Dr. Neiman places the stories of the Abraham’s familial relations into a larger historical context giving insight into the motivations and prejudices of the Bible’s authors. (58 min.)
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The stories in the Book of Genesis are sometimes strange and disturbing including the accounts of Abraham’s cousin Lot, Abraham’s relationship with Hagar and Ishmael and the sacrifice of Isaac. In this seventh lecture in Dr. David Neiman’s eight part series on the Book of Genesis, Dr. Neiman places these well-known stories in a larger historical context giving insight into the motivations and prejudices of the Bible’s authors. The Sarah-Abraham-Hagar triangle is a reflection of domestic relations in keeping with the laws in the Code of Hammurabi.
Comment on Dr. Neiman’s work
by Professor Cyrus H. Gordon
“Professor David Neiman’s work sparkles with a rare combination of features. It is original and scholarly yet of keen interest to the intelligent non-specialist. Dr. Neiman knows the script the language and content of the cuneiform tablets as well as the Hebrew original of the Old Testament. Unlike pedantic academicians he shows how engaging the story of mankind really is regardless of the age or the intellectual and religious atmosphere.”
