This is a summary of the longer recension, which Nickelsburg considers to be more original. Various speculations as to the date of composition range from first century BC to fifth or sixth centuries AD. Although the work has been transmitted by Christian scribes – see, for example, the Trinitarian ending – many scholars, like Nickelsburg, argue that it did not originate in Christian circles. But issues of dating, authorship, composition and provenance are all highly speculative.
The theology implicit in this document plainly contradicts biblical theology at many critical junctures.
Chapter One
Abraham was 995, having lived a quiet, gentle, righteous. He had been extremely hospitable, indiscriminately entertaining all – rich and poor, rulers, maimed and helpless, friends and strangers, neighbours and travelers.
But now even Abraham faced imminent death. The Lord God sent the archangel Michael to tell Abraham, as the most righteous person on earth, to prepare himself for death and join the good in God’s presence, mindful of God’s wonderful blessings on his life – his multitudinous offspring, advanced age and great wealth.
Chapter Two
Michael descended, looking like a great warrior, finding Abraham, with others, in a field being ploughed by oxen near the oak of Mamre and met with Abraham’s typical hospitable response. Abraham remarked on Michael’s splendour and asked about where he had come from. Michael said a great king had sent him to summon his good friend. Abraham tries to arrange for himself and Michael to sit on two horses, but Michael declares that he would never sit on any four-footed beast. Instead Abraham agrees to walk with Michael to his home.
Chapter Three
As they passed a cypress tree God commanded it to cry out with a human voice, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God who calls to those who love him.” Abraham, supposing Michael didn’t hear the tree call out, keeps this to himself.
As they sat in the courtyard of Abraham’s home, Isaac told his mother Sarah that their visitor was not human. After Isaac prostrated himself at Michael’s feet, Michael assured him God would honour his promise to Abraham and his seed and answer the prayer of his parents. At Abraham’s bidding, Isaac fetches water from the well to wash Michael’s feet, which caused Abraham to weep and then both Isaac and Michael as well. But as Michael’s tears fell into a basin they became jewels. Abraham, astonished, secretly took the stones but kept this mystery to himself.
Chapter Four
Because Michael is more glorious than any king or human, Abraham commands Isaac to prepare the inner chamber, beautify it, prepare seating for Abraham and Michael, arrange fine materials, fill it with wonderful aromas and burn seven lamps.
During the feast Michael left, as though to urinate, but, instead, instantaneously ascended to heaven. He told God he had been so moved by Abraham’s sinlessness and hospitable spirit he is unable to warn him of his impending death. God tells Michael to return to the banquet with Abraham, promising, via the sending of the Holy Spirit to Isaac, to enable Isaac to dream about his father’s death, so that upon relating it to his father, Michael might interpret it and thereby prepare Abraham. Michael expresses his inability to consume human food, but God says he will send a devouring spirit so that it will appear as though Michael is really eating the food.
Chapter Five
After the banquet Abraham prayed, as per his custom, and Michael prayed with him. Both then lay down to sleep. While Isaac slept on his own bed he dreamt of Abraham’s death, then got up and ran to his father imploring him to embrace him before he is taken away. Soon Isaac, Abraham, Michael and Sarah are all weeping. Sarah speculates that perhaps Michael has brought bad news that Lot has died. But Michael explains they are sharing Isaac’s grief arising from the dream he had had.
Chapter Six
Sarah quickly realized Michael was an angel of the Lord. She took her husband aside and asked him if he realized who Michael was. He replied he did not. She reminded him of the three men from heaven they had once entertained by the oak of Mamre and told him she recognised Michael as being one of those who had promised the birth of Isaac. Abraham realizes Sarah is right and shows her the jewels as further confirmation. Sarah concludes that Michael’s coming indicates they are receiving a revelation, whether involving evil or good news.
Chapter Seven
Abraham now asks Isaac to tell him what he dreamt. Isaac relates how during nighttime both the sun and the moon above him surrounded him with light. Then he saw heaven opened. A radiant man descended shining more than seven suns. This man took the sun from above Isaac’s head and this grieved Isaac. Later the man returned to take the moon away as well. Isaac cried out to him not to do this, but he insisted that the king above wanted them with him. So he took them away, while leaving light shining on Isaac. Michael explained the sun symbolized Abraham and the moon Sarah, with the man from heaven being the one sent to take their righteous souls. Michael tells Abraham the time has come for him to leave this worldly life and be with God. Abraham refuses to let Michael take his soul.
Chapter Eight
Michael instantly vanishes and reports all of this to God. Michael is commanded to remind Abraham of how greatly God has blessed him and to ask him why he is now rebelling against him and his archangel Michael. He is to be reminded that all descendants of Adam and Eve have died, with none of the prophets escaping death. No king and none of Abraham’s forefathers have escaped the mystery of death. All have departed into Hades. All have been gathered by the sickle of death. But God did not send Michael to prepare him for death in order to make him grieve. God wants to know why Abraham has refused to go with Michael.
Chapter Nine
Michael returned to Abraham. Abraham fell on his face as if a dead man. Michael relayed the Most High’s message. Abraham, weeping, implored Michael to tell God that he appreciates all God has done for him; that he is not resisting God’s power; and that he knows he is indeed not immortal. But he has a last request: to be able to see all the inhabited world and all that God created by his one Word. After this he will be ready to die without sorrow. Michael then reports this back to God. God commands Michael to take a cloud of light and to convey Abraham on a chariot of the cherubim to a heavenly vantage point from which he may see all the earth.
Chapter Ten
This is done and Abraham sees the entire world of his day – people ploughing, driving horse-drawn carts, herding flocks, watching them by night, dancing, playing, playing harps, arguing in the law courts, weeping as they remembered the dead, newly-weds – all things, both good and bad. Upon seeing armed bandits, intent on committing murder and to steal, burn and destroy, Abraham calls on God to send wild beasts to devour them. Instantly, God answers this prayer. Then he sees a man and a woman engaged in illicit sexual intercourse and calls on God to open up the earth and swallow them. Instantly, God answers this prayer. Upon seeing me burgling a house and stealing property Abraham calls on God to send fire down from heaven and consume them. Instantly, God answers this prayer.
Then a voice from heaven tells Michael to stop the chariot and prevent Abraham from seeing all the earth, since if he sees all who are living evil lives he would destroy all creation. God declares that because Abraham himself is sinless he has no pity on sinners. By contrast, God himself, having created the world, does not want to destroy anyone. Rather he waits for each sinner to die and for his eventual conversion, enabling him to enjoy life. Michael is ordered to take Abraham up to the first gate of heaven so that he might see there the judgments meted out on sinners and be moved to repent for having caused the destruction of the souls of sinners.
Chapter Eleven
The heavenly chariot brings Abraham to the east, to the first gate of heaven. Abraham sees two ways, one narrow, the other broad, with one gate on each way. Outside the two gates he saw a man, as terrifying as God himself, seated on a golden throne. Many souls were driven by angels through the broad gate, but only a few through the narrow gate. Whenever only a few entered through the narrow gate the man on the throne threw himself on the ground, weeping. But whenever many passed through the narrow gate we sat on his throne, greatly rejoicing. Abraham asked Michael who this man was. Michael explained it was Adam, responding in these ways since all people were born from him, with those passing through the narrow gate being those souls being saved and entering Paradise, but those passing through the broad gate being those of sinners about to face destruction and eternal punishment. Michael explains many are lost, with few saved. Indeed, among 7,000 barely one righteous, undefiled soul will be found and saved.
Chapter Twelve
Abraham then saw two fiery angels, mercilessly lashing thousands of souls with fiery whips, driving them through the broad gate to destruction. Between the two gates Abraham saw a terrifying crystal fiery throne on which was seated a glorious man, bright as the sun, like the Son of God. A crystal-like table, stood before him, composed of gold and fine linen, with a thick book on it. Two angels stood to its left, holding paper and ink and pen. A radiant angel sat before the table with scales in his hand. To his left sat a fiery merciless angel, holding a trumpet containing an all-consuming fire reserved for sinners. The glorious man judged and sentenced the souls. The angel to his right wrote down righteous deeds, the one to his right wicked deeds. The angel seated at the table weighed the souls in his scales. Abraham an angel holding a soul in his hand. When it was brought to the judge, the judge asked an angel to open the book and locate the sins of this soul. It was discovered the bad and good deeds of this soul were evenly balanced, so the judge placed it in an intermediate position.
Chapter Thirteen
Abraham enquired about the glorious judge and the angels. The glorious judge was idetified as being Abel to whom God has delegated judgment until his own glorious coming. When God brings ultimate judgment it will be irrevocable. While now they are judged by the son of the first-created, Adam, later they will be judged by the 12 tribes of Israel. Finally, they will be judged by God himself from whose terrible sentence none can deliver. But this means that judgment is a process involving three witnesses. The angel holding the scales was identified as being Dokiel. The angel holding fire in his hand as the archangel Puruel who tests men’s works through fire so that if they are consumed by the fire then the angel of judgment immediately seizes and takes that person to the most terrible place of punishment. If, however, his work survives the fire then that man is justified and the angel of righteousness lifts him up to share in the inheritance of the righteous ones who are saved. All of men’s deeds are tested by the fire and the scales.
Chapter Fourteen
Abraham asked about the judged soul placed in the intermediate position. Michael explained that since its bad and good deeds were balanced the soul must wait there till God himself came. Abraham asked what determined whether a soul was saved. Michael explained that this occurred if good deeds outweighed bad deeds. Abraham called upon Michael to pray with him for the salvation of the soul placed in the intermediate position. God answered immediately. When they rose from prayer the soul had vanished. Upon enquiring Abraham learned that the soul had been saved through his righteous prayer and that an angel of light had carried it up to Paradise. Abraham praised God for his mercy and then implored him to have mercy on the souls of the sinners who before, due to Abraham’s angry prayers, had been destroyed respectively by wild beasts, the opening up of the earth, and fire from heaven. Abraham confesses that he has sinned and, weeping, asks God to forgive him. After a long period of prayer a voice from heaven informs Abraham that his sin has been forgiven and that those who had previously been killed have been restored to life, due to God’s exceeding kindness.
Chapter Fifteen
God then tells Michael to take Abraham back to his home because now it is time for his death. After he has set his affairs in order Michael is to bring Abraham to God. Sarah expresses her gratitude to Michael for returning Abraham, having thought he was already dead. Abraham was embraced by Isaac, then by all his male and female slaves. But when Michael tells him it is time to go Abraham again refuses to depart with him. So Michael instantly ascended to report this to God and explained that because Abraham is God’s friend and because he is peerless among men, including even Job, he was unable to lay his hands on him to take him in death.
Chapter Sixteen
At God’s command Michael calls shameless and merciless looking Death to come to God. Death stood before God, shaking in abject terror. God orders Death to hide its fierceness, to cast away its bitterness and, adorned with beauty and glory, to go to Abraham, God’s friend, and bring him to him. Death is ordered not to terrify Abraham but to woo him. So Death came to Abraham looking as glorious as an archangel. Abraham went to greet Death assuming him to be Michael. When they were face to face Abraham asked him who he was. Death tells him truthfull that he is “the bitter lot of death.” Abraham says he can’t believe this given Death’s matchless glorious appearance. Death tells Abraham he has come for his holy soul and Abraham says he will not go with him. Death responds with silence.
Chapter Seventeen
Abraham went back home, but Death went with him. Abraham entered his bedroom, but Death went with him. Abraham lay on his bed, but Death came and sat by his feet. Abraham told him to go away. Death said he would not until he took his soul from him. Abraham confirms that this really is Death he is now confronting. Abraham asks him if he comes to all in such glory. Death replies that he is doing this only because of Abraham’s great righteousness, his hospitality and his great love for God. Death comes to the righteous in beauty, great peace and gentleness but to sinners in great corruption, fierceness, bitterness and mercilessness. Abraham asks Death to show him all his fierceness, corruption and bitterness. Death replies Abraham wouldn’t be able to cope with such a sight. Abraham insists he can by God’s power. So Death now appear like a tyrant, with matchless ferocity and uncleanness, showing him various terrifying faces. So terrible was this manifestation that 7,000 of Abraham’s servants perished and righteous Abraham himself became indifferent to Death, with his spirit failing him.
Chapter Eighteen
Abraham then implored Death to hide his fierceness and reassume his previous glorious and beautiful appearance. Death complies. Abraham asks him why he has killed all his servants and maidservants. Death simply says that the marvel is that Abraham wasn’t taken with them. That he wasn’t was merely due to the fact that God’s right hand was with him. Abraham now gets Death to pray with him that his servants might be restored to life. God answers this prayer and Abraham gives glory to God.
Chapter Nineteen
Abraham now lies down in his bedroom and Death comes and stands before him. Abraham tells him to go, but Death insists he will stay till he has taken Abraham’s soul. Abraham angrily demands that Death tell him who ordered him to say this, insisting he will not go with Death until Michael comes. Abraham also asks Death to teach him the meaning of all the terrifying appearances he had manifested to him. Death explains that each appearance represented different ways in which he claimed human souls – destroyed by fire, fatal falls, war, drowning, thunder and lightning, wild beasts and poison.
Chapter Twenty
Abraham asks whether there is unexpected death. Death tells him there are 72 different kinds of death. He speaks of the just death, occurring at a fixed time when many die in the space of an hour. Death tells Abraham he has answered all he has asked and tells him to stop asking questions and come with him in accord with God’s command. Abraham tells Death to leave him to sleep for a while because he is feeling so weak and distressed, admitting he can’t bear to see Death’s shape. Both Isaac and Sarah and then all the servants enter and weep. Abraham then became indifferent to Death. Death cajoled Abraham, “Come, take my right hand, and may cheerfulness, life and strength come to you.” Deceived, Abraham took Death’s hand and immediately his soul adhered to Death’s hand. Immediately the archangel Michael came with a multitude of angels and took up Abraham’s soul in a divinely woven linen cloth. These angels tended his corpse with divine ointments and perfumes for three days after his death, then burying him in the land of promise, the oak of Mamre. They took his soul to God in heaven where it worshiped him. God’s voice commanded that his friend Abraham be taken into Paradise, a place free from all trouble and suffering, where there is but peace, rejoicing and life unending.
The text ends with a moral: that all “beloved brethren” imitate Abraham’s hospitality, achieve his virtuous way of life and be deemed, like him, worthy to inherit eternal life, glorifying Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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