When God was looking for a man to create a covenant with - He looked down from heaven, & behold!!  There was Abram..

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Abram (who became ABRAHAM).. was born in Ur, (modern day Iraq), in this house..  seen again here.. See Iraqi archeologists excavating??  Another angle... AND it was from here,, that God called Abraham to leave it all behind.. So this is where it ALL started!!  VERY cool stuff!! 😁

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Abraham (formerly known as, Abram); plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and (unfortunately)  🤮 Islam..  Thus, Abram (became Abraham; father of our faith!!!  And faithful to God, He was!!  In Matthew; Jesus genealogy starts NOT with Adam or Noah; BUT ABRAHAM..

((Even tho Abraham ""techniquilly" came from Noah's line; as we ALL did!))  😁

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Here is a cool map of Abraham's journey!

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Born in the lineage of Noah.  Abraham was 9th, in Noah's heritage of descent.. (How'd AWESOME a bragging right thaat'd be!!) 😋That probably maybe had a lil to do with God choosing Abraham.. NOT to mention he had an open heart..

 

The voice of the Lord came to Abram, in a vision and gave him the promise of the lands (of his sojournings), and descendants as numerous as the stars and vast as the sands of the seashore.  Abram and God made a covenant, and God told Abram, of the future bondage of Israel, (his offspring), in Egypt. God described to Abram the land that his offspring would claim: the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaims, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.  ((aka; ALL of Israel.. what is today, parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and a portion of modern day Egypt..

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In that holy covenant.. Abram became ABRAHAM!

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God promised Abraham a son.. To which Abraham (laughed in his heart), & asked, 'how so?'  For he & his wife, Sarah, were advanced in years.  Nevertheless - Abraham received the message from God with gladness- but after waiting for some time - Sarai (named Sarah, after the holy covenant; Sarah means 'princess'), jumped the gun & went ahead of God, in the matter of their son.   One of those times I would think Abraham would stand up to his wife and remind her it would happen in God's timing.. But AFTER looking closer at the offer.. (and being a MALE; knowing, sadly, the way men think), we can see a bit clearer Abraham's mindset & why he gave Sarah's offer 2 thumbs enthusiastically WAY UP!!  Sarah's offer, was this...

 

That she give her Egyptian handmaiden, Hagar, for Abraham to have sex with so that he may have the child, promised by God.  (Abraham willingly obliged; what man obviously wouldn't??  OBVIOUSLY negating the fact that God said, .."I will give you and your WIFE, Sarah; NOT Hagar!  (Don't EVER jump the gun with God!!  Verry bad BAAAAD things happen). 

After Hagar conceived and became preggo, Sarah began to despise her mistress Hagar. (EVEN though it was her (Sarah's).. idea!!)  Therefore, Sarah mistreated Hagar, and Hagar fled away. Whilst en route an angel spoke with Hagar at a spring in the way to Shur. He instructed her to return to her mistress Sarah, and that her son would be "a wild donkey of a lad & his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren."  She was told to call her son Ishmael. Hagar then called God who spoke to her "El-roi." (Meaning, God who sees) ... From that day, the well was called Beer-lahai-roi.  (Another angle?? FoSho!)  She then did as she was instructed by returning to her mistress in order to have her child.

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Abraham & Sarah resided, (&, well?? Really founded), Beersheba..  Abraham was a modern day plumber; his day, in the business of well digging.  Here are some very COOL photos of Abraham's well BEFORE the inevitable happened.. (aka they were 'beautified.') FoSho!  Pic #2, and Pic # 3. VERY BERRY COOL!! 

 

Abraham was eighty-six years of age when his wife's mistress, Hagar,

bore him a son; & Abraham called his name, Ishmael. 

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As had been prophesied in Mamre the previous year, (And re-confirmed when the Lord came to Abraham, on His way to bring an end the evil city of Sodom.. 

THAT time, (Sarah laughed!)  The joke was on THEM both & the time of 'eating' their laugh was come!! 😉 
 

Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham, on the first anniversary of the covenant of God with Abraham. Abraham was "a hundred years old", when his son whom the Lord named Isaac was born (Isaac means, 'he laughs'; due to BOTH Abraham & Sarah laughing when the boy was promised to them.  You can't even TELL me God doesn't have a great sense of humor!!)  Per the covenant;

Isaac was circumcised him when he was eight days old.  

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Now, Ishmael was fourteen years old when Abraham's son Isaac was born to a different mother, Sarah. Sarah had finally borne her own child, even though she had passed her child-bearing period.

 

When Sarah saw Ishmael laughing (prolly mockingly), at the feast Abraham had upon the weaning of Isaac, Sarah told Abraham to send both Ishmael and Hagar away, (It has been of intense debate that Ishmael eventually became Pakistan, whilst Isaac became Israel.  That would be true, for the most part; since they lye in the area of the Moabites (which Ishmael founded... Thus the fighting between the two will never be settled.  It would explain, however, why Islamist's ""want"" to lay claim to Israel.)  She declared that, "Ishmael would not share in Isaac's inheritance." Abraham was greatly distressed by his wife's words, seeing as Ishmael was his son as well as Isaac. So, he sought the advice of the Lord.  God told Abraham not to be distressed but to do as his wife had commanded him. God reassured Abraham that "in Isaac shall seed be called to thee."  He also said that 'Ishmael would also become a great nation, because he is thy seed". 

 

Early the next morning, Abraham brought Hagar and Ishmael out together. He gave her bread and water and sent them away. The two wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba until her bottle of water was completely consumed. In a moment of despair, she burst into tears.  After God, hearing the boy's voice, an angel of the Lord confirmed to Hagar that he would become a great nation. A well of water then appeared so that it saved their lives. As the boy grew, he became a skilled archer living in the wilderness of Paran. Eventually his mother found a wife for Ishmael from her home country, the land of Egypt. 

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When Abraham single-handedly gathered his resources & he pursued the northern kings who had captured his nephew Lot - to as far as Dan (according to Genesis 14:14). The reason this gate is called "Abraham's Gate" is because Abraham almost certainly would have had to pass through this gate in his pursuit

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Meanwhile - In Isaac's youth, Abraham was commanded by God to offer his son up as a sacrifice in the land of Moriah. The patriarch traveled three days until he came to the mount that God told him of, (which also btw, is the place purported that God gathered the dust to form man..  It is, of course, inside of The Temple Mount). He commanded the servants to remain while he and Isaac proceeded alone into the mount. Isaac carried the wood upon which he would be sacrificed. Along the way, Isaac asked his father where the animal for the burnt offering was, to which Abraham replied "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering".   Here is a closer looksie at the actual bedrock, or the original rock, from the top of Mount Moriah. Abraham would have walked across parts of this rock when he came up here to sacrifice Isaac.  Just as Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, he was interrupted by the angel of the LORD, and he saw behind him 'a ram caught in a thicket by his horns", which he sacrificed in the stead of his son.' For his obedience he received another promise of numerous descendants and abundant prosperity.  Remember - in Abraham's day, ALL this land would have been wilderness..

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When Sarah died, Abraham buried her,  (though the tomb pictured is empty.. The 'actual' tombs are in the cave neath & are off limits to public) in the Cave of the Patriarchs, which he purchased for full price 400 shekels, from Ephron, the Hittite.. 

 

Abraham lived to see his son marry Rebekah.  He died at the hearty age of 175, And the LORD blessed Abraham, and all he did, all the days of his life!   Upon his death, Abraham was buried with his wife (though the tomb pictured is empty.. The 'actual' tombs are in the cave neath & are off limits to public).. in the Cave of the Patriarchs (aka cave of Machpelah.) 

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ABRAHAM; Father of our Faith.. May you rest in peace!!  I so cannot wait to meet you upon my arrival home!!  THANK YOU for setting the AWESOME example of excellency in following the LORD!!

 

As is every story here.. These are snippets from the Bible & does not compare to the real deal!  I urge you to read the details of Abraham & Sarah (& Hagar.) , in Genesis. FoSho!!