Abraham's Sacrifice and Isaac's Response

For it is nature to be thus. But they say that the water changes the color of the day into three, and sends out a variety of appearance reflecting the sun's ray. And Abraham, having become a hundred years old, begat a genuine child from Sarah, Isaac; and after the eighth day we circumcised him, from which this custom the Hebrews still observe, being circumcised on this day the Arabs and the Ishmaelites are circumcised in the thirteenth year, since their forefather Ishmael was thus circumcised.

But having been persuaded by Sarah, Abraham sent Ishmael away elsewhere, lest after his passing, as a firstborn, he should work mischief against Isaac regarding the inheritance. Thus the descendants of Ishmael possessed the land received from the Euphrates to the Red Sea. And after time, God commanded him to bring Isaac as a sacrifice; and Abraham, regarding even this as the greatest symbol of piety, arrives with much readiness despite some extremity, and having prepared everything for the sacrifice, says to his child:

«O child, having requested you to become mine from God with ten thousand thanks, since you have passed into life, there is nothing that I have not eagerly desired concerning your upbringing, nor that for which I hoped you would more happily thrive, as if I were quickly seeing you becoming a man and leaving a successor of my rule. But since, desiring God's will, I became your father, I dedicate you again, asking this of Him. Therefore, carry out the consecration bravely; for I surrender you to God, who has made us worthy of this honor, in exchange for which He has become favorable and a protector to me. Go then, not dying by the common way of living, but being sent by your own father to God, the Father of all, by the law of sacrifice. I think you worthy of being judged by Him, neither by disease, nor by war, nor by any other of the sufferings to which men are prone, having received your soul with prayers and his liturgy. And God, providing Himself to me instead of you, shall be a guardian and a nurse for my old age.»

Having heard these things, Isaac said to him: «I would not even have been just from the beginning, if I were to be excluded from the judgment of God and Father, and not to offer myself ready to the wills of both.»

But even if the father had previously chosen only these things, it would have been wrong not to obey. And saying these things, he moved toward the altar and the sacrifice. And God, having accepted the willingness of the other, granted to the father the child, showing a ram instead of the child for a burnt offering; and immediately he brought this up instead of Isaac his child. First, the Word of God appearing to Abraham in the form of a man established the calling of the nations, which, having come to dwell among us in the world, he led to its end through his evangelical teaching into all the nations.

And Isaac, having reached forty years of age, leads Rebekah to marriage, from whom he fathered two children, Esau and Jacob. And Abraham, after Sarah's death, marries Keturah, and makes six children from her: Zembran, Iazan, Madan, Madian, Lousubakon, and Souon. And children are born also from these: from Souon, Sabakanes and Dadanes; and from this one, Latousimos, and Assuros, and Louobos; and from Madan, Hetha, Thophris, Amokhos, Ebidos, and Eldos. And Abraham thought of all these as occupying the Troglodyte region, the parts of prosperous Arabia, and as far as the Red Sea.

And from Assur, Assyria was named; but Sophren, having campaigned against Libya, took possession of it, and his descendants, that is, the sons dwelling there, named the land Africa from his name, who fought with Heracles against Antaeus the native. And Heracles leads the daughter of Oaphre, from whom he made a son, Bodoros, who fathered a son, Sophon, from whom they call the barbarians Sophons. And Abraham, having lived 170 years, died.

Jacob, having snatched away the blessing of Esau, went to Mesopotamia to Laban, the brother of his mother, and having served him, after forty years he leads his two daughters, Leah and Rachel, toward whom more fervently he went with desire. He desired her not being overcome by beauty (for as it is written, Rachel was beautiful in form and very lovely in appearance;), but because, having seen her first, as if meeting through divine economy, he greeted her and loved her, knowing that this wonder had also happened to his mother Rebekah, when, after Abraham the child had prayed, the things according to the prayers and the preordained things met him.