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Terah

Terah or Térach (תרח "Wanderer; loiterer", Standard Hebrew Téraḥ / Táraḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Téraḥ / Tāraḥ) was the father of Abraham mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

According to the Book of 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 Arphaxad, 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, 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 Haran, where he spent the remainder of his days, and died at the age of two hundred and five years (Genesis 11:24-32).

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


Terah was also a character on Sesame Street.


Last updated: 02-10-2005 02:49:03
Last updated: 05-02-2005 11:40:55