Friday, September 10, 2010

Imagining the binding of Isaac

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Today is the second day of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year.
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The Torah portion that is read on this day is Genesis 22, God's testing of Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son on Mount Moriah.
In Hebrew we call it the Akedah, the binding of Isaac.
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Below is a wide variation of artistic portrayals of the story, on display at the Jewish museum in Jerusalem's Hechal Shlomo.
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"Abraham's sacrifice," designed by W. Breathe, England, 1870, porcelain, manufactured by Wedgewood.
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On the other extreme is this simple brass tub drilled with holes, made in Israel in the 20th century.
The inscription is "Lay not thy hand upon the lad," the welcome words of God's messenger-angel.
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This is an illustration on a 1743 map of Eretz-Israel, painted in France.
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A painting by Moshe Castel, 1925.
We can see the ram, tangled in the branches by its horns, which will be offered instead of Isaac.
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"The way to the mountain," wool thread on cushion cover, embroidered in Ethiopia in the 1980s.
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The servant boys stay behind with the donkey, Isaac carries the wood for the fire, Abraham carries the knife. Vultures circling above?
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You have to admit, religion has a lot of drama at its core.
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More about Rosh Hashana in previous posts:
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14 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, and congratulations with having such a nice family visiting you.

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  2. A sweet new year!

    I love your survey of related art, the Ethiopian really rounded it out, Dina.



    ShAloha from Waikiki

    Comfort Spiral

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  3. I really enjoy these images from the Jewish Museum. All very nice works of art, the cushion is so original and attractive.

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  4. Love the Castel painting and the Ethiopian embroidery. Thanks!

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  5. An interesting gallery about Rosh Hashana, so many different way to depict the same event...

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  6. A wonderful happy new year to you and all your beautiful family, Dina.

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  7. I like the artwork you showed us and how varied it is. Nice work. Also enjoyed the previous post.

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  8. It's a wide variation indeed. A pillow from Ethiopia?! How interesting.

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  9. Your post is interesting and relevant, Dina. But you'll understand me, I hope, when I say that sometimes religion has more than enough drama at its core. Too often it seems to inflame the peaceful and loving side of it.

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  10. I learn so much, some days, visiting your posts. Thanks!

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  11. A beautiful collection, Dina. I had to smile at your last statement. So true.

    Happy New Year!

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  12. Once I wrote a five page essay upon this. Many thanks upon the memories.

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