Book contents
- Why the Bible Began
- Why the Bible Began
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- Part I The Rise and Fall
- Part II Admitting Defeat
- Part III A New Narrative
- 15 Jeremiah and Baruch
- 16 Isaac and Rebekah
- 17 Moses and Joshua
- 18 Hannah and Samuel
- 19 Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
- 20 Jonah and the Whale
- 21 Yhwh and His People
- Part IV A People of Protest
- Subject Index
- Scholars Cited
- Biblical References
- References
16 - Isaac and Rebekah
The Family Story
from Part III - A New Narrative
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 July 2023
- Why the Bible Began
- Why the Bible Began
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- Introduction
- Part I The Rise and Fall
- Part II Admitting Defeat
- Part III A New Narrative
- 15 Jeremiah and Baruch
- 16 Isaac and Rebekah
- 17 Moses and Joshua
- 18 Hannah and Samuel
- 19 Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
- 20 Jonah and the Whale
- 21 Yhwh and His People
- Part IV A People of Protest
- Subject Index
- Scholars Cited
- Biblical References
- References
Summary
The present chapter is an outlier. It treats a single story from the book of Genesis, using it as a case study for the composition-history of the National Narrative. With our focus on the texture of the text, we will witness how scribes, working across both generational and geographical gulfs, synthesized and supplemented originally unrelated materials to create a sweeping saga of one family. The editorial techniques on display in this account have shaped the entire biblical corpus, and thus one can apply what is learned here to the interpretation of other biblical writings. (Some readers may wish to skip this chapter, as it dives deep into the details of textual analysis.)
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Why the Bible BeganAn Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins, pp. 252 - 269Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023