261 GENESIS 22: WHAT QUESTION SHOULD WE ASK THE TEXT? but begs the question since we may ask why the divinity uses this kind of authority in these particular circumstances and not elsewhere in the Abra- ham cycle. Other possible answers have been proposed 10. Hermann Gunkel was the first to see in the background of the story an old narrative that justified the abolition of child sacrifices 11. Three main objections were raised against a typical “history of religion” way of thinking. First, Isaac himself says in 22,7 that the normal victim of a sacrifice is a lamb or a kid (He- brew hf). Second, child sacrifices are a very rare custom, and specialists contest today that this usage was frequent among Semites, even among Phoenicians and Carthaginians 12. Children’s tombs contain most of the time bodies of infants that died very early, not of sacrificed young human beings. Third, this interpretation may apply to the early stage of the nar- rative, not to the narrative as it stands now. Gerhard von Rad chose a different way and proposed to integrate the text into the wider complex of the history of salvation 13. In a few words, the narrative confirms that the promise will be fulfilled in spite of all dan- gers and difficulties. Again, this view does not bear closer scrutiny. First, Gerhard von Rad interprets Genesis 22 in the framework of an Elohist source where the promises are spelled out by God in Genesis 15. As is generally known, the attribution of Genesis 15 to the Elohist is, to say the least, problematic since the text uses the divine name YHWH throughout. Second, there are no clear links between Genesis 15 and Genesis 22. Third, the existence of a complete and independent Elohistic source is In this part, I depend mostly on K. SCHMID, “Die Rückgabe der Ver- 10 heißungsgabe. Der »heilgeschichtliche« Sinn von Gen 22 im Horizont inner- biblischen Exegese”, Gott und Mensch im Dialog. Festschrift Otto Kaiser zum 80. Geburtstag (Hrsg. M. WITTE) (BZAW 345/1; Berlin – New York 2004) 271-300, with a few additions and some slight variations. H. GUNKEL, Genesis (HK I/1; Göttingen 31910) 240–242. 11 See, for instance, P. MAIBERGER, “Genesis 22 und die Problematik des Men- 12 schenopfers in Israel”, BK 41 (1986) 104-112; S. MOSCATI, Gli adoratori di Moloch (Milano 1991); ID., Il santuario dei bambini (tofet) (Itinerari – XI; Roma 1992); J.D. LEVENSON, The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son. The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity (New Haven, CT 1993); ID., Resurrection and the Restoration of Israel. The Ultimate Victory of the God of Life (New Haven, CT 2006); K. FINSTERBUSCH – A. LANGE – K.F.D. ROMHELD (eds.), Human Sacrifice in Jewish and Christian Tradition (Studies in the History of Religions. Numen Book Series 112; Leiden – Boston, MA 2007). G. VON RAD, Das erste Buch Mose Genesis (ATD 2–4; Göttingen 1952) 13 203-209; see also ID., Das Opfer des Abraham. Mit Texten von Luther, Kierkegaard, Kolakowski und Bildern von Rembrandt (Kaiser Traktate 6; München 1971). © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati