Editing Terah

{{short description|Figure in the Hebrew Bible; son of Nahor}}
{{redirect|Tarah||Tarrah (disambiguation)}}
{{about|the person|the place|Terah (Exodus)}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Terah<br />{{lang|he|תֶּרַח}}
| image       = Terah.jpg
| image_size  = 232px
| caption     = Illustration of Terah with [[Latin]] text from ''[[Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum]]''
| birth_date  =
| birth_place = [[Ur of the Chaldees|Ur Kaśdim]], Chaldea, [[Sumer]]<br />(present-day southern [[Iraq]])
| death_date  =
| death_place = [[Haran (biblical place)|Haran]]<br />(present-day [[southeastern Turkey]])
| occupation  =
| children    = {{plainlist|
* [[Abraham]] (son/son-in-law)
* [[Nahor, son of Terah|Nahor]] (son/grandson-in-law)
* [[Haran]] (son)
* [[Sarah]] (daughter/daughter-in-law)
 }}
| parents     = [[Nahor, son of Serug|Nahor ben]] [[Serug]] (father)<br>'Ijaska bat Nestag (mother, according to [[Book of Jubilees]])<ref>[http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/11.htm Jubilees 11:8]</ref>
}}
'''Terah''' or '''Terach''' ({{langx|he|תֶּרַח}} ''Teraḥ'') is a biblical figure in the [[Book of Genesis]]. He is listed as the son of [[Nahor, son of Serug|Nahor]] and father of the patriarch [[Abraham]]. As such, he is a descendant of [[Shem]]'s son [[Arpachshad]]. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27, [[Book of Joshua]] 24:2, and [[1 Chronicles]] 1:17–27 of the [[Hebrew Bible]] and [[Luke 3]]:34–36 in the [[New Testament]].

==Biblical narrative==
Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–27,<ref>{{bibleverse||Genesis|11:26–27|HE}}</ref> Joshua 24:2,<ref>{{bibleverse||Joshua|24:2|HE}}</ref> and 1 Chronicles 1:17–27<ref>{{bibleverse||1 Chronicles|1:17–27|HE}}</ref> of the [[Hebrew Bible]] and Luke 3:34–36<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|3:34–36}}</ref> in the [[New Testament]]. Terah is mentioned in Genesis 11:26–32 as a son of [[Nahor, son of Serug|Nahor, the son of Serug]], descendants of [[Shem]].<ref name=Berman>{{Cite web|url=https://jbqnew.jewishbible.org/index/books-of-the-bible/genesis/role-terah-foundational-stories-patriarchal-family/|title=THE ROLE OF TERAH IN THE FOUNDATIONAL STORIES OF THE PATRIARCHAL FAMILY}}</ref> He is said to have had three sons: [[Abraham|Abram]] (better known by his later name Abraham), [[Haran]], and [[Nahor, son of Terah|Nahor II]], and one daughter: [[Sarah|Sarai]] (better known by her later name Sarah). The family lived in [[Ur of the Chaldees]]. His grandchildren were [[Lot (biblical)|Lot]], [[Milcah]] and [[Iscah]], whose father, Haran, had died at Ur.<ref name=Berman />

In the [[Book of Joshua]], in his final speech to the Israelite leaders assembled at [[Shechem]], [[Joshua]] recounts the history of God's formation of the Israelite nation, beginning with "Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, who lived beyond the [[Euphrates|Euphrates River]] and worshiped other gods."<ref name=Berman/> Terah is also mentioned in a biblical [[genealogy]] given in [[Books of Chronicles|1 Chronicles]].

In the Genesis narrative, Terah took his family and left Ur to move to the land of [[Canaan]]. Terah set out for Canaan but stopped in the city of [[Haran (biblical place)|Haran]] along the way, where he died.<ref>The Masoretic Text gives his age at death as 205. The corresponding passage in the Septuagint does not give Terah's age at death. See Larsson, Gerhard. "The Chronology of the Pentateuch: A Comparison of the MT and LXX." ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', vol. 102, no. 3, 1983, pp. 401–409. www.jstor.org/stable/3261014. See also the ''New English Translation of the Septuagint'', Genesis 11:32.</ref><ref name="NRSV">{{cite book |title=The Holy Bible, New Revised Standard Version |date=1989 |publisher=Thomas Nelson Publishers |location=Nashville, TN |pages=6–22 }}</ref>

==Jewish tradition==
===Children===
Genesis 11:26<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|11:26|HE}}</ref> states that Terah lived 70 years, "and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran". The [[Talmud]] says that Abraham was 52 years old at year 2000 AM ([[Anno Mundi]]),<ref>{{cite book |title=Avodah Zarah |publisher=[[Babylonian Talmud]] |page=7 |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Avodah_Zarah.9a.7?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en |chapter=Chapter 9a |quote=Rather, the two-thousand-year time period of the Torah is counted from the time when it is stated about Abraham and Sarah: “And the souls that they had gotten in Haran” (Genesis 12:5), which is interpreted by the Sages as referring to the men and women who were brought closer to the Torah by Abraham and Sarah. Therefore, it was at this point that the Torah began to spread throughout the world. And it is learned as a tradition that at that time Abraham was fifty-two years old.}}</ref> which means that he was born in the year 1948 AM.

===Occupation===
[[File:Facial Chronicle - b.01, p.069 - Terah with idols, young Abraham leaving.jpg|thumb|Terah with idols, young Abraham leaving in disgrace]]
According to [[rabbinic literature]] Terah was a wicked (''[[Numbers Rabbah]]'' 19:1; 19:33), idolatrous priest ([[Midrash HaGadol]] on Genesis 11:28) who manufactured [[Cult image|idols]] (''Eliyahu Rabbah'' 6, and ''[[Eliyahu Zuta]]'' 25). Abram, in opposition to his father's idol shop, smashed his father's idols and chased customers away. Terah then brought his unruly son before [[Nimrod#Evil Nimrod vs. the righteous Abraham|Nimrod]], who threw him into a fiery furnace, yet Abram miraculously escaped ([[Genesis Rabbah]] 38:13). The [[Zohar]] says that when God saved Abram from the furnace, Terah repented ([[Zohar]] Genesis 1:77b) and Rabbi Abba B. Kahana said that God assured Abram that his father Terah had a portion in the ''World to Come'' (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12).

[[Hiyya bar Abba|Rabbi Hiyya]] relates this account in the Genesis Rabbah: 
{{blockquote|Terah left Abram to mind the store while he departed. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abram to offer it to the idols. Abram then took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abram explain what he'd done. Abram told his father 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?" Abram replied, "Listen to what you are saying!"}}

===Leader of the journey===
Terah is identified as the person who arranged and led the family to embark on a mysterious journey to Canaan. It is shrouded in mystery to Jewish scholars as to why Terah began the journey and as to why the journey ended prematurely. It is suggested that he was a man in search of a greater truth that could possibly be found in the<ref>Sforno, Bereishit 12:5</ref> land of Canaan, and that it was Abram who picked up the torch to continue his father's quest, that Terah himself was unable to achieve.<ref>Goldin, Shmuel. ''Unlocking the Torah Text Bereishit'', Vol. 1, ({{ISBN|9652294128}}, {{ISBN|978-965-229-412-8}}), 2010, p. 59, 60</ref>

===When Abram leaves Haran===
In Jewish tradition, when Terah died at age 205, Abraham (70 years younger) was already 135 years old. Abram thus left [[Haran (biblical place)|Haran]] at age 75, well before Terah died. The Torah, however, relates Terah's death in Haran before Abram continues the journey to Canaan as an expression that he was not remiss in the [[Mitzvah]] of honoring a parent by leaving his aging father behind.<ref>Compare Rashi, ''Bereishis'' 11:32 with Bereishis ''Rabbah'' 39:7</ref> The significance of Terah not reaching Canaan was a reflection of his character, a man who was unable to go "all the way". Although on a journey in the right direction, Terah fell short at arriving to the divine destination—in contrast to Abram, who did follow through and achieved the divine goal, and was not bound by his father's idolatrous past. Abram's following God's command to leave his father, thus absolved him from the [[mitzvah]] of honoring parents, and as Abraham, he would go on to create a new lineage distinct from his ancestors.<ref>(''Haggadah shel Pesach'') – Levene, Osher C. ''People of the Book'', ({{ISBN|1568714467}}, {{ISBN|978-1-56871-446-2}}), 2004, p. 79–80</ref>

==Samaritan tradition==
In the [[Samaritan Pentateuch]] Terah dies aged 145 years and Abram leaves Haran after his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/interlinearpentateuch/online-samaritan-pentateuch-in-english/genesis|title=Google Sites|website=sites.google.com}}</ref>

==Christian tradition==
In the Christian tradition Abram left Haran after Terah died. The Christian views of the time of Terah come from a passage in the [[New Testament]] at Acts 7:2–4<ref>{{bibleref2|Acts|7:2–4|NIV}}</ref> where [[Saint Stephen|Stephen]] said some things that contrast with Jewish rabbinical views. He said that God appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, and directed him to leave the Chaldeans—whereas most rabbinical commentators see Terah as being the one who directed the family to leave [[Ur Kasdim]] from Genesis 11:31: "Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram's wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran's child) and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan."<ref>{{bibleref2|Genesis|11:31|NLT}}</ref> Stephen asserts that Abram left Haran after Terah died.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7:4&version=KJV|title=Bible Gateway passage: Acts 7:4 - King James Version|website=Bible Gateway}}</ref>

==Islamic tradition==
=== In Sunni Islam ===
Some [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] scholars are of the opinion that Azar (mentioned in the [[Quran|Qur'an]]) is not the father of [[Abraham in Islam|Ibrahim]].<ref>''[[Tafsir al-Alusi|Roohul Ma'ani]]'', 7/194,95.</ref> For some, the actual name of the father of [[Abraham in Islam|Ibrahim]] is Tarakh, thus cannot be Azar.<ref>''[[Tafsir Ibn Kathir]],'' vol. 2, p. 100.</ref><ref>''[[Al-Dur al-Manthur]],'' vol. 3, p. 43.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Niazi |first=Yama |date=2022-10-06 |title=Will All Believers and Their Non-Muslim Parents Be Forgiven? |url=https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/will-all-believers-and-their-non-muslim-parents-be-forgiven/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615104746/https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/will-all-believers-and-their-non-muslim-parents-be-forgiven/ |archive-date=2023-06-15 |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=Seekers Guidance |language=en |quote=The Prophet Ibrahim’s actual father was a Muslim. His name is given as Tarakh by historians.}}</ref> [[Ibn Hajar al-Haytami|Ibn Hajar]]'s position is that in fact Azar is the paternal uncle of [[Abraham in Islam|Ibrahim]] and that Arabs use the term "[[Ab (Semitic)#Arabic|ab]]" to refer to the paternal uncle also and that Allah used this expression in the [[Quran|Qur'an]] {{qref|2|133|pl=y}} where [[Ishmael|Isma'il]], the paternal uncle of [[Jacob in Islam|Ya'qub]], is referred to as an "[[Ab (Semitic)#Arabic|ab]]".<ref>''Al Minahul Makkiyya,'' 1/152</ref>

Some commentators said: Terah's, had two names: Azar and Terah, as Al-Tabari narrated in Jami’ al-Bayan (11/466) with his chain of transmission on the authority of Saeed bin Abdul Aziz. He said: He is Azar, and he is Terah, such as “Israel” and “[[Jacob in Islam|Jacob]]”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tafsir al-Tabari |url=https://tafsir.app/tabari/6/74 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=tafsir.app}}</ref>

It is also maintained by some that Azar's real name was Nakhoor, and that though Azar earlier worshipped [[Allah]], he abandoned his forefathers' religion when he became the minister of Namrud.<ref>Sanaulla al-Mazhari, ''Tafsir al-Mazhari,'' 3/256. </ref>

===In Shi'ism===
====Terah as Abraham's father====
There is a consensus among [[Shia Islam|Shia Muslim]] scholars and exegetes that Azar was not the biological father of Abraham but rather his paternal uncle while Terah is believed to be his father. [[Shaykh Tusi]] maintained that Azar was not Abraham's father and cited a hadith from [[Muhammad]] according to which none of the prophet's ancestors up to [[Adam in Islam|Adam]] were polytheists.<ref>Ṭūsī, al-Tibyān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān, vol. 4, p. 175</ref> By this he argued that since Azar was an idolater and Abraham was one of the prophet's ancestors, it is not possible for Azar to be Abraham's father. According to [[Grand Ayatollah]] [[Naser Makarem Shirazi]] in [[Tafsir Nemooneh]], all Shiite exegetes and scholars believe that Azar was not Abraham's father.<ref>Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 5, p. 303.</ref> [[Allamah Tabatabai]] in his [[Tafsir al-Mizan]] appealed to the Quranic verses in which Abraham prayed for his parents, that they show that his father was someone other than Azar.<ref>Ṭabāṭabāyī, al-Mīzān, vol. 7, p. 261</ref> In [[Dua]] Umm Dawood, a supplication recited by Shi'ite Muslims cited to be from [[Imamah (Shia)|Imam]] [[Ja'far al-Sadiq]], the supplicant sends blessings on a person by the name of 'Turakh'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duas.org/ummedawoodline.htm#Who_was_Umm_D%C4%81w%C5%ABd_|title=Aamal e Umme Dawood|website=www.duas.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilayatmission.org/Duas/UmmDawood.pdf|title=Wilayat Mission}}</ref> In ''[[Nahj al-Balagha]]'', [[Imam Ali]] is reported to have said in a sermon, "I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and the chief of His creation; whenever Allah divided the line of descent, He put him in the better one.."<ref>Nahj Al-Balagha, Sermon 214</ref> Likewise, in ''Ziyarat Arbaeen'', a recitation with which Shiite Muslims pay respect to [[Imam Husayn]], it is recited "I bear witness that you were a light in the sublime loins and purified wombs..",<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.duas.org/mobile/ziyarat-arbaeen.html|title=Ziyarat Arbaeen - Duas.org|website=www.duas.org}}</ref> through which it is believed that none of his ancestors up to Adam were impure, which includes Muhammad, Imam Ali and [[Shia view of Fatimah|Lady Fatimah]] and hence including Abraham's biological father.

The [[Twelver]] [[Shia Islam|Shi'ite]] website ''[[Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project|Al-Islam.org]]'' treats Azar as being Abraham's uncle, not his biological father.<ref name="ABDILP">{{cite web |publisher=[[Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project]] |title=Was Azar the Father of Prophet Abraham? |url=https://www.al-islam.org/shiite-encyclopedia-ahlul-bayt-dilp-team/was-azar-father-prophet-abraham |website=Al-Islam.org |date=12 November 2013 |access-date=2017-09-12 |language=en}}</ref> To justify this view, it references a passage of the Quran, which mentions that the sons of [[Jacob in Islam|Yaʿqūb]] (Jacob) referred to his uncle [[Ishmael in Islam|Ismāʿīl]] (Ishmael), father [[Isaac in Islam|Is-ḥāq]] (Isaac) and grandfather [[Abraham in Islam|Ibrāhīm]] (Abraham) as his ''ābāʾ'' ({{langx|ar|آبَـاء}}):<ref name="qref|2|124-141">{{qref|2|124-141|b=y}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Were you there to see when death came upon Ya'qub? When he said to his sons, "What will you worship after I am gone?" they replied, "We shall worship your God and the God of your ''abaʾ'', Ibrahim, Isma'il, and Is-haq, one single God: we devote ourselves to Him."|Qur'an, [[Al-Baqara|2]]:133<ref name="qref|2|124-141" />}}

Therefore, the singular word ''ab'' does not always mean progenitor, and can be used for an  uncle or caretaker or a forefather, unlike the word ''wālid'' ({{langx|ar|وَالِـد}}, progenitor). Thus, ''Al-Islam.org'' denies that Abraham's biological father was 'Azar', and instead agreed with [[Ibn Kathir]] that he was the biblical figure 'Terah',<ref name="ABDILP" /> who nevertheless treated him as a polytheist.<ref name="Ibn Kathir, QAN">[[Stories of the Prophets (Ibn Kathir)|Stories of the Prophets]], [[Ibn Kathir]], ''Abraham and his father''</ref>

====As Abraham's uncle====
In contrast to ''Al-Islam.org'',<ref name="ABDILP"/> Shi'ite scholar and jurist [[Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi]] believed{{when|date=March 2020}} Terah to be the uncle of Abraham, not his father.<ref name="Modarresi 12-2017">{{cite book |author=Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi |author-link1=Mohammad Taqi al-Modarresi |title=The Laws of Islam |date=26 March 2016 |publisher=Enlight Press |isbn=978-0-9942-4098-9 |url=http://almodarresi.com/en/books/pdf/TheLawsofIslam.pdf |access-date=22 December 2017 |ref=Modarresi |language=en |archive-date=2 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802163247/http://almodarresi.com/en/books/pdf/TheLawsofIslam.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{rp|15}}

== In popular culture ==
Terah is portrayed by [[Vittorio Gassman]] in the film ''[[Abraham (1993 film)|Abraham]]'' (1993).

==References==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Adam to David|yes}}
{{Characters and names in the Quran}}
{{Adam to Muhammad}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:21st-century BC people]]
[[Category:Family of Abraham]]
[[Category:Books of Chronicles people]]
[[Category:Book of Joshua people]]
[[Category:Gospel of Luke]]
[[Category:Noach (parashah)]]
[[Category:Ur of the Chaldees]]
[[Category:Harran]]