Terah

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Biblical longevity
Name Age LXX
Methuselah 969 969
Jared 962 962
Noah 950 950
Adam 930 930
Seth 912 912
Kenan 910 910
Enos 905 905
Mahalalel 895 895
Lamech 777 753
Shem 600 600
Eber 464 404
Cainan 460
Arpachshad 438 465
Salah 433 466
Enoch 365 365
Peleg 239 339
Reu 239 339
Serug 230 330
Job 210? 210?
Terah 205 205
Isaac 180 180
Abraham 175 175
Nahor 148 304
Jacob 147 147
Esau 147? 147?
Ishmael 137 137
Levi 137 137
Amram 137 137
Kohath 133 133
Laban 130+ 130+
Deborah 130+ 130+
Sarah 127 127
Miriam 125+ 125+
Aaron 123 123
Rebecca 120+ 120+
Moses 120 120
Joseph 110 110
Joshua 110 110

Terah or Térach (Hebrew: תֶּרַח / תָּרַח, Modern Téraḥ / Táraḥ Tiberian Téraḥ / Tāraḥ ; "Ibex, wild goat", or "Wanderer; loiterer") was the father of Abraham mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.

Contents

[edit] The person

[edit] The 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 one of the sons of Noah.

According to Genesis 11 Terah had three sons, Abram, Haran, and Nahor; according to Genesis 20:12 Sarah, Abraham's wife, was his half-sister (i.e., the daughter of Terah by a wife other than the mother of Abraham). 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 stayed in Harran, where he died at the age of two hundred and five years (Genesis 11:24-32). While he remained there until his death, Abram moved his family out of Haran when Terah was 145 years old (he died aged 205). (Gen 11:31,32; Acts 7:4) The Book of Joshua reports that Terah worshiped other gods. (Josh. 24:2.)

[edit] Jewish Tradition

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.)

[edit] Islamic Tradition

In several places the Quran depicts the story of Abraham;Ibrahim, And his father who is named Tarekh. The story is much similar to the Jewish tradition; Azar (Ibrahim's Uncle) is a wicked polytheist who's occupation is carving wooden Idols for worship.

[edit] The place

Terah is also the name of a place where the Israelites stopped on the Exodus.

Previous Station:
Tahath
The Exodus
Stations list
Next Station:
Mithcah

[edit] See also

Terah was also the name of a character on Star Trek: Enterprise, played by Suzie Plakson.

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