Prophets and kings of the Jews - from Abraham and Moses to Solomon. Abraham's wife: biblical history, etymology of the name Sarah, biography, family and divine destiny

The history of the Jewish people traces back to Abraham. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Abraham is revered as a Saint, the ancestor who abandoned paganism for God. Abraham's God is one God.

The life of Abraham is described in the first book of the Bible - Genesis. We will find out who Abraham was when he lived, what were the names of Abraham's wives, what was the name of Abraham's son.

The Beginning of the Spiritual Path - Abraham Against Paganism

Terah, Abraham's father, was a craftsman in the Chaldean city of Ur. He skillfully carved wood and his main products were wooden idols.

Young Abraham often thought which of the wooden idols created the earth, sky, man, stars. Gradually, he came to monotheism, that is, he believed in the true one God.

After that, Abraham and Terah had disputes. Once the son, when his father was not at home, cut wooden figurines. He wanted to show that the gods Terah believed in were false. “How could these idols create the earth and stars if they cannot save themselves?” Abraham asked his father.

One day, the Almighty ordered Abraham to cut off the foreskin, and he did it. He also circumcised his male household members. It was a sign that Abraham would become a great people, faithful to God.

Circumcision is the visible sign of the covenant between Abraham and God. Therefore, Orthodox Jews still adhere to this custom.

Abraham and his family go to the land God promised them

Paganism prevailed in the homeland of our hero, so the Lord ordered Abraham to leave his native land and go to the lands that God had chosen.

Abraham, in his 75 years, gathered his wife Sarah, Lot's nephew, wealth and servants for a journey to the fertile land of Canaan, on both banks of the Jordan River.

After they arrived in this land, Abraham offered a sacrifice to God. God called Abram - Abraham, that is, the father of many, and Sarah became Sarah.

Over time, the flocks of Abraham multiplied and in order to avoid conflicts, Abraham's nephew Lot separated from the family and settled nearby, in the city of Sadom.

Abraham himself remained in the land of Canaan, his tent and altar were located under the oak of Mamre. Abraham made a generous sacrifice to the Lord, and God, in gratitude for this, promised Abraham a large offspring, a people from which all nations will come and the Savior will be born.

Abraham's wife Sarah was childless and gave him her maid as his wife so they could have a child

Sarah, Abraham's wife, could not get pregnant and give her husband an heir. Therefore, she gave Abraham a servant from Egypt, Hagar, as a wife. Hagar became pregnant and after that began to treat Sarah with disdain.

Sarah oppressed Hagar in every possible way, and received permission from her husband to do with the maid as she pleased. Hagar was frightened and fled into the wilderness. In the desert, near the oasis, the Lord appeared to her in the guise of an angel and commanded her to return to Abraham's house and give birth to his son. Hagar returned and soon gave birth to a son, Ishmael.

Three angels announced to Abraham that his real wife Sarah would bear him a son

One day, Abraham met three travelers who were tired from the road. Abraham, being a hospitable host, washed the travelers' nights and invited them into the house. He treated them to veal, milk and butter. Having eaten and rested, one of the travelers asked Abraham where his wife Sarah was?

Sarah at that moment was at the entrance to the tent and heard the conversation of men. One of the travelers was the Lord himself in the guise of an angel. He told Abraham that in a year He would return and Sarah would become pregnant, and subsequently give birth to a son, an heir. Sarah heard this and smiled in her soul. The Holy Angel said, “Why are you laughing, Sarah? The Lord is omnipotent. Nothing is impossible for God"

Abraham at that time was already 99 years old, and his wife Sarah was 89. God kept his word and, a year later, Sarah and Abraham had a son, Isaac. Therefore, the answer to the question "how old was Abraham when Isaac was born" is 100 years.

Ishmael, the son of Abraham from the Egyptian Hagar, mocked the little heir. Sarah, seeing this, was furious and ordered Hagar and Ishmael to be driven out of the house. Abraham, being a kind-hearted man, initially wanted to appease the wives, but God confirmed Sarah's desire.

Hagar and Ishmael began to live separately, and the Ishmaelites descended from Ishmael - they are considered the ancestors of modern Arabs.

God tested Abraham's obedience and told him to sacrifice his son Isaac

Abraham was devoted to God and obediently carried out all his instructions. One day the Lord decided to test the faith and devotion of his best servant. He ordered Abraham to sacrifice his only and long-awaited heir, Isaac.

Abraham was heartbroken, but did not dare to disobey. He gathered a bundle of firewood and went with Isaac to Mount Moriah, as God had directed him.

Isaac asked his father along the way - where is the lamb for the sacrifice, to which Abraham replied that God would indicate at the top. Upon arriving at the indicated place, Abraham laid out a sacrificial fire, tied Isaac, and was about to kill him, when an angel stopped him, saying that the Lord was confident in Abraham's devotion and fidelity. AT again God blessed Abraham, promising to give him a numerous offspring.

Abraham pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah

In the east of the land of Canaan there were two cities - Garden and Gomorrah, inhabited by the Canaanites. Cities rich and prosperous, but inhabited by evil and sinful people who angered the Lord.

God appeared to Abraham and told him that his patience with the atrocities of the Canaanites was coming to an end and he wanted to destroy Garden and Gomorrah. To which Abraham, being a merciful man, began to beg God. He said that if there are at least 10 righteous people in these cities, then God can have mercy.

God agreed to this. But the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were so evil that even 10 righteous people were not found in them. Abraham's nephew, Lot, lived in Sodom. And even when the Angels of the Lord came to take Lot out of the city before the punishment fell on him, the inhabitants of Sodom abused them. The Lord devastated the place where Sodom and Gomorrah stood, and in their place the salty Dead Sea was formed.

Abraham's last wife, Keturah, bore him 6 sons

Sarah died at the age of 127. Abraham married for the third time already in extreme old age to Keturah. Keturah bore Abraham more heirs. The children of Abraham are Ishbak, Zimran, Yokshan, Midian, Shuah and Medan.

Each of the sons of Abraham gave rise to the Arab tribes. The main heir was the son of Abraham and Sarah - Isaac, who gave birth to Jacob. The grandson of Abraham - Jacob continued the family, which grew into a great nation.

Abraham died at 175 and was buried with Sarah

Abraham died when he was 175 years old, having outlived Sarah by 50 years, he was buried next to her in the cave of Machpelah near Hebron.

In the Old Testament

The story of the life and work of Abraham is contained in the book of Genesis (-).

Abraham, whose original name was Abram (אַבְרָם), was born in the Sumerian city of Ur in the 21st-20th century BC. e. (in the Bible "Ur Kasdim" - "Ur-Chaldean"), one of the oldest and most important cities in southern Mesopotamia. There he married his half-sister Sarah (Saray) (Gen.), whom God later gave the name Sarah (Sarah). Abram's father Terah (Terah) left Ur and, taking with him his children: Abram and Nahor, Sarah and Lot (his grandson from the early deceased brother Aran), went to Canaan (the motives that prompted him to do this are not indicated in the Bible). On the way, in the city of Haran (Northern Mesopotamia), Terah died. After that, God told Abram to leave his father's house and follow where he indicated. God also promised that he would make a great nation from Abram, bless and exalt Abram himself and through him all the peoples on Earth. Then Abram, who at that time was 75 years old, together with his wife Sarah, nephew Lot, with all the property and people that he had, left Haran for the land of the Canaanites. The Lord said that he would give this land to the descendants of Abram. Raising altars to God, Abram continued to move south, but there was a famine in that land, and therefore, wanting to avoid it, Abram went to Egypt. Approaching this state, he ordered his wife Sarah to call herself a sister, fearing that because of her beauty, people who were seduced by Sarah could kill him. The Egyptian nobles really considered Sarah very beautiful and reported this to the pharaoh. Pharaoh took her as his wife, and thanks to this, Abram "was fine: he had large and small cattle, donkeys, male and female slaves, mules and camels." However, God struck down Pharaoh and his house because of Sarah. Pharaoh called Abram to him and asked why he did not tell that Sarah was his wife. Then he let Abram go with all his property, Sarah and Lot, and Pharaoh's people saw them off (Gen. -).

Separation of Lot

Abram and Lot were so rich in cattle, silver, and gold that there was not enough room for their possessions. Therefore, so that there would be no contention between their shepherds, they divided. Lot went east - to the Jordanian region - and Abram began to live in the land of Canaan. After that, God once again confirmed that he would give these lands to Abram and his descendants, of which there would be a huge number (a lot, “like the sand of the earth”). Abram settled at the oak forest of Mamre in Hebron (Gen.). One day, Abram was informed that Sodom, where Lot lived at that time, was attacked by the combined army of Kedorlaomer, the king of Elam and his allied kings, who plundered and took the Sodomites into captivity. Then Abram immediately armed 318 of his slaves, that is, servants, caught up with the enemy and attacked him at night, defeating and pursuing to Hoba, thanks to which he rescued Lot from captivity, and returned his and his property, as well as women and people. Returning from the campaign, Abram received the blessing of Melchizedek (Malki-Tzedek, Heb.), King Salem (Shalem) and "priest of the Most High God." When the king of Sodom suggested that Abram take all the spoils of war for himself, Abram refused so that no one could say that he enriched Abram. However, he gave the shares belonging to his people to Aner, Eshkol and Mamri (Gen.).

After these events, God once again confirmed his promise to give Abram a numerous offspring, to whom the land from the “river of Egypt” to the Euphrates river would be given, and which would be first enslaved, but then freed and rich. Abram, at the request of God, sacrificed to him a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, as well as a turtledove and a young dove. All of them, except for birds, were cut in half (Gen.). However, Sarah was barren and gave her husband her slave - the Egyptian Hagar. Hagar, who became pregnant by Abram, began to despise her mistress, and Sarai accused Abram of this. Then Abram gave his wife the right to do whatever she wanted with the maid. Hagar fled from the oppression that began after that, into the desert, and at the source she met an angel who told her to return, and also said that God had heard her suffering, that Hagar would give birth to a son and call him Ismail. When Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, Abram was 86 years old (Gen.).

Thirteen years later, God appeared to Abram to establish a covenant with Abram. God renamed Abram into Abraham and again promised - now to Abraham - that he would become the father of many descendants (and nations), that kings would come from him, and that God would give them the land of Canaan as an eternal possession and be their God. God commanded that every male be circumcised on the eighth day from birth, including babies born in the home and bought for silver from foreigners. The soul of those who do not circumcise, according to God, will be destroyed. The ninety-year-old Sarah was renamed Sarah by him. God also promised that Sarah would give birth to Abraham's son - Isaac. Abraham obediently did the will of God. All male members of the household, both born in the house and purchased, were circumcised. Abraham was 99 years old when his foreskin was circumcised (Gen.).

Shortly after the circumcision, God appeared to Abraham in three traveler husbands. Abraham asked for the opportunity to serve God, since he was his slave, offered to wash the feet of their husbands, bring bread, butter and milk, cook a calf. God said that in a year he would again appear to Abraham and give a son to Sarah. Sarah, hearing Abraham's conversation with God, did not believe, because she was already too old to conceive, and laughed. God asked Abraham why Sarah was laughing, and Abraham told her that she was barren. However, God confirmed that at the appointed time he would be with Sarah and give her a son. After that, God shared his plans with Abraham: about the election of Abraham to command his sons to do the will of the Lord, and that God wants to know if Sodom and Gomorrah are doing exactly as they say about their sins. And the two men went to Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham began to bargain with God, not wanting the righteous to perish in those cities along with the unrighteous. Having reduced the number of the righteous, at which these cities will be spared, from fifty to ten, the Lord left (Gen.).

The Lord kept his word and Sarah conceived and gave birth to a son, despite the fact that she was already old. Hundred-year-old Abraham named his son Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day from his birth. On the day that Isaac was weaned from his mother, his father gave a great feast. However, Ismail - Abraham's son by Hagar - mocked Isaac. Seeing this, Sarah told Abraham to drive out the slave girl along with her son. This seemed very unpleasant to Abraham, but God confirmed the words of Sarah. And Abraham gave Hagar bread and a skin of water, and sent her away with Ishmael. After that, Abraham made an alliance with Abimelech about a well in Beersheba, giving him small and large livestock, planted a grove near Beersheba and wandered for a long time in the Philistine land (Gen.).

After that, God decided to test Abraham's obedience and told him to sacrifice Isaac. Abraham, together with Isaac and two more youths, took firewood chopped for a burnt offering and sat on his donkey, went to the land of Moriah, where God pointed him to - to Mount Moriah. Arriving there on the third day of the journey, Abraham left the donkey and the youths and, together with his son, climbed the mountain, saying that he would bow there and return back with Isaac. On the way to the mountain, when his son asked where the lamb for the burnt offering was, Abraham answered that God would indicate, but on the spot At the top of the mountain, Abraham gathered an altar, spread out the firewood and, having tied Isaac, laid it on top of the firewood. When he raised his hand with a knife to stab his son, an angel called to him from heaven. Through him, God informed Abraham that he now knew about his fear of God, and also repeated his promises to Abraham about many descendants and blessings, also promising them military victories. After these events, Abraham returned to Beersheba (Beersheba) (Gen.).

Sarah died at the age of 127 in Kiryat Arba (Kiryat Arba), near Hebron. For her burial, Abraham asked the Hittite Efron (Efron) to own the cave of Machpelah (“double cave”) near Hebron. The Hittites recognized Abraham as the prince of God and sold him this cave with a field for four hundred shekels of silver (Gen.).

Having grown old, Abraham sends his elder slave to his relatives in northern Mesopotamia in search of a bride for Isaac in order to avoid marriage ties with the Canaanites. A slave messenger with ten camels and treasures given by Abraham, near the city of Nahor, met a virtuous girl who gave him and all the camels a drink. This girl turned out to be Rebecca (Rivka) - the daughter of Abraham's nephew Bethuel (Bethuel). The slave bowed to God, who led him to the right place. In the house where Rebecca lived, the slave told about the life of Abraham and why he had come. Rebecca's relatives said that this was from the Lord, and they gave Rebecca without objection. The slave made rich gifts to her, her brother and mother, and the next day took her to Abraham and Isaac. Having met Rebecca, Isaac married her. Having received a beloved wife, Isaac was comforted in sorrow for his mother (Gen.).

In extreme old age, Abraham married Khetturah (Kturah), who bore him several more children: Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. All of them, like the eldest son of Abraham - Ishmael - became the founders of various Arab tribes, which explains the meaning of the name Abraham, as "the father of many tribes" (Gen.). Abraham gave everything he had to his son Isaac, and gave gifts to the sons of the concubines that he had and sent them to the east. Abraham died at the age of 175, elderly and full of life, and was buried by Isaac and Ishmael next to his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron (Gen.).

In the New Testament

Lazarus in the Bosom of Abraham

In a letter to the Christian community of Galatia, which consisted of former pagans, Paul says that “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, foretold to Abraham: in you all nations will be blessed.”(Gal.). Abraham's blessing extends to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ (Gal.). According to Paul, the promises were made to Abraham and his seed, "Which is Christ...but if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise"(Gal.). Based on the Old Testament story about Abraham, whose faith was imputed to him as righteousness (Gen.) before receiving the covenant of circumcision, Paul in the Epistle to the Romans puts the righteousness of faith above the righteousness of the law:

Traditional lore

In Jewish tradition

In the Christian tradition

The image of the patriarch Abraham serves as a prototype of the highest piety and righteousness, both in the Old and New Testaments. According to John Chrysostom, Abraham was the guardian and teacher of the faith and morality of his people among the pagans around him. Augustine the Blessed wrote that God's promise to Abraham about the multiplication of offspring and his blessing (Gen.) refers to all mankind, on which God's blessing should descend. In the bread and wine presented to Abraham by Melchizedek (Gen.), the Fathers of the Church saw a prototype of the Eucharist.

... who was talking with Abraham? Is it Father? But you can't say that the Father is anyone's angel. Therefore, the Only Begotten Son of whom the prophet speaks: "His name is called the Great Council Angel"(Is.).

Gregory Nyssky. A word about the deity of the Son and the Spirit and praise to the righteous Abraham

In early Christian doctrine, the sacrifice of Isaac is seen as a prediction of the martyrdom of Christ. According to the Fathers of the Church, Jesus himself pointed to this story as a type of his forthcoming sacrifice on Golgotha: “Abraham your father was glad to see my day; and saw and rejoiced"(In.). This opinion is already contained in the writings of Irenaeus of Lyons (II century), Gregory the Theologian (IV century) and is developed by subsequent theologians. They compare the obedience of Isaac to the will of Abraham and Jesus to the will of God the Father, Isaac's carrying firewood to the mountain is called a prototype of Jesus carrying the Cross, and his path to the mountain is the way of the cross to Golgotha.

According to legend, Abraham was engaged in natural sciences, knew astronomy, chemistry and other knowledge that he inherited in his homeland from the Chaldeans and subsequently distributed among the Phoenicians and even Egyptians. Abraham is considered by some to be the inventor of the alphabet and calendar calculations. ; others even attribute to him the composition of some books.

In Muslim tradition

In religious tradition

In Judaism

The image of Abraham occupies a central place in the historical memory of the Jewish people. The description of his life and his trials is considered in the Jewish tradition as an instructive example, symbolically reflecting the subsequent history of the Jewish people.

Abraham is considered in the Jewish tradition not only as the founder of the Jewish people, but also as a forerunner of monotheism, which brought people faith in a single invisible God, the creator of earth and sky and the ruler of the world. Abrahamic religions, as well as many of the philosophical ideas that underlie modern civilization, go back to the ideas and postulates proclaimed by Abraham. However, nowhere in the text of the Pentateuch is it mentioned that Abraham proclaimed faith in the One God for the first time. Jewish commentators emphasize that, although personally for Abraham this faith was really the discovery of something new, however objectively it was a restoration of a very old and almost forgotten truth that was known to Adam, Noah (Noah) and his descendants Shem (Shem) and Ever (Ever). Thus, Abraham really put forward something completely new for the society in which he lived, calling to return to the One God, to revive the faith of the distant past. His ideas probably seemed barbaric and primitive to his contemporaries, and Abraham should have been perceived by them not as an innovator, but as an ultra-conservative, an adherent of a forgotten ancient cult. One of the proofs that faith in the One God already existed in the time of Abraham is contained in the Pentateuch itself: this is a story about a meeting with Melchizedek, the king of Salem, "Priest of the Most High God"(Gen.). Thus, Abraham was not alone - he had like-minded people, isolated from each other, scattered in different places but retained faith in the One God.

Abraham's merit lies in the fact that he was the first to take seriously the original religious concept of God. In fact, Abraham was the first prophet of the ancient faith. He sought to inspire his commitment to this faith to a small group of people - the community he formed, which was supposed to become a special tribe (and later - a nation) that keeps this idea. For the same purpose, Abraham wandered around Canaan, tirelessly calling on the name of the Most High, building altars, attracting to himself those who believed in the One God, and trying to induce others to believe in Him.

The biblical narrative vividly expresses Abraham's unparalleled loyalty and devotion to God. Despite all the trials, he unquestioningly carries out the orders of God. The climax of these trials is the sacrifice of Isaac. Jewish tradition considers the sacrifice of Isaac as a symbol of readiness for the heaviest sacrifices in the name of devotion to God.

The Bible emphasizes the exclusive relationship between God and Abraham. This connection later took the form of a union (covenant; Heb. brit) concluded between God and Abraham. This union has essential in Jewish history and in the development of universal culture. It includes three main elements:

1. the chosenness of Abraham's descendants through the line of his son Isaac;
2. a promise to give ownership of the land of Canaan to these chosen descendants of Abraham;
3. command to follow God's commandments, which include both cult commandments and ethical standards behavior.

The narrative of the book of Genesis about Abraham contains only a general ethical prescription to be blameless (Gen.), but the behavior of Abraham, no doubt, indicates the presence of a certain system of moral principles. So, Abraham becomes famous for his hospitality, stands up for the inhabitants of Sodom, refuses to appropriate booty in the war and categorically rejects the offer of the "sons of Hitt" to receive the cave of Machpelah as a gift.

In Christianity

In Orthodoxy

Abraham (icon of the middle of the 17th century)

The Orthodox Church venerates Abraham in the face of the righteous and commemorates him twice a year: on October 9 (according to the Julian calendar) together with his nephew Lot and in " Week of the Forefathers» on the second Sunday before Christmas.

The name of Abraham and the Old Testament images associated with him are often found in Orthodox hymnography. The most common reference in chants is bosom of Abraham, which is already found in the ancient liturgy of the Apostle James: " Remember, O Lord... the Orthodox... Give them rest yourself... in Your Kingdom, in the delight of paradise, in the bowels of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...". The very name of Abraham in prayer appears as component invocation to God: Lord Almighty, the God of our fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the seed of their righteous ...».

The Orthodox Church uses the Old Testament texts that tell about the life of Abraham as proverbs:

The expression "father of many tribes" (Gen.) is interpreted in the sense that Abraham, through Jesus, became the father of the Christian nations. In the 318 households of Abraham (Gen.), the compilers of the liturgical order of the Orthodox Church saw a prototype of the number of participants in the First Ecumenical Council.

The appearance of God to Abraham in the form of three travelers (Gen.) is considered by the Orthodox Church as a symbol of the trinity Deity, which was reflected in the icons of the Trinity. This iconic plot was called " Hospitality of Abraham”(traditionally, the icon depicts Abraham himself, slaughtering the calf, sometimes there may be an image of his wife listening to the speech of angels).

In Islam

Muslims consider Ibrahim the builder of the Kaaba. He built it in Mecca with his son Ismail on the same spot where it stood in the time of Adam. Upon completion of construction, Ibrahim taught Ismail the rites of the Hajj and made him the guardian of the Kaaba.

Ibrahim died in Jerusalem at the age of 175. Muslims built a mosque over the cave of Machpelah, in which Abraham is buried, and protect it as one of the greatest shrines.

Legends and folklore

Slavic apocrypha

In Slavic literature, the legends about Abraham are reflected in two translated apocrypha, based on Greek translations of Jewish legends.

• Revelation of Abraham - says that Abraham is convinced of the impotence of idols, which his father Terah makes, and comes to the idea of ​​God, who created everything. Then he heard a voice from heaven commanding him, after a 40-day fast, to make a sacrifice to God, and the angel Joel assigned to Abraham leads him to Mount Horeb. Here Abraham sacrifices and is assassinated by the devil Azazil, but an angel orders him to leave Abraham. At sunset, Abraham, along with Joel, ascends to heaven, sitting on the wing of a dove. He sees an indescribable light, then a throne standing on four animals, seven heavens and everything that is done on them, earth, hell and Eden, in which Adam, Eve and Azazil are located.

• Death of Abraham Testament of Abraham) - the archangel Michael appears in the form of a traveler to Abraham's house to announce to him the onset of death, but does not dare to announce the sad news to him and asks God to send Abraham the memory of death so that he himself guesses about the onset of death. The will of God is revealed to Abraham through the dream of Isaac. Before his death, Abraham wished to see all the works of God, and the archangel took him up to heaven. There he saw two gates: wide leading people to death and narrow - to eternal life. Adam sat at the gate, weeping at the sight of those going through the wide gates and laughing at the sight of those going through the narrow ones (he wept seven times more than he laughed). Further, Abraham, together with Michael, visited the place of judgment, where Abel performs judgment, and Enoch searches for sins from books, which he keeps a record of. Here Abraham himself pronounces the verdict on sinners still living on earth, showing such severity that God, who expects repentance from people until the end of his life, orders the archangel to return Abraham to earth. What follows is the account of the death of Sarah, the marriage of Isaac, and the remarriage of Abraham. At the end of the Apocrypha, Abraham's death is told. Death appears to him adorned with great beauty, but, at the request of Abraham, it is shown to him in its present form, with many heads made of snakes, knives, and fires. The burial of Abraham is told according to the Bible.

Muslim traditions

Muslims claim that Abraham was in Mecca and founded there, together with Ishmael, the sanctuary of the Kaaba (Koran II, 119, etc.). Jewish tradition also speaks of Abraham's visit to his son Ishmael in Arabia. See the details of all the legends about A. in Beer's book "Leben Abrahams". The latest criticism has also touched the faces of the patriarchs with its analysis. Some critics identify Abraham with Brahma, others with Zoroaster, still others, like the ancient Philo of Alexandria, allegorized the history of the patriarchs, seeing in them only the personification of well-known abstract concepts. Critical-Historical Illumination of the Abrahamic Traditions.

Historical analysis

The world in which Abraham lived was a relatively enlightened and intellectual world of polytheistic religion. It was a polytheistic (idolatrous) urban civilization, the pinnacle of the culture of its era, putting forward brilliant ideas and sophisticated concepts in science, philosophy, and art.

Migration to Canaan

According to a number of researchers, the biblical story about the migration of Abraham's family to Canaan reflects what happened in the 19th-18th centuries BC. e. intensive migration of West Semitic tribes, called the Amorites or the Suti, from Upper Mesopotamia to the Syro-Palestinian region. The connection with Upper Mesopotamia was reflected, in particular, in the names of Abraham's father, grandfather and great-grandfather (Tarah (Terah), Nahor, Serukh), which are the names of cities and localities in the Haran region, where the Terah family moved from Ur. The name of their ancestor Ever (Ever), meaning "the other side" or "District", is associated with the epithet Hebrew- “(man) from Ever”, that is, the District. This epithet (from which the word "Jew" comes) is first used in the Bible in relation to Abraham (Gen.), and then to the Israelites in general. Initially, it could be called all the tribes that crossed the Euphrates on the way from Upper Mesopotamia to Syria and Canaan. Some researchers believe that there is some connection between the epithet Hebrew and the name of the habiru (options: hapiru or apiru), which is found in Akkadian and Egyptian sources from the end of the third millennium BC. e. Meanwhile, Dyakonov's point of view is disputed Western researchers, pointing to numerous evidence of the nomadic nature of the hapiru.

Ivrim were strangers who penetrated into Canaan and remained, apparently, alien to the religion, cult and life of the Canaanite peoples. Really, feature Abraham is a complete break with the culture of his country of origin Mesopotamia, on the one hand, and estrangement from the beliefs, worship and way of life of the Canaanites, on the other. Abraham, as then his son and grandson - the patriarchs Isaac and Jacob - does not have his own land in Canaan and is dependent on the Canaanite kings - the rulers of the cities. He maintains peaceful relations with the surrounding tribes, but retains his isolation in everything related to beliefs, worship, and even the purity of the clan. He sends his slave to his relatives in Northern Mesopotamia in order to bring his wife to Isaac.

According to another hypothesis, the era of Abraham falls on the 21st century BC. e. This hypothesis is based on the message of the Third Book of Kings (1 Kings), according to which 480 years elapsed between the Exodus from Egypt and the beginning of the construction of the Temple by Solomon. Based on intrabiblical chronology, it can be calculated that Abraham left Haran around 2091 BC. e. However, according to most researchers, the period of 480 years is rather symbolic (12 generations of forty years each). In addition, archaeologists have not found evidence of the existence on the territory of Canaan in the XXI-XX centuries BC. e. cities like those mentioned in the biblical story of the patriarchs.

It has also been suggested that Terah's family may have left Ur around 1740 BC. e., during the suppression of the uprising against the Babylonian ruler Samsu-iluna, in which Ur. In 1739 B.C. e. the city was destroyed by the troops of Samsu-iluna, who massacred a significant part of the population, and became depopulated for a long time. It should also be noted that the naming of Ur " Ur of the Chaldees”(Gen.) is an anachronism, since the Chaldeans appeared in Babylonia only in 1100. BC e. Apparently, such a designation of the city arose during the rise of Ur during the reign of the last king of the Neo-Babylonian (Chaldean) dynasty Nabonidus (- BC) and was included in the story of Abraham.

Union "between dissected parts"

In the story about the conclusion of the covenant between God and Abraham (Gen.), the practice of concluding an alliance was reflected, in which the contracting parties passed between the parts of the dissected animal. In Hebrew, the making of a covenant is often described by the idiom " cut the covenant". A similar expression is found in a text from the Syrian Qatna (15th century BC), as well as in the Amorite texts from Mari, where the union is described by the expression " kill the colt».

Date of writing

Most modern historians have come to the conclusion that not only the traditions about the patriarchs, but also their record in the literary form that has come down to us, belong to a very ancient period, although, in all likelihood, they were recorded in the period of the kings (after the 10th century BC). e.).

Names

Moreover, according to Kant, Abraham could be sure that the voice he heard did not belong to God. An order to do something contrary to the moral law cannot, according to Kant, come from God, that is, a higher moral being, whose idea is a derivative, and not the basis of morality.

In art and literature

In fine arts

• Peter Lastman: "The Sacrifice of Abraham" (1616, Louvre), "Abraham on the Road to Canaan" (1614).
• Gustave Doré: "Three angels visit Abraham" (1852).

In literature

• Laszlo Bito. "Abraham and Isaac" ().
• Voltaire. Philosophical Dictionary: Abraham

In Russian literature

In music

Arcade Fire song - Abraham's Daughter http://megalyrics.ru/lyric/arcade-fire/abraham-s-daughter.htm

In cinema

• Abraham (film) - television film about the life of the prophet Abraham

Abram was 75 years old when God called him to go to Canaan - "promised land" which, according to His promise, they will descendants of Abram , and there will be as many as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the desert. But Abram and Sarah were still childless .

"In the history of the Old Testament, we often encounter another problem indirectly related to original sin, and oddly enough, this is the problem of children, descendants. Firstly, after a person has fallen away from God, he thirst for immortality replaced individual aspect by aspect generic . Having lost access to the tree of life, the ancient man decided to take care of "immortality on earth", which meant mainly immortality in his children and grandchildren. Secondly, the loss of the heavenly marriage ideal led to meaning of marriage also started seeing not in unity, but in posterity as much as possible. The presence and number of children "guaranteed" immortality and in the eyes of others looked like a sign of God's blessing. On the contrary, the absence of children could mean a curse: a person turned out to be unworthy of continuing on earth!

After 10 years, already in Canaan, Sarah despaired and gave Abram her servant Hagar so that she would conceive a child from him (according to custom, the children of her husband from a servant in this case would be considered legitimate children from her mistress). Hagar has a son Ishmael ("let God hear"), who later became the progenitor of the Bedouins and northern Arabs; in the Muslim tradition, the genealogy of the prophet Muhammad is erected to it, as well as the history of the emergence of the sacred spring Zamzam.

When Abram was 100 years old and Sarah 91, finally God performs the promised miracle, and they have a long-awaited son Isaac ("one who laughs / rejoices").

Abram's beloved wife, Sarah, died at the age of 127. Abram lived to be 175 years old, but before that time he managed to start six more children (other Arab tribes descended from them) from Keturah, a concubine whom he "took as a wife" (most likely in the sense that he had a relationship with her, and did not marry).

Moreover, sole heir (both in the earthly and in the spiritual sense) is only Isaac , his son by Sarah; Abraham sent all other children "to the lands of the east", giving gifts - but alienating Isaac from himself. This is explained by the fact that it is from Isaac that the "chosen people" should come, through which the Messiah will appear centuries later; all other children were born in the usual, human way, and only Isaac - miraculously born from Sarah, barren before, and many after menopause; God chose Abraham, and God also gave him a son, Isaac, who owns the task of continuing the spiritual mission of his father.

God's Covenant with Abraham

Having appeared to Abram "under the oak of Mamre", God makes a covenant with him, which was as follows:
- Abram will be "the father of many nations", and the covenant of the Lord extends to his descendants; from that moment on, Abram and Sarah ("father of the heights", "high father" and "fighting") are called by God Abraham and Sarah ("father of the multitude" and "mistress"; the naming of the name is very great importance, especially - the naming of a new name by God)
- the descendants of Abram are promised possession of Canaan - the "promised land"
- the symbol of the covenant is affirmed circumcision all the men in the house of Abram (the symbol was a rainbow)

three angels

God appeared to Abraham at the oak of Mamri (near Hebron) to once again predict the imminent birth of his son Isaac, as well as punishment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; but this time He spoke to Abraham through his messengers - angels (both the Greek angelos and the Hebrew "malach" (that's where the Turkish melek comes from!) means "messenger", "messenger"), who came to Abraham in human form, in the form of three husbands. Abraham received them in his house and extended the widest hospitality.

Why exactly three an angel? According to the Jewish interpretation, each angel is sent on one mission. In this case, the first angel was sent to Abraham to announce the birth of Isaac, the second - to lead Lot out of the doomed Sodom, the third - to punish Sodom.

But what I didn’t even know was that it was the plot about the meal that Abraham treats the messengers of God that formed the basis of the famous icon painting of St. Trinity : "In Christian theology, three angels symbolize the hypostases of God, which are thought of as inseparable, but not merged - as a consubstantial Holy Trinity. ... Later, the historical plan of the image was completely replaced by a symbolic one. Three angels are now considered only as a symbol of the trinity of the Deity." (see Orthodox iconography of the Trinity)

(Trinity of Andrey Rublev)

The Crime and Punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Story of Lot

What did it consist of the sin of the inhabitants of Sodom ? By "sodomy", "sodomy sin" most often they mean homosexuality and all sorts of "immoral" sexual practices; but from the biblical text and comments to it it is clear that it is not only or not so much about homosexual relationships and depravity, but about sexual violence and violence in general, as well as the oppression of the weak, the needy and foreigners (read, abuse, discrimination and xenophobia), in short, " Sin City" , Gotham city just the same (I'm now under the impression of the Gotham series, Batman's homeland :)

The story of Lot's salvation from Sodom on the night before its destruction: Lot is an image living righteously but not relying on God not trusting Him completely - as opposed to Abraham. Therefore, Abraham converted many people to the faith, and Lot was not able to convince even his sons-in-law, the inhabitants of Sodom. Lot's wife, turned into a pillar of salt, when, on the way to salvation, she, against the ban, looked back at the dying city - i.e. her heart remained with its fallen inhabitants; symbolically, this means that if you want to save your soul, you cannot “look back” at sins, the evil that you are trying to save yourself from, get rid of, otherwise it will “drag” you back.

(John Martin. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah)

(Pillar "Lot's wife" on Mount Sodom)

By the way, Sodom and Gomorrah were part of the "Pentapolis", which also included the cities of Adma, Seboim and Sigor; all of them were destroyed, except for Sigor - the "small city", i.e. not so steeped in evil and vice. On the site of the valley of Siddim, where the destroyed cities were located, the Dead Sea was formed.

Sacrifice of Isaac

This is probably the most famous story associated with Abraham, and one of the most famous of the Old Testament. And one of the most controversial, complex, incomprehensible. Based on what I read, I will try to formulate its religious reading:

Isaac was born by the will of God , as a result miracle (from old parents, from a barren mother, contrary to all biological laws), and as a son belongs not so much to his father Abraham as to God; his birth and fate contradict physical and historical laws, are outside them - as well as the fate of his son Jacob (who received the name Israel), and in general the people of Israel, the "chosen people" (more broadly - all those who believe in the true God). Accordingly, Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his own son to God is, in a way, "to give God's God", for the very existence of Isaac in the world is a miracle of God, the work of God.

Despite this, Isaac is the most beloved son and, in general, probably the most beloved being for Abraham; to obey God in such a situation, and to stab his son with his own hands - this requires complete self-denial , renunciation of all their attachments, except for God himself.

On the part of Abraham, this is also the greatest feat of faith, complete hope on God; his words "The Lord Himself will provide for himself a lamb" (here, by the way, is another bridge to the New Testament, to the "Lamb of God" - Christ) - evidence of his faith that even when the human mind does not see any possibility of a miracle, no way out, and the case seems unequivocally hopeless, God will arrange everything according to His will; you just have to rely on it completely.

Why did Abraham have grounds for believing that God in some way known to Him alone would arrange everything that would create some kind of miracle? Because more than once God predicted to Abraham a numerous offspring, and this offspring was to come through Isaac, a miraculously conceived and born son; all the promises of God to Abraham came true - he followed the call all his life and always received help. Accordingly, Isaac could not simply die now... God's will in commanding him to be sacrificed was incomprehensible like never before, and its execution required a huge feat faith, the will to believe.

“Each of us would turn to God, to the sound of a voice, and say: Yes, have mercy, Lord, You contradict Yourself! You Yourself promised me that this boy would be the beginning of a whole countless tribe! .. Abraham believed God more than he could believe the words he heard, more than he could believe himself.He took Isaac, went up the mountain, and by this he showed not only that he was able to believe, that is, to be completely sure that God was talking to him, he showed that grew into such a measure of fellowship, intimacy with God that he could believe Him without a trace , trust Him even against all logic, against all evidence ." (Antony Surozhsky. Lessons of the Old Testament)

Joseph Brodsky has a very interesting poem "Abraham and Isaac"; no less interesting to read about its creation (from the biographical book about Brodsky); quote from there: “in the interpretation of the British literary critic Valentina Polukhina, Brodsky appears as a writer more Christian than Kierkegaard: “In his poem, in an effort to unravel the meaning of the story of Abraham, Brodsky changes the perspective of perception. The center of the narrative is not the father, but the son. Just as Abraham trusts God Isaac trusts his father After reading the poem, we begin to conclude that perhaps the answer to God's dark riddle has always been on the surface. God demanded from Abraham only the same as from Himself: to sacrifice his own son to faith »".

(Reitern E. Abraham sacrifices Isaac)

The topic of the meaning of the concept of sacrifice in the Bible, as well as the meaning of this event for Abraham and Isaac, is deeply disclosed in this chapter by Shchedrovitsky:

“Yes, Isaac experienced death; but he experienced not really and not literally, but spiritually. He experienced the horror of death and immediately after that, the greatest joy of returning to life. future mystery of Golgotha .

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw: and behold, behind him was a ram, entangled in the thicket with its horns. Abraham went and took a ram and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. This ram was also a type of the Messiah, "replacing" with his sacrifice the descendants of Abraham, who would otherwise be threatened with spiritual death. Aries was “entangled in the thicket”, for at the same time it was a symbol of all those who, wandering along earthly paths, see no way out of the thicket of sins, delusions and suffering, and nevertheless are able at a decisive moment to bring their life to the altar of God, to die for sanctification His name. Such were the many martyrs who sanctified their lives with death for the glory of the name of God. For once upon a time the moment came for them when they had to make the main decision: to die in the sanctification of the name of God or to renounce God. And these people, whatever their life before, chose the path of holy death and spiritual resurrection. And therefore, the ram, entangled in the thicket with its horns and lying down on the altar of God instead of Isaac, points to Christ, and at the same time to the martyrs of future times.

Also: " Aries prefigures Christ , freed from the chains of Isaac - redeemed mankind . The tree symbolizes the Cross, the place of sacrifice is compared with Jerusalem. Isaac going to the sacrifice is also a type of Christ and his suffering. St. Irenaeus of Lyons compares Abraham, who is ready to sacrifice his son, with God the Father, who sends Christ for the redemption of mankind."

And further: "The test was passed. Why was it needed, because the Omniscient God knew for sure that Abraham would pass it? Yes, He knew - but Abraham did not know this yet. So, he needed both this experience and this victory. And why is he needed us, or why did the ancient Jews or even their neighbors need it?The story of Abraham and Isaac explained why the Israelites categorically refused to human casualties . It's not that they were too pampered or didn't hold their God high enough to give him the lives of their loved ones. No, Abraham was ready to go for it, but God Himself rejected the unnecessary sacrifice of an innocent child.

And there are many other facets to this story. For example, she tells us that the path of faith is full of paradoxes, and cruel paradoxes if you approach them with earthly standards. You get everything that is promised to you, and much more, but not at all in such an easy and convenient way as you would like, and as you could do - precisely because God needs you not just as you are now, but the best, strongest, most faithful and most beautiful, what you can become. "(A. Desnitsky)

More about Abraham and the meaning of his story:
From Lopukhin's "Explanatory Bible": azbyka.ru/otechnik/Biblia/tolkovaja_bibl ija_01/22
Andrey Desnitsky. Calling Abraham, Sacrifice of Isaac
Excellent and detailed biography with illustrations and maps, some of which I borrowed from this post: www.hram-troicy.prihod.ru/zhitie_svjatyk h_razdel/view/id/1172743
Anthony Surozhsky in the conversation "Lessons of the Old Testament": azbyka.ru/otechnik/Antonij_Surozhskij/o-s lyshanii-i-delanii/2_2

Mount Moriah - Temple Mount in Jerusalem

Where did the sacrifice of Isaac take place? "On Mount Moriah," God pointed out to Abraham. Subsequently, almost a thousand years later, it was on this site that King Solomon built the Temple of Jerusalem, which existed from 950 BC. before 586 BC; The Second Temple was built in its place in 516 BC. and destroyed in 20 AD, but I have yet to read about all this, so I will not delve into the question for now.

This place, known since then as the Temple Mount, is also notable for the fact that, according to Jewish tradition, it was from it that the creation of the world began - namely, from a section of a rock called the Foundation Stone, the cornerstone of the universe.

And at the end of the 7th century, a Muslim sanctuary was erected on this very place, called the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque - the third of the most important Muslim shrines; the fact is that it was from here that the prophet Muhammad was ascended to heaven (this event is called a miraj; it was preceded by a wonderful journey from Mecca to Jerusalem in the company of the archangel Gabriel - Isra). In the XII century, my favorite Templars marked themselves there, setting up their headquarters precisely in the buildings of the Dome of the Rock, which temporarily passed into their hands (it is understandable, the Templars are the knights of the Order of the Temple of Solomon; although the Dome of the Rock was not actually the very Temple of Solomon, such he was considered by contemporaries-Europeans).

(The Temple Mount today. On the site of the Jewish Temple now is the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock complex)

Abraham and Isaac vs Ibrahim and Ismail

In Muslim tradition, Abraham is called Ibrahim, and his sons Isaac and Ishmael - Ishak and Ismail (cf. Hebrew pronunciation: Yitzhak and Ishmael). The Koran also tells the stories of their birth: Isaac - from Sarah, Ismail - from her maid Hajar (Hagar). The story of Sarah's jealousy and the expulsion of Ismail and his mother is also repeated, only it is said that Abraham-Ibrahim himself accompanied them, and not to Beersheba (Beersheba) in Palestine, as in the Bible, but to Arabia itself (according to the Bible, she went there after), and there he left them alone in the desert. Then the story repeats with despair and prayer of Hagar-Hajar and her son, and giving them the sacred source of water - Zamzam. In addition, Ibrahim built the sanctuary of the Kaaba with his son Ismail; the pilgrimage ritual of the Hajj is also associated with them, following the main events of their lives.

The Qur'an does not explicitly state the name of the son whom Ibrahim was about to sacrifice; but the prevailing opinion is that it was not Isaac-Ishak, but precisely Ismail, from whom many Arab tribes originated.

(Mural in the Haft Tanan (Seven Graves) Museum in Shiraz)

O tempora, o mores, or "the East is a delicate matter"?

In the history of Abraham and his family and descendants, there are many details that directly shock readers, especially modern ones; in this case, I do not mean situations that have a symbolic and conceptual meaning (for example, the manifestation of absolute faith and trust in God in the actions of Abraham, especially in his willingness to sacrifice his son), but the details of his personal life. Some can be explained by the customs of culture and the era, some are puzzling: after all, it seems to be about " good people"chosen by God to carry out his will, the righteous or their loved ones. Some examples of the "stormy personal life" of biblical heroes:

• consanguineous marriages: Abraham is married to his half-sister; he marries his son to his own niece... (but this is the cultural norm of the time and place)(besides, in the future, the "chosen people" had to keep the purity of the faith and choose spouses from their midst, and not pagans)
• the husband, in addition to his wife (or wives), also has concubines (Abraham has Hagar and Keturah, although the first became a concubine at the insistence of her wife herself, and the second after the death of Sarah; also a cultural norm)
• twice Abram passes off his wife as his sister to save your life and well-being in a foreign land (but every time God prevents an encroachment on her honor and the story ends happily; besides, it contributes to the conversion of the ruler who wished to take Sarah into the harem)(this is usually explained, again, by Abram's hope in God - that he will not allow Sarah to be dishonored ... but rather, this is an example not of faith, but of cowardice)
• twice a woman with a child is actually put out the door (Hagar; the first time she escapes from the oppression of her mistress Sarah, the second time she is officially expelled)(however, God also turns this for good, and a whole nation comes from Hagar; so this can be considered an act of Providence, although Sarah does not justify, she shows banal jealousy and cruelty)
• Lot, protecting his guests (angels) from the encroachments of the depraved inhabitants of Sodom, offers in return for his daughters -virgins, who, moreover, had suitors (the logic of the East? Is a guest more precious than his own daughter?)(however, the daughters subsequently also manifest themselves in a dubious way: having escaped from Sodom and hiding in a cave, having drunk their father, they conceive children from him, from whom the tribes of Moabites and Ammonites descend - pagan peoples hostile to Israel)
• assisted by his mother Rebekah, Jacob by deceit receives from his father, Isaac, the birthright blessing (even though it rightfully belonged to his brother Esau)(again, everything turns out for the best)
• in order to marry the chosen one, Jacob is forced to work for her for seven years with her father, who eventually replaces the bride and hands over his second, ugly daughter; Jacob marries her, but remains to work for another seven years to get his beloved, who is already becoming a second wife; as a result, he gets two more concubines as a bonus; from all these women he has children (however, "purchase" of brides, as well as polygamy and the presence of concubines, It's also a sign of the times

So. Even if we explain and justify certain actions of the heroes of the Old Testament by the norms, priorities and customs of their time and culture, which are very different from those of our time (as well as those that were introduced already during the New Testament - that is, they still had to grow up), we still encounter many manifestations ordinary human weaknesses and vices: envy and jealousy, anger and vindictiveness, cunning and deceit... You might even get the impression that "in the name of God all means are good" - after all, God continues to lead all these people along His path, despite the fact that they do not always show in all virtue and holiness.

But : I don’t remember when and where I first read this thought, but then it impressed me very much, and it still impresses me: the narrative of the Old Testament is very honest story. No embellishments, as is. The path of the people of Israel was not a smooth path, those who walked along it constantly stumbled, fell, turned off the path, betrayed their Covenant, and again returned and climbed further; the main thing is that one way or another they reached the New Testament. Among them were ordinary and extraordinary people, and the most famous of them were just people, and the weakness and meanness that all people sometimes commit, the children of Adam, the writers of the books of the Old Testament did not close their eyes, they simply kept these details of the story. "A person is called righteous not because he is sinless, but because in the process of a long Divine upbringing of him life path becomes an example."

To be continued This entry was originally posted at

ABRAAM AND SARAH

Many generations after Shem, Abram was born in Ur of the Chaldees. His wife Sarah was beautiful but childless. And God said to Abram:

Go out of your land and from your father's house to a land that I will show. I will make a great nation from you, and in you all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.

Abram took his wife, his nephew Lot, and set off from Haran in Mesopotamia to the land of Canaan. They came to Shechem to the oak forest Mor E and God appeared there to Abram.

I will give all this land to your offspring, - said God.

And Abram built an altar to God.

From there Abram moved to the mountain east of Bethel and set up an altar between Bethel and Ai.

Famine was everywhere in the land of Canaan, Abram continued to move south until he came to Egypt.

And Abram said to Sarah:

When the Egyptians see your beauty, they will kill me. Say that you are not my wife, but my sister, and I will be saved.

In fact, at the sight of Sarah, the nobles ran to praise her to the pharaoh, and Sarah was immediately taken to his house.

Abram was well: he had small and large cattle, and donkeys, and slaves, and horses, and camels.

But things have gone wrong in Pharaoh's house since Sarah was taken there. Over time, the pharaoh guessed that Sarah was not a sister, but the wife of Abram.

Why didn't you tell me about it? - Pharaoh asked Abram. I almost made her my wife.

I thought that in your places they are not afraid of God and they will kill me because of her, ”Abram answered.

Take it and leave, - ordered the pharaoh.

ABRAM AND LOT

Abram went up from Egypt to the place where he had previously set up an altar to God, between Bethel and Ai. Lot was with him with his tents and flocks. The property of both was so great that the land seemed small to them. The shepherds of Abram and the shepherds of Lot quarreled among themselves.

And Abram said to Lot:

Aren't we related?! Why strife? Go right and I go left, or go left and I go right. Is not the whole earth before us?

Lot raised his eyes, saw the land, watered with water, like God's garden, and went to the east.

He pitched his tents to Sodom, though the people of Sodom were evil. Abram remained in the land of Canaan.

Again, God promised Abram the land of Canaan.

Your offspring will be as numerous as the sand of the earth. Get up, walk on this earth in all its breadth - all will be yours, - God said.

PROMISE OF OFFERING

After these events, Abram fell asleep, and God appeared to him in a dream.

I am your shield, Abram, - said the Lord, - and your reward is great.

I have no children, Abram complained. - Heir in my house Eliezer from Damascus.

You will have as many descendants as there are stars in the sky. And I give you all this land, - God said.

SARAH AND HAGAR

But Avramov's wife Sarah remained childless. She had an Egyptian maid named Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram:

If it is not given to me to have children, let Hagar bear you a son.

As soon as Hagar became pregnant, she began to rise above her mistress.

It's all your fault," Sarah said to Abram.

Your servant, and do with her what you please, - answered Abram.

And Sarah began to oppress Hagar. She was so tormented that the maid ran away.

An angel found her in the desert at the source and ordered her to return to Sarah, to submit to her.

And the angel said:

A son will be born to you, name him Ishmael.

Hagar bore a son to Abram, and they named him Ishmael. Abram was then eighty-six years old.

A NEW PROMISE OF OFFERING

Abram was ninety-nine years old when God appeared to him again and said:

I will make you the father of many nations, kings will come from you. And you will no longer be called Abram, but Abraham will be your name. And call your wife no more Sarah, for her name is now Sarah. I will bless her and in a year at this very time I will give you a son from her, whom you will call Isaac.

Abraham prostrated himself and laughed:

Is it possible that a hundred-year-old will have a son and a ninety-year-old Sarah will she really give birth? May Ishmael be alive and well.

Ishmael is destined to have a large offspring. Twelve princes will be in his family, - said God. “But Sarah will bear you a son.

GUESTS

In the hot part of the day, Abraham was sitting by his tent, and suddenly he saw three men in front of him. Abraham rushed to them and bowed to the ground.

Lord! Abraham said, because all three were one God. - If I have found a blessing in your eyes, do not pass by your servant's house!

Abraham hurried to Sarah, ordered her to take the best flour and bake unleavened bread. And he himself ran to the herd and chose a calf for a treat.

Abram went to Hebron and set up an altar there to God.

Soon there was a war in those places, and Lot and his family were captured. As soon as Abram learned about this, he armed his slaves in number of three hundred and eighteen and attacked the enemy at night. So Abram returned Lot, his kinsman, and preserved his property.

Soon he took butter, milk and a cooked calf, set it before the guests, and he himself stood by the tree when they ate.

Where is Sarah your wife? they asked him.

Here, in the tent, Abraham answered.

When I come here next time, your Sarah will have a son,” one of them said.

Sarah laughed: “Shall I, an old woman, have a child?”

Why is your Sarah laughing? God asked. - As I said, so be it.

Sarah was frightened and said from the tent:

I didn't laugh.

No, I laughed, - God said.

INTERCEPTION OF ABRAHAM

The men got up and went to Sodom. Abraham went to see them off.

People complain a lot about the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah, God said. - I'll go and see if they act as they say. And if so, then I will destroy them.

As the two continued on their way to Sodom, Abraham stood before God and asked him:

Will you destroy the righteous along with the wicked? Maybe fifty righteous people are found in that city. If you are the judge of all the earth, how can you destroy the innocent?

And God said to Abraham:

If there are fifty righteous in Sodom, I will spare the whole city.

Forgive me for saying this, I myself am dust and ashes, Abraham insisted. - And if five is not enough to fifty?

And for the sake of forty-five I will not touch anyone.

Well, what if there will be forty righteous people? Abraham continued.

And for the sake of forty the city will remain intact.

Do not be angry, Vladyka, at my words, but what if there will be thirty of them?

I won't do it even if there are thirty of them.

Do you regret twenty? Abraham asked.

I'm sorry, God replied.

Do not be angry, Vladyka, let me tell you,” Abraham said quietly. - And if there are only ten of them?

And God answered him:

I will not destroy even for the sake of ten.

God did not speak to Abraham anymore.

There were not even ten righteous people in Sodom.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH

The angels came to Sodom at the evening hour, when Lot was sitting at the city gates. Lot saw them, stood up and bowed:

Come into my house!

No, we will stay on the street, - answered the angels.

Lot begged for a long time, and they finally agreed to enter and accept the refreshment.

Before they went to bed, all the Sodomites, both young and old, surrounded Lot's house.

Lot, get out! they shouted.

Lot came out, and the Sodomites began to demand that his guests also come out.

We want to see them! people shouted.

Lot closed the entrance to his house and addressed the crowd:

My brothers, do no harm! Do not touch these people, because they came under the roof of my house.

You yourself are an alien, it's not for you to argue! the crowd shouted. “You can’t save them and you yourself will suffer.”

They dragged Lot aside and rushed to break the door.

Then the doors of the house opened and the angels appeared. They took Lot by the hands, led him into the house, and the people who were at the threshold suddenly became blind.

Take all of your people and leave, the angels said to Lot. We've been sent here to destroy the city.

Lot went to the husbands of his daughters, began to say that the city would be destroyed, but they did not believe - they thought he was joking. Lot begged them for a long time, but in vain.

When the dawn broke, the angels began to hurry Lot, but he still hesitated. Then the angels took Lot, his wife and his two unmarried daughters by the hands and led them out of the city.

Go to the mountain and do not look back at Sodom, otherwise you will perish, the angels told them.

The sun rose, and brimstone and fire rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah. Houses disappeared from the face of the earth, and the people of those cities, and everything that grows from the earth.

The destruction of Sodom and the salvation of Lot

Lot's wife, walking behind, could not stand it and looked around and immediately turned into a pillar of salt.

Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had spoken with God the day before. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke, as if from a furnace.

THE BIRTH OF ISAAC

What God said was fulfilled. Sarah bore Abraham a son, and they named him Isaac.

Sarah grumbled:

Anyone who hears about me will laugh. An old woman is breastfeeding a baby!

When the child was weaned, Abraham called a great feast. And Sarah saw that Ishmael, the son of the Egyptian Hagar, was mocking Isaac.

Drive this slave girl out of the house with her son, she said to Abraham. - It will not happen that he inherits with Isaac.

AGAR

Abraham did not want to drive out his firstborn, but God told him to obey Sarah.

Abraham got up early in the morning, took bread and water, put everything on the shoulders of Hagar and sent her away with the lad.

Hagar soon got lost in the wilderness. She wandered, wandered, until the water ran out.

She left her son under a dry bush, and she herself stepped aside so as not to see how he would die.

Hagar wept for a long time until an angel appeared and said:

Open your eyes! There is a well in front of you!

They began to live in the desert. Ishmael grew up and learned to shoot a bow well. His mother later found a wife for him in the land of Egypt.

Everything that was said about Ishmael was fulfilled. He had twelve sons who became the heads of the tribes.

SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM

God said to Abraham:

Take your son Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering on the mountain, which I will let you know about.

Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled a donkey, took two slaves, his son Isaac, firewood for a burnt offering, and went where God commanded.

On the third day they came to that place. And Abraham said to his servants:

You wait here, and my son and I will be back shortly.

Abraham laid firewood on his son, took fire and a knife in his hands, and they went together.

And Isaac asks:

Here is the fire, here is the wood, where is the lamb?

God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering, Abraham answered.

They came, Abraham laid out the firewood, tied his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the firewood. Abraham took a knife and wanted to stab his son, but at that time the voice of an angel was heard:

Abraham! Abraham!

Here I am,” said Abraham.

Don't raise your hand to the boy. Now I know that you do not feel sorry for your son for God.

Abraham raised his eyes and saw a ram, whose horns were tangled in a thicket. Abraham took a ram and sacrificed it instead of his son. Again a voice came from the sky:

For your obedience, Abraham, you will have many descendants - like stars in the sky, like sand on the seashore.

SARAH'S DEATH

Sarah died at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven. She died in the land of Canaan, where Abraham was a stranger. To bury her, Abraham bought a field and a cave for burial in that field. And the field became Abraham's possession.

Burial of Sarah

THE MARRIAGE OF ISAAC

Abraham became a star, and the weight of his years was palpable to him. He called the servant who was in charge of everything in the house and said:

Swear that you will not marry my son from the locals, but you will go to my homeland, to Mesopotamia, and there you will choose a wife for him.

And if the girl does not want to come here, do I need to return Isaac to your homeland? - asked the slave.

No, Abraham replied. - God bequeathed this land to my offspring. If the girl resists, you will be free from this oath.

The slave swore, took ten camels, all kinds of jewelry for gifts and set off. He came to the city of Harran in Mesopotamia in the evening and stood at the well at the time when the women went out to draw water.

“Here I am standing at the source,” the slave thought, “and women with jugs are walking past. Is there a bride of Isaac among them and how to recognize her? I’ll ask you to get drunk, and the one who says: drink yourself and give your camels to drink, that will be the bride.

Before he had time to think these words to the end, Rebekah, the daughter of Abraham's nephew, came out, beautiful and young. She took water, and the slave ran out to meet her.

Let me drink from your pitcher.

Drink, sir, - said Rebekah and tilted the jug.

The slave got drunk, and she says:

I will also draw water for your camels, let them drink.

And then she began to fetch water for the camels.

The astonished slave watched her in silence, and when the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a golden earring and gold wrists.

Whose daughter are you? - he asked. - And is there a place to sleep in your house?

Rebekah told him whose daughter she was and that they had somewhere in the house to sleep and feed the camels.

The slave was surprised that he had reached the house of his master's brother by a direct route.

Rebekah ran into the house, told everything, showed her earring and wrists, and immediately her brother Laban went to meet the guest. He unsaddled the camels, gave them food, brought water for the guest to wash, and meanwhile they prepared supper.

I will not eat until I tell you why I came, - said the guest.

And he told about Abraham, about what he thought at the well.

Now tell me, do you intend to show favor to my master, or should I leave with nothing? - asked the guest.

This is the work of God, - the brother and father of Rebekah answered him. - Here is Rebekah, take her and go.

The guest bowed to them to the ground, took out gold and silver things, as well as clothes, and generously bestowed them on everyone.

Then everyone ate and drank, and in the morning the guest began to get ready for the journey.

Let Rebekah stay with us for a dozen days, - said her mother.

But the guest did not want to stay. Then Laban brought Rebekah, and they asked her:

Will you go with this person?

I'll go, said Rebekah.

She received her father's blessing, took her maid, all sat on camels and set off.

In the evening, Isaac went out into the field, looked up and saw a small caravan.

Rebekah and the slave

And Rebekah saw Isaac. She quickly got down from the camel.

Who is it? Rebekah asked the servant.

My lord, said the slave.

Rebekah took a handkerchief and covered herself.

The servant told Isaac all that he had done, and Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. So Rebekah became the wife of Isaac.

ABRAHAM

Abraham took a second wife, named Keturah, and had many more children with her. But everything he had, he gave to Isaac. Abraham lived one hundred and seventy-five years and was buried next to Sarah, his wife.