Patriarchs
The term Patriarchs can be used to refer to the twenty ancestor figures between Adam and Abraham, as well as Isaac and Jacob. The first ten of these are called the antediluvian patriarchs because they came before the Flood.
Prior to the giving of the Torah, the whole world was under the patriarchal law, wherein the father of each household or tribe was the priest who would offer sacrifices to God. The patriarchal law encompassed (a) natural law, wherein mankind deduced rules of moral behavior through reason and conscience); (b) revelations from God; and (c) a set of divinely-inspired principles, initiated in the Garden of Eden and reconfirmed after the Flood (i.e. the Noahide Laws).
Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem and Abram were all high priests. The role of the high priest was to hold his people together by absorbing the effects of sin and repairing the covenant through sacrifice and atonement.
Adam
Adam (“man of earth”) is not only the progenitor of mankind and the first created being to be made in the image of God, he is also the first high priest. Adam’s duty as priest was to till or serve (abad) and keep or protect (shamar) the garden. The only other time abad and shamar are used together elsewhere in the Torah is in Numbers, where they are used to describe the duties of the Levites whose task is to minister in the tabernacle.
The garden of Eden is the temple of God. The fact that Solomon’s temple was decorated with carvings of fruit, flowers and palm trees suggests that it was modelled on Eden.
The Book of Jubilees has Adam waiting forty days from his creation until he could enter Eden, which is clearly a time of priestly preparation. As Adam was about to leave Eden, he burned an incense like the one used in the tabernacle.
Kabbalists believe that the angel Raziel recited the wisdom of Kabbalah to Adam and Eve so they could find their way back to God after they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Some say the mysteries were written in a book, which was passed down through the generations, hence the allusion to "the book of the generations of Adam" in Genesis 5:1. This mystical knowledge was passed on to Seth, Noah, Shem and Abram.
Adam is sometimes referred to as Adam HaRishon, literally the “first man.” According to the Kabbalah, the soul of Adam HaRishon shattered into 600,000 pieces following his disobedience in Eden. Over the generations, the pieces broke into even smaller parts. Each of these fragments is the soul of an individual man or woman living today.
Prior to the eating of the forbidden fruit, Adam HaRishon was immortal. His soul and body co-existed without tension. And because the soul was immortal, so was the body. Following the temptation, Adam’s soul and body were alienated from each other. Disconnected from its spiritual counterpart, the body experienced pleasure as an end in itself and became subject to the toils of decay and death.
As inheritors of Adam’s alienation, we must wait until the Resurrection for a life-giving body.
There are numerous legends about Adam in Jewish rabbinical discourse, some of which are highly inventive and beautiful. Below are two of these legends, which can be found in Tree of Souls: the mythology of Judaism by Howard Schwartz:
As Adam lay dying, he called upon Eve and his son Seth to go off alone and prostrate themselves before God, and beg God to send an angel to the Tree of Mercy in the Garden of Eden, from which flows the Oil of Life. For he knew that if he were anointed with that oil, he would receive respite from his pain. So Seth and his mother, Eve, set out for the Gates of Paradise. Along the way, a beast appeared—a serpent—and attacked Seth. Eve shouted at the serpent, “Accursed beast! Keep your distance from the image of God.” Hearing this, the beast left their presence, but Seth was left with the marks of its teeth upon him. When Seth and Eve arrived at the gates, they put dust from the ground on their heads and prostrated themselves, begging the Lord to pity Adam and send an angel to anoint him with that oil. After they had prayed for many hours, the angel Michael appeared to them. The angel said, “God has sent me to you, for I have been appointed by God to look after men’s bodies. Weep and pray no more for the Oil of Life, for you can never have it, except at the End of Days. Go back to your father, for the span of his life is complete. Six days from now his soul will depart from his body. When it does, you will see great wonders in the lights of heaven and on the earth.” And the death of Adam came after six days, just as the angel Michael had predicted.
and...
When Adam was old, he called his son Seth to him and said: “Hear these words, my son. All that I am going to tell you is true. One day, not long after your mother and I had been expelled from Paradise, as we finished our prayers, I had a vision: I saw a chariot like the wind and its wheels were fiery. Before I knew it, I was caught up into Paradise. There I saw the Lord seated on a mighty throne, and the flames cast from His face could not be endured. Many thousands of angels were there, on each side of the chariot. I was seized with terror, and I bowed down before God, and God said: ‘Because you transgressed My commandment, the time has come for you to die.’ When I heard these words, I fell prone and said, ‘Master of the Universe! Do not cast me out of your presence, I whom You shaped out of dust. Do not banish what You Yourself nourished.’ God said, ‘Fear not, because of your love of knowledge, your seed will always be with Me.’ And when I heard these words, I prostrated myself before God and said, ‘You are the eternal and supreme God. You are the true Light shining above all lights. May it be Your will to bestow abundance on the race of men.’ Then, as soon as I finished speaking, the angel Michael seized my hand and brought me out of Paradise. He touched the waters surrounding Paradise with his rod, and they froze in place. And Michael and I crossed over the frozen waters, and led me back to this world. That is when the vision came to an end. Nor did I die on that day.”
and..
Adam lay dying in his tent. When he realized that the hour of his death had arrived, he cried out in a loud voice, “Let all my sons gather by me, so that I may see them and bless them before I die.” Then all his sons, from every part of the world, gathered by him, and Adam blessed them and said, “Behold, I am nine hundred and thirty years old. When I die, bury me toward the east.” And when he finished speaking, he breathed his last, and the sun and moon and stars were darkened for seven days. Seth bent over his father’s body and embraced it, Eve’s hands were folded over her head, and all of Adam’s children wept bitterly. And the angel Michael appeared and stood at Adam’s head, and the angels blew their trumpets and cried, “Blessed are You, O Lord, for You have had pity on Your creature.” Then Seth saw God’s hand stretched out and holding Adam. And God said to Michael, “Let him be in your charge until the day of judgment, when I will turn sorrow into joy.” Then God said to the angels Michael and Uriel, “Bring three linen sheets and spread them out over Adam and over Adam’s son, Abel, and bury Adam and his son.” And all the hosts of angels marched in procession in front of Adam’s body, and Michael and Uriel buried Adam in one of the regions of Paradise, in the presence of Seth and his mother, Eve, and no one else. And Michael and Uriel said to them, “Just as we have done, so too must you bury your dead.”
Adamic legends
There are numerous legends about Adam in Jewish rabbinical discourse, some of which are highly inventive and beautiful. Below are three of these legends, which can be found in Tree of Souls: the mythology of Judaism by Howard Schwartz:
As Adam lay dying, he called upon Eve and his son Seth to go off alone and prostrate themselves before God, and beg God to send an angel to the Tree of Mercy in the Garden of Eden, from which flows the Oil of Life. For he knew that if he were anointed with that oil, he would receive respite from his pain. So Seth and his mother, Eve, set out for the Gates of Paradise. Along the way, a beast appeared—a serpent—and attacked Seth. Eve shouted at the serpent, “Accursed beast! Keep your distance from the image of God.” Hearing this, the beast left their presence, but Seth was left with the marks of its teeth upon him. When Seth and Eve arrived at the gates, they put dust from the ground on their heads and prostrated themselves, begging the Lord to pity Adam and send an angel to anoint him with that oil. After they had prayed for many hours, the angel Michael appeared to them. The angel said, “God has sent me to you, for I have been appointed by God to look after men’s bodies. Weep and pray no more for the Oil of Life, for you can never have it, except at the End of Days. Go back to your father, for the span of his life is complete. Six days from now his soul will depart from his body. When it does, you will see great wonders in the lights of heaven and on the earth.” And the death of Adam came after six days, just as the angel Michael had predicted.
and...
When Adam was old, he called his son Seth to him and said: “Hear these words, my son. All that I am going to tell you is true. One day, not long after your mother and I had been expelled from Paradise, as we finished our prayers, I had a vision: I saw a chariot like the wind and its wheels were fiery. Before I knew it, I was caught up into Paradise. There I saw the Lord seated on a mighty throne, and the flames cast from His face could not be endured. Many thousands of angels were there, on each side of the chariot. I was seized with terror, and I bowed down before God, and God said: ‘Because you transgressed My commandment, the time has come for you to die.’ When I heard these words, I fell prone and said, ‘Master of the Universe! Do not cast me out of your presence, I whom You shaped out of dust. Do not banish what You Yourself nourished.’ God said, ‘Fear not, because of your love of knowledge, your seed will always be with Me.’ And when I heard these words, I prostrated myself before God and said, ‘You are the eternal and supreme God. You are the true Light shining above all lights. May it be Your will to bestow abundance on the race of men.’ Then, as soon as I finished speaking, the angel Michael seized my hand and brought me out of Paradise. He touched the waters surrounding Paradise with his rod, and they froze in place. And Michael and I crossed over the frozen waters, and led me back to this world. That is when the vision came to an end. Nor did I die on that day.”
and..
Adam lay dying in his tent. When he realized that the hour of his death had arrived, he cried out in a loud voice, “Let all my sons gather by me, so that I may see them and bless them before I die.” Then all his sons, from every part of the world, gathered by him, and Adam blessed them and said, “Behold, I am nine hundred and thirty years old. When I die, bury me toward the east.” And when he finished speaking, he breathed his last, and the sun and moon and stars were darkened for seven days. Seth bent over his father’s body and embraced it, Eve’s hands were folded over her head, and all of Adam’s children wept bitterly. And the angel Michael appeared and stood at Adam’s head, and the angels blew their trumpets and cried, “Blessed are You, O Lord, for You have had pity on Your creature.” Then Seth saw God’s hand stretched out and holding Adam. And God said to Michael, “Let him be in your charge until the day of judgment, when I will turn sorrow into joy.” Then God said to the angels Michael and Uriel, “Bring three linen sheets and spread them out over Adam and over Adam’s son, Abel, and bury Adam and his son.” And all the hosts of angels marched in procession in front of Adam’s body, and Michael and Uriel buried Adam in one of the regions of Paradise, in the presence of Seth and his mother, Eve, and no one else. And Michael and Uriel said to them, “Just as we have done, so too must you bury your dead.”
Noah
Noah means "peaceful". It comes from the verb (nuah) meaning rest, settle down.
According to Genesis 6:9, Noah “walked with God.” He was righteous and blameless, finding favour with the Lord. In fact, Genesis 7:1 states that Noah was the only person in his generation who God considered righteous.
While some rabbis hold the view that Noah learnt the secrets of Kabbalah from his father, Lamech, others say he actually received the knowledge of Kabbalah from the angel Raziel himself.
Angered at the wickedness of mankind, God tell Noah that He will soon send a great deluge to destroy all life. Noah is commanded by God to build an ark and provide sanctuary for his family and a remnant of the animal kingdom.
According to the Talmud, the flood was so terrible that the inhabitants if the ark were afraid their vessel would not withstand the might of the waters. From within the ark Noah prayed to the Lord:
“O Lord I beseech Thee, save us now! Without strength to save this great calamity, we come to Thee. The rivers of water terrify us, and death prays in waves about us. Lift up Thy countenance upon us, O Lord! Be gracious to us. Redeem us, our God; deliver us, and save us!”
Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives, as well as the animals on the ark and all sea creatures, are the only ones who survive the deluge.
After the flood, God cuts a deal with Noah. God blesses Noah and his sons, and makes a covenant with mankind and the animal kingdom, in which God promises to never again to “cut off” all flesh with the waters of a flood. In return, God commands Noah and his sons to be fruitful, to multiply and to replenish the earth. God also forbids the eating of animal blood (which can be interpreted as an injunction against animal cruelty), as well as the shedding of human blood. There is also an implicit commandment to set up courts of law to punish murder (“He who spills the blood of man, by man his blood shall be spilt”). God gives the rainbow as a sign of the covenant.
Because all people are the descendants of Noah’s sons and their wives, Noah is (in effect) a second Adam.
After the flood, Noah rebuilds Adam’s altar in Jerusalem, which had either been destroyed by the flood itself or by wicked people just before the deluge.
The Letters to the Hebrews in the Christian scriptures characterizes Noah as a man of faith:
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.” (11:7)
Noah in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Among the Noah material in the Dead Scrolls are a number of fragments (4Q534-536) that provide us with some fascinating insights into Noah’s birth and his character.
The text describes the birth of Noah as taking place “in the night.” Noah is portrayed as someone who knows the “mysteries” of the “highest angels.” He is “the Elect of God” and “knows the secrets of all living things.”
Here is a translation of four fragments courtesy of Scrolls expert Robert Eisenman:
Fragment 1
(When) he is born, they shall all be darkened together... he is born in the night and he comes out Perfe[ct...] [with] a weight of three hundred and fifty] shekels he slept until the division of the days... in the daytime until the completion of years... a share is set aside for him, not ...years...
Fragment 2
…will be ...[H]oly Ones will remem[ber ...] lig[hts] will be revealed to him ... they [will] teach him everything that... human [Wi]sdom, and every wise ma[n...] in the lands, and he shall be great... mankind shall[be]shaken, and until... he will reveal Mysteries like the Highest Angels... and with the Understanding of the Mysteries of.. and also... in the dust... the Mystery [as]cends... portions ...
Fragment 3
from... he did... of which you are afraid for all... his clothing at the end in your warehouses. I will strengthen his Goodness... and he will not die in the days of Wickedness, and the Wisdom of Your mouth will go forth. He who opposes You will deserve death. One will write the words of God in a book that does not wear out, but my words you will adorn. At the time of the Wicked, me will know you forever, a man of your servants...
Fragment 4
... of the hand, two ... it lef[t] a mark from ... barley [and] lentils on ... and tiny marks on his thigh ...[After tw]o years he will be able to discern one thing from another ... In his youth he will be... all of them ...[like a ma]n who does not know anyth[ing, until] the time when he shall have come to know the Three Books. [Th]en he will become wise and will be disc[rete ...] a vision will come to him while upon [his] knees (in prayer). And with his father and his forefa[th]ers... life and old age; he will acquire counsel and prudence, [and] he will know the Secrets of mankind. His Understanding will spread to all peoples, and he will know the Secrets of all living things. [A]ll their plans against him will be fruitless, and the spiritual legacy for all the living will be enriched. [And all] his [p]lans [will succeed], because he is the Elect of God. His birth and the Spirit of his breath... his[p] fans will endure forever ... (12) that ... (13) pl[an ...
Seth
Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, was born after the slaying of Abel by Cain. Eve believed HaShem had appointed him as a replacement for Abel. Seth was a son in the “likeness and image” (Gen. 5:3) of Adam.
As the ancestor of Noah, Seth is the father of all mankind. The Rabbis consider "Seth" to mean "foundation,” i.e. Seth was the founder of the world Abel did not have children, while Cain's heirs were destroyed in the Flood.
Rabbinical tradition holds that Eve’s statement, "God hath appointed me another seed," is an allusion to the Messiah, who would descend from Seth through Ruth the Moabite.
According to the Zohar, Seth is the “ancestor of all the generations of the tzaddikim.” Legend has it that Adam gave Seth the teachings of Kabbalah. Some believe that the soul of Seth entered into Moses and will again reappear in the Messiah.
Jewish historian Josephus refers to Seth as a virtuous man whose descendants invented astronomy.
Enoch
Enoch was the great-grandson of Adam (through Seth) and an ancestor of Noah. He was an outstandingly righteous man who "walked with God." He lived in the period before the flood when wickedness held sway. He stood against the spirit of the age in the manner of a prophet.
For many years, he secluded himself and prayed. When he returned to live among the people, they recognized his wisdom and justice, and elected him as leader. He restored faith and law among the people, which led to a period of universal peace.
However, this era of harmony collapsed when at the age 930, Adam, the first man, died. His death was mourned by all human beings. Enoch withdrew into seclusion, appearing only occasionally to give advice and answer questions. Enoch did not die but was taken by God at a relatively early age and received the title of Safra rabba or Great scribe. He is the first person in history to escape death.
Sirach 44:16 states that "Enoch pleased God and was translated into paradise [Eden/heaven] that he may give repentance to the nations."
Enoch is also accredited in the discovery of astrology. Enochic materials often cite everlasting wisdom (tebab) as a feature of his teachings.
According to 1 Enoch, an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, the sinful actions of the fallen angels are what caused God to send a Flood.
1 Enoch states that the rebel angels brought forbidden knowledge to earth and made an unholy covenant:
And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.' And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And these are the names of their leaders: Samlazaz, their leader, Araklba, Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are their chiefs of tens. (1 Enoch 6:1-8)
Biblical scholar Margaret Barker thinks the fallen angels were actually corrupt priests (much of her work is based on the notion that temple priests were believed to be exalted men or angels). The covenant made by the corrupt priests is in conflict with God’s primordial cosmic covenant with mankind to keep the forces of chaos in check. The Flood is the unloosing of Chaos. The covenant God makes with Noah after the Flood is therefore a renewal of the ancient covenant of creation.
The Dream Visions, which is a section of 1 Enoch, links the tempter in Eden and the fallen angels; at first only one star fell from heaven. Then many more stars came down:
And again I saw with mine eyes as I slept, and I saw the heaven above, and behold a star fell from heaven, and it arose and eat and pastured amongst those oxen. And after that I saw the large and the black oxen, and behold they all changed their stalls and pastures and their cattle, and began to live with each other. And again I saw in the vision, and looked towards the heaven, and behold I saw many stars descend and cast themselves down from heaven to that first star, and they became bulls amongst those cattle and pastured with them. And I looked at them and saw, and behold they all let out their privy members, like horses, and began to cover the cows of the oxen, and they all became pregnant and bare elephants, camels, and asses. And all the oxen feared them and were affrighted at them, and began to bite with their teeth and to devour, and to gore with their horns. And they began, moreover, to devour those oxen; and behold all the children of the earth began to tremble and quake before them and to flee from them. (1 Enoch 86:1-6)
Shem
Shem was one of the sons of Noah and ancestor of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. According to Rabbinical tradition, Shem was a priest and prophet. Noah gave Shem the priestly garments which he had inherited from Adam. He is praised by the Rabbis for covering his father's nakedness, thereby earning him and his descendants the gift of the Shekinah.
According to Jewish tradition, Shem is believed to have been Melchizedek, king of Salem (later to be renamed Jerusalem). Melchizedek means “my king is righteousness” or “righteousness is my king.” As a priest of El Elyon (“God Most High”), Melchizedek brought out bread and wine and blessed both Abram and God.
“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, ‘Blessed be Abram to the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand’. And he gave him tithe from all.” (Genesis 14:18-20)
In his Torah commentary Maaseh Adonai, Eliezer Ashkenazi suggests that it was not until Melchizedek met Abram that he believed one could have a personal relationship with God. In turn, some have suggested that Abraham learned philosophy from Melchizedek.
Melchizedek is the first person in the Torah to be titled a Kohen (priest), although tradition records that he was preceded in priesthood by Adam. Some commentators believe that Melchizedek gave Adam’s priestly robes to Abram, thereby handing over the priesthood. Others say that Melchizedek taught Torah to the Patriarchs before it was publicly given at Mount Sinai, with the official title of High Priest being conferred upon Aaron after the erection of the Tabernacle.
Latter Day Saints founder Joseph Smith gives us an insight into the genealogy of Melchizedek. In his Doctrine and Covenants, he says this:
“Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; and from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers; and from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, who received the priesthood by the commandments of God, by the hand of his father Adam, who was the first man.”
Compare this with the ‘Of Melchizedek’ section of the Syriac Book of the Bee, which states that Melchizedek was of the lineage of the Patriarchs through Noah.
“Neither the father nor mother of this Melchizedek were written down in the genealogies; not that he had no natural parents, but that they were not written down. The greater number of the doctors say that he was of the seed of Canaan, whom Noah cursed. In the book of Chronography, however, (the author) affirms and says that he was of the seed of Shem the son of Noah. Shem begat Arphaxar, Arphaxar begat Cainan, and Cainan begat Shâlâh and Mâlâh, Shâlâh was written down in the genealogies; but Mâlâh was not, because his affairs were not sufficiently important to be written down in the genealogies. When Noah died, he commanded Shem concerning the bones of Adam, for they were with them in the ark, and were removed from the land of Eden to this earth. Then Shem entered the ark, and sealed it with his father's seal, and said to his brethren, 'My father commanded me to go and see the sources of the rivers and the seas and the structure of the earth, and to return’."
Abra(ha)m
Abraham (ne Abram) is referred to as a “friend of God” (2 Chronicles 20: 7, Isaiah 41:8). He is a man who is able to walk before God and be perfect. Once he is spoken of as a prophet (Genesis 20: 7). Abram is a man who acts on faith, which is “credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).
Originally, a Ben Noach, Abraham was brought into a separate covenant with God, one that would lead to the birth of Israel. The Abrahamic covenant is built upon the seven laws of Noach but includes an eighth commandment regarding circumcision.
Abram is ninety-nine when God changes his name to Abraham (Genesis 17:5). Abram means “exalted father,” while Abraham means “father of many nations.” The name change occurs when Abram circumcises himself by the command of God, thus sealing the covenant between the two parties.
The Abrahamic covenant is built on the three divine promises: the promise of a relationship with God, numerous descendants and the land Canaan (Israel).
Genesis 17:2-11: "I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. […] Thou shalt be a father of many nations. […] And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. […] Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”
Abraham acts on faith (“credited to him as righteousness”) as there are no miracles or signs from God.
As with Noah, the Letters to the Hebrews in the New Testament describes Abraham as a man of faith:
“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (11:8-10)
Extra-biblical sources and Kabbalah
According to the Book of Jubilees, Abraham (when he was fourteen years of age) left his father, and prayed to God to save him from the errors of men. Abraham tried to persuade his father to renounce idol worship. Rabbinical literature also speaks of Abraham’s disgust with idols and his search for God. One day, when Abram was left alone to mind the store, he took a hammer and smashed all of the idols except the largest one. He placed the hammer in the hand of the largest idol. When his father returned and asked what happened, Abram said, "The idols got into a fight, and the big one smashed all the other ones." His father said, "Don't be ridiculous. These idols have no life or power. They can't do anything." Abram replied, "Then why do you worship them?"
On another occasion, Abraham went in search of one true God. He looked up in the sky and saw the moon shining brightly. 'The moon lights up the night sky,' Abraham said to himself. 'The moon guides travellers. The moon must be GOD'. Abraham worshipped the moon all night. But when morning came, the moon disappeared and the sun rose in the sky. The sun was bigger and brighter than the moon. 'Without the sun, nothing would grow,' said Abraham to himself. 'The sun must be God'. Abraham worshipped the sun all day. But when evening came, the sun disappeared. 'The sun is not GOD and the moon is not GOD', said Abraham. 'God is the One who makes them rise and fall in the sky. He is the One who has shown me this. He alone is worthy of worship.' So, Abraham returned to the city of Ur to tell the people there about the one true God.
Abraham was dubbed the Ivri (lit. “the other side”) because the world was on one side and he was on the other.
Because the written and oral Torah had not yet been revealed to Moses, Abraham kept the Torah in its spiritual form. Esoteric tradition cites the possibility that Abraham (when he was still Abram) studied in the house of Noah and Shem, where he received mystical knowledge. (This is the same knowledge given to Adam by the angel Raziel.) According to some authorities, Abraham authoredSefer Yetzirah (the Book of Formation), one of the fundamental works of Kabbalah. Midrash tells of how Abraham sat by his tent, inviting in the Bedouins who passed by. He served them food and taught them the methodology he revealed, the system he called "Kabbalah." He showed them this wisdom's possibilities and what it gives to a human being. Eventually, the students he taught formed a group of Kabbalists. This group was later called Yisrael, combination of two words: Yashar (straight) and El (Creator) i.e. "straight to the Creator."
"Abrahamic Faith"
B'nai Noach are followers of what James D Tabor calls Abrahamic Faith. Tabor is a historian and archaeologist whose book, Restoring Abrahamic Faith, is a brilliant summary of what he calls “Torah faith for all nations.” It offers a compelling proposal for the 21st century, namely a return to the “ancient paths” of the Hebrew faith with Abraham, the first Hebrew, as a prime model. As such it is foundational to the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three great Abrahamic Faiths that subsequently developed in different directions.
The following are the principles of Tabor’s Abrahamic faith…
There is One Creator God, YHVH, the One who will be, is, and always was, besides Whom there is no other. He is the Great, the Mighty, and the Awesome One – merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loyal love and faithfulness. To Him alone we offer our deepest love and highest devotion. (Genesis 1:1; 17:1; Exodus 3:13-15; 6:3; 34:5-7; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 42:8; 43:10-11; 44:6-8, 24; 45:5-6, 21-22; Hosea 12:5)
The Holy Scriptures consist of the 22 books of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, (Tanakh or Protestant Old Testament). The Hebrew and Aramaic texts of these books reflect the fundamental historical revelation of YHVH to humankind. (Deuteronomy 4:4; 12:32; Psalm 1:2; 19:7-11; 119:89, 142, 160; Isaiah 8:16-20; Malachi 3:22-24 [4:4-6])
The Way of God for humanity is revealed and reflected in the TORAH and amplified in the Prophets and Writings. It is chiefly summed up in the Ten Commandments spoken to all Israel at Sinai, but is known and illustrated by precept, example, principle, and admonition, throughout the Holy Scriptures. That Way is ultimately applicable to all nations – the universal WAY of peace, justice, love, truth, and righteousness for all humankind (Psalm 119:89, 142, 160; Isaiah 2:2-4)
Salvation is an individual matter involving repentance or turning one’s life in faith and trust to YHVH. All who call upon YHVH as Savior, Redeemer, and Lord, receive forgiveness, grace, and the Holy Spirit. There are no mediators required, and no sacrifices, animal or human, will suffice. Like a compassionate parent, God forgives sins for His own sake, and those who turn to Him experience an intimate relationship as sons and daughters of a heavenly Father. Like Abraham, they become the “friends of God,” and enter into the Abrahamic Covenant of faith. (Zechariah 1:3 7 Malachi 3:7; Isaiah 1:16-20; 45:22-24; 43:25; Psalm 145:18; 103:9-14; 25; 40:6-8; 51; Micah 6:6-8; Ezekiel 18; Genesis 12:1-3; Jeremiah 16:19; 31:31-34; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3)
The Kingdom of God is the goal and meaning of history; it is the chief longing of those who know, love, and serve God in the present age. In that Day YHVH Himself will dwell with humankind, the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven, violence among men and beasts will cease, and the knowledge of YHVH will fill the world as the waters cover the sea. YHVH will be King over all the earth, the TORAH will reach all nations, and all humankind will experience the benefits of a new age. Human beings will be able, at long last, to reach their full potential as creatures made in the image and likeness of their Creator God. (Isaiah 2:2-4; 11; 24; 66; Zechariah 14:1-9; Daniel 2:44; 7:27; Malachi 3:23-24 [4:5])
The Nation of Israel, descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, has a continuing Covenant with YHVH that has not been revoked. They are the Chosen nation, the priestly kingdom, the Servant of YHVH through whom He has vowed to bring the light of TORAH to the whole world. Because of this historic mission, the full restoration of all twelve tribes to the Land is the central theme of all the Prophets. (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:27-31; Jeremiah 31:27-40; Ezekiel 36-37)
The Second Coming of YHVH as Lord, Redeemer, Savior, and King of Kings, to rule over all the earth is the hope of humankind. This great turn in history will be ushered in by His prophetic Messiahs / Anointed Ones, as His chief human agents who prepare the way for His coming – the Branch of David as Prince, and the final Priest / Teacher, who stands beside him. They will be empowered by YHVH to fully restore TORAH faith in the land of Israel, complete the re-gathering of the Twelve Tribes, rebuild the Sanctuary as a House of Prayer for all Peoples, and call upon all nations to repent and turn to God. (Isaiah 11; Micah 5:2-4; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 33:14-26; Zechariah 2-4; 6:11-14; Malachi 3-4)
