Lesson Twenty-Eight: The Significance of Abraham in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Traditions

“It is impossible for one who has studied at all the services of the Hebrew people to avoid the faith that they will one day be restored to their historic national home and there enter on a new and yet greater phase of their contribution to the advance of humanity. -President Warren Harding

LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN THE CHIASMIC EPISODIC STRUCTURE OF THE ABRAHAMIC STORY

Lesson Overview

An "episodic narrative" is a story told through a series of episodes, or segments. The events are loosely connected parts or events. The biblical account of Abraham, Genesis, Chapters 12-36, is in episodes with an overreaching, larger story called a metanarrative. The chiasmic metanarrative divides into smaller, self-contained adventures about the relationship between God and Abraham. A chiasm (also called a chiasmus) is a literary device with a sequence of ideas presented and then repeated in reverse order. The Abraham story has a “mirror” effect as the main ideas “reflect” one another within the passages. (Repeated words and events connect the main ideas.) Students will examine the episodic chiasmic structure of the Abraham narratives.

Key Concepts: episodes, chiasm (also called a chiasmus), continuity of plot, doublets, chiasmic metanarrative

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:  use online Bible study tools to access, read, interpret, and explain information.  examine the episodic chiasmic structure of the Abraham narratives.  interpret the author’s intended meaning of biblical text.  find the meaning of words and phrases based on the context of the passages.  interpret the Hebrew Bible while allowing for use of figurative language.  distinguish between various biblical literary genres, including patriarchal Hebrew narratives.  use information found in online biblical resources to support analyses, reflection(s), and research.  make inferences and draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information using evidence from the text.  draw conclusions and make inferences from primary and secondary sources.  share information about assigned biblical themes logically and accurately.

Expected Learning Objectives

At the end of this lesson, students will:

 understand literary terms related to biblical literacy, such a chiastic episodic narrative.  explain the episodic chiasmic structure of the Abraham narratives  interpret the author’s intended meaning of biblical text.  find the meaning of words and phrases based on the context of the passage.  interpret the Hebrew Bible while allowing for normal use of figurative language.  distinguish between various biblical literary genres, including patriarchal narratives. Duration: 2-3 hours

Materials:

 Video: On the Structure of the Abraham Narratives - Prof. George Savran (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc4SwO_LIjc)

Procedure:

 Watch the video: On the Structure of the Abraham Narratives - Prof. George Savran (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc4SwO_LIjc)  Respond to study questions in full sentences.  Write key points in your notebook and study the notes for future discussions and assessments.  Respond to the reflection at the end of the lesson.  Use your computer’s editing capability to correct writing errors.  Post your reflection on the discussion board.  Label the reflection on the Chiasmic Episodic Structure of the Abrahamic Story.

Study Questions:

Based on the presentation: The Structure of the Abraham Narratives by Prof. George Savran, are the following statements (A) CORRECT or (B) INCORRECT? 1. The narratives about Abraham are the pivotal point of the Book of Genesis. 2. The biblical narratives about Abraham show the growth and development of Abraham's character from youth to old age. 3. The Abrahamic narratives are a continuous story about his quest for an heir and property. 4. In the narratives, Abraham endures ten trials to assess his faith in God. 5. The stylistic structure of the narratives is simple. 6. The story begins in Chapter 12 with God instructing Abraham to leave his birthplace from his father’s land. 7. In reading the Abraham narratives from beginning to end, the overall pattern of his life story is complicated. 8. The narratives do not have details about Abraham’s birth nor are there heroic accounts of his childhood.

9. The Abrahamic narrative begins with his migration toward the Promised land and concludes with his death in Canaan in Genesis 25. 10. The stories do not follow a clear progression, especially when compared to the more conventional chain of events in the Jacob cycle. 11. The order that the narratives recount the adventures in Abraham’s life is not a normal progression. 12. Abraham, the soldier, connects to the context of Abraham as the keeper of flocks. 13. Genesis, Chapter 15 bears no relation to the plotline of Abraham’s quest for land. 14. The forecast of enslavement in Egypt loosely connects to the prophecies of Abraham’s offspring. 15. As the story progresses, Sarah's later initiatives to secure an heir for Abraham in Genesis 16 is unexpected to the reader. 16. The narrative fulfillment of the promise of Abraham’s descendants occurs in Genesis 21. 17. The episodes in Genesis, Chapters 20 and 21 appear suddenly, and the demand to sacrifice Isaac upon the altar is unexpected. 18. Continuity of plot is not the central principle of the organization of the stories. 19. In addition to the difficulties in finding a clear linear progression of the events in the stories, there are doublets. 20. Doublets are two distinct words derived from the same source but by different routes of transmission. 21. The “wife-sister” Abraham story occurs near the beginning of the Abraham cycle in

Chapter 12 and once again at the end of Chapter 20. 22. The promise of Isaac's birth appears twice in Chapters 17 and 18 with different divine reactions to Abraham and Sarah, respectively. 23. Bible scholars see the doublets as indications of a chiastic arrangement of the narratives. 24. Some scholars suggest that the second doublet reflects a reworking of the first. 25. Another proposed organizational principle of the Abrahamic narrative structure focuses on parallel behaviors or actions. 26. The birth of Isaac parallels to the birth of Ishmael, and the covenant of the pieces in

Genesis, Chapter 15 parallels to the covenant of circumcision in Genesis, Chapter 17. 27. The battle of Abraham with the kings in Genesis, Chapter 14 has no parallel narrative in the Book of Genesis. 28. Abraham's childlessness first mentioned in Genesis, Chapter 11 finds expression in his complaint in Genesis, Chapter 15. 29. In the Abrahamic narratives, such as the Hagar-Sarah story, a first action of Abraham results in a later behavior taken without prior consultation with God. 30. While the first actions of Abraham lead to a measure of success, the second part of the story serves as a correction to his first choices. 31. In the narratives, the unifying force is God’s divine guidance that is essential to realizing the larger aims of God plans. 32. Abraham stories have a didactic emphasis of the larger narrative that focuses on a consistent walk with God.

33. Abraham is the recipient of God’s ongoing instruction and continuous correction of his attempts to assert his own authority and control. 34. The episodic narratives center on Abraham's personal destiny in his role as a founder of the Hebrews. 35. Episodes may not always have the same characters, but each episode draws from a broader group of characters.

For Reflection:

How does Sarah's initiatives to secure an heir for Abraham in Genesis 16 reflect the ancient Hebrews’ marriage traditions? How do the traditions compare to modern customs in Western society? (Write five-eight sentences. Edit your writing to correct errors. Post your reflection on the discussion board. Label the post: Marriage Customs of the Ancient Hebrews.) For Reflection: Outline the ten trials which try Abraham’s faith in God. Edit your writing to correct errors. Post your reflection on the discussion board. Label the post: Ten Trials that Test Abraham’s Faith.

For Reflection:

Select one episode from the Abrahamic narratives and discuss the significance of the story as it pertains to the promises that God makes to Abraham. Edit your writing to correct errors. Post your reflection on the discussion board. Label the post: A Reflection on an Episode in the Abraham Chiasm.

A Closing Thought:

“Knowledge of the Bible never comes by intuition. It can only be obtained by diligent, regular, daily, attentive reading.”

— J.C. Ryle

Lesson Overview:

Modern day Palestine (the Promised Canaan) is the home of Jews, Christians, and Arabs. Abraham (Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of these Abrahamic monotheistic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Abrahamic narrative in the Book of Genesis centers on the theme of posterity, land, and blessings in the Promised Land-Canaan. In Judaism, Abraham is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews and God; in Christianity, he is the spiritual forefather of all believers in God, whether Jewish or non-Jewish; and in Islam, he is a common link to the Islamic prophets beginning with Adam and ending with Muhammad. This lesson will supply information about the conflict in the Middle East compared to the descendants of the biblical Abraham and the possession of the Promised Land. Students will review historical and current events in the Middle East and examine the complexities in resolving the issues.

Key Concepts: The Promised Land, Palestine, the Arab Israeli conflict, Quran, or Koran, nationalism, Mecca, The Kaaba, Hajj, intifada, The Balfour Declaration, Nakba Day, the Temple Mount, Hamas, Salam

Objectives:

Students will:  connect the biblical account of the life of Abraham to his descendants in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.  compare the points of view of citizens of Israel and Palestine about the Arab Israeli conflict.  summarize negotiations and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.  give a correct summary of a source.  cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Expected Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the lesson students will:

 understand the role that the Abrahamic narratives play in the Middle East land conflicts.  compare the points of view of Palestinian citizens about the Arab/Israeli conflict.  summarize negotiations and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

Materials:

 Internet access/a computer with editing capability  Video: Abraham, Father of Many Nations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZDoGqFfxg )  Video: The Complete Story of Abraham: The Father of Nations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv9usf6BrEY)  Video: The 12 Tribes of Israel in the Bible (Whiteboard Bible Study) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP-EXMy4Xas)  Article: “Place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity, Judaism” (https://hp.haccessonlineforms.com/? page=newtab&cid=iliimbpbpliabblllmgebklpjkgeagjp&ap=appfocus1&source=d-ccc4lp0-dsf_forms-cp_12887637018-tst1--bb9&uc=20210503&uid=9766caf4-c28a-44ca9b60-4d4f19b54a71&i_id=forms_1.3&)  Video: Conflict in Israel and Palestine (https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-7-the-great-convergenceand-divergence-1880-ce-to-the-future/74-end-of-empires-betaa/v/conflict-in-israel-andpalestine-crash-course-world-history-223-beta)

Procedure:

 Read the article: “Place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.”  Respond to the study questions.  Watch the video lessons and respond to the study questions.  Write a reflection on the lesson. Edit writing for errors.  Post the reflection on the discussion board,  Label the post: A Reflection on Abraham and the Middle East Conflicts

Study Questions:

Article: “Place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity, Judaism” https://hp.haccessonlineforms.com/? page=newtab&cid=iliimbpbpliabblllmgebklpjkgeagjp&ap=appfocus1&source=d-ccc4-lp0dsf_forms-cp_12887637018-tst1--bb9&uc=20210503&uid=9766caf4-c28a-44ca-9b604d4f19b54a71&i_id=forms_1.3&

Directions: Indicate whether the following statements are (A) CORRECT or (B) INCORRECT. 1. In Islam tradition, the name Abraham is Ibrahim. 2. Abraham is a prophet in Islamic cultures.

3. In Islam, a prophet is a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of

God. 4. The phrase “Peace be unto him” (PBUH) follows Abraham’s name in Islamic cultures. 5. Salam is a greeting in Arabic that means "Peace be upon you." 6. As-salamu alaykum is an Arabic greeting that Muslims worldwide use regardless of their language background. 7. In Islam, Abraham (Ibrahim) is a “friend of God” and the father of Ishmael and Isaac. 8. In Islamic tradition, Abraham is the father of Jacob (Yaqub). 9. The Quran, or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. 10. Arabic name for Mecca is Makkah. 11. Mecca is an Arabic city in western Saudi Arabia, found in the Ṣirāt Mountains, inland from the Red Sea coast. 12. Mecca is the holiest city in Islam. 13. The word Hajj (Hadj) means to make a resolve to visit a holy place an refers to Visiting the Ka’ba in Makka (Mecca). 14. The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca takes place in the last month of the year. 15. Hajj involves a series of rituals that take place in and around Mecca over a period of five to six days. 16. The Kaaba (Kaba) is a sanctuary attributed to Abraham and Ishmael. 17. The Kaaba is the central structure around which the Hajj takes place. 18. The visit to the Kaaba stands for devotion to Abraham, Hagar, and Ishmael. 19. In Islamic tradition, Prophet Ibrahim settled his wife and son in the valley of Makkah (Mecca) by God’s order. 20. Mecca is the holiest city in Saudi Arabia.

Study Questions

Directions: View the video: Conflict in Israel and Palestine (https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/whp-origins/era-7-the-great-convergence-anddivergence-1880-ce-to-the-future/74-end-of-empires-betaa/v/conflict-in-israel-and-palestinecrash-course-world-history-223-beta). Respond to the study questions.

Are the following statements (A) TRUE or (B) FALSE? 1. The conflict between Israel and Palestine over the last decades relates to theological and land differences between Islam and Judaism. 2. In both Judaism and Islam, the key prophets descended from Abraham's son Isaac, or his son Ishmael. 3. The main conflict in the Middle East results from different religious views on land inheritances. 4. In the late 19th century, the Ottoman Empire ruled over what we now know as Palestine. 5. According to 1878 Ottoman records, eighty-seven percent of the population was Muslim, ten percent was Christian, and three percent was Jewish.