| Title | Early Tenth-Century Judaeo-Arabic Exegesis on the Visit to Abraham |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Miriam Goldstein (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0464.16 |
| Landing page | https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0464/chapters/10.11647/obp.0464.16 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Miriam Goldstein; |
| Publisher | Open Book Publishers |
| Published on | 2025-03-07 |
| Long abstract | The article presents a critical edition of a passage from Jacob al-Qirqisānī’s Kitāb al-Riyāḍ wa-l-Ḥadāʾiq that contains his Judaeo-Arabic commentary on Genesis 18:1–15, analysing the text. The commentary examines the classic exegetical question regarding the relationship between the appearance of the Lord to Abraham and the approach of the three men. Al-Qirqisānī evaluates interpretations that consider the men to be angels, humans, or a combination of both, highlighting their roles and significance. He also addresses Sarah’s laughter upon hearing the promise of a son, reinterpreting her response to maintain her moral integrity. By synthesising earlier and contemporaneous views, including refutations of alternative opinions, the text demonstrates a rationalist method grounded in scriptural and linguistic analysis. The study contextualises this work within Karaite biblical exegesis and underscores its role in the intellectual and theological traditions of the Islamic East. |
| Page range | pp. 489–522 |
| Print length | 34 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Landing Page | Full text URL | Platform | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0464/chapters/10.11647/obp.0464.16 | Landing page | https://books.openbookpublishers.com/10.11647/obp.0464.16.pdf | Full text URL |
Miriam Goldstein (PhD, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) is Professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She specialises in medieval Judaeo-Arabic texts, focusing on interreligious relations in the medieval Arabic-speaking world as well as Judaeo-Arabic Bible exegesis. She is author of Karaite Exegesis in Medieval Jerusalem (Mohr Siebeck, 2011) and A Judeo-Arabic Parody of the Life of Jesus: The Toledot Yeshu Helene Narrative (Mohr Siebeck, 2023) and has published numerous articles on Arabic and Judeo-Arabic literature. Prof. Goldstein’s current major project is a critical edition and translation of the Judaeo-Arabic Pentateuch commentaries of the Baghdadi Karaite scholar Yaʿqub al-Qirqisani.