Paran Desert

Abram, later known as Abraham, is an important figure in the Bible. His travels are detailed in several stories throughout the Old Testament. The Casual English Bible tells of his journey with a focus on the significant moments.

Abram's journey begins in Ur of the Chaldeans, where God calls him to leave his home and travel to a land that God would show him. Abram shows great faith in God and leaves his home with his wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot.

The group travels through Haran, today's Turkey, where they settle for a while. Eventually, God tells Abram to continue his journey to Canaan, which is the land that he has promised to Abram's descendants. Canaan is what is now Israel and Palestinian Territories.

When they arrive in Canaan, God appears to Abram and tells him that he will give this land to his descendants, and Abram builds an altar to the Lord.

Soon after, a famine forces Abram to leave Canaan and travel to Egypt. He tells his wife Sarah to say that she is his sister, to avoid any danger. He was afraid someone would kill him to steal his beautiful wife...who was at least 66 years old. That's according to Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible, by Stephen M. Miller. The Egyptian Pharaoh takes Sarah into his palace, but God intervenes and plagues the Pharaoh's household. Pharaoh realizes that Sarah is Abram's wife and returns her to him.

Abram continues his travels through Canaan, and he and Lot separate due to a dispute over grazing land. Lot chooses the lush Jordan valley, while Abram settles in the land of Canaan.  Arabs say Abraham is their father as well. They hold him in high esteem as a prophet.

Throughout his travels, Abram remains devoted to God and builds altars to honor him. People remember him today for his jaw-dropping faith and for becoming the father of the Jewish people.

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His stories appear in Genesis 12-25.