Starting today, Lawrence J. Epstein will file periodic reports on Bob Dylan. Larry writes about American culture and Jewish life. His most recent books include The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America, Mixed Nuts: America’s Love Affair with Comedy Teams, and At the Edge of a Dream: The Story of Jewish Immigrants on New York’s Lower East Side, 1880-1920. Jenny Factor, our West Coast Correspondent, has referred more than once to the last mentioned.
Welcome aboard, LJE! I hope that in one of your posts you will talk about the opening of "Highway 61 Revisited" in relation to the chapter in Genesis that is its source. This re-telling of Abraham's "binding" of Isaac reminds me a little of Wilfred Owen's poem in which the massacred soldiers of World War One are the victims of a bloodthirsy god and an obedient Abraham on Mount Moriah. But Dylan's version is more sardonic and more ambiguous. What do you think?
-- DL
much more to say about the binding of isaac! just for starters: isaac was 37 yrs old at the time of the incident. not exactly a young boy abused by his addled parent. also, god did not say to kill or to sacrifice him. he said, 'make an offering.' god is very subtle as einstein said and we have to listen carefully since he sometimes plays word games. this is one of the most illuminating incidents in the torah and also the most misunderstood. god and abraham have gotten bad raps!
Posted by: | July 12, 2008 at 12:55 PM