Abraham

==The Abraham cycle in the Bible==

===Structure and narrative programs===
The Abraham cycle is not structured by a unified plot centered on a conflict and its resolution or a problem and its solution.{{sfn|Ska|2009|p=28}} The episodes are often only loosely linked, and the sequence is not always logical, but it is unified by the presence of Abraham himself, as either actor or witness, and by the themes of posterity and land.{{sfn|Ska|2009|pp=28–29}} These themes form "narrative programs" set out in Genesis 11:27–31 concerning the sterility of Sarah and 12:1–3 in which Abraham is ordered to leave the land of his birth for the land YHWH will show him.{{sfn|Ska|2009|pp=28–29}}

===Origins and calling===
[[File:Abraham's Journey (en).svg|thumb|Abraham's Journey to Canaan according to the Book of Genesis.]]
[[Terah]], the ninth in descent from [[Noah]], was the father of Abram, [[Nahor, son of Terah|Nahor]], [[Haran]] ({{lang-he|הָרָן}} ''Hārān'') and [[Sarah]].<ref>Freedman, Meyers & Beck. ''Eerdmans dictionary of the Bible'' {{ISBN|978-0-8028-2400-4}}, 2000, p. 551 and {{bibleverse|Genesis|20:12|niv}}</ref> Haran was the father of [[Lot (Bible)|Lot]], who was Abram's nephew; the [[Abraham's family tree|family]] lived in [[Ur of the Chaldees]]. Haran died there. Abram married [[Sarah|Sarah (Sarai)]]. Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot departed for [[Canaan]], but settled in a place named [[Haran (biblical place)|Haran]] ({{lang-he|חָרָן}} ''Ḥārān''), where Terah died at the age of 205.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/3261014|title=The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX|author=Larsson, Gerhard|year=1983|journal=Journal of Biblical Literature|volume=102|issue=3|pages=401–409|via=JSTOR|doi=10.2307/3261014|jstor=3261014 }}</ref>

God 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 them who may curse him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran with his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the substance and souls that they had acquired, and traveled to [[Shechem]] in Canaan.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|12:4–6|niv}}</ref>
Then he pitched his tent in the east of [[Bethel]], and built an altar which was between Bethel and [[Ai (Canaan)|Ai]].

===Sarai===
[[File:Tissot Abram's Counsel to Sarai.jpg|thumb|''Abraham's Counsel to Sarai'', watercolor by [[James Tissot]], {{circa|1900}} ([[Jewish Museum (Manhattan)|Jewish Museum]], New York)]]
There was a severe famine in the land of Canaan, so that Abram and Lot and their households traveled to [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]. On the way Abram told Sarai to say that she was his sister, so that the Egyptians would not kill him. When they entered Egypt, the Pharaoh's officials praised Sarai's beauty to [[Pharaohs in the Bible|Pharaoh]], and they took her into the palace and gave Abram goods in exchange. God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with plagues, which led Pharaoh to try to find out what was wrong.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|12:14–17|niv}}</ref> Upon discovering that Sarai was a married woman, Pharaoh demanded that Abram and Sarai leave.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|12:18–20|niv}}</ref>

===Abram and Lot separate===
{{main|Abraham and Lot's conflict}}
When they lived for a while in the [[Negev]] after being banished from Egypt and came back to the [[Bethel]] and [[Ai (Canaan)|Ai]] area, Abram's and Lot's sizable herds occupied the same pastures. This became a problem for the herdsmen, who were assigned to each family's cattle. The conflicts between herdsmen had become so troublesome that Abram suggested that Lot choose a separate area, either on the left hand or on the right hand, that there be no conflict amongst brethren. Lot decided to go eastward to the plain of [[Jordan River|Jordan]], where the land was well watered everywhere as far as [[Zoara]], and he dwelled in the cities of the plain toward [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom]].<ref>{{cite book|author=George W. Coats|title=Genesis, with an Introduction to Narrative Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OrrdUOovklIC&pg=PA113|year=1983|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=978-0-8028-1954-3|pages=113–114}}</ref> Abram went south to [[Hebron]] and settled in the plain of [[Mamre]], where he built another altar to worship [[God in Abrahamic religions|God]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vRolnGU5KvAC&pg=PA59|title=The Religion of the Patriarchs|first=Augustine|last=Pagolu|pages= 59–60|date=1 November 1998|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-85075-935-5 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

===Chedorlaomer===
{{Main|Battle of Siddim}}
[[File:Meeting of abraham and melchizadek.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|''Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek'', canvas by [[Dieric Bouts|Dieric Bouts the Elder]], {{Circa|1464}}–1467]]

During the rebellion of the Jordan River cities, [[Sodom and Gomorrah]], against [[Elam]], Abram's nephew, Lot, was taken prisoner along with his entire household by the invading Elamite forces. The Elamite army came to collect the spoils of war, after having just defeated the king of Sodom's armies.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|14:8–12|niv}}</ref> Lot and his family, at the time, were settled on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Sodom which made them a visible target.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|13:12|niv}}</ref>

One person who escaped capture came and told Abram what happened. Once Abram received this news, he immediately assembled 318 trained servants. Abram's force headed north in pursuit of the Elamite army, who were already worn down from the [[Battle of the Vale of Siddim|Battle of Siddim]]. When they caught up with them at [[Dan (Bible)|Dan]], Abram devised a battle plan by splitting his group into more than one unit, and launched a night raid. Not only were they able to free the captives, Abram's unit chased and slaughtered the Elamite King [[Chedorlaomer]] at Hobah, just north of [[Damascus]]. They freed Lot, as well as his household and possessions, and recovered all of the goods from Sodom that had been taken.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|14:13–16|niv}}</ref>

Upon Abram's return, Sodom's king came out to meet with him in the [[King's dale|Valley of Shaveh]], the "king's dale". Also, [[Melchizedek]] king of Salem ([[Jerusalem]]), a priest of [[Elyon|El Elyon]], brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram and God.<ref>Noth, Martin. ''A History of Pentateuchal Traditions'' (Englewood Cliffs 1972) p. 28</ref> Abram then gave Melchizedek a [[tithe|tenth]] of everything. The king of Sodom then offered to let Abram keep all the possessions if he would merely return his people. Abram declined to accept anything other than the share to which his allies were entitled.

===Covenant of the pieces===
{{see also|Covenant of the pieces}}

The voice of the Lord came to Abram in a vision and repeated the promise of the land and descendants as numerous as the stars. Abram and God made a covenant ceremony, and God told of the future bondage of Israel in Egypt. God described to Abram the land that his offspring would claim: the land of the [[Kenites]], [[Kenizzite]]s, [[Kadmonites]], [[Biblical Hittites|Hittites]], [[Perizzites]], Rephaims, [[Amorites]], [[Canaanites]], [[Girgashites]], and [[Jebusite]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zeligs |first=Dorothy F. |date=1961 |title=Abraham and the Covenant of the Pieces: A Study in Ambivalence |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26301751 |journal=American Imago |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=173–186 |jstor=26301751 |issn=0065-860X}}</ref>

===Hagar===
{{see also|Hagar|Hagar in Islam}}
[[File:Foster Bible Pictures 0032-1.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|''Abraham, [[Sarah]] and [[Hagar]]'', Bible illustration from 1897]]

Abram and Sarai tried to make sense of how he would become a progenitor of nations, because after 10 years of living in Canaan, no child had been born. Sarai then offered her Egyptian slave, [[Hagar]], to Abram with the intention that she would bear him a son.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=53&letter=H |title=Jewish Encyclopedia, ''Hagar'' |publisher=Jewishencyclopedia.com}}</ref>

After Hagar found she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress, Sarai. Sarai responded by mistreating Hagar, and Hagar fled into the wilderness. An angel spoke with Hagar at the fountain on the way to [[Shur (Bible)|Shur]]. He instructed her to return to Abram's camp and that her son would be "a wild ass of a man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren." She was told to call her son [[Ishmael]]. Hagar then called God who spoke to her "[[El Roi|El-roi]]", ("Thou God seest me:" KJV). From that day onward, the well was called Beer-lahai-roi, ("The well of him that liveth and seeth me." KJV margin), located between [[Kadesh (biblical)|Kadesh]] and Bered. She then did as she was instructed by returning to her mistress in order to have her child. Abram was 86 years of age when Ishmael was born.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|16:4–16|niv}}</ref>

===Sarah===
Thirteen years later, when Abram was 99 years of age, God declared Abram's new name: "Abraham"&nbsp;– "a father of many nations".<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:5|niv}}</ref> Abraham then received the instructions for the [[covenant of the pieces]], of which [[Religious male circumcision|circumcision]] was to be the sign.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:10–14|niv}}</ref>

God declared Sarai's new name: "[[Sarah]]", blessed her, and told Abraham, "I will give thee a son also of her".<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:15–16|niv}}</ref> Abraham laughed, and "said in his heart, 'Shall a ''child'' be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear [a child]?'"<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:17|niv}}</ref> Immediately after Abraham's encounter with God, he had his entire household of men, including himself (age 99) and Ishmael (age 13), circumcised.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:22–27|niv}}</ref>

==={{anchor|Three visitors}}Three visitors===
[[File:Tissot Abraham and the Three Angels.jpg|thumb|upright=1|''Abraham and the Three Angels'', watercolor by [[James Tissot]], {{circa|1896–1902|lk=no}}]]

Not long afterward, during the heat of the day, Abraham had been sitting at the entrance of his tent by the [[terebinth]]s of [[Mamre]]. He looked up and saw three men in the presence of God. Then he ran and bowed to the ground to welcome them. Abraham then offered to wash their feet and fetch them a morsel of bread, to which they assented. Abraham rushed to Sarah's tent to order [[ash cake]]s made from choice flour, then he ordered a servant-boy to prepare a choice calf. When all was prepared, he set curds, milk and the calf before them, waiting on them, under a tree, as they ate.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|18:1–8|niv}}</ref>

One of the visitors told Abraham that upon his return next year, Sarah would have a son. While at the tent entrance, Sarah overheard what was said and she laughed to herself about the prospect of having a child at their ages. The visitor inquired of Abraham why Sarah laughed at bearing a child at her age, as nothing is too hard for God. Frightened, Sarah denied laughing.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|18:15|niv}}</ref>

===Abraham's plea===
{{main|Sodom and Gomorrah|Lot (biblical person)}}
[[File:Tissot Abraham Sees Sodom in Flames.jpg|thumb|upright=1|''Abraham Sees Sodom in Flames'', watercolor by [[James Tissot]], {{circa|1896–1902|lk=no}}]]

After eating, Abraham and the three visitors got up. They walked over to the peak that overlooked the 'cities of the plain' to discuss the fate of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]] for their detestable sins that were so great, it moved God to action. Because Abraham's nephew was living in Sodom, God revealed plans to confirm and judge these cities. At this point, the two other visitors left for Sodom. Then Abraham turned to God and pleaded decrementally with Him (from fifty persons to less) that "if there were at least ten righteous men found in the city, would not God spare the city?" For the sake of ten righteous people, God declared that he would not destroy the city.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|18:17–33|niv}}</ref>

When the two visitors arrived in Sodom to conduct their report, they planned on staying in the city square. However, Abraham's nephew, Lot, met with them and strongly insisted that these two "men" stay at his house for the night. A rally of men stood outside of Lot's home and demanded that Lot bring out his guests so that they may "know" ({{Abbr|v.|verse}} 5) them. However, Lot objected and offered his virgin daughters who had not "known" (v. 8) man to the rally of men instead. They rejected that notion and sought to break down Lot's door to get to his male guests,<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|19:1–9|niv}}</ref> thus confirming the wickedness of the city and portending their imminent destruction.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|19:12–13|niv}}</ref>

Early the next morning, Abraham went to the place where he stood before God. He "looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah" and saw what became of the cities of the plain, where not even "ten righteous" (v. 18:32) had been found, as "the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace."<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|19:27–29|niv}}</ref>

===Abimelech===
[[File:Tissot The Caravan of Abraham.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|''The Caravan of Abraham'', watercolor by [[James Tissot]], before 1903 ([[Jewish Museum (Manhattan)|Jewish Museum]], New York)]]

{{see also|Endogamy|Wife–sister narratives in the Book of Genesis}}
Abraham settled between [[Kadesh (South of Israel)|Kadesh]] and [[Shur (Bible)|Shur]] in what the Bible anachronistically calls "the land of the [[Philistine]]s". While he was living in [[Gerar]], Abraham openly claimed that Sarah was his sister. Upon discovering this news, King [[Abimelech]] had her brought to him. God then came to Abimelech in a dream and declared that taking her would result in death because she was a man's wife. Abimelech had not laid hands on her, so he inquired if he would also slay a righteous nation, especially since Abraham had claimed that he and Sarah were siblings. In response, God told Abimelech that he did indeed have a blameless heart and that is why he continued to exist. However, should he not return the wife of Abraham back to him, God would surely destroy Abimelech and his entire household. Abimelech was informed that Abraham was a prophet who would pray for him.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|20:1–7|niv}}</ref>

Early next morning, Abimelech informed his servants of his dream and approached Abraham inquiring as to why he had brought such great guilt upon his kingdom. Abraham stated that he thought there was no fear of God in that place, and that they might kill him for his wife. Then Abraham defended what he had said as not being a lie at all: "And yet indeed ''she is'' my sister; she ''is'' the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|20:12||Genesis 20:12|niv}}</ref> Abimelech returned Sarah to Abraham, and gave him gifts of sheep, oxen, and servants; and invited him to settle wherever he pleased in Abimelech's lands. Further, Abimelech gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver to serve as Sarah's vindication before all. Abraham then prayed for Abimelech and his household, since God had stricken the women with infertility because of the taking of Sarah.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|20:8–18|niv}}</ref>

After living for some time in the land of the Philistines, Abimelech and [[Phicol]], the chief of his troops, approached Abraham because of a dispute that resulted in a violent confrontation at a well. Abraham then reproached Abimelech due to his Philistine servant's aggressive attacks and the seizing of [[Abraham's Well]]. Abimelech claimed ignorance of the incident. Then Abraham offered a pact by providing sheep and oxen to Abimelech. Further, to attest that Abraham was the one who dug the well, he also gave Abimelech seven ewes for proof. Because of this sworn oath, they called the place of this well: [[Beersheba]]. After Abimelech and Phicol headed back to [[Philistia]], Abraham planted a [[List of plants in the Bible|tamarisk]] grove in Beersheba and called upon "the name of the {{LORD}}, the everlasting God."<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:22–34||Genesis 21:22–34|niv}}</ref>

===Isaac===
As had been prophesied in Mamre the previous year,<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|17:21|niv}}</ref> Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham, on the first anniversary of the covenant of circumcision. Abraham was "an hundred years old", when his son whom he named [[Isaac]] was born; and he circumcised him when he was eight days old.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:1–5|niv}}</ref> For Sarah, the thought of giving birth and nursing a child, at such an old age, also brought her much laughter, as she declared, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me."<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:6–7|niv}}</ref> Isaac continued to grow and on the day he was weaned, Abraham held a great feast to honor the occasion. During the celebration, however, Sarah found Ishmael mocking; an observation that would begin to clarify the birthright of Isaac.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:8–13|niv}}</ref>

===Ishmael===
{{See also|Ishmael in Islam#The sacrifice}}
[[File:Adriaen van der Werff - The Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael - 59.063 - Rhode Island School of Design Museum.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|''The Expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael'', by [[Adriaen van der Werff]], {{circa|1699|lk=no}} ([[Rhode Island School of Design Museum]], Rhode Island)]]

Ishmael was fourteen years old when Abraham's son Isaac was born to Sarah. When she found Ishmael teasing Isaac, Sarah told Abraham to send both Ishmael and Hagar away. She declared that Ishmael would not share in Isaac's inheritance. Abraham was greatly distressed by his wife's words and sought the advice of his God. God told Abraham not to be distressed but to do as his wife commanded. God reassured Abraham that "in Isaac shall seed be called to thee."<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:12|niv}}</ref> He also said Ishmael would make a nation, "because he is thy seed".<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:9–13|niv}}</ref>

Early the next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together. He gave her bread and water and sent them away. The two wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba until her bottle of water was completely consumed. In a moment of despair, she burst into tears. After God heard the boy's voice, an [[angel of the Lord]] confirmed to Hagar that he would become a great nation, and will be "living on his sword". A well of water then appeared so that it saved their lives. As the boy grew, he became a skilled [[Archery|archer]] living in the wilderness of [[Desert of Paran|Paran]]. Eventually his mother found a wife for Ishmael from her home country, the land of Egypt.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|21:14–21|niv}}</ref>

===Binding of Isaac===
{{main|Binding of Isaac}}
[[File:Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn 035.jpg|thumb|upright=.8|''The Angel Hinders the Offering of Isaac'', by [[Rembrandt]], 1635 ([[Hermitage Museum]], Saint Petersburg)]]

At some point in Isaac's youth, Abraham was commanded by God to offer his son up as a sacrifice in the land of [[Moriah]]. The patriarch traveled three days until he came to the mount that God told him of. He then commanded the servants to remain while he and Isaac proceeded alone into the mount. Isaac carried the wood upon which he would be sacrificed. Along the way, Isaac asked his father where the animal for the burnt offering was, to which Abraham replied "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering". Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, he was interrupted by the angel of the Lord, and he saw behind him a "ram caught in a thicket by his horns", which he sacrificed instead of his son. The place was later named as [[Jehovah-jireh]]. For his obedience he received another promise of numerous descendants and abundant prosperity. After this event, Abraham went to Beersheba.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|22:1–19||Genesis 22:1–19|niv}}</ref>

===Later years===
{{see also|Abraham's family tree}}
Sarah died, and Abraham buried her in the [[Cave of the Patriarchs]] (the "cave of Machpelah"), near Hebron which he had purchased along with the adjoining field from Ephron the [[Biblical Hittites|Hittite]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|23:1–20|niv}}</ref> After the death of Sarah, Abraham took another wife, a [[concubine]] named [[Keturah]], by whom he had six sons: [[Zimran]], [[Jokshan]], [[Medan (son of Abraham)|Medan]], [[Midian (son of Abraham)|Midian]], [[Ishbak]], and [[Shuah]].<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|25:1–6|niv}}</ref> According to the Bible, reflecting the change of his name to "Abraham" meaning "a father of many nations", Abraham is considered to be the progenitor of many nations mentioned in the Bible, among others the [[Israelites]], [[Ishmaelites]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|25:12–18|niv}}</ref> [[Edom]]ites,<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|36:1–43}}</ref> [[Amalek#Amalekites in the Hebrew Bible|Amalekites]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|36:12–16|niv}}</ref> [[Kenizzite]]s,<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|36:9–16|niv}}</ref> [[Midian]]ites and [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|25:1–5|niv}}</ref> and through his nephew Lot he was also related to the [[Moab]]ites and [[Ammon]]ites.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|19:35–38|niv}}</ref> Abraham lived to see Isaac marry [[Rebekah]], and to see the birth of his twin grandsons [[Jacob and Esau]]. He died at age 175, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah by his sons Isaac and Ishmael.<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|25:7–10|niv}}, {{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|1:32|niv}}</ref>