In this discursive commentary Joseph Blenkinsopp explores the story of Abraham -- iconic ancestor of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- as told in Genesis 11-25. Presented in continuous discussion rather than in verse-by-verse form, Blenkinsopp’s commentary focuses on the literary and theological artistry of the narrative as a whole.

Blenkinsopp discussses a range of issues raised in the Abraham saga, including confirmation of God’s promises, Isaac’s sacrifice and the death of Jesus, and Abraham’s other beloved son, Ishmael. Each chapter has a section called “Filling in the Gaps,” which probes some of the vast amount of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic commentary that the basic Genesis text has generated through the ages.

In an epilogue Blenkinsopp looks at Abraham in early Christianity and expresses his own views, as a Christian, on Abraham. Readers of Blenkinsopp’s Abraham: The Story of a Life will surely come away with a deeper, richer understanding of this seminal ancient figure.