ABSTRACT
The dark side of God is a subject that has received astonishingly little attention from the Old Testament scholars. The standard Old Testament theologies, monographs about the Old Testament doctrine of God, articles about particular passages, even commentaries are almost completely silent on the matter. Genesis 1–11, are not ostensibly about God's dealings with the Israel. They concern his dealings with humanity as a whole; however, they undoubtedly have lessons to teach the Israelite reader. Genesis 22 is principally a story about the faith of Abraham rather than about the character of God. Early in the book of Exodus, Moses, who has been living in Midian after his flight from Egypt, returns to that country with the full approval of God and accompanied by his wife and family. The Deuteronomistic History is a work whose aim is to justify God's punitive behavior toward his people.
