Apocalypse of Abraham
The Apocalypse of Abraham is a Jewish work that has survived only in old Slavonic translations. These translations likely come from an earlier Greek version, which may have been translated from a Hebrew or Aramaic original.
The Apocalypse of Abraham starts with the patriarch Abraham turning away from idolatry. It is based on old rabbinical traditions about Abraham's youth. It describes how he became aware of God's call on his life and came to understand that God is one and holy. An angel named Jahoel (whose functions and powers also come from rabbinical sources) takes Abraham to the seventh heaven. There, he is shown past and future events. He witnesses Adam and Eve's temptation through sexual sin and Cain's murder.
Azazel, an evil being, plays the role of Satan. These details may indicate that there was a tradition holding that Abraham wrote the first parts of the Bible. The revelation then shifts to the future. It shows the temple's destruction, plagues on those who do not believe, and the coming of the Messiah. The final form of the document was probably completed in the last generation of the first century AD.
Like in the book of Genesis, Abraham questions why God allows evil to exist. God shows him that evil comes from human free will. This story expresses how faithful Jews tried to understand suffering and injustice at a time when their people were experiencing great hardship. It also illustrates the unusual teachings about angels that were common in that time.
Some scholars believe the text was later edited by Gnostic and Christian writers.