came back to life and flew swiftly to Abraham (Qur'an, Surah ii. v. 262[260]: vide also
Jalalu'ddin's note).
The above are the principal coincidences that I have noticed between The Testament of Abraham
and Muhammadan traditions and beliefs. There are some minor points of agreement which it would take
too long to notice in detail. It may be remarked, however, that many of the Muhammadan fables which
Muhammad (according to the Qur'an and tradition) handed down to his followers have been traced, as
in the present instance, to an Egyptian source. It is unlikely that Muhammad ever read The
Testament of Abraham or other apocryphal works which originated in Egypt. But it seems to me
that a suggestion which Major Conder makes (in a note on my Lecture on 'Islam, its Origin, its
Strength, and its Weakness,' published in vol. xxv. of the Journal of the Victoria Institute),
viz. that Muhammad learnt many of these Egyptian legends viva voce from Mary the Copt, one of
his concubines, is very likely to be correct. This removes the difficulty presented by the late
character of the Arabic of the Arabic Gospel of the Infancy and that of the Arabic version of
The Testament of Abraham.
1. The Qur'an (Surah xxi. 69 sqq.) relates how Abraham was cast into the fire by order of
the King of Chaldaea, whom the commentators suppose to have been Nimrod. If a Muhammadan be asked
what proof he has that this ever took place, he appeals to the Jews. The latter confirm the tale by
referring to Gen. xi. 28, 31 and Gen. xv. 7. Jonathan Ben
