Prophecy
In the grand 39th jubilee, Terah chose Amthelo, his father’s niece, as his wife, and at the age of 70, he fathered a son named Abram. Amidst celebrations, wise men and conjurors witnessed a celestial omen: a great star from the east devouring four others, signaling Abram’s destined rise to power. Fearing this prophecy, the wise men revealed their vision to the king, who demanded Abram’s life, promising Terah wealth in return.
Terah, in a cunning move, recounted a parable to highlight the absurdity of the king’s demand, buying three days’ reprieve. Under dire threat, Terah substituted a servant’s newborn for Abram, tricking the king into believing the prophecy was thwarted. Secretly, Terah hid Abram in a cave, supplying provisions while the king and his court remained oblivious. For ten years, Abram thrived in secret, his fate protected by Providence, as the saga of his destined greatness quietly unfolded.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
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Genesis
6%
Jasher
88%
Jubilees
6%
Exposition
Jubilee: 40
Year: 1943
Terah marries Amethlo (Edna)
Jasher 7:50a
Jubilees 11:13a
Year: 1949
Abram born
Genesis 11:26-27a
Jasher 7:50b-51
Jubilees 11:13b-14
Rising Action
Prophecy concerning Abram
Jasher 8:1-7
Climax
The conjurors tell Nimrod and Nimrod confronts Terah
Jasher 8:8-30
Falling Action
Terah gives a servant’s infant to Nimrod instead
Jasher 8:31-34
Resolution
Abram is concealed in a cave for 10 years
Jasher 8:35-36
Jubilee: 40
Year: 1943
Terah marries Amthelo (Edna)
Jasher 7:50a
50a And Terah took a wife and her name was Amthelo the daughter of Cornebo;
Jubilees 11:13a
13a And in this thirty-ninth jubilee, in the second week in the first year, [1870 A.M.] Terah took to himself a wife, and her name was ‘Edna, the daughter of ‘Abram, the daughter of his father’s sister.
Year: 1949
Abram born
Genesis 11:26-27a
26 And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
27a Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran;
Jasher 7:50b-51
50b and the wife of Terah conceived and bare him a son in those days.
51 Terah was seventy years old when he begat him, and Terah called the name of his son that was born to him Abram, because the king had raised him in those days, and dignified him above all his princes that were with him.
Jubilees 11:13b-14
13b And in the seventh year of this week [1876 A.M.] she bare him a son, and he called his name Abram, by the name of the father of his mother;
14 for he had died before his daughter had conceived a son.
Prophecy concerning Abram
Jasher 8:1-7
1 And it was in the night that Abram was born, that all the servants of Terah, and all the wise men of Nimrod, and his conjurors came and ate and drank in the house of Terah, and they rejoiced with him on that night.
2 And when all the wise men and conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up their eyes toward heaven that night to look at the stars, and they saw, and behold one very large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the four stars from the four sides of the heavens.
3 And all the wise men of the king and his conjurors were astonished at the sight, and the sages understood this matter, and they knew its import.
4 And they said to each other, This only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his children for ever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands.
5 And the wise men and conjurors went home that night, and in the morning all these wise men and conjurors rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house.
6 And they spoke and said to each other, Behold the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king, it has not been made known to him.
7 And should this thing get known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us, Why have you concealed this matter from me, and then we shall all suffer death; therefore, now let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we shall then remain clear.
The conjurors tell Nimrod and Nimrod confronts Terah
Jasher 8:8-30
8 And they did so, and they all went to the king and bowed down to him to the ground, and they said, May the king live, may the king live.
9 We heard that a son was born to Terah the son of Nahor, the prince of thy host, and we yesternight came to his house, and we ate and drank and rejoiced with him that night.
10 And when thy servants went out from the house of Terah, to go to our respective homes to abide there for the night, we lifted up our eyes to heaven, and we saw a great star coming from the east, and the same star ran with great speed, and swallowed up four great stars, from the four sides of the heavens.
11 And thy servants were astonished at the sight which we saw, and were greatly terrified, and we made our judgment upon the sight, and knew by our wisdom the proper interpretation thereof, that this thing applies to the child that is born to Terah, who will grow up and multiply greatly, and become powerful, and kill all the kings of the earth, and inherit all their lands, he and his seed forever.
12 And now our lord and king, behold we have truly acquainted thee with what we have seen concerning this child.
13 If it seemeth good to the king to give his father value for this child, we will slay him before he shall grow up and increase in the land, and his evil increase against us, that we and our children perish through his evil.
14 And the king heard their words and they seemed good in his sight, and he sent and called for Terah, and Terah came before the king.
15 And the king said to Terah, I have been told that a son was yesternight born to thee, and after this manner was observed in the heavens at his birth.
16 And now therefore give me the child, that we may slay him before his evil springs up against us, and I will give thee for his value, thy house full of silver and gold.
17 And Terah answered the king and said to him: My Lord and king, I have heard thy words, and thy servant shall do all that his king desireth.
18 But my lord and king, I will tell thee what happened to me yesternight, that I may see what advice the king will give his servant, and then I will answer the king upon what he has just spoken; and the king said, Speak.
19 And Terah said to the king, Ayon, son of Mored, came to me yesternight, saying,
20 Give unto me the great and beautiful horse that the king gave thee, and I will give thee silver and gold, and straw and provender for its value; and I said to him, Wait till I see the king concerning thy words, and behold whatever the king saith, that will I do.
21 And now my lord and king, behold I have made this thing known to thee, and the advice which my king will give unto his servant, that will I follow.
22 And the king heard the words of Terah, and his anger was kindled and he considered him in the light of a fool.
23 And the king answered Terah, and he said to him, Art thou so silly, ignorant, or deficient in understanding, to do this thing, to give thy beautiful horse for silver and gold or even for straw and provender?
24 Art thou so short of silver and gold, that thou shouldst do this thing, because thou canst not obtain straw and provender to feed thy horse? And what is silver and gold to thee, or straw and provender, that thou shouldst give away that fine horse which I gave thee, like which there is none to be had on the whole earth?
25 And the king left off speaking, and Terah answered the king, saying, Like unto this has the king spoken to his servant;
26 I beseech thee, my lord and king, what is this which thou didst say unto me, saying, Give thy son that we may slay him, and I will give thee silver and gold for his value; what shall I do with silver and gold after the death of my son? Who shall inherit me? Surely then at my death, the silver and gold will return to my king who gave it.
27 And when the king heard the words of Terah, and the parable which he brought concerning the king, it grieved him greatly and he was vexed at this thing, and his anger burned within him.
28 And Terah saw that the anger of the king was kindled against him, and he answered the king, saying, All that I have is in the king’s power; whatever the king desireth to do to his servant, that let him do, yea, even my son, he is in the king’s power, without value in exchange, he and his two brothers that are older than he.
29 And the king said to Terah, No, but I will purchase thy younger son for a price.
30 And Terah answered the king, saying, I beseech thee my lord and king to let thy servant speak a word before thee, and let the king hear the word of his servant, and Terah said, Let my king give me three days’ time till I consider this matter within myself, and consult with my family concerning the words of my king; and he pressed the king greatly to agree to this.
Terah gives a servant's infant to Nimrod instead
Jasher 8:31-34
31 And the king hearkened to Terah, and he did so and he gave him three days’ time, and Terah went out from the king’s presence, and he came home to his family and spoke to them all the words of the king; and the people were greatly afraid.
32 And it was in the third day that the king sent to Terah, saying, Send me thy son for a price as I spoke to thee; and shouldst thou not do this, I will send and slay all thou hast in thy house, so that thou shalt not even have a dog remaining.
33 And Terah hastened, (as the thing was urgent from the king), and he took a child from one of his servants, which his handmaid had born to him that day, and Terah brought the child to the king and received value for him.
34 And the Lord was with Terah in this matter, that Nimrod might not cause Abram’s death, and the king took the child from Terah and with all his might dashed his head to the ground, for he thought it had been Abram; and this was concealed from him from that day, and it was forgotten by the king, as it was the will of Providence not to suffer Abram’s death.
Abram is concealed in a cave for 10 years
Jasher 8:35-36
35 And Terah took Abram his son secretly, together with his mother and nurse, and he concealed them in a cave, and he brought them their provisions monthly.
36 And the Lord was with Abram in the cave and he grew up, and Abram was in the cave ten years, and the king and his princes, soothsayers and sages, thought that the king had killed Abram.
Notes
No notes.
Exposition
Jubilee: 40
Year: 1943
Terah marries Amthelo (Edna)
Jasher 7:50a
Jubilees 11:13a
In the 39th Jubilee, during the 2nd week in the 1st year, Terah took a wife for himself. Her name was Amthelo (also called Edna), the daughter of Cornebo (Abram), who was the daughter of Terah’s father’s sister.v
Year: 1949
Abram born
Genesis 11:26-27a
Jasher 7:50b-51
Jubilees 11:13b-14
Terah’s wife became pregnant and gave birth to a son during those days. Terah was 70 years old when his son was born, and he named him Abram. (Abram had died before his daughter conceived a son.) Terah gave him this name because the king had honored him in those days and had elevated him above all the other princes.
Rising Action
Prophecy concerning Abram
Jasher 8:1-7
On the night Abram was born, all of Terah’s servants, along with the wise men and conjurors of Nimrod, came to Terah’s house. They ate, drank, and celebrated with him that night.
After the wise men and conjurors left Terah’s house, they looked up at the sky. That night, they saw a large star rise from the east and move across the heavens. It swallowed up 4 stars from the 4 directions of the sky. All the king’s wise men and conjurors were amazed at what they saw. The sages understood what it meant and said to each other, “This can only be about the child born to Terah tonight. He will grow up, be fruitful, multiply, and take possession of the whole earth—he and his descendants forever. He and his offspring will defeat great kings and inherit their lands.”
The wise men and conjurors returned to their homes that night. The next morning, they all rose early and gathered at a designated meeting place. They said to each other, “The vision we saw last night is still hidden from the king—he hasn’t been told about it. But if this comes to light in the future, he’ll say to us, ‘Why did you keep this from me?’ and we’ll all be put to death. So let’s go now and tell the king what we saw and what it means. That way, we’ll be in the clear.”
Climax
The conjurors tell Nimrod and Nimrod confronts Terah
Jasher 8:8-30
So they did as they planned. They all went to the king, bowed down to him, and said, “May the king live! May the king live! We heard that Terah, son of Nahor and prince of your host, had a son born to him. Last night we went to his house, ate and drank, and celebrated with him. As we left to go home for the night, we looked up at the sky and saw a large star rising from the east. It moved quickly and swallowed up 4 great stars from the 4 corners of the sky.
“Your servants were amazed and deeply troubled by what we saw. Using our wisdom, we interpreted the vision and determined that it referred to the child born to Terah. He will grow up, become powerful, multiply greatly, and destroy all the kings of the earth. He and his descendants will rule over their lands forever. Now, our lord and king, we have faithfully reported to you what we saw regarding this child. If it pleases the king, let his father be compensated for the child, and let the child be killed before he grows up and his power becomes a threat to us—lest we and our children perish because of him.”
The king listened to their words, and they pleased him. He sent for Terah, who came before the king. The king said, “I’ve been told that a son was born to you last night, and that a sign appeared in the heavens at his birth. Now give me the child so we can kill him before he becomes dangerous to us. I’ll give you a house full of silver and gold in return.”
Terah answered, “My lord and king, I’ve heard your words, and your servant will do whatever the king desires. But first, let me tell you something that happened to me last night, and maybe your advice will help me decide how to respond to your request.”
The king said, “Speak.”
Terah said, “Last night, Ayon son of Mored came to me and said, ‘Give me that fine horse the king gave you, and I’ll give you silver, gold, straw, and feed in return.’ I replied, ‘Let me speak to the king about it first, and I’ll do whatever he advises.’ Now, my lord and king, I’ve told you this story—what advice will you give your servant?”
When the king heard Terah’s words, he became angry and thought him foolish. He said, “Are you really that stupid, ignorant, or lacking in understanding that you would trade your beautiful horse for silver and gold—or even just for straw and feed? Are you so poor that you can’t afford to feed the horse? What is silver and gold—or straw and feed—compared to such a magnificent horse? There’s no other like it in the world!”
Then the king stopped speaking, and Terah replied, “Your words are exactly what I hoped you’d say. So how can you ask me to give you my son to be killed in exchange for silver and gold? What would I do with that wealth after my son’s death? Who would inherit it? Surely when I die, the silver and gold will go back to the king who gave it to me.”
When the king heard Terah’s words and the parable he used, he was deeply troubled and upset. His anger burned within him. Terah saw that the king’s anger was rising, so he said, “Everything I have is in the king’s hands. Whatever the king wishes to do to his servant, let him do—even with my son. He is in the king’s power, as are his 2 older brothers. They have no price.”
The king said, “No—I will pay for your younger son.”
Terah replied, “Please, my lord and king, allow your servant to speak one more word, and listen to what I say.”
He continued, “Let the king give me 3 days to think this over and discuss it with my family. Then I will respond to the king’s request.” And he pleaded strongly with the king until he agreed.
Falling Action
Terah gives a servant’s infant to Nimrod instead
Jasher 8:31-34
The king agreed and gave Terah 3 days. Terah left the king’s presence, went home, and told his family everything the king had said. Everyone was very afraid.
On the 3rd day, the king sent word to Terah, saying, “Send me your son for payment, just as I said. If you don’t, I will destroy everything in your house, and not even a dog will be left alive.”
Because of the urgency of the king’s command, Terah acted quickly. He took the newborn son of one of his servants—a child born that very day to the servant’s handmaid—and brought the child to the king, receiving payment for him. The Lord was with Terah in this matter so that Nimrod wouldn’t kill Abram. The king took the child from Terah and, believing it was Abram, smashed his head against the ground with all his strength. But it was hidden from him that the child was not Abram, and he forgot about it from that day on. This was by divine design, so that Abram’s life would be spared.
Resolution
Abram is concealed in a cave for 10 years
Jasher 8:35-36
Meanwhile, Terah secretly took his son Abram, along with Abram’s mother and nurse, and hid them in a cave. He brought them supplies once a month. The Lord was with Abram while he was in the cave, and he grew up there. Abram remained hidden in the cave for 10 years, and the king, his princes, soothsayers, and sages all believed that the king had killed him.