Akedah: The Binding of Isaac

This is an in-depth study of a biblical story that excites curiosity while repelling readers with the thought that Abraham was ready to express his obedience to God by sacrificing his own son. The story of the Akedah, Abraham's binding and near sacrifice of his son, Isaac, is one of the most enigmatic passages of the Bible. Not only a story of Abraham's devotion to God, this biblical episode reflects the classic tension between generations. Louis A. Berman uses his training as a psychologist and his personal experience as a father to craft his intensive inquiry into the Akedah. The Akedah: The Binding of Isaac opens with a careful reading of Genesis 22, taking time to discuss crucial words and phrases. However, an understanding of Genesis 22 hinges not only on knowing the episode itself, but on knowing what surrounds it. Therefore, the reader is systematically acquainted with the biblical context of the story, and with significant biblical concepts that give the story its meaning. The binding of Isaac lends itself to countless interpretations, and chapters of The Akedah are devoted to many of them. The interpretations explored? martyrdom, atonement, the test of obedience, response to disaster, and the sanctity of human life are drawn from a broad range of sources. The multitude of interpretations of the Akedah is part of what makes the event so accessible to a diverse number of readers. This is an in-depth study of a biblical story that excites curiosity while repelling readers with the thought that Abraham was ready to express his obedience to God by sacrificing his own son. Louis A. Berman examines the place of the Akedah story in world mythology, in history, in psychology, in Christian and Islamic thought, in art and music, and in the literature of England, America, and Israel.