| When read as a coherent narrative in its first-century CE cultural setting, Matthew's Gospel displays a significant Isaac typology perceived through syntactical, verbal allusions and thematic echoes. The Jesus of Matthew's Gospel and the Isaac of Jewish Scripture and tradition resemble each other to a remarkable degree. Both are promised children, beloved sons who go willingly to their divinely ordained sacrifices at the season of Passover at Jerusalem at the hands of their respective fathers for salvific purposes.;Scholars have neglected this, however, for four reasons. First, redaction-critical approaches neglect Matthew's narrative dynamics, thus missing the cumulative force and coherence of allusions to and echoes of Isaac material. Second, Matthean scholars focus on Gen 22 MT itself and neglect extrabiblical traditions of the Akedah. Third, there is significant confusion regarding issues pertaining to definitions and dating of the Akedah. Fourth, the fascination with the Matthean formula citations has led to the neglect of the phenomenon of Matthean allusions and echoes, through which alone the Akedah is perceived in Matthew.;This project appropriates Umberto Eco's semiotic theory of the Model Reader to avoid the errors above. Being concerned with the intention of the text, it permits the consideration of Matthew's narrative dynamics and thus Matthean allusions and echoes. Being concerned with the cultural encyclopedia in which a work is composed, it necessitates thorough consideration of extrabiblical traditions of the Akedah available at the time of Matthew's composition.;After explaining Eco's theory, this project demonstrates the early cultural currency of significant aspects of the Akedah in Jewish literature, and then examines passages in Matthew where the figure of Isaac plays a decisive role, including "son of Abraham" in Matt 1:1, the angel's announcement to Joseph (Matt 1:20--21), the Baptism (Matt 3:17), the citation of Isa 42:1--4 in Matt 12:18--21, Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and the Transfiguration (Matt 16:13--17:13), the Lord's Supper (26:26--28), and the Gethsemane and Arrest sequence (Matt 26:36--56). The conclusion concerns the significance of the Akedah for Matthean soteriology and the Matthean motif of the Temple's destruction and replacement in Jesus. |
