Apocalypse of Abraham

Apocalypse of Abraham 6

VI. When I, Abraham, however, heard such words from my father, I laughed in my mind and sighed in the grief and in the anger of my soul, and said: " How then can that which is made by him — manufactured statues — be a helper of my father? Or shall the body then be subject to its soul, and the soul to the spirit, and the spirit to folly and ignorance! " And I said: " It is fitting once to endure evil. So I will direct my mind to what is pure and lay my thoughts open before him." [And] I answered and said: " O father Terah, whichever of these thou praisest as a god, thou art foolish in thy mind. Behold the gods of thy brother Ora, which stand in the holy temple, are more worthy of honour than [these of] thine. For behold Zucheus, the god of thy brother Oron, is more worthy of honour than thy god Merumath, because he is made of gold which is highly valued by people, and when he groweth old in years he will be re-modelled; but if your god Merumath is changed or broken, he will not be renewed, because he is a stone; the which is also the case with the god Joavon [who standeth with Zucheus over the other gods — how much more worthy of honour is he than the god Barisat, who is made of wood, while he is forged of silver! How is he made, by adaptation of man, valuable to outward appearance! But thy god Barisat, while he was still, before he had been prepared, rooted up upon the earth and was great and wonderful with the glory of branches and blossom, thou didst hew out with the axe, and by means of thy art he hath been made into a god. And lo! his fatness is already withered and perished, he is fallen from the height to the ground, he hath come from great estate to littleness, and the appearance of his countenance hath vanished, and he] Barisat himself is burnt up by fire and reduced to ashes and is no more; and thou sayest: " To-day I will make another which to-morrow shall make ready my food! " "He hath perished to utter destruction! "