Abraham - Eilat Interfaith Encounter on 6th December 2007:

In Judaism:

Abraham is the prototype of the father of the nation

There are three eras of the world: first world – natural world: ten generations from Adam to Noah. The earth became full of evil-doing and the flood was the punishment and the correction.

The second world – from Noah to Abraham: world with laws. The world needs laws. The human makes the laws therefore the human is the center of the world. This period ends with the Tower of Babylon, when the human felt omnipotent, felt that he can reach God. Then Abraham was born.

The third world starts with Abraham. The first two failed and there is now an attempt to build a new and good society.

Abraham had three goals: choice, mission, land.

Choice: God chooses Abraham and Abraham chooses God.

Mission: message of laws and rules. Faith in the one God, who is universal. Abraham needs to build a society that will serve as "light for the nations".

Land: God promises Abraham that the land will be given to his descendants.

The fathers are not only prophets – they are messengers.


In Islam:

Abraham is the father of the nation and is called the friend of God – "Al Khalil".

Faith says that Abraham and his son Ishmael built the Kaaba in Mecca. According to Islam Ishmael was the son that was binded to be sacrificed. The Koran does not specify the name but the common commentary in Islam is that it was Ishmael.

Muhammad came to fix the religions that were distorted by the Jews and the Christians.

Abraham's hospitality takes a wide role in Islam.


In the Druze Religion:

Abraham is a historical figure. He is not mentioned as the father of the nation but as the father of Isaac and grandfather of Jacob. The figures of Isaac and Jacob are the important figures.

The accepted sons of Jacob are only the sons of Leah and Rachel, the wives, and not the sons of the slaves or concubines.

The next encounters focused on Moses and took place on January 17th and February 13th. In the second ne Shlomo Alon taught us about Moses in Islam.

Reported by Group's Coordinators: Mazal Katzir and Malca Levin


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