Introduction
A revered figure for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, Abraham probably lived sometime in the early 2nd millennium BC. He is called a patriarch, a term that comes from the Greek words for “father” and “leader.” He is considered a patriarch because he is said to be the founding father of the nation of Israel. Isaac and Jacob, the son and the grandson of Abraham, are also considered to be patriarchs in the tradition of Israel.
What is known about Abraham and the other patriarchs is found only in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. However, scholars have found some evidence that parts of the story in Genesis may be true. This came from excavations of the royal palace at Mari, an ancient city on the Euphrates River.
The Bible's story of Abraham's life
According to the Bible, Abraham was a native of Ur in southern Mesopotamia (now in Iraq). He is believed to have lived in the 2nd millennium BC. He was probably a member of a large clan of people who lived a seminomadic life, which means that they wandered from place to place. The clan later moved northward and settled near Haran, in what is now Turkey. At Haran God instructed Abraham to leave his homeland and go to a new location. Abraham obeyed the commands.
At the age of 75, he journeyed with his wife, Sarah, his nephew, Lot, and some other companions to Canaan. It was roughly where the country of Israel is now.
God also said to Abraham, “I will make of thee a great nation,” promising him that his descendants would inherit the land. This was a promise or agreement, called a covenant, that God made with Abraham.
Abraham and his wife were quite old when they settled in Canaan. They did not think they would have any children. But God had promised them descendants. Abraham first had a son, Ishmael, born to Sarah's servant, Hagar. Isaac was born later to Sarah. After Sarah's death, Abraham married a woman named Keturah. They had many children. These children were sent away from Canaan to live elsewhere when they grew up. Isaac alone inherited the Promised Land. After Isaac's death, it went to his son, Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. Because of God's covenant with Abraham, Israel as a nation saw itself in a special relationship with God: Israelites were the people of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham died at the age of 175. He was buried next to Sarah.
Importance to other religions
In the New Testament, Abraham is considered to be the father of all who believe in God. Christians believe that the promises made to Abraham have been fulfilled in Jesus. The Koran, the holy book of Islam, says that Abraham, assisted by his son Ishmael, built the Kaaba, the shrine in the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. For the followers of Islam, the Kaaba is the most sacred place on Earth.
