The Testament of Abraham (Διαθήκη Ἀβραάμ), Jewish Apocrypha with Profound Philosophy
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The Testament of Abraham is a Jewish apocalyptic work preserved mainly in Greek manuscripts.
It was probably composed in Roman Egypt between the late first and second centuries AD.
Its foundation appears Jewish, but the surviving text contains Christian additions.
The work exists in two principal Greek recensions: The longer Recension A and the shorter Recension B.
Recension A gives a fuller and more orderly narrative, but seems more Christian, while Recension B is shorter but sometimes preserves material that may be older.
It surprisingly tries to find the hidden meaning behind Abraham’s stubbornness and disobedience of God.
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The story begins when God sends the archangel Michael to announce Abraham’s approaching death. But angel Micheal cannot bring himself to announce the Truth, due to Abraham’s supposed status and righteousness.
So God makes a cypress tree announce a message to Abraham, that God is calling him to come. Abraham deduces his death is meant, but he refuses to surrender his soul, and disobeys God.
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Abraham asks to see the inhabited world. Michael takes him through the heavens in a divine chariot.
From above, Abraham sees people committing murder, adultery, theft and other sins. He condemns them immediately and asks God to destroy them. Some are swallowed by the earth, some are burned and others are killed by wild beasts.
Abraham believes that his severity is righteousness. God, however, rebukes this attitude. He explains that Abraham has not created these people and has no patience for them. God commands Michael to take Abraham away from the human world before his judgments destroy more people.
“Turn Abraham away that he may not see all the earth, for if he behold all that live in wickedness, he will destroy all creation.”
The scene reverses ordinary expectations: Abraham is strict, while God is merciful and waits for sinners to repent.
Here we see the Destructive Nature of Abraham or Exoteric Shariahs. He believes in Severity like the People of the Exoteric (Shariahs), and has no Patience, like Moses is rebuked by Abd el Saleh (pbuh) in the Qur’an for having no patience.
As maintained in the New Testament (Hebrews), Abraham is inferior to Melchizedek (pbuh):
χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.
“And without doubt the inferior [Abraham] is blessed by the superior [Melchizedek]”
So Abraham doesn’t belong to the High Order (Tawheed), but the Exoteric Order, and Melchizedek (pbuh) is to Abraham what Jethro (pbuh) is to Moses, the Higher Spiritual Teacher.
Abraham represents the Natek or Announcer of the Faith, but not its Core.
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Abraham is then shown the heavenly court and the judgment of souls. He sees two gates: A narrow gate through which the righteous enter life and a broad gate through which the sinful enter destruction.
The small gate represents the Elects (Mowahids), the minority who attains True Salvation.
Abel (the Self in Tawheed) sits as the first judge because he was the first human being to die. Then man is judged by the 12 tribes of Israel. But Christ (the Mind in Tawheed) makes the Final judgment and verdict in the Longer version of the Testament, and God makes the Final Verdict in the Shorter version.
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Abraham then repents. But then he falls back in disobedience and refuses Death once again.
In the shorter version, Death kills him in a dream. In the longer version, Death seduces him as a beautiful woman, and makes him kiss his hand to snatch his soul.
The ending carries a profound implication: Faith itself does not easily obey God when God asks for its death. Faith becomes like a lover of God who refuses to cease to be, because it desires to remain forever with Her Creator.
“I will not go with you [die]; but will do whatever you have commanded [aside from that].”