Terah: Encyclopedia II - Terah - The person

Terah - The person

Terah was the father of Abraham mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

According to the Genesis 11, Terah was the son of Nahor, who was the son of Serug, who was the son of Reu, who was the son of Peleg, who was the son of Eber, who was the son of Shelah, who was the son of Arpachshad, who was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah.

Terah moved with his family from his native mountains in the north to the plains of Mesopotamia, after Abraham had been told to do so by God. He had two more sons, Haran, Nahor, and one daughter by another wife, Sarah. He lived in "Ur of the Chaldees," where his son Haran died, leaving behind his son Lot. Nahor settled at Haran, a place on the way to Ur. Terah afterwards migrated with Abraham (probably his youngest son) and Lot (his grandson), together with their families, from Ur, intending to go with them to Canaan; however he ended his voyage in Harran, where he spent the remainder of his days, and died at the age of two hundred and five years (Genesis 11:24-32). The Book of Joshua reports that Terah worshiped other gods. (Josh. 24:2.)

The Midrash regards Terah as wicked. (E.g., Numbers Rabbah 19:1; 19:33.) Rabbi Hiyya said that Terah manufactured idols and told the following account: Terah once went away and left Abraham to mind the store. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abraham to offer it to the idols. Abraham took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abraham explain what he had done. Abraham told Terah that the idols fought among themselves and the largest broke the others with the stick. “Why do you make sport of me?” Terah cried, “Do they have any knowledge?” Abraham replied, “Listen to what you are saying!” Terah then delivered Abraham to King Nimrod for punishment. (Genesis Rabbah 38:13.) The Zohar says that when God saved Abraham from the furnace, Terah repented. (Zohar, Bereshit 1:77b.) Rabbi Abba b. Kahana said that God assured Abraham that his father Terah had a portion in the World to Come. (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12.)

In Islamic tradition Abraham's (known as Ibrahim) father is reported to have been a man by the name Azar; this has lead some Islamic scholars to identify Terah with Azar.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The person", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki