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The Binding of Isaac

Scholar Shalom Sabar, a professor of Jewish Art and Folklore at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, presented a lecture on the binding (or sacrifice) of Isaac in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Art. The “binding of Isaac” refers to the biblical story in which God commands Abraham to build an altar and kill Isaac, the only son of Abraham and Sarah born when the couple was very old. His birth displaced first born son Ishmael, who considered by some to be an ancestor of the Arab people, from his inheritance. Through divine providence, Isaac is spared at the last moment and a ram is sacrificed in his stead. The narrative holds significant meaning for many religions and is depicted in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim art, with much imagery devoted to telling the story.

As a narrative, the story was central to my Christian upbringing since it shows an example of the strong faith of Abraham, the trust of loving son Isaac, and God’s ultimately compassion for those who are devoted to Him. I can only imagine how much more powerful the imagery must have seemed to early illiterate Christians who were expected to give their unconditional support to God and the church.

Since my religious training was not very open or analytic, I was not taught to recognize the similarities between the Isaac and Jesus story. Dr. Sabar outlined these as being promised son, miracle birth (old mother / virgin), sacrifice by father, reprieve from death. This example binds the two faiths to one tradition. The further interpretation in the Muslim tradition speaks to the power of the story and its meaning.


What I found amazing at the lecture was similarities and difference in interpretation of the narrative found in the art presented by Dr. Sabar. His first example was of the 3rd century synaogue in Duro-Europos Syria. Imagery above the altar contained a menorah, temple, hand of God, Isaac, tent, and a ram. Another example showed a primitively styled mosaic on the floor of 6th century synagogue in Beit Alpha with stylized figures and a sideways ram. Photos of these two sites can be found at the educational website. Stone crosses in Ireland depicted a weathered version of the story with the lamb playing a prominent role. Renaissance art by Caravaggio and Rembrandt are much more graphic, almost theatrical, in their interpretation of the event as a drama. Rembrandt’s art is particularly interesting since the imagery of the story changed the angel stopping Abraham’s knife to later image in an etching with the angel embracing both father and son. The later portrays a more nurturing God, as Rembrandt matured. I do wonder how much of the interpretation by artists presents church views verses artist interpretations.

Dr. Sabar also discussed Islamic art and modern interpretations. The Islamic art binds Mecca and Jerusalam and brings Mohammed into the story. Much of the modern art questions the lack of God’s intervention during the Holocaust as presented in the painting entitled “Sarah” and the photographic work by Adi Ness.

The strangest outcome of attending this lecture was finding that an internet search of the “binding of Isaac” primarily yielded discussion and imagery of a recently released video game by the same title.  It is described by a gaming web site as “creepy dark action shooter game,” much like the legend of Zelda. In the game Abraham is pretty much out of the picture as Isaac’s “god loving mother” hides him in the basement where monsters lurk in the dark. My daughter recognized this Isaac for his appearances on popular YouTubes that she has watched recently. Ultimately the lecture demonstrated how inspirational and deeply the narrative can be interpreted.

The question is the answer

I was listening to an NPR radio story on Sunday about David Downie’s book called Paris to the Pyrenees: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James. He was interviewed by Jacki Lyden about his journey walking through the Burgundy wine country and stopping at little inns throughout his journey, which was for some a spiritual pilgrimage. It was more than a physical journey since he said he was “breaking away and unplugging and seeking silence and trying to answer some of the big questions.”

When asked what he found, he talks about a conversation with a monk in a monastery who tells him that “anyone who does this pilgrimage – or any pilgrimage – is driven by an irresistible urge to do it, and they don’t know where it comes from. And sometimes they figure it out while they are walking, or afterwards, or never.”  The story ends with him saying that he came back with more questions and that the question is the answer.

This phrase has echoed in my head all week, as a sort of mantra. Aside from the obvious appeal of his pilgrimage, or any journey that takes one away from comfortable surroundings, his mental starting and stopping point really hit the mark for me. I’ve written about both travel and pilgrimages in the past, but his interview combined the two neatly into one situation.

As a starting point, he just wants to get unplugged. I am not a hugely plugged in person, but I do spend a fair bit of time on computers. Phones and texting have less appeal to me, but they too occupy a portion of my waking hours. I have tried organizing my day so that I only check email and looking at computer screens during a few hours during the mid-day, and found this quite appealing. But, the idea of being on a journey and never checking phone or email is even better.

The trail itself sounds wonderful. He started in Paris, carrying a backpack, and tried to stay off of the road as much as possible.  This meant that he walked through rural spaces which were much less peopled, and had to rely on farms and chance encounters for water. Unlike camping, it sounded like people were part of his journey.

Finally, the most moving part of the story was the phrase “the question is the answer.” When I escape the confines of everyday life, thoughts and ideas come to me that have been buried deep in my consciousness. It’s almost like pulling the stopper of the bottle and letting the Genie emerge, and feels as though I am returning back to who I am. I have always had more questions than answers. Sometimes this has made me feel like I lack commitment, but early in my training as an artist I learned that there are many correct solutions to a problem. This makes life less like a puzzle and more like a series of questions. To conclude that the question is the answer gives the question more value, and the questioner more room to learn and grow.

Clean sweep

Over the weekend I start to notice things around the house that bother me. A dusty surface, an unclean doormat, food specks on the kitchen floor all make me anxious. We are not particularly messy as a family, but we do tend occupy the whole house much more intensely on the weekends.  It’s not that we don’t clean on weekends. Some cleaning is best done then, such as detail work in individual room, kid’s bedrooms, bathrooms and organizing of any closet or pantry, but for the surface cleaning I like to clean the house on Monday morning after everyone leaves for work and school. 

I like to clean. It has a clear objective, and the reward is a house that is nicer to be in. Monday morning cleaning is a race for me since I have about an hour after everyone leaves to do as much as I can before I leave for work. My general technique is to work from top to bottom. I start cleaning and dusting surfaces and work my way towards vacuuming.  If I’m really short for time, vacuuming offers me the biggest reward for my efforts. While people seldom notice the other smaller tasks of sweeping, dusting, and polishing the wood, they almost always notice a nicely vacuumed floor when they return home from school and work. 

The reason for waiting until Monday is that it always yields the longest lasting effect for effort. If I cleaned on Friday, I’d still have to clean again on Monday because of the time we spend in the house. If I wait until Monday, the chances of us keeping in clean throughout the week are greatly increased.

This is not unusual since all of my chores seem to be directed towards starting Monday with a clean slate. Laundry is usually completed, folded, and returned by Monday. Shopping happens on Sunday, and general catching up happens on weekends so that we can begin anew on Monday.

I suppose that my Monday cleaning not the best strategy for my family. It would probably be better for the kids to learn how to clean properly on the weekend.  Unfortunately, a chore oriented model usually requires policing until the jobs are done.  Fun activities such as playing with friends or leaving the house are restricted until tasks are complete.  While learning chores is an important part of everyone’s life, it is much easier to do the tasks than it is to supervise their completion. 

Long ago I had a house cleaner. I liked the discipline of having to have everything picked up before she arrived. This might be a better option than having the kids clean. This way they would have to do something, but not something overwhelming.  Tasks and responsibilities could be increased gradually. I do think that it is inevitable that they will learn how to clean someday on their own but for now I think I will continue with my Monday clean sweep. It affords me the satisfaction of a race, a house that stays cleaner longer, and something to make Mondays distinctive, other than the typical dragging feeling after another too short weekend.

Orange cruiser

I passed an orange cruiser while circling campus today on my semi-regular walk.  This bike happened to be for sale so I stopped to check it out. Color was intense, seat of brown leather looked comfortable, handlebars were appropriately wide, and I think it would have fit me perfectly. What is more important is that I would have looked good riding it.

The problem is that I don’t need a bike. I have a perfectly good and sensible comfort bike which suits me in every way. The orange cruiser lacked gears, handbrakes, and other accessories such as a basket and light. To its favor it did have really large fenders and was very bright orange.

I think that one of the reasons was attracted to the cruiser is because it looked like many of the bikes that I most admire crossing campus. Some lucky people who need to cross campus quickly ride bikes. As they ride, they look like they are relaxed and having fun.  An orange bike is a statement; it says look at me, I’m having fun.

The orange cruiser is a metaphor for life. For me, it is about the clash between internal and external, practical and impractical, frugal and frivolous. Many people would simply buy the bike if they had the money. These are the same people who have many of the luxuries I notice, but am too cheap to buy. Things like smart messenger bags, iPads, trendy clothing, and other props that create an image.

The practicality of owning an orange cruiser in the mountain terrain of Utah has a lot to do with why I am able to fight my urge to buy the bike.  While the bike might offer safety features of increased visibility, it would definitely hinder my ability to climb even the smallest hills surrounding my house. I’ve become gear-dependent, peddling like a hummingbird up hills is the only way I can climb them.

My conflict about the bike is more about over-indulgence. I have more clothing, shoes, and material possessions than I need. Often this does not stop me from buying one more thing. Desire is entirely contrary to need. Last week I learned about a new style of minimalist shoe, not the five-toed ones, and ordered two pairs. They arrived at the beginning of the week and it turns out that only one pair fit so the other will need to be returned.  I should cave-in and return both pairs but my curiosity about how they will feel and desire to have something new will not allow this to happen. Fortunately, like the orange cruiser, they are a bright and cheery color.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from the orange cruiser, the first being that knowing myself should allow me to moderate my buying tendencies. Even if I really needed a bike, this might not be the best one for me. It also reminds me that when I need something, maybe I should think outside the box sometimes and consider going bright or unusual. I’ll know more about this after I’ve had a summer to wear my new bright shoes. Still, I will have to think more about how to have fun in ways that doesn’t involve the purchase of a new bike. The cruiser will have to wait for another less sensible owner.