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Ladder of Jacob

About this book
Chapter 3

1 And while I was still speaking my prayer, there appeared a voice before my face, saying: Sarekl, prince of those who rejoice, you who are over visions, go and make Jacob understand the interpretation of the dream which he saw,⁠ and show him everything he saw; but first bless him. 2 And the archangel Sarekl came to me, and I saw: it was a face […] terrifying; but I was not afraid of his look, for the face which I had seen in my dream […] was more than this, and I did not fear the face of an angel. 3 And the angel said to me, What is your name? And I said, Jacob. 4 But he said to me, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but your name shall be like my name, Israel.⁠ 5 And when I came from Fandana in Syria to meet my brother Esau, he came to me and blessed me, and called my name Israel, and did not tell me his name until I pressed him under oath, and then he told me, Because you were […]

Texts in conversation

Compare Ladder of Jacob 3:1 and Apocalypse of Abraham 9:1

Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

In the Ladder of Jacob, a voice appears that orders an angel to explain Jacob's dream. In the Apocalypse of Abraham, the voice has a similar presence, identifying itself as God and preparing Abraham to see the future through a sacrifice.

Passages

Ladder of Jacob 3:1

Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions
1 And while I was still speaking my prayer, there appeared a voice before my face, saying: Sarekl, prince of those who rejoice, you who are over visions, go and make Jacob understand the interpretation of the dream which he saw, and show him everything he saw; but first bless him. 2 And the archangel Sarekl came to me, and I saw: it was a face […] terrifying; but I was not afraid of his look, for the face which I had seen in my dream […] was more than this, and I did not fear the face of an angel. 3 And the angel said to me, What is your name? And I said, Jacob.
1–100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Ladder of Jacob

Apocalypse of Abraham 9:1

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 Then a voice spoke to me twice: "Abraham, Abraham!" 2 And I said: "Here I am!" 3 And He said: "Look, it is I; do not be afraid, for I existed before the worlds, and I am a mighty God who has created the light of the world. 4 I am a shield over you, and I am your helper. 5 Go, bring me a young three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a three-year-old ram, and a turtledove and a pigeon, and bring me a pure sacrifice. And in this sacrifice I will show you the ages (to come),
70–150 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Apocalypse of Abraham

References

“... As in some of the other pseudepigrapha, the voice has ceased to be something heard and has become a hypostatic creature. In 2:2, we have the familiar concept of a voice; but in 3:1, we hear that “a voice came before my face” and, although he appears to be speaking to Jacob, he actually addresses words to Sariel. A hypostatic voice also appears in the Apocalypse of Abraham, chapter 9, and tells Abraham to sacrifice. In the History of the Rechabites, a voice comes to an individual (2:7) and even speaks to the traveler (3:1). The concept of a hypostatic voice appears also in the Apocalypse of Sedrach and some of the apocalypses preserved in the Mani Codex. ...”
H. G. Lunt, “Ladder of Jacob: A New Translation and Introduction,” in The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume 2: Expansions of the “Old Testament” and Legends, Wisdom and Philosophical Literature, Prayers, Psalms, and Odes, Fragments of Lost Judeo-Hellenistic Works, ed. James H. Charlesworth (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1985), 406.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Ladder of Jacob 3:1 and Apocalypse of Abraham 9:1

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