Abraham: This Was HIs Life

 Nadene Goldfoot                                          
                                                                                    

In about 1948 BCE, which was in the 2nd millennium BCE, Abram and his wife Sarai, along with his father, Terah and others traveled from his home in Ur of the Chaldees to Babylon.   From Babylon he followed the Euphrates River through Sumer north to Haran in Paddan Aram (Syria). Haran, the town, was started by Haran, Abram's brother.  Then he turn South to Damascus and from there went into Canaan.  They later followed the Mediterranean Sea to Egypt.   This family grouping happened 3,973 years ago, about 4,000 years ago.  

Sarai was Abram's niece and wife.  She was the daughter of Haran, Abram's brother.  

Terah was the son of Nahor I.  Another brother of Abram was Nahor II.  

Approximately 4,000 years ago, the Middle East was primarily in the Early Bronze Age. This period, spanning roughly from 3300 to 2000 BC, saw the emergence of city-states, the development of writing (cuneiform), and significant advancements in metalworking, particularly with bronze. Within the Early Bronze Age, the Uruk period (c. 4000-3100 BC) in Mesopotamia is notable for the rise of urban life and the beginnings of cuneiform writing. 

Abram's name change occurred when Abram was 99 years old, and God reaffirmed his covenant with Abram, promising to make him the father of many nations. The name change was accompanied by a change in Sarai's name to Sarah. In the Bible, God changed Abram's name to Abraham as part of a covenant and to signify a significant shift in his destiny and identity. The name change was a divine declaration that Abram would become the "father of many nations" and a reminder of God's promise to make his descendants numerous. Abram's name, derived from Hebrew, meant "exalted father". Abraham's new meaning: The name Abraham, also in Hebrew, means "father of a multitude" (or "father of many nations"). 

Abram (later known as Abraham) and his family left Ur because God called him to leave his homeland and travel to a new land, which God would later reveal to him. This divine calling was accompanied by promises of making Abram a great nation and blessing him and his descendants. 

Terah had been an idol-maker, and Abram went through a change of heart about it, in not believing in their polytheistic beliefs, but had had a religious experience thatcaused him to believe in only ONE G-d.  This is why he left Ur, a city brisking withpeople and it's more powerful neighbor, Babylon, at the time like a New York city,and seek a quiet life in order to bring up his future children in his ideals.  

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Babylon was in the land of Shinar or of the Kasdim (Chaldees).  It was the cradle ofhumanity and the scene of man's 1st revolt against G-d with the story of the BabelTower and the Flood story.

When Abram, who had a name change to Abraham showing a mental alignmentgot to his destiny, he had to fight Amraphel, King of Shinar along with three other kings. These four kings had previously defeated and subjugated several cities, including Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Abram, upon learning that his nephew Lot had been taken captive, led his forces to rescue him. .  Babylon was looked upon as the huge city of insolent pagan tyranny.

According to the Bible, Abram and his family's journey from Ur of the Chaldeans (often identified with a location in Mesopotamia near modern-day Nasiriyah, Iraq) to Haran (in modern-day Turkey, near the Syrian border) was a journey of approximately 600 miles or 960 kilometers. The Bible does not explicitly state how long this journey took. The Torah mentions that Abraham traveled from Ur to Haran, and then from Haran to Canaan. The journey from Haran to Canaan is estimated to have taken around 55 days. 

In Haran, Abram (later known as Abraham) received a divine call from God to leave his homeland and journey to a new land, Canaan. God promised to make Abram's descendants a great nation and bless all families on earth through him. Abram, then 75 years old, obeyed the divine command, departing from Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and their possessions. 

   

Abraham took Hagar as a concubine/wife while residing in the land of Canaan. Specifically, it was after he had lived there for ten years. The Bible mentions that Abraham was living in Canaan when his wife, Sarai (later Sarah), gave Hagar to him as a wife.  She had been Sarai's Egyptian handmaid.   Hagar had a son, Ishmael, who was laterlooked upon as Father of the Arabs.  

The Book of Genesis in the Bible, specifically Genesis 25:1, states that Abraham married Keturah. The verse reads, "Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah". This occurs after the death of his first wife, Sarah.  

The Book of Genesis in the Bible states that Abraham had children by Keturah after Sarah's death. Specifically, Genesis 25:1-2 says, "Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah". Additionally, Genesis 25:6 mentions that Abraham had sons by "concubines" in addition to Isaac, which is understood to refer to Keturah and possibly Hagar. 

While Sarah was Abraham's primary wife, and Hagar was a concubine, Keturah is identified as another wife after Sarah's death. The text in Genesis 25:1-6 describes this union and lists the names of the children Keturah bore to Abraham. These sons and their descendants are mentioned in both Genesis and 1 Chronicles. 

In essence, the biblical text clearly indicates that Abraham had children with Keturah, who is presented as a wife taken after Sarah's passing.  

Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him 6 sons, Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

 According to Wikipedia, these sons and their descendants are traditionally associated with Arab tribes living south and east of Israel. The Bible does not specify Keturah's origin, but some interpretations link her lineage to specific regions. According to Jewish tradition, she was a descendant of Noah's son Japheth.

Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. (Genesis 25:1-11)

The sons of Isaac, Esau, the elder twin-brother of Jacob who became Jacob's enemy, because Jacob tricked their father to give his birthright to him. Isaac's wife was Rebekah.   Jacob ran away to Haran and didn't return for 20 years.   He later had a name change to ISRAEL.     

Abram about to sacrifice Isaac but was stopped by an angel.  This was the last sacrifice of his line of people of a human.   

Abraham was 175 years old when he died, according to Wikipedia. He lived to see his son Isaac marry Rebekah and the birth of his grandsons Jacob and Esau. 

Edited 8/17/5:50pm , Hagar

Resource:

Tanakh (Bible)  Stone Edition

The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia