Abraham before Abimelech of Gerar: Abraham settles for a brief time in Gerar, a city-state in the Negev to the west of Beersheba, ruled by a Philistine king, where he again identifies Sarah as his sister. The local king, Abimelech, takes her into his harem. The rabbis speculate on the legendary beauty of Sarah in her old age, believing it to be a result of God’s blessing on the great matriarch of Israel. More likely, though, Abimelech may have been seeking an alliance through marriage with the people whom he took Abraham to represent. This time God protects not only Abraham and Sarah but also the king. The drama takes place in six scenes: Abimelech takes Sarah (vv. 1–2); God warns Abimelech (vv. 3–7); Abimelech holds a meeting with his officials (v. 8); Abimelech confronts Abraham (vv. 9–1…