On the verge of death
notes on the testament of Abraham
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23925/ua.v27i43.e62236Keywords:
Testament of Abraham, pseudoepigraphic books, post-exilic Judaism, proto-Christianity, dialogismAbstract
Entering into the study of the pseudo-epigraphic books involves approaching a relevant literary phenomenon within the multifaceted Jewish cultural and religious context, in distinction to the canonical and authoritative assumptions far removed from its locus of conception. With this in mind, this paper set out to analyse the Testament of Abraham as a work with an instigating narrative configuration, a catalyst of meaning for the communities that received it and a participant in the dialogism that permeated Judaism and proto-Christianity. Firstly, a literary presentation of the work was made, through narrative notes that outline the course of the events that make up its three main sections: The hospitality of the elderly Abraham towards the Archangel Michael; Abraham's heavenly journey, led by Michael, as a result of his last request before his death; Death's encounter with Abraham. As a second stage, the article focused on the complex aspects concerning the writing of the text, the possibilities relating to its formation environment and the division of copies into two large groups, recession "A" and "B". Finally, in the third part of the research, we examined the possibility of dialogue between the material in question and some texts found in the New Testament, looking at them in parallel. As a result, a narrative was identified that confronts the anguish of death between ironic scenes and unusual situations, which reflects the pluralism latent in Judaism and the early Christian communities, being an integral and confluent part of the founding imagery of their texts.
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