Ishmael on the Border

Carol Bakhos is Professor of Late Antique Judaism at the University of California at Los Angeles and is the editor of Ancient Judaism in its Hellenistic Context.

• Preface and Acknowledgments IntroductionMethodologyOverview1. Ishmael and Esau: Marginalized Men of the Bible Ishmael in the BibleEsau in the Bible 2. Ishmael in Tannaitic and Amoraic Literature  The Tannaitic SourcesThe Amoraic Sources 3. The Rabbis and Their Others The Pairing of Ishmael and Esau in Rabbinic LiteratureEsau as Real OtherIshmael, the Ishmaelites, and the Children of KeturahThe Arab Descendants of IshmaelAbraham’s Descendants and Israel’s Divine ElectionThe Role of Christianity in the Depiction of the Other 4. Ishmael in Later Midrashim  The Treatment of Ishmael in Pirke Rabbi EliezerAbraham’s Visits to Ishmael in Pirke de Rabbi EliezerAbraham’s Visits to Ishmael in Arabic SourcesRevisiting the VisitsThe Ishmaelites in Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer Conclusions NotesBibliographyIndex

"This book is an excellent, readable, and much-needed resuscitation of the reputation of Ishmael. Bakhos's masterful control of the rabbinic and collateral traditions combined with her keen eye for relevant detail make this book an informative pleasure to read. It is also an important contribution to presenting a more nuanced view of the polemic between Jews and Muslims over this major biblical figure." — Gordon D. Newby, author of History of the Jews of Arabia: From Ancient Times to Their Eclipse under Islam