In the Book of Genesis, Abraham’s wife Sarah sees Ishmael “laughing” and expels him and his mother Hagar from the house. Ishmael’s action is then interpreted as idolatrous or sexually promiscuous by the Rabbis and as persecution by Paul. In this talk, I will explore the complex trajectory of this single verse–and its contemporary ramifications.
Bio:
Sara Milstein is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies. In 2021, she was awarded a Killam Accelerator Research Fellowship for her project, “Lost in Translation: Gender, Ambiguity, and Biblical ‘Errancy.'”
