Terah 69150 222433207 2008-06-29T09:21:19Z 125.160.133.56 /* The Bible */ '''Terah''' or '''Térach''' ({{Hebrew Name 2|תֶּרַח|תָּרַח|Téraḥ|Táraḥ|Téraḥ|Tāraḥ|"Ibex, wild goat", or "Wanderer; loiterer"}}) was the father of [[Abraham]] mentioned in the [[Hebrew Bible]]. ==The person== ===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 [[List of minor Biblical figures#Salah|Shelah]], who was the son of [[Arpachshad]], who was the son of [[Shem]], who was the oldest son 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 [[Chaldeans|Chaldees]]," where his son Haran died, leaving behind his son [[Lot (biblical)|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). The [[Book of Joshua]] reports that Terah worshipped other gods. (Josh. 24:2.) The Torah's account of Terah's life presents some problems regarding the consistency of the text as a whole. He is represented as fathering Abram (Abraham) at the age of seventy, and dying at the age of 205. Abraham should therefore be 135 at the time of Terah's death, yet according to Genesis 12:4 he is only 75. In addition, Abraham is told by God to leave "your land and your birthplace" and go to Canaan on Terah's death, which occurs in the city of Haran; yet Abraham's birthplace, according to Genesis 11, was not Haran but Ur of the Chaldees. These debates has go on for several times, yet if we search the bible, it is not stated that Abram left Haran after Terah's death, therefore it is certain that Abram left Haran before his father's death. And also that there is no brief command that God told Abram to leave his birth place only the house of his father and to leave his father and relatives,which in this context means Haran. Except bringing Lot with him,that is exactly what Abram did, he left Haran and Terah. ===Jewish Tradition=== The [[Midrash]] regards Terah as wicked. (E.g., Numbers Rabbah 19:1; 19:33.) Rabbi Hiyya said that Terah manufactured [[Idolatry|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 (king)|Nimrod]] for punishment. ([[Genesis Rabba|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.) ===Islamic Tradition=== In [[Islamic]] tradition Abraham's (known as ''Ibrahim'') father is reported by some scholars to have been a man by the name ''Azar''; this has led some Islamic scholars to identify Terah with Azar. Some scholars believe the name Azar was a mistranslation of Eleazer the servant of Abraham. There is however no mention of the name of Abraham's father in the Qur'an or in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. ==The place== Terah is also the name of a place where the [[Israelites]] stopped on [[the Exodus]]. {{ExodusStation|[[Tahath]]|[[Mithcah]]}} ==See also== '''Terah''' was also the name of a character on Star Trek: Enterprise, played by Suzie Plakson. {{Adam to David}} [[Category:Torah people]] [[Category:Torah places]] {{Tanakh-stub}} [[ca:Tèrah]] [[de:Terach]] [[es:Taré]] [[fa:تارح]] [[fr:Terah]] [[id:Terah]] [[it:Terach]] [[he:תרח]] [[nl:Terach]] [[ja:テラ (聖書)]] [[pl:Terach]] [[pt:Terá]] [[sk:Térah]] [[sh:Terah]] [[sv:Terach]] [[tr:Azer]] [[yi:תרח]]