No alargues la mano contra los niños. ¡Levántalos! El sacrificio de los hijos de Abraham a partir de Gn 22,1-19

Abstract

Traditionally, biblical characters tend to be seen as models, and not as mirrors of human behavior, so it is almost a sin to question their practices, even when they attempt against the lives of children and women. The Hebrew Scriptures are both the national history of a people and a completely religious account of the encounters of this people with their God. The aspects of this national history do not always conform to the ideals of religion, nor do certain issues that are taken for granted in a given text meet the necessary standards in the development of revelation. This article addresses the story of Ishmael’s and Isaac’s sacrifices from the perspective of the family’s intrigues and not only that of the patriarch Abraham and his beloved son Isaac. Likewise, it supports the hypothesis that Gn 22 is a midrastic lecture of ancient traditions, especially Ishmael’s sacrifice in Gn 21. Key words: Book of Genesis; Biblical patriarchs; Sacrifices of children in the Bible; Biblical ethics; Abraham’s children.