The Five Most Terrifying Words in the Bible

“A fast-moving account of a wide-ranging and deeply penetrating religious topic, and Goodman closes with an important reminder on how the subject of sacrifice for religious obedience is relevant to the contemporary issue of religious extremism. A well-researched and stirring account of how various communities, scholars and artists interpret the willingness to sacrifice life for […]

“A fast-moving account of a wide-ranging and deeply penetrating
religious topic, and Goodman closes with an important reminder on how the subject
of sacrifice for religious obedience is relevant to the contemporary issue of religious extremism. A well-researched and stirring account of how various communities,
scholars and artists interpret the willingness to sacrifice life for God.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Obviously fascinated by the story, Goodman demonstrates great prudence in not
offering his explanation but in asserting that the story has many meanings. This
refreshing restraint along with the author’s writing skills make his contribution an
important addition to the libraries of commentaries about Abraham and Isaac that
vainly strive to explain what is ultimately unfathomable.” —Publishers Weekly

“A fresh and exciting take on the different ways in which the Binding of Isaac has been understood down through the centuries, and also covers how we should understand it
today. He writes as one who is both a son and a father, both a Jew and a person in search
of meaning, and, above all, as a storyteller who is fascinated by this ancient tale, and who
lets his imagination run free over what it meant and what it means . . . . It is enough to
say that this book is a must-read.” —Rabbi Jack Riemer, Jewish News Service


“I didn’t think he’d do it. I really didn’t think he would. I thought he’d say, whoa, hold on, wait a minute. We made a deal, remember, the land, the blessing, the nation, the descendants as numerous as the sands on the shore and the stars in the sky.”

So begins BUT WHERE IS THE LAMB? (Schocken Books / September 10, 2013 / $25), James Goodman’s original and urgent encounter with one of the most compelling and resonant stories ever told—God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

BUT WHERE IS THE LAMB? Imagining the Story of Abraham and Isaac (Schocken Books / September 10, 2013 / $25), is James Goodman’s original and urgent encounter with one of the most compelling and resonant stories ever told—God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

James Goodman is a professor at Rutgers University, where he teaches history and creative writing. He is the author of two previous books, including Stories of Scottsboro, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in New York. www.jamesgoodmanwriter.com

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