Abraham Leaves Haran

This entire article is based on a transliteration of the Tanakh, Samaritan Pentateuch (Sam.), Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), and Qur'an (S), with some additional Islamic material. Numbers in brackets reference the sources in a standardised format. Round brackets indicate either a difference between different biblical sources, or additional information. Square brackets are for interpolations.

(1) And Terach, uplifted his son Ab-raam, and Lot, son of Haran; his grandson, and Shar-ree, (and Milkah,) his daughter(s)-in-law; women (wife) to his son(s) Ab-raam (and Nachor) (2) And they went forth with them from Ur-Kasdiy(mah) to move [toward] the land of Cana'an. Then they came to Charan and remained there.

(3) Did you not see unto the one who argued [with] Ab-raam concerning his Adon because God gave him the kingdom [of heaven on Earth]?

When Ab-raam said, “My Adon; The One who gives life, and causes death.”

He said, “I give life, and cause death.”

Ab-raam said, “[Then] indeed, God brings up the Sun from the east, so you bring it from the west!”

So the one who disbelieved came to be prone to his own slander, and God guides not the wrong-doing people.

(4) And when Ab-raam said, “Adonay, show me how You give the dead, life.”

He said, “Have you not believed?'

He said, “Yes, but to ease my heart.”

He said, “Then take of the birds; four. And cause them inclination unto your [command]. Then put a portion of them on each hill. Then call them; they will come hastily to you. And know that God [is] Supreme, All-Wise.”

(5) And the days of Terach came to be five and forty years, and one hundred years, Terach being cut off in Charan (Akkadian-road, Southern Turkey/Northern Syria), (6) [when he dwelt for a time at the house of Nachor, toward the end of his days].

References & purports.

(1) DSS/Sam. Gen.11:31a, (2) Gen.11:31b, (3) S2:258, (4) S2:260, (5) DSS/Sam. Gen.11:32, (6) INTERPOLATION.

[Gen.11:31b: Cana'an/Israel lies closer, a land blessed for the good of all (S21:71). Charan (Akkadian-road) in Southern Turkey/Northern Syria (Gen.27:43, 31:18).

DSS/Sam. Gen.11:32: There is a difference between the chronologies of the parallel genealogies of the Genesis texts, being precisely 60 years duration (Benyamin Tsedaka et al, The Israelite Samaritan Version of the Torah, First English Translation Compared With The Masoretic Version, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., 2013, pp.24-27, Mas./Sam. Gen.11:12-26). These differences arise with Ayber, and are compensated for in Terach, but there is also a relative difference in the time back to the Deluge of 620 years. If this was not the case, then Noach and Shem would have lived contemporaneously with Ab-raam. Surely the rise of Nimrod, and the paganism associated with him from legend, required more time. Another source gives some different figures to those of B. Tsedaka et al (Sam. Gen.11:19b, Sam. Gen.11:21b), but still at odds with the Masoretic tradition (tyndalehouse.com, STEP Bible, Tyndale House, 36 Selwyn Gardens, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2019). In these two instances of greater extremes I have stuck with Tsedaka, whose access to Samarian sources, and his understanding thereof, is unsurpassed. Where the years truly lie is uncertain, but the genealogies certainly align in terms of identities.]

(1) And Yahoshua said to all the nation, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel, over the river (Euphrates) your forefathers dwelt, from beyond common reckoning, Terach, Ab-raam's father, and father to Nachor, and they served other gods. And I took Ab-raam, your father, over the river, and caused him to walk by all the ground of Cana'an...”

(2) And YHWH made utterance to Ab-raam, “(For you,) (go,) go, from your land, and from your kindred, and from the house of your father, to the land which I shall show you. (3) Then I will fashion you as a great nation, and I shall bless you, and I shall make (great;) your name, (precious,) and you are (to have,) (to be) a blessing. (4) And I bless those who bless you, but whosoever curses thee I shall make them come to know. And, in you, all the families of the Earth be blessed.”

(5) So We delivered him, and Lot, to the land which We blessed for-those in the-realms-both-seen-and-unseen. (6) And Ab-raam went for that word which YHWH had toward him. Lot also went with him. And Ab-raam was a son of a seventy-fifth year on coming out of Charan. (7) And Ab-raam took his woman, Shar-ree, and his brother's son, Lot, and all acquisitions which they possessed, and the people that they appointed in Charan. And they went forth to go to the land of Cana'an. Then they entered into the land of Cana'an. (8) And traversing the land unto Shekem, Ab-raam got as far as the tree of teaching, but the Cana'anite [was] then in the land.

(9) Then YHWH appeared to Ab-raam and said to him, “I shall give this land to your seed.”

So there he built an altar to YHWH, who was revealed to him.

(10) And moving forward from there to the mountain east of Beit-El, and spreading his tent with Beit-El to the Western Sea, and Ai('-a/ut) east he also built an altar there to YHWH, and called to the name of: I Was-I Am-I Will Be. (11) And Ab-raam set out, walking on, and set out for the southern state. (12) So, a famine arose in this part of Earth and Ab-raam went down toward Egypt. There to [extend his nomadic] lifestyle for the grievousness of famine in the region. (13) So Ab-raam set out from there for the southern land, and dwelt between Kadesh and between Shur, and made a lifestyle at Gerar.

References & purports.

(1) Josh.24:2-3a, (2) Gen.12:1, (3) Mas./Sam. Gen.12:2, (4) Gen.12:3, (5) S21:71, (6) Gen.12:4, (7) Gen.12:5, (8) Gen.12:6, (9) DSS/Sam. Gen.12:7, (10) Gen.12:8, (11) Gen.12:9, (12) Gen.12:10, (13) Gen.20:1.

Gen.12:1-5: There is a strong circumstantial case for the Samarian chronology over the Masoretic in regard to Terach's lifespan. Here we see Abraham and Shar-ree, and Lot's family, being called out from Charan after residing there for some decades. Why at this time? If Terach died at the age of one hundred and forty-five, rather than two hundred and five, then this happened within a couple of years of their emigration. Therefore Terach turned to his other son as his health failed, but the son who led in rebellion was out of the picture. If this was not so, then Sarah died around the same time as Terach! Moreover, from Rashi, we know that certain rabbis cited Haran as being strong against idolatry, saying, “I am on Ab-raam's side.” Then he is supposed to have entered the furnace on account of Terach, instead of Ab-raam! And he was burned (Gen.11:28 – Rashi's Commentary). Therefore the rabbis and scribes of old recounted a portion of the original story, as in the Genesis Rabbah, and it is not so far removed from the Qur'an (S21:68, 37:97).

S21:71: Earth which we blessed for all peoples (Gen.11:31).

Gen.12:10: Egypt you shall not enter (Gen.26:1-2). Ab-raam never entered Egypt, for he was not contaminated by their deities, nor was his household, although some amongst the learned Jews deny this matter, especially in light of the coming sacrifice. They who are logical and learned cannot explain the subsequent event any other way.

This story continues via a sequel.