Abraham between History and Poetry

From the time of Karl-David Ilgen (1763–1834), exegetes doubted the possibility of proving the historicity of the patriarchal narratives. This article starts with W.L.M. de Wette's radical arguments, which were influenced by Kantian philosophy. It then analyses E. Hengstenberg's attempt to counter de Wette's critical position. Finally, the discussion expounds upon H. Gunkel's very accurate theory on the differences between historiography and popular tales (»Sagen«).