Akedah Story

1913

Illustration in three horizontal panels, with Hebrew text running along the border and labeling the illustrations, which include two figures, an angel, fire, and ram at top of page; donkey, trees, and several figures in the center; and two figures in front of a line of ten camels at the bottom. — The Akedah (binding of Isaac episode) was a popular topic for Mizrachi in his panels. This color lithograph illustrates some aspects of midrash on Genesis less often illustrated, such as Rebecca giving water to Eliezer's ten camels, and Isaac as a scholar.

The caption on the top image reads: The binding of Isaac [is] today; remember his seed with mercy. The top labels, right to left: Abraham; Isaac; angel; fire; ram. The caption in the middle picture reads, right to left: Stay here with the donkey (Genesis 22:5). The labels read, right to left: two young men; Isaac; Abraham. The caption on the bottom picture reads: Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, took ten of his master’s camels to bring to Rebecca, and he said to Rebecca, let me drink some water from your pitcher, by the well of water.