Traditions about the Early Life of Abraham represents the first in a series of books in the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) collection at Brigham Young University. Here the authors have assembled and translated more than 100 ancient and medieval stories from their original Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Persian, Coptic, and Egyptian sources, all in an effort to piece together the early life of Abraham. This unprecedented compilation sheds new light on the Book of Abraham as an authentic ancient text and will be a welcome resource for biblical and religious studies scholars.

“Abrahamic religions” has gained currency in scholarly and ecumenical circles as a way to refer to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Carol Bakhos steps back from the convention to ask: What is Abrahamic about these three faiths? She challenges references to Judaism and Islam as sibling religions and warns against uncritical adoption of the term.

"An important work which cannot be ignored." -Journal of Biblical Literature "The author has undertaken an objective evaluation of the more serious scholarly attempts at reconstructing the early Patriarchal Period during the past half century of archaeologically oriented research. . . . He presents a wealth of extra biblical material, in conjunction with the biblical, to determine how much of the data dealing with Abraham (and in part with Isaac) are historical and how the data in general are to be handled. . . . The study provides a badly needed whiff of fresh air in a period whose scholarly atmosphere has become stale. Three useful indexes . . . bring this volume to a close." -Harry Orlinsky, JWB Circle "Old Testament Scholars have learned to expect critical precision and provocative insight from the pen of John Van Seters. His book on the Abraham traditions meets those expectations in detail not previously available in print and this must be welcomed by all involved in Pentateuchal research." -George W. Coats, Interpretation Abraham in History and Tradition evaluates previous scholarly insight on the early patriarchal period while challenging many dominant views in Biblical Studies and providing criticism on tradition history and documentary hypothesis. Upon its initial publication in 1975, this landmark work provided fresh insight in the fields of Near Eastern Studies and Biblical Archaeology. Well-researched and cogent, Van Seter's groundbreaking analysis remains relevant and continues to inspire new research in the present. John Van Seters is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Provides a history of Abraham, revealing that the original story embedded in the Bible is actually the oldest historical biography, and takes readers on Abraham's journey through the Middle East.

Nine essays by scholars who research the intersections of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literary traditions explore various aspects of the textual and behavioral connections among these three major Near Eastern religious communities. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)

In the book of Genesis, God bestows a new name upon Abram--Abraham, a father of many nations. With this name and his Covenant, Abraham would become the patriarch of three of the world's major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Connected by their mutual--if differentiated--veneration of the One God proclaimed by Abraham, these traditions share much beyond their origins in the ancient Israel of the Old Testament. This Very Short Introduction explores the intertwined histories of these monotheistic religions, from the emergence of Christianity and Islam to the violence of the Crusades and the cultural exchanges of al-Andalus. Each religion continues to be shaped by this history but has also reacted to the forces of modernity and politics. Movements such as the Reformation and that led by seventh-century Kharijites have emerged, intentioned to reform or restore traditional religious practice but quite different in their goals and effects. Relationships with states, among them Israel and Saudi Arabia, have also figured importantly in their development. The Abrahamic Religions: A Very Short Introduction brings these traditions together into a common narrative, lending much needed context to the story of Abraham and his descendants. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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