Big Ideas · 1 · Abraham and Sarah
From many, one
The Bible tells how one family became many. Historians see the reverse: many unrelated clans were later given common ancestors.
Shared ancestors can be a choice to belong together.
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By tracing diverse clans back to Abraham and Sarah, biblical writers made a case for national unity, much as e pluribus unum does. That model has since inspired projects of peoplehood from Asia and Africa to Europe and America.
Bible reference: Isaiah 51:2
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 26–28
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