Sarah

Portrait of Sarah

In the expanded patriarchal histories preserved within the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Jasher, the figure of Abraham's wife emerges as a central participant in the unfolding covenantal promises, her life marked by prolonged barrenness that underscores the miraculous nature of divine intervention. These texts elaborate considerably on the terse Genesis account, portraying her not merely as a passive spouse but as an active agent whose experiences test and affirm the boundaries of fidelity amid foreign powers. Jubilees situates her story within its meticulous chronological framework of jubilees and weeks, emphasizing how her trials align with sacred timekeeping and the preservation of lineage purity. Particular episodes receive notable elaboration, such as the sojourn in Egypt recounted in Jubilees 13, where her beauty prompts Abraham's stratagem and leads to temporary separation, only resolved through divine plagues upon Pharaoh's household. The Book of Jasher provides further dramatic detail to this encounter, extending the narrative tension around her concealment and restoration. Similar dynamics unfold in the account involving Abimelech, where Jubilees 20 highlights the king's eventual recognition of the divine protection surrounding her, reinforcing themes of election that echo across these apocryphal works. Such expansions serve to heighten the stakes of the promise that an heir would emerge despite advanced age, a fulfillment tied explicitly to the covenant renewal described in Jubilees 15 and 16. Within the broader Enochic tradition represented by these pseudepigraphal texts, her narrative contributes to larger concerns with angelic mediation, moral boundaries, and the transmission of sacred knowledge from the antediluvian era onward. Although 1 Enoch itself focuses primarily on the Watchers and cosmic visions, the interconnected pseudepigraphal corpus uses her story to illustrate how postdiluvian figures maintain ritual and ethical continuity amid threats of assimilation. The eventual birth of her son thus stands as a pivotal moment of divine faithfulness, anchoring the lineage through which later revelations would unfold.

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Biography

Occupation
Wife of Abraham
Era
Patriarchal
Patriarch Jubilees Jasher

Key Chapters

The Book of Jubilees 16 Birth of Isaac; Institution of the Feast of Tabernacles 7 min read Sarah is barren. God appears to Abraham and promises that Sarah will bear a son ... The Book of Jasher 15 On Account of Famine in Canaan, Abram goes to Egypt. Tells the People that Sarah is his Sister, on account of her Beauty. Pharaoh Desires to take her,... 10 min read Abraham tells Sarah to say she is his sister. Pharaoh takes her but is plagued; ... The Book of Jasher 18 Abraham Entertains Three Angels, who eat with him. Sarah is promised a Son. The People of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of all the Cities of the Plain becom... 11 min read The Book of Jubilees 19 The Death and Burial of Sarah 6 min read The Book of Jasher 24 Abraham Purchases a Burial Place. Isaac sent to the House of Shem and Eber to Learn the Way of the Lord. Eliezer is sent to get a Wife for Isaac. Goes... 10 min read

Key Passages

Sarah's Barrenness and Promise

The Book of Jubilees 16:1-4

Sarah is barren. God appears to Abraham and promises that Sarah will bear a son in the appointed time. She laughs in disbelief but later conceives Isaac.

A1nd on the new moon of the fourth month we appeared unto Abraham, at the oak of Mamre, and we talked with him, and we announced to him that a son would be given to him by Sarah his wife.

2 And Sarah laughed, for she heard that we had spoken these words with Abraham, and we admonished her, and she became afraid, and denied that she had laughed on account of the words. 3 And we told her the name of her son, as his name is ordained and written in the heavenly tablets (i.e.) Isaac, 4 And (that) when we returned to her at a set time, she would have conceived a son.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jubilees 16 →

Sarah in Egypt and Gerar

The Book of Jasher 15:1-20

Abraham tells Sarah to say she is his sister. Pharaoh takes her but is plagued; Abimelech also takes her but is warned by God in a dream and restores her.

A1nd in that year there was a heavy famine throughout the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of the land could not remain on account of the famine for it was very grievous.

2 And Abram and all belonging to him rose and went down to Egypt on account of the famine, and when they were at the brook Mitzraim they remained there some time to rest from the fatigue of the road. 3 And Abram and Sarai were walking at the border of the brook Mitzraim, and Abram beheld his wife Sarai that she was very beautiful. 4 And Abram said to his wife Sarai, Since God has created thee with such a beautiful countenance, I am afraid of the Egyptians lest they should slay me and take thee away, for the fear of God is not in these places. 5 Surely then thou shalt do this, Say thou art my sister to all that may ask thee, in order that it may be well with me, and that we may live and not be put to death. 6 And Abram commanded the same to all those that came with him to Egypt on account of the famine; also his nephew Lot he commanded, saying, If the Egyptians ask thee concerning Sarai say she is the sister of Abram. 7 And yet with all these orders Abram did not put confidence in them, but he took Sarai and placed her in a chest and concealed it amongst their vessels, for Abram was greatly concerned about Sarai on account of the wickedness of the Egyptians. 8 And Abram and all belonging to him rose up from the brook Mitzraim and came to Egypt; and they had scarcely entered the gates of the city when the guards stood up to them saying, Give tithe to the king from what you have, and then you may come into the town; and Abram and those that were with him did so. 9 And Abram with the people that were with him came to Egypt, and when they came they brought the chest in which Sarai was concealed and the Egyptians saw the chest. 10 And the king's servants approached Abram, saying, What hast thou here in this chest which we have not seen? Now open thou the chest and give tithe to the king of all that it contains. 11 And Abram said, This chest I will not open, but all you demand upon it I will give. And Pharaoh's officers answered Abram, saying, It is a chest of precious stones, give us the tenth thereof. 12 Abram said, All that you desire I will give, but you must not open the chest. 13 And the king's officers pressed Abram, and they reached the chest and opened it with force, and they saw, and behold a beautiful woman was in the chest. 14 And when the officers of the king beheld Sarai they were struck with admiration at her beauty, and all the princes and servants of Pharaoh assembled to see Sarai, for she was very beautiful. And the king's officers ran and told Pharaoh all that they had seen, and they praised Sarai to the king; and Pharaoh ordered her to be brought, and the woman came before the king. 15 And Pharaoh beheld Sarai and she pleased him exceedingly, and he was struck with her beauty, and the king rejoiced greatly on her account, and made presents to those who brought him the tidings concerning her. 16 And the woman was then brought to Pharaoh's house, and Abram grieved on account of his wife, and he prayed to the Lord to deliver her from the hands of Pharaoh. 17 And Sarai also prayed at that time and said, O Lord God thou didst tell my Lord Abram to go from his land and from his father's house to the land of Canaan, and thou didst promise to do well with him if he would perform thy commands; now behold we have done that which thou didst command us, and we left our land and our families, and we went to a strange land and to a people whom we have not known before. 18 And we came to this land to avoid the famine, and this evil accident has befallen me; now therefore, O Lord God, deliver us and save us from the hand of this oppressor, and do well with me for the sake of thy mercy. 19 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Sarai, and the Lord sent an angel to deliver Sarai from the power of Pharaoh. 20 And the king came and sat before Sarai and behold an angel of the Lord was standing over them, and he appeared to Sarai and said to her, Do not fear, for the Lord has heard thy prayer.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jasher 15 →

Sarah promised a son

The Book of Jasher 18:1-15

And Abraham rose and did all that God had ordered him, and he took the men of his household and those bought with his mo...

A1nd Abraham rose and did all that God had ordered him, and he took the men of his household and those bought with his money, and he circumcised them as the Lord had commanded him.

2 And there was not one left whom he did not circumcise, and Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin; thirteen years old was Ishmael when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 3 And in the third day Abraham went out of his tent and sat at the door to enjoy the heat of the sun, during the pain of his flesh. 4 And the Lord appeared to him in the plain of Mamre, and sent three of his ministering angels to visit him, and he was sitting at the door of the tent, and he lifted his eyes and saw, and lo three men were coming from a distance, and he rose up and ran to meet them, and he bowed down to them and brought them into his house. 5 And he said to them, If now I have found favor in your sight, turn in and eat a morsel of bread; and he pressed them, and they turned in and he gave them water and they washed their feet, and he placed them under a tree at the door of the tent. 6 And Abraham ran and took a calf, tender and good, and he hastened to kill it, and gave it to his servant Eliezer to dress. 7 And Abraham came to Sarah into the tent, and he said to her, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes to cover the pot containing the meat, and she did so. 8 And Abraham hastened and brought before them butter and milk, beef and mutton, and gave it before them to eat before the flesh of the calf was sufficiently done, and they did eat. 9 And when they had done eating one of them said to him, I will return to thee according to the time of life, and Sarah thy wife shall have a son. 10 And the men afterward departed and went their ways, to the places to which they were sent. 11 In those days all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the whole five cities, were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord and they provoked the Lord with their abominations, and they strengthened in aging abominably and scornfully before the Lord, and their wickedness and crimes were in those days great before the Lord. 12 And they had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day's walk, and in it there were fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water. 13 And all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives and children and all belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances. 14 And in the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor's wives, and some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw his wife and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word. 15 And they did so from morning to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his house and each woman to her tent; so they always did four times in the year.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jasher 18 →

Death of Sarah

The Book of Jubilees 19:1-9

And in the first year of the first week in the forty-second jubilee, Abraham returned and dwelt opposite Hebron, that is...

A1nd in the first year of the first week in the forty-second jubilee, Abraham returned and dwelt opposite Hebron, that is Kirjath Arba, two weeks of years.

2 And in the first year of the third week of this jubilee the days of the life of Sarah were accomplished, and she died in Hebron. 3 And Abraham went to mourn over her and bury her, and we tried him to see if his spirit were patient and he were not indignant in the words of his mouth; and he was found patient in this, and was not disturbed. 4 For in patience of spirit he conversed with the children of Heth, to the intent that they should give him a place in which to bury his dead. 5 And the Lord gave him grace before all who saw him, and he besought in gentleness the sons of Heth, and they gave him the land of the double cave over against Mamre, that is Hebron, for four hundred pieces of silver. 6 And they besought him saying, We shall give it to thee for nothing; but he would not take it from their hands for nothing, for he gave the price of the place, the money in full, and he bowed down before them twice, and after this he buried his dead in the double cave. 7 And all the days of the life of Sarah were one hundred and twenty-seven years, that is, two jubilees and four weeks and one year: these are the days of the years of the life of Sarah. 8 This is the tenth trial wherewith Abraham was tried, and he was found faithful, patient in spirit. 9 And he said not a single word regarding the rumour in the land how that God had said that He would give it to him and to his seed after him, and he begged a place there to bury his dead; for he was found faithful, and was recorded on the heavenly tablets as the friend of God.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jubilees 19 →

Abraham purchases burial cave

The Book of Jasher 24:1-15

And the life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years, and Sarah died; and Abraham rose up from before his dead t...

A1nd the life of Sarah was one hundred and twenty-seven years, and Sarah died; and Abraham rose up from before his dead to seek a burial place to bury his wife Sarah; and he went and spoke to the children of Heth, the inhabitants of the land, saying,

2 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you in your land; give me a possession of a burial place in your land, that I may bury my dead from before me. 3 And the children of Heth said unto Abraham, behold the land is before thee, in the choice of our sepulchers bury thy dead, for no man shall withhold thee from burying thy dead. 4 And Abraham said unto them, If you are agreeable to this go and entreat for me to Ephron, the son of Zochar, requesting that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which is in the end of his field, and I will purchase it of him for whatever he desire for it. 5 And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth, and they went and called for him, and he came before Abraham, and Ephron said unto Abraham, Behold all thou requirest thy servant will do; and Abraham said, No, but I will buy the cave and the field which thou hast for value, In order that it may be for a possession of a burial place for ever. 6 And Ephron answered and said, Behold the field and the cave are before thee, give whatever thou desirest; and Abraham said, Only at full value will I buy it from thy hand, and from the hands of those that go in at the gate of thy city, and from the hand of thy seed for ever. 7 And Ephron and all his brethren heard this, and Abraham weighed to Ephron four hundred shekels of silver in the hands of Ephron and in the hands of all his brethren; and Abraham wrote this transaction, and he wrote it and testified it with four witnesses. 8 And these are the names of the witnesses, Amigal son of Abishna the Hittite, Adichorom son of Ashunach the Hivite, Abdon son of Achiram the Gomerite, Bakdil the son of Abudish the Zidonite. 9 And Abraham took the book of the purchase, and placed it in his treasures, and these are the words that Abraham wrote in the book, namely: 10 That the cave and the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, and from his seed, and from those that go out of his city, and from their seed for ever, are to be a purchase to Abraham and to his seed and to those that go forth from his loins, for a possession of a burial place for ever; and he put a signet to it and testified it with witnesses. 11 And the field and the cave that was in it and all that place were made sure unto Abraham and unto his seed after him, from the children of Heth; behold it is before Mamre in Hebron, which is in the land of Canaan. 12 And after this Abraham buried his wife Sarah there, and that place and all its boundary became to Abraham and unto his seed for a possession of a burial place. 13 And Abraham buried Sarah with pomp as observed at the interment of kings, and she was buried in very fine and beautiful garments. 14 And at her bier was Shem, his sons Eber and Abimelech, together with Anar, Ashcol and Mamre, and all the grandees of the land followed her bier. 15 And the days of Sarah were one hundred and twenty-seven years and she died, and Abraham made a great and heavy mourning, and he performed the rites of mourning for seven days.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jasher 24 →

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Did You Know?

1

Sarah was barren until old age when God promised and delivered Isaac.

2

She was taken by Pharaoh and Abimelech but protected by God.

3

In Jubilees 13 Sarah's beauty prompts Abraham's stratagem during the Egyptian sojourn, resolved only by divine plagues on Pharaoh's household.

4

The Book of Jasher dramatically extends tension around Sarah's concealment and eventual restoration in the Egyptian encounter.

5

Jubilees places Sarah's trials in a chronological framework of jubilees and weeks emphasizing sacred timekeeping and lineage purity.