Bound by the Bible
Jews, Christians and the Sacrifice of Isaac

This book explores Jewish and Christian interpretations of the biblical story of the Sacrifice of Isaac.

Edward Kessler (Author)

9780521835428, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 September 2004

236 pages, 13 b/w illus.
23.4 x 15.6 x 1.4 cm, 0.51 kg

'Scholarly in its detailed analysis... each chapter is helpfully divided into the same three sections... making it easy to follow the arguments.' Epworth Review

The Sacrifice of Isaac is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. It is also a shocking account of how Abraham's faith in God was demonstrated by a willingness to sacrifice his long-awaited son at God's command. This story has been a source of fascination for Jews and Christians for many centuries and here, Edward Kessler offers an enthralling account of Jewish and Christian interpretations of this biblical story. For understandable reasons, it has been assumed that Judaism influenced Christian interpretation but relatively little attention has been given to the question of the influence of Christianity upon Judaism. Kessler provides an insight into this absorbing two-way encounter and argues that neither Jewish nor Christian interpretations can be understood properly without reference to the other. As Jews and Christians lived, and continue to live, in a biblically orientated culture, Kessler shows how both were 'bound by the bible'.

Introduction
1. Verses 1-2: God tests Abraham
2. Verse 3: the response
3. Verses 4-5: the servants and the three day journey
4. Verses 6-8: Abraham and Isaac's journey to Moriah
5. Verses 9-12: Abraham and Isaac on Moriah
6. Verses 13-14: the sacrifice of the ram
7. The artistic exegetical encounter
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Judaism [HRJ], Christian theology [HRCM], Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG]