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Abraham
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Abraham Article

Abraham summary

Learn about the life of Abraham, the first of the Hebrew patriarchs, in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Abraham.
József Molnár: The March of Abraham
József Molnár: The March of AbrahamThe March of Abraham, painting by József Molnár, 19th century; in the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest.

Abraham, (flourished early 2nd millennium bc), First of the Hebrew patriarchs, revered by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Genesis tells how Abraham, at 75, left Ur with his barren wife, Sarai (later Sarah), and others to found a new nation in Canaan. There God made a covenant with him, promising that his descendants would inherit the land and become a great nation. Abraham fathered Ishmael by Sarah’s maidservant Hagar; Sarah herself bore Isaac, who inherited the covenant. Abraham’s faith was tested when God ordered him to sacrifice Isaac; he was prepared to obey but God relented. In Judaism he is a model of virtue, in Christianity he is the father of all believers, and in Islam he is an ancestor of Muhammad and a model (in Sufism) of generosity.

Jerusalem: Western Wall, Temple Mount
Judaism Summary
Judaism, monotheistic religion developed among the ancient Hebrews. Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the complex