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Daniel 10 describes a heavenly messenger with a body like a precious stone and a dazzling face. The Apocalypse of Abraham echoes this gemlike appearance in Jaoel, giving Abraham's guide the imposing form of an angel who brings revelation.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Daniel 10:6
Hebrew Bible
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was beside the great river, the Tigris. 5 I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen; around his waist was a belt made of gold from Ufaz. 6 His body resembled yellow jasper, and his face had an appearance like lightning. His eyes were like blazing torches; his arms and feet had the gleam of polished bronze. His voice thundered forth like the sound of a large crowd. 7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide. 8 I alone was left to see this great vision. My strength drained from me, and my vigor disappeared; I was without energy.
Apocalypse of Abraham 11:2
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 And I rose up and saw him who had grasped me by my right hand and set me up upon my feet: 2 and the appearance of his body was like sapphire, and the look of his face like chrysolite, and the hair of his head like snow, 3 and the turban upon his head like the appearance of the rainbow, and the clothing of his garments like purple; and a golden sceptre was in his right hand. 4 And he said to me: "Abraham!" And I said: "Here I am, your servant." And he said: "Do not let my look frighten you, nor my speech, that your soul not be perturbed. 5 Come with me and I will go with you, until the sacrifice, visible, but after the sacrifice, invisible for ever.
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Notes and References
“... The description of the figure
owes its origin to several sources. The body of the angel resem
bles Daniel 10.6 but the mention of sapphire derives from
Ezekiel 28.13. This is also true of the reference to chrysolite, but
a link with Daniel 10.6 must not be ruled out. ...”
Rowland, Christopher
The Open Heaven: A Study of Apocalyptic in Judaism and Early Christianity
(p. 102) Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1982
* 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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