Abraham
Abraham is widely revered as a foundational legendary figure among adherents of the eponymous Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, he is the ethnic ancestor and first Hebrew patriarch who began the covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and God; in Christianity, he is regarded as the forebear of Jesus and the spiritual ancestor of all Christians; and in Islam, he is a link in the chain of Islamic prophets that begins with Adam and culminates in Muhammad. Abraham is revered in all other Abrahamic religions, such as the Baháʼí Faith and the Druze faith. He is regarded as the common forefather of both the Arab people through his son Ishmael and the Jewish people through his son Isaac.
The story of the life of Abraham, as told in the narrative of the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, revolves around the themes of blessing and promise, especially the promise of progeny and land. He is said to have been called by God to leave the house of his father Terah and settle in the land of Canaan, which God now promises to Abraham and his progeny. This promise is subsequently inherited by Isaac, Abraham's son by his wife Sarah, while Isaac's half-brother Ishmael is also promised that he will be the founder of a great nation. Abraham purchases a tomb (the Cave of the Patriarchs) at Hebron to be Sarah's grave, thus establishing his right to the land; and, in the second generation, his heir Isaac is married to a woman from his own kin to earn his parents' approval. Abraham later marries Keturah and has six more sons; but, on his death, when he is buried beside Sarah, it is Isaac who receives "all Abraham's goods" while the other sons receive only "gifts".
Most scholars view the patriarchal age, along with the Exodus, as a late literary construct that does not relate to any particular historical era. Many scholars believe the Abraham traditions developed orally over centuries, before being incorporated into the Book of Genesis during the Persian period of Judah, where they helped shape post-exilic Jewish identity and were used to support competing claims to the land.
In the Martyrology
- October 9 Saint Abraham, patriarch and father of all believers