Abraham and the Philistines According to Josephus

Gen 20,1-18 and 21,22-34 relate a series of interactions between Abraham and the Philistine King Abimelech. This essay offers a detailed discussion of Josephus’ retelling of the biblical pericopes in his Ant. 1.207-212 that also takes into account other early Jewish treatments of the material. From the comparison, the following distinctive features of Josephus’ version emerge. He drastically abridges and rearranges the content of his source. His rewriting highlights the parallels between Abraham’s Philistine marital adventure and his earlier, similar experience in Egypt (see Gen 12:10-20), even as it accentuates the happening’s erotic dimensions. Sarah’s role in the proceedings is somewhat diminished, while the conflictual character of Abraham and Abimelech’s dealings with each other is downplayed. Finally, Abimelech comes off as more pious than Abraham himself since he alone invokes the Deity; conversely, Josephus, notably, denies Abraham the title “prophet” that Gen 20:7 accords him.