“There he built an altar to the Lord” (Gen 12:8) City and Altar Building in Genesis

Abstract

This essay examines Genesis’ depiction of the contrast between patriarchal altar-building (בנה, Gen 12:7, 8; 13:18; 22:9; 26:25; 35:7; cf. 8:20) and pre-patriarchal city-building (בנה, Gen 4:17; 10:11; 11:4). The patriarchal building is qualitatively different because the altars are built in the place where, and after, YHWH appears to the patriarch, in the context of a word of blessing evocative of Genesis 12:1-3.It is suggested that the patriarchal altars of Genesis anticipated the place YHWH would choose for his name to dwell.

Keywords

• Genesis
• to build
• city
• altar
• there/name (šam/šem)