The Archangel Michael visits Asenath.
1 And, when Asenath had ceased making confession to the Lord, lo ! the morning-star also arose out of the heaven in the east;
2 and Asenath saw it and rejoiced and said: “Hath the Lord God then heard my prayer ? for that this star is a messenger and herald of the light of the great day.”
3 And lo ! hard by the morning-star the heaven was rent and a great and ineffable light appeared.
4 And when she saw it Asenath fell upon her face upon the cinders, and straightway there came to her a man from heaven, sending forth rays of light, and stood above her head. And, as she lay on her face, the divine angel said to her, “Asenath, stand up.”
5 And she said: “Who is he that called me for that the door of my chamber is shut and the tower is high, and how then hath he come into my chamber.”
6 And he called her again a second time, saying, “Asenath, Asenath.” And she said, “Here am I, lord, tell me who thou art.”
7 And he said: “I am the chief captain of the Lord God and commander of all the host of the Most High: stand up and stand upon thy feet, that I may speak to thee my words.”
8 And she lifted up her face and saw, and lo ! a man in all things like unto Joseph, in robe and wreath and royal staff,
9 save that his face was as lightning, and his eyes as the light of the sun, and the hairs of his head as the flame of fire of a burning torch, and his hands and his feet like iron shining from fire, for as it were sparks proceeded both from his hands and from his feet.
10 Seeing these things Asenath feared and fell on her face, unable even to stand upon her feet, for she became greatly afraid and all her limbs trembled.
11 And the man said to her: “Be of good cheer, Asenath, and fear not; but stand up and stand upon thy feet, that I may speak to thee my words.”
12 Then Asenath stood up and stood upon her feet, and the angel said to her:
13 “Go without impediment into thy second chamber and lay aside the black tunic wherein thou art clad, and cast off the sackcloth from thy loins, and shake out the cinders from thine head, and wash thy face and thine hands with pure water and put on a white untouched robe and gird thy loins with the bright girdle of virginity, the double one,
14 and come again to me, and I will speak to thee the words that are sent to thee from the Lord.”
15 Then Asenath hasted and went into her second chamber, wherein were the chests of her adorning, and opened her coffer and took a white, fine, untouched robe and put it on, having first put off the black robe,
16 and ungirded also the rope and the sackcloth from her loins and girded herself in a bright, double girdle of her virginity, one girdle about her loins and another girdle about her breast.
17 And she shook out also the cinders from her head and washed her hands and face with pure water, and she took a mantle most beautiful and fine and veiled her head.