For People Who Think There Was No Historical Jesus

[EGross]

I think they stole that from the Midrash of Abraham

You are just bandying words,’ Nimrod exclaimed; ‘we will worship nought but the fire. Behold, I will cast you into it, and let your God whom you adore come and save you from it.’ Now Haran was standing there undecided. If Abram is victorious, [thought he], I will say that I am of Abram's belief, while if Nimrod is victorious I will say that I am on Nimrod's side. When Abram descended into the fiery furnace and was saved, he [Nimrod] asked him, ‘Of whose belief are you?’ ‘Of Abram's,’ he replied. Thereupon he seized and cast him into the fire; his inwards were scorched and he died in his father's presence. Hence it is written, AND HARAN DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS FATHER TERAH "

Lots of other fire stories as well. One of these is that Abraham is sitting by the entrance to Gehinnom, and when uncircumcized Jewish infants begin to enter, he takes their foreskin away (a quick brit) and sends them off to a safer place. But when circumsized Jewish male who married gentile women who had children with her tries to pass by Abraham he grabs the guy, puts a foreskin on from the ones he collected, and tosses the guy into the fire! (A not-so-subtle anti-intermarriage story).