patriarchsAbraham

Abraham, also known as Abram before a covenant with God, is a central figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to biblical tradition, he came from Ur of the Chaldeans and was called by God to travel to Canaan, where God promised to make his descendants a great nation and to grant them the land. The covenant with Abraham established him as patriarch of a people and introduced circumcision as the sign of the covenant.

Abraham’s family includes his wife Sarai (Sarah) and his concubine Hagar. With Hagar he fathered Ishmael; with Sarah he fathered Isaac. The narrative emphasizes faith and obedience, including the test of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac. The line through Isaac becomes the basis for the Israelites; in Islamic tradition, Ibrahim is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of many Arab peoples through Ishmael.

Abraham’s story shapes themes of monotheism, hospitality, and righteousness in the biblical text, and it remains a reference point in religious art, liturgy, and ethical discussion. He is traditionally believed to have died at an advanced age and to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, alongside Sarah. His legacy is the foundation of the patrilineal line through which later biblical patriarchs and nations trace their ancestry.