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258 THE HISTORY OF THE QUR'ANIe TEXT

no fathomable reason. God throws a boy out of His covenant against His
Own dictates.
Returning to Genesis, in 17:16-21 Abraham is given the glad tidings that
Sarah shall have a child named Isaac "at this set time in the next year". But
in Chapter 18 we read:

10 And [the Lord] said, I willcertainly return unto thee according to
the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah
heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
II Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it
ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying,After I am waxed
old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh,
saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will
return unto thee, according to the time of life,and Sarah shall have a
son.

The news was a tremendous shock for Sarah, who was so taken aback
that she burst into laughter. But this same discussion had taken place in
the previous chapter: "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son
indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant
with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him." If the
narrative bears out then Sarah had no cause for astonishment in the next
chapter. That she really had no prior knowledge of this incident establishes
a strong case for the deliberate interpolation of these verses in Genesis 17,
which seek to dismiss Ishmael from God's covenant regardless of whether
or not he is circumcised.
Let us turn our attention to Josephus. Earlier he describes Ishmael as
being the first son of Abraham, then suddenly claims Isaac as the legitimate
son of Abraham and his only begotten.I" On what basis does Isaac become
the legitimate son to the exclusion of Ishmael? Does that imply Ishmael
being illegitimate, and (by extension) Ahraham being adulterous? Jose-
phus' intentions are not clear, but what is clear is that he mirrors the O'T's
aversion of Ishmael - an aversion which rears its head in a few other
verses as well. In Genesis 22:2 we find:

And [the Lord] said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom
thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there
for a burnt offeringupon one of the mountains which I willtell thee of

126Josephus, Antiq., Book I, Ch. 12,No.3 (215), and Book I, Ch. 13,No. 1(222).