The Woman Who Named God: Abraham's Dilemma and the Birth of Three Faiths

by Charlotte Gordon

The saga of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar is the tale of origin for all three monotheistic faiths. Abraham must choose between two wives who have borne him two sons. One wife and son will share in his wealth and status, while the other two are exiled into the desert. Long a cornerstone of Western anxiety, the story chronicles a very famous and troubled family, and sheds light on the ongoing conflict between the Judeo-Christian and Islamic worlds.

How did this ancient story become one of the least understood and most frequently misinterpreted of our cultural myths? Gordon explores this legendary love triangle to give us a startling perspective on three biblical characters who -- with their jealousies, passions, and doubts -- actually behave like human beings.

The Woman Who Named God is a compelling, smart, and provocative take on one of the Bible's most intriguing and troubling love stories.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, History, Christian, Spirituality, Theology, Christianity

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2009

Reviews

[Wyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolutely wonderfully researched historical study book. It is not a historical fiction story. It is written in a thesis/dissertation manner with careful references to how the 3 different religions have viewed the relationship between Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. I discovered many things that I didn't realize about them and by "humanizing" them, Ms Gordon has brought to mind many emotional points that makes one ponder. Like, how did Sarai really feel about being offered to the Pharaoh. Was Hagar a member of Pharaoh's family or an Egyptian serving girl? Did Sarah ever regret sending Hagar out of the camp? Did Abraham? How have the different religions treated the relevence of God's prophecy during the night of the animal sacrifice. She has studied the different books of the Bible, Torah, and Koran as well as the many articles that have become part of the religions over the centuries. I found it well written, thought provoking, and being a woman, I was also pleased that someone took the time to investigate their relationship from a woman's point of view. Although it is about Sarah and Hagar and their relationship with Abraham, there are also chapters devoted to only Abraham and how his actions and experiences helped or hindered his relationship with his family and followers. Because it left me wanting to go off and explore some of the points for myself, I give this 4 stars.

[Terence · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the page before the Table of Contents, Charlotte Gordon quotes the affirmations of God’s uniqueness found in all three Abrahamic faiths (Deuteronomy 6:4, the Apostles’ Creed and Koran 2:255). Gordon’s book is a perfect example of Robert Wright’s argument in The Evolution of God by Robert Wright that every generation reinterprets its scriptures in light of social, economic and political contexts. In this instance, Gordon offers a rereading of the Abrahamic origin myth that stresses the similarities between Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the irrationality of disputes among these faiths. (In the light of recent history, it should be obvious why some would see the need for this type of reinterpretation.) She also reads the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, and their descendants+ as a story reflecting a dysfunctional human family learning to cope and to accept each other.

Unfortunately, I am not the audience for this book. As a nonbeliever, I have no need to reinterpret the Abrahamic myth nor am I convinced by Gordon’s explication of Abraham’s clan as an archetypal human family. I give it two stars not for any serious lack of writing ability or interpretative skill but because it didn’t address personal interests or offer any radical new insights. This did not, however, make it an uninteresting or useless read. I think the value in a book like this, particularly to believers, is in its reinterpretive value. Recently, I reviewed Dan Diner’s Lost in the Sacred Why the Muslim World Stood Still. There the author advised Muslims to become more secular, creating distinct lay and religious spheres in life as has developed in Western culture. Leaving aside the problems that’s caused for the West, I argued that it was silly and counter-productive to counsel such a course of action, and that a better strategy would be to read scripture in a way that accommodated modernity, stressed cooperation and retained the “sacred” in mundane life. Which is precisely what Gordon is attempting to do here. I am unqualified to judge how successful she is in the light of other readings but this shouldn’t be dismissed in the effort to reconcile so far intractable disputes.

I gleaned five points Gordon wants to make about the importance of Abraham’s story:

• God’s command to Abraham “to go forth” reflects the emergence of the self (cf., Jaynes’ The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind).
• God’s relationship with Abraham’s family, particularly Hagar, is the first time he establishes a personal relationship with worshippers.
• “Hagar’s story offers an alternative creation myth to that of the Romans and Israelites: one that is based on freedom, not slavery, and one where there is no need for brutality or rape.” (p. 137)
• When Hagar names God as “El-roi” (Genesis 16:13), Gordon interprets it as “the one who sees me.” The traditional interpretation is “the god seen in a vision.” If Gordon’s interpretation is the more correct one, she can argue that it’s the first instance of a deity taking notice of one of his worshippers.
• Gordon argues a very idiosyncratic interpretation of Hagar’s and Ishmael’s expulsion: It was a scheme concocted by Hagar and Sarah to protect Ishmael from Abraham, and shows that there was a warm, friendly relationship between the two women. (pp. 226-27)

Well…maybe. It’s an imaginative interpretation, and shows just how flexible the Bible can be but I did have some problems with it:

• Number one is that Gordon assumes that the God of Abraham is the modern concept of God. For some believers this may be perfectly acceptable but the historical evidence is pretty clear that there were no monotheists in 1700 BC (at least none whose stories have survived). Assuming an individual named Abraham actually existed, he was at best a monolatrist.
• Which brings me to my second objection: Gordon ignores the manifest evidence that the Abraham story is a synthesis of now forgotten myths edited by post-Exile Jewish priests.
• She emphasizes Abraham’s “wildness” despite the fact that he and Sarah both came from some of the oldest cities in Mesopotamia, and has a very simplistic vision of the relationship between ancient urban centers and the hinterlands.
• She also makes odd interpretations in other matters. For example, referring to Paul’s “Letter to the Romans” as an attempt to convert Romans to Christianity when he was writing to an established congregation of Roman Christians – they were already believers. In Genesis 18, she argues that God is a fourth presence and not one of the three men who approach him at Mamre. Both my reading and others I’ve seen, include God among the trio. While it’s possible to interpret the words that way, it’s decidedly not the usual one and needs more justification (is the ancient Hebrew clearer?).
• Gordon strays into heresy on page 190 when she suggests God is not all-knowing. This isn’t a bad thing in my view but if Gordon is trying to convince believers, she loses them here.
• Discussing Sodom and Gomorrah, Gordon makes an astonishingly shallow interpretation of Lot and his daughters, whom she characterizes as “valley girl” types (my wording) who missed the opportunities for shopping and flirting denied them in the hills where the family fled. (p. 203) (And, yes, she uses the words “shopping” and “flirting.”)
• Related to my first point above, Gordon accepts the historicity not just of Abraham et al. but also the events of the story (i.e., Sarah’s seriously post-menopausal pregnancy).
• Lastly, Gordon indulges in a lot of speculation about the principals’ motives and thinking that’s ill supported.

Even if I were a believer, I think I would have a problem with some of the spin Gordon contrives even though I sympathize with her motives. Overall, I found Gordon’s reinterpretation interesting if flawed and would be interested in knowing what believers of all three faiths make of it; I definitely would recommend it

+ For simplicity’s sake, I’m going to use Abraham and Sarah throughout rather than Abram and Sarai for the pre-Covenant period.

++ The following has no direct relation to Gordon or her exegesis but in the course of reading this book I became curious about the chronological relationship between Noah and his putative descendant Abraham. So I began with Genesis 11:10-32, which traces the line of Shem to Abraham’s birth. Taking Shem’s birth as Year 1, I came up with the following genealogical tree:

Shem, 1-500
Arphaxad, 100-503
Salah, 135-538
Eber, 165-595
Peleg, 199-408
Reu, 229-436
Serug, 261-461
Nahor, 291-410
Terah, 320-525
Abraham, 390-565

You’ll notice that Shem, a survivor of the Flood, was still alive when Abraham came screaming into the world. Even more remarkable – Noah was still kicking around. In fact, he would hang on until the 450th year after the Flood. The most remarkable “fact” that emerges is that Eber, Shem’s great-grandson and Abraham’s great-great-great-great-grandfather survived Abraham by 30 years.

Does this mean anything? Probably nothing more than a caution against blindly asserting the inerrancy of the Bible. After all, what need would God have had to reassert his power when survivors of the worldwide – WORLDWIDE – Flood were still breathing in Abraham’s day?

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fascinating insights in this book. However, it is marred to some degree, I felt, by a tendency to read the silence of Scripture as indicating something didn't happen. Although Gordon gives a wide variety of possibilities, she then moves to interpret events in the light of the one reading she prefers. Of course, most writers do that - though not so obviously and not across so many chapters.

Intriguing insights include:

Many rabbis consider that the identity of Melchizedek is Shem, son of Noah.

When Pharaoh discovers Sarai is not Abram's sister, he asks the same question that God did of Eve in the Garden of Eden. Moreover, the verb, 'send away', used of Pharaoh's orders is the same as used to describe the expulsion from Eden. (p61; 63)

The animals used in the blood covenant between God and Abram are a heifer (signifying a request for guidance), a goat (signifying a sacrifice for sin), a ram (signifying a request for atonement) and a dove (signifying a request for children to inherit the land of Israel). (p92)

Sarai's proposal to Abram regarding Hagar placed Hagar in exactly the same position as she had been when she was in Egypt in Pharaoh's household. (p103)

Hagar's name is traditionally related to the Arabic word, 'hajara', meaning to flee. (p 119)

The root of the Hebrew word for prophet, 'navi', is related to emptiness or receptiveness. (p120-121)

The first angel in the Bible (ignoring the cherubim at the gates of Eden, of course) appears at the well where Hagar gives a name to God. (p123)

Shaddai is given the unusual translation of 'mountain'. (p 151)

Sarah has a connotation of independence, while Sarai has overtones of possession - meaning my princess. (p 157)

The root of the word Yahweh is to breathe. (p159)

The word 'yahid' refers to favourite son but it is only ever used in connotations of sacrifice. (p247)

Hebron means joined together. (p 280)

Various customs about Christian marriage have derived from the Book of Genesis.
For instance, the bride must give consent to the marriage goes back to Rebecca agreeing to go with Abraham's servant. (p 269)
The veil of a bride should be transparent so that no groom can be tricked as Jacob was. (p 295)

In Jewish weddings, at the 'veiling of the bride', the words Bethuel and Laban spoke in blessing over Rebecca are still used:
May you grow
Into thousands of myriads;
May your offspring seize
The gates of their foes. Genesis 24:60 (p290)

[Jeffrey Kupperman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlotte Gordon s The Woman Who Named God is an interesting, and often poignant, book that revolves around the relationships of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar and their relationships with God. The book includes numerous resources and though it focuses on the Biblical narrative various midrashim, quotations from the Qur an and Hadit, classical Christian theological tracts and scholarly works, which may or may not be theological in nature, are examined. That being said it can be a difficult book as it can be approached in two very different ways. This difficulty is compounded as the author never really tells the reader just what perspective she is coming from, and while it appears to be one, as it turns out, it is the other that seems to be of primary importance.[return][return]The first way one might read The Woman Who Named God is from a secular scholarly approach, making use of a historical critical methodology. Indeed, the book appears to start out this way, making use of scholarly sources in an attempt to understand the narrative, looking at etymology and generally attempting to inform the reader about the culture form which Abram and his wife Sarai came from. Unfortunately this way of reading the book is doomed to failure. The author frequently demonizes the polytheistic cultures surrounding the main figures. Literary critique is ignored for theological interpretation. Silences that are likely filled with political implications are filled with theological ones. Perhaps most telling, the stories are treated as though they were histories, with characters that should be understandable to 21st century readers, concepts that would have been completely unfamiliar to the various authors and editors who compiled them some three thousand years ago.[return][return]The second way to read the book is as a pan-Abrahamic midrash or exegesis on a Biblical topic. This reading of the text is spectacularly successful and one can only hope that this was the autho rs intent. Like all midrashim there is an agenda, a particular way the author wants the text to be read, but this is not at all detrimental to the book; it s to be expected. As a midrash Gordon s selective use of academic critique, which she is fully qualified to employ, makes a certain amount of sense. Though ostensibly she is attempting to tell us what really happened in the lives of Abraham and his two wives she is trying to tell us something more, too. [return][return]It is this agenda that floats in an out of the book. This is also a difficulty, however, as rarely does she come right out and tell us what she s trying to say. Much of the book appears to have some kind of feminist agenda, trying to demonstrate the general superiority of Sarah and Hagar to their mutual husband. At one point the book even seems to suggest that the centuries of hatred between Jews, Christians and Muslims is Abraham s fault because he was a poor husband and father. While this may in fact be part of the Gordon s agenda, and a feminist reading of Genesis would likely be a valuable one, ultimately, the goal seems to be different; the conflict between these three religions, all of which trace themselves back to Abraham can, and should, also be resolved through a reading of Abraham s life. [return]Though his life was one of conflict, ultimately those conflicts are resolved and his sons, ultimately the founders of the Jewish people and Muslim religion, are reconciled. This is the goal of the book. For centuries the stories in Genesis, and their equivalents in the Qur an, have been used to justify conflict between these three religions. Gordon asks why they have not also been used to stop the conflict as they can be read that way as well. It is a poignant and important question and one that has, so far, been left unanswered.

[Gayathri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte Gordon has written a radical and illuminating midrash on Genesis, using her scholarly and personal insights to capture the essence of Sarah, Hagar, and Abraham and present her ecumenical tale. She proposes a reading of Genesis which emphasizes the brother/sisterhood of Jews, Christians, and Muslims and gives an evidenced and analytical case for her interpretations. And yet, this work transcends mere scholarship and also becomes a markedly autobiographical and contemporary piece. At the risk of biographical fallacy, let me say that there is much of Sarah, Hagar, and (yes) Abraham in the author and she draws on her rich life experiences to explain how characters might feel and act and react. It is cliche to say that she brings the characters to life; more accurately, she brings life to the characters.

For example, when the elderly Sarah becomes pregnant, Gordon writes, "For Sarah, after so mant years of being a slender, self-contained woman, it was undoubtedly strange to grow large and clumsy," thus illiminationg a personal dimension to a matter-of-fact story. Her "speculations" about characters draw on the wealth of her life experiences and on her feminism and personal strength. And of course, the work is beautifully written, deeply engaging, and revelatory (in much the same way that MISTRESS BRADSTREET illuminated the work of America's first female poet). As Hagar walks into the desert, Gordon speculates, "Occasionally, herds of wild asses cantered by, their sharp hooves cliking against the hard rock; lizards scuttles under boulders; fan-tailed ravens swept overhead, waiting for any sign that hagar was weakening. And she was, both mentally and physically. One needed a strong body to survive the arid conditions, but one also needed an alert mind to cope with the unaviodable dehydration, confusion, and despair of wandering alone in a vast desert." Thus Gordon's emphasis on both the physical and psychological landscape for the chracters enriches the Biblical tale.

Too much of our contemprary religious world emphasizes difference; Gordon highlights our shared traditions and practices. The book is courageous and uplifting, and it takes us back to the beginning to explore who we were and where we have gone.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative stories based on the Abraham saga abound so I give Charlotte Gordon credit for writing yet another book that attempts to fill in the many gaps that the Hebrew scriptures leave for one's imagination. What is unique about this work are the many sources she draws on to fill in those gaps. Gordon draws on sources from all three Abrahamic monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam). Wether it's the New Testament and Church Fathers, or the Talmud and Mishnah, or the Koran and Hadith, she develops the story of Abraham and his family delicately weaving these many traditions into an exploration of the characters and events that make this story so well loved.

Her strengths are her skills in the literary field (creative writing, literary criticism) and historical reconstruction. Her weaknesses come into play when drifting too far into theology. However, I cannot fault her for this since the above disciplines overlap and play off each other.

Now, while it was certainly not a book that blew me away it was still an easy and enjoyable read. There is a nice section of notes that gives those with a more scholarly interest to explore further and there is an extensive bibliography which has provided me with an ever expanding wish list.

Nevertheless, as I said earlier the strength of this book and it's unique contribution is the attention she gives to Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions in reconstructing the story of Abraham and the woman who named God (and you'll have to read the book to find out who that is).

[Tanya Marlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative and well-researched commentary on Abraham, Sarah and Hagar, with plenty of historical context.

In my research for my book on waiting I found biblical commentaries on Genesis frustrating. Most academic ones either analyse the Hebrew or tie themselves in knots trying to work out which redactor may have written a particular sentence. None of this is of any help to me for the questions I am asking as I recreate Sarai’s story, which consist of, ‘what was her tent made of? It’s a hot day, she takes a drink of water – from what kind of vessel does she sip?’ This is why this book is one of the most remarkable commentaries I’ve read.

The author holds both a PhD in history and a Masters in Creative Writing – the result is an academic, thoroughly-reserached historical and contextual commentary on the lives of Abraham, Sarai and Hagar, drawing on Christian, Jewish and Muslim research, but – refreshingly – also a highly-enjoyable and gripping read (with plenty of details about life in the time of Genesis – goat-skin tents and pottery cups).

I keep talking about this book to people – if you want an academically rigorous yet compellingly-written commentary on the lives of Abraham, Sarai and Hagar, this book is worth its weight in gold. Highly recommended.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written look at Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, and of Abraham's two sons Ishmael and Isaac. I really appreciated the fact that this book told the story using not only the Hebrew Bible, but also used Christian Scripture, the Koran and the hadith, and also the Midrash. The fact that the author could tie together so well the versions of this story from the three faiths (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) shows just how tied together these three faiths are.

And as the book ends with Isaac and Ishmael coming together to bury their father, I love how the author writes "If these two brothers could come together, then perhaps battling Jews, Christians and Muslims can put down their swords as well. As one commentator in a Jewish prayer book writes, "Can not [the reconciliation of the sons:] be a model for the descendents of Ishmael and Isaac, contemporary Arabs and Israeli Jews, to find grounds for forgiveness and reconciliation?"

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to be giving everything four stars these days. I would say this is a solid four star book. This is a non fiction, non-religious retelling of the Old Testament story of Abraham. The woman in the title, who named God, is Hagar, Abraham's second wife. But this is the story of Abraham, who was instrumental in three regions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The author spends a lot of time explaining the differences between each religion's understanding of essentially identical happenings. Fascinating.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very engaging read...the kind of book I would like to read more than once, which is rare for me. I will never read about Hagar in the same light again. This book will be studied in Daughters of God August book study, so I may have time to actually read it again - ---From the Publisher: The saga of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar is the tale of origin for all three monotheistic faiths. Abraham must choose between two wives who have borne him two sons. One wife and son will share in his wealth and status, while the other two are exiled into the desert. Long a cornerstone of Western anxiety, the story chronicles a very famous and troubled family, and sheds light on the ongoing conflict between the Judeo-Christian and Islamic worlds. How did this ancient story become one of the least understood and most frequently misinterpreted in our culture? Gordon explores this legendary love triangle to give us a startling perspective on three biblical characters who -- with their jealousies, passions, and doubts -- actually behave like human beings. The Woman Who Named God is a compelling, smart, and provocative take on one of the Bible's most intriguing and troubling love stories.

[Coleen Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent story about the origin stories of the three major religions. I thought it would be primarily about Hagar but should have realized that it had to include all three Abraham, Sarah and Hagar as well as their sons. I particularly enjoyed the adding in of explanations from the Midrash and Hadith as well as more modern commentaries. At the end of Abraham's life, Ishmael and Issac reconcile long enough to bury him. We should all learn this lesson.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I leaerned a lot about the ways these stories were written in th ekoran and the pride of place given to these characters in each of the three religions. So many interesting ways to look at "who G-d Favored". And why some people get to "speak" in the Torah and why others just have to overhear conversations. Loved it!

[Eshe Mūrutani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting analysis of Abraham's story. I learned a lot about the story of Abraham and Sarah beyond the regular bible teachings I have heard or read. Great book with a lot of insights. Loved it!

[Elizabeth Fleury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholarly and accessible. Provides an all-encompassing historical and cultural context for the Genesis story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac. I’m grateful for new understandings and perspectives on the interconnectivity of three of humanity’s major religions.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative book. It is history written with sensitivity to the actual individuals who form the foundation of 3 of the world's major religions. I understand Hagar, Abraham and Sarah a little better now.
Highly recommended.

[TammyC11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enough for you to understand the origins of three religions but not interesting enough to capture one's attention

[Paulette Kneip Mullins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed, and learned a lot. There was lots of info to ponder and consider. May be interested to read again???

[FMLDNR · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book, enjoyed it very much

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very academic review of the story of Sarai/Sarah, Abram/Abraham, and Hagar. The author does not draw her own conclusions about the story or fictionalize it - rather she discusses the story arch by mentioning the various ways that each event is viewed according to Christian, Muslim, and Jewish texts. Very thorough research. The only thing that misled me was that this story is presented as being about the story of Hagar, but spends very little time discussing her life outside of the Bible story. I was interested in discovering more about her life before and after she lived with Abram/Abraham, but this was not discusses at length.

What this book is not:
1. A fictionalized, light-weight story: Rather, the author discusses different possibilities for how those involved might have felt. She also brings together well-known and obscure texts to give the reader an idea of what may have occurred.
2. Focused primarily on Hager: This book devotes only a few chapters to Hagar - the majority of the book discusses Abram and Sarai.
3. A definitive, final answer on the truth: The author presents various opinions and the reasons why these opinions have developed. She does not discuss why one might be more accurate than another.

What this is:
1. An extremely interesting read: The writing is very good and does not distract at all from the pleasure of reading. It is academic, but it written in an easy-to-read manner.
2. Very informative: This book gives a good background on how these figures play into the three religions that branched off from their story: Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Also, as I mentioned, the book often discusses more obscure texts and stories so that the reader is really able to try to figure out for themselves what may have happened.
3. Very well researched: I feel that the author did a significant amount of research and was very familiar with the topic.
4. A great starting point: This author made me want to explore some of the stories and ideas she presented.

I highly recommend this book to understand this important story from various points of view.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book by Charlotte Gordon which is a literary examination of the Abraham/Sarah/Hagar triangle presented as a tangled relationship among three people with all of the complex emotions that had to be involved. Gordon, who has a PhD in history and literature from Boston University, who taught for several years in that University's School of Theology, and who is currently an assistant professor of English at Endicott College, presents the story using evidence from the Bible, theology, history, archeology, and other sources and she draws some interesting conclusions about the three characters and their relationships with each other and with God. The story of Abraham often glosses over the tangled relationship that had to exist between Abraham and Sarah, between Sarah and Hagar, between Abraham and Hagar, between Isaac and Ishmael, between Ishmael and Sarah, and between Isaac and Hagar. The story of Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmael at the insistence of Sarah is often used as an explanation for the historical conflict between Jews and Muslims. However, Gordon points out that this is not inherent in the Biblical story which reports that both Isaac and Ishamel traveled to Hebron to bury Abraham after his death. This book gave a familiar story an entirely new dimension and has given me much material for thought. Highly recommended.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: A close reading of the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and the sons who would go on to found two great peoples.

I knew the basic story of Abraham (chosen man of God, fathers a child with Hagar and then finally fathers Isaac with his wife Sarah despite their advanced ages; Hagar and Ishmael are sent out into the desert; God calls Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but then spares him; Isaac continues the line with Jacob and God's chosen people) but this book adds so much more.

First it examines the story from the perspectives of scholars from all three major monotheistic faiths as they all trace their lineage back to Abraham. This shows the different interpretations and implications on each religion and highlights in particular the struggle between Jews and Muslims. I also appreciated the overall message which is striving for peace among the three faiths through the examination of commonalities and how God seemed to set out particular places for each and there is no need for argument.

Unfortunately sometimes I felt it dragged a bit as EVERY part of the story is examined thoroughly. I've felt that way during extended Bible Study times so this is nothing new for me but some parts were really exciting while others were less so. I think it would depend on your interests.

Overall: 3.5/5 Sometimes dry, but still interesting for me and has a good message

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book was interesting. Gordon basically takes the Abraham/Sarah/Hagar story from Genesis and expands on it, offering explanations of what was happening historically and what relationship these three people may have had. Gordon poses the question as to why the people of the three religions that claim their origin in Abraham cannot get along with one another. Unfortunately, she really doesn't answer this very well except for a few speculations about the division.

Interesting details include: the Muslim telling of the stories and how they compare to the Hebrew Bible telling, how different the God of Abraham was in comparison to the other gods of the time, and the comparisons of Jewish, Christian and Muslim beliefs surrounding this story.

Shakier details include: a lot of assumptions about what people said and felt--Gordon seemed to look at the text very literally at times and then at other times extrapolate mightily, extraneous details that had to be waded through to get to the interesting details and she didn't really answer her own question as to why these three faiths can't get along.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fairly ignorant atheist who knows little about the bible, I was apprehensive when I picked this up. But I was intrigued by the title and the chance to curb my ignorance a bit on the origins of these 3 faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Islam). It did just that and a little more. The book is very well written and approachable - not at all intimidating to the ill-informed. And I had no idea that stories in the bible were so utterly human - these were not the scrubbed stories I remember from my Sunday school years. I didn't feel like I was being made to agree with any of it. In fact, it seems pretty much everything is wide open to interpretation. I also appreciated the strong woman's perspective on these works (Torah, Bible, Koran) and on what the story's heroines, Sarah and Hagar, may have been thinking about their roles in all of it. "Woman" is definitely thought-provoking and will stick with me as I consider my child's ongoing religious education.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was at once scholarly and approachable. By examining the Genesis text from a narrative perspective, the author was able to flesh out the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. While I was very familiar with the Christian interpretations, and somewhat with the Jewish, adding the Islamic version of events completed the picture. Not only do the characters evolve over time in their relationships with each other and God, God's relationships with all three chosen people in this tale develop. Weaving centuries of textual interpretations with archeological and other research makes for a comprehensive work. The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars were a few instances of character analysis that seemed too contemporary, although they were rare.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting analysis of traditional beliefs of 3 religions about Abraham.
Interesting things I learned.
Ishmael means "The one who is heard" referring to Hagar's relationship with God.
Hagar named God - first to do so? - "He that lives and sees me".

Jewish tradition - the ritual of a groom purchasing his wife with a god band at the wedding ceremony reenact the purchase by Abraham of the field with cave where he buried Sarah.
I don't buy that Sarah and Rebecca were priestess of El (a Pagan fertility office) nor that Abraham had adversarial relationships with both his wife Sarah and his son Isaac.
Interesting read anyway. even quoted small parts of Book of Abraham which was a surprise.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone else said this was a purely scholarly volume. I found it to be a difficult book to finish. I'm not into reading the bible in it's original language and reading this book is probably almost as difficult.
This book was written for someone doing research or who is very interested in how Christian, Jewish and Islamic legend and commentary cross and interesect within the story of Sarai, later known as Sarah, the slave women Hagar, and Abram, later known as Abraham. I would give the work that went into writing this book for the proper audience five stars. There are all of the foot notes, for references from the various books, definitions, notes, bibleography's, etc.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book comes with a great story - Hagar was vacationing in Italy this summer and got into a conversation with a woman who asked her name. The woman was Charlotte Gordon who almost fell off her chaise lounge when Hagar replied. Why? Because the 'woman who named God' is Hagar! How could I not immediately order the book from Amazon! It was surprisingly interesting - despite loving the name, Hagar, as well as the fact that she was the original link between Jews and Arabs - there was so much more to the story than I knew. If The Bible as History interests you, you won't find a better read.

[Marilyn Getts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written, the book flowed between cultures as well as modern and ancient sensibilities. Gordan seamlessly relates the exact text of the Bible with the Koran and then adds both Jewish and Muslim traditional stories and analysis. Then she puts a human face on the main players in this ancient story, a man looking for guidance, a first wife who has status, but no children, and a slave who has a child, but no status. Then there are children. What mother would not want the best for her child? This issue is played out everyday in divorce courts in this country. I highly recommend this title for both content and the writing style.

[Christie Hagerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first impression of this book was that I would be reading a feminist's version of how slighted the lover of Abraham had been, and how the patriarch had wronged her repeatedly for the sake of following his God. However, the author blended well historical facts and traditional beliefs surrounding this saga, encompassing the three major world religions. No one religion was given preference over the others, and the manner in which the documented recordings were presented was not only easy to follow, but also very interesting. I neither felt like I was reading a fictional tale nor a dry textbook. The book was very enlightening and thought-provoking.