ABRAHAM

Atypical portrayal of the life and person of Abraham.

British attorney and scholar Julius introduces the reader to the patriarch Abraham in a way that few have considered him before. Drawing from Moses Maimonides and other rabbinic sources, Julius concentrates not on the Abraham who is highlighted in the Torah, but on Abraham at an earlier stage of life. In fact, the author presents Abraham 1 and Abraham 2 as the embodied dichotomy of this ancient man and, in many ways, of the Jewish people who call him their ancestor. Abraham 1 is a philosopher who spurns idolatry but also argues with his culture and is unsettled about his own understanding of who and what God is. That would all change in time, as he evolved into Abraham 2 and founded a nation. Julius’ approach is fresh and intriguing, but his execution is uneven. Even for as great a figure as Abraham, Julius tends to craft as great a figure as Abraham into something spectacularly new, as if he were not already epic enough. For instance, the author develops his characters through soliloquies or dialogues, which is useful to a point. However, even in pure imagination, it is hard to picture Sarah telling Abraham, “Autonomy is achieved in solidarity,” or to hear Abraham say to himself, “Reasoning has led me to a determinate conclusion.” This tactic takes on a life of its own late in the book, at which point Julius conceptualizes Abraham 1 and Abraham 2 engaged in a debate. Back and forth, they bandy profound insights and arguments amid slightly veiled insults, page after page. The author uses this tool in order to draw out the dichotomy that was Abraham, and which still is Judaism. His results, however, risk coming across as academically pompous.

A promising concept with over-the-top results.