The divided carcasses were the recognized ancient near-eastern ceremony for transferring real estate, and God used it to give Abram the title deed to the Promised Land.
Les Feldick teaches that God was not merely asking for a sacrifice; He was applying the customary Babylonian/Hammurabi-era method of transferring property. The animals were parted and laid opposite each other to form a walkway for a blood covenant. By going through these very rites, God legally deeded the land to Abram and his seed.
Genesis 15:9-10 — This is the actual command to bring the animals and divide them, setting up the legal ceremony.
Genesis 15:12 — The deep sleep indicates Abram was a passive recipient of God's covenant promise.
Genesis 15:18 — This verse records the actual covenant and land grant made to Abram's seed.
In Genesis 15:9-10, the LORD told Abram to take a heifer of three years old, a she-goat of three years old, a ram of three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Abram took all these animals and divided them in the midst, laying each piece against another, but he did not divide the birds. Verse 11 records that when the fowls came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. Then in verse 12, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a horror of great darkness fell on him. In verse 18, in the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."
Les Feldick teaches that the divided carcasses were the "then typical means of transferring real estate according to the ancient Babylonian rules of, I think, Hammurabi." Pagan cultures did everything on the basis of blood sacrifice, and even transferring real estate involved killing animals, parting the carcasses, and leaving a walkway down between the halves. The two men making the transfer would then make a blood covenant by cutting the hand and shaking hands. God came down and went through the very same rites, literally transferring the title deed of the land to Abraham. Les calls Genesis 15 Israel's Deed, just as valid in 1992 as the day God issued it. He also emphasizes that God made sure Abram had nothing to do with the covenant responsibility—it was from God and God alone.
According to Les Feldick, the pagans did everything on blood sacrifice. In transferring real estate, they took animals, killed them, parted the carcasses and left a walkway between the halves. Then the two men involved would make a blood covenant by cutting the hand and shaking hands, thereby making a contract. This is the custom God used in Genesis 15.
After God made all His promises, Abram asked, "Lord God, whereby shall I know that I'll inherit it?" Les points out that even a man of faith like Abram wanted proof. God gave him the deed to the land in Genesis 15:10-18, going through the old customs of transferring real estate. Les emphasizes that God deeded the land through these legal rites, and the deed covered from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates.
Les Feldick teaches that in order for this covenant to be from God and God alone, God made sure Abram had nothing to do with the covenant responsibility. The biblical record shows that a deep sleep fell on Abram at that point, making him a passive participant rather than an equal party to the contract.
Israel's Deed
Les introduces Genesis 15 between verse 9 and the end of the chapter as "Israel's Deed," and says it is just as valid as the day God issued it.
The Ancient Real Estate Transfer Custom
Les explains that the divided carcasses were how people transferred real estate: animals were killed, divided, and the parties made a blood covenant with a cut hand and handshake. God came down and did the same thing.
Babylonian/Hammurabi Background
Les identifies the practice as the typical Babylonian/Hammurabi-era means of transferring real estate, rooted in a pagan culture where everything was based on blood sacrifice.
God’s Covenant with Abraham: Genesis 12 Bible Study Explained
And then after Terah has died, now Abram comes down into the land of Canaan. Got that picture? All right, now let's go on, if you will, to verse 2 and 3. Now what I'd like to have you do is somehow, any way you see fit, understand that verses 2 and 3 are what we call the Abrahamic Covenant. You can either put a circle around them, underline them, and put it out on your margin.
God’s Promise to Abraham: Understanding Genesis 12 & 15
All right, now let's chase some Scriptures. But for now, let's just establish the fact that indeed when God made this covenant with Abraham that He promised them to be a nation. Let's take that first, not the land but the nation. Genesis 15, come down to verse 2, and all these things just point up how human all these patriarchs were.
God Gives Abram the Deed
Les shows that after Abram asked for proof, God gave him the deed to the land in Genesis 15:10-18, following the old customs from Hammurabi.
Title Deed Transferred
Les says God literally went through the rites of transferring the title deed of the land to Abraham, and then on the same day made the covenant in Genesis 15:18.
Why God Commanded Israel to Destroy Entire Nations — Deuteronomy 7
But back here in Genesis chapter 15, you'll remember, God has just called Abram out of the Ur of the Chaldees in chapter 12 and given him the covenant, and in that covenant He has promised the man Abram that out of him would come a nation, a race of people totally different than anything that's been on the scene, and that race of people, when they would become a nation, He would put in a geographi…
Genesis 15:9: And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
This verse records God's specific command to bring the animals used in the covenant ceremony.
Genesis 15:10: And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
This verse describes exactly how Abram divided the larger animals, leaving the birds whole.
Genesis 15:12: And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
This verse shows Abram's passive role as God initiated the covenant.
Genesis 15:18: In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
This verse records the actual land grant that the divided carcass ceremony sealed.
No. Les Feldick explains that the practice was the ancient way of transferring real estate, not a sacrifice. In pagan culture everything was done on the basis of blood sacrifice, and even land transfers used parted carcasses as part of a blood covenant.
In the ancient custom, the walkway was where the two men making the real estate transfer would meet and make a blood covenant by cutting the hand and shaking hands. Les teaches that God came down and did the very same thing.
God used the recognized legal custom of the day to give Abram the title deed to the land. Les calls Genesis 15 Israel's Deed and says it is just as valid today as the day God issued it.
Les emphasizes that the covenant was from God and God alone. God made sure Abram had nothing to do with the covenant responsibility, showing that the promise was entirely God's work.
Watch the Teaching: Israel’s Title Deed: Understanding God's Covenant in Genesis 15