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History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 1, 7. Of Abraham and Ninus

Now the first son of Noe was Sem, of whom, in the tenth generation, was born Abraham, thus: Noe, Sem, Arfaxath, Sale, Heber, Falech, Rheu, Saruch, and Tharae who begat Abraham. In these ten generations from Noah to Abraham are found nine hundred years. In that time reigned Ninus; he builded the city called Ninus, called also Nineveh, the extent whereof is determined by the prophet Jonah as taking three days’ journey.¹ In the forty-third year of his reign was Abraham born. This is that Abraham who was the beginning of our faith. He it was who received the promise; to him Christ our Lord revealed that He should be born and suffer for us in return for His offering, Himself saying in the Gospel: ‘Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw it, and was glad.’² This sacrifice of Abraham, as Severus relates in his chronicle, was offered on the mount of Calvary, where our Lord was crucified, as is commonly affirmed to this day in the city of Jerusalem. On this mountain stood the holy Cross on which the Redeemer was nailed, and from which flowed His blessed blood. This Abraham received the sign of the circumcision, showing that what he bore in the body we should carry in the heart, as the prophet saith: ‘Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and circumcise the foreskin of your heart.’³ And: ‘Go not after other gods.’⁴ And again: ‘None that is uncircumcised in heart shall enter into My sanctuary.’⁵ This Abraham, a syllable being added to his name, God called the father of many peoples.

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