Why would God make righteous people suffer just to test their faithfulness? With Job, the Bible is explicit that it was in response to Satan’s challenge, but what about Abraham? Jubilees (2nd cent. C.E.), and later the Talmud and midrash, reimagine the Akedah to have been instigated by Mastema, the Satan, or jealous angels. The midrash goes further and envisions the demon Samael tempting Abraham to make him fail.For many PaleoJudaica posts on the Aqedah (the binding of Isaac, Genesis 22), see here and links. For more on Abraham in the Book of Jubilees, see here and here. For a bit of background on Mastema, see here.
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