The substitution of Isaac by a ram in the story called «Abraham's sacrifice» or «Binding of Isaac» follows an ancient pagan pattern, visually attested on cylinder seals since the Old Babylonian and Old Syrian period. The story therefore...
moreThe substitution of Isaac by a ram in the story called «Abraham's sacrifice» or «Binding of Isaac» follows an ancient pagan pattern, visually attested on cylinder seals since the Old Babylonian and Old Syrian period. The story therefore can not be interpreted as the ethical, civilized monotheistic version of a former bloody pagan rite. Furthermore the polytheistic constellation of a smiting god and a redeeming goddess is still detectable in the Hebrew text of Gen 22 behind the testing Elohim and the redeeming messenger of YHWH.
