The Testament of Abraham a pseudepigraphic text of the Old Testament. Probably composed in the first or second century CE, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature. It is not regarded as scripture by Jews or any Christian group. It is often treated as one of a trio of very similar works, the other two of which are the Testament of Isaac and Testament of Jacob, though there is no reason to assume that they were originally a single work. All three works are based on the Blessing of Jacob, found in the Bible, in their style. [edit] Manuscript tradition The Greek text of the Testament of Abraham is preserved in two quite different recensions: - the long recension, which has a more developed, detailed and linear story, survives in about thirty manuscripts, among which the more important are A[1], E[2] and B[3].
- the short recension, where the episodes are sometime abrupt and not logically connected but with probably an earlier wording, has survived in about nine manuscripts, among which the more important are A[4] and E[5] (manuscript E of the short recension is notable because of the presence of many semitisms).
There is no consensus among scholars as to which recension is nearer the original, or whether we shall suppose one or more original texts. The early scholars, as James[6]:66, but also recently Ludlow[7], working mainly on the narrative viewpoint, support the priority of the long recension. This view has been challenged for example by Turner[8], who studied the text from a linguistic point of view, and mainly by Schmidt[9], who worked deeply on manuscript E of the short recension, which was not available to the early editors. The text is preserved also in Slavonic[10], Romanian[11], Ethiopic (Falasha), Coptic Bohairic and Arabic. These versions, apart one Romanian recension, follow the content of the Greek short recension. The Greek Text was first edited, with an English translation and introduction, by M. R. James[6] in 1892. The Greek text was also early edited by Vassiliev[12] in 1893. [edit] Origin and date As regards its origin James writes[6]:55: "The Testament was originally put together in the second century by a Jewish Christian, who for the narrative portions employed existing Jewish legends, and for the apocalyptic, he drew largely on his imagination". James holds that the book is referred to by Origen, Horn. in Luc. xxxv. With the exception of x.xi. the work is really a legend and not an apocalypse. To the above conclusions Schürer[13], takes objection, and denies the reference in Origen, asserting that there are no grounds for the assumption of a partial Jewish origin. Kohler[14] on the other hand has given adequate grounds for regarding this apocryph as in the main an independent work of Jewish origin subsequently enlarged by a few Christian additions, and it is Kohler's stance that most scholars follow today. [edit] Content This testament deals with Abraham's reluctance to die and the means by which his death was brought about. - Chapters 1-3 (short recension): The Lord sends Michael to earth to announce to Abraham his impending death. Abraham invites Michael into his home (as he gave hospitality to the three men in Genesis 18:1-7).
- Chapters 4-7 (short recension): at sunset Michael is taken up into the heavens to worship before the Lord and he tells the Lord he doesn't dare to tell Abraham of his death. The Lord promises to send a dream to Isaac, Abraham's son. Being back on the earth, Michael banquets with Abraham and his family and in the night Isaac has the dream. Michael interprets the dream thus announcing the impending death. Abraham asks if, before he dies, he can see the whole work created by God on the earth and in the heavens.
- Chapters 8-9 (short recension): Abraham sees a huge figure, Adam, sitting between two doors, one leading to life and one to damnation. The souls after their death have to pass through one of those doors. Adam cries when the souls enter in the door of damnation, and is joyous when the souls enter the door of life. But there are seven damned souls for every saved one. They also see a soul that has been judged to have as many good deeds as sins, and this soul is left in an intermediate place.
- Chapters 10-11 (short recension): Abraham is taken to see the step before, the judgment after the death: the court consist of the judge, who is Abel, of some Cherubim who take two books where all the sins and good deeds are written, and of Enoch, who bears witness and write down the verdict. But the sentence is given by the Lord himself.
- Chapters 12 (short recension): Abraham is then taken in the heavens and he looks down at the whole world: he asks and obtains the immediate death of the first three sinners he sees, but the Lord doesn't permit him to kill other men, even if sinful, and Michael turns back Abraham to his house.
- Chapters 13-14 (short recension): When Death finally comes in person for Abraham, Abraham tries to resist, but is finally tricked into dying.
The long recension is richer in detail, and the vision of the judgment is before the vision of the two doors. - ^ Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Grec 770, ff.225v-241r, dated 1315
- ^ Vienna, Theol Grec 333 (ex 337), ff. 34r-57r, 11th century
- ^ Jerusalem, Armenian Patriarchate, Holy Sepulcher No. 66, ff. 128v-144v, 15th century
- ^ Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, Grec 1613, ff.87v-96r, 15th century
- ^ Milano, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Grec 405 (G 63 sup), ff. 164r-171r, 11th century
- ^ a b c M. R. James The Testament of Abraham, the Greek Text now first edited with an Introduction and Notes. With an appendix containing extracts from the Arabic Version of the Testaments of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by Barnes in "Text and Studies", 2.2, Cambridge 1892
- ^ Jared W. Ludlow, Abraham Meets Death: Narrative Humor in the Testament of Abraham ISBN 0826462049 (2002), pag 186
- ^ N. Turner The Testament of Abraham: Problems in Biblical Greek NTS 1 (1954/55) 219-23
- ^ F. Schmidt Le Testament grec d'Abraham, introducion, edition critique des deux recensions grecques, traduction TSAJ 11, Tubingen, 1986
- ^ Tichonrawow, Pamjatniki otretschennoi russkoi Literaturi, 1863, i. 79-90.
- ^ Moses Gaster, Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, 1887, 1X. 195-226.
- ^ Vassiliev, in Anecdota Graeco-Byzantina, 1893, i. 292-308, based on manuscript E of the long recension.
- ^ Emil Schürer Geschichte des jd. Volkes, 3rd ed., iii. 252
- ^ Kohler, in Jewish Quarterly Review, 1895, V. 581606
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