The Binding (Aqedah) and Its Transformations in Judaism and Islam: The Lambs of God (Mellen Biblical Press Series)

The story of the Binding of Isaac (Aqedah) has long attracted the attention of scholars. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim thinkers still search for the most significant interpretations in order to strengthen their unique theological perceptions of the tale. Christian scholars have often focused on parallels between the binding of Isaac and the crucifixion of Jesus. However, little serious research has been undertaken to examine the story of the binding as it appears in Jewish and Islamic traditions, and see whether the parallel components could be found in the binding of Isaac vis a vis the binding of Ishmael. The Koranic story does not mention a name for the one who is bound, and Muslim scholars until the 12th century disputed the missing name, some suggesting that it was Isaac, others arguing that it was Ishmael. This volume presents an examination of the two traditions and analyzes the process of how the colourful tapestry of oral tradition transformed into more rigid religious doctrine, showing the interactions and transformations of the tale as it grows within the constraints and across the bounds of these differing traditions. This research seeks to encourage students of the Bible to view the Aqedah through the fascinating and fluid aesthetic of the oral tradition in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.