The Binding of Isaac in Art of Late Antiquity: Judeo-Christian Themes of Sacrifice, Salvation and Liturgy

From the third through the sixth centuries, the binding of Isaac saw a flourish of representation in Christian, Byzantine and Jewish art. These images engaged the viewer in a religious experience that highlighted sacrifice, salvation and liturgy, and reflected an increased visual richness of sacrificial and liturgical concepts. In contrast to earlier scholarship on the sacrifice of Isaac that offered general descriptions of the period and digressions on isolated images, this book presents the interpretation of specific works depicting the binding of Isaac by his father Abraham across time, examining the iconography, style, social context and purpose of the sacrifice in the artworks.

Bonnie L. Kutbay, professor emerita of art history (Mansfield University of Pennsylvania), received her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. She lives in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.