The Siegal Lifelong Learning Program will offer a preview of the fall semester followed by a lecture by Aaron Koller, professor of Near Eastern studies and chair of the Robert M. Beren Department of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m.
About the lecture
Is the Sacrifice of Isaac a forerunner of the martyrdom of Jesus, or a symbol of the guarantee of God’s devotion to the Jews? Is Ishmael the hero of the story, or a foil to the main character? The story of the Akedah, the Binding, of Genesis 22 is endowed with cosmic significance in both rabbinic literature and the New Testament, and is told in the Qur’an, as well.
This lecture will explore the different ways the story was understood and developed within the three Abrahamic traditions, and how those understandings impacted each other, as well. We will see that it is not just the details that differed, but that the very meaning of the story differs from tradition to tradition and from faith to faith.
The remote lecture is free to all, but online registration is required.