Bible Review

Several other scholars have suggested extending J at least as far as Friedman does. They include Karl Budde, Gustav Hölscher and Wilhelm Resenhöfft. See Albert de Pury, “Yahwist (‘J’) Source,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), vol. 6, pp. 1012–1020.

See Molly Dewsnap, “The Twins and the Scholar,” BAR 22:05.

See Raphael Levy, “First ‘Dead Sea Scroll’ Found in Egypt Fifty Years Before Qumran Discoveries,” BAR 08:05.

Va-yisa is the third person masculine form of the verb NS’; va-tisa is the feminine form.

Va-yelech is the third person masculine form of HLK, “to go”; va-telech is the feminine form.

This is the second time Hagar leaves Abraham’s home; the first occurred when she was pregnant with Ishmael. On Sarah’s motives in casting out Hagar, see Jonathan Kirsch, “What Does Sarah See?” BR 14:05.

In some Islamic traditions, it is Ishmael, not Isaac, who is bound to the altar.

Although many translations use the term “concubine,” the Hebrew has the word isha (Genesis 16:3), which means “wife,” rather than pilegesh, which means “concubine.”

Midrash is a genre of rabbinic literature that includes nonliteral elaborations of biblical texts. The midrash Genesis Rabba 84:6, for example, notes the affinities between Jacob and Joseph.

Midrash (plural midrashim, from Hebrew for “searching for”) is a genre of rabbinic literature that includes nonliteral elaborations on the biblical text.