RABBINIC PORTRAYAlS OF THE fiRST ARAB A volume in the SUNY series in Judaica: Hermeneutics, Mysticism, and Religion Michael Fishbane, Robert Goldenberg, and Elliot Wolfson, editors Rabbinic Portrayals of the First Arab Carol Bakhos State University of New York Press The author and the publisher are grateful to the Koret Foundation's jewish Studies Publication Program for their generous support. Cover image: Dreamstime.com Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2006 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Production by Judith Block Marketing by Susan M. Petrie Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bakhos, Carol. Ishmael on the border : rabbinic portrayals of the first Arab I Carol Bakhos. p. em. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13:978-0-7914-6759-6 ISBN-10: 0-7914-6759-7 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Arabs in the Bible. 2. Bible. O.T. Genesis-Criticism, interpretation, etc. 3. Ishmael (Biblical figure) 4. Esau (Biblical figure) 5. Ishmael (Biblical figure) in rabbinical literature. 6. Esau (Biblical figure) in rabbinical literature. I. Title. BS1199. A66B35 2006 296.1 '2083058927-dc22 2005018667 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 CoVJt~VJt$ 1VJtro&tuctl.oVJ 1 M~~~~ 4 Overview 10 Ch~-rter 1. 1shm~et ~Vld es~u : .i\1~r~i.VJ~li.!ted .i\1eVJ of the ']i.ble 13 Ishmael in the Bible 14 Esau in the Bible 2 3 Ch~-rtel' 2. 1shm~el tVJ '!~VJVJ~i.t(c ~Vld .s4mor~k: .Llter~ture 31 The Tannaitic Sources 32 The Amoraic Sources 3 7 Ch~-rter 3· 'the ~~bbi.s ~Vld 'thetl' Others 47 The Pairing of Ishmael and Esau in Rabbinic Literature 54 Esau as Real Other 63 Ishmael, the Ishmaelites, and the Children of Keturah 65 The Arab Descendants oflshmael 67 Abraham's Descendants and Israel's Divine Election 74 The Role of Christianity in the Depiction of the Other 79 Ch~-rter 4· 1shm~el tVJ J.~ter .i\1i.dr~shi.m 85 The Treatment of Ishmael in Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer 96 Abraham's Visits to Ishmael in Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer 104 Abraham's Visits to Ishmael in Arabic Sources 116 v vi Contents Revisiting the Visits 119 The Ishmaelites in Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer 123 Condusi.ons 129 135 183 201 Ishmael on the Border: Rabbinic Portrayals ofthe First Arab builds on and de­ velops the ideas explored in my doctoral dissertation, Rabbinic Portrayals of Ishmael. Although this work for the most part retains the overarching framework of the former, and reaches some of the same conclusions, the study of rabbinic texts here is significantly more detailed and nuanced, and thus leads me to draw different conclusions with respect to why the rab­ binic treatment of Ishmael changes in the early medieval literature. There has been a marked resurgence of interest in the intertwined relationship of rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity over the past several years. Taking into account and addressing the matters raised in recent works, I have con­ siderably refined my earlier discussion on the degree to which rabbinic lit­ erature reflects an engagement with Christian and Muslim theological claims, and redressed related issues. It would have been impossible to complete this work without the gracious support of family, friends, and colleagues whose warmth and well wishes sustained me during various stages of this project. I am grateful to the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary, espe­ cially Richard Kalmin whose dedication, patience, wealth of knowledge and good judgment contributed greatly to my formation as a scholar. Stephen Garfinkel, Raymond Scheindlin, Stephen Geller, Benjamin Gampel and Eliezer Diamond each in his own way was and ever remains, a fount of knowledge and a source of encouragement. This work has benefited enormously from the attention of Seth Schwartz, whose erudition never ceases to amaze me. I am grateful for the many enlightening and engaging conversations we have had over the years, for his critical reading of this work, and above all for his friendship. I also wish to thank my former colleagues in the Department of Religion at Middlebury College, 0. Larry Yarbrough and Katherine VII viii Acknowledgments Sonderegger, a most inspiring interlocutor who helped me sharpen the conceptual framework of my thesis. I am indebted to William Schniedewind and Michael Cooperson, my colleagues at UCLA, who commented on earlier versions of some of the chapters. Reuven Firestone, Robert Goldenberg and Joel Kaminsky read a first draft of the manuscript. Their keen reading of the manuscript im­ proved it immeasurably. And finally, I am thankful to Dana Foote, Mac­ cabee Avishur, and Candice Levy for their editorial assistance. Of course it goes without saying (but I will state it anyway) that no one other than I should be held accountable for shortcomings one may find in the work. This study was made possible in part by funds granted by the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, and most recently by the Koret Foundation. The statements made and views expressed, however, are solely the responsibility of the author. I wish to thank my mentors Jon Levenson, who introduced me to the playful, yet reverent world of midrash, and Brother Jerome O'Connell, who passed away in 1998. Brother Jerome fostered my love of literature and often reminded me oflreneaus's words, "God's glory is man fully alive." In A Driven Leaf, Milton Steinberg writes: "No matter what other doubts we entertain, we cannot question the reality of friendship. And in a world where so little is certain, that is a good deal." Indeed it is so. I thank Barbara Butterworth, Paul Dry, Vivienne Kneider, Alexa Midthassel, and Walid Saleh for their constant support and friendship, which is a very good deal. This book is dedicated to the memory of my father, Mehsen Bakhos (1932-1998), who believed me when I said, "soon." The world of acade­ mia, let alone the world of the rabbis, was alien to him. Yet, in his own way he delighted and took pride in my pursuit. This book is also dedicated to Dr. Arthur Carr, Professor Emeritus of Columbia University, who despite the near fifty years between us, is a steadfast friend and confidant. Arthur's zest for life-that is, his deep appreciation of the ordinary-his intellectual curiosity, and his passion for the Arts inspire me endlessly. I thank him for encouraging me, for often chiding me (there is nothing like a good tongue­ lashing to whip one into shape), but more than anything else, I thank him for the laughter. For this and more I am grateful. ore than any other figure in the Hebrew Bible, Ishmael evokes a variety of associations from nomads to Moby Dick. A recent question put to me by a rabbi highlights the unusual place Ish­ mael has in Jewish thought: "So, your work is not about Rabbi Ishmael, but the Ishmael of Islam?" Though Ishmael is a prominent figure in Islam's theological history, and in Arab genealogy, the rabbi's question reveals a widely held assumption about the figure of Ishmael; namely, that he plays no role in the Jewish tradition. Today more than ever, this assumption plays itself out in references to the putatively antagonistic brothers "Isaac and Ishmael," who have come to represent Judaism and Islam. The rabbi's question implicitly relegates Ishmael to a status that inaccurately reflects Ishmael's position vis-a-vis Judaism. Indeed, since the medieval period, Ishmael has often, but not exclusively, symbolized Islam. Ishmael's place nonetheless is marginal, but is it marginal within the Jewish tradition. As Abraham's rejected son, he cannot play a consequential role in Judaism. At the same time, as a figure who was part of early Israelite history, he cannot be excluded-set fully apart-from that history. Because rabbinic literature implicitly recognizes his marginalized status, it can neither embrace nor disavow him unequivocally. To answer the rabbi's question, this work is not about R. Ishmael or Islam's Ishmael. Rather, it focuses narrowly on the figure of Ishmael in classical rabbinic literature from the tannaitic period (ca. first through third centuries CE) through the early Middle Ages and traces the nuances and shifts in rabbinic portrayals of Ishmael over a period of a thousand years. Compilations such as the Tosefta, Sifre Deuteromony, Genesis 2 Ishmael on the Border Rabbah, and the Tanl).uma literature provide a basis for distinguishing trends in the ways in which the rabbis grappled with the elusive nature of Ishmael's character. This work also examines rabbinic depictions of Esau, the Ishmaelites, and the children of Keturah to the extent that an under­ standing of their portrayal sheds light on the rabbinic treatment of Ishmael. A study of rabbinic sources dealing with Ishmael leads to the follow­ ing conclusions: The portrayal of Ishmael before the rise of Islam can be neutral, positive, or negative; after the emergence of Islam, however, he is consistently portrayed more negatively. Despite the connection made be­ tween Ishmael and Arabs in early Jewish writings such as Jubilees and the works of Josephus, as well as in tannaitic texts, Ishmael rarely symbolizes the Arab people but rather, like the Ishmaelites and the children of Ketu­ rah, he often represents the rabbinic Other.