received it from the author and in turn handed it on. It is a nice reflection of the fact that the Hebrew Bible speaks of ‘history’ as toledot, ‘generations’, the relationship with the past expressed in terms of continuity with remembered ancestors rather than as abstract forces. I mention this problem of accurate transmission because I can think of at least two different sources for the interpretation I just gave about the patriarchs each finding God in their own way—but they were tied to the later