Abraham, the Nations, and the Hagarites

Jews, Christians and Muslims describe their origins with close reference to the narrative of Abraham, including the complex story of Abraham's relation to Hagar. This volume sketches the history of interpretation of some of the key passages in this narrative, not least the verses which state that in Abraham all the nations of the earth will be blessed. This passage, which features prominently in Christian historiography, is largely disregarded in ancient Judaism, prompting the question how the relation between Abraham and the nations was perceived in Jewish sources. This focus is supplemented with the question how Islamic historiography relates to the Abraham narrative, and in particular to the descent of the Arabs from Abraham through Ishmael and Hagar. In studying the traditional readings of these narratives, the volume offers a detailed yet wide-ranging analysis of important aspects of the accounts of their origins which emerged within the three Abrahamic religions.

Review:

this is an excellent volume, exploring a mulitude of different facets of the Abraham narrative [...]. All of the chapters are of a high standard and much of the exegetical work is excellent. The chapters by the three editors, in particular, are exceptional. For a single volume on the Abraham narratives, the Hagarites, and the nations, this work deserves to stand as the definitive work on the topic currently available.' Mark Finney, Journal of Theological Studies Volume 63 Part 1, 2012 'wichtigen, sorgfaltig edierten [...] Band, der die hohe Bedeutung rezeptionsgeschichtlicher Fragestellungen unterstreicht.' Martin Rosel, University of Rostock, Journal for the Study of Judaism 43 (2012)