9 Fascinating Abraham Facts From The Bible That You Didn't Know

Akinwalere Olaleye
Oct 26, 2023 By Akinwalere Olaleye
Originally Published on Jan 18, 2022
Abraham facts from the bible include that he was Noah's 10th generation descendant.

Abraham is the patriarch of the Abrahamic faiths, which include Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Abraham, alternatively called Abram, was the divine progenitor of all believers along with other religions, including Jewish or Gentile, Islam, Judaism, and the Christian faith. In Judaism, he was the creator of the covenant of the pieces, the unique connection between the Jewish people and God.

In Christianity, he was the transcendental forefather of all followers, whether Gentile (non-Jewish) or Jewish. In Islam, he is regarded as a connection in the chain of prophets that commemorates Adam and leads up to Muhammad.

Abraham's father, Terah, was 70 years old when he was blessed with Abraham. Abraham's mother's name was Amathlai. Cutha was the name of the Mesopotamian village where he was born. Abraham's birthplace is referred to in the Torah as Ever-haNahar ('Beyond the River'). He was born to parents who believed in idol worship of God.

According to Genesis, Abraham left Ur, Mesopotamia, to follow God's command to form new holy land in an unnamed area. This area was subsequently discovered as Canaan.

Abraham followed God without inquiry, receiving several of God's promises and a covenant that his 'seed' would later inherit the promised land of this great nation. The Jewish people are the descendants of Abraham's son, Isaac, born of his wife Sarah, and they are considered the promised children in Judaism, according to Jewish tradition.

Similarly, Jesus' lineage can be traced back to Abraham's son Isaac in the Christian faith, and Abraham's choice to near-sacrifice Isaac is seen as a prophecy of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

Ishmael, Abraham and Hagar's first son, is seen as the fulfillment of God's promise in Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad is considered his descendent. This is most likely due to the many interpretations of Abraham's life.

If you like reading about the Abraham story from the Bible, you should read further to learn about it in detail. There is a lot of information available on Abraham from the Bible, and lots of curious questions have been answered for you. Read on to learn the fascinating Abraham Bible story.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you should also check out our other articles on Barack Obama facts and Albert Einstein facts.

When was Abraham born?

The ancient texts tell us very little about Abraham's early life. Almost nothing is revealed about his early years, except for a few clues here and there.

However, Abraham (who was initially called Abram) is believed to have been born in 1948, years after creation. Abraham was born in 2150 BCE and lived for 175 years, dying in around 1975 BCE, or approximately 3900 years ago.

Abraham Bible Story

Abraham's narrative is very incredible, beginning with God's call in his life. Surprisingly, God called Abraham from Haran and instructed him to go to a location that he would show him.

Furthermore, God promised three things to Abraham: a personal land; the promise of its being transformed into a large nation; and the promise of blessing. The foundation of the Abrahamic Covenant, which was formed in Genesis 15 and reaffirmed in Genesis 17, was formed by these promises.

What distinguishes Abraham is his unwavering devotion to what God told him. When Abraham was summoned to a location that would eventually become his inheritance, he obeyed and went, even though he had no idea where he was going.

The inhabitants of Ur and Haran worshiped the old Babylonian pantheon of gods, especially the mood god, which was a transgression against the Lord God. Abraham was summoned out of a pagan civilization by God Almighty.

Abraham understood and acknowledged Yahweh, the Lord Almighty's summons, and joyfully followed, an act that brought many benefits to him and his descendants. Despite the fact that Abraham and Sarah were childless (a cause of shame in their society), God promised Abraham that he would give him a son (Genesis 15:4).

Although both Abraham and Sarah laughed at this promise of God, they still believed it.

This boy, God told Abraham, would be the heir of Abraham's vast promised land, which God had bestowed upon him, as well as the heir of promise and the continuance of Seth's virtuous line.

Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness since he followed and trusted the promise of God (Genesis 15:6). God heard him and confirmed his promise to Abraham in Genesis 17, and his confidence is rewarded in Genesis 21 with the birth of his son, Isaac.

Abraham's trust in God was put to the test when it came to his son, Isaac. As seen in Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the summit of Mount Moriah as a burnt offering.

Surprisingly, God commands Abraham to sacrifice the son for whom he had waited so long.

Abraham dutifully followed the God who was his protector and who had been exceptionally generous and nice to him up to this point, according to Genesis 15:1. Amazingly, God prevents Abraham from sacrificing Isaac at the conclusion of the tale, substituting the sacrifice with a ram caught from a local brush.

Without a doubt, Abraham had his times of failure and sin, and the holy book doesn't shy away from mentioning them. In order to guard himself in possibly hostile situations, Abraham lied about his connection with Sarah at least twice, according to Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18.

The Bible also explains how Abraham and Sarah felt about not being able to have a child.

They were so frustrated that Sarah recommended that Abraham have a child on her behalf with her servant, Hagar; Abraham consented (Genesis 16:1-15).

At the time, Sarah and Abraham were known as Sarai and Abram. When their son Ishmael was 13 years old, Abram and Sarah were given a new name when God initiated a new covenant of circumcision and a fresh promise to give him a son from Sarai (Genesis 17).

Following this, Abram, which means 'high father', became 'Abraham', which means 'father of many'. Abraham had a large number of bodily offspring.

Furthermore, everyone who places their trust in the true God through Jesus Christ is referred to as the spiritual heirs of father Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

Abraham also pleaded with God to spare the immoral towns of Sodom and Gomorrah in exchange for 50 righteous people, reducing the number to 10. Unfortunately, Sodom did not have 10 virtuous men, but God spared Abraham's family and his nephew. (Genesis 19).

Why is Abraham important?

Abraham is important because it is through his ancestors that the world's Savior emerges (Matthew 1; Luke 3). No one can comprehend the Old Testament without first knowing the story of Abraham, for God's plan to choose this patriarch starts the tale of redemption in many ways.

God chose Abraham as the first man to play a part in the redemptive plan.

The Bible's earliest reference to God's righteousness being allocated to man as the exclusive method of redemption is found in the biblical account of Abraham's tale (Genesis 15:6). Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations because it was His desire.

God anticipated that Abraham would suffer from the call that had been placed before him, but he also anticipated that his struggle would result in tremendous development and faith for the modern-day.

Facts About Abraham

Abraham was born in 2056 BCE and lived for 175 years, dying in 1881 BCE, or approximately 3900 years ago, according to the Masoretic translation of the holy book.

Abraham lived a nomadic existence, continually moving from place to place.

The Bible's earliest reference of God's righteousness being allocated to man as the exclusive method of redemption is found in the story of Abraham (Genesis 15:6).

Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of many nations because it was His desire.

Abraham was the first to preach that there was only one God. Before that, people believed in numerous other gods as well.

According to Genesis Rabbah, Abraham leaves Haran at the ages of 70 and 75. On the other hand, in 4Q252, Abraham left Ur at the age of 70 for Haran, and after five years there, he left Haran at the age of 75, going to Canaan.

After Sarah died at the age of 127, Abraham married Keturah, and they had six sons together.

Abraham was a 10th-generation descendant of Noah, descended from Shem. Abraham's grandson Jacob and his wives produced 12 sons who became the leaders of Israel's 12 tribes three generations later.

Ishmael and Isaac buried their father alongside Sarah after he (Abraham) died.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Abraham facts then why not take a look at Christopher Columbus facts, or Aaron Copland facts.

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Akinwalere Olaleye

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

Akinwalere Olaleye picture

Akinwalere OlaleyeBachelor of Arts specializing in English Literature

As a highly motivated, detail-oriented, and energetic individual, Olaleye's expertise lies in administrative and management operations. With extensive knowledge as an Editor and Communications Analyst, Olaleye excels in editing, writing, and media relations. Her commitment to upholding professional ethics and driving organizational growth sets her apart. She has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of Benin, Edo State. 

Read full bio >