Binding of Isaac(Akedah): Differing Viewpoints Dr Jim Wideman Presentation at Metro NY Adventist Forum Oct 22, 2005

Binding of Isaac(Akedah): Differing Viewpoints I.Introduction and Chronology II.Jewish Traditions III.Christian Commentary IV.Islamic Interpretations V.Modernity and Re-Making of Tradition VI.Visual Representations

Introduction Leon R. Kass, The Beginning of Wisdom: No story in Genesis is as terrible, as powerful, as mysterious, as elusive as this one. It defies easy and confident interpretations, and despite all that I shall have to say about it, it continues to baffle me. Indeed, my approach seems even to me to be too shallow, precisely because I am attempting to be reasonable about this awesome and shocking story.

Introduction What this is not What do you remember from childhood about Akedah? Do you think Akedah is a foundation myth for you- for contemporary religions? What does the word sacrifice mean in 2005? Excursus on child sacrifice

Chronology Ancient World ~2000 BCE ? Classical World 3 rd century BCE 2 nd century BCE 40 CE 100 CE ~60 CE ~ 100 CE Abraham Pentateuch Septuagint Jubilees Philo died Josephus died Paul and letters Synoptic Gospels

Chronology Rabbinic Texts ~400 CE ~500 CE ~7 th century ~8 th century ~13 th century Midrash Rabbah on Genesis Babylonian Talmud Midrash Tanhuma(on Pentateuch) Pirkei de Rabbi Eliezer Book of Jashar—Re- written Bible genre

Chronology Church Fathers Melito of Sardis-----Died 190 CE Origen------Born 185 CE Augustine of Hippo CE Islamic Writings Qur’an completed /690 CE Classical post-Qur’anic writing---~9 th cent

Chronology Middle Ages Maimonides Ephraim of Bonn---Poem for Jewish Martyrs Mystery Plays---English Rashbam----Jewish Commentator

Chronology Modernity 19 th and 20 th centuries Kant Kierkegaard : Fear and Trembling Martin Buber--- Critique of Kierkegaard Franz Kafka---On Abraham Wilfred Owen---died 1918: Poet of The Great War Cristos Valenti Akedah replayed Musical Depictions

Jewish Traditions Book of Jashar, Chapter XXII

Christian Commentary Augustine of Hippo: The City of God, Book XVI, Chapter 31ff

Islamic Interpretations Qur’an, Surah 37: Classical Hadith—before 891CE

Modernity and Re-Making of Tradition Franz Kafka: On Abraham

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