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to Mo(unt Moriah).... And Ab(raham]) lifted up his (ey)es (and behold there was) a fire. 
[The Palestinian Targums speak of a "cloud of glory" that identifies the mountain. The Midrash, Pirke d'Rabbi Eleazar reads: "He saw a pillar of fire (rising) from the earth to heaven."] 
And he placed (the wood on Isaac, his son, and they went together). And Isaac said to Abraham, (his father, "Behold there is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb) for the burnt offering?" And Abraham said to (Isaac, his son, "God will provide a lamb) for himself. Isaac said to his father, ‘K(pwt)..." 
[There is no second address of Isaac to Abraham in the Bible. By contrast the targumic and midrashic traditions testify to such an additional speech by Isaac. Of Isaac's opening word only the first letter, is legible, but there is space for 15 more letters. This opening letter is a K (kaph). 
In all the surviving Targums and in the Midrash on Genesis Isaac's speech begins with the verb kpwt: "Tie", namely, "Tie my hands properly."]
... the holy angels standing (and) weeping over...
 [No mention of holy angels is found in Genesis 22, but it is standard in the Palestinian Targums: "The eyes of Isaac were looking on the angels on high." Other texts allude to the tears of the ministering angels.]
...his sons from the earth.
And the angels of S(atan)...were rejoicing and saying, "Now he (Isaac) will be destroyed...
 [Satan's associates are delighted by the prospect of Isaac's death.]
whether he will be found weak and whether A(braham) will be found unfaithful (to God. And he called,) "Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here am I." And he said... he (Abraham) is not a lover (of God). 
[The missing words are probably those of God to Satan, e.g. "Now I know that you have lied that he is not a lover (of God)." The Midrash on Genesis positively formulates the statement: "I have made it known to all that you (Abraham) love me."]
And the Lord God blessed Is(aac all the days of his life and he begot) Jacob, and Jacob begot Levi (in the (third) genera(tion. And all) the days of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Lev(i were...years).
[In the Bible God blesses Abraham. The change of subject suits well the leading role granted to Isaac in the Targums.]

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integrity
November 13th, 2009
2:11 AM
It is always good the articles of Geza Vermes. I am not very educated in history, but it is a pure pleasure to read his discoveries, originating from the Dead Sea Scrolls research. His work is important, and acknowledged by the best scholars for its contribution to the human knowledge on the early Christianity.

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