Hagar and Ishmael as Main Characters

Anumber of scholars say Genesis 16, the story of Hagar and Ishmael, is the center of the Abrahamic narrative (Gen. 12–25). That’s very odd. Hagar appears to be a side character, Sarai’s Egyptian handmaid who bears Abram’s first son, Ishmael. The episode seems tangential to the main plot line. Why should Hagar get a starring role at the heart of the biography of Israel’s founding father? Read Full Article »