Abraham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the biblical Abraham. For other uses, see Abraham (disambiguation). "Abram", "Avram", and "Ibrahim" redirect here. For other uses, see Abram (disambiguation), Avram (disambiguation), and Ibrahim (disambiguation).

Abraham

Rembrandt, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1635 Personal Abram 1948 AM[1] Born Mesopotamia 2123 AM (aged 175) Died Canaan Cave of Machpelah Resting place 31.524744N 35.110726E Family Sarah Hagar Spouse Keturah Ishmael Isaac Children Zimran Jokshan

Medan Midian Ishbak Shuah Abraham (Hebrew: listen (helpinfo); Arabic: Ibrhm), originally Abram, is the first of the three Patriarchs of Israel whose story is told in chapters 1125 of the Book of Genesis. Abram was called by God to leave his father Terah's house and native land of Mesopotamia in return for a new land, family, and inheritance in Canaan, the promised land. Threats to the covenant arose difficulties in producing an heir, the threat of bondage in Egypt, of lack of fear of God but all were overcome and the covenant was established.[2] After the death, and burial of his wife, Sarah, in the grave that he purchased in Hebron, Abraham arranged for the marriage of Isaac to a woman from his own people.[3] Abraham later married a woman called Keturah and had six more sons, before he died at the recorded age of 175, and was buried by his sons Isaac and Ishmael. (Genesis 25:110) Abraham plays a role in three world religions: in Judaism, as the founder of the special covenant relationship between the Jewish people and God; for Christians, his faith made him the prototype of all believers; and for Mohammad, the prophet of Islam, Abraham's belief separated "Islam", submission to God, from the Jewish Torah.[4] The Bible's internal chronology places Abraham around 2000 BCE,[5] but the stories in Genesis cannot be definitively related to the known history of that time.[6]

Contents

1 Narrative in Genesis o 1.1 Abram's origins and calling o 1.2 Abram and Sarai o 1.3 Abram and Lot separate o 1.4 Abram and Chedorlaomer o 1.5 Abrahamic covenant o 1.6 Abram and Hagar o 1.7 Abraham and Sarah o 1.8 Abraham's three visitors o 1.9 Abraham's plea o 1.10 Abraham and Abimelech o 1.11 Birth of Isaac o 1.12 Abraham and Ishmael o 1.13 Abraham and Isaac o 1.14 Later years 2 Critical views of the Abraham narrative o 2.1 Historicity o 2.2 Origins of the narrative 3 Abraham in religious traditions o 3.1 Overview

3.2 Judaism 3.3 Christianity 3.4 Islam 3.5 Baha'i Faith 4 Abraham in the arts o 4.1 Paintings and sculpture o 4.2 Literature o 4.3 Music 5 See also 6 Notes 7 Bibliography 8 External links

o o o o

Narrative in Genesis
The story of Abraham is related in Genesis 11:2625:10 of the Hebrew Bible.

A painting of Abraham's departure by Jzsef Molnr

Abram's origins and calling

Terah, the tenth in descent from Noah, begat three sons, Abram (later called Abraham), Nahor and Haran. Haran begat Lot (who was thus Abram's nephew), and died in his native city, Ur of the Chaldees. Abram married Sarai, who was barren. Terah, with Abram, Sarai, and Lot, then departed for Canaan, but settled in a place named Haran, where Terah died at the age of 205. (Genesis 11:2711:32) The LORD had told Abram to leave his country and kindred and go to a land that he would show him, and promised to make of him a great nation, bless him, make his name great, bless them that bless him, and curse "him" that curses him. (Genesis 12:13) Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the wealth and persons that they had acquired, and traveled to Shechem in Canaan. (Genesis 12:46)

Abram's Counsel to Sarai (watercolor circa 18961902 by James Tissot)

Abram and Sarai

There was a severe famine in the land of Canaan, so that Abram and Lot and their households, travelled south to Egypt. On the way, Abram told his wife Sarai to say that she was his sister, so that the Egyptians would not kill him. (Genesis 12:1013) When they entered Egypt, the princes of the Pharaoh praised Sarai's beauty to the Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace, and Abram was given provisions: "oxen, and he-asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and sheasses, and camels". However, God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with great plagues, which he tried to find the reason for.(Genesis 12:1417) Upon discovering that Sarai was a married woman, Abram's wife as well as his sister, Pharaoh demanded that they and their household leave immediately, along with all their goods. (Genesis 12:1820)