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Testament of Abraham

Unknown

Section 19

About this work

Author: Unknown

XIX. And going up into his chamber he lay down, and Death

‹ Section 18 Section 20 ›

came

and

stood

before

him

.

And

Abraham

said

to

him

,

Depart

from

me

,

for

I

desire

to

rest

,

because

my

spirit

is

in

indifference

.

Death

said

,

I

will

not

depart

from

thee

until

I

take

thy

soul

.

And

Abraham

with

an

austere

countenance

and

angry

look

said

to

Death

,

Who

has

ordered

thee

to

say

this

?

Thou

sayest

these

words

of

thyself

boastfully

,

and

I

will

not

go

with

thee

until

the

chief

-

captain

Michael

come

to

me

,

and

I

shall

go

with

him

.

But

this

also

I

tell

thee

,

if

thou

desirest

that

I

shall

accompany

thee

,

explain

to

me

all

thy

changes

,

the

seven

fiery

heads

of

serpents

and

what

the

face

of

the

precipice

is

,

and

what

the

sharp

sword

,

and

what

the

loud

-

roaring

river

,

and

what

the

tempestuous

sea

that

rages

so

fiercely

.

Teach

me

also

the

unendurable

thunder

,

and

the

terrible

lightning

,

and

the

evil

-

smelling

cup

mingled

with

poisons

.

Teach

me

concerning

all

these

.

And

Death

answered

,

Listen

,

righteous

Abraham

.

For

seven

ages

I

destroy

the

world

and

lead

all

down

to

Hades

,

kings

and

rulers

,

rich

and

poor

,

slaves

and

free

men

,

I

convoy

to

the

bottom

of

Hades

,

and

for

this

I

showed

thee

the

seven

heads

of

serpents

.

The

face

of

fire

I

showed

thee

because

many

die

consumed

by

fire

,

and

behold

death

through

a

face

of

fire

.

The

face

of

the

precipice

I

showed

thee

,

because

many

men

die

descending

from

the

tops

of

trees

or

terrible

precipices

and

losing

their

life

,

and

see

death

in

the

shape

of

a

terrible

precipice

.

The

face

of

the

sword

I

showed

thee

because

many

are

slain

in

wars

by

the

sword

,

and

see

death

as

a

sword

.

The

face

of

the

great

rushing

river

I

showed

thee

because

many

are

drowned

and

perish

snatched

away

by

the

crossing

of

many

waters

and

carried

off

by

great

rivers

,

and

see

death

before

their

time

.

The

face

of

the

angry

raging

sea

I

showed

thee

because

many

in

the

sea

falling

into

great

surges

and

becoming

shipwrecked

are

swallowed

up

and

behold

death

as

the

sea

.

The

unendurable

thunder

and

the

terrible

lightning

I

showed

thee

because

many

men

in

the

moment

of

anger

meet

with

unendurable

thunder

and

terrible

lightning

coming

to

seize

upon

men

,

and

see

death

thus

.

I

showed

thee

also

the

poisonous

wild

beasts

,

asps

and

basilisks

,

leopards

and

lions

and

lions

’

whelps

,

bears

and

vipers

,

and

in

short

the

face

of

every

wild

beast

I

showed

thee

,

most

righteous

one

,

because

many

men

are

destroyed

by

wild

beasts

,

and

others

by

poisonous

snakes

,

serpents

and

asps

and

cerastes

and

basilisks

and

vipers

,

breathe

out

their

life

and

die

.

I

showed

thee

also

the

destroying

cups

mingled

with

poison

,

because

many

men

being

given

poison

to

drink

by

other

men

straightway

depart

unexpectedly

.