A Place for Hagar's Son : Ishmael as a Case Study in the Priestly Tradition

Hagar and Ishmael are portrayed as: dispossessed, yet protected; abandoned, yet given promises that rival those of the covenant with Abraham. John T. Noble carefully examines their roles and depictions in Genesis and concludes that Ishmael is a key figure whose ambiguous status requires a rethinking of the goals and values of the Priestly work.