Endnote 7 – The Exodus of Abraham

Some scholars have suggested that offering one’s firstborn son was, in fact, the original intent of this law, especially in light of other biblical passages such as Exodus 22:29–30: “Do not hold back the offerings from your granaries or vats. You must give me the firstborn of your sons. Do the same also with your livestock and your sheep. Let them remain with their mothers seven days, but then give them to me on the eighth day.” For more on this theme of child sacrifice in ancient Israel and its influence on Christianity, see Jon D. Levenson, The Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son: The Transformation of Child Sacrifice in Judaism and Christianity (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993).