my mind was troubled. I said in my heart: What an evil thing is this my father does? Is he not rather the god of his gods, since they come into being by his chisel, his lathe and his skill; and would it not be more proper for them to worship my father, in as much as they are his creations? What an evil deception is this of my father in his works! Behold Marumath fell and could not raise himself in his temple nor could I alone move him, until my father came and together we raised him; and because we were too weak, his head fell off and he set it upon another stone of another god which he had made without a head. And likewise the other gods which were broken in falling from the ass, which could neither free themselves nor harm the ass that demolished them; neither came their broken remains from the river. And I said in my heart: This being so, how now can Marumath, my father's god, having another stone's head, and being made of another stone, save a man, or hear a man's prayer and reward him?

VII.

Having so thought, I Abraham, came to my father saying: "Father Terah, fire is more worthy of honor than your gods of gold, silver, stone and wood, whom you revere, because it consumes your gods; your gods are burned and are subject to fire; the fire consuming them mock your gods. But even fire I call not god, because it is quenched by water, moreover, the water not only quenches the fire, but it sweetens the fruits of the earth; but water I do not call god, because it is swallowed up by the earth; therefore, I call the earth more worthy of honor, because it controls the nature of the water. But earth is not god, for it is dried up by the sun, and made subordinate to the labors of mankind. More worthy than the earth is the sun, because he lights the whole world with his beams. But neither do I call him god, for he is hidden by the night. And again I do not consider the moon and the stars god, for they likewise in their seasons are obscured. But hearken to this, Father Terah, let me make known to you the God who has created all these, for he is the true God, who empurpled the heavens, and gilded the sun; who made the moon to shine and with her the stars; who dried up the earth in the midst of many waters; who set you. yourself, in it, and has now found me in the perplexity

of my thoughts. Oh, would that God, through himself might reveal himself to us!"

VIII.

And it came to pass while I thus spake to my father Terah, in the court of my house, the voice of a Mighty One from Heaven came from a fiery cloud saying and calling: "Abraham, Abraham." I answered: "Here am I." And he said: "The God of gods, the Creator, you are seeking in your heart; I am he. Go out from your father Terah, get you out of his house, lest you also be killed in the sins of the house of your father. And I went forth. And it came to pass as I went out, having hardly reached the door of the court, there was a voice of great thunder, and he was burned, and his house, and all that was in it, even to the earth of forty ells.

IX.

Then a voice spake to me twice; "Abraham, Abraham!” I answered: "Here am I." And he said: "Behold it is I, be not afraid, for I am before the world was, a strong God who created even before the light of the world. I am your shield and your helper. Go hence, and take for me a three-year old heifer, and a three-year old goat, and a three-year old sheep, and a turtle dove, and a pigeon, and bring me a pure sacrifice. And in this offering I will show you the Aeons, and reveal to you that which is secret: and you shall see great things never before beheld by you; for you have loved to seek me, and I have called you my friend,

But abstain from all food which comes from the fire, and drink no wine; do not anoint yourself with oil for forty days, and then present to me the sacrifice which I commanded you, at the place which I shall show you, upon a high mountain, and there I will show you the Aeons which have been wrought by my word, and firmly established, created and renewed, and I will reveal to you that which is to come to pass within them to those who do evil, and to those who work righteousness in the generations of men.”

X.

And it came to pass as I heard the voice which spoke such words unto me, I looked hither and thither, and behold there was breathless silence, and my soul was frightened, and my spirit fled from me, and I fell like a stone to the earth, there

being no strength left in me to stand. And while yet my face was upon the ground, I heard the voice of the Holy One speaking: "Go Iaoel, by the power of my unspeakable name, raise up this man for me, strengthen him, and quiet his trembling." And the angel came who had been sent to me in the likeness of a man, and took me by my right hand, and, putting me on my feet, said:

"Arise, Abraham, friend of God who loveth you, let not the fear of man encompass you, for behold, I have been sent to you to strengthen you and to bless you in the name of God, the creator of the heaven and the earth, who loveth you. Be courageous and draw near unto him. I am called laoel by him

who shaketh the creations of the firmament to the breadth of the seventh heaven, power being vested in me through his unspeakable name. I am he to whom it is given, through his command, to reconcile the cherubim, and teach those who take upon them his name the song of the seventh hour of the night of man. I am set apart to control the Leviathan, for through me the attacks and threatenings of every reptile are subdued; I have been commanded to unbind Hades, and to destroy those who gaze at death! I am he who was commanded to set on fire your father's house, and to destroy him because he worshipped dead gods. I am now sent to you to bless you, and the land which the Eternal One has prepared for you, unto whom you have called; and for your sake I have made my way to the earth! Arise, Abraham, with courage, go with great joy and gladness. I am with you, for the Eternal One has prepared for you honor everlasting. Go, finish the sacrifice of the commandments, for behold I am set apart with you and with the generations which have been before prepared, out of you; and with me, Michael blesses you forevermore. Be courageous, go!"

XI.

And I arose and saw him who had taken hold of my right hand, and placed me upon my feet: and this was the appearance of his body: his feet were like sapphire, and his countenance like chrysolith, and the hair of his head was white as snow; and the turban upon his head was like the appearance of the rainbow; his garments were like purple, and he held a golden scepter in his right hand, and he said unto me:

"Abraham!" And I answered: "Behold, thy servant!" And

he said; "Let not my countenance nor my speech frighten you, that your soul be not confused. Go with me, and I will go with you to the visible sacrifice, and I will go with you eternally to the sacrifice which is invisible. Be of good cheer and go!"

XII.

We two then went together forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water, for the sight of the angel who was with me was my bread, and his speech was my drink. We came to the mount of God's majesty, Horeb. I said to the angel: "Singer of the Primeval One! behold we have no offering, yet I perceive a place for an altar upon the mountain, how can I sacrifice?" Then he said: "Look behind you."

And I looked back and beheld all the animals commanded for sacrifice: the heifer, the goat, the sheep, the turtle dove and the dove. The angel said unto me: “Abraham," and I answered, "Here I am." And he said unto me, "Slay all these and divide them in half, all but the birds, and give unto the men whom I shall show unto you; and standing by you, behold the altar upon the mountain to offer the sacrifice unto the Eternal One. But the turtle dove and the dove give to me, for I ascend upon bird's wings to show you that which is in heaven, and upon the earth, and in the sea, and in the abysses, in the underworld, and in the Garden of Eden and its rivers, and in the fullness of the circuit of the whole world: for you shall behold all."

XIII.

And I did all as the angel commanded me, and gave unto the men who had come unto us the divided parts of the animals, but the angel took the birds. I waited for the evening sacrifice, but an unclean bird flew down upon the bodies, and I drove it away. But the unclean bird spoke to me and said: "What are you doing here, Abraham, upon the sacred heights where there is neither eating nor drinking? Nor is there any food for man upon them, none but what is consumed with fire, and the heights shall also burn you: leave the man that is with you, for if you go up to the summit, you shall be destroyed."

And when I heard the bird speak, I said to the angel: "What is this my Lord?" And he answered; "This is godlessness, this is Azazel." And he said to him: "Shame, Azazel, upon thee; for Abraham's portion is in heaven, but thine is upon

earth, because thou hast chosen and loved it as a dwelling place of thine impurity; therefore, the Strong One, the Primeval One, the Ruler made thee an earth-dweller, and through thee every evil spirit of lies; and made also through thee anger, and vexation among the races of godless men; but God, the Primeval, Almighty, has not permitted that the bodies of the righteous should be in thy power, thereby the life of the righteous is secured as well as the destruction of the wicked. Listen, tempter, be ashamed before me, for it is not given thee to tempt all the righteous. Away from this man; thou canst not mislead him, for he is thine enemy and the opponent of those who follow thee and love thy ways. Behold the garb which was formerly thine in heaven is chosen for him, and the corruption which was his is transferred to thee.

XIV.

The angel said unto me: "Abraham," and I answered, "Behold thy servant." And he said: "Know from this time forth that the Primeval One has chosen you, whom he loves: be courageous, and use this authority whenever I command you, against him who despises the truth. Am I not capable of overpowering him who has disseminated the secrets of heaven upon the earth, and set up counsel against the Mighty One? Say to him: Become thou the flame of the furnace of the earth. Go, Azazel, into the inaccessible parts of the earth, for thine inheritance is with men over whom thou hast influence, who have their being through thee, because they are of thee, both in this world and beyond. Thy enmity is righteousness. Therefore, because of thy perdition, vanish before me!" And I spake the words which the angel had taught me. And he said," Abraham," and I answered, "Behold thy servant." And he said: "Do not reply to him." And the angel spake to me again, saying, "Moreover, whatever he may say unto you, answer him not, that you may in no wise be swayed by his will; because the Primeval One and Mighty One has given him influence and power; answer him not.” I did as the angel commanded me; and however much Azazel pleaded with me to come down, I answered him not.

XV.

And it came to pass at sunset, behold there was a smoke as from a furnace, and the men who held the portions of the sacri