Texts in Conversation
In Genesis 18, Abraham calls himself dust and ashes and asks God not to be angry as he pleads for Sodom. The Apocalypse of Abraham echoes this cautious appeal before he questions why God permits Azazel’s power, extending his pleading to evil itself.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 18:27
Hebrew Bible
26 So the Lord replied, “If I find in the city of Sodom 50 godly people, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Then Abraham asked, “Since I have undertaken to speak to the Lord (although I am but dust and ashes), 28 what if there are five less than the 50 godly people? Will you destroy the whole city because five are lacking?” He replied, “I will not destroy it if I find 45 there.” 29 Abraham spoke to him again, “What if 40 are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it for the sake of the 40.” 30 Then Abraham said, “May the Lord not be angry so that I may speak! What if 30 are found there?” He replied, “I will not do it if I find 30 there.”
Apocalypse of Abraham 20:6
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
2 And I said: "Here I am." 3 [And He said:] "Consider from above the stars which are beneath you, and number them [for me], and make known [to me] their number." 4 And I said: "When can I? For I am but a man [of dust and ashes]." 5 And he said to me: "As the number of the stars and their power, (so will) I make your seed a nation and a people, set apart for me in my heritage with Azazel." 6 And I said: "O Eternal, Mighty One! Let your servant speak before You, and do not let Your anger kindle against Your chosen one! 7 Behold, before You led me up Azazel inveighed against me. How, then, while he is not now before You, have You constituted Yourself with him?"
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Notes and References
“... Cf. Gen. xviii. 27, 4 Ezra iv. 5, 6. The bracketed clause is attested by A K, but omitted by S. ...”
Box, G. H., with J. I. Landsman
The Apocalypse of Abraham
(p. PDF 42) Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1918
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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