[4] In the Middle Ages, it was translated into Syriac, Arabic, Ge'ez, Armenian, Georgian and Slavonic.
The "History" was once thought to be the original kernel, around which the rest of the text was composed, but this is not generally accepted today.
[5] The Story is based on the classical legend of the Isles of the Blessed and the biblical passage Jeremiah 35.
It begins with Zosimus, a hermit, continually begging God to show him the land of the Rechabites, until God finally relents and sends an angel to lead him there.
The Rechabites, led by Jonadab, are described as living without the benefit of human technology, enjoying the company of angels, leading an ascetic life, wearing no clothes and eating only the luxurious fruits that grow on their fragrant island.