Abraham, The Dreamer

Abraham, The Dreamer by Rolf Gompertz
An Erotic and Sacred Love Story
iuniverse - June, 2001
ISBN: 0595176976 - Paperback
Historical (Biblical) Fiction / B.C.E / Biblical Sites

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, MyShelf.com
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Anyone who has ever been bothered-morally or ethically-by some of the events in the Bible may want to read Abraham, The Dreamer. Rolf Gompertz manages to examine the doubts and questions we have all felt when reading the story of Abraham and the near sacrifice of his son, Isaac.

Gompertz uses time-honored midrash-- the telling or retelling of a legend-- to achieve that end. He has examined the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and their sons, Isaac and Ishmael as it is told in the Bible. Then he has studied interpretations by biblical philosophers, psychologists and other experts, and so given the ancient story new life, new meaning without losing any of its authentic qualities.

As Gompertz examines the possible motivations for the actions of the characters, the Biblical tale comes to life for even a casual reader looking for a good read. After all, as Gompertz says, his "primary concern is to shed light on the human condition."

I found that reading about these people in the context of a love triangle made me look at many Biblical stories in a different light. The time, the place, the culture, and the evolution of religion all influence the thoughts and actions of people, then, now and forever more. We ought not forget that..

For Bible scholars the bibliography alone will be worth the price of the book.