Abraham Drove Off the Birds From the Covenant Sacrifice

The Midrash of Philo 11:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

What is the meaning of, "And the birds descended on the bodies which were divided?" (Genesis 15:11).

Themes

Creation Sacrifice Covenant

Continue Reading

Legends of the JewsAngel Tears Fell on the Knife and Made It UselessThe familiar story centers on Abraham and Isaac, the binding, the near sacrifice. But the details, as the legends tell it, are astonishing. The scene: Abraham, Midrash TehillimGod Hears the Righteous Even When No One Else Does(Psalm 4:3), the verse that anchors our exploration today, declares: "And know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Bereshit RabbahAbraham Circumcises His Entire Household(Genesis 17:23) tells us that Abraham, obedient to God's command, circumcised his son Ishmael and all the males in his household. “Abraham took Ishmael his son,Vayikra RabbahThe Oath God Swore to Abraham in the Month of TishreiOur ancestors felt it too. to a fascinating little piece from Vayikra Rabbah, a Midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection that unpacks the book of Book of JubileesThe Angel Who Saved IsaacI'm talking about the Akedah, the binding of Isaac. The familiar story is this: Abraham, tested to the absolute limit, raises his knife to sacrifice his son Isa Book of JubileesNoah's Sacrifice After Leaving the ArkThis book, considered scripture by some and a valuable historical source by others, gives us a detailed look into the life of figures from the Hebrew Bible. a p