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December 7, 2005
The binding
The Akedah, or the binding of Issac, is the story from the bible where Abraham takes Issac up Mount Moriah, binds him to sacrifice him, and G-d stops the situation, and this become the repudiation of human sacrifice by the Jews and perhaps plants the seeds for its disappearance in all of the west. Many, perhaps most, ancient societies practiced human sacrifice. The Romans was abolished it by a senatorial decree as late as 97 BCE!
When I was a kid, I always thought (perhaps I was told, or maybe I just assumed) that Issac was a child or perhaps a teenager. But according to Josephus, Isaac is twenty-five years old at the time of the sacrifice, while the Talmudic sages teach that Isaac is thirty-seven. So Abraham, who is either 125 or 137 (thus the confusion about Issac's age) was an old man who could easily have
been stopped by the young Issac.
I've never heard anyone argue this before, but I wonder if this is an important componant of Issac's piety. Being dutiful to his father and hearing G-d's call.
Posted by OneEyedMan at December 7, 2005 9:47 AM
Comments
I always took this to be just another one of the strange chronological hickups that seem to occur frequently throughout the earlier bits of the pentateuch, where we frequently have 19 year olds being carried in there mothers arms.
However, I think that your interpritation is a very interesting one, and I will most definiately throw it at people the next time the conversation comes up.
Posted by: giblfiz ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.belligerati.net/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 7, 2005 5:04 PM
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