ABSTRACT
Since the foibles of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been noted in penetrating detail by opponents of orthodox Christianity who cited the low level of sexual morality displayed in the Old Testament as ample reason to reject its sacred authority, it was imperative for ascetic propagandists to address these tales of incest, polygamy, and rape head-on. And it was not only non-Christians who stood against the antifamilial campaign: opposition to the ascetic's fervor could also come from within the Christian camp. In the hands of later ascetic interpreters, the limited sexual restrictions placed on ancient Hebrew priests were widened and adopted for the ethical discipline of Christian laypeople. The major argument developed by early Christian writers to address this embarrassing dilemma appealed to "the difference in times" between the era of the Old Testament patriarchs and that of present-day Christians.
