jubilees,  probably  dating  from  the  close 
of  the  second  century  b.  c.  Here  it  is  related  (chap. 
xi.  i6-xii)  that  Abraham  as  a  child  "  began  to  under- 
stand the  errors  of  the  earth,"  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, in  order  not  to  be  entangled  in  the  idolatry, 
practised  in  connexion  with  astrology  by  the  whole 
house  of  Nahor,  separated  from  his  father  and  family, 
and  prayed  to  God  to  save  him  "  from  the  errors  of 
the  children  of  men."  He  became  an  inventor  of 
an  improved  method  of  sowing  seed,  by  which  it  was 
preserved  against  the  depredations  of  the  ravens. 
He  then  made  efforts  to  wean  his  father  from  idolatry, 
but  Terah,  though  acknowledging  that  his  son  was 
right,  was  afraid  to  make  a  public  renunciation,  and 
told  Abraham  to  keep  silent.  Being  no  more  success- 
ful with  his  brothers,  Abraham  rose  by  night  and  set 
fire  to  the  house  of  idols.  His  brother  Haran  in  an 
attempt  to  save  them  perished  in  the  fire,  and  was 
buried  in  Ur  of  the  Chaldees. 

Here  we  meet  with  a  feature  which  provided  a 
motif  for  various  forms  of  the  legend — viz.  the  fire 
which  burnt  the  idols  and  their  house.  This  is  really 
derived  from  the  etymological  meaning  of  Ur  = 
"  fire  ;  "  thus  "  Ur  of  the  Chaldees  "  is  taken  to  mean 
"  fire  of  the  Chaldees."  In  our  Book  the  fire  descends 
from  heaven  and  burns  the  house  and  all  in  it  (in- 
cluding Terah),  Abraham  alone  escaping.  In  other 
forms  of  the  legend  Abraham  is  cast  into  the  fire 
(by  Nimrod),  and  is  miraculously  preserved.  Philo's 
account  of  Abraham's  conversion  {de  Abrahamo, 
§  15)  is  as  follows  :  ^ 

The  Chaldceans  were,  above  all  nations,  addicted  to 
1  Yonge's  translation,  vol.  ii.  p.  417. 


90  APPENDIX 

the  study  of  astronomy,  and  attributed  all  events  to  the 
motions  of  the  stars  by  which  they  fancied  that  all  the 
things  in  the  world  were  regulated,  and  accordingly  they 
magnified  the  visible  essence  by  the  powers  which 
numbers  and  the  analogies  of  numbers  contain,  taking 
no  account  of  the  invisible  essence  appreciable  only 
by  the  intellect.  But  while  they  were  busied  in  investigat- 
ing the  arrangement  existing  in  them  with  reference 
to  the  periodical  revolutions  of  the  sun  and  moon  and 
the  other  planets  and  fixed-stars,  and  the  changes  of  the 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  the  sympathy  of  the  heavenly 
bodies  with  the  things  of  earth,  they  were  led  to  imagine 
that  the  world  itself  was  God,  in  their  impious  philo- 
sophy comparing  the  creature  to  the  Creator. 

The  man  [Abraham]  who  had  been  bred  up  in  this 
doctrine,  and  who  for  a  long  time  had  studied  the 
philosophy  of  the  Chaldceans,  as  if  suddenly  awaking 
from  a  deep  slumber  and  opening  the  eye  of  the  soul, 
and  beginning  to  perceive  a  pure  ray  of  light  instead 
of  profound  darkness,  folloived  the  light,  and  saw  what 
he  had  never  seen  before,  a  certain  governor  and  director 
of  the  world  standing  above  it  (KaretSev  .   .   ,  rov  koctixov 

Ttva   rjvLO^ov   Koi   Kv^epvqrrjv   e^co-rwra),    and   guiding   htS 

own  work  in  a  salutary  maimer,  and  exerting  his  care 
and  power  in  behalf  of  those  parts  of  it  which  are  ivorthy 
of  divine  superintendence. 

The  legend  is  cited  or  referred  to  in  many  places 
in  the  Rabbinical  Literature.  The  following  extract 
from  Bereshith  rabba  xxxviii.  19  (on  Gen.  xi.  28)  is  a 
good  example  : 

And  Havan  died  in  the  presence  of  his  father  Terah.  K. 
Hiyya  bar  R.  Idi  of  Joppa  said  :  "  Terah  was  a  maker  and 
seller  of  idols.  On  one  occasion  he  went  out  somewhere, 
(and)  set  Abraham  to  sell  in  his  place.  A  man  came  (and) 
wished  to  buy  (an  idol),  and  he  (Abraham)  said  to  him  : 
'  How  old  art  thou  ?  '  And  he  said  :  '  Fifty  or  sixty  years.' 
[Abraham]  said  to  him  :  '  Woe  to  the  man  who  is  sixty 
years  old,  and  will  worship  (an  image)  a  day  old  !  '  And 
(the  bviyer)  was  shamed  and  went  his  way.  Another  time 
there  came  a  woman,  carrying  in  her  hand  a  dish  of  fine 
flour.  '  Here  thou  art,'  said  she.  '  Offer  it  (as  an  oblation) 
before  them  {i.  e.  before  the  gods).'  [Abraham  arose,  took 
a  club  in  his  hand,  and  smashed  all  the  images,  and  placed 


APPENDIX  91 

the  club  in  the  hand  of  the  largest  of  them.  When  his 
father  came  back,  he  said  to  him  :  '  Who  has  done  this  to 
them  ?  '  He  [Abraham]  said  to  him  :  '  Why  should  I  hide 
(the  matter)  from  thee  ?  A  woman  came  carrying  a  dish  of 
fine  flour.  And  she  said  to  me  :  "  Here  thou  art  :  offer  it 
(as  an  oblation)  before  them."  I  offered  (it)  before  them. 
Then  one  said  :  "I  will  eat  first,"  and  another  said  :  "I 
will  eat  first."  The  one  who  was  greatest  among  them  rose 
up,  took  a  club,  and  smashed  them.'  And  [Terah]  said  to 
him  :  '  Why  wilt  thou  fool  me  ?  How  should  they  under- 
stand (anything)  ?  '  [Abraham]  said  to  him  :  '  Let  not  thy 
ears  hear  what  thy  mouth  says  !  '  [Terah]  took  him  and 
delivered  him  to  Nimrod.  The  latter  said  to  him  :  '  We  will 
worship  the  fire  ?  '  Abraham  said  to  him  :  '  But  we  should 
(rather)  worship  water.'  Nimrod  said  to  him  :  '  We  will 
worship  the  water.'  [Abraham]  said  to  him  :  '  If  so,  we 
ought  to  worship  the  cloud  that  bears  the  water.'  Nimrod 
said  to  him  :  ['  We  will  worship]  the  cloud.'  He  replied  to 
him  :  '  If  so,  we  ought  to  worship  the  wind ;  it  scatters  the 
cloud.'  [Nimrod]  said  to  him  :  ['  We  should  worship]  the 
wind.'  He  replied  :  '  W^e  should  worship  man,  who  endures, 
(defies)  the  wind.'  He  replied  :  '  You  are  bandying  words 
with  me ;  I  worship  the  fire  only,  (and)  lo,  I  will  cast  thee 
into  the  midst  of  it ;  then,  let  the  God  whom  thou  worship- 
pest  come  and  deliver  thee  from  it.'  Haran  was  standing 
there  in  doubt.  He  said  :  '  At  all  events  if  Abraham  is 
victorious  I  will  say  I  am  of  Abraham's  opinion ;  but  if 
Nimrod  is  victorious  I  will  say  I  am  of  Nimrod's  opinion.' 
When  Abraham  descended  into  the  fiery  furnace  and  was 
delivered,  they  said  to  him  :  '  On  whose  side  art  thou  ?  ' 
He  said  to  them  :  '  Abraham's.'  They  seized  him  and 
threw  him  into  the  fire.  And  his  bowels  were  scorched,  and 
it  fell  out  that  he  died  in  the  presence  of  his  father.  That 
is  the  meaning  of  the  verse,  and  Haran  died  in  the  presence 
of  Terah  his  father." 

Another  version  of  the  same  legend  (cf.  Tanna  dehe 
Eliyaha  ii.  25,  and  see  J.E.  i.  86)  runs  as  follows  : 

Terah  was  a  manufacturer  of  idols  and  had  them  for  sale. 
One  day  when  Abraham  was  left  in  charge  of  the  shop,  an 
old  man  came  to  buy  an  idol.  Abraham  handed  him  one 
on  the  top,  and  he  paid  the  price  asked.  "  How  old  art 
thou  ?  "  Abraham  asked.  "  Sevent}'  years,"  he  replied. 
"Thou  fool,"  said  Abraham;  "how  canst  thou  adore  a 
god  so  much  younger  than  thyself  ?  Thou  wert  born  seventy 
years  ago,  and  this  god  was  made  yesterday."  The  buyer 
threw  away  the  idol  and  received  his  money  back.  The 
other  sons  of  Terah  complained  to  their  father  that  Abraham 
did  not  know  how  to  sell  the  idols,  and  it  was  arranged  that 
he  should  act  as  priest  to  the  latter.     One  day  a  woman 


92  APPENDIX 

brought  a  meal-offering  for  the  idols,  and  as  they  would  not 
eat  he  exclaimed  :  A  mouth  have  they  hut  speak  not,  eyes 
have  they  hut  see  not,  ears  but  hear  not,  hands  hut  handle  not. 
May  their  makers  he  like  them,  and  all  who  trust  in  them  (Ps. 
cxv.  5-8) ;  and  he  broke  them  in  pieces,  and  burned  them. 
Abraham  was  thereupon  brought  before  Nimrod,  who  said  : 
"  Knowest  thou  not  that  I  am  god,  and  ruler  of  the  world? 
Why  hast  thou  destroyed  my  images  ?  "  Abraham  replied  : 
"  If  thou  art  god  and  ruler  of  the  world,  why  dost  thou  not 
cause  the  sun  to  rise  in  the  west  and  set  in  the  east  ?  If 
thou  art  god  and  ruler  of  the  world,  tell  me  all  that  I  have 
now  at  heart,  and  what  I  shall  do  in  the  future?  "  Nimrod 
was  dumbfounded,  and  Abraham  continued  :  "  Thou  art  the 
son  of  Cush,  a  mortal  man.  Thou  couldst  not  save  thy 
father  from  death,  nor  wilt  thou  thyself  escape  it." 

Another  form  of  the  legend,  after  narrating  the 
wonderful  nature  of  Abraham's  birth,  Nimrod's 
alarm  at  the  report  of  the  astrologers  and  magicians 
in  connexion  there^^ith,  and  his  attempt  to  bribe 
Terah  to  give  up  the  child,  who,  under  the  charge  of 
a  nurse,  was  hidden  by  his  father  in  a  cave,  where  he 
remained  for  some  years,  proceeds  (cf.  Midrash  ha- 
gadol  on  Genesis,  ed.  Schechter  p.  189  f.)  : 

When  Abraham  came  forth  from  the  cave,  his  mind  was 
inquiring  into  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  he  was  intent 
upon  all  the  luminaries  of  the  world,  to  bow  down  to  them 
and  serve  them,  in  order  that  he  might  know  which  of  them 
was  God.  He  saw  the  moon,  whose  light  shone  in  the  night 
from  one  end  of  the  world  to  the  other,  and  whose  retinue 
[of  shining  stars]  was  so  numerous.  Said  he  :  "  This  is 
God  !  "  (and)  he  worshipped  her  all  the  night.  But  when 
at  day-break  he  saw  the  sun-rise,  and  at  its  rising  the  moon 
become  dark  and  her  strength  wane,  he  said  :  "  The  light 
of  the  moon  only  proceeds  from  the  light  of  the  sun,  and 
the  world  is  only  sustained  by  the  light  of  the  sun,"  and 
so  he  worshipped  the  sun  all  day.  At  evening  the  sun  set, 
and  its  power  waned,  and  the  moon  and  the  stars  and  the 
constellations  emerged  (once  more).  Said  [Abraham]  : 
"  Verily  there  is  a  Lord  and  a  God  over  these." 

A  peculiar  form  of  the  legend  occurs  in  the  Biblical 
Antiquities  of  Pseudo-Philo  vi.  5-18.^ 

According  to  this  Midrashic  account,  Abram  with  eleven 
other  men  whose   names  are  given,  refused  to   bake  bricks 

^  Edited  for  the  first  time  in  English  by  Dr,  M.  R.  James, 
and  published  in  this  Series. 


APPENDIX  93 

for  the  building  of  the  Tower  of  Babel.  In  consequence, 
they  were  seized  by  the  people  of  the  land,  and  brought 
before  the  princes,  and  on  their  persistent  refusal  to  take 
any  part  in  the  building  of  the  Tower,  were  condemned  to 
be  burnt.  A  respite  of  seven  days  is  given  them  at  the 
intercession  of  Jectan,  "  the  first  prince  of  the  captains," 
but  at  the  end  of  this  time,  if  they  have  not  already  changed 
their  mind,  they  are  to  be  handed  over  for  execution.  Jectan, 
a  secret  friend,  contrives  their  escape  to  the  mountains,  and 
eleven  of  the  men  do  escape,  but  Abram  refuses  to  flee,  and 
remains  behind.  At  the  end  of  the  seven  days,  the  "  people 
of  the  land  "  demand  that  the  imprisoned  men  shall  be  pro- 
duced. Jectan  explains  that  eleven  of  them  "  have  broken 
prison  and  fled  by  night,"  but  Abram  is  produced,  is  cast 
into  the  fire,  but  is  miraculously  delivered  by  God,^  who 
causes  an  earthquake  which  breaks  up  the  furnace  and 
scatters  the  fire,  which  "  consumed  all  them  that  stood 
round  about  in  the  sight  of  the  furnace ;  and  all  they  that 
were  burned  in  that  day  were  83,500.  But  upon  Abram  was 
there  not  any  the  least  hurt  by  the  burning  of  the  fire." 

It  is  obvious  from  what  has  been  adduced  that  the 
legend  assumed  different  forms.  The  narrative  just 
cited  is  quite  independent  of  the  rest,  except  for  the 
episode  of  the  fiery  furnace.  The  form  also  given  in 
our  Book  is  largely  independent.  Nowhere  else  do 
we  meet  with  the  details  about  the  idol-gods  Meru- 
math  and  Barisat.  The  fiery  furnace  also  is  absent, 
and  the  burning  of  the  idols  is  effected  by  fire  from 
heaven.  At  the  same  time  in  chap.  vii.  of  our  Book 
in  the  speech  of  Abraham  to  Terah  about  the  claims 
to  divinity  of  fire,  water,  earth,  sun,  moon,  and  stars, 
there  is  a  marked  parallelism  with  the  Rabbinical 
accounts.  It  is  clear  that  the  form  of  the  legend  in 
our  Book  is  due  to  an  independent  and  free  handling 
of  the  legendary  material,  many  new  features  having 
been  introduced  in  the  process. 

The  legend  also  occurs  in  various  forms  in  the  Patristic 
and  Mohammedan  literature.  For  the  former  cf.  Clem. 
Recognitions,  i.  32  f.,  Augustine,  De  Civitate  xvi.  15;  and  for 
the  latter  cf.  J.E.,  i.  87  f.  ("  Abraham  in  Mohammedan 
Legend  ").      See   further    Fabricius,    Codex   pseudepigraphns 


1  According  to  R.  Eliezer  b.  Jacob  it  was  Michael  who 
delivered  Abraham  from  the  fire;  but  the  prevailing  view 
was  that  it  was  God  Himself;   cf.  Bereshith  rabba  xliv.  16. 


94  APPENDIX 

Vet.  Test.  (2nd  ed.,  Hamburg,  1722),  pp.  335-428),  Bonwetsch, 
pp.  41-55.  The  later  Jewish  forms  of  the  legend  (as  pre- 
served in  late  Midrashim)  have  been  collected  and  translated 
into  German  by  Wiinsche,  Ans  Israels  Lehrhallen  {igo-j),  i. 
pp.  14-48  (the  original  Hebrew  texts  are  printed  mainly  in 
Jellinek's  Beth  ha-Midrash) ;  cf.  also  G.  Friedlander,  Rabbinic 
Philosophy  and  Ethics  (1912),  pp.  47  ff. 


APPENDIX   II  1 

All  the  Palaias  begin  the  story  of  Abraham  as 
follows  : 

"  But  Terah  begat  Abraham  :  "  and  Terah  began  to 
do  the  same  work  which  he  saw  (being  done)  in  the 
case  oj  his  father  Nahor,  and  worshipped  the  gods,  and 
offered  sacrifices  before  them,  calves,  and  heifers,  and 
performed  everything  well-pleasing  to  the  Devil.  When 
Abraham,  however,  had  seen  this,  and  on  account  of  it 
fell  into  much  reflexion,  he  said  within  himself : 
"  These  gods  are  wood,  through  which  my  father  Terah  is 
deceived,  and  these  gods  have  no  soul  in  themselves  ;  and 
possessing  eyes  they  see  not,  and  having  ears  they  hear 
not,  and  possessing  hands  they  handle  not,  and  having 
feet  they  go  not,  and  possessing  noses  they  smell  not, 
and  there  is  no  voice  in  their  mouth.  Therefore  I  am 
of  opinion  that  in  truth  my  father  Terah  is  deceived. 
But  Abraham  having  thought  thus.  .  .   . 

Then  some  of  the  MSS.  proceed  : 

Abraham  [or  L),  however,  one  day  planed  the  gods, 
etc.  (as  in  chap,  i.) ;  but  the  rest  continue  with  chap. 
^'ii.  :  [Having  thought  thus,  Abraham]  came  to  his 
father,  etc. 

APPENDIX    III  2 

A  portion  of  our  Apocalypse  is  contained  in  an 
abbreviated  form  in  the  Kukulevic  MS.  which  is 
described  by  V.  Jagic  in  his  Contributions  to  the 
History  of  the  Literature  of  the  Croat  and  Serbian 
People  (Prilozi  k  historji  knjizevnosti  naroda  hrvatskoga 
i  srbskoga),  A  gram  1868. 

^  See  Bonwetsch,  p.  9.  -  See  Bonwetsch,  pp.  9-1 1. 


APPENDIX  95 

The  MS.  dates  from  the  year  1520,  and  includes 
on  pp.  371;  foU.  parts  of  The  Apocalypse  of  Abraham, 
in  a  much  abbreviated,  dislocated  and  altered  form 
as  compared  with  the  tradition  represented  by  the 
Russian  MSS.  This  apparently  represents  an  inde- 
pendent South  Slavonic  Recension  of  our  Book.  It 
runs  as  follows  :  ^ 

A  word  oj  righteous  Abraham,  as  God  loved  Abraham. 
He  was  born  ;  in  sixty  years  [i.  e.  at  the  age  of  60] 
He  [God]  had  given  him  (Terah)  a  son,  {even  to  Terah) 
who  believed  in  the  idols,  and  manufactured  idols,  and 
gave  them  names.  Abraham  went  and  sold  the  idols. 
When  on  a  certain  day  Abraham  had  lain  down  in 
the  field,  and  saw  the  stars  of  heaven  and  everything 
(made)  by  God,  he  surveyed  it  all  in  his  heart,  and  said  : 
"  0  great,  marvel!  These  idols  have  not  made  it: 
heaven  and  earth  and  everything  hath  God  made,  we, 
however,  are  senseless  men  not  believing  in  the  Creator 
of  heaven  and  earth,  hit  we  believe  in  stones  and  wood, 
and  in  vain  things,  but  I  see  and  understand  that  God 
is  great,  who  hath  created  heaven  and  earth  and  the  whole 
world." 

On  a  certain  day  his  father  carved  idols,  and  told 
Abraham  to  prepare  (their)  food.  And  Abraham  took 
a  god  and  stood  him  at  the  fire  behind  the  pot,  and  said 
to  him  :  If  thou  art  a  god,  pay  heed  to  the  pot  and  to 
thyself.  And  then  the  pot  boiled  over,  and  burnt  the 
god's  head.  And  Abraham  approached,  and  saw  it, 
and  laughed  about  it  much,  and  said  to  his  father  : 
"  Father,  these  idols  are  no  good,  they  cannot  protect 
themselves,  how  should  they  protect  us?"  And  his 
father  was  angry,  and  said  :  "  His  have  befallen  us, 
my  son,  I  am  not  offended."  And  then  Abraham  arose 
and  took  the  idols,  and  loaded  them  on  an  ass,  and 
brought  them  into  the  street  to  sell.  And  he  saw  a 
great  marsh,  and  said  to  the  idols  :  "If  you  are  gods, 
take  heed  to  the  ass  that  it  do  not  drown  you."  And 
the  ass  went  into  the  marsh  and  sank  in  the  mire.  And 
Abraham   said   to   them  :     "If  you  were   good   gods, 

^  As  given  in  a  German  translation  by  Dr.  L.  Masing  of 
Dorpat  (in  Bonwetsch,  pp.  10  f.). 


96  APPENDIX 

(then)  you  would  protect  .  .  .  and  also  protect  your- 
selves ;  hut  since  you  are  evil  gods,  you  must  suffer 
evil."     And  he  took  them  and  shattered  them. 

And  he  returned  to  his  father,  and  said  :  "  Father, 
I  tell  thee  the  truth  ;  these  gods  are  no  good,  and  yon 
are  wrong  to  believe  in  them."  Thereupon  his  father 
flung  a  knife  against  him,  and  Abraham  stood  aside, 
and  was  perplexed  in  -his  mind.  And  he  went  into  the 
land  of  Mesopotamia  Chaldaea  and  did  not  know  the 
way  by  which  to  go.  Then  the  angel  Uriel  came  to  him, 
having  made  himself  (in  appearance)  like  a  traveller. 
And  Abraham  said  to  the  angel :  "  Tell  me,  Brother, 
whence  art  thou,  and  whither  goest  thou?  "  The  angel 
said  to  him  :  "  I  go  to  the  land  of  Chaldaea."  And 
Abraham  said :  "I  also  go  with  thee."  And  the 
angel  said  to  him:  "Come,  Brother!"  And  Abra- 
ham saw  a  large  (and)  very  black  eagle  sitting  and  nod- 
ding its  head  at  Abraham  ;  and  Abraham  passing  by  it 
was  seized  with  great  fear,  and  said  nothing. 

And  the  angel  said  to  him  :  "  Talk,  Brother,  of 
nothing  but  God."  And  the  angel  taught  him  all  the 
time  to  talk  of  nothing  but  godly  things.  And  the  angel 
said  to  him:  "  Yonder  eagle  was  indeed  the  Devil 
himself,  and  desired  to  make  thee  turn  hack." 

And  in  that  land  Abraham  abode  fifteen  years  ;  there 
he  dwelt,  (and)  thither  his  father  came  to  him,  and  his 
brother  Lot,  and  there  Abraham  took  his  wife  Sarah. 

And  the  angel  came  to  Abraham,  and  told  him  to 
depart  from  this  land,  and  to  go  into  the  land  of  Chaldaea 
(sic),  "for  there  the  Lord  hath  commanded  thee  to 
live."  Abraham  did  accordingly.  The  narrative 
then  proceeds  on  the  basis  of  the  account  given  in 
Gen.  XX. 

It  is  obvious  that  this  is  largely  an  independent 
reshaping  of  the  old  material.  But  it  contains  clear 
reminiscences  both  of  the  legendary  and  apocalyptic 
parts  of  our  Book. 


INDEX 


[The  references  are  to  pages,  unless  otherwise  indicated ; 
n.  =  "  note  "  or  "  notes."] 


Abbreviations,  xxxii  f. 
Abraham — 

prominence  of,  in  later 
Literature,  xxiv 

legend  of,  ch.  i— viii  and 
Appendix  I  (cf.  also 
p.   48  and  notes) 

as  maker  of  idols,  35  n. 

burns  idol-temple.  Ap- 
pendix I  (cf.  p.  43) 

trance  of  (Gen.  xv),  44  n. 

"  Friend  of  God,"  45  w. 
Abraham,  Apocalypse  of — 

The  Slavonic  text,  x  ff. 

original  language  and  date 
of,  XV  fi. 

early  attestation  of,  xvi 
ff. 

Jewish  and  Essene  charac- 
ter of,  xxi 
Abraham,  Testament  of — 

xix,  xxiii,  xxxi,  49  n.,  52  n., 

53^- 
Abyss,  the,  66  n. 
Adam,  stature  of,  69  n. 
Age   (the  coming),   "  sown," 

80  n. 
Angelology,  xxv  f. 
Angels    =    material       altar, 

51  n. 
worship  of,  57  w. 
Apostolic  Constitutions  cited, 

xviii 
Asceticism  in  Ap.  Abr.,  xxix 
Azazel,      xxi,      xxiii,      xxvi, 

xxxii,  52  n.,  53  n.,  54  n., 

65  «.,  71  n.,  78  n.,  85 
G  97 


Barisat,  xv,  39  f.  andnote, 
Beliar,  52  w. 

Cain,    lawlessness    of,    xxiii, 

cf.  72  n. 
Chariot,  the  divine,  xxix  f., 

63   n. 
Cherubim,     87.       See     also 

Hayyoth 
Christ,  worship  of,'78  n. 
Christological    development, 

xxv,  xxxi  f. 
Clementine  literature,  xxxi 

Day  (=  1000  years),  77  n. 
Dead,  burial  of  the,  48  n. 
Dew  (the  resurrection),  64  n. 
"  Descents  "      (=  "  genera- 
tions "),  74  n.,  76  n. 
Dove,  the,  51  n. 
Dualism,   xxvi,  33  n. 

Ebionites,  xxi  f. 

Elect,   number  of  the,   pre- 
determined, 81  n. 

Enoch,      falls      into      back- 
ground, xxiv 
relation  of,    to    Metatron, 
xxv 

Essenes,  xxiv,  xxix,  68  n. 

Fasting,  45  n. 

Fire,  theophanic,  57  «. 

as  element  of  punishment, 
84  n. 
Food  (heavenly),  50  n. 


98 


INDEX 


Freedom,  moral,  74  11. 
Friend,  see  Ahrahani 

Garments,  heavenly,  53  n. 
Ginzberg,  cited,  xxi  f.,  ei  al. 
Gnostic  elements  in  Ap.  Abr. 

xix  f. 
Gnostics,  xvii  ff.,  xxii  f. 

Hades,   86 

Hayyoth  ("  living  creatures  "), 

47  n.,  56  n.,  62  n.,  64  n. 
Hell,  85  n. 
Heathen,      punishment      of, 

xxviii,  69  n.,  80  n. 
Heavens,   the  seven,    47   n., 

64  n.,  65  n. 
"  Hour"  (=  100  years),  76  f. 

and  note 

Irenajus  referred  to,  xix,  xx 

Jaoel  (archangel),  xxiii,  xxv, 
46  n.    See  also  Met  air  on 

James,  Dr.  M.  R.,  quoted, 
xviii 

Jealousy,  image  of,  73  n. 

Jews,  renegade,  85  n.,  86  n. 

Judgement,  the,  xxvii  f. 

Kabbalah,  xx,  72  n. 
Kohler,  quoted,  xxiv,  xxx 

"  Lawless  One  "  (Devil),  72  ;?. 

Leviathan,  48  «.,  67  n. 

Light  (created),  44  n. 

(uncreated),  56  n.,   60   n., 
64  n. 

Light  and  darkness  (opposi- 
tion of),  xix 

Liturgy,  Jewish,  cited,  58  n., 
59  n.,  61  n.,  63  n.,  84  n. 

Logos-idea,  see  Chvistological 
development 

Merumath,  xv,  35  n.,  41 

Messiah — ■ 

in  line  of  Seth,  xxiii 
gathers  Israel,  xxviii,   (cf. 
ch.  xxxi  and  notes) 


Messiah- 
endowed  with  a  measure  of 

the     divine     attributes, 

84  n.  (cf.  also  69  n.) 
Messianic      Salvation,      the, 

76  n.,  84  n. 
Metatron      (Michael),      xxv, 

46  n.,  49  n.     See  further 

Jaoel,  Michael 
Michael,  47  n.,   48  n.,   49  n. 

See  further  Metatron 
Midrash,   cited,   xxiv  f.,   35, 

48  n.,  52  n.,  56  n.,  62  n., 

68  n.,  70  n.,  80  n.,  87 
Mighty   One    (title  of   God), 

43  w->  54  W-.  55 
Mishna  cited,  38  «. 
Mithra,  cult  of,  64  n. 

Name,   the   divine,    mystery 

of,  xxiii 
Names,  the  divine,  mystical 

significance  of,  55  f.  and 

notes,  61  V. 
Nicephorus,  Stichometry  of, 

xviii  f.,  xxii 

Ophannim  ("  Wheels  "), 

62  n.,  63  n.,  64  n. 

Palaea,  xii,  94 

Paradise,       the       heavenly, 

xxvii,  67  n. 
Philo     cited,     xvii,     50     n., 

58  n. 
Plagues,  the  ten   (at  end  of 

the  Age),   76  «.,   80  n., 

83  n. 
Porfir'ev,  L,  xiv 
Predestinarian  ideas  in  ^^. 

Abr.,  55  7?.,  68  n.,  81  n., 

82  n. 
Prediction,  divine,  82  n. 
Pypin,  A.,  xiv 

"  Right  and  left,"  xx,  67  f. 
and  note,  69  n.,  74  11. 

Resurrection  doctrine,  ab- 
sence of  in  Ap.  Abr., 
xxvii,  81  11. 


INDEX 


99 


Sabaoth,  59  n. 
Sacrifices,  humein,  73  n. 
Sacrificial      system      divine, 

73  11.  (cp.  81  n.) 
Sammael,  54,  70  n.,  71  11. 
Seth,  line  of,  xxiii 
Shaddai,  59  ;/. 
Sin,  original,  xxvii,  xxxi 
Song  (angelic),  46  n.,   56  n., 

^58  11.,  87 
Sreznevsky,  J,  xi 
"  Survive  "    (technical   term 

in  Apocalyptic),  81  n. 
S^dvester,  Codex,  x,  xi 

Talmud,  cited  xxvii,  47  n., 
49  n.,  52  n.,  53  n.,  60  n., 
64  n.,  67  7?.,  69  n.,  70  w., 
83  n. 


Tartarus,  see  A  byss 
Temple,  burning  of  the,  75  v. 
Throne    (of  God),   vision   of, 

ch.  xviii,  62  n.,  64  n. 
Tikhonravov,  xi,  xiv 
Tree     (of     Paradise),  =  the 

vine,  70  n. 
Trumpet,  the,  84  ti. 

XTr  (of  the  Chaldees),  43  n. 

Wine  and  milk,  40  n. 

"  Woes  "  (Messianic),  81  n. 

Word  of  God,  45  n.,  68  11. 


Zohar,  referred  to,  xx,  49  71. 
Zoroastrianism,  xix 


Printed    in    Gkeat    Brhajn     dy 

Richard  Clay    &  Sons,  Limited, 

brunswick  st,,  stamford  st.,  s.e.  t, 

and  bungay.   suffolk. 


/ 

TRANSLATIONS   OF   EARLY   DOCUMENTS 
SERIES   I 

PALESTINIAN    JEWISH    TEXTS 
(PRE-RABBINIC) 

?. 


THE  ASCENSION  OF  ISAIAH 


THE  ASCENSION^'  ""^Z 
OF    ISAIAH 


R.  H.  CHARLES,  D.Litt.,  D.D. 

CANON    OF    WESTMINSTER  ;    FELLOW    OF    MEKTON    COLLEGE  ; 
FELLOW   OF    THE    BRITISH    ACADEMY 


WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION    BY    THE 

Rev.  G.  H.  box,  M.A. 


SOCIETY    FOR    PROMOTING 
CHRISTIAN    KNOWLEDGE 

LONDON:  68,    HAYMARKET,   S.W. 
1917 


EDITORS'    PREFACE 

The  object  of  this  series  of  translations  is  primarily 
to  furnish  students  with  short,  cheap,  and  handy 
text-books,  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  facilitate  the 
study  of  the  particular  texts  in  class  under  com- 
petent teachers.  But  it  is  also  hoped  that  the 
volumes  will  be  acceptable  to  the  general  reader 
who  may  be  interested  in  the  subjects  with  which 
they  deal.  It  has  been  thought  advisable,  as  a 
general  rule,  to  restrict  the  notes  and  comments  to 
a  small  compass ;  more  especially  as,  in  most  cases, 
excellent  works  of  a  more  elaborate  character  are 
available.  Indeed,  it  is  much  to  be  desired  that 
these  translations  may  have  the  effect  of  inducing 
readers  to  study  the  larger  works. 

Our  principal  aim,  in  a  word,  is  to  make  some 
difficult  texts,  important  for  the  study  of  Christian 
origins,  more  generally  accessible  in  faithful  and 
scholarly  translations. 

In  most  cases  these  texts  are  not  available  in  a 
cheap  and  handy  form.  In  one  or  two  cases  texts 
have  been  included  of  books  which  are  available 
in  the  official  Apocrypha;  but  in  every  such  case 
reasons  exist  for  putting  forth  these  texts  in  a  new 
translation,  with  an  Introduction,  in  this  series. 

We  desire  to  express  our  thanks  to  Canon  Charles 
and  Messrs.  A.  &  C.  Black  for  their  permission  to 
reprint  here  the  translation  of  the  Ascension  of  Isaiah, 
published  in  1900. 

W.  O.  E.  Oesterley. 
G.  H.  Box. 


INTRODUCTION 


Short  Account  of  The  Book 

The  apocryphal  book  known  as  The  Ascension  of 
Isaiah  appears  to  be  a  work  of  composite  structure 
made  up  of  three  originally  distinct  parts,  one  of 
which  is  of  Jewish,  the  others  of  Christian  origin. 
The  title  given  to  the  whole  work — The  Ascension  of 
Isaiah — is  due  to  the  principal  extant  version,  the 
Ethiopic.  Strictly,  however,  it  applies  only  to  the 
last  part,  contained  in  chapters  vi.-xi.  ("  The  Vision 
of  Isaiah  ").  The  other  two  parts,  which  probably 
circulated  independently  at  first,  may  be  identified 
with  writings  (otherwise  lost)  known  as  The  Martyr- 
dom of  Isaiah  (=  i.  i-iii.  12  and  v.  i  6-14),  a  Jewish 
work,  perhaps  pre-Christian ;  and  The  Testament  of 
Hezekiah  (iii.  13-v.  la),  which  hke  The  Vision  of 
Isaiah  (=  vi.-xi.)  is  of  Christian  origin.  The  whole 
work  appears  to  have  been  combined  in  its  present 
form  by  a  Christian  editor,  some  time  in  the  second 
century  a.d.^  The  entire  book  is  extant  in  an 
Ethiopic  version,  and  fragments  of  it  exist  in  Greek, 
Latin,  and  Slavonic.  The  original  language  in  which 
the  work  was  composed  was  certainly  Greek  for  the 
two  Christian  parts,  and  probably  also  for  the  Jewish 

1  "From  the  third  century  onward  the  Ascension  [in  its 
present  form]  had  an  extensive  circulation  amongst  Christian 
heretics  "  (Charles). 

vii 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

part  (the  Martyrdom),  though  this  last  may  depend 
ultimately  upon  a  Hebrew  or  Aramaic  prototype. 

The  process  by  which  these  parts  were  fused  into 
the  present  whole  is  difficult  to  determine  exactly. 
According  to  Dr.  Charles  the  complicated  phenomena 
presented  by  the  versions  and  fragments  may  be 
explained  as  follows.  The  last  part,  containing  "  the 
Vision  of  Isaiah  "  (vi.-xi.),  was  edited  in  two  Greek 
recensions  (G^  and  G^).  From  G^  a  Latia  (L^)  and 
a  Slavonic  (S)  version  were  made.  G^  was  united 
with  the  Greek  texts  (G)  of  the  Martyrdom  and  the 
Testament,  and  the  whole  composite  work  so  produced 
was  translated  into  Ethiopic  (E) ;  fragments  also 
are  extant  in  Latin  (L^).  The  Greek  text  of  G^  is  not 
extant,  but  it  can  be  restored  to  a  considerable  extent 
from  a  Greek  work,  based  upon  it,  which  has  survived, 
and  is  known  as  "the  Greek  Legend  {of  Isaiah)."^ 
Another  fragment  of  the  Greek  text,  written  on  a 
papyrus  of  the  fifth  or  sixth  century,  has  been  pub- 
lished by  Grenfell  and  Hunt.  It  contains  the  text 
of  ii.  4-iv.  4  (i.e.  parts  of  the  Martyrdom  and  Testa- 
ment) and  is  denominated  by  Dr.  Charles  G^,  though 
it  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  a  distinct  recension  like 
the  G^  of  the  Vision  (=  vi.-xi.).  All  these  texts  (the 
Slavonic  in  a  Latin  translation)  have  been  printed 
in  parallel  columns,  and  edited  with  critical  notes, 
by  Dr.  Charles  in  his  edition  of  our  book  (pp.  83-148). 

In  accordance  with  the  critical  anatysis  outlined 
above  the  whole  work  may  be  divided  into  four 
parts,  and  is  so  divided  in  the  translation  that 
follows. 

1  Discovered  by  Dr.  O.  von  Gebhardt  in  a  Greek  MS.  of 
the  twelfth  century,  preserved  in  the  National  Library  in 
Paris. 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

Part  I.  (=  i.  i-iii.  12)  contains  the  first  part  of 
The  Martyrdom  of  Isaiah.  Isaiah  is  introduced 
predicting,  in  the  presence  of  Hezekiah  and  Josab 
{i.e.  Shear-jashub,  Isaiah's  son)  his  own  death  at  the 
hands  of  Manasseh.  After  the  death  of  Hezekiah, 
Isaiah,  on  account  of  the  "  lawlessness  "  and  infamous 
practices  of  Manasseh,  withdrew  with  certain  other 
prophets  into  the  desert  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Bethlehem.  Here  he  is  pursued  by  Balchira,  a 
Samaritan,  who  denounces  him  to  Manasseh,  alleging 
that  Isaiah  had  uttered  prophecies  against  Jerusalem 
and  the  King,  in  whose  heart  Beliar  dwells. 

Part  II.  (=iii.  13-v.  la)  contains  the  so-called  Testa- 
ment of  Hezekiah  (iii.  13-iv.  18) ,  a  Christian  writing.  It 
has  been  introduced  at  this  point  by  the  Christian 
redactor  to  explain  why  Beliar  is  so  much  incensed 
w^ith  Isaiah.  This  was  occasioned  by  Isaiah's  pre- 
diction (here  recorded)  of  the  destruction  of  Sammael 
(Satan),  the  redemption  of  the  world  by  Jesus,-  the 
founding  of  the  Church,  its  persecution  by  Nero, 
which  is  the  prelude  to  the  final  judgement.  Inci- 
dentally a  somewhat  sombre  picture  is  drawn  of 
the  state  of  affairs  in  the  Church  in  these  last  days. 
Worldliness  and  lawlessness  prevail  among  its  minis- 
ters, there  is  much  covetousness,  respect  of  persons, 
slander  and  vainglory,  and  true  "  prophets  "  are  hard 
to  find.  This  picture  reflects  the  state  of  affairs  in 
the  Church  as  it  existed  at  the  close  of  the  first 
century,  and  harmonizes  with  similar  accounts  given 
in  2  Peter,  2  Timothy,  and  Clement  of  Rome  {ad 
Cor.  iii.). 

Part  III.  (=  v.  i  Z?-i4)  contains  the  conclusion 
of  the  Martyrdom,  resuming  iii.  12.  It  recounts  the 
story  of  Isaiah's  martyrdom.     The  prophet  is  tempted 


X  INTRODUCTION 

by  Balchira  to  recant,  but  indignantly  refusing  to  do 
so,  is  sawn  asunder  with  a  wooden  saw. 

Part  IV.  (=  vi.-xi.)  contains  The  Vision  of  Isaiah, 
a  Christian  writing.  It  describes  a  vision,  which  the 
prophet  experienced  while  he  was  prophesying  in 
the  presence  of  King  Hezekiah.  While  he  was  yet 
speaking  he  fell  into  a  trance,  with  his  eyes  open. 
Afterwards  he  related  the  vision  to  the  King  and  the 
prophets,  but  not  to  the  people.  The  vision,  as 
related,  describes  how  the  prophet  was  taken  by  an 
angel  through  the  seven  heavens,  and  what  he  saw 
there.  In  the  seventh  heaven  he  saw  the  departed 
righteous,  including  Abel  and  Enoch,  and  finally 
the  Divine  Being  ("the  Great  Glory")  Himself, 
together  with  a  second  glorious  One  like  Him,  and  a 
third  who  is  the  Angel  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Then  the 
Most  High  is  heard  commissioning  the  Son  to  descend 
through  the  heavens  and  the  firmament  to  the 
world,  and  even  to  Sheol.  The  descent  of  "  The 
Beloved"  is  then  described,  the  birth  of  Jesus  of  a 
Virgin,  His  life,  death,  and  resurrection,  and  the 
sending  forth  of  the  Twelve ;  and  finally  His  Ascent 
though  the  seven  heavens  where  He  seats  Himself  on 
the  right  hand  of  "  the  Great  Glory,"  the  angel  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  being  on  the  left.  The  prophet  having 
related  the  vision  to  Hezekiah,  warns  him  that  these 
things  will  come  to  pass. 

Dr.  Charles  thinks  that  the  three  independent 
writings,  which  form  the  constituent  elements  of 
our  Book,  were  all,  in  their  original  form,  in  existence 
in  the  first  century.  This  view  is  very  probable. 
We  have  already  seen  that  the  picture  of  the  state 
of  affairs  prevailing  in  the  Church,  given  in  the 
Testament,    harmonizes   with   a    first-century   date. 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

This  seems  to  be  true  also  of  the  last  part  (vi.-xi). 
The  Jewish  colouring  in  both  the  Christian  parts 
suggests  a  date  not  later  than  the  end  of  the  first 
century.  On  the  other  hand  the  Martyrdom  may 
well  be  pre-Christian  in  substance. 

Titles  of  the  Book 

The  book — or  parts  of  it — is  referred  to  in  ancient 
patristic  literature  under  various  titles.  Epiphanius 
terms  the  last  part  (vi.-xi.)  "  the  Ascension  of  Isaiah  " 
{to  'Ava/SaTLKov  'Hcracov),  as  also  does  Jerome  ("  Ascensio 
Isaiae  ") ;  elsewhere  it  is  referred  to  as  "  the  Vision 
of  Isaiah  "  {opacns  'Ho-atov,  "  Visio  Isaiae  "),  and  this 
title  is  actually  prefixed  to  chapter  vi.  in  the  texts 
of  the  Versions  ("  The  Vision  which  Isaiah  the  son 
of  Amoz  saw  ").  Finally  Georgius  Cedrenus  cites 
iv.  12,  under  the  title  of  "  the  Testament  of  Hezekiah  " 
(AtaOrjKrj  'E^e/ctov) — a  title  which,  as  Dr.  Charles  has 
shown,  originally  applied  to  an  independent  writing 
now  incorporated  in  the  entire  work  (=  iii.  13-v.  i  a). 
As  has  already  been  mentioned,  the  Ethiopic  version 
prefixes  the  title  The  Ascension  of  Isaiah  to  the  whole 
composite  work,  and  this  is  now  the  commonly 
accepted  name  of  the  entire  book. 

The  Ancient  Versions 

The  most  important  of  the  ancient  versions  is  the 
Ethiopic  (E),  including  as  it  does  the  entire  text. 
It  depends  upon  three  MSS.,  two  of  which  are  in  the 
British  Museum,  and  one  in  the  Bodleian  Library  at 
Oxford.  The  Ethiopic  version  was  made,  of  course, 
from  the  Greek  original,  and  according  to  Dr.  Charles 
is  "on  the  whole  a  faithful  reproduction  "  of  the 
first  Greek  Recension  (G^).     An  edition  of  the  Ethiopic 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

text  was  published  by  Archbishop  Laurence  in  1819, 
and  an  important  critical  one  by  Dillmann  in  1877. 
Both  these  scholars  also  published  translations  of  E. 
A  Latin  version  of  the  last  part  of  the  Asce^tsion 
(vi.-xi.)  was  printed  at  Venice  in  1522  from  a  MS. 
now  unknown.  This  is  denominated  by  Dr.  Charles 
L^.  Two  fragments  of  what  appears  to  be  another 
Latin  version,  embracing  ii.  14-iii.  13  and  vii.  1-19, 
were  discovered  and  edited  by  Mai  in  1828.  This 
version  is  stjded  by  Dr.  Charles  L^.  Fortunately  it  is 
possible  to  compare  L^  and  L^  in  a  passage  common  to 
both,  viz.  vii.  1-19.  When  this  is  done  it  appears 
that  L^  and  E  agree,  to  a  remarkable  extent,  against 
L^  and  the  Slavonic  (S).  Hence  Charles  infers  the 
existence  behind  them  of  two  different  recensions 
of  the  original  Greek  text  (G),  which  he  terms  G^ 
and  G^.^  The  combination  EL^  (and  the  "  Greek 
Legend  ")  =  G^,  and  that  of  SL^  =  G^.  The  argu- 
ments are  given  in  full  in  Dr.  Charles's  edition,  and 
appear  to  be  convincing. 

The  Slavonic  text,  a  Latin  translation  of  which 
(by  Prof.  Bonwetsch)  is  given  in  Dr.  Charles's  edition, 
is  a  version  of  the  last  part  only,  the  "  Vision  of 
Isaiah"  (vi.-xi.).  Its  title  is  The  Vision  which  the 
[holy]  Prophet  Isaiah,  the  Son  of  Amoz,  saw.  It  is 
derived  ultimate^  from  two  MSS.  from  which  an 
edition  by  the  Russian  scholar,  A.  Popov,  was 
published.  As  has  been  pointed  out  above  it 
depends  upon  the  recension  of  the  original  Greek 
text  denominated  G^. 

The  text  of  the  Greek  Legend,  which  appears  to 
have  been  based  upon  one  of  the  recensions  (G^) 
of  the  original  work  is  printed  in  full  by  Dr.  Charles 

1  These  were  two  recensions  of  the  Greek  text  of  vi.-xi. 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

in  his  edition  of  our  book.  The  important  papyrus 
fragment  discovered  by  Grenfell  and  Hunt  contains 
the  Greek  text  of  ii.  4-iv.  4.  This  is  styled  by  Dr. 
Charles  G^,  but  must  not  be  confounded  with  the 
G2  which  embraces  vi.-xi,  and  is  to  be  regarded  as  a 
distinct  recension.  Where  the  papyrus  fragment 
differs  from  the  text  of  EL^  this  difference,  according 
to  Dr.  Charles,  is  to  be  explained  "  as  due  to  the  errors 
and  variations  incidental  to  the  process  of  trans- 
mission "  and  not  (as  in  the  case  of  G^  in  vi.-xi.)  as 
due  to  its  being  part  of  a  distinct  recension.  The 
archetypal  Greek  text  may  still  have  been  in  existence 
in  the  fourth  century. 

Special  Importance  of  the  Book 

In  accordance  with  the  critical  analysis  we  may 
regard  our  Book  as  containing  three  distinct  and 
originally  independent  works,  all  of  which  go  back 
to  the  first  century.  The  last  part  reflects  the  beliefs, 
prevalent,  in  certain  circles,  on  such  subjects  as 
the  Trinity,  the  Incarnation,  the  Resurrection,  the 
seven  heavens,  while  the  Testament  (iii.  12-v.  i  a) 
gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  state  of  affairs  prevail- 
ing in  the  Christian  Church  at  the  close  of  the  first 
century.  It  should  be  noted  that  both  the  Christian 
parts  are  apocalyptic  in  character,  while  the  Jewish 
part — the  Martyrdom — is  a  legendary  narrative. 
This  may  well  be  of  a  much  earlier  date  than  the 
two  Christian  parts.  For  the  legend  which  it  embodies 
— Isaiah's  death  by  being  sawn  asunder  with  a  wooden 
saw — has  very  early  attestation,  and  is  not  impro- 
bably alluded  to  in  Heb.  xi.  2>7  {they  '^^re.  sawn 
asunder).  In  fact  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  may  very  well  have  derived  his  knowledge 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

of  the  legend  from  the  Martyrdom.  It  is  referred  to 
clearly  by  Justin  Martyr  (Trypho,  chap,  cxx.),  and  con- 
stantly by  later  Christian  writers.  It  is  also  attested 
in  Jewish  literature.  Both  Talmuds  refer  to  Isaiah's 
death  at  the  hands  of  Manasseh  (cf.,2  Kings  xxi.  i6), 
and  recount  that  Isaiah  took  refuge,  fleeing  from 
before  Manasseh,  in  a  cedar  tree,  and  when  this  was 
discovered,  Manasseh  had  the  tree  sawn  asunder; 
and  that  as  this  was  done  the  prophet's  blood  flowed 
out  (cf.  T.B.  Sanhedrin  103*,  Yehamoih  49^  T.J. 
Sanhedriri  x).  On  the  other  hand  the  legend  is  not 
referred  to  explicitly  by  Josephus. 

We  may  regard  the  Martyrdom  as  an  early  Jewish 
Midrash,  based  upon  2  Kings  xxi.  16,  and  as  perhaps 
composed  or  already  in  existence  in  the  first  half  of 
the  first  century  A.  D.  M.  Halevy  {Etudes  evangeliques 
i.  pp.  65  ff.),  who  accepts  a  pre-Christian  date  for  the 
Martyrdom,  has  indeed  tried  to  show  that  the  narra- 
tive of  Our  Lord's  Temptation  has  been  influenced 
by  it.  But  his  parallels  are  not  very  convincing.  The 
relevant  passage  in  the  Martyrdom  (v.  4-8)  may  be 
allowed  to  speak  for  itself.  It  runs  as  foUows  : 
And  BalcMrd  said  to  Isaiah :  "  Say :  I  have  lied  in 
all  that  I  have  spoken,  and  likewise  the  ways  of  Manasseh 
are  good  and  right :  and  the  ways  also  of  BalcMrd  and 
of  his  associates  are  good."  And  this  he  said  to  him 
when  he  began  to  he  sawn  in  sunder.  But  Isaiah  was 
{absorbed)  in  a  vision  of  the  Lord,  and  though  his  eyes 
were  open,  he  saw  them  {not). 

And  Balchird  spake  thus  to  Isaiah :  "  Say  what  I 
say  unto  thee  and  I  will  turn  their  heart,  and  I  will 
compel  Manasseh  and  the  princes  of  Judah  and  all 
the  people  and  all  Jerusalem  to  reverence  thee." 

And  Isaiah  answered  and  said  :    "So  far  as  I  hav^ 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

utterance  (I  say)  :  Damned  and  accursed  he  thou  and 
all  thy  powers  and  all  thy  house.  For  thou  canst  not 
take  (from  me)  aught  save  the  skin  of  my  body." 

This  rather  bald  and  jejune  account  is  remote, 
both  in  substance  and  spirit,  from  the  sublime  narra- 
tive in  the  Gospels.  To  suggest  anything  like  direct 
dependence  of  the  latter  on  the  former,  or  to  regard 
the  Jewish  account  as  the  "  source  "  of  the  Gospel 
narrative  is  surety  far-fetched.  Nevertheless  the 
Martyrdom  sheds  some  interesting  light  on  the 
Jewish  demonology  current  in  the  first  century.  Thus 
Beliar  (=BeHal)  appears  as  one  of  the  names  of  the 
Prince  of  evil  spirits  (=  Satan).  He  is  "  the  Angel 
of  lawlessness,  who  is  the  ruler  of  this  world  "  (cf. 
John  xii.  31;  xvi.  11;  2  Cor.  iv.  4;  Ephes.  vi.  12). 
He  is  in  many  respects  like  Sammael — also  a  satanic 
being— though  possibly,  as  Charles  suggests,  Sammael 
is  regarded  as  subordinate  to  BeHar,  executing  the 
latter's  behests  (i.  8).  The  origin  and  significance  of 
the  name  Beliar  (Belial)  is  a  matter  of  controversy  ; 
but  it  seems  clear  that  it  had  mythological  associa- 
tions, and  may  originally  have  been  a  designation  of 
the  underworld  (Sheol,  Hades)  into  which  the  living 
descend  at  death,  and  from  which  there  is  no  return 
( =  Bal-ya'al,  "  there  is  no  ascent  ").  This  seems  to  be 
the  meaning  of  the  term  in  Ps.  xviii.  5  : 

The  breakers  of  Death  had  come  about  me,  and  the 
streams  of  Belial  affrighted  me: 

Here  Belial  is  parallel  to  Death  =  place  of  death, 
i.  e.  Sheol.  1  Another  illuminating  passage,  in  this 
connection,  is  Ps.  xli.  8  : 

A  matter  of  Belial  [Hades]  [i.  e.  a  mortal  disease) 
is  fixed  upon  him, 

^  Death  and  Sheol  are  often  parallel ;  cf.  e.  g.  Is.  xxviii.  15, 18. 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

And  now  that  he  lieth  he  will  rise  up  no  more. 

The  personification  easily  follows.  Death  and  Sheol 
were  so  personified  (of.  Ps.  xviii.  6) ,  becoming  names  of 
the  prince  of  the  underworld,  and  in  exactly  the  same 
way  Belial  (Beliar)  becomes  the  name  pi  the  prince 
of  evil  powers.  For  a  New  Testament  parallel  cf.  2 
Cor.  vi.  T^  (What  concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial?). 
Beliar  is  also  designated  expressly  by  another  mysteri- 
ous name.  Matanbuchus  (cf.  ii.  4,  "  Beliar  whose 
name  is  Matanbuchus  ").  The  commonly  accepted 
explanation  of  this  bizarre  form  is  that  it  is  composed 
of  two  Hebrew  words,  mattan  bukd,  meaning  "  worth- 
less gift."  But  this  is  not  very  satisfactory.  Halevy 
suggests  that  it  is  really  a  form  of  the  Hebrew  mith- 
dabek,  "  one  who  attaches  himself,"  and  so  designates 
the  evil  spirit  as  the  possessor  of  its  victim.  There  is 
some  support  for  this  explanation  in  a  passage  of  the 
Talmud  (T.B.  Shabbdth  32'')  where,  according  to  one 
reading  of  the  text,  the  woman  who  neglects  certain 
duties  is  spoken  of  as  threatened  by  three  "  mortal 
possessions"  ("attachments  of  death"),  ^.^.  mortal 
diseases,  which  Rashi  ad  loc.  explains  as  so  called 
"  because  they  attach  and  bring  close  death  before 
its  time."  The  "  one  who  takes  possession  "  is  an 
admirable  designation  of  the  evil  spirit,  and  har- 
monizes well  with  the  representation  which  depicts 
Beliar  as  "  dwelling  "  ''  in  the  heart  of  Manasseh  " 
(iii.  11).^  It  should  be  added  that  Belial  (Beliar) 
appears  in  the  Book  of  Jubilees  in  a  Satanic  rdle. 
He  is  represented  as  the  accuser  and  father  of  all 
idolatrous  nations  (Jub.  i.  20).     In  the  Testaments 

•Kohler,  in  J.E.  ii.  659,  suggests  that  Metembuchus  may 
be  a  "  corrupt  form  "  of  Angro-mainyush  or  Ahriraan,  the  evil 
deity  of  the  rehgion  of  Ancient  Persia, 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

of  the  Twelve  Patriarchs  Belial  is  depicted  as  the  arch- 
fiend, the  head  of  the  evil  spirits,  and  the  source  of 
impurity  and  lying. 

Another  demonic  figure  that  appears  in  the 
Martyrdom  is  Sammael  (  =  "  venom  of  God  "),  who 
occupies  an  important  place  in  the  late  Jewish  litera- 
ture both  Talmudic  and  post-Talmudic.  In  this 
literature  he  is  represented  as  prince  of  the  demons, 
and  is  identifi.ed  with  the  angel  of  death,  who  slays 
men  with  a  drop  of  poison.  He  is  **  the  chief  of  the 
Satans  "  (Dent.  rahh.  xi.  9;  cf.  Matt.  ix.  34,  "the 
prince  of  the  devils  "),  and  plays  the  part  of  accuser, 
seducer,  and  destroyer.  He  thus  seems  to  be  identical 
with  Beliar  (Belial),  but  in  the  Martyrdom  he  is 
apparently  subordinated  to  the  latter  (cf.  i.  8). 
In  i.  8  he  is  surnamed  Malchird,  which  may  possibly 
be  explained,  as  Halevy  suggests,  as  =  "  king  of 
evil"  (melek  or  malki  ra'),  or  "messenger  of 
evil "  (maVak  ra').  Perhaps  the  name  of  the 
Samaritan  false  prophet,  BalcMrd,  who  takes  so 
active  a  part  in  bringing  about  the  prophet's  martyr- 
dom, may  also  be  explained  as  =  "  chosen  of  evil " 
(behir-ra').  According  to  Dr.  Charles'  analysis  the 
name  "  Sammael "  was  originally  peculiar  to  the 
Martyrdom  (i.  8,  11;  ii.  i),  though  it  also  occurs  in 
editorial  additions  (vii.  9;  iii.  13;  v.  15,  16;  xi.  41). 
In  the  last  of  these  passages  Sammael  is  identified 
with  Satan  ("  Sammael  Satan  ").  It  should  be 
added  that  Beliar  is  entirely  absent  from  the  "  vision  " 
(vi.-xi.).  He  appears,  however,  in  the  Testament, 
but  not,  as  in  the  Martyrdom,  as  a  purely  immaterial 
spirit,  but  as  incarnate  in  Nero,  thus  fulfilling  the 
role  of  Antichrist  ("the  Beliar  Antichrist,"  iv.  2,  14, 
16,  18).     In  exactly  the  same  way  in  the  Sibyllines 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

iv.  2^  Belial  (Beliar)  descends  from  heaven  as  Anti- 
christ, and  appears  as  Nero,  the  slayer  of  his  mother. 
This  conception  is  important  for  the  history  of  the 
Antichrist  idea.  Ultimately  the  idea  may  be  derived 
from  the  early  myth  of  a  terrible  conflict  waged 
with  the  Dragon  of  Chaos — ^Tiamat — by  the  divine 
Hero,  who  eventually  overcomes  her.  Here,  very 
probably,  we  have  the  prototype  of  the  later  Antichrist 
legend,  which  has  undergone  so  remarkable  and  rich 
a  development  in  the  course  of  the  ages.  On  the 
principle  which  plays  so  important  a  role  in  eschato- 
logical  development,  that  *'  Urzeit  "  =  "  Endzeit  " 
- — the  last  stage  will  reproduce  the  first — the  trans- 
ference of  the  idea  of  the  mythical  combat  of  the 
divine  Hero  with  the  primaeval  Dragon  to  the  end  of 
the  ages  is  easy  to  understand.  The  conception  thus 
arises  of  the  battle  of  God  with  the  devil  at  the  end 
of  the  world.  "  It  is  very  likely,"  says  Bousset,^ 
**  that  Antichrist  is  originally  nothing  else  than  the 
incarnate  devil,  and  that  the  idea  of  a  battle  of  God 
with  a  human  opponent,  in  whom  all  devilish  wicked- 
ness would  become  incarnate,  arose  under  the  influ- 
ence of  definite  historical  conditions."  The  first 
historical  figure  to  be  identified  with  Antichrist  was 
the  persecutor  of  the  Jews,  the  Syrian  King  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  whose  lineaments  are  depicted  in  the 
Book  of  Daniel,  and  who  became  the  type  of  the  God- 
opposing  tyrant.  Later,  as  in  the  middle  section  of 
our  Book  (the  Testament)  and  in  the  Book  of  Revela- 
tion, it  was  Nero.^     Later  still,  it  was  discovered  now 

1  Of  Christian  origin.       2  Art.  Antichrist  {E.R.E.  i.  578  f.). 

3  In  the  Psalms  of  Solomon  (first  century  B.C.),  Pompey  the 
Great,  the  violator  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  is  the  Antichrist. 
He  is  referred  to  as  "  the  dragon  "  (ii.  29)  and  the  "  sinner  " 
(ii.  i).    For  the  Neronic  Antichrist  in  Revelation,  cf  Rev.  xvii. 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

in  this,  now  in  that  historical  character.  But  it 
must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  poUtical  application 
of  the  idea,  though  it  assumed  a  dominating  place  in 
the  later  development,  was  not  an  essential  or  origi- 
nal feature  of  the  conception.  Occasionally,  as  in 
2  Thess.  ii.  3  f. — where  "  the  man  of  lawlessness  "  = 
Beliar,  and  "  he  that  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself 
against  all  that  is  called  God  "  =  Antichrist,  i.  e. 
the  combined  phrase  =  Beliar-Antichrist — the  Anti- 
christ, freed  from  political  associations,  becomes  a 
purely  ideal  figure  which  works  in  the  spiritual 
sphere. 

A  striking  feature  of  our  Book  is  the  designation 
of  the  Messiah  as  "  The  Beloved."  This  Messianic 
title  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the  Book,  though,  accord- 
ing to  Charles  it  was  originally  peculiar  to  the  two 
Christian  parts,  viz.  to  the  Testament  (iii.  13,  17,  18; 
iv.  3,  6,  9,  18),  and  the  Vision  (vii.  17,  23;  viii.  18, 
25;  ix.  12).  The  passages  in  the  M artyrdom  \\]\ere 
it  occurs  (i.  4,  5,  7,  13)  are,  he  thinks,  due  to  the  final 
editor.  There  are  good  grounds,  as  Dr.  Armitage 
Robinson  has  shown, ^  for  believing  that  this  title  is 
pre-Christian.  It  is  used  in  the  Old  Testament  as 
a  title  of  Israel  (6  rjya-n-rjiJievo^  LXX) ;  cf.  e.  g.  Deut. 
xxxii.  15,  xxxiii.  5,  26,  where  it  is  the  Greek  rendering 
of  Jeshurun  (cf .  also  Is.  xliv.  2) ;  the  terms  6  ^ya7rr//xeVo? 
and  6  ayaTTTyros  also  occur  in  Is.  v.  i,  7.  The  trans- 
ference of  the  title  from  the  people  as  a  whole  to  the 
Messiah  was,  therefore,  perfectly  natural,  as  the 
parallel  cases  of  "Servant"  and  ''Elect"  show. 
Further,  at  the  time  when  the  Gospels  were  written  the 
terms  "  Beloved  "  and  "  Elect  "  were  practically  inter- 
changeable, for  St.  Matthew  (xii.  18)  writes  "  my 
1  Hastings,  D.B,,  ii.  501. 


XX  INTRODUCTION 

Beloved  "  (6  ayaTTTyro?  /xov),  in  citing  Is.  xlii,  i,  where 
the  Hebrew  has  "  mine  Elect/'  and  conversely  St. 
Luke  (ix.  35),  in  the  narrative  of  the  Transfiguration, 
substitutes  "  Chosen  "  ("  Elect  ")  (6  eKXeXey/xeVos) 
for  ''  Beloved  "  (Mark  ix.  7).  It  should  be  added 
that  in  the  phrase  6  vl6<;  fxov  6  aya-n-qTo^  (Mark  i.  11 ; 
ix.  7),  6  dyaTTT/Tos  is  probably  to  be  regarded  as  a 
separate  title,  and  the  rendering  should  be  '*  My  Son, 
the  Beloved."  The  title  is  used  also  as  a  synonym 
for  "  Christ  "  in  Eph.  i.  6  ("  his  grace  which  he  freely 
bestowed  on  us  in  the  Beloved "),  and  is  freely 
employed  as  a  designation  of  Christ  in  early  Christian 
writings  (Ep.  Barn.,  Clem.  Rom.,  Ignatius,  Hermas), 
and  certain  passages  in  the  LXX  where  6  dyaTrr/ros 
occurs  were  interpreted  Messianically  by  Christian 
writers  (e.  g.  Ps.  xliv.  [xlv]  title,  Zech.  xii.  10).  Its 
frequent  use  in  our  Book  as  a  stereotyped  term  for 
the  Messiah  is  thus  an  interesting  link  in  the  evidence 
for  the  gradual  establishment  of  its  use  in  this  sense. 

Turning  now  to  the  Vision  (vi.-xi.),  we  find  some 
interesting  and  important  features  which  call  for 
comment.  In  ch.  vii.  foil,  the  visionary  experience 
of  the  prophet  is  described,  how  he  was  conducted 
by  the  angel  through  the  seven  heavens,  and  what 
he  saw  there.  We  have  here  an  elaborate  descrip- 
tion of  the  seven  heavens,  which  in  fulness  can 
only  be  paralleled  with  the  well-known  one  in  the 
Slavonic  Enoch.^  The  conception  of  a  plurality  of 
heavens  was  widespread  in  the  ancient  world,  and 
was  probably  known  to  the  ancient  Babylonians,  and 
certainly  to  the  followers  of  Zoroaster,  as  well  as  to 
certain  Greek  philosophers  in  the  West.      It  can  be 

1  Cf.  the  elaborate  discussion  in  Charles'  ed.  of  the  Slavonic 
Enoch,  pp.  xxx.-xlvii. 


INTRODUCTION  xxi 

traced  in  the  Old  Testament,  in  the  apocalyptic  and 
New  Testament  writings,  in  the  Talmud,  and  in 
early  Christian  literature  (outside  the  New  Testa- 
ment). Ultimately  it  was  given  up  by  Christian 
theology,  and  was  even  banned  as  heretical.  The 
particular  conception  of  seven  heavens  seems  to  be 
due  ultimately  to  astral  theories.  The  sevenfold 
division  of  the  planets  gave  birth  to  the  sevenfold 
division  of  earth  and  hell  in  ancient  Babylonian 
thought,  and  it  is  exceedingly  probable  that  this 
division  was  applied  to  the  heavens  also  in  ancient 
Babylonian  religion. 

In  the  Old  Testament  the  conception  of  a  plurality  of 
the  heavens  is  probably  implicit  in  the  Hebrew  term 
for  "  heaven  "  (shdmayim)  which  is  plural  in  form.  It 
comes  to  explicit  expression  in  such  phrases  as  "  the 
heaven  of  heavens  "  (Deut.  x.  14;  i  Kings  viii.  27; 
Ps.  cxlviii.  4),  and  the  idea  that  Satan  has  access 
there  to  the  very  presence  of  God  (Job  i.,  ii. ;  cf .  i  Kings 
xxii.  19-22)  may  possibly  point  in  the  same  direction. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  apocalyptic  literature  of 
Judaism  that  the  conception  is  most  fully  elaborated. 
One  of  the  fullest  descriptions  is  found  in  the  Test.  XII 
Patriarchs  (Levi  ii.  7  f.).  Here,  however,  as  Charles 
and  other  scholars  have  shown,  there  are  traces  of 
redaction,  and  it  is  probable  that  the  earliest  (and 
original)  form  of  the  passage  was  a  description  of 
three  heavens,  and  that  this  was  transformed  later 
by  redaction  into  a  description  of  the  seven.  Thus  the 
earliest  Hebrew  idea  of  a  plurality  of  Heavens,  seems 
to  have  been  that  there  were  three,  and  this  idea  may 
underlie  the  Old  Testament  passages  enumerated 
above.  But  by  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era 
and  subsequently  the  doctrine  of  seven  heavens  was 


xxii  INTRODUCTION 

firmly  established  in  Judaism.  A  detailed  descrip- 
tion, as  has  been  said,  is  given  of  them  in  the  Slavonic 
Enoch  (first  century  a.d.),  and  it  may  underlie  the 
description  of  the  seven  "  ways  "  or  stages  apportioned 
to  souls  after  death  in  4  Ezra  vii.  90-98  (end  of 
first  century  a.d.).  From  Jewish  it  passed  over 
to  Christian  apocalypses  such  as  our  Book.  In  the 
Babylonian  Talmud  (Hag.  12*)  there  is  a  discussion 
of  this  subject,  and  the  doctrine  that  there  are  seven 
heavens  is  associated  with  the  name  of  Resh  Lakish 
[c.  260  A.D.).     It  is  there  reported — 

Resh  Lakish  said :  There  are  seven  {heavens) ,  and 
these  he  they  :  Vilon  (  =  velum,  "  curtain  "),  Rakia', 
ShBhakim,  Zebul,  Ma' on,  Mdkhon,  'Ardboth. 

It  is  worth  noting  that  in  the  detailed  description 
of  the  seven  heavens  given  in  the  Slavonic  Enoch 
a  place  in  one  of  them  (the  third)  is  reserved  for  the 
damned.  [Slav.  Enoch  x.),  and  in  the  secondare  the 
fallen  angels  (ch.  vii.). 

When  we  turn  to  the  New  Testament  we  find  clear 
traces  of  the  same  conception.  St.  Paul  (2  Cor.  xii. 
2  f.)  explicitly  mentions  *' the  third  heaven"  as  the 
place  of  location  of  Paradise,  which  agrees  with  the 
representation  of  the  Slavonic  Enoch.  It  has  been 
disputed  whether  St.  Paul's  conception  embraced 
only  three  or  seven  heavens.  But  in  view  of  the 
evidence  of  the  Slavonic  Enoch  it  seems  probable 
that  the  later  and  more  developed  view  lies  at  the 
background  of  his  thought.  Similarly  in  the  Epistle 
to  the  Ephesians  (i.  3,  20;  ii.  6;  iii.  10;  and  vi.  12) 
the  remarkable  phrase  is  used  "  in  the  heavenly 
(places)  "  or  **  sphere  "  [h  to2<s  eTrovpaj/tot?) ,  which 
certainly  points  in  the  same  direction.  It  is  remark- 
able that  the  presence  of  evil  (evil  powders)  "  in  the 


INTRODUCTION  xxiii 

heavenly  sphere  "  is  here  expUcitly  recognized 
(cf.  Ephes.  vi.  12,  "  against  the  spiritual  hosts  of 
wickedness  in  the  heavenly  sphere  ").  We  may  also 
compare,  in  this  connection,  Col.  i.  20  :  "  to  reconcile 
all  things  unto  Himself,  whether  things  upon  the 
earth  or  things  in  the  heavenly  sphere."  By  ''  the 
things  in  the  heavenly  sphere"  are  meant  probably 
either  the  fallen  angels  imprisoned  in  the  second 
heaven,  or  "  the  powers  of  Satan  whose  domain  is  in 
the  air"  (cf.  also  Ephes.  iii,  10).  Christ  is  repre- 
sented as  having  "  ascended  far  above  all  the  heavens  " 
(cf.  also  Heb.  iv.  14;  vii.  26) ;  and  in  Rev.  xii.  "  war  " 
in  heaven  is  spoken  of,  Michael  and  his  angels  warring 
against  Satan  and  his  host,  who  are  overthrown  and 
expelled.  This  last  feature  gives  expression  to  the 
religious  feeling  that  found  the  presence  of  evil  in 
heaven  intolerable. 

It  can,  of  course,  be  argued,  and  with  a  considerable 
amount  of  truth,  that  this  language  of  St.  Paul  and 
the  other  New  Testament  writers  must  not  be  unduly 
pressed.  It  is  a  striking  fact  that  nowhere  in  the 
New  Testament  do  we  find  a  detailed  or  materialistic 
description  of  the  heavenly  sphere  such  as  we  meet 
with  in  some  of  the  earlier  apocalyptic  writings. 
There  is  a  marked  absence  of  painful  literalism.  The 
dominant  ideas  behind  the  language  are  essentially 
spiritual.  It  is,  no  doubt,  largely  symbolical.  Nor 
must  it  be  forgotten  that  the  tendency  to  spiritualize 
the  old  crude  conception  is  marked  in  the  late  Jewish 
Apocalypse  of  Ezra  (4  Ezra),  the  composition  of 
which  may  be  dated  about  100  a.d.  Nevertheless, 
even  if  this  be  so,  it  is  obvious  that  the  detailed 
doctrine  is  implied,  and  that  in  its  fully  developed 
form   it   had  secured  a    firm   place  in  first-century 


xxiv  INTRODUCTION 

Judaism.  This  conclusion  is  confirmed  by  our  Book. 
The  part  with  which  we  are  at  present  concerned,  viz. 
the  "  Vision  "  (vi.-xi.)  was,  at  the  earhest,  composed 
at  the  latter  end  of  the  first  century  a.d.,  and  probably 
by  a  Jewish  Christian.  It  seems  not  improbable  that 
the  detailed  account  of  the  seven  heavens  here  given 
has  been  influenced  by  the  Slavonic  Enoch.  The 
description  in  our  Book  is,  perhaps,  less  crude  and 
materialistic,  but  obviously  the  conception  was 
very  much  alive  in  certain  (? Jewish  and  Jewish 
Christian)  circles  at  the  end  of  the  first  century  A.D. 
Another  point  of  contact  between  the  two  writings 
may  be  seen  in  the  idea  of  heavenly  "  garments  "  with 
which  the  righteous  will  be  clothed,  the  "  garments  " 
being  the  spiritual  bodies  which  are  awaiting  them 
in  heaven  (cf .  vii.  22 ;  viii.  14,  26 ;  ix.  9,  17,  24-26 ; 
xi.  40;  also  iv.  16).  According  to  the  Slavonic 
Enoch  (xxii.  8-10)  these  "  garments  "  of  the  blessed 
are  to  be  composed  of  God's  glory.  The  New  Testa- 
ment parallels  to  this  idea  are  referred  to  in  the  notes. 
A  word  must  be  said  in  conclusion  about  the  very 
important  passage,  xi.  2-22,  which  gives  the  circum- 
stances of  Christ's  birth  of  the  Virgin  Mar}^,  and 
emphasizes  the  Virgin-Birth.  Several  scholars,  in- 
cluding Dillmann  and  Schiirer,  regard  this  section 
as  an  interpolation,  and  for  this  view  there  is  some 
positive  ground  in  the  fact  that  the  section  is  sub- 
stantially absent  from  the  old  Latin  Version  and  the 
Slavonic,  which  omit  all  references  to  Mary  and  Joseph 
and  Christ's  birth.  Nevertheless,  the  section  is 
probably  a  genuine  part  of  the  original  work,  as 
Charles  rightly  argues  from  the  internal  evidence. 
The  elimination  of  all  reference  to  the  circumstances 
of  the  Birth  may  easily  be  explained  as  due  to  dog- 


INTRODUCTION  xxv 

matic  reasons  in  the  interests  of  a  Docetic  view  of 
Christ.  The  Book  certainly  had  an  extensive  circula- 
tion among  heretics,  and  the  Latin  Version  was 
preserved  in  these  circles.  We  may  add  that  it  would 
be  very  extraordinary  if,  in  a  Christian  writing  of 
the  latter  part  of  the  first  century,  which  purports 
to  narrate  the  vision  of  Isaiah  about  Christ  and  His 
descent  from  heaven  to  earth,  no  mention  was  made 
of  His  birth  of  a  Virgin.  The  famous  passage, 
Is.  vii.  14,  had  received  a  Christian  application  in 
Jewish  Christian  circles,  as  Matt.  i.  shows.  It  is 
incredible  that  this  Jewish-Christian  application  of 
the  sense  was  unknown  to  the  writer  of  the  "  Vision  " 
at  the  end  of  the  first  century,  and  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  him  to  have  ignored  it.  In  any 
case  this  important  section  is  an  early  attestation  of 
the  doctrine.  It  should  be  noted  also  that  the 
passage,  even  in  its  complete  form,  reveals  traces  of 
incipient  Docetism.  The  birth  is  represented  as 
having  taken  place  without  any  natural  pangs. 
Doubtless  the  elimination  of  all  reference  to  the 
birth  came  later,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  demands  of 
the  full-blown  Docetic  theory.  The  conception  of 
the  Trinity  is  also  interesting.  The  Son  and  the 
Holy  Spirit  are  worshipped  (ix.  27-36),  but  they  also 
worship  God  (ix.  39-40) ;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
referred  to  as  an  angel  ("  the  Angel  of  the  Spirit  " 
or  "  the  Angel  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ").  This  repre- 
sentation seems  also  to  be  characteristically  Jewish 
Christian. 

Bibliography 
The  works  of  Laurence  and  Dillmann  have  already 
been  referred  to.     The  most  complete  and  important 
edition  of  the  Book  both  for  the  texts  of  the  versions, 


xxvi  INTRODUCTION 

translation,  interpretation  and  criticism  is  that  of  Dr. 
Charles  :    The  Ascension  of  Isaiah  (London,  1900).^ 

Dillmann's  text  has  also  been  translated  into 
French  by  Basset  :  Les  Apocryphes  Ethiopiens,  iii., 
U  Ascension  d' I  sale  (1894). 

An  important  study  of  the  Martyrdom  has  been 
published  by  the  Jewish  scholar,  J.  Halevy,  in  his 
Etudes  evangeliques  (Paris,  1903),  pp.  65  ff. 

Reference  may  also  be  made  to  the  articles  Isaiah, 
Ascension  of,  in  Hastings'  D.B.  (by  Dr.  Armitage 
Robinson,  important),  in  J.E.  and  in  Wace's  Dic- 
tionary of  Christian  Biography.  Schiirer  has  discussed 
questions  of  Introduction  in  §  32,  vi.  of  his  History  of 
the  Jewish  People  in  the  Time  of  Christ,  and  gives  a 
conspectus  of  the  passages  in  the  patristic  literature 
which  refer  to  our  Book.  In  the  corresponding  section 
of  the  last  German  edition  a  full  and  up-to-date 
Bibliography  is  given. 

1  An  edition  of  the  Martyrdom  (only),  by  Charles,  is  included 
in  the  Oxford  Apocrypha  and  Pseudepigrapha,  ii.  155-162. 
In  the  German  Die  Apokryphen  und  Pseiidepigraphen,  ed. 
by  Kautzsch,  an  edition  of  the  Martyrdom  (only)  is  included 
(by  Beer). 


SHORT  TITLES,   SYMBOLS  AND  BRACKETS  USED 
IN  THIS  EDITION 

1  Enoch  =  the  Ethiopic  Book  of  Enoch. 

2  Enoch  =  the  Slavonic  Book  of  Enoch. 

Ap.  Bar.  =  the  Syriac  Apocalypse  of  Baruch. 

G  denotes  the  lost  Greek  archetype  of  G^  G^. 

G^  denotes  the  lost  Greek  text  from  which  EL^  were  trans- 
lated, and  on  which  the  Gk.  Leg.  was  based. 

G2  denotes  the  Greek  text  from  which  SL^  were  translated, 
of  which  ii.  4-iv.  2  has  now  been  recovered. 

E  denotes  the  Ethiopic  Version. 

S  denotes  the  Slavonic  Version. 

L^  denotes  the  Latin  Version  from  G^  (consisting  of  ii.  14- 
iii.  13;    vii.  1-19). 

U  denotes  the  Latin  Version  from  G^  (consisting  of  vi.-xi.). 

IT  fl.  The  use  of  these  brackets  in  the  English  translation 
of  E  means  that  the  words  so  enclosed  are  found  in  G^  and 
not  in  G^.  In  certain  cases  the  words  peculiar  either  to  G^ 
or  G^  are  derived  from  G. 

(  ).  The  words  or  letters  so  enclosed  are  supplied  by  the 
editor. 

*     *.  The  words  so  enclosed  are  emendations  of  the  text. 

f      j.  The  words  so  enclosed  are  corrupt. 

[     ].  The  words  so  enclosed  are  interpolated. 

D.B.  =  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,  and  E.R.E.  —  Encyclopcsdia 
of  Religion  and  Ethics.     Both  edited  by  Dr.  Hastings. 

J.E,  =  Jewish  Encyclopedia. 

Presumed  additions  by  the  final  editor  of  the  whole 
composite  work  are  indicated  in  the  text  of  the  translation 
by  italic  type. 


xxvui 


THE  ASCENSION  OF 
ISAIAH 

PART  I 

The  Martyrdom  of  Isaiah ^  (I.  i-III.  12). 

I.  I.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  twenty-sixth  year 
of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah  that  he 
called  Manasseh  his  son.  Now  he  was  his  only  one. 
2.  And  he  called  him  into  the  presence  of  Isaiah 
the  son  of  Amoz  the  prophet,  and  into  the  presence 
of  Josab  ^  the  son  of  Isaiah,  in  order  to  deliver  unto 
him  the  words  of  righteousness  which  the  king  him- 
self had  seen :  3.  And  of  the  eternal  judgements  and 
the  torments  of  Gehenna  ^  and  of  the  ^prince*  of  this 
world,^  and  of  his  angels,  and  his  authorities  and 
his  powers,  4.  And  the  words  of  the  faith  of  the 
Beloved  ^  which  he  himself  had  seen  in  the  fifteenth 
year  ^  of  his  reign  during  his  illness.  5.  And  he 
delivered  unto  him  the  written  words  which  Samnas  the 
scribe  had  written '  and  also  those  which  Isaiah,  the 

1  The  extracts  from  the  Jewish  Martyrdom  of  Isaiah  are 
contained  (with  certain  editorial  additions  indicated  by  itahc 
type)  in  i.  i-iii.  12+v.  16-14.  Between  these  sections  the 
Testament  of  Hezekiah  (iii.  136-iv.  18)  is  inserted. 

2  Josdb  ==  {Shear)-']d.sh.Vih',    cf.  Is.  vii.  3. 

^  Gehenna  :  cf.  iv.  14  (not  again  in  this  book). 

*  Prince  of  this  world,  i.  e.  Behar;    cf.  ii.  4;  iv.  2;  x.  29. 

^  i.  e.  the  Messiah,  a  title  frequently  occurring  in  this  book 
(and  probably  pre-Christian  in  this  sense). 

^  Cf.  2  Kings  XX.  1-6;    Is.  xxxviii.  1-20. 

'  Samnas  =  Shebna  (so  vi.  17) ;  verses  5&-6  are  a  summary 
description  of  the  Vision  of  Isaiah  contained  in  chaps,  vi.-xi. 

29 


30  THE  ASCENSION   OF   ISAIAH     [chap,  i 

son  of  Amoz,  had  given  to  him,  and  also  to  the  prophets, 
that  they  might  write  and  store  up  with  him  what  he 
himself  had  seen  in  the  king's  house  regarding  the 
judgement  of  the  ajigels,^  and  the  destruction  of  this 
world,  and  regarding  the  garments  of  the  saints  and 
]their\  going  forth,  and  regarding  ]their]  transforma- 
tion and  the  persecution  and  ascension  of  the  Beloved. 

6.  In  the  twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  Isaiah 
had  seen  the  words  of  this  prophecy  and  had  delivered 
them  to  Josdb  his  son.  And  whilst  he  (Hezekiah) 
gave  commands,  Josab  the  son  of  Isaiah  standing  by, 

7.  Isaiah  said  to  Hezekiah  the  king,  but  not  in  the 
presence  of  Manasseh  only  did  he  say  unto  him  : 
"  As  the  Lord  liveth,  whose  name  hath  not  been  sent 
into  this  world,  and  as  the  Beloved  of  my  Lord  liveth, 
and  the  Spirit  which  speaketh  in  me  ^  liveth,  all 
these  commands  and  these  words  will  be  made  of 
none  effect  by  Manasseh  thy  son,  and  through  the 
agency  of  his  hands  I  shall  depart  mid  the  torture 
of  my  body.  8.  And  Sammael  Malchira  ^  will  serve 
Manasseh,  and  execute  all  his  desire,  and  he  will 
become  a  follower  of  Beliar  *  rather  than  of  me  : 
9.  And  many  in  Jerusalem  and  in  Judaea  he  will 
cause  to  abandon  the  true  faith,  and  Beliar  will 
dwell  in   Manasseh,   and   by  his  hands   I   shall  be 

1  The  Messiah  will  judge  the  angels;  cf.  iv.  18,  x.  12; 
according  to  one  view  the  saints  will  act  as  the  Messiah's 
assessors  at  the  judgement,   cf.    i   Cor.  vi.  3   (i  Thess.  iii. 

13). 

2  The  Holy  Spirit  speaks   through  the  prophets;    cf.  ix. 

36. 

3  Sammael,  originally  one  of  the  chief  archangels,  tempted 
Eve,  and  became  the  chief  of  the  Satans  and  the  angel  of 
death  :  see  further  J.E.  x.  665  f .  (art.  Sammael.  For  Malchira 
cf.  Introduction,  p.  xvii.). 

•*  Beliar  later  identified  with  Satan  (in  the  Sibyllines  with 
Antichrist).     See  Introduction,  p.  xv  ff. 


CHAP.  I]  PART   I  31 

sawn  asunder."  10.  And  when  Hezekiah  heard 
these  words  he  wept  very  bitterly,  and  rent  his 
garments,  and  placed  earth  upon  his  head,  and  fell 
on  his  face.  11.  And  Isaiah  said  unto  him  :  *'  The 
counsel  of  Sammael  against  Manasseh  is  consum- 
mated :  nought  will  avail  thee."  12.  And  on  that 
day  Hezekiah  resolved  in  his  heart  to  slay  Manasseh 
his  son.  13.  And  Isaiah  said  to  Hezekiah  :  "  The 
Beloved  hath  made  of  none  effect  thy  design,  and  the 
purpose  of  thy  heart  will  not  be  accomplished,  for 
with  this  calling  have  I  been  called  and  I  shall  inherit 
the  heritage  of  the  Beloved." 

II.  I.  And  it  came  to  pass  after  that  Hezekiah 
died  and  Manasseh  became  king,  that  he  did  not 
remember  the  commands  ^  of  Hezekiah  his  father 
but  forgat  ^  them,  and  Sammael  abode  in  Manasseh 
and  clung  fast  to  him.  2.  And  Manasseh  forsook 
the  service  of  the  God  of  his  father,  and  he  served 
Satan  and  his  angels  and  his  powers.  3.  And  he 
turned  aside  the  house  of  his  father  which  had 
been  before  the  face  of  Hezekiah  (from)  the  words 
of  wisdom  and  from  the  service  of  God.  4.  And 
Manasseh  turned  aside  his  heart  to  serve  Beliar; 
for  the  angel  of  lawlessness,  who  is  the  ruler  ^  of  this 
world,  is  Beliar,  whose  name  is  Matanbuchus.*  And 
he  delighted  in  Jerusalem  because  of  Manasseh, 
and  he  made  him  strong  in  apostatizing  (Israel) 
and   in   the   lawlessness   which   was   spread    abroad 

1  Cf.  i.  6.  7. 

2  forgat,  a  play  on  the  name  Manasseh  (in  Hebrew) ;  cf. 
Gen.  xli.  51. 

^  ruler  of  this  world  is  Beliar  :  cf.  x.  29;  John  xii.  31, 
xvi.  II  {prince  of  this  world) ;  2  Cor.  iv.  4  {god  of  this  world) ; 
Ephes.  vi.  12. 

^  Matanhuchus,  meaning  uncertain — possibly  =  "worthless 
gift  "  (Liicke)  :   but  cf  Introduction,  p.  xvi. 


32       THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  ii 

in  Jerusalem.  5.  And  witchcraft  ^  and  magic  in- 
creased, and  divination  and  auguration,  and  forni- 
cation, [and  adultery],  and  the  persecution  ^  of  the 
righteous  by  Manasseh  and  [Belachira,  and]  Tobia 
the  Canaanite,^  and  John  of  .Anathoth,^  and  by 
(Zadok)  the  chief  of  the  works.^  6.  And  the  rest 
of  the  acts,  behold  they  are  written  in  the  book  of 
the  Kings  of  Judah  and  Israel.  7.  And,  when 
Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  saw  the  lawlessness  which 
was  being  perpetrated  in  Jerusalem  and  the  worship 
of  Satan  and  his  wantonness,  he  withdrew  from 
Jerusalem  and  settled  in  Bethlehem  of  Judah. 
8.  And  there  also  there  was  much  lawlessness, 
and  withdrawing  from  Bethlehem  he  settled  on 
a  mountain  in  a  desert  place.  9.  And  Micaiah  * 
the  prophet,  and  the  aged  Ananias,  and  Joel  and 
Habakkuk,  and  his  son  Josab,  and  many  of  the 
faithful  who  believed  in  the  ascension  into  heaven, 
withdrew  and  settled  on  the  mountain.  10.  They 
were  all  clothed  with  garments  of  hair,^  and  they 
were  all  prophets.  And  they  had  nothing  with 
them,  but  were  naked,  and  they  all  lamented  with 
a  great  lamentation  because  of  the  going  astray 
of  Israel.  11.  And  these  ate  nothing  save  wild 
herbs  ^  which  they  gathered  on  the  mountains,  and 
having   cooked  them,   they  lived  thereon   together 

^  witchcraft,  etc.  :   cf.  2  Kings  xxi.  6. 

2  Cf.  2  Kings  xxi.  16. 

3  Unknown. 

*  And  Micaiah,  etc.,  cf.  vi.  7.  "The  aged  Ananias"  may 
possibly  be  Hanani,  father  of  Jehu,  a  prophet  :  cf.  i  Kings 
xvi.   1-7. 

^  Cf.  Matt.  iii.  4. 

6  Cf.  4  Ezra  ix.  26;  Dan.  x.  2,  3.  Such  asceticism  was 
one  of  the  most  esteemed  ways  of  preparing  for  the  reception 
of  a  divine  revelation, 


CHAP.  II]  PART   I  33 

with  Isaiah  the  prophet.  And  they  spent  two 
years  of  days  on  the  mountains  and  hills.  12.  And 
after  this,  whilst  they  were  in  the  desert,  there  was 
a  certain  man  in  Samaria  named  Belchira,  of  the 
family  of  Zedekiah,  the  son.  of  Chenaan,^  a  false 
prophet,  whose  dwelling  was  in  Bethlehem.  Now 
f  Hezekiah  f  ^  the  son  of  Chanani,  who  was  the  brother 
of  his  father,  and  in  the  days  of  Ahab,  king  of 
Israel,  had  been  the  teacher  of  the  400  prophets 
of  Baal,2  had  himself  smitten  *  and  reproved  Micaiah 
the  son  of  Amada  the  prophet.  13.  And  he,  Micaiah, 
had  been  reproved  by  Ahab  and  cast  into  prison. 
(And  he  was)  with  Zedekiah  the  prophet  :  they 
were  with  Ahaziah  the  son  of  *Ahab,  king  in  Samaria.* 
14.  And  Elijah  the  prophet  of  Tebon  ^  of  Gilead 
was  reproving  Ahaziah  and  Samaria,  and  prophesied  ^ 
regarding  Ahaziah  that  he  should  die  on  his  bed  of 
sickness,  and  that  Samaria  should  be  delivered  into 
the  hand  of  Leba  Nasr '  because  he  had  slain  the 
prophets  of  God,  15.  And  when  the  false  prophets, 
who  were  with  Ahaziah  the  son  of  Ahab  and  their 
teacher  Jalerjas  of  Mount  fjoelf,  had  heard — 16. 
Now  he  was  a  brother  of  Zedekiah — when  they  had 
heard,  they  persuaded  Ahaziah  the  king  of  jAgua- 
ron  f  ^  and  (slew)  Micaiah. 

1  For  this  false  prophet  of.  i  Kings  xxii.  11. 

2  Apparently  a  mistake  for  Zedekiah  [i.  e.  the  same  person 
as  the  one  just  before  mentioned).  This  Zedekiah  was  an 
uncle  of  Belchira. 

^  Cf.  I  Kings  xviii.  22  (confused  here  with  i  Kings  xxii.  6). 

*  Cf.  I  Kings  xxii.  24  (Micaiah,  son  of  Imlah,  in  i  Kings). 

5  Tebon  =  Thisbe,  a  town  of  Naphtali;  cf.  i  Kings  xvii.  i. 
where  "  of  the  sojourners  of  "  is  taken  by  LXX  as  =  "  oi 
Thesbe." 

^  Cf,  2  Kings  i.  1-6. 

'  Corrupt  for  Salmanassar. 

^  Read  Gomorrha  with  the  Latin. 


34       THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH     [chap,  in 

III.  I.  *And  Belchira  *  recognized  and  saw  the 
place  of  Isaiah  and  the  prophets  who  were  with  him ; 
for  he  dwelt  in  the  region  of  Bethlehem,  and  was  an 
adherent  of  Manasseh.  And  he  prophesied  falsely  in 
Jerusalem,  and  many  belonging  to  Jerusalem  were 
confederate  with  him,  and  he  was  a  Samaritan. 
2.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Alagar  Zagar,^  king 
of  Assyria,  had  come  and  captured  Samaria  and 
taken  the  nine  (and  a  half)  tribes  ^  captive,  and 
led  them  away  to  the  ^mountains*  of  the  Medes 
and  the  rivers  of  Tazon  ;  ^  3.  This  (Belchira),  whilst 
still  a  youth,  had  escaped  and  come  to  Jerusalem 
in  the  days  of  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah,  but  he  walked 
not  in  the  ways  of  his  father  of  Samaria ;  for  he 
feared  Hezekiah.  4.  And  he  was  found  in  the  days 
of  Hezekiah  speaking  words  of  lawlessness  in  Jeru- 
salem. 5.  And  the  servants  of  Hezekiah  accused 
him,  and  he  made  his  escape  to  the  region  of  Bethle- 
hem. And  *they*  *  persuaded  ...  6.  And  Bal- 
chira  accused  Isaiah  and  the  prophets  who  were  with 
him,  saying  :  "  Isaiah  and  those  who  are  with  him 
prophesy  against  Jerusalem  and  against  the  cities 
of  Judah  that  they  shall  be  laid  waste,  and  (against 
the  children  of  Judah  and)  Benjamin  also  that  they 
shall  go  into  captivit3%  and  also  against  thee,  O  Lord 
the  king,  that  thou  shalt  go  (bound)  with  hooks  and 
iron  chains  :  "  7.  But  they  prophesy  falsely  against 
Israel  and  Judah.  8.  And  Isaiah  himself  hath  said  : 
"  I  see  more  thy.n  Moses  the  prophet."     9.  But  Moses 

1  Read  Salmanassar  with  the  Latin. 

2  i.  e.  the  (northern)  Kingdom  of  Israel ;  of.  4  Ezra  xiii. 
40,  and  Ap.  Bar.  Ixii.  5,  etc, 

^  i.  e.  Gozan:  of.  2  Kings  xvii.  6;  xviii.  Ji. 
*  i.e.}   the   false   prophets;     the   missing   ol)ject   may  be 
Balchird  (Grenfell  and  Hunt). 


CHAP.  Ill]  PART  II  35 

said  :  "  No  man  can  see  God  and  live  "  ;^  and  Isaiah 
hath  said  :  "  I  have  seen  God  and,  behold,  I  live."  ^ 
10.  Know,  therefore,  O  king,  that  *he  is  lying*. 
And  Jerusalem  also  he  hath  called  Sodom,  and  the 
princes  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  he  hath  declared 
to  be  the  people  of  Gomorrah.^  And  he  brought 
many  accusations  against  Isaiah  and  the  prophets 
before  Manasseh.  ii.  But  Beliar  dwelt  in  the  heart 
of  Manasseh  and  in  the  heart  of  the  princes  of  Judah 
and  Benjamin  and  of  the  eunuchs  and  of  the  coun- 
cillors of  the  king.  12.  And  the  words  of  Belchira 
pleased  him  [exceedingly],  and  he  sent  and  seized 
Isaiah. 

PART  II  (iii.  13-V.  m) 

The  Testament  of  Hezekiah  (iii.  135-iv.  18). 

13.  For  Beliar  was  in  great  wrath  against  Isaiah 
by  reason  of  the  vision,  and  because  of  the  exposure 
wherewith  he  had  exposed  Sammael,  and  because 
through  him  the  going  forth  of  the  Beloved  from 
the  seventh  heaven  had  been  made  known,  and  His 
transformation  and  His  descent  and  the  likeness 
into  which  He  should  be  transformed,  (that  is)  the 
likeness  of  man,  and  the  persecution  wherewith 
He  should  be  persecuted,  and  the  tortures  where- 
with the  children  of  Israel  should  torture  Him, 
and  the  coming  of  His  twelve  disciples,  and  the 
teaching,  and  that  He  should  before  the  Sabbath 
be  crucified  upon  the  tree,  and  should  be  crucified 
together  with  wicked  men,  and  that  He  should  be 
buried  in  the  sepulchre.  14.  And  the  twelve  who 
were  with  Him  should  be  offended  because  of 
Him  :  *  and  *the  watch  of*  those  who  watched  the 
^  Ex.  xxxiii.  20.      2  ig  vi,  I.       ^  Cf.  Is.  i.  10.      ^  Matt.  xxvi.  31. 


36       THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  hi 

sepulchre  :  ^  15.  And  the  descent  of  the  angel  of  the 
Christian  Church, ^  which  is  in  the  heavens,  whom  He 
will  summon  in  the  last  days.  16.  And  that  (Gabriel) 
the  angel  of  the  Holy  Spirit,^  and  Michael,  the  chief 
of  the  holy  angels,  on  the  third  day  will  open  the 
sepulchre  :  17.  And  the  Beloved  sitting  on  their 
shoulders  will  come  forth  ana  send  out  His  twelve 
disciples  :  18.  And  they  will  teach  all  the  nations  * 
and  every  tongue  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Beloved, 
and  those  who  believe  in  His  cross  ^  will  be  saved, 
and  in  His  ascension  into  the  seventh  heaven  whence 
He  came  :  19.  And  that  many  who  believe  in 
Him  will  speak  through  the  Holy  Spirit  :  20.  And 
many  signs  and  wonders  will  be  wrought  in  those 
days.  21.  And  afterwards,  on  the  eve  of  His 
approach.  His  disciples  will  forsake  the  teaching  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles,  and  their  faith,  and  their  love 
and  their  purity.^  22.  And  there  will  be  much  con- 
tention "^  on  the  eve  of  [His  advent  and]  His  approach. 
23.  And  in  those  days  many  will  love  office,  though 
devoid  of  wdsdom.  24.  And  there  will  be  many 
lawless  elders,  and  shepherds  dealing  wrongly  by 
their  own  sheep,  and  they  will  ravage  (them)  owing 
to  their  not  ^having*  holy  shepherds.  25.  And  many 
will  change  the  honour  of  the  garments  of  the  saints 
for  the  garments  of  the  covetous,^  and  there  will 
be  much  respect  of  persons  in  those  days  and  lovers 
of  the  honour  of  this  world.  26.  And  there  will 
be  much  slander  and  vainglory  at  the  approach 
of   the    Lord,    and   the    Holy   Spirit   will  withdraw 

1  Cf.  Matt,  xxviii.  4.  2  cf  j^g^.  ii.  i,  8,  etc. 

^  Cf.  iv.  21;  vii.  23;  ix.  36,   39,40;  x.  4;  xi.  4,  33.     The 
phrase  usually  means  the  Holy  Spirit. 

*  Cf.  Matt,  xxviii.  19.       ^  cf.  ix.  26.       «  Cf.  i  Tim.  iv.  12. 
'  Cf.  I  Tim.  iv.  I ;  2  Pet.  ii.  i.  ^  Cf.  2  Tim.  iii.  i,  2. 


CHAP.  Ill]  PART   II  37 

from  many.  27.  And  there  will  not  be  in  those 
days  many  prophets,  nor  those  who  speak  trust- 
worthy words,  save  one  here  and  there  in  divers 
places,  28.  On  account  of  the  spirit  of  error  ^  and 
fornication  and  of  vainglory,  and  of  covetousness, 
which  shall  be  in  those,  who  will  be  called  servants 
of  that  One  ^  and  in  those  who  will  receive  that 
One.  29.  And  there  will  be  great  hatred  in  the 
shepherds  and  elders  towards  each  other.  30.  For 
there  will  be  great  jealousy  in  the  last  days ;  for 
every  one  will  say  what  is  pleasing  in  his  own  eyes. 
31.  And  they  will  make  of  none  effect  the  prophecy 
of  the  prophets  which  were  before  me,^  and  *these* 
my  visions  also  will  they  make  of  none  effect,  in 
order  to  speak  after  the  impulse  of  their  own 
heart. 

IV.  I.  And  now  Hezekiah  and  Josab  my  son, 
*these*  are  the  days  of  the  *completion  of  the 
world*.  2.  After  it  is  consummated,  Beliar  the  great 
ruler,  the  king  of  this  world,  will  descend,  who  hath 
ruled  it  since  it  came  into  being ;  yea,  he  will  descend 
from  his  firmament  *  in  the  likeness  of  a  man,  a 
lawless  king,  the  slayer  of  his  mother  :  ^  who  himself 
(even)  this  king  3.  Will  persecute  the  plant  ^ 
which  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Beloved  have 
planted.     Of  the  Twelve  one  will  be  delivered  into 

1  Cf.  I  John  iv.  6. 

2  i.e.  The  Beloved. 

^  The  false  teachers  repudiate  the  Old  Testament.  This 
rather  suggests  Gnostic  teachers. 

*  As  distinct  from  the  first  heaven  above  it. 

5  The  allusion  seems  to  be  to  Nero,  who  is  identified  with 
Antichrist  :  cf.  Sib.  Or.  iv.  121;  v.  145,  363,  etc.  For  Anti- 
christ as  "  the  man  of  lawlessness,"  cf.  2  Thess.  ii.  3  (R.V. 
marg.). 

^  i.  e.  the  Church.  For  "  plant  of  righteousness  ":=  Israel : 
cf.  I  Enoch  xciii.  5. 


38       THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  iv 

his  hands. ^  4.  This  ruler  in  the  form  of  that  king 
will  come  and  there  will  come  with  him  all  the 
powers  of  this  world, ^  and  they  will  hearken  unto 
him  in  all  that  he  desireth.  5.  And  at  his  word  the 
sun  will  rise  at  night  and  he  will  make  the  moon  to 
appear  at  the  sixth  hour.^  6.  And  all  that  he  hath 
desired  he  will  do  in  the  world  :  he  will  do  and  speak 
like  the  Beloved  and  he  will  say  :  "I  am  God  and 
before  me  there  hath  been  none."  *  7.  And  all  the 
people  in  the  world  will  believe  in  him.  8.  And  they 
will  sacrifice  to  him  and  they  will  serve  him  saying  : 
"  This  is  God  and  beside  him  there  is  no  other."  ^ 
9.  And  the  greater  number  of  those  who  shall  have 
been  associated  together  in  order  to  receive  the 
Beloved,  he  will  turn  aside  after  him.^  10.  And 
there  will  be  the  power  of  his  miracles  in  every  city 
and  region.  11.  And  he  will  set  up  his  image  "^ 
before  him  in  every  city.  12.  And  he  shall  bear 
sway  three  years  and  seven  months  and  twenty- 
seven  days.^  13.  And  many  believers  and  saints 
having  seen  ^  Him  for  whom  they  were  hoping,  who 
was  crucified,  Jesus  the  Lord  Christ,  [after  that  I, 
Isaiah,  had  seen  Him  w^ho  was  crucified  and  ascended] 
and  those  also  who  were  believers  in  Him — of  these 


1  i.  e.  probably   St.   Peter,   who,   with    St.    Paul,    suffered 
martyrdom  in  the  Neronian  persecution  (64-65  a.d.). 

2  Cf.  Rev.  XX.  7—9;  xvi.  14. 

''  ^  Cf.  4  Ezra  v.  4  (2  Thess.  ii.  9;  Rev.  xiii.  14;  xix.  20). 
^  ^  Cf.  2  Thess.  ii.  4  (Rev.  xiii.  5  f.). 

^  Cf.  Rev.  xiii.  4,  8,  12. 

^  Cf.  Matt.  xxiv.  24;  Mark  xiii.  22. 

'  Cf.  Rev.  xiii.  14.     Images  of  the  Roman  Emperor  were 
set  up  in  various  cities  to  be  worshipped. 

^  i.  e.  1335  days  =  Dan.  xii.  12.     The  last  period  of  three 
and  a  half  years  marks  the  reign  of  Antichrist. 

^  i.  e.  personally  (cf.  John  xx.  29) ;    this  points  to  the  first 
century. 


CHAP.  IV]  PART   II  39 

few  in  those  days  will  be  left  ^  as  His  servants, 
while  they  flee  ^  from  desert  to  desert,  awaiting  the 
coming  ^  of  the  Beloved.  14.  And  after  (one  thou- 
sand) three  hundred  and  thirty-two  *  days  the  Lord 
will  come  with  His  angels  and  with  the  armies  of 
the  holy  ones  ^  from  the  seventh  heaven  with  the 
glory  of  the  seventh  heaven,  and  He  will  drag  Beliar 
into  Gehenna®  and  also  his  armies.  15.  And  He 
will  give  rest  ^  to  the  godly  whom  He  shall  find 
in  the  body  ^  in  this  world,^  [and  the  sun  will  be 
ashamed]  :  16.  And  to  all  who  because  of  (their) 
faith  in  Him  have  execrated  Beliar  and  his  kings. ^^ 
But  the  saints  will  come  with  the  Lord  ^^  with  their 
garments  ^^  which  are  (now)  stored  up  on  high  in 
the  seventh  heaven  :  with  the  Lord  they  will  come, 
whose  spirits  are  clothed,^^  they  will  descend  and  be 
present  in  the  world, ^*  and  He  will  strengthen  those 
who  have  been  found  in  the  body,  together  with 
the  saints, ^^  in  the  garments  of  the  saints,  and  the 
Lord  will  minister  to  those  who  have  kept  watch  in 

1  Cf.  Luke  xviii.  8. 

2  ^  g  from  before  the  Antichrist;  cf.  Mark  xiii.  14  f . ;  Rev. 
xii.  6,  14. 

^  Cf .  I  Cor.  i,  7 ;  Phil.  iii.  20,  etc. 

*    ?  read  thirty-five  (1335  days) ;    see  iv.  12. 
•^  ^  i.  e.  the  angels;   cf.  2  Thess.  i.  7;  Jude  14;  i  Enoch  i,  4,  9. 

^  Cf.  Rev.  xix.  20. 

'  i.  e.  refreshment;    cf.  Acts  iii.  19. 

^  Cf.  I  Thess.  iv.  17. 

^  According  to  some  apocalyptic  writers  they  must  be 
gathered  in  Palestine  in  order  to  secure  the  Messianic  salva- 
tion;   cf.  4  Ezra  ix.  8;  xiii.  48. 

1"  Cf.  Rev.  xvii.  12-13. 
—  ^^  Cf.  I  Thess.  iii.  13 ;  iv.  14. 

^2  Cf.  Rev.  iii.  4,  5,  18;  iv.  4;  vi.  11,  etc. 

^^  i.  e.  with  spiritual  bodies;    cf.  i  Cor.  xv.  44. 

1"*  This  is  the  first  resurrection  (of  certain  saints)  :  cf.  Rev. 
XX.  1-6. 

15  i,  e.  the  glorified  saints  who  had  descended. 


40      THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH       [chap,  iv 

this  world.  17.  And  afterwards  they  ^  will  turn 
themselves  upward  in  their  garments,  and  their 
body  will  be  left  in  the  world.  18.  Then  the  voice 
of  the  Beloved  will  in  wrath  rebuke  the  things  of 
heaven  and  the  things  of  earth  and  the  mountains 
and  the  hills  and  the  cities  and  the  desert  and  the 
forests  and  the  angel  of  the  sun  ^  and  that  of  the 
moon,  and  all  things  wherein  Beliar  manifested 
himself  and  acted  openly  in  this  world,  and  there 
will  be  [a  resurrection  and]  a  judgement  in  their 
midst  in  those  days,  and  the  Beloved  will  cause  fire  ^ 
to  go  forth  from  Him,  and  it  will  consume  all  the  god- 
less,* and  they  will  be  as  though  they  had  not  been 
created.  19.  And  the  rest  of  the  words  of  the  vision 
are  written  in  the  vision  of  Babylon.^  20.  A7id  the 
rest  of  the  vision  regarding  the  Lord,  behold,  it  is  written 
in  the  parables  according  to  my  words  which  are  written 
in  the  book  which  I  publicly  prophesied.  21.  And 
the  descent  of  the  Beloved  into  Sheol,  behold,  it  is 
written  in  the  section,  where  the  Lord  saith  :  "Behold, 
my  Son  will  understand."  ^  And  all  these  things, 
behold  they  are  written  \in  the  Psalms']  in  the  parables  "^ 
of  David,  the  son  of  Jesse,  and  in  the  Proverbs  of 
Solomon  his  son,  and  in  the  words  of  Korah,  and  Ethan 
the  Israelite,  and  in  the  words  of  Asaph,  and  in  the 
rest  of  the  Psalms  also  which  the  angel  of  the  Spirit 
inspired,     22.  {Namely)  in  those  which  have  not  the 

^  i.  e.  the  saints  found  alive  on  the  earth. 

2  Cf.  Rev.  xix.   17,  and  (for  the  other  angels  mentioned) 
I  Enoch  Ix.  12-21 ;  Rev.  vii.  i,  2;  xiv.  18.     Jubilees  ii. 
"    3  Cf.  2  Thess.  i.  8;  ii.  8  (Is.  xi.  4). 

*  Cf.  4  Ezra  xii.  33 ;  xiii.  38,  49. 

5  Cf.  Is.  xiii.  I  (LXX). 

^  i.e.  Is. lii.  13  (LXX).     Perhaps  the  Descent  was  supposed 
to  be  referred  to  in  Is.  liii.  8  (Charles). 

'  "  Parables,"  i.  e.  songs. 


CHAP.  IV]  PART  III  41 

name  ivritten}  and  in  the  ivords  of  my  father  Amoz, 
and  of  Hosea  the  prophet,  and  of  Micah  and  Joel  and 
Nahum  and  Jonah  and  Ohadiah  and  Hahakkuk  and 
Haggai  and  Zephaniah  and  Zechariah  and  Malachi, 
and  in  the  words  of  Joseph  the  Just  ^  and  in  the  words 
of  Daniel. 

PART  III  (v.  1-14) 

The  Martyrdom  of  Isaiah  (v.  1&-14)  resumed 
from  iii.  12). 

V.  I.  On  account  of  these  visions,  therefore,  Beliar 
was  wroth  with  Isaiah,  and  he  dwelt  in  the  heart  of 
Manasseh  and  he  sawed  him  in  sunder  with  a  wooden 
saw.  2.  And  when  Isaiah  was  being  sawn  in  sunder 
Balchira  stood  up,  accusing  him,  and  all  the  false 
prophets  stood  up,  laughing  and  rejoicing  because  of 
Isaiah.  3.  And  Balchira,  with  the  aid  of  Mechem- 
bechus,^  stood  up  before  Isaiah,  [laughing]  deriding ; 
4.  And  Balchira  said  to  Isaiah  :  *  *'  Say  :  '  I  have 
lied  in  all  that  I  have  spoken,  and  likewise  the  ways 
of  Manasseh  are  good  and  right.  5.  And  the  ways 
also  of  Balchira  and  of  his  associates  are  good.'  " 
6.  And  this  he  said  to  him  when  he  began  to  be  sawn 
in  sunder.  7.  But  Isaiah  was  (absorbed)  in  a  vision 
of  the  Lord,  and  though  his  eyes  were  open,  he  saw 
them  (not).  8.  And  Balchira  spake  thus  to  Isaiah  : 
"  Say  what  I  say  unto  thee  and  I  will  turn  their 
heart,  and  I  will  compel  Manasseh  and  the  princes  of 
Judah  and  the  people  and  all  Jerusalem  to  reverence 

1  viz.  those  psalms  with  no  ascription  of  authorship  [e.g. 
Pss.  i.  and  ii.). 

2  Probably  a  pseudepigraphic  work  entitled  The  Prayer  0} 
Joseph,  only  known  from  a  few  citations  :  see  Hastings,  D.B. 
ii.  778. 

^  Cf.  ii.  4  (note)  =   ?  M atanbuchtls ,  i.  e.  Beliar. 

*  Verses  4-8  contain  the  Temptation  of  Isaiah  by  Balchira, 


42        THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  v 

thee.  9.  And  Isaiah  answered  and  said  :  **  So  lar 
as  I  have  utterance  (I  say)  :  Damned  and  accursed 
be  thou  and  all  thy  powers  ^  and  all  thy  house.  10. 
For  thou  canst  not  take  (from  me)  aught  save  the 
skin  of  my  body."  11.  And  they  seized  and  sawed 
in  sunder  Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  with  a  wooden 
saw.  12.  And  Manasseh  and  Balchira  and  the 
false  prophets  and  the  princes  and  the  people  [and] 
all  stood  looking  on.  13.  And  to  the  prophets 
who  were  with  him  he  said  before  he  had  been 
sawn  in  sunder  :  "  Go  ye  to  the  region  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon ;    for  for  me  onty  hath  God  mingled  the  cup.^ 

14.  And  when  Isaiah  was  being  sawn  in  sunder, 
he  neither  cried  aloud  nor  wept,  but  his  lips  spake 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  until  he  was  sawn  in  twain. 

15.  This  Beliar  did  to  Isaiah  through  Balchira  and 
Manasseh ;  for  Sammael  was  very  wrathful  against 
Isaiah  from  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  on 
account  of  the  things  which  he  had  seen  regarding 
the  Beloved,  16.  And  on  account  of  the  destruction 
of  Sammael,  which  he  had  seen  through  the  Lord, 
while  Hezekiah  his  father  was  still  king.  And  he 
did  according  to  the  will  of  Satan. 

PART  ly 

The  Vision  of  Isaiah  (vi.  i-xi.  43). 

The  Vision  which  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  saw. 

VI.  I.  In  the  twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  Heze- 
kiah, king  of  Judah,  came  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz, 

1  Balchira  is  here  addressed  by  Isaiah  as  a  personification 
of  BeUar. 

2  For  the  figure  of  the  cup  in  this  connection  cf.  Mark  x. 
38 ;  xiv.  36,  and  parallels, 


CHAP.  VI]  PART   IV  43 

and  Josab,  the  son  of  Isaiah,  to  Hezekiah  to  Jerusalem 
f^from  Galgala^.  2.  And  (having  entered)  he  sat 
down  on  the  couch  of  the  king,  f^and  they  brought  him 
a  seat,  but  he  would  not  sit  (thereon)"^.  3.  f^And 
when  Isaiah  began  to  speak  the  words  of  faith  and 
truth  wdth  King  Hezekiah''^,  all  the  princes  of  Israel 
were  seated  and  the  eunuchs  and  the  councillors  of 
the  king.  And  there  were  there  f^forty^  prophets 
and  sons  of  the  prophets  :  they  had  come  from  the 
villages  and  from  the  mountains  and  the  plains 
when  they  had  heard  that  Isaiah  was  coming  from 
Galgala  to  Hezekiah.  4.  f^And  they  had  come^ 
to  salute  him  f^and  to  hear  his  w^ords.  5.  And  that 
he  might  place  his  hands  upon  them,^  and  that  they 
might  prophes}^  and  that  he  might  hear  their  pro- 
phecy :  i^and  they  were  all  before  Isaiah.^  6.  And 
when  Isaiah  was  speaking  f^to  Hezekiah^  the  words 
of  truth  and  faith,  they  all  heard  fa  door  which  one 
had  opened  and|  ^  the  voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit- 
7.  And  the  king  summoned  all  the  prophets  and  all 
the  people  who  were  found  there,  and  they  came. 
And  Micaiah  and  the  aged  Ananias  and  Joel  "^and 
Josab"^  sat  on  his  right  hand  (and  on  the  left).  8. 
And  it  came  to  pass  when  they  had  all  heard  the 
voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  all  worshipped  on  their 
knees,  and  glorified  the  God  ^oi  truth"",  the  Most  High 
f^who  is  in  the  upper  world  and  who  sitteth  on  high 
the  Holy  One  and""  who  resteth  among  His  hoty  ones.^ 
9.  f^And  they  gave  glory  to  Him^  fwho  had  thus 
bestowed  a  door  in  an  alien  world,  had  bestowed  (it) 

^  A  door,  etc.  The  text  of  verse  6  seems  to  be  corrupt. 
Perhaps  we  should  read  with  the  Latin  (L^)  :  Then  he  spake 
words  of  truth;  the  Holy  Spirit  came  upon  him,  and  all  saw  and 
heard  words  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

2  Cf.  Is.  Ivii.  15  (LXX). 


44       THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  vi 

on  a  manf.^  lo.  And  as  he  was  speaking  in  the 
Holy  Spirit  in  the  hearing  of  all,  he  became  silent 
f^and  his  mind  was  taken  up  from  him"^  and  he  saw 
not  2  the  men  that  stood  before  him,  ii.  Though 
his  eyes,  indeed,  were  open.  Moreover,  his  lips  were 
silent  f^and  the  mind  in  his  body  was  taken  up  from 
him.""  12.  But  his  breath  was  in  him ;  f^for  he  was 
seeing  a  vision.^  13.  And  the  angel  who  was  sent 
to  make  him  see  was  not  of  this  firmament,*  nor  was 
he  of  the  angels  of  glory  of  this  world,  but  he  had 
come  from  the  seventh  heaven.""  14.  And  the 
people  who  stood  near  did  (not)  think,  but  fthe  circle 
of  the  prophets  (did)|,^  that  the  holy  Isaiah  had  been 
taken  up.  15.  And  the  vision  which  the  holy  Isaiah 
saw  was  not  from  this  world  but  from  the  world  which 
is  hidden  from  the  flesh.  16.  And  after  Isaiah  had 
seen  this  vision,  he  narrated  it  to  Hezekiah,  and  to 
Josab  his  son  f^and  to  the  other  prophets  who  had 
come.  17.  But  the  leaders  and  the  eunuchs  and 
the  people  did  not  hear,  but  only  Samna  ®  the  scribe, 
and  fljoaqem,  andf  "^  Asaph  the  recorder;  for  these 
also  were  doers  of  righteousness,  and  the  f sweet 
smellj  ^  of  the  Spirit  was  upon  them.  But  the 
people  had  not  heard;  for  Micaiah  and  Josab  his 
son  had  caused  them  to  go  forth,  when  the  wisdom 
of  this  world  had  been  taken  from  him  and  he  became 
as  one  dead. 

1  who  had  thus  bestowed,  etc.  Text  corrupt  :  read  with 
Charles  who  had  thus  bestowed  such  excellence  oj  words  on  a 
man  in  the  world. 

2  Cf.  V.  7.  ^  A  description  of  the  ecstatic  state. 
*  The  abode  of  BeUar;   cf.  iv.  2. 

^  Corrupt :   read  The  prophets  recognized. 

fi   =  Samnas  (i.  5),  i.  e.  Shebna. 

'    ?  read  Joah  the  son  of  (Asaph) ;   cf.  Is.  xxxvi.  3  (Charles). 

^  or  good  pleasure  (=  eu5o/cta)  :    so  Charles, 


CHAP.  VII]  PART   IV  45 

VII.  I.  And  the  vision  which  Isaiah  saw,  he  told 
to  Hezekiah  and  Josab  his  son"^  and  Micaiah  and 
the  rest  of  the  prophets,  (and)  said  :  2.  *At  this 
moment*,  when  I  prophesied  according  to  the 
(words)  heard  which  ye  heard,  I  saw  a  glorious 
angel  not  like  unto  the  glory  of  the  angels  which 
I  used  always  to  see,  but  possessing  such  glor}^  and 
f  position  f  that  I  cannot  describe  ^^the  glory^  ^oi  that 
angeP.  3.  And  having  seized  me  by  my  hand  *he 
raised  me  on  high*,  and  I  said  unto  him  :  *'  Who  art 
thou,  and  what  is  thy  name,  and  whither  art  thou 
raising  me  on  high  ?  "  For  strength  was  given  me  to 
speak  with  him.  4.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  "  When 
I  have  raised  thee  on  high  [through  the  (various) 
degrees]  and  made  thee  see  the  vision,  on  account 
of  which  I  have  been  sent,  then  thou  wilt  under- 
stand who  I  am  :  but  my  name  thou  dost  not  know  : 
5.  Because  thou  wilt  return  into  this  thy  body, 
but  whither  I  am  raising  thee  on  high,  thou  wilt 
see ;  "^for  for  this  purpose  have  I  been  sent.''^  6. 
And  I  rejoiced  because  he  spake  courteously  to 
me.  7.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  ''  Hast  thou  rejoiced 
because  I  have  spoken  courteously  to  thee  ?  "  And 
he  said  :  "  And  thou  wilt  see  how  a  greater  also 
than  I  am  will  speak  courteously  and  peaceably 
with  thee.  8.  And  fHis  Father  also  who  is  greaterf^ 
thou  wilt  see ;  for  for  this  purpose  have  I  been 
sent  from  the  seventh  heaven  in  order  to  explain 
all  these  things  unto  thee."  9.  And  we  ascended  to 
the  firmament,  I  and  he,^  and  there  I  saw  Sammael 
and  his  hosts,  and  there  was  great  fighting  therein, 

1  Read  One  more  eminent  man  the  Greater  Himself  (Charles). 

2  Cf .  the  ascent  of  Abraham  and  the  angel,  and  the  meeting 
with  Azazel,  in  Ap.  Abraham,  ch.  xii.  foil. 


46      THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  vii 

and  the  *angels*  of  Satan  were  envying  one  another. 
10.  And  as  above  so  on  the  earth  also ;  for  the  hke- 
ness  of  that  which  is  in  the  firmament  is  here  on  the 
earth,  ii.  And  I  said  unto  the  angel  (who  w^as  with 
me)  :  "  (What  is  this  war  and)  what  is  this  envy- 
ing? "  12.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  "  So  hath  it  been 
since  this  world  w^as  made  until  now,  and  this  war  (will 
continue)  till  He,  whom  thou  shalt  see  will  come 
and  destroy  him.  13.  And  afterwards  he  caused 
me  to  ascend  (to  that  which  is)  above  the  firma- 
ment :  which  is  the  (first)  heaven.  14.  And  there 
I  saw  a  throne  ^  in  the  midst,  and  on  his  right  and 
on  his  left  were  angels.  15.  ^^And  (the  angels  on 
the  left  were)  not  like  unto  the  angels  w^ho  stood 
on  the  right "^,2  but  those  who  stood  on  the  right  had 
the  greater  glory,  and  they  all  praised  with  one 
voice,  f^and  there  was  a  throne  ^  in  the  midst^,  and 
those  who  were  on  the  left  gave  praise  after  them ; 
but  their  voice  was  not  such  as  the  voice  of  those 
on  the  right,  nor  their  praise  like  the  praise  of  those. 

16.  And  I  asked  the  angel  who  conducted  me,  and 
I  said  unto  him  :    ".To  whom  is  this  praise  sent?  " 

17.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  *'  (It  is  sent)  to  the 
praise  of  (Him  who  sitteth  in)  the  seventh  heaven  : 
to  Him  I  who  resteth  in  the  holy  worldf  ,*  and  to  His 
Beloved,  whence  I  have  been  sent  to  thee.  [Thither 
is  it  sent.] "  18.  And  again  he  made  me  to  ascend 
to  the  second  heaven.  Now  the  height  of  that 
heaven  is  the  same  as  from  the  heaven  to  the  earth 


1  ?  "  an  angel  belonging  to  the  order  called  '  Thrones  '  " 
(Charles) ;  cf.  Col.  i.  16;  Test.  Lev.  iii.  8. 

2  For  the  superiority  of  right  to  left,  cf.  vii.  29,  30,  33,  34, 
and  see  further  J.E.  x.  419  f.  (art.  right  and  lejt). 

^  i.  e.    ?  an  angel. 

*  =  7  to  Him  who  inhabiteth  eternity  (Is.  Ivii.  15) :   cf.  vi.  8. 


CHAP.  VII]  PART   IV  47 

[and  to  the  firmament].     19.  And  (I  saw  there,  as)  in 
the  first  heaven,  angels  on  the  right  and  on  the  left, 
f^and  a  throne  in  the  midst,  and  the  praise  of  the 
angels  in  the  second  heaven ;   and  he  who  sat  on  the 
throne  in  the  second  heaven  was  more  glorious  than 
all  (the  rest).^     20.  And  there  was  great  glory  in  the 
second  heaven,  and  the  praise  also  was  not  like  the 
praise  of  those  who  were  in  the  first  heaven.     21. 
And  I  fell  on  my  face  to  worship  him,i  but  the  angel 
who   conducted   me   did   not   permit   me,   but   said 
unto  me  :    "  Worship  neither  throne  nor  angel  which 
belongeth  to  the  six  heavens— for  for  this  cause  I  was 
sent  to  conduct  thee— until  I  tell  thee  f^in  the  seventh 
heaven^.     22.  For  above  all  the  heavens  and  their 
angels   hath  thy  throne   been  placed,  and  thy  gar- 
ments 2  and  thy  crown  which  thou  shalt  see."  '  23. 
And  I  rejoiced  with  great  joy,  that  those  who  love  the 
Most  High  and  His  Beloved  will  afterwards  ascend 
thither  by  the  angel  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     24.  And 
he  raised  me  to  the  third  heaven,  and  in  like  manner 
I  saw  those  upon  the  right  and  upon  the  left,  and 
there   was   a  throne   there   in   the   midst;    but   the 
memorial  of  this   world   is  there   unheard  of.     25. 
^And  I  said  to  the  angel  who  was  with  me  ;^    for 
the  glory  of  my  appearance  was  undergoing  'trans- 
formation as  I  ascended  to  each  heaven  in  turn  :"  No- 
thing f^of  the  vanity^  of  that  world  is  here  named." 
26.  And  he  answered  me,  and  said  unto  me  :  "  Nothing 
is  named  on  account  of  its  weakness,  and  nothing  is 
hidden  there  of  what  is  done."     27.  f^And  I  wished  to 
learn  how  it  is  known,  and  he  answered  me  saying  • 
"  When  I  have  raised  thee  to  the  seventh  heaven 
whence   I  was  sent,  to  that  which  is  above  these, 
^  Cf.  Rev.  xix.  10;  xxii.  8,  9.  2  cf.  iv.  16. 


48      THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  vii 

then  thou  shalt  know  that  there  is  nothing  hidden 
from  the  thrones  and  from  those  who  dwell  in  the 
heavens  and  from  the  angels."^  And  the  praise 
wherewith  they  praised  and  the  glory  of  him  who 
sat  on  the  throne  was  great,  ^^and  the  glory  of  the 
angels  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left  was  be- 
yond that  of  the  heaven  which  was  below  themf'. 

28.  And  again  he  raised  me  to  the  fourth  heaven, 
and  the  height  from  the  third  to  the  fourth  heaven 
was  greater  than  from  the  earth  to  the  firmament. 

29,  And  there  again  I  saw  those  who  were  on  the 
right  hand  and  those  who  were  on  the  left,  f^and  him 
who  sat  on  the  throne  (who)  was  in  the  midst^,  and 
there  also  they  were  praising.  30.  And  the  praise 
and  glory  of  the  angels  on  the  right  was  greater  than 
that  of  those  on  the  left.  31.  And  again  the  glory 
of  him  who  sat  on  the  throne  was  greater  than  that 
of  the  angels  on  the  right,  and  their  glory  was  be3^ond 
that  of  those  who  were  below.  32.  And  he  raised 
me  to  the  fifth  heaven.  33.  And  again  I  saw  f^those 
upon  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  and  him  who 
sat  on  the  throne  possessing  greater  glory  than  those 
of  the  fourth  heaven^.  34.  And  the  glory  of  those 
on  the  right  hand  was  greater  than  that  of  those 
f^on  the  left  [from  the  third  to  the  fourth].  35.  And 
the  glory  of  him  who  was  on  the  throne  was  greater 
than  that  of  the  angels  on  the  right  hand^.  36.  And 
their  praise  was  more  glorious  than  that  of  the 
fourth  heaven.  37.  f^And  I  praised  Him,  who  is  not 
named  and  the  Only-begotten"^  ^  who  dwelleth  in  the 
heavens,  whose  name  is  not  known  to  any  flesh, 
who  hath  bestowed  such  glory  on  the  several  heavens, 
f^and  who  maketh  great  the  glory  of  the  angels,  and 

^  Cf.  John  i.  16,  18;  iii.  16,  18. 


CHAP,  viii]  PART   IV  49 

more  excellent  the  glory  of  Him  who  sitteth  on  the 
throne"^ . 

VIII.  I.  And  again  he  raised  me  into  the  air  of 
the  sixth  heaven,  and  I  saw  such  glory  as  I  had  not 
seen  in  the  five  heavens.  2.  *For  I  saw*  angels 
possessing  great  glory.  3.  And  the  praise  there  was 
holy  and  wonderful.  4.  And  I  said  to  the  angel 
who  conducted  me  :  "  What  is  this  which  I  see,  my 
Lord?"  5.  And  he  said:  "I  am  not  thy  lord, 
but  thy  fellow-servant."  ^  ^^6.  And  again  I  asked 
him,  and  I  said  unto  him  :  "  Why  are  there  not 
angelic  fellow-servants  (on  the  left)?"''!  7.  And 
he  said  :  "  From  the  sixth  heaven  there  are  no 
longer  *angels*  on  the  left,  nor  a  throne  set  in  the 
midst,  but  (they  are  directed)  by  the  power  of  the 
seventh  heaven,  where  dwelleth  He  that  is  not 
named  ^  ''"and  the  Elect  One,  whose  name  hath  not 
been  made  known,  and  none  of  the  heavens  can 
learn  His  name''^.^  8.  For  it  is  He  alone  to  whose 
voice  all  the  heavens  and  thrones  give  answer.  I 
have  ^'"therefore  been  empowered  and^  sent  to  raise 
thee  here  that  thou  mayest  see  this  glory.  9.  And 
that  thou  mayest  see  the  Lord  of  all  those  heavens 
and  these  thrones,  10.  ^^Undergoing  (successive) 
transformation  until  He  resembleth  your  form  and 
likeness.^  11.  I  indeed  say  unto  thee,  Isaiah ;  No 
man  about  to  return  into  a  bod}^  of  that  world  hath 
^'"ascended  or"^  seen  what  thou  seest  or  perceived  what 
thou  hast  perceived  and  what  thou  wilt  see.  12.  For 
it  hath  been  permitted  to  thee  in  the  lot  of  the  Lord  to 
come  hither  ^  [and  from  thence  cometh  the  power 
of   the   sixth  heaven  and  of  the  air]."     13.  And   I 

^  Cf.  Rev.  xix.  10;  xxii.  8,  9.         2  ^  ^  xhe  Ineffable. 
^  Cf.  Rev.  ii.  17;  xix.  12.  *  i.  e.  the  seventh  heaven. 

D 


I^f 


50     THE  ASCENSION   OE   ISAIAH      [chap,  viii 

magnified  my  Lord  with  praise,  in  that  through  His 
lot  I  should  come  hither.  14  And  he  said  :  "  f^Hear, 
furthermore,  therefore,  this  also  from  thy  fellow- 
servant^  ;  when  from  the  body  by  the  *will  of 
God*  thou  hast  ascended  hither,  then  thou  wilt 
receive  the  garment  ^  ^which  thou  seest,  and  like- 
wise other  numbered  garments  laid  up  (there)  thou 
wilt  see^,  15.  And  then  thou  wilt  become  equal 
to  the  angels  of  the  seventh  heaven."  16.  And 
he  raised  me  up  into  the  sixth  heaven,  and  there 
were  no  (angels)  on  the  left,  nor  a  throne  in  the 
midst,  but  all  had  one  appearance  ^  and  their  (power 
of)  praise  was  equal.  17.  And  (power)  was  given 
to  me  also,  and  I  also  praised  along  with  them  and 
that  angel  also,^  and  our  praise  was  like  theirs. 
18.  And  there  they  fall  named  the  primal  Eatherj 
and  His  Beloved,  "^the  Christ^  and  the  Holy  Spirit, 
all  with  one  voice.  19.  And  (their  voice)  was  not 
like   the   voice   of  the   angels   in   the   five   heavens, 

20.  [Nor  like  their  discourse]  but  the  voice  was 
different   there,    and   there   was   much   light   there. 

21.  And  then,  when  I  was  in  the  sixth  heaven  I 
thought  the  light  which  I  had  seen  in  the  five  heavens 
to  be  but  darkness.*  22.  And  I  rejoiced  and  praised 
Him  who  hath  bestowed  such  lights  on  those  who 
wait  for  His  promise.  23.  And  I  besought  the  angel 
who   conducted   me   that    I   should   not   henceforth 

1  Cf .  viii.  26 ;  ix.  9,  24,  25 ;  xi.  3,  5. 

2  Cf.  2  Enoch  xix.  i. 

3  Cf.  Ap.  Abraham  xvii.,  where  Abraham  and  the  conduct- 
ing angel  join  in  a  song  of  praise  in  heaven. 

*  The  light  referred  to  is  no  doubt  the  uncreated  light 
of  the  Divine  Glory,  which  is  a  well-known  feature  in  the 
Midrashic  literature;  cf.  also  Ap.  Abraham,  ch.  xvii.;  Rev. 
xxi.  23;  xxii.  5.  [But  this  light  has  its  centre  in  the  seventh 
heaven;  cf.  verse  25  a  few  lines  lower  down.] 


CHAP.  VIII]  PART   IV  51 

return  to  the  carnal  world.  24.  I  say  indeed  unto 
you,  f^Hezekiah  and  Josab  my  son  and  Micaiah^i 
that  there  is  much  darkness  here.  25.  And  the 
angel  who  conducted  me  discovered  what  I  thought, 
and  said  :  "  If  in  this  light  thou  dost  rejoice,  how 
much  more  wilt  thou  lejoice,  when  in  the  seventh 
heaven  thou  seest  the  light,  where  is  the  Lord  and 
His  Beloved  [whence  I  have  been  sent,  who  is  to  be 
called  '  Son  '  in  this  world.  26.  Not  (yet)  hath  been 
manifested  He  who  shall  be  in  the  corruptible  world]  ^ 
and  the  garments,  and  the  thrones,  and  the  crowns 
which  are  laid  up  for  the  righteous,  ^^for  those  who 
trust  in  that  Lord  who  will  descend  in  your  form. 
For  tlie  light  which  is  there  is  great  and  wonderfuF. 

27.  And  as  concerning  thy  not  returning  into  the 
body  thy  days  are  not  yet  fulfilled  for  coming  here." 

28.  And  when  I  heard  (that)  I  was  troubled,  and  he 
said  :   "Do  not  be  troubled." 

IX.  I.  And  he  took  me  into  the  air  of  the  seventh 
heaven,  and  moreover  I  heard  a  voice  saying  : 
"  How  far  will  he  ascend  that  dwelleth  *in  the 
flesh*?  "  and  I  feared  and  trembled.  2.  And  "^when 
I  trembled,  behold"fi  *I  heard*  from  hence  ^  another 
voice  f^being  sent  forth,  and^  saying  :  "  It  is  per- 
mitted to  the  holy  Isaiah  to  ascend  hither,  for  here 
is  his  garment."  3.  And  I  asked  the  angel  who  was 
with  me  "^and  saicF  :  "  Who  is  he  who  forbade  me 
and  who  is  he  who  *permitted*  me  to  ascend?  " 
4.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  "He  who  forbade  thee, 
this  is  he  *who  is  over*  the  praise-giving  of  the 
sixth  heaven.  5.  And  He  who  *permitted*  thee, 
this  is   "^thy  Lord  God,  the   Lord  Christ,  who  will 

^  Omit  bracketed  words  (Charles). 

2  rather,  Jrom  above,  i.  e.  from  the  seventh  heaven. 


52      THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  ix 

Ije  called  *  Jesus  '  in  the  woiid"^,  but  His  name  ^  thou 
canst  not  hear  till  thou  hast  ascended  out  of  thy 
body."  6.  And  he  raised  me  up  into  the  seventh 
heaven,  and  I  saw  there  a  wonderful  light  and 
angels  innumerable.  7.  And  there  I  saw  all  the 
righteous   f^from  the  time  of  Adam.     8.  And  there 

1  saw  the  holy  Abel  and  all  the  righteous.  9.  And 
there  I  saw  Enoch  and  all  who  were  with  him"^, 
stript  of  the  garments  of  the  flesh,  and  I  saw  them 
in  their  garments  of  the  upper  world,  and  they 
were  f^like  angels^, ^  standing  there  in  great  glory. 
10.  But  they  sat  not  on  their  thrones,^  nor  were 
their  crowns  *  of  glory  on  them.  11.  And  I  asked 
the  angel  who  was  with  me  :  "  How  is  it  that  they 
have  received  the  garments,  but  have  not  the  thrones 
and  the  crowns?  "  12.  And  he  said  unto  me  :  13. 
"  Crowns  and  thrones  of  glory  they  do  not  receive, 
till  the  Beloved  will  descend  in  the  form  in  which 
you  will  see  Him  descend  '^[will  descend,  I  say] 
into  the  world  in  the  last  days  the  Lord,  who  will  be 
called  Christ^.  Nevertheless,  they  ^^see  and^  know 
whose  will  be  thrones,  and  whose  the  crowns  when 
He  hath  descended,  and  been  made  in  your  form, 
f^and  they  will  think  that  He  is  flesh  and  is  a  man^. 
14.  And  the  god  of  that  world  wiU  stretch  forth  *his 
hand  against  the  Son,*  and  they  will  crucify  Him 
on  a  tree,  and  will  *slay*  Him  not  knowing  who  He 
is.  15.  And  thus  His  descent,  ^^as  you  will  see,  will 
be  hidden  even  from  the  heavens,  so  that  it  will  not 

^  i.  e.  His  heavenly  name;  cf.  Rev.  xix.  12,  and  see  viii.  7 
of  this  book. 

2  Cf.  Matt.  xxii.  30;  Ap.  Bar.  U.  5,  12. 

^  Cf.  Rev.  iii.  21 ;  Luke  xxii.  29,  30;  Matt.  xix.  28. 

■^  i.e.  as  victors;    cf.  Rev.  ii.  10;  iii.  11;  iv.  4;  Jas.  i.  12; 

2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8. 


CHAP.  IX]  PART  IV  53 

be  known  who  He  is"^.  i6.  And  when  He  hath 
plundered  the  angel  of  death/  He  will  ascend  on  the 
third  day,  [and  he  will  remain  in  that  world  five 
hundred  and  forty- five  days].^  17.  And  then  many 
of  the  righteous  will  ascend  ^  with  Him,  whose  spirits 
do  not  receive  their  garments  *  till  the  f^Lord  Christ"^ 
ascend  ^  and  they  ascend  with  Him.  18.  Then, 
indeed,  they  will  receive  their  [garments  and]  thrones 
and  crowns,  when  He  hath  ascended  into  the  ^^seventh"^ 
heaven.  19.  And  I  said  unto  him  that  which  I  had 
asked  him  in  the  third  heaven  :  20.  "  *Show  me 
how*  everything  which  is  done  in  that  world  is  here 
made  known."  21.  And  whilst  I  was  still  speaking 
with  him,  behold  one  of  the  angels  who  stood  nigh, 
more  glorious  than  the  glory  of  that  angel  who 
had  raised  me  up  from  the  world,  22.  Showed  me 
a  book,  [but  not  as  a  book  of  this  world]  and  he 
opened  it,  and  the  book  was  written,  but  not  as 
a  book  of  this  world.^  And  he  gave  (it)  to  me  and 
I  read  it,  and  lo  !  the  deeds  of  the  children  of  Israel 
were  written  therein,  and  the  deeds  of  those  whom 
*I*  know  (not),  my  son  Josab.  23.  And  I  said  : 
**  In  truth,  there  is  nothing  hidden  in  the  seventh 
heaven,  which  is  done  in  this  world."  24.  And  I 
saw  there  many  garments  laid  up,  and  many  thrones 
and  many  crowns.     25.  And  I  said  to  the  angel : 

1  The  "  harrowing  of  Hell  "  was  effected,  according  to  the 
Latin  Gospel  of  Nicodemus  (Part  ii.)  by  the  descent  of  Christ  into 
Hades;    cf.  Rev.  xx.  13  (Matt,  xxvii.  52 f.). 

2  A  Gnostic  interpolation  (Charles). 
^  viz.  from  Hades. 

*  i.  e.  their  spiritual  bodies. 

^  viz.  to  heaven. 

^  i.  e.  one  of  the  heavenly  books ;  these  were  to  be  opened 
at  the  judgement;  cf.  Dan.  vii.  10;  cf.  also  in  the  N.T.,  Rev. 
iii.  5;  xiii.  8;  xvii.  8,  and  often  ("  the  book  of  life  "). 


54      THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH       [chap,  ix 

"  Whose  are  these  garments  and  thrones  and  crowns  ?" 
26.  And  he  said  unto  me  :    "  These  garments  many 
from  that  world  will  receive,  believing  in  the  words 
of  That  One,  f^who  shall  be  named^  as  I  told  thee, 
■^and   they   will   observe   those   things,    and   believe 
in  them,   and  believe   in   His  cross  :    for  them  are 
*these*  laid  up^."     27.  And  I  saw  a  certain  One  ^ 
•^standing,  whose  glory  surpassed  that  of  all,"^  and 
His  glory  was  great  ^and  wonderful.     28.  And  after 
I  had  seen  Him,^  all  the  righteous  whom  I  had  seen 
f^and  also  the   angels  whom   I  had  seen^   came  to 
Him.     f^And  Adam  and  Abel  and  Seth,  and  all  the 
righteous    first    drew    near"^    and    worshipped    Him, 
and  they  all  praised  Him  with  one  voice,   ^and  I 
myself  also  gave  praise  with  them,"fi  and  my  giving 
of    praise    was    as    theirs.      29.  And    then    all    the 
angels  drew  nigh  and  worshipped  and  gave  praise. 
30.  And  *I*  was  (again)  transformed  ^  and  became 
like   an   angel.     31.  And  thereupon  the   angel  who 
conducted  me,  said  to  me  :   "  Worship  this  One,"  and 
I  worshipped  and  praised.     32.  And  the  angel  said 
unto  me  :    "  This  is  the  Lord  of  all  the  praisegivings 
which  thou  hast  seen."     33.  And  whilst   *he*  was 
still  speaking,    I   saw   another   Glorious   One  ^  who 
was   like    Him,   and   the   righteous   drew   nigh   and 
worshipped    and    praised,    and    I    praised    together 
with  them.     But   *my*  glory  was  not  transformed 
into   accordance   with   their   form.     34.  And   there- 
upon the   angels  drew  near  and  worshipped  Him. 
35.  And  I  saw  the  Lord  and  the  second  angel,  and 
they    were    standing.     36.  And    the    second    whom 

^  Christ  is  meant.     Note  the  emphasis  laid  on  the  worship 
of  Him  in  heaven. 

2  Cf.  vii.  25.     Isaiah  underwent  successive  transformations, 
^   The  Third  Person  of  the  Godhead  (Charles). 


CHAP.  IX]  PART  IV  55 

I  saw  was  on  the  left  of  my  Lord.  And  I  asked  : 
"  Who  is  this?  "  and  he  said  unto  me  :  "  Worship 
Him,  for  He  is  the  angel  of  the  Holy  vSpirit,  who 
*speaketh*  in  thee  and  the  rest  of  the  righteous." 
37.  And  I  saw  the  great  glory,  the  eyes  of  my  spirit 
being  open,  and  I  could  not  thereupon  see,^  nor  yet 
could  the  angel  who  was  with  me,  nor  all  the  angels 
whom  I  had  seen  worshipping  my  Lord.  38.  But 
I  saw  the  righteous  ^  beholding  with  great  power  the 
glory  of  that  One.  39.  And  my  Lord  drew  nigh  to 
me  and  the  angel  of  the  Spirit  "^and  He  said  :  "  See 
how  it  is  given  to  thee  to  see  God,  and  on  thy  account 
power  is  given  to  the  angel  who  is  with  thee."  40. 
And  I  saw  how  my  Lord  and  the  angel  of  the  Spirit^ 
worshipped,  and  they  both  together  praised  f^God"^. 
41.  And  thereupon  all  the  righteous  '^drew  near  and"^ 
worshipped.  42.  And  the  angels  f^drew  near  and"^ 
worshipped  and  all  the  angels  praised. 

X.  I.  And  thereupon  I  heard  the  voices  and  the 
giving  of  praise,  which  I  had  heard  in  each  of  the 
six  heavens,  ascending  *and  being  heard*  there  :  2. 
And  all  f^were  being  sent  up  to  that  Glorious  One"^ 
whose  glory  I  could  not  behold.  3.  "^And  I  myself 
was  hearing  and  beliolding  the  praise  (which  was 
given)  to  Him.  4.  And  the  Lord  and  the  angel  of 
the  Spirit  were  beholding  all  and  hearing  alF.  5. 
And  all  the  praises  which  are  sent  up  from  the  six 
heavens  ^  are  not  only  heard  but  seen.  6.  And 
""I  heard"^  the  angel  "^who  conducted  me  and''^  he  said  : 
*'  This  is  the  Most  High  of  the  high  ones,  dwelling 

^  saw  .  .  .  could  not  see :  i.  e.  saw  for  a  moment,  but 
could  not  steadfastly  behold.  By  "  the  Great  Glory,"  is 
meant  the  First  Person  :   of.  i  Enoch  xiv.  20. 

2  i.  e.  the  glorified  righteous;    cf.  Rev.  xxii.  4. 

3  Cf.  vii.  16-17. 


f 


5 


56        THE  ASCENSION   OF  ISAIAH      [chap,  x 

in  the  holy  wo  rid, ^  and  resting  in  His  holy  ones, 
who  will  be  called  by  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the 
lips  of  the  righteous  ^^the  Father  of  the  Lord^."     7. 
And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Most  High  ^the  Father 
of  my  Lord^  saying  to  my  Lord  ^^Christ  who  will  be 
called  Jesus'^  :    8.  "  Go  forth  and  descend  through 
all  the  heavens,  and  Thou  wilt  descend  to  f^the  firma- 
ment and^  that  world  :  to  the  angel  in  Sheol  ^  Thou 
wilt  descend,  ^^but  to  Haguel  ^  Thou  wilt  not  go"^.     9. 
And  Thou  wilt  become  like  unto  the  likeness  of  all  who 
are  in  the  five  heavens.     10.  ^^And  Thou  wilt  be  care- 
I  ful  to  become  like  the  form  of  the  angels  of  the 
I  firmament  [and  the  angels  also  who  are  in  Sheol]"^. 
II.  And   none    of   the    angels   of   that    world   shall 
know  *  f^that  Thou  art  Lord  with  Me  of  the  seven 
heavens  and  of  their  angels.     12.  And  they  shall  not 
know  that  Thou  art  with  Me,  *till*  with  a  *loud* 
voice  ^   I   have   called   (to)   the   heavens,   and  their 
angels  and  their  lights,  (even)  unto  the  sixth  heaven, 
in   order   that   Thou   mayst""    j^dge    f^and   destroy"^ 
the  jprincesf  and  angels  f^and  gods""  of  that  world,^ 
and  the  world  that  is  dominated  by  them  :    13.  For. 
they  have  denied  Me  and  said :  *  We  alone  are,  and 
there  is  none  beside  us.'  "^     14.  And  afterwards  from 
the  *angels*  of  death  Thou  wilt  ascend  to  Thy  place, 
and  Thou  wilt  not  be  transformed  in  each  heaven, 
but  in  glor}^  wilt  Thou  ascend  and  sit  on  My  right 
hand.     15.  And  thereupon  the  princes  and  powers 

1  Based  on  Is.  Ivii.  15  (LXX) ;    cf.  vi.  8. 

2  Sheol  —  Hades  :   and  "  the  Angel  in  Sheol  "  =  the  Angel 
of  Death. 

2  Haguel  =  Abaddon  or  Gehenna  (the  abode  of  the  lost). 

*  Cf.  I  Cor.  ii.  8. 

^  viz.  at  the  day  of  Judgement, 

^  Cf.  John  xvi.  11. 

?  Cf.  Is.  xlvii,  8. 


CHAP.  X]  PART  IV  57 

•fof   that   worldf   will   worship   Thee."  ^     i6.  These 
commands  I  heard  the  Great  Glory  giving  to  my 
Lord.     17.  And  fsoj  I  saw  my  Lord  go  forth  from 
the  seventh  heaven  into  the  sixth  heaven.     18.  And 
the  angel  who  conducted  me   [from  this  world  was 
with  me  and]  said  unto  me  :    "  Understand,  Isaiah, 
and  see  how  the  transformation  and  descent  of  the 
1   Lord  *will  appear*."     19.  And  I  saw,  and  when  the 
I   angels  saw  Him,  "Tthereupon  those  in  the  sixth  heaven"^ 
'    praised  and  lauded  Him ;   for  He  had  not  been  trans- 
formed after  the  shape  of  the  angels  there,  f^and  they 
praised  Him"^   and  I  also   praised  with  them.     20. 
[  And  I  saw  when  He  descended  into  the  fifth  heaven, 
I  that  in  the  fifth  heaven  He  made  Himself  like  unto 
the  form  of  the  angels  there,  and  they  did  not  praise 
Him  (nor  worship  Him) ;   for  His  form  was  like  unto 
theirs.     21.  And  then  He  descended  into  the  fourth 
heaven,  and  made  Himself  like  unto  the  form  of  the 
angels  there.     22.  And  f^wlien  they  saw  Him'^i,  they 
did  not  praise  f^or  laud  Him^  ;   for  His  form  was  like 
unto  their  form.     23.  And  again  I  saw  when  He  de- 
scended into  the  third  heaven,  ^and  He  made  Him- 
self like  unto  the  form  of  the  angels  in  the  third 
heaven.     24.  And  those  who  kept  the  gate  of  the 
/V    (third)   heaven   demanded   the   password, ^   and  the 
Lord  gave  (it)  to  them  in  oTHeT  thar~He  should  not 
be  recognized.     And  when  they  saw  Him,  they  did 
not  praise  or  laud  Him ;    for  His  form  was  like  unto 
their   form.     25.  And   again    I   saw   when    He    de- 
scended"^  into  the  second  heaven,   '^and  again   He 
gave  the  password  ^  there ;   those  who  kept  the  gate 
proceeded  to   demand  and  the   Lord  to  give.     26. 
And  I  saw  when  He  made  Himself  like  unto  the 
^  Cf.  Heb.  i.  6.  ?  or  sign. 


58        THE  ASCENSION   OF   ISAIAH      [chap,  x 

form  of  the  angels  in  the  second  heaven,  and  they 
saw  Him  and  they  did  not  praise  Him ;  for  His 
form  was  hke  unto  their  form.  27.  And,  again, 
I  saw  when  He  descended^  into  the  first  heaven, 
f^and  there  also  He  gave  the  password  ^  to  those  who 
kept  the  gate,  and  He  made  Himself  like  untc  the 
form  of  the  angels  who  were  on  the  left  of  that 
throne^,  and  they  neither  praised  nor  lauded  Him; 
for  His  form  was  like  unto  their  form.  ^^28.  But  as 
for  me  no  one  asked  me  on  account  of  the  angel 
who  conducted  me^.  29.  And  again  He  descended 
into  the  firmament  f^where  dwelleth  the  ruler  of  this 
world^ ,  and  He  gave  the  password  ^  "^to  those  on 
the  left"^,  and  His  form  was  like  theirs,  and  they 
did  not  praise  Him  there ;  ^but  they  were  envying 
one  another  and  fighting;  for  here  there  is  a  power 
of  evil  and  envying  about  trifles'^.  30.  And  I  saw 
when  He  descended  f^and  made  Himself  like^  unto 
the  angels  of  the  air,  and  He  was  like  one  of  them. 
31.  And  He  gave  no  password;  ^  '^for  one  was  plun- 
dering and  doing  violence  to  another.^ 

XL  I.  After  this  ^^I  saw,  and  "^the  angel  f^who  spoke 
with  me,  who  conducted  me"^ ,  said  unto  me  :  "  Under- 
stand, Isaiah,  son  of  Amoz;  for  for  this  purpose  have 
I  been  sent  from  God."  2.  ^  "^And  I,  indeed,  saw 
a  woman  of  the  family  of  David  ^  the  prophet,  named 
Mary,  a  Virgin,  and  she  was  espoused  to  a  man 
named  Joseph,  a  carpenter,  and  he  also  was  of  the 
seed  and  family  of  the  righteous  David  of  Bethlehem 

1  or  sign. 

2  xi.  2-22  are  wanting  in  the  Latin  version  (L^)  and  in  the 
Slavonic.     But  the  whole  section  appears  to  be  original, 

3  The  Davidic  descent  of  the  Virgin  Mary  is  here  explicitly 
asserted.  This  belief  has  very  early  attestation;  cf.  Justin 
Martyr,  Trypho  c.  xliii.,  xlv.,  c,  etc. 


CHAP.  XI]  PART   IV  59 

Judah.  3.  And  he  came  into  his  lot.  And  when 
slie  was  espoused,  she  was  found  with  child,  andjoseph 
the  carpenter  was  desirous  to  put  her  away.^  4. 
But  the  angel  of  the  Spirit  appeared  in  this  world, 
and  after  that  Joseph  did  not  put  her  away,  but  kept 
Mary  and  did  not  reveal  this  matter  to  any  one. 
5.  And  he  did  not  approach  Mary,  but  kept  her  as  a 
holy  virgin,  though  with  child.  6.  And  he  did  not 
live  with  her  for  two  months.  7.  And  after  two 
months  of  days  while  Joseph  was  in  his  house,  and 
Mary  his  wife,  but  both  alone — 8.  It  came  to  pass 
that  when  they  were  alone  Mary  straightway 
looked  with  her  eyes  and  saw  a  small  babe,  and  she 
was  astonied.2  9.  And  after  she  had  been  astonied, 
her  womb  was  found  as  formerly  before  she  had 
conceived.  10.  And  when  her  husband  Joseph  said 
unto  her  :  "  What  has  astonied  thee  ?  "  his  eyes  were 
opened  and  he  saw  the  infant  and  praised  God, 
because  into  his  portion  God  had  come.  11.  And 
a  voice  came  to  them  :  "  Tell  this  vision  to  no  one."  ^ 
12.  And  the  story  regarding  the  infant  was  noised 
abroad  in  Bethlehem.  13.  Some  said  :  "  The  Virgin 
Mary  hath  borne  a  child  before  she  was  married 
two  months."  14.  And  many  said  :  **  She  hath  not 
borne  a  child,  nor  hath  a  midwife  gone  up  (to  her), 
nor  have  we  heard  the  cries  of  (labour)  pains." 
And  they  were  all  blinded  respecting  Him  and 
they  all  knew  regarding  Him,  though  they  knew 
not  whence  He  was.*  15.  And  they  took  Him,  and 
went  to  Nazareth  in  Galilee.  16.  And  I  saw,  O 
Hezekiah  and  Josab  my  son,  and  I  declare  to  the 
other  prophets  also  who  are  standing  by,  that  (this) 

1  Cf .  Matt.  i.  20  f .  2  cf.  Protev.  Jacohi  xix, 

3  Cf.  op.  cit.  XX.  (end),  *  Cf.  John  vii.  27. 


6o       THE  ASCENSION   OF   ISAIAH      [chap,  xi 

hath  escaped  all  the  heavens  and  all  the  princes  and 
all  the  gods  of  this  world. ^  17.  And  I  saw  :  In 
Nazareth  He  sucked  the  breast  as  a  babe  and  as  is 
customary  in  order  that  He  might  not  be  recognized. 
18.  And  when  He  had  grown  up  He  worked  great 
signs  and  wonders  in  the  land  of  Israel  and  of  Jeru- 
salem. 19.  And  after  this  the  adversary  envied  Him 
and  roused  the  children  of  Israel  against  Him"^,  not 
knowing  who  He  was,  f^and  the 3^  delivered  Him  to  the 
king,  and  crucified  Him,  and  He  descended  to  the 
angel  (of  Sheol).  20.  In  Jerusalem,  indeed,  I  saw 
Him  being  crucified  on  a  tree  :  21.  And  likewise 
after  the  third  day  rise  again  and  remain  days.  22. 
And  the  angel  who  conducted  me  said  :  "  Understand, 
Isaiah  :  "  and  I  saw  when  He  sent  out  the  Twelve 
Apostles  2  and  ascended^.  23.  And  I  saw  Him,  and 
He  was  in  the  firmament,  but  He  had  not  changed 
Himself  into  their  form,  and  all  the  angels  of  the 
firmament  f^and  the  Satans^  saw  Him  ^  and  they 
worshipped.  24.  And  f^there  was  much  sorrow 
there,  while^  they  said  :  '*  How  did  our  Lord  descend 
*in  our  midst*,  and  we  perceived  not  the  glory 
[which  hath  been  upon  Him],  which  we  see  hath  been 
upon  Him  from  the  sixth  heaven?  "  25.  And  He 
ascended  into  the  second  heaven,  and  He  did  not 
transform  Himself,  but  all  the  angels  who  were  on 
the  right  and  on  the  left  and  the  throne  in  the  midst 
26.  Both  worshipped  Him  and  praised  Him  and  said  : 
"  How  did  our  Lord  escape  us  whilst  descending,  and 
we   perceived  not  ?  "     27.  And  in  like  manner  He 

1  Cf.  Ignatius  ad  Ephes.  xix.  :  And  hidden  from  the  prince 
of  this  world  were  the  virginity  of  Mary,  and  her  child-hearing., 
and  likewise  also  the  death  of  the  Lord  :   cf.  also  i  Cor.  ii.  7,  8, 

2  Cf.  iii.  17;  Matt,  xxviii.  18  f.;  Acts  i.  8  f . 

^  all  the  cingels  .  .  .  saw  Him  :   cf.  i  Tim.  iii.  16, 


CHAP.  XT]  PART   IV  6i 

ascended  into  the  third  heaven,  ^and  they  praised 
and  said  in  Hke  manner.^  28.  And  in  the  fourth 
heaven  and  in  the  fiftli  f^also  they  said  precisely  after 
the  same  manner.  29.  But  there  was  one  glory, 
and  from  it  He  did  not  change  Himself.  30.  And 
I  saw  when  He  ascended"^  into  the  sixth  heaven, 
""and  they  worshipped  and  glorified  Him^.  31. 
But  in  all  the  heavens  the  praise  increased  (in  volume). 
32.  And  I  saw  how  He  ascended  into  the  seventh 
heaven,  and  all  the  righteous  and  all  the  angels  praised 
Him.  And  then  I  saw  Him  sit  down  on  the  right 
hand  of  that  Great  Glory  ^  whose  glory  I  told  you 
that  I  could  not  behold.  33.  And  also  the  angel 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  I  saw  sitting  on  the  left  hand.^ 
34.  And  this  angel  said  unto  me  :  *'  Isaiah,  son  of 
Amoz,  *it  is  enough  for  thee* ;  ^for  these  are  great 
things^  ;  for  thou  hast  seen  what  no  child  of  flesh 
hath  seen.  35 .  And  thou  wilt  return  into  thy  garment 
(of  the  flesh)  until  thy  days  are  completed.^  Then 
thou  wilt  come  hither."  36.  These  things  Isaiah  saw 
and  told  unto  all  that  stood  before  him,  and  they 
praised.  And  he  spake  to  Hezekiah  the  King,  f^and 
said''!  :  "I  have  spoken  these  things."  37.  Both  the 
end  of  this  w^orld;  38.  And  all  this  vision  will  be 
consummated  in  the  last  generations.  39.  And 
Isaiah  made  him  swear  that  he  would  not  tell  (it) 
to  the  people  of  Israel,  nor  give  these  words  to  any 
man  to  transcribe.  40.  .  .  .  *Such  things*  ye  will 
read.  And  watch  ye  in  the  Holy  Spirit  in  order 
that  ye  may  receive  your  garments  and  thrones 
and  crowns  of  glory  which  are  laid  up  in  the  f^seventh"^ 
heaven.  41.  On  account  of  these  visions  and  pro- 
phecies Sammael  Satan  sawed  in  sunder  Isaiah  the 
^  Cf.  ix.  37;  X.  16.  2  cf^  ix.  36.  ^  Cf.  viii.  27. 


62      THE  ASCENSION   OF   ISAIAH      [chap,  xi 

soil  of  Amoz,  the  prophet,  by  the  hand  of  Manasseh. 
42.  And  all  these  things  Hezekiah  delivered  to  Manasseh 
in  the  tit' enty- sixth  year.  43.  But  Manasseh  did  not 
remember  them  nor  place  these  things  in  his  heart, 
but  becoming  the  servant  of  Satan  he  was  destroyed. 

Here  endeth  the  vision  of  Isaiah  the  prophet  la^ith 
his  ascension. 


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BRUNSWICK  ST.,  STAMFORD  ST.,  S.E.  1,  AND   BUNGAY,  SUFFOLK. 


TRANSLATIONS     OF 
EARLY  DOCUMENTS 

A    Series   of   texts    important  for    the    study    of 
Christian  origins^  by  various  authors 


UNDER   THE    JOINT    EDITORSHIP    OF 

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The  Rev.  W.  O.  E.  Oesterley,  D.D., 
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Examining  Chaplain  to  the  Bishop  of 
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Charles,  D.D.,  Canon  of  Westminster. 

4.  The    Book  of    Jubilees.      The    Rev.   Canon 

Charles. 

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The  Rev.  Canon  Charles. 

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7.  The  Ascension  of  Isaiah.     The  Rev.  Canon 

Charles. 

8.  The  Apocalypse   of   Ezra  (ii.  Esdras).     The 

Rev.  Canon  Box. 

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Charles. 

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Canon  Box. 

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Q.   Middoth 


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Jewish  Literature  and  Christian  Origins  : 
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55    II.  A  Short  Survey  of  the  Literature  of 
Rabbinical  Judaism. 
By  the  Revs.  Dr.  Oesterley  and  Canon  Box. 

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