ABRAHAM

Abraham was the son of Terah, and Terah was a maker of idols which he

sold to the people round about him. Now this is the story of how

Abraham came to believe in the true God; and in the ancient book the

story is put into the mouth of Abraham himself, and he tells it in

this way:

I was troubled in my mind because I desired to know who was in truth

the strongest of all the Gods. And one day when I was attending to

the gods of my father Terah, gods of wood and stone, gold and silver,

iron and brass, I went into the temple where they stood, and found

that one of them, the god named Marumath, who was carved out of

stone, had fallen over and was lying at the feet of the god Zucheus.

When I saw that, I was alarmed, and thought that I should never be

able to put him back in his place by myself, because he was so heavy;

so I went and told my father, and he came, and the two of us could

hardly manage to move him; but as we were doing so, the head of the

god broke off in my hands. At that my father said, "Abraham", and I

said, "Here am I, bring me the chisels out of the house." And

when I had done so, he fashioned another Marumath out of stone,

without a head, and fixed the head that had come off the first

Marumath upon it; and the rest of the old Marumath he broke in

pieces.

After that he made five more gods, and bade me take them and sell

them in the streets of the city; and I saddled the ass, and put them

upon it, and went to the river to sell them; and there I found

merchants coming from Fandana in Syria with camels, on their way to

Egypt to bring papyrus from the Nile. And as I was talking with them

one of their camels belched, and the donkey took fright and ran off,

and the gods fell off its back, and three of them were broken, and

only two remained whole. But when the Syrians saw what had happened,

they said, "Why did you not tell us that you had gods to sell? We

might have bought them before the donkey took fright, and they would

not have been destroyed; at least we will take the gods that remain,

and pay you the price of them all." And they did so; and the broken

gods I cast into the river Gur, and they sank and were seen no more.

But as I returned home, I was bewildered and divided in my mind. I

said to myself, "What an evil trade is this that my father

practises! Is not he in truth the god of his own gods which he makes

with his chisels and lathes and his skill? Ought they not rather to

worship him than he them? Surely it is all deceit. Look at Marumath,

who fell and could not get up again, and these five other gods which

could not punish the donkey for running away with them, nor keep

themselves from being broken and thrown into the river."

And as I was thinking of all these things, I arrived at my father's

house. Then I gave the ass his hay and water, and went in and gave

the price of the gods to my father Terah, and he was pleased and

said, "Blessed be thou of my gods: my labour has not been in vain."

But I said, "It is rather thou, father, that givest blessing to the

gods, for thou art their god; their own blessing is vain and their

help is naught: if they cannot help themselves, how should they help

thee or bless me?" But he was very angry with me for speaking

lightly of his gods.

Then I went out of the house, and after a while my father called me

and said, "Gather up the chips of the fig-wood wherewith I was

making gods before you came in, and see about preparing dinner."

And as I was doing so, I found a little god lying among the straw and

the rubbish, and on his forehead was written: "The god Barisat." So I

kept him, and did not tell my father; and when I had kindled the fire

to cook the dinner, and was going out to fetch the food, I set

Barisat down in front of the fire and said to him, "Barisat, take

care that the fire does not go out before I come back; and if it

does, blow upon it and revive it." Then I went out and did my errand,

and when I returned I found Barisat fallen over backwards, and his

feet were in the fire and were badly burnt; and I laughed to myself

and said, "You are in truth a good fireman and cook, Barisat." Just

then the fire caught upon his body and burnt him all up.

When the time was come, I brought food to my father and he ate, and I

gave him wine and milk and he drank, and rejoiced and praised his god

Marumath; and I said, "Father, you should not praise Marumath, but

rather Barisat, for he has done more for you: he has thrown himself

into the fire to cook your dinner." "And where is he now?" said my

father. "He has been burnt to ashes," I said, "in the heat of the

fire, and nothing but dust is left of him." And my father said,

"Great is the strength of Barisat! I will make another one to-day,

and he shall prepare my food for me to-morrow." Now when I heard my

father say these words, I laughed in myself, and yet I was troubled

and angry in my soul. And at last I answered and said, "Whichever of

these things you honour as a god, it is folly. The god Zucheus, who

is the god of my brother Nahor, is more honourable than your god

Marumath, for he is adorned with gold finely wrought, and when he is

old he will be fashioned over again; but if Marumath is broken or

injured he will not be renewed, for he is only of stone. And again

the god Joauv, who stands next to Zucheus, is more honourable than

Barisat, for he is covered with silver; but as for Barisat, you made

him yourself with your axe, and, look, he is fallen upon the earth,

and the fashion of his likeness is destroyed, and he is burnt to

ashes, and you say, 'To-day I will make another, and he shall

prepare my food to-morrow.'

"But I say to you, my father, the fire is mightier than all your gods

of gold and silver and stone and wood, for it can devour them all.

Yet I call not the fire god, for it is weaker than the water which

can subdue it. Yet again I call not the water god, for the earth

swallows it up. Neither call I the earth god, for it is subject to

men that till it, and to the sun that gives light to it. Neither call

I the sun god, for it is overcome by the darkness of night. But I say

that there is one true God who hath made all these things; who hath

made the heavens blue, and the sun golden, and the moon and stars

white and shining, and hath raised up the earth from among the

waters, and breathed into thee the breath of life, and hath sought me

out in the trouble of my soul; and would that He might reveal Himself

unto us!"

And as I was speaking these words to my father in the court of his

house, there came from heaven the voice of a Mighty One speaking out

of a cloud of fire, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And I said,

"Behold, here am I!" And He said, "In the thought of thy heart thou

seekest after the God of Gods and the Maker of all things: I am He.

Depart from thy father Terah and go out of his house, lest thou be

consumed in his wickedness." And I went out; and it came to pass, as

I came to the door of the house, that there fell a noise of a great

thundering, and the fire fell and burnt up my father Terah and his

house and all that was therein.

This is the story of the beginning of the life of Abraham; and that

which is told about the end of his life is as follows:

Abraham had lived out the measure of his days. He was now a hundred

and seventy-five years old, and all the days of his life he had lived

in kindness and meekness and uprightness: and especially was he

hospitable and courteous to strangers. He dwelt by the cross-roads

near the oak of Mamre, and entertained all the wayfarers who came

that way, rich and poor, lame and sound, friends or strangers. But at

last to him, as to all other men, there came the bitter cup of death,

which none can put away. So when the time was come, the Most High

called to him the archangel Michael and said to him, "Michael, prince

of the host, go down to Abraham and speak to him concerning his

death, that he may set his house in order: for his possessions are

great. Announce to him therefore that he is to depart speedily out of

the earthly life, and come to his Lord in peace and happiness."

Michael therefore went forth from the presence of the Lord and went

down to Abraham at the oak of Mamre, and found him in the fields hard

by, watching his husbandmen ploughing with their oxen. And Abraham

lifted up his eyes and saw Michael coming towards him in the dress

and fashion of a soldier--for he was the captain of the Lord's

host--very beautiful to look upon. And Abraham rose and went to meet

him, as was his custom with all strangers; and when they had saluted

one another, Abraham asked Michael whence he came; and Michael

answered, "I come from the Great City, and my errand is to fetch a

certain friend of the Great King, whom He is inviting to come to

Him." Then said Abraham, "My lord, come with me to my house." And

when Michael consented, Abraham called one of his men and bade him

fetch two quiet horses that he and the stranger might ride home on

them. But Michael refused, for he knew that no earthly horse could

bear him; so he said, "Nay, but rather let us go on foot to your

house."

And as they went up from the fields, they came to a cypress-tree

growing by the wayside; and as they passed by it there came from it a

human voice, which said, "Holy is the Lord who calleth to Himself

them that love Him." Now this happened by the commandment of God, to

be a sign to Abraham, and he marvelled; but when he looked at his

companion and saw that he seemed to take no notice of it, he said

nothing, thinking that only he had heard the voice. Soon after they

came to the house, and Isaac and Sarah came to greet them, and they

sat down in the courtyard of the house. But Isaac said to his mother

Sarah, "Mother, I am sure that the man who is sitting with my father

is not of the race of men that live on the earth." Just then Abraham

called to Isaac, "Isaac, my son, draw water from the well, and bring

it to me in a basin, that we may wash the stranger's feet, for he has

come a long journey." So Isaac ran and fetched the water to his

father; and Abraham said to him secretly, "My child, something says

to me that this will be the last time that I shall wash the feet of

any stranger coming to this house." And Isaac was greatly distressed

and said, "What mean you, father, by these words?" Abraham said

nothing, but stooped down and began to wash the feet of Michael; and

Isaac wept. Abraham too shed tears, and Michael seeing it, was moved

with pity, and wept also; and his tears fell into the basin of water

and became precious pearls. When Abraham saw that, he marvelled; but

he gathered up the pearls secretly and said nothing.

After that he told Isaac to go and prepare the banqueting-room,

spread two couches, light the lamps, burn sweet odours, and fetch

fragrant herbs and flowers from the garden. "For," said he, "this

man who is come to us is worthy of all the honour we can do him." So

Isaac went to make ready the room, and Sarah also set about preparing

a feast. Then, while they were all busying themselves with

preparation, the sun began to set, and the hour came at which all the

angels appear before God and worship Him; and Michael also flew up

into the heavens in the twinkling of an eye, and stood before the

Lord. And when all the angels had done their worship and gone forth

again, Michael remained and said to the Lord, "Lord, I cannot speak

to Abraham about his death; for I have never seen his like upon the

earth, kind, courteous, hospitable, fearing God, and keeping himself

pure from all evil. I cannot grieve his heart by telling him that he

is to die." And the Lord said, "Go down again to my friend Abraham,

and whatsoever he would have thee do, do it; and I will put the

thought of his death into the mind of his son Isaac in a dream. Then

Isaac shall tell the dream, and thou shalt interpret it, and so

Abraham shall be certified of his death."

So Michael returned to Abraham's house, and sat at meat with him, and

Isaac waited on them; and after supper, Abraham offered up prayer as

he was wont, and the archangel prayed with him, and they went to

their beds. Isaac also asked his father if he might sleep with them,

for he desired exceedingly to be near the wonderful stranger and to

hear his words; but Abraham said, "Nay, my son, lest we be burdensome

to the stranger." Therefore Isaac bowed down and received his

father's blessing, and went to his own chamber.

And about the third hour of the night Isaac dreamed a dream, and it

frightened him, so that he leapt out of bed and ran hastily to the

room where Abraham and Michael were sleeping, and beat upon the door

and said, "Father, open to me quickly! let me kiss you once again

before they take you away from me." Then Abraham opened the door, and

Isaac ran in and hung upon his neck, weeping loudly. And Sarah was

awakened by the noise of the weeping, and came quickly to them; and

she also wept and said, "What is the matter? Has our brother who is

come to us brought you evil tidings of Lot, your nephew?" But Michael

said, "No, lady, it is not so; but, as I think, your son Isaac has

dreamed a dream which has troubled him, so he came to us weeping, and

we were moved at the sight of his tears, and wept with him."

Now Sarah, when she heard the sound of the voice of Michael, became

sure in her own mind that it was an angel of God who was speaking.

She beckoned therefore to Abraham to come to her at the door of the

house, and took him aside and said to him, "Do you know who this man

is?" and he said, "No." "Do you remember," said she, "the three men

who came to us once at the oak of Mamre; and how you killed a calf

and prepared a feast for them; and how when the calf was eaten, it

suddenly became whole again and sprang up and ran and suckled its

mother? I am sure that this is one of those three men." Abraham

answered, "Sarah, you have hit the truth; praised be God for His

wonders. Now I tell you that last night when I was washing the feet

of this man, I said to myself, 'Surely these are the feet that I

washed long ago under the oak-tree?' And furthermore, he shed tears,

and they fell into the water and became these pearls." And he drew

the pearls out of his bosom and showed them to her, and she bowed her

head and praised God and said, "Be sure, Abraham, that he is come to

reveal some matter to us, whether for evil or for good."

Then Abraham left Sarah and went in and said to Isaac, "Come here, my

child, and tell me what you saw, and what caused you to come to us in

such haste?" And Isaac said, "It was this, father. I saw in a dream

this night the sun and the moon upon my head, and the rays of the sun

were all about me and enlightened me, and I rejoiced in them; then I

saw the heavens opening, and a shining man, brighter than seven suns,

came down; and he approached me and took the sun from off my head

and carried it up into heaven; and again after a little while, as I

was sorrowing over it, he came and took the moon from me. Then I was

greatly distressed, and I besought him, saying, 'Nay, my lord, do

not take all my glory from me; have pity upon me; if thou must needs

take the sun, yet leave me the moon.' But he said, 'Suffer them to

be taken up to the King above, for He desires them to be with Him.'

So he took them away, saying, 'They are removed from toil unto rest,

and from darkness unto light.' But their glory he left upon me. Then

I awoke." And Isaac ceased speaking.

Then Michael said, "Hear me, righteous Abraham. The sun which Isaac

saw is you, his father; the moon likewise is Sarah, his mother; and

the shining one who came down out of heaven and took them away is

myself. And now be it known to you that the time is come for you to

leave this earthly life and go to God." But Abraham said, "Why, here

is a marvel indeed! And are you the one appointed to take my soul

from me?" He answered, "I am Michael, the captain of the host of

God, and I am sent to speak to you concerning your death." Then said

Abraham, "I know that you are an angel of God, and that you are sent

to take away my soul. But I shall not follow you!"

When Michael heard that word he vanished away from them and went up

to the heavens and stood before the Lord, and told Him what Abraham

had said; and the Lord answered, "Return to Abraham My friend and

speak yet again to him, Thus saith the Lord: 'I brought thee out of

thy father's house into the land of promise: I have blessed thee and

increased thee more than the sands of the seashore and more than the

stars of heaven. Why dost thou resist My decree? Knowest thou not

that Adam and Eve died, and all their offspring; none of the

forefathers escaped death; they are all of them gone unto the place

of spirits, all of them have been gathered by the sickle of death.

And I have not suffered the angel of death to approach thee: I have

not permitted any evil disease to come upon thee, but instead I have

sent mine own prince Michael to speak peaceably unto thee, that thou

mayest set thine house in order and bless thy son Isaac and depart in

peace; and now thou sayest, "I will in nowise follow him." Knowest

thou not that if I send Death unto thee, thou must needs come whether

thou wilt or no?'" So Michael returned to Abraham, and found him

weeping, and told him all these words; and Abraham besought him,

saying, "Speak yet once again to my Lord and say to Him, 'Thus saith

Abraham Thy servant: Lord, Thou hast been gracious to me all my life

long, and now, behold, I do not resist Thy word, for I know that I am

a mortal man; but this one thing I ask of Thee, that while I am yet

in my body Thou wouldst suffer me to see Thy world and all the

creatures that Thou hast made. Then shall I depart out of this life

without any trouble of mind.'" And Michael returned and spake all

these words before the Lord, and the Lord said, "Take a cloud of

light and angels that have power over the chariots, and bear Abraham

in the chariot of the cherubim into the air of heaven and let him see

all the world before he dies."

And it was done; and Michael showed Abraham all the regions of the

world. He saw men ploughing and carting, keeping flocks, dancing,

sporting, and playing the harp, wrestling, going to law, weeping,

dying, and being carried out to burial: even all the things that are

done in the earth, both good and evil. And in one place they saw men

with swords in their hands, and Abraham asked Michael, "Who are these?"

And Michael said, "These are thieves who are going out to steal

and to kill and to destroy." Then Abraham said, "O that God would

hear me and send evil beasts out of the forest to devour them!" And

in that moment wild beasts rushed out upon them and tore them to

pieces. Then in another place he saw men and women feasting and

drinking before their idols, and he said, "O that the earth might

open and swallow them up!" And immediately it happened as he had

said. And in yet another place he saw men breaking through the wall of

a house to enter it and rob it; and he prayed again, and fire fell

from heaven and burnt them up. Then there came a voice which said,

"Michael, prince of My host, turn the chariot and bring Abraham back,

lest, if he sees any more of the sinners upon earth, he destroy the

whole race of men. For he is a righteous man, and has no compassion

upon sinners. But I created the world, and I would not have any

perish. Bring Abraham therefore to the entering in of the gate of

heaven, that he may see the judgment and the recompensing of men, and

may have pity upon the souls whom he has blotted out."

Michael therefore turned the chariot and brought Abraham across the

great river of Ocean to the entering in of the gate of heaven, and

showed him the judgments. And Abraham saw the narrow gate of life and

the broad gate of destruction, and between the gates he saw our

father Adam sitting upon a throne, and clad in a glorious robe of

many colours; and he saw how Adam lamented when the souls went in

through the broad gate, and how he rejoiced when they attained to the

narrow gate, and how his weeping exceeded his rejoicing. Moreover,

Michael showed him how the souls of men are examined concerning their

works and how their acts are re-corded and weighed. But when he saw

how hard it is to enter in at the strait gate, it repented him that

he had prayed for the punishment of the sinners, and he said to

Michael, "O prince of the host, let us entreat the Lord that He

would have mercy upon the souls of the men whom I cursed in my anger;

for now I know that I sinned before God when I prayed against them."

Then they both prayed earnestly to God; and after a long time there

came a voice saying, "Abraham, I have heard thy prayer, and I have

given back life to the men whom thou didst destroy."

Moreover, the voice bade Michael take Abraham back to his house. And

when he was come thither, he went up to the great chamber, and sat

upon the couch; and Sarah and Isaac came and fell on his neck, and

all his servants gathered about him, rejoicing at his return. And

Michael said, "Hearken, Abraham: here is Sarah your wife and Isaac

your son, and here are all your manservants and maidservants about

you. Now therefore set in order your house and bless them, and make

ready to depart with me, for your hour is come." Abraham answered,

"Did the Lord command you to say this, or do you say it of yourself?"

Michael said, "The Lord commanded me, and I give the message to you."

Yet for all that Abraham answered, "I will not follow you." So

Michael went forth and stood before the Most High again and told him

the words of Abraham; and he said besides, "I cannot lay hands upon

him, for there is not his like upon the earth, no, not even the

righteous Job. Tell me therefore, Lord, what I must do."

And God said, "Call Death, and bid him come hither." Michael went and

found Death, and said to him, "Come, for the Lord of all things, the

Immortal King, calleth for thee." And Death trembled and feared

exceedingly when he heard that; but he followed Michael and came and

stood before the Lord, quivering and shaking with fear, awaiting the

commands of his Master. And God said to him, "Hide thy hideous

appearance, cover up thy corruption, put away from thee all thy

terror, and put on a glorious and beautiful aspect, and go down to

Abraham My friend and take him and bring him to Me: only see that

thou make him not afraid, but bring him peaceably, for he is My

friend." So Death went forth from the presence of God, and made

himself like an angel of light, beautiful to look upon, and departed

to seek Abraham. Now Abraham had come down from his chamber and was

sitting under the trees of Mamre, leaning his head upon his hand,

expecting the return of Michael the archangel. And suddenly he was

aware of a sweet perfume, and of a light shining near him; and he

turned round and saw Death coming towards him in a form of great

glory and beauty, and rose to meet him, supposing him to be an angel

of God. And they greeted one another, and Abraham said, "Whence come

you to me, and who are you?" Death answered, "Abraham, I tell you the

truth: I am the bitter cup of death." Abraham said, "Rather you are

the beauty of the world; a fairer than you I have never seen, and how

say you, 'I am the bitter cup of death'?" He answered, "I have told

you the truth; the name by which God named me is that which I have

spoken." Abraham said, "And why have you come to this place?" Death

answered, "I am come to take your soul, O righteous one." Abraham

said, "I hear what you say, but I shall not come with you." But

Death was silent and answered him not a word.

Then Abraham rose up and went towards his house: and Death followed

him. And he went up into his chamber: and Death went with him; and he

laid himself on his bed: and Death came and sat by his feet. And

Abraham said, "Go, depart from me: I wish to rest here on my couch."

Death answered, "I shall not depart till I have taken thy soul from

thy body." Abraham said, "I adjure thee by the living God: art thou

in very truth Death?" He said, "I am." Then said Abraham, "Comest

thou to all men in such a beautiful shape as this?" He said, "Nay,

my lord Abraham; it is thy righteousness and thy good deeds which

make as it were a crown of glory upon my head; it is only to such as

thou art that I come thus peaceably, but to sinners I show myself

much otherwise." "Show me then," said Abraham, "in what form thou

comest to them: let me see all thy fierceness and bitterness."

"No," said Death, "for thou couldst not bear to look upon it."

"Verily, I am able to bear it," he said, "for the strength of the

God of heaven is with me."

Then Death let fall from him all his beauty, and Abraham saw him as

he was. And where there had been a shining angel, he saw a cloud of

darkness, and in it the shapes of horrible wild beasts and all

unclean creatures; and he saw the heads of fiery dragons, and flames

of consuming fire darting out; and he seemed to see a dreadful

precipice before him, and then a rushing river, and flashes of

lightning, and crackling of thunder, and thereafter a tempestuous

raging sea; and again weapons brandished, and venomous basilisks and

serpents, and bowls of poison; and there came a horrible odour, so

that all the servants of Abraham that were in the chamber fainted and

died, and Abraham himself swooned and his senses left him.

When he came to himself, Death had hidden his terrible aspect and put

on his beautiful form again. And Abraham saw his servants lying dead,

and said to Death, "How is it that thou hast slain these?" And Death

said, "They died at the sight of my countenance, and in truth it is a

marvel that thou also didst not die with them." "Yea," said Abraham,

"now I know how it was that I came by this faintness of spirit that

is upon me; but I pray thee, Death, inasmuch as these have been cut

off before their time, let us entreat God that he would raise them up

again." So Abraham and Death prayed together; and the spirit of life

returned into the servants that had been killed, and they rose up

again. After that Abraham conversed with Death.

Then Sarah and Isaac came in and talked with Abraham as he lay on his

bed. And Abraham said to Death, "I beseech thee, depart from me for a

little, for since I looked upon thee weakness is come upon me, and my

breath labours and my heart is troubled." Then said Death, "Kiss my

right hand and thy strength will return to thee, and thou wilt be

filled with joy." So Abraham kissed the hand of Death, and the soul

of Abraham clave to the hand of Death and left his body; and

straightway Michael was there and a multitude of angels with him, and

they accompanied the holy soul of Abraham and brought it into the

heavens into the presence of the Most High, there to abide

everlastingly in gladness and brightness in the place from which all

sorrow and sighing are fled away.