Texts · 16 · Isaac and Rebekah
From parable to divine promise
Originally, Isaac's story staked a claim to Beersheba through a treaty with a local king. Later additions turned it into a divine promise of 'all these lands.'
Additions can transform a story's meaning.
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The older tale has no mention of Yhwh or the nation. Supplements made Isaac's descendants as numerous as the stars and connected the family stories to the exodus and conquest.
Bible reference: Genesis 26:3–4
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 262–265
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