Abraham's Journey

Abraham was born in what is today known as Iraq (Abraham's personal appearance was far more like the people seen in Iraq today than in Israel today). At first known as Abram, his journey to the new land was completed in stages, the first of which was led by his father Terah to Haran, located in what is today northwestern Iraq or Syria.

"^11:27 Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. ^11:28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his Nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. ^11:29 And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. ^11:30 But Sarai was barren; she had no child. ^11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there." (Genesis 11:27-31 KJV)

After the death of his father, Abram obeyed the LORD and set off to the new land.

"^12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

^12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: ^12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

^12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. ^12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls [see Where Is Your Soul?] that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came." (Genesis 12:1-5 KJV)

The first stop was Shechem.

"^12:6 And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem [i.e. Shechem], unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite was then in the land. ^12:7 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him." (Genesis 12:6-7 KJV)

Then on to the area of Bethel.

"^12:8 And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD." (Genesis 12:8 KJV)

His journey then continued on to the southern desert, the Negev, or Negeb, which although the word means dry, it came also to mean south (the reason that some Bible translations use south while others use Negev or Negeb).

"^12:9 And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south [RSV "the Negeb"]." (Genesis 12:9 KJV)

The family group then resorted to Egypt to escape a famine.

"^12:10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land." (Genesis 12:10 KJV)

Upon their return to what would become the land of Israel, Abraham and his nephew Lot parted company. Lot chose the area around Sodom, while Abraham settled in Hebron where he is today buried in the family tomb that he purchased there when his wife Sarah died (see The Tombs Of Hebron).

"^13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah [see Sodomites], even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. ^13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. ^13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. ^13:13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

^13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: ^13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. ^13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. ^13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

^13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD." (Genesis 13:10-18 KJV)

Fact Finder: Why did the LORD rename Abram and Sarai as Abraham and Sarah?
See Abram and Sarai