Abstract

Connections and similarities between the Torah and the Qur'an have been examined and understood to exist, but the focus of these studies neglect Genesis 19 and the figure of Lot. This Independent Study seeks to analyze the connections and distinctions between the Jewish and Islamic versions of the Sodom and Gomorrah narrative. A critical historical and literary approaches illuminates the nuances of the text, its goals, its characterizations, and its function within the body of scripture. This analysis of the exegetical traditions of Judaism and Islam (Midrash and Tafsir) and the scripture itself illustrates any possible overlap between them. This study tests the line of textual transmission from the Torah to the Qur'an and then to the Tafsir, as well as from Midrash and the Torah to Tafsir. The similarities in certain elements like blindness, Lut's daughter, and the sins of Sodom in the Tafsir reveal the close connection between Islam and Judaism. The narrative itself may change significantly, moving the focus from hospitality to homosexuality in Judaism and Islam, but the similarities highlight the connected nature, especially in the Tafsir, between these two traditions.

Advisor

Friedman, Joan

Department

Religious Studies

Disciplines

Religion

Keywords

judaism, islam, genesis 19, midrash, tafsir, exegesis

Publication Date

2013

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2013 Grace E. Miller