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Why does the binding of Isaac story use the unique term ע.ק.ד (ʿ.q.d)?
Prof.
Gary Rendsburg
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The Akedah (binding of Isaac) takes place on a mountain in the obscure land of Moriah. When a Judahite scribe later revised the story to have the angel of YHWH stop Abraham from killing his son, he connected Moriah with the Jerusalem Temple, thereby giving it a new hieros logos—a sacred founding legend, to compete with the northern worship site Beth-El.
Prof.
Rami Arav
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In the introductory verses of the Akedah (Binding of Isaac), God refers to Isaac as Abraham’s only son, ignoring the existence of Ishmael. Ishmael’s absence has bothered even the earliest readers of the text, but a documentary approach obviates the problem. The key is understanding the relationship between Abraham and Hagar.
Dr.
Philip Yoo
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Grace Leake
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The story of the Akedah appears to present Abraham’s actions in a uniformly positive light. However, Isaac’s absence at the end of the story, and Sarah’s death immediately afterwards, suggested to some traditional and modern commentators a criticism of Abraham.
Prof.
Aaron Koller
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The inscrutable story of the Akedah, can be better understood in light of its subversive sequel, the equally morally complex book of Job.
Judy Klitsner
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A look at the the practice and prohibition of child sacrifice in the Bible and the ambivalence underlying the stories of Jephthah’s daughter, Agamemnon’s daughter, and the binding of Isaac.[1]
Dr. Rabbi
Samuel Z. Glaser
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Do we really want God to remember all that we did?
Prof.
Marc Zvi Brettler
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God promised Abraham that Isaac would be his heir, yet God asked Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. What did Abraham believe that allowed him to reconcile this divine contradiction?
Dr.
Devorah Schoenfeld
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Prof. Rabbi
David R. Blumenthal
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Maimonides believes that any story in the Bible with angels is a prophetic vision. Nahmanides calls this position “forbidden to believe” and claims they are real occurrences. Must the Torah be historically true or just philosophically?
Dr. Rabbi
David Frankel
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The lack of details surrounding God’s first call to Abram—לך לך, “go forth”—or about Abram’s trip to Canaan contrasts starkly with other biblical figures, highlighting that Abraham is not a typical hero.
Prof.
Everett Fox
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The literary similarities between the expulsion of Ishmael account and that of the Akedah implies that a trial is taking place.
Prof.
Rachel Adelman
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Traditional and Critical Approaches
Prof.
Richard Elliott Friedman
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