Date of composition

• First or second century AD
• Jewish authorship with possible later Christian editing.

Type of book

• Apocrypha

Length

• Various copies of differing lengths exist. The most complete copy is 21 double-spaced pages with 32 chapters.

Summary

• The book is divided into two main sections:
1. Chapters 1-8: Describes Abraham's conversion from paganism to belief in the one God. Terah, Abraham's father, made idols, and Abraham helped with his father's business. But he began questioning idol worship after several stone idols broke accidentally, causing him to question the reliability of idols. He began to wonder if fire, water, and celestial bodies were superior over idols. He concluded that God must exist since something was superior to fire, water, and heavenly bodies. A voice from heaven told him to leave his father's house, and fire came down from heaven and burned it.
2. Chapters 9-32: Abraham makes many journeys, including a visit to heaven. While there, God explains mysteries to Abraham. Abraham learns that his people will receive punishment. God explains that it is because of their continued idolatry. Abraham returned to earth where God gave a last instruction on the punishment and rewarding to come.
• Interestingly, chapter 29 describes Christ, indication it was probably added by a later Christian or perhaps Jewish Christian scribe. It reads in part, "And He answered and said: 'Hear, Abraham! The man whom you saw insulted and beaten and again worshipped—that is the relief (granted) by the heathen to the people who proceed from thee, in the last days, in this twelfth hour of the Age of ungodliness. But in the twelfth year of my final Age, I will set up this man from thy generation, whom you saw (issue)from my people; this one all will follow, and such as are called by me (will) join, (even) those who change in their counsels. And those whom you saw emerge from the left side of the picture—the meaning is: There shall be many from the heathen who set their hopes upon him; and as for those whom you saw from the seed on the right side, some insulting and striking, others worshipping him—many of them shall be offended at him. He, however, is testing those who have worshipped him of your seed, in that twelfth hour of the End, with a view to shortening the Age of ungodliness." (https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/box.pdf).