The Emergence of the Book of Abraham
The position of the Book of Abraham today is much like that of the Book of Enoch 150 years ago. Ever since ancient times scattered clues, even sizeable fragments of a supposedly lost Book of Enoch, kept turning up, leading to much speculation and controversy as to whether there ever really was a Book of Enoch. (160, Oct. 1975, 78ff.) It was only when one major text, the Ethiopian Book of Enoch, known as First Enoch, was brought to light early in the nineteenth century that scholars started looking seriously and putting together evidence that brought forth one version after another—Old Slavonic, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, etc.—of that same lost Book of Enoch which had so long been viewed as a figment of Gnostic imagination. After all that, it turned out, the Book of Enoch was real.
So it is now with the Book of Abraham.
In hailing “the rediscovery of Apocalyptic” in the 1960s, Klaus Koch placed at the head of the list of pseudepigraphical writings (called “pseudo” only because they are not found in the biblical canon) as preeminent in both age and importance the Apocalypse of Abraham as preserved in the Old Slavonic texts. (452; 373:241.) Since the opening sentence of the work declares that “I, Abraham … was searching as to who the Mighty God in truth might be …” while the opening sentence of the Book of Abraham informs us that “Abraham … desiring … to possess greater knowledge …” was seeking God earnestly (cf. 2:12), natural curiosity prompts us at once to compare the two purported autobiographies of the Patriarch, produced in times and places so remote from each other, to see what further oddities they might have in common. That is exactly what two Latter-day Saints students did back in 1898, just a year after that Apocalypse of Abraham was published to the world by Bonwetsch; they made the first English translation of the writing, which appeared in the first volume of the Improvement Era.
The Apocalypse of Abraham belongs to a body of Abraham literature flourishing about the time of Christ. “The Book is essentially Jewish,” wrote G.H. Box, with “features which suggest Essene origin.” From the Essenes it passed, he suggested, “to Ebionite circles … and thence, in some form have found its way into Gnostic circles,” though “Gnostic elements in our book are not very pronounced.” (365:xxi.) Conventional Judaism and Christianity of a later day frowned upon it, as also was the case with Enoch; hence “in its Greek and Semitic forms (it) has, in fact, disappeared, only surviving in its Old Slavonic dress.” (365:xxiii.) And though this goes back no further than the early thirteenth century, there are ample controls to attest its remarkable faithfulness to the old vanished accounts (365:xxi-xxiv), which “can hardly be later than the first decades of the second century” (365:xvi), and may be older. The text, first published in Russia in 1863, was first made known to the West in an edition of Bonwetsch in 1897; he produced a German translation in 1898, and in the same year the first—and for many years the only—English version appeared in the first volume of the Improvement Era! It is significant that it was the Latter-day Saints who first made the Apocalypse of Abraham available to the world in English, as it was they who first recognized the Book of Enoch, in Parley P. Pratt’s review of 1840, not as a worthless piece of apocrypha, but as a work of primary importance. (160: Dec. 1975, p. 75.) But while the Enoch suggested only the Book of Mormon to the brethren, the Apocalypse of Abraham from the first brought to mind their own Book of Abraham. Brothers E. H. Anderson and R. T. Haag, who made an excellent translation of Bonwetsch’s German—remarkably close, in fact, to Box’s “official” English version of 1919—detected in the text “many things of a character both as to incidents and doctrines that ran parallel with what is recorded in the Book of Abraham, given to the world by Joesph Smith in 1836 (?).” (160: 1898: 705.) They wisely contented themselves, however, with printing the text without other commentary than three or four passages in italics, trusting the Latter-day Saint reader to think for himself.
Let us quickly run through the Improvement Era text of the Apocalypse of Abraham to see what the translators mean by “parallels” to the Joseph Smith Book of Abraham, placing the two side by side without altering a syllable of either one. (160: vol. 1, 707-13, 793-805.) We shall take the liberty to emphasize significant parallels by occasional italics, and quote from the Box translation from time to time.
The Apocalypse of Abraham and the Book of Abraham Compared
Apoc. of Abr. sect. IV. “Hear, Book of Abr. 1:5. My fathers having
my father Terah … how shall turned … unto the worshiping of
they [your idols] help you or the gods of the heathen, utterly
bless me? …” And when he heard refused to hearken to my voice …
my words, he was very angry with 1:7. They turned their hearts to
me because I had spoken hard words the sacrifice … unto their dumb
against his gods. idols, and hearkened not
unto my voice.
Ap. Abr. VII. “Father Terah, let Abr. 2:7. For I am the Lord thy
me make known to you the God who has God; I dwell in heaven; the earth
created all these … and has now is my footstool. 2:12. … Thy
found me in the perplexity servant has sought thee earnestly;
of my thoughts. O, would that God, now I have found thee.
through himself might reveal himself
to us!”
Ap. Abr. VIII. … while I thus Abr. 2:6. But I, Abraham, and Lot,
spake to my father Terah, in the … prayed unto the Lord, and
court of my house, the voice the Lord appeared unto
of a Mighty One from me, and said unto me: Arise,
Heaven came from a fiery and take Lot with thee … away
cloud saying and calling: “… out of Haran. … 2:7. I dwell
get you out of his house.” … in heaven; … I cause the
And … as I went out … he wind and the fire to be
was burned, and his house, my chariot.
and all that was in it, even to (Note the common motifs: He is talking
the earth of forty ells. to a member of the family when he
is ordered by the Lord to leave,
and the place [Lot's place] is
burned. Note how the Apocalypse of
Abraham has converted the figure of
the wind and the fire
as God’s chariot into “the voice
of a Mighty One from Heaven …
from a fiery cloud.” Also,
the various lurid legends about the
burning of Terah’s house, of Nehor,
of all the people, etc., betray
the common practice of literalizing
ancient metaphors.)
Ap. Abr. VIII (Box). The voice from Abr. 1:2. … desiring also to …
the fiery cloud says: “Abraham, possess a greater knowledge …
Abraham … Thou art seeking in the and desiring to receive instructions,
understanding of thine heart the and to keep the commandments of
God of Gods and the Creator; I am God. … 2:12. Thy servant has
he.” sought thee earnestly; now I have
found thee.
(This is the theme on which both
Abraham histories open.)
Ap. Abr. IX. “Abraham, Abraham!” Abr. 3:11. Thus I, Abraham, talked
I answered: “Here am I.” And he with the Lord, face to face …
said, “Behold it is and he told me of the works
I, be not afraid, for I am before which his hands had made. 3:21. I
the world was, a strong God who dwell in the midst of them all;
created even before the light of I now, therefore, have come down unto
the world. [Box: "I am before thee to deliver unto thee the works
the worlds, and a mighty God who which my hands have made, wherein my
created the light of the world." wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule
] I am your shield and your helper. in the heavens above, and in the earth
Go hence… bring me a pure beneath, … thine eyes have
sacrifice. And in this seen from the beginning.
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. … I will show
you the Aeons which have
been wrought by my word, and
firmly established, created and
renewed.”
Ap. Abr. IX (Box). Then a Abr. 1:16. And his voice was
voice came to me unto me: Abraham, Abraham, behold,
speaking twice: “Abraham, my name is Jehovah, and I have
Abraham!” … “Behold, heard thee, and have come down
it is I; fear not for I am to deliver thee.
before the worlds … I am a
shield over thee, and I am
thy helper.
Ap. Abr. X (Box). I heard the Abr. 1:15. … and the angel of his
voice of the Holy One speaking: presence stood by me, and immediately
“Go, Jaoel [Box, note 5: ... unloosed my bands; 1:16. And his
The name Yahoel (Jaoel) is voice was unto me: ...
evidently a substitute for behold, my name is Jehovah.
the ineffable name of Yahweh] … 1:18. Behold, I will lead
and by means of my ineffable thee by my hand. …
Name raise me yonder man, and [In the Book of Abraham this is
strengthen him (so that the theme of Abraham's deliverance
he recover) from his trembling"; from the altar. The expressions
And the angel came, whom He had "loose the bands of Hades" and
sent to me, in the likeness of "him who stareth at the
a man, and grasped me by
the right hand,
and set me upon my feet. ... "I dead" signify the nature of the
am called Jaoel by Him who moveth deliverance and are typically Egyptian;
with that which existeth with me the latter Box finds quite bizarre.
on the 7th expanse upon the Facsimile no. 1 is a very proper
firmament. ... stand up Abraham, illustration to the story.] See
go without fear! … I am he who below, p. 30.
hath been commissioned to loosen
Hades, to destroy him who stareth
at the dead.”
Ap. Abr. X. “Arise, Abraham, Abr. 3:22. Now the Lord had shown
with courage, go with joy and unto me, Abraham, the
gladness. I am with you, for the intelligences that were
Eternal One has prepared for you organized before the world
honor everlasting … for behold I was; and among all these
am set apart with you and there were many of the noble and
with the generations which have great ones. 3:23. And God …
been before prepared, out of stood in the midst of them, and
you; and with me [Jehovah], Michael he said: These I will make my
blesses you forevermore.” rulers; … and he said unto me:
Abraham, thou art one of
them; thou wast chosen
before thou wast born.
The visit of the pair Jehovah and Michael to Abraham to raise him up and instruct him recalls like experiences of Adam and Moses, which we have discussed elsewhere. (235:7-19.) This is apparent from the following sections:
Ap. Abr. XII. [Next Abraham as he Cf. Moses 1:24. ... when Satan
sacrifices on the altar is had departed from the presence of
accosted by Satan (Azazel) who is Moses, ... Moses lifted up his eyes
rebuked and cast out by the angel. unto heaven, being filled with the
After which a dove Holy Ghost. ... 1:27. And ...
carries Abraham aloft to heaven to Moses cast his eyes and beheld
view the wonders of the universe]: the earth, yea, even all of it.
He [the angel] said unto me: “… … 1:37. And the Lord God spake
I ascend upon bird’s [dove's] unto Moses, saying: The heavens,
wings to show you that which is they are many. …
in heaven,
and upon the earth, and Abr. 3:12. And he said unto
in the sea, and in the abysses, me: My son, … behold I
in the underworld, and in the will show you all these.
Garden of Eden and its rivers, And he put his hand upon mine
and in the fullness of the eyes, and I saw those things
circuit of the whole world; for which his hands had made, which
you shall behold all.” were many; and they multiplied
before mine eyes, and I could
not see the end thereof.
Ap. Abr. XII. … behold the Cf. Abr. Fac. 2, Fig. 2. …
altar upon the mountain holding the key of power also,
to offer the sacrifice. … pertaining to other planets;
But the turtle dove and the as revealed from God to Abraham,
dove give to me, for I as he offered sacrifice
ascend upon bird’s wings to show upon an altar, which he
you that which is in heaven, had built unto the Lord. Fac.
and upon the earth … and in the 2, Fig. 7. (It is the dove
fullness of the circuit who gives Abraham the key.)
of the whole world.
In Section XIII, Satan appears to Abraham while he is sacrificing and commands his obedience. Abraham, perplexed, asks the angel, “What is this my Lord?” and the angel tells him, “This is godlessness, this is Azazel [Satan].” Satan has threatened to possess the bodies of Abraham’s posterity, and the angel rebukes him: “for God … hath not permitted that the bodies of the righteous should be in thy hand.” He then casts Satan out, telling him that God has placed enmity between him and Abraham: “Depart from this man! Thou canst not lead him astray, because he is an enemy to thee, and of those who follow thee and love what thou willest,” i.e., the spirits that follow Satan.
Apoc. Abr. XV (Box). During the Moses 1:24 … Moses lifted up
sacrifice the angel “took me his eyes unto heaven, being filled
with the right hand and set me with the Holy Ghost.
on the right wing of the … 1:25. And … he beheld his
pigeon … and bore glory again. … 1:27. … and
me to the borders beheld the earth, yea, even
all of it.
of the flaming fire, and we Abr. 2:7. I cause the wind
ascended as with many winds and the fire to be my chariot.
to the heaven …
and I saw … a strong light, and Moses 1:38. And as one earth shall
lo! in this light … many people pass away, and the heavens
of male appearance, all thereof even so shall another come
(constantly) changing ; and there is no end
in aspect and form, running and to my works, neither to my words.
being transformed. …”
Apoc. Abr. XVII (Box), continuing (Box, note 7, quotes Gen. Rab. 78:1:
the theme of processing the worlds: “… every morning God created a
Abraham calls upon the Lord “El, new angelhost and these cantillate
El, El—El, Jaoel!” addressing a new song before Him and then
him as the creator who organized disappear.” This ceaseless
the world: “Who dissolveth processing of the worlds is an ancient
the confusions of the world … teaching—see 235:57-59.)
renewing the age of the Abr. 2:12. Thy servant has sought thee.
righteous!” … “Accept my prayer Abr. 1:2. … desiring … to possess
and be well-pleased with it, likewise a greater knowledge.
also the sacrifice which Thou hast
prepared. Thee through me who
sought Thee! Accept me
favourably, and show me, and teach
me, and make known to Thy servant
as thou hast promised me!”
Apoc. Abr. XIX. And a voice came Abr. 3:3. And the Lord said unto me:
to me. … And it said: “Behold … all those which belong to the same
the expanse under the plain order as that upon which thou
upon which you now stand.” standest. 3:4. … according to
the time appointed unto that
whereon thou standest. … 3:6. …
the set time of the earth upon
which thou standest.
(The expression “upon which thou
standest” is repeated in verses 5, 6,
and 7.)
Apoc. Abr. XIX. … And as he Abr. 3:2. And I saw the stars, that
still spoke, behold the expanse they were very great, and that one of
opened itself, and below me the them was nearest unto the throne
heavens. And I saw upon the of God; and there were many great
seventh firmament upon ones which were near unto it. 3:3.
which I stood, a spreading, fiery These are the governing ones;
light [Kolob?], and dew, and a … I have set this one to govern
multitude of angels, and a all those which belong to the same
power of invisible glory over the order as that upon which thou
living beings. … And I standest. 3:9. Kolob is set nigh unto
looked downward … upon the the throne of God, to govern
sixth heaven. … And behold also all those planets which belong to the
upon this firmament was no other same order as that upon which
power except that of the thou standest. Fac. 2, Fig. 1. Kolob
seventh firmament. … And the … first in government. Fig. 2. Stands
voice commanded that the sixth next to Kolob … the next grand
heaven should disappear, and I saw governing creation. Fig. 5.
the powers of the stars of … this is one of the governing
the fifth heaven whom the planets also … through the medium of
elements of the earth obey. … the governing power, which
XX (Box). “… as the number of governs fifteen other fixed
the stars and their power, planets or stars.
(so will) I make thy seed a nation.”
Ap. Abr. XXI. He said to me: “Now Abr. 3:22. Now the Lord has shown unto
look beneath your feet upon the me, Abraham, the intelligences that
plain and recognize the were organized before the world
pre-formed creature upon was; and among all these were
this firmament, and the beings many of the noble and great ones.
there-on; and the aeons prepared 3:23. And God saw these souls that
before. …” XXII. And I said: they were good, and he stood
“Primeval One, Strong One, what in the midst of them, and he
is this picture of the creature?” said: These I will make my
And he said to me: “This is my will rulers; for he stood among those
in relation to that which has a that were spirits.
being in the Council, and it
became pleasing before me, Fac. 2, Fig. 1. Kolob, signifying the
and then afterwards I commanded first creation, nearest to the
them through my word. And it celestial, or the residence of God.
came to pass that as many as I had
authorized to exist, before portraid
[sic] in this picture, and had
stood before me pre-created,
—as many as you have seen.”
Ap. Abr. XXII. And I said: “Ruler, Abr. 3:25. And we will prove them
Strong One, Thou Who Wast Before the herewith. … 3:26. And they who keep
World, Who are the multitude in this their first estate shall be
picture, on the right hand added upon; and they who keep not
and on the left?” And He their first estate shall not have
said to me: “… These for judgment glory in the same kingdom. … 3:27.
and order; those for vengeance and And the Lord said: Whom shall I send?
destruction at the end of the world. And one answered like unto the Son of
But those on the right side of the Man: Here am I, send me. And another
picture are the people chosen for answered and said: Here am I, send me.
me, separated from the peoples And the Lord said: I will send the
of Azazel [Satan]. These are first. 3:28. And the second was angry,
those which I have prepared to be and kept not his first estate; and, at
born through you and to be called that day, many followed after
my people. him.
The G. H. Box translation: “This Counsel and discussion is the theme.
is my will with regard to those who
exist in the [divine] world-council,
and it seemed well-pleasing before
my sight, and then afterward I gave
commandment to them through
my Word.”
Ap. Abr. XXII (Box). “… they are Abr. 3:23. And God…stood in the
the people set apart for me. midst of them, and he said: These I
… These are they whom I have will make my rulers. … Abraham,
ordained to be born of thee and to thou art one of them; thou wast
be called My People.” chosen before thou wast born.
Ap. Abr. XXII. And I said, “Primeval Abr. 1:12. … and that you may have
One, Strong One, a knowledge of this altar, I
what is this picture of will refer you to the
the creature?” XXIII. Behold representation at the
also in the picture him commencement of this record. 1:14.
who led Eve astray; and behold That you may have an understanding
the fruit of the tree. … And I of these gods, I have given you
looked about in the picture, the fashion of them in
and my eyes rested upon the side of the figures at the beginning.
Paradise [he then saw the Garden of ... 5:13. ... for in the time that
Eden drama presented in a sort thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely
of moving picture]. die. Now I, Abraham, saw
that it was after the Lord’s time. …
Ap. Abr. XXV. I saw there the Abr. 1:7. … they turned their
likeness of an idol of wrath, an hearts to the sacrifice of the
image made of material like unto heathen in offering up their
that which my father had made. children unto their dumb
… Before it stood a man, and he idols, and hearkened not unto
worshipped it, and there was an altar my voice, but endeavored to take
opposite, and boys were away my life by the hand
butchered upon it in full view of of the priest of Elkenah.
the idol. Fac. 1, Fig. 1. (The same picture
[The Lord explains that this showing Abraham in his youth on
represents the defilement of the the altar.)
Priesthood, "but the image which
you see is my wrath."]
Ap. Abr. Sect. XXVI (Abraham after Moses 1:30. And … Moses called
beholding the drama of the creation upon God, saying: Tell me, I pray
and fall). And I said: “Primeval thee, why these things are so,
One, Strong One, wherefore hast and by what thou madest them?
thou decreed that it should be so? 1:31. … And the Lord God said unto
Give me again testimony of Moses: For mine own purpose
it.” And He said: … “Hearken, have I made these things. Here is
Abraham: as the decree [will] of wisdom and it remaineth in me.
your father was within him, and as
your will is in you, so also
is the will of my decree in me.”
Ap. Abr. XXVII. “Rather the Abr. 3:23. And God saw these souls
dispensation of the just is seen that they were good, and he stood
in the image of kings and those who in the midst of them, and said:
judge with righteousness, whom These I will make my rulers; for
I before created to be rulers he stood among those who were spirits,
among them; from these proceed men and he saw that they were good; and
who guide the destinies of all whom he said unto me: Abraham, thou art
you have seen, and which have been one of them; thou wast chosen
made known to you.” before thou wast born.
Ap. Abr. XXVIII (Box). … one hour Fac. 2, Fig. 1. … The measurement
of the age—the same is a hundred according to celestial time,
years … XXIX. And I said: “O which celestial time signifies
Eternal [Mighty One]! And how long one day to a cubit. …
a time is an hour of the
Age?” … And do thou reckon and Abr. 3:4. … one revolution was a
understand and look into the day unto the Lord, … it being one
picture.” thousand years according to the time
appointed unto that whereon thou
standest.
(In both our Abraham texts we are referred to a certain picture or diagram to explain the organization of time and space in the universe.)
Ap. Abr. XXIX. “Hear, Abraham, the Abr. 3:27. And the Lord said: Whom shall
man whom you have seen derided and I send? And one answered like unto the
smitten, and again worshipped, that Son of Man: Here am I, send me.
is the Salvation (Pardon) from the
heathen to the people which is to Cf. Moses 7:46. And the Lord said: It
come of thee, in the last days, shall be in the meridian [12th hour] of
—the twelfth hour of the aeon of time, in the days of wickedness and
wickedness. But in the twelfth year vengeance. 7:47. And behold, Enoch saw
of my aeon of the last days, I will the day of the coming of the Son of Man.
raise up this man which you saw from
your seed, out of my people, and him
shall all follow. … Before
the aeon of righteous commences to grow, my (The passage opposite is included for
judgment cometh over the dissolute the benefit of the LDS readers.)
Gentiles. …”
Ap. Abr. XXX (Box): But while he Moses 1:9. And the presence of God
was still speaking I found myself withdrew from Moses, that his glory was
upon the earth. And I said: “… not upon Moses. … And as he was left
I am no longer in the glory in which unto himself, he fell unto the
I was (while) on high, and what my earth . 1:10. … and he said
soul longed to understand in mine unto himself: Now, for this cause
heart I do not understand.” I know that man is nothing, which thing
I never had supposed.
Ap. Abr. XXXI (Box): And then I will Moses 7:38. … a prison have I
sound the trumpet … and summon my prepared for them.
despised people from the nations and
I will burn with fire those Moses 7:33. And unto thy brethren
who have insulted them … and I have have I said, and also given
prepared for them the fire of commandment, that they should love one
Hades and for ceaseless flight to and another, and that they should
fro through the air. … for I choose me, their Father; but
hoped that they would come to me, behold, they are without affection,
and not have loved and praised and they hate their own blood. 7:34.
the strange (god), and not have And the fire of mine indignation is
adhered to him. … Instead kindled against them. … 7:37. …
they have forsaken the mighty Lord.” Satan shall be their father,
and misery shall be their doom. …
Excerpt from The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley: Abraham in Egypt Vol. 14. Click here to buy the book.