ABRAHAM multitude• Sept.
Appacip), the founder of the Hebrew nation. Up to Gen. xvii. 4, 5, he is uniformly called A BRAM (013N, father of elevation, or high father; Sept. '.A.Opa,u), and this was his original name; but the extended form, which it always afterwards bears, was given to it to make it significant of the promise of a numerous posterity which was at the same time made to him.
Abraham was a native of Chaldea, and descended, through Heber, in the ninth generation, from Shem the son of Noah. His father was Terah, who had two other sons, Nahor and Haran. Haran died pre maturely `before his father,' leaving a son Lot and two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. Lot attached himself to his uncle Abraham; Milcah became the wife of her uncle Nahor; and Iscah, who was also called Sarai, became the wife of Abraham (Gen. xi. 26-29: comp. Joseph. A ntsq i. 6, 5). [SARAH.] Abraham was born A. hi. 2008, B. C. 1996 (Hales, A.M. 3258, B. C. 2153), in ' Ur of the Chaldees' `Gen. xi. 28). The concise history in Genesis states nothing concerning the portion of his life prior to the age of 60 ; and respecting a person living in times so remote no authentic information can be derived from any other source. There are indeed traditions, but they are too manifestly built 2/P on the foundation of a few obscure intimations in Scripture to be entitled to any credit.* Although Abraham is, by way of eminence, named first, it appears probable that he was the youngest of Terah's sons, and born by a second wife, when his father was r3o years old. Terah was seventy years old when the eldest son was born (Gen. xi. 32; xii. 4; xx. 12: comp. Hales, ii. tory); and that eldest son appears to have been Haran, from the fact that his brothers married his daughters, and that his daughter Sarai was only ten years younger than his brother Abraham (Gen. xvii. 17). It is shewn by Hales (ii. toy), that Abraham was 6o years old when the family quitted their native city of Ur, and went and abode in Charran. The reason for this movement does not appear in the Old Testament, but the real cause transpires in Acts vii. 2-4: ' The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was (at Ur of the Chaldees) in Mesopotamia, before he dwell in Charran, and said unto him, Depart from thy land, and from thy kindred, and come hither to a land (AO which I will shew thee. Then departing from the land of the Chaldees, lie dwelt in Charran.' This first call is not recorded, but only implied in Gen. xii.: and it is distinguished by several pointed circumstances from the second, which alone is there mentioned. Accordingly, Abraham departed, and his family, including his aged father, removed with him. They proceeded not at once to the land of Canaan, which indeed had not been yet indicated to Abraham as his destination; but they came to Charran, and tarried at that convenient station for fifteen years, until Terah died, at the age of 205 years. Being free
from his filial duties, Abraham, now 75 years of age, received a second and more pointed call to pursue his destination: ' Depart from thy land, and from thy kindred, and father's house, unto the land (r1tfl, Ti)V -rip), which I will shew thee' (Gen. xii. I). A condition was annexed to this call, that he should separate from his father's house, and leave his brother Nahor's family behind him in Charran. He however took with him his nephew Lot, whom, having no children of his own, he appears to have regarded as his heir, and then went forth `not knowing whither he went' (Heb. xi. 8), but trusting implicitly to the Divine guidance.
No particulars of the journey are given. Abra ham arrived in the land of Canaan, which he found occupied by the Canaanites in a large number of small independent communities, which cultivated the districts around their several towns. The country was however but thinly peopled; and, as in the more recent times of its depopulation, it afforded ample pasture-grounds for the wandering pastors. One of that class Abraham must have appeared in their eyes. In Mesopotamia the family had been pastoral, but dwelling in towns and houses, and sending out the flocks and herds under the care of shepherds. But the migratory life to which Abraham had now been called, com pelled him to take to the tent-dwelling as well as the pastoral life: and the usages which his subse quent history indicates are therefore found to pre sent a condition of manners and habits analogous to that which still exists among the nomade pasto ral, or Bedouin tribes of south-western Asia. [Abraham entered the promised land by way of the valley in which Sychem (the present Nablous as is believed) afterwards stood. All travellers concur in celebrating the richness and beauty of this district. ' All at once,' says Robinson, ' the ground sinks clown to a valley running towards the west, with a soil of rich black vegetable mould. There a scene of luxuriant and almost unparalleled verdure burst upon our view. The whole valley was filled with gardens of vegetables, and orchards of all kinds of fruits, watered by several fountains, which burst forth in various parts and flow west ward in refreshing streams. It came upon us suddenly like a scene of fairy enchantment. We saw nothing to compare with it in all Palestine.' Bibl. Res. ii. 275 : Comp. Stanley Syr. and Pal., p• 234. Wilson, Lands of the Bible, ii. 45, 71; Nugent, Lands Classical and Sacred, ii. 115, Knight's edition, 1846, etc.].