Middle Bronze Age II 18001650

1
Middle Bronze Age II 1800-1650

• Traditional era of Israels ancestors
• family stories in Genesis are unlikely to appear
  in written records surviving from ANE
• patriarchal customs (wife-sister, surrogate wife
  Hagar, Rachels theft of teraphim)
• patriarchal names (Isaac Jacob) and the Amorites
• ancestors were ass nomads

2
Israels ancestors in MBII?

• an Amorite movement?
• Tomb of Beni Hasan (1890 BCE)
• Execration texts (Personal and place names)
• Abraham and Sarah separated from their
  people--hence not part of an Amorite movement

3
Anachronisms in the accounts

• a great nation--only after time of David
• Philistines--arrived ca 1200BCE
• Arameans (Isaacs and Jacobs wives) appeared ca
  1100 BCE
• Arabs around 800 BCE (Abraham father of Arabs)
• camels

4
Arguments for antiquity of the traditions about
the ancestors

• religion of the ancestors (God of the fathers El
  Elyon El Shaddai, El Olam)
• Jacob portrayed in unflattering manner
• In the first millennium Israels relationship to
  Arameans was hostile, but it is close in these
  stories.
• Genesis 14? Chedorlaomer, Tidal, Amraphel, Arioch

5
Gen 121-3

• All Gods promises have come true land,
  descendants (great nation), great name
• By you shall all the families of the earth be
  blessed.
• The answer to the question posed by Genesis
  1-11
• Why does God choose us?

6
Being a blessing to the nations

• Abrahams intercession for Sodom (Moab and Ammon)
• Isaac ready for peace with the Philistines (ch
  26)
• Jacob--material aid for Arameans
• Joseph--blessing to Potiphar and Egypt
• Exodus. Pharaoh Goget me a blessing.

7
The Wife-Sister stories in Genesis 1210-20 and
201-18

• Did Abraham tell the truth in saying that his
  wife was his sister?
• Is Abraham described as being particularly
  selfish?
• Was Sarah kept safe in the rulers house?
• How did the ruler discover that the woman in his
  court was really the patriarchs wife?

8
Wife-Sister stories (continued)

• Is Abraham given the title of prophet? What does
  prophet mean in this context?
• Describe the significance of the animals Abraham
  acquires in 1216 and in 2014.
• What is the overall message of the story in
  chapter 12? in chapter 20?

9
The (near) sacrifice of Isaac

• Hebrew narrative contrasted with the Odyssey
• What would have happened if
• Abraham had actually sacrificed Isaac
• Abraham had told Isaac what he was doing
• Isaac had seen his father tremble as he raised
  the knife
• Abraham had found the substitute ram on the way
  up the mountain

10
The (near) sacrifice of Isaac (continued)

• typological connection with crucifixion
• popular motif in Christian art
• in Judaism a meritorious act that reassures
  people that they are safe as Isaacs descendants
  God remembers Isaac and heeds prayer of Jewish
  people
• in Islam Ishmael was the one who was almost
  sacrificed (one and only son)

11
The (near) sacrifice of Isaac (continued)

• Rejection of human sacrifice
• Mt. Moriah site of temple
• vv. 15-18 blessings are a reward for a particular
  act of Abraham
• Abraham believed and obeyed even though every
  proof of Gods goodness was taken away.

12
The Last Days of Abraham

• The Cave at Machpelah--the only real estate owned
  by the ancestors
• Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Leah
  all buried in Cave of Machpelah
• Abraham and Keturah have six sons--he gave them
  gifts and had them move out of the land. 251-6