History 4A: Paper #2
Abraham
De Anza College
Read the Bible, Book of Genesis, chapters 11 to 26, which is principally concerned with the story of Abraham. Any translation is fine: for a comparison of various translations and a link to them, go to
http://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-versions/
The story of Abraham is part of the western legacy, but at times it seems like a strange and even foreign story. Why is Abraham important? What social values does the story convey that seem strange to modern sensibilities? For example, why does Abraham claim that Sarah is his sister? Why are the Egyptians fearful when they learn they have been fooled? What does the behavior of Lot indicate about his cultural values and priorities? What is the covenant that God makes with Abraham? Why does God demand that Abraham make a sacrifice of Isaac? Why is Isaac not sacrificed? What are the lessons that we are supposed to learn from Abraham’s story? Are they different from the lessons you actually learned?
Use examples from the Bible, your textbook, and any other sources you find pertinent, to explain your answer.
You must cite your sources, and list them at the end of your paper as a List of References. Please do not “borrow” material from the web without providing proper citations and enclosing direct quotations in quotation marks. Otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism, and the penalties will be severe.
Typed, double-spaced, 12-point type, 600-800 words. Use MLA formatting.
Please e-mail as an attachment to the instructor at crjackson81@gmail.com before midnight on the date due. Note: before sending the assignment, you must rename the file in the following format: LastnameFirstname-papernumber. Example: JacksonChristopher-paper1.doc. If the file is not properly named, it will not be accepted. If the file cannot be opened with MS-Word, it will not be accepted. Please put the course number and the file name in the subject line of the e-mail. For example: Subject: History 17B JacksonChristopher-paper1. That allows me to better keep track of the several hundred papers that I received during the quarter.
For help with MLA formatting, consult the Purdue Owl (on-line writing lab).