The story of Abraham is one of the most fascinating and best loved of the Bible. This essay takes readers back to the Bronze Age, some 3,500 years ago, at a time when pharaohs were viewed as living gods. Using sociology, anthropology and etymology, it asks pertinent questions and dissects the Covenant to explore an innovative and thought provoking interpretation that exposes this biblical story li
ke never before: What if the Covenant had been made with an overlord in order to pacify the Valley of Siddim, an important trade corridor between Egypt and Mesopotamia? What if this overlord’s memory had been celebrated and elevated to the rank of deity by Abraham’s descendants? And what if this “deity”, initially worshipped as a local god, would eventually become known as Yahweh?
* This book is original because it alleges that the Abrahamic Covenant had an earthly, rather than divine origin. This eventuality has never seriously been investigated, despite the fact that ancient Canaanites (Israelites) are known for practicing the cult of the ancestors and for worshiping a pagan deity called Baal Berith (“Lord of Covenant”).
*This book is significant because it rests on a wealth of textual, archeological, chronological and dendrochronological evidence. The hypothesis it develops is surprisingly coherent and complete. In addition to offering a synthesis of past dialectics, it solves the biblical chronologies and provides fresh answers to many puzzling questions.
*This book is timely because it demythifies one of the key tenets of the monotheistic religions. By offering a scientific and historical perspective on the origin of the Abrahamic faith that is psychologically far more plausible than that offered by tradition, it could prove an effective tool to defuse fundamentalism and radicalization. Instead of boasting the virtues of blind faith and repudiating those who doubt in an anthropomorphic God that judges and dislikes so many people because they are different, leaders of all fundamentalist religious denominations are invited to reflect on their teachings and eventually make an act of contrition to their faithful brothers and sisters by acknowledging that one of their most fundamental beliefs is utterly flawed. Relieved of the guilt, fear and intolerance that inspire such an archaic godlike figure, these faith followers might finally find the inner peace needed to access a more loving, inclusive and progressive spiritual journey.
