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Testament of Abraham

Unknown

Section 17

About this work

Author: Unknown

XVII. Then Abraham arose, and went into his house, and Death

‹ Section 16 Section 18 ›

also

accompanied

him

thither

.

And

Abraham

went

up

into

his

chamber

,

and

Death

went

up

with

him

.

And

Abraham

lay

down

upon

his

couch

,

and

Death

came

and

sat

by

his

feet

.

Then

Abraham

said

,

Depart

,

depart

from

me

,

for

I

desire

to

rest

upon

my

couch

.

Death

said

,

I

will

not

depart

until

I

take

thy

spirit

from

thee

.

Abraham

said

to

him

,

By

the

immortal

God

I

charge

thee

to

tell

me

the

truth

.

Art

thou

death

?

Death

said

to

him

,

I

am

Death

.

I

am

the

destroyer

of

the

world

.

Abraham

said

,

I

beseech

thee

,

since

thou

art

Death

,

tell

me

if

thou

comest

thus

to

all

in

such

fairness

and

glory

and

beauty

?

Death

said

,

Nay

,

my

Lord

Abraham

,

for

thy

righteousnesses

,

and

the

boundless

sea

of

thy

hospitality

,

and

the

greatness

of

thy

love

towards

God

has

become

a

crown

upon

my

head

,

and

in

beauty

and

great

peace

and

gentleness

I

approach

the

righteous

,

but

to

sinners

I

come

in

great

corruption

and

fierceness

and

the

greatest

bitterness

and

with

fierce

and

pitiless

look

.

Abraham

said

,

I

beseech

thee

,

hearken

to

me

,

and

show

me

thy

fierceness

and

all

thy

corruption

and

bitterness

.

And

Death

said

,

Thou

canst

not

behold

my

fierceness

,

most

righteous

Abraham

.

Abraham

said

,

Yes

,

I

shall

be

able

to

behold

all

thy

fierceness

by

means

of

the

name

of

the

living

God

,

for

the

might

of

my

God

that

is

in

heaven

is

with

me

.

Then

Death

put

off

all

his

comeliness

and

beauty

,

and

all

his

glory

and

the

form

like

the

sun

with

which

he

was

clothed

,

and

put

upon

himself

a

tyrant’s

robe

,

and

made

his

appearance

gloomy

and

fiercer

than

all

kind

of

wild

beasts

,

and

more

unclean

than

all

uncleanness

.

And

he

showed

to

Abraham

seven

fiery

heads

of

serpents

and

fourteen

faces

,

(

one

)

of

flaming

fire

and

of

great

fierceness

,

and

a

face

of

darkness

,

and

a

most

gloomy

face

of

a

viper

,

and

a

face

of

a

most

terrible

precipice

,

and

a

face

fiercer

than

an

asp

,

and

a

face

of

a

terrible

lion

,

and

a

face

of

a

cerastes

and

basilisk

.

He

showed

him

also

a

face

of

a

fiery

scimitar

,

and

a

sword

-

bearing

face

,

and

a

face

of

lightning

,

lightening

terribly

,

and

a

noise

of

dreadful

thunder

.

He

showed

him

also

another

face

of

a

fierce

stormy

sea

,

and

a

fierce

rushing

river

,

and

a

terrible

three

-

headed

serpent

,

and

a

cup

mingled

with

poisons

,

and

in

short

he

showed

to

him

great

fierceness

and

unendurable

bitterness

,

and

every

mortal

disease

as

of

the

odor

of

Death

.

And

from

the

great

bitterness

and

fierceness

there

died

servants

and

maid

-

servants

in

number

about

seven

thousand

,

and

the

righteous

Abraham

came

into

indifference

of

death

so

that

his

spirit

failed

him

.