Abraham and His Fathers Idols A Concordance of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees By: zicamcoldremedy Abstract This essay compares

and contrasts eight (8) source manuscripts treatments of the story of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees by breaking down this time of Abrahams life into six (6) plot points, and juxtaposing each texts coverage of the specific incidents with one another. The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize the reader with the various accounts of Abrahams preEgyptian life, thus creating within the reader an appreciation for Abrahams integrity and faith in standing up for his beliefs against the popular idolatry of his time. A third goal is to create an appreciation within the reader for history derived from texts which are concurrently contradictory and complimentary with one another. Introduction

I was recently reading an article on mediaite.com entitled Rolling Stone Desperately Tries (And Fails) To Get Bob Dylan To Profess Love For Obama, by Andrew Kirell, September 14, 2011. In the article, the author explains how in a Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan (Sep 14th issue), Dylan was repeatedly goaded into giving a pro-Obama statement, and repeatedly ignored the cajoling. Kirell provides context for this confrontation by explaining that Dylan has, throughout his career, been frustrated by peoples insistence that he adapt a political stance. He quotes Dylans description of himself refusing his left-wing counterculture-icon status as saying he was, like Abraham destroying his fathers idol shop, only it was my own idol shop. I had never heard of Abraham destroying his fathers idol shop before. This quotation interested me. In my attempt to find where this unreferenced quotation came from I decided to do a Google search, but found no additional references to the Dylan quote. What I did find, however, was different Wiki articles referencing the story of Abraham destroying his fathers idol shopa story which, as I said before, I had never heard. A few of the stories went on to say that not only did Abraham destroy the idols in his fathers shop, but that an attempt was made at taking his life for his non-belief in idols, from which attempt he was miraculously saved by the God whom he did believe inand who, unlike the idols of wood and stone, had power to save Abrahams life.

Now, the second part of this story, of Abraham being killed for his righteousness, only to be saved by Jehovah, was a story I had heard before; it is the theme of a story in The Book of Abraham, which can be found in the Latter-day Saints scripture The Pearl of Great Price. The differences and similarities between these Wiki articles I was reading on the internet, and the account I was familiar with in the Book of Abraham, led me to create a concordance of all the source materials which give us different accounts of Abrahams life in the Ur of Chaldees. For my purposes, I have taken the story of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees and condensed it down into six (6) main plot points. The plot points I chose were based off of themes and ideas I noticed, and was interested in, amongst the various sources. There are plot points I could have added, which for the sake of brevity, I did not, and some I have included which another compiling a similar list might choose to leave out. The six (6) plot points of Abrahams life in the Ur of Chaldees, which I have chosen to highlight, are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Abraham pushes against his Fathers idolatry Abraham destroys his Fathers idols Abraham is to be killed for his righteousness, and is saved by God Abrahams Brother, Haran, is killed Abraham leaves the Ur of Chaldees Abrahams father, Terah, remains in Haran

In my search for the sources of these Wiki articles, I came across nine (9) different texts which teach about the history of Abraham. There could be moreif so, I am not aware of them. One of the sources I came across, the Genesis Apocryphon, does not include any of the six (6) plot points which I have outlined above. I kept it in my list of sources, however, because it does have unique, extra-biblical insights concerning Abraham in Egypt, which corroborate with other sources included in the list. Also, it has been retained in my list of sources in an attempt to highlight the idea that many of these source materials are incomplete, and that an accurate account of Abrahams life does not necessitate a complete account of Abrahams life. An excellent example of this idea was presented to me in the paper in which I first learned of the Genesis Apocryphon, a doctoral thesis by Rabbi Nissim Wernick entitled, A Critical Analysis of the Book of Abraham In Light of Extra-Canonical Jewish Writings, August 1968, BYU. The article quotes the finding of the Genesis Apocryphon among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Rabbi Wernick quotes the editorial comments from the publishing of the Genesis Apocryphon. He says: On the left-hand side of column XXII we can still see the seam of the next shoes which was torn out of the scroll before it was rolled up at the time it was hidden away. We conclude from this that the mission sheet contained the continuation of the story of Abram is given in Genesis XII through XVII(154). [Avigod, A Genesis Apocryphon, p.22-23]. An inclusion of

the Genesis Apocryphon in my list of sources also reminds the reader that it is possible that, at some point in the future, additional manuscripts will be found which will add to our understanding of Abrahams life in the Ur of Chaldees. The remaining eight (8) sources from which I draw from come from various places. The Bible (specifically the Old Testament) and Quran are familiar to all, and are the respective Holy Books of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The Book of Abraham, as previously mentioned, is a book of scripture had by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Jubilees is a book considered pseudepigraphical by some religions and is canonized by others. The Apocalypse of Abraham is also pseudepigraphical, and of Jewish origin. The Book of Jasher is a Hebrew Midrash. Genesis Rabbah is also expository. The Glory of Kings (or Kebra Nagast) is a sacred work of Ethiopian Christians and Rastafarians. Not one of the six (6) plot points which I have identified appears in each sources respected version of the Abraham story, while only one sources version of the Abraham story includes every plot point, and not every source agrees with one another. I believe that despite, and perhaps even because of, all the differences among the source materials, that by looking at all the sources as a whole, one can find similar themes for their elucidation and enlightenment. As a quick reference, and a visual tool to highlight exactly which source contains which plot point, I have made the following table below.
The Book of Abraham Abraham Fights Idolatry Destroys Idols Attempted to be killed, saved by God Haran Dies Leave for Canaan Father Remains in Haran Overview: Concordance of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees The Book The The The The Genesis The of Book of Apocalypse Quran Glory Rabbah Bible Jubilees Jasher of Abraham of Kings X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Genesis Apocryphon

Simply by looking at the above chart you will notice the difference coverage between each source material. It will also be seen that, even though according to the above chart, five sources cover the death of Haran, Abrahams brother, they do not all agree on the manner or location of

death. This essay does as much to point out the similarities between texts as it does the differences between the source material, and does not attempt to draw an ultimate conclusion from any of the material presented. Using excerpts from the source materials, we will now look at each plot point in the story of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees, seeing how each account differs and compliments the others. This is the story of Abraham fighting against the idolatry of his father. It is the story of a prophet being attacked for his belief in God, and Gods protection of his prophet. It is, to the student of the Bible and other scriptures, a familiar story. 1. Abraham pushes against his Fathers idolatry The first plot point in the story of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees is that he, as have all good prophets throughout history, fought against the idolatry of his time. The first instance of this which I would like to present comes from The Book of Abraham. The Book of Abraham, as mentioned before, is scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a translation of ancient records by Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet. Being a member of this Latter-day Saint church myself, it is the story with which I am most familiar. The translated records are the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, written by his own hand on papyrus scrolls, which scrolls were brought to Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois in 18XX by XX. In the Book of Abraham, Abraham sets the scene by explaining that his fathers had turned from their righteousness, and from the holy commandments which the Lord their God had given them, and turned unto the worshiping of the gods of the heathen. In contrast he explains that he himself was a follower of righteousness, and sought for [his] appointment unto the Priesthood. It appears that he attempted to encourage his fathers to leave their idolatry, and follow God in righteousness, as he says twice that his fathers utterly refused to hearken to my voice, concerning their idol worship. [Book of Abraham 1:2-5] While the Book of Abraham mentions that Abrahams fathers (plural) turned from worshiping the true God to idols, it can be seen that his father was included among those worshiping idols as it says later in chapter 2, verse 5, that after a brief moment of worshiping the true God, Abrahams father, turned again unto his idolatry. This will be an important note, as it relates the Book of Abraham to all the other sources. This tension between Abrahams desire for his father(s) to worship the true God, and their resistance, and desire to worship idols, is well established in seven (7) of the nine (9) source materials. In fact, it is the one plot point which, I feel, has the most unanimous backing from all the source materials. In The Book of Jubilees an example of this tension can be seen when, in the middle of a conversation regarding his fathers idols, Abraham asks, Why do ye worship things that have no spirit in them? For they are the work of (mens) hands. Concerning idols, Abraham urges his father to Worship them not. [Jubilees xii:1-14]

In our other pseudepigraphical work, the Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham asks himself, "how then can my fathers god Marumath, which has the head of another stone and which is made from another stone, save a man, or heart a mans prayer, or give him any gift?" [Apocalypse of Abraham 3:8] Similar to The Book of Jubilees, the Apocalypse of Abraham also recounts a conversation directly between Abraham and his Father, Terah. In it, Abraham says, "Listen, father Terah! The gods are blessing in you, because you are a god for them, because you made them, for their blessing is their perdition and their power is vain. They did not help themselves; how then can they help you or bless me? [Apocalypse 4:3-5] He continues by later saying to his father, Listen, Terah my father, I shall seek before you the God who created all the gods supposed by us (to exist). For who is it, or which one is it who made the heavens crimson and the sun golden, who has given light to the moon and the stars with it, who has dried the earth in the midst of the many waters, who set you yourself among the things and who has sought me out in the perplexity of my thoughts? [Apocalypse 7:10-11] The Muslim holy book, the Quran attributes to Abraham sound judgment, when it recounts that he asked his father and his people, What are these statues to which you are devoted? When, to Abrahams question, the people reply, We found our fathers worshippers of them, Abraham says, You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error. It will be noted that the Quran and the Book of Abraham both attribute idol worship to the fathers, thus highlighting the depth and tradition behind the Chaldeans idol worship. [Quran 21:51-53] In the Kebra Nagast, concerning Abraham, it explains that when Abraham was twelve years old his father Terah sent him to sell idols. And Abraham said, These are not gods that can make deliverance; and he took away the idols to sell even as his father had commanded him. In this telling of the story, however, Abraham doesnt directly confront Terah concerning his idolatry, but to those whom he his selling his idols, he says, Do ye wish to buy gods that cannot make deliverance, [things] made of wood, and stone, and iron, and brass, which the hand of an artificer hath made?" This difference is a good example of the other types of differences which exist between manuscript accounts. The similarity between Abrahams rebuke of his father, and rebuke of the idol buyers, should be noted for its thematic continuity, and appreciated for the true principle it teaches. In Genesis Rabbah 38, this tension between Abraham and his Father and his Fathers idols is, again, less explicit than in other sources. In this telling of the story, Terah simply understands his sons words and actions towards his idols as a piece of mockery. The Book of Jasher is as explicit as The Book of Abraham in affirming Abrahams righteousness when it says: And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him. It explains that Terah followed strange gods, and explains Abrahams distaste with his fathers idols, when, upon seeing them, he says to himself, As the Lord liveth these images shall not remain in my father's house; [Jasher 11:14-17]

Abrahams disdain for his fathers idol worship is further seen in The Book of Jasher as Abraham says, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat, smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made them and that trust in them. [Jasher 11: 32] I will point out that one of the source materials most familiar to the public, the Bible, is one of the two sources which doesnt talk about Abrahams fighting against idolatry in the Ur of Chaldees. Also, as a way of narration, of those seven sources which we have just referenced, all of them except for the Genesis Rabbah mention Abrahams attempts to convince his father, and others, to leave their idolatry.

2. Abraham destroys his fathers idols Of the seven sources previously referenced which talk about Abrahams struggle with his fathers idolatry all of them except one, The Book of Abraham, continue in this story, and explain howto varying extents, and by various meansAbraham destroyed his fathers idols. In the Book of Jubilees, xii, 12 it says: And in the sixtieth year of the life of Abram, that is, in the fourth week, in the fourth year thereof, Abram arose by night, and burned the house of the idols, and he burned all that was in the house, and no man knew it. The Apocalypse of Abraham has the story of only one idol being burned, on whose forehead was written: god Barisat, and the destruction is far less intentional. In that story Abraham is cooking food for his Father, and the wooden idol of Barisat falls into the fire. Instead of trying to pull it out, Abraham lets it stay there. When the idol falls into the fire Abraham says he saw that he (Barisat) burned up slowly from the fire and became ashes. [Apocalypse 5:5-11] Later on, in the Apocalypse of Abraham, the destruction of the idols is more complete. The text explains that the Lord says to Abraham, Go out from Terah, your father, and go out of the house, that you too may not be slain in the sins of your fathers house. It goes on to explain that as Abraham left, even when he was not outside the entrance to the court, that the sound of a great thunder came and burned him [Terah] and his house and everything in his house, down to the ground, forty cubits. [Apocalypse 8:4-6] This is the only manuscript in which Terah is killed in the Ur of Chaldees, and the only manuscript in which God is the one who destroys the idols. Again, you will remember, that even though source materials might share a plot point, each story differs greatly from the next.

In all of the other accounts, Abraham breaks to pieces his fathers idols. The Quran says that Abraham said, And [I swear] by Allah , I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away. The text goes on to explain that Abraham made the idols into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question]. [Quran 21:57-58] In Genesis Rabbah 38 the same story is told. It is says Abraham took a stick and broke all the images except the largest one, in the hand of which he placed the stick which had worked this wholesale destruction. The Book of Jasher exclaims that Abrahams anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all his father's gods. And when he had done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the great god which was there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home, for he had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet; so Terah came into the house to know what this was about. [Jasher 12:33-34] In the Kebra Nagast, it says Abraham abused them [the stone and wooden idols] and heaped revilings upon them, and they spake never a word. And he buffeted the face of one, and kicked another with his feet, and a third he knocked over and broke to pieces with stones, and he said unto them, If ye are unable to deliver yourselves from him that buffeteth you, and ye cannot requite with injury him that injureth you, how can ye be called 'gods'? In this account Abraham goes on, and says to the idols, Those who worship you do so in vain, and as for myself I utterly despise you, and ye shall not be my gods." He then reaffirms his believe in the God of the Old Testament. The story of Abraham destroying the idols thematically follows from the first plot point: Abraham dislikes idolatry, so he destroys the idols. There is a long history in the Old Testament of various kings of Israel destroying the idols which his subjects formerly worshipped. It is also, as was done in the previous section, worth summarizing the differenece between the texts. In two (2) accounts, the idols are destroyed by fire: in one account Abraham starts the fire, and in another God sends down fire from heaven. The other four (4) accounts have Abraham breaking the idols with a stick or a hatchet, and in three of those accounts Abraham ends up breaking all of the idols but one, in whose hand he takes the tool of his destruction, and places it in the hand of that saved idol. This appears to be done as a teaching opportunity, with Abraham explaining that if an idol cannot destroy other idols, than what power do they have to do anything. This was the behavior of Abraham which, in the Genesis Rabbah account, made his father think he was mocking him. 3. Abraham is to be killed for his righteousness, and is saved by God Inasmuch as Abrahams fight against idolatry is a common theme in the Bible, so is the prophet of God, in the face of adversity, being persecuted for his beliefs. The plot point of Abrahams

attempted murder for his beliefs is found in four source texts. Three of the accounts recount Abraham being cast into fire, one sacrificed on an altar. The Quran begins the story with Abraham saying to the idol worshipers: Uff to you and to what you worship instead of Allah." The idolaters urge the king to act against Abrahams ill speaking of their idols, saying, "Burn him and support your gods - if you are to act." The Quran does not mention Abraham being thrown into the fire, but it does mention God saving Abraham from the fire. In regards to the fire that Abraham was supposedly thrown into, God says: O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham. The book goes on to say that the idolaters intended harm upon Abraham, and in the process were made the greatest losers. [Quran 21:67-70] The Genesis Rabbah 38 account precedes Abrahams attempted murder with a conversation between Abraham and the king, Nimrod. The conversation ends with Nimrod becoming weary of arguing with Abraham. He decides to cast him before his god--fire--and [challenge] Abraham's deliverance by the God of Abraham. It briefly explains that, God saved him [Abraham] out of the fiery furnace. In the Book of Jasher, we find, again, a slightly different, though similar, telling of Abrahams attempted murder. In this account, after it is discovered that Abraham has destroyed his fathers idols, he is thrown into prison. While in prison, it is discussed what should be done with him, and eventually the kings advisors say, having done all the things that he [Abraham] said, and having despised our gods, he must therefore be burned to death, for this is the law in this matter. If it pleaseth the king to do this, let him order his servants to kindle a fire both night and day in thy brick furnace, and then we will cast this man into it. The king agrees with this form of punishment, orders the fire to be built, and then orders Abraham, along with his brother Haran, to be taken from prison and burned. [Jasher 12:5-6] The Book of Jasher continues the story: And the king's servants took Abram and his brother, and they stripped them of all their clothes excepting their lower garments which were upon them. And they bound their hands and feet with linen cords, and the servants of the king lifted them up and cast them both into the furnace. And the Lord loved Abram and he had compassion over him, and the Lord came down and delivered Abram from the fire and he was not burned. But all the cords with which they bound him were burned, while Abram remained and walked about in the fire. [Jasher 12:22-25] The final reference to Abrahams attempted murder differs greatly from the first three, and comes from the Book of Abraham. In this account, Abraham tells us that the priests laid violence upon me, that they might slay me. He explains that he was to be slain on an altar, similar to three virgins who were offered up because of their virtue, who were killed because they, would not bow down to worship gods of wood or of stone. [Abraham 1:11-12] While, in the Book of Abraham account, it doesnt explicitly say that Abraham was attempted to be killed for his resistance to idolatry, it is worth noting that he was attempted to be killed in the same manner as others were killed due to their

resistance of idolatry. And, similar to other stories, in the Book of Abraham, Abraham is saved by divine providence. He explains that as the priests of the idols lifted up their hands upon me, that they might offer me up and take away my life, behold, I lifted up my voice unto the Lord my God.and the angel of his presence stood by me, and immediately unloosed my bands. [Abraham 1:15] As a small note, while Abrahams attempted murder is not explicitly stated in the Book of Jubilees, the text does have a moment in which Abraham asks the Lord, 'Shall I return unto Ur of the Chaldees who seek my face that I may return to them. It has been thought that this question could allude to the fact that the people in the Ur of Chaldees are looking for Abraham possibly because of his disagreement with the idolatry of the people. While it is easy to see the thematic similarities between this plot point in the story as it appears from each source material, it will be noted that of the seven sources which speak of Abrahams fight against his fathers idolatry, only four of them specifically mention Abrahams attempted murder amidst his refusal to worship idols, and Gods subsequent saving of himself. Two of those stories recount a conversation between Abraham and the king Nimrod. In one of the stories the attempt on Abrahams life is presented as a sacrifice to the very idols he fights against, and is done on an altar. 4. Abrahams brother, Haran, is killed The story of Abrahams brother being killed is the first plot point with a biblical reference. In the Bible, this plot point is presented in one brief verse, with no supporting context: Haran died in the presence of Terah his father, in his native land, in Ur Kasdim" [Genesis 11:29]. In The Book of Jubilees, xii, 13-14, Haran dies in the fire with which Abraham destroyed his fathers idols. That account says that as Haran hasted to save the idols in the midst of the fire, the fire flamed over him, and he was burnt in the fire, and he died in Ur of the Chaldees before Terah his father. Genesis Rabbah 38 also has Haran dying in a fire, but this fire was the same one created by Nimrod for Abrahams death. In this account, Haran, after seeing that Abraham was saved by God, and unhurt by the fire, and upon being demanded to say whether he would worship Abrahams God, or the idols, chose Abrahams God. But, since his faith was not real, but depended on a miracle, he perished in the fire. The Book of Abraham tells a story different from the other two accounts. In this source Haran dies in a famine. The text reads: Now the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother, died; but Terah, my father, yet lived [Abraham 1:2]. The backstory of a famine is prevalent in the The Book of Abraham, and is the motivation for Abraham leaving Ur to Haran. While none of the other accounts attribute Abrahams move to

Haran to the famine, the Bible, The Book of Jasher, and the Genesis Apocryphon, do contribute Abraham later moveleaving Canaan and going to Egyptto famine. The Book of Jasher, like Genesis Rabbah 38, says that Haran was thrown into the fire by Nimrod, along with Abraham, and that he was burned to ashes, for his heart was not perfect with the Lord. [Jasher 12:26] 5. Abraham leaves the Ur of Chaldees The further along we get in Abrahams story in the Ur of Chaldees, the less sources we have which include our plot points. It is worth noting that the first three sources we quote from all explain that Abraham left the Ur of Chaldees because Terah took him with him, giving a sense that Terah was the active agent in the exodus. Genesis 11:31 explains that, Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his sons son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abrahms wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran and dwelt there. The Book of Jubilees similarly explains that Terah went forth from Ur of the Chaldees, he and his sons, to go into the land of Lebanon and into the land of Canaan. [Jubilees, xii:15] The Book of Jasher says, And Terah took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and all the souls of his household and went with them from Ur Casdim to go to the land of Canaan. And when they came as far as the land of Haran they remained there, for it was exceedingly good land for pasture, and of sufficient extent for those who accompanied. [ Jasher 13:1] In contrast, the Book of Abraham does not say that Terah took Abraham, but that Abraham left, and his father followed him. The difference might be minute, but I think it is interesting inasmuch as it presents a different leader, or catalyst, in the travels. In The Book of Abraham, Abraham says: Therefore, I left the land of Ur, of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and I took Lot, my brothers son, and his wife, and Sarai my wife; and also my father followed after me, unto the land which we denominated Haran. [Abraham 2:4] The Book of Abraham account also spells out the fact that Abraham named Haran after his now deceased brother, whereas the other accounts dont explicitly make the connection. The Quran, less explicit than the other records, recounts that Abraham and Lot were delivered and directed to the land which We have blessed for the nations. It does not mention that they left to Haran, and does not mention whether or not Terah went with them. [Quran 21:71] 6. Terah remains in Haran It will be remembered that the Apocalypse of Abraham teaches that Terah died in his house, in the Ur of Chaldees, when God sent fire down to destroy it and all of the idols within. The Book of Jubilees, The Book of Jasher, The Book of Abraham, and Genesis, all teach that Abraham left

the Ur of Chaldees with Abraham. Genesis goes on to say that Terah died, at the age of two hundred and five years, in Haran. [Genesis 11:32] The Book of Abraham does not describe his death, but explains that, as the famine which killed Haran abated, and Abraham continued his journey, Terah turned again unto his idolatry, therefore he continued in Haran. [Abraham 2:5] The Book of Jubilees teaches that Abraham dwelt with Terah his father in Haran two weeks of years, and then, journeyed from Haran, taking with him, Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his brother Haran's son, to the land of Canaan. [Jubilees xii:15-16, xiii:1] This account seems to corroborate with the Book of Abraham. It slightly differs from the Book of Jasher, in which it is stated that Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, he, his wife, and all belonging to him, and all those that accompanied him, together with those that joined him from the people of the land; but Nahor, Abram's brother, and Terah his father, and Lot the son of Haran and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran. While they agree that Abraham was in Canaan and Terah in Haran, in this account Lot, unlike all the others, appears to be in Haran, too. [Jasher 13:10] Conclusion I would hope that this essay presents the similarities and differences between each account of Abrahams life in Ur of Chaldees fairly, and unbiased. I would hope the reader has learned new, interesting informationor possibilitiesabout the life of Abraham in the Ur of Chaldees, and gained greater respect for this mans faith and desire for righteousness. It will be remembered that every source differs from each other greatly, and that many of the stories also share similarities, both thematic and specific, with one another. I would encourage everyone who has read this concordance to look in the bibliography, and read all of the source materials for themselves, and to draw their own conclusions regarding the authenticity of each account.

Bibliography Avigod Nahman and Yigael Yadin, A Genesis Apocryphon, The Magees Press of the Hebrew University, and Heikhal Ha-Sefer, Jerusalem, 1956, p.22-23 Genesis, The Holy Bible, King James Version, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979, Chapters 11-12, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/gen?lang=eng Genesis Apocryphon, Tales of the Patriarchs, 1QapGen=1Q20, Lesley Faulk and Amanda Scott, http://jewishchristianlit.com/Texts/StudTxts/1Q20.html Genesis Rabbah, Tales and Maxims from the Midrash, Rev. Samuel Rapaport, 1907, http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/tmm/index.htm Quran, Sahih International, Chapter 21, http://quran.com/21

The Apocalypse of Abraham, converted to html by Adam Jerome, 2004, http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/Apocalypse_of_Abraham.html The Book of Abraham, The Pearl of Great Price, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979, http://www.lds.org/scriptures/pgp/abr?lang=eng The Book of Jasher, J.H. Parry & Company, Salt Lake City, Utah. USA, 1887, http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/index.htm The Book of Jubilees, translated by R.H. Charles, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, 1917, http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/index.htm The Glory of Kings (The Kebra Nagast), by E.A. Wallis Budge, 1932, http://www.sacredtexts.com/chr/kn/ Wernick, Rabbi Nissim entitled, A Critical Analysis of the Book of Abraham In Light of ExtraCanonical Jewish Writings, August 1968, BYU.