Abram Returns to His Father’s House

After thirty-nine years in the tents of Noah and Shem, Abram returned to the world from which he had once been hidden. He did not descend alone. During those years in the highlands he had lived the Ancient Order, taking covenant women, raising children, and establishing a growing household under the laws and ordinances revealed from Adam. By the age of forty-nine it was not uncommon for righteous patriarchs to have sons in their twenties, daughters married into allied households, and even the beginnings of grandchildren Genesis Rabbah 23:3, Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.1. Abram’s family traveled with him—women, children, young men trained in shepherding and stewardship, adopted sons bound by covenant, and flocks and herds sufficient to provide for their needs. Scripture later records that Abram commanded 318 trained men “born in his own house,” not counting their wives and children Genesis 14:14, demonstrating that large, multi-generational households were the natural result of righteous patriarchal governance. Thus he left the covenant encampment not as a solitary seeker, but as the head of a flourishing household approved of God. With this company he descended from the high country and approached once more the great city of Ur—capital of Shinar, seat of idols, and throne of the king who had once sought his life Book of Jasher 9:11–12.

To Abram, the world of Ur was a stark contrast to the purity of the patriarchs’ encampment. The noise of its markets, the smoke of its altars, and the towering ziggurats dedicated to sun, moon, and star gods proclaimed a religion shaped by men rather than by heaven. Priests adorned in carved masks offered incense to lifeless deities; kings claimed divine blood; and the people bowed to images which neither heard nor spoke. Ancient records affirm that the Chaldeans worshipped the host of heaven, offering service to the sun, the moon-god Nanna, and the stars that governed their omens Jubilees 12:2–4, Herodotus, Histories I.131, Apocalypse of Abraham 1–3, Mishneh Torah, Idolatry 1:1–2. Abram saw that the corruption foretold by Noah had fully matured in the house of his fathers Jubilees 4:2–5.

Terah, Abram’s father, had long been numbered among the great men of Nimrod’s court—an official whose service to the king stretched back to the days before Abram was born. As a maker of idols and an overseer among those who ministered in the temples of Shinar, his household had become a center of idolatrous trade. Statues of wood and stone filled his chambers; engraved images lined the walls; and the incense of Shinar clung to every garment Book of Jasher 11:19–21, Book of Jasher 8, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 12–13, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 27, Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.4–1.7.1. No trace remained of the covenant once entrusted to their ancestors.

Into this house Abram returned after many years away. Hidden in a cave for his first ten years, he had then been taken to Noah, where he dwelt for thirty-nine years and received instruction from both Noah and Shem in the ancient laws and ordinances given from the beginning. The records affirm that Noah taught him the commandments delivered to the fathers, that Shem instructed him in the divine order preserved from Adam, and that during those years Abram grew in wisdom, discerning the works of heaven and earth, until their teachings were set firmly in his heart Book of Jasher 8:23–27, Book of Jasher 9:19–21, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26–28. Thus, when Terah and Amthelo saw him again, they beheld not the hidden child they once protected, but a man formed under the tutelage of the patriarchs, returning to a house that had wholly surrendered itself to the gods of Shinar.

It was during these years in Ur, as Abram restored the ancient faith among his kin and the people of Shinar, that Sarai entered his household. Sarai was a woman of noble birth, descended from the patriarchs and princes of the covenant line. As a daughter of Terah and therefore Abram’s half-sister, she belonged to the direct lineage of Shem—the royal household through which the knowledge of the Fathers was preserved Genesis Rabbah 39:1, Jubilees 12:9, Genesis 20:12.

When Abram received her into his household, Sarai became one of his covenant women. As with the other righteous women of his family, she entered the covenant because of the virtues and strengths she possessed. Her marriage to Abram placed her firmly within the covenant line and joined her to the work God had appointed for Abram to accomplish Jubilees 12:9.

In those same years, as Abram brought the men of Ur back to the worship of the Most High, Sarai labored among the women. Through her devotion and instruction she turned their hearts from the idols of Shinar, and many women abandoned idolatry and embraced the ways of righteousness Genesis Rabbah 38:13.

As Abram beheld the idols filling his father’s house, the fire of conviction stirred within him. Terah’s chambers were lined with carved figures—gods of wood, stone, silver, and gold. Abram watched as offerings were prepared for these images, and his heart rose in protest. One day, after Terah departed, Abram entered the chamber where the idols stood and examined them closely. Seeing their impotence, he lifted his voice and declared that they had neither breath, nor hearing, nor power. Then he took a hatchet and shattered every idol save the largest, placing the weapon in its hands Book of Jasher 11:15–17, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13, Apocalypse of Abraham 1–6.

When Terah saw the destruction, he demanded, “Who has done this thing?” Abram answered, “The great god was angry with the lesser ones, and he rose up and shattered them. See, the hatchet is still in his hand.” Terah cried out, “Why dost thou mock me? They cannot move nor lift a hand!” Abram replied, “Let thine ears hear what thy mouth has spoken. If they cannot save themselves, how shall they save thee?” This confrontation exposed the emptiness of the idols and revealed the truth God had already shown Abram: that no carved image could stand before the living God Genesis Rabbah 38:13, Jasher 11:15–17, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13.

News of the broken idols spread through Ur. Servants whispered of the shattered images, craftsmen questioned their trade, and elders wondered at the boldness of Terah’s son. Abram began to teach openly, declaring that the heavens and the earth were made by one God whose power governed all things. He testified that this truth had been revealed to him by God and taught to him by Noah and Shem. Many believed his words and turned from idolatry, choosing to join themselves to Abram. Among them were covenant women, families, and adopted sons who later traveled with him when he departed from Ur Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1.

Those who opposed Abram hardened their hearts. The priests of Shinar were troubled by the influence of a man who confronted the gods of the realm, and they stirred contention among the people. Terah feared that his household would be charged with treason, pleading with Abram to cease. But Abram refused to deny the truth that had been revealed to him by God. When the unrest reached the ears of the city’s elders, they brought accusation before the king, declaring that Abram had defied the gods and broken the sacred images of his father Book of Jasher 11:17–21, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13.

The uproar in Ur could not be contained. As word spread that Abram had broken the idols and denounced the gods of Shinar, the priests and elders accused him before the king. Nimrod commanded that Abram be brought into his court, for the king remembered the omen at Abram’s birth and the decree that had once sought his life. When Abram appeared before him, he stood not as a frightened subject, but as a patriarch whose calling had been revealed to him by God. Nimrod questioned him concerning the idols, the sun, the moon, and the stars, demanding that he bow to the gods of the realm. Abram answered with boldness that there was one God who created heaven and earth, and that no image, luminary, or spirit had power apart from Him Book of Jasher 12:1–8, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26–28.

Nimrod demanded that Abram worship the sun, for the king claimed that the great light ruled the heavens and bestowed life upon the earth. Abram answered that the sun served its appointed path and could not be God, for at evening it sinks and yields its place to another. Then Nimrod urged him to bow before the moon, but Abram declared that the moon likewise waxes and wanes and has no constancy. He testified that the luminaries were creations only, obedient to the command of the One who set them in their courses. These truths had been revealed to him by God since his youth, confirmed in the household of Noah and Shem, and proven as he observed the heavens. Abram proclaimed before the court that the worship of celestial bodies was vanity, for they neither speak nor save, and that the Most High alone is worthy of honor Book of Jasher 12:9–12, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14, Apocalypse of Abraham 7–8.

When Abram refused to bow to the gods of Shinar, Nimrod’s fury was kindled. The king declared that no man could defy the deities of the realm and live. The elders and priests cried out that Abram had broken the idols, mocked the gods, and turned the hearts of the people away from their worship. Nimrod commanded that Abram be cast into a burning furnace, a punishment reserved for those who resisted the authority of the throne. Abram was seized and bound, but he did not fear, for God had revealed to him that no power of man could destroy the life He sustained. For three days and three nights the fire was prepared, and the furnace burned with a heat that consumed all who approached its mouth Book of Jasher 12:12–20, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26.

On the appointed day, Abram was brought to the furnace. The heat of the flames slew the men who cast him in, yet Abram walked unharmed within the fire. God preserved him, for his calling had been revealed from the beginning and no earthly king could hinder the work appointed for him. Those who watched were struck with fear, for they saw Abram alive in the midst of the flames while the furnace roared around him. After three days and three nights he emerged without injury, a sign to all that the God who created heaven and earth had delivered him. Nimrod trembled, and many in the court marveled, yet the king hardened his heart and refused to turn from his idols. Abram departed from the throne alive, upheld by the power of the Most High Book of Jasher 12:24–25, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14, Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26.

After Abram’s deliverance from the furnace, the Lord spoke to him again and commanded that he separate himself from his father’s house. The idols of Terah, the influence of Nimrod, and the corruption of Shinar could no longer surround the man whom God had chosen to restore the covenant of the fathers. The word of the Lord came to Abram, declaring that he must depart from his country, from his kindred, and from his father’s house, and journey to a land that God would show him. He was promised that through this obedience he would become a great nation, that his name would be blessed, and that all families of the earth would be blessed through him Genesis 12:1–4, Jubilees 12:1–4, Book of Jasher 12:16–22.

Before departing, Abram pleaded with his father to turn from the idols of Shinar and worship the God who had delivered him from the furnace. He reasoned with Terah that no carved image had power to save, that the sun and moon were created lights, and that the Most High alone ruled the heavens and the earth. Abram urged him to abandon the service of Nimrod and return to the covenant of their fathers. For a moment Terah wavered, confessing that Abram’s words were true, yet fear of the king and loyalty to the order of Shinar held him bound. Though Abram sought earnestly to reclaim his father, Terah would not forsake the gods he served Book of Jasher 12:16–20, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14, Apocalypse of Abraham 7–9.

Though Terah would not renounce the gods of Shinar, he feared the wrath of the king. Seeing that Nimrod’s anger toward Abram had not diminished, Terah secretly warned his son that the king sought again to kill him. He urged Abram to flee the land quietly before Nimrod could act, confessing that he could not protect him within the court nor restrain the priests who stirred for his death. Terah acknowledged that the God who preserved Abram in the furnace would guide him still, and he counseled him to depart swiftly with all who belonged to his household Book of Jasher 12:20–23, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14.

Abram obeyed the voice of the Lord and departed from Ur with his entire household. His covenant women, his children, his young men born in the tents of Noah and Shem, and the souls he had gained through his preaching all journeyed with him. Many among the people of Ur who had believed his words forsook the idols of Shinar and joined themselves to Abram’s house, entering the covenant and becoming sons and daughters under his patriarchal governance. With flocks, herds, servants, and families, the company set their faces toward the land appointed by God. Abram departed not as a solitary wanderer, but as the father of a righteous remnant called out from the corruption of Shinar Book of Jasher 13:1–5, Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1.

Abram was about sixty years old when he departed from Ur. After his preaching in the city, his confrontation with the priests, and his deliverance from the furnace, the Lord commanded him to separate from his father’s house. Thus his departure from Ur occurred roughly a decade after his return from the highlands.

Abram departed from the land of Shinar as the Lord commanded, leading a growing household that had bound itself to him in covenant. Terah, moved by fear of Nimrod and stirred by the witness of Abram’s deliverance, chose to accompany him with his own family. Together they set out from Ur with their flocks, herds, servants, and the souls who had embraced the worship of the Most High. It was the first great migration of Abram’s house, a people called out from idolatry and gathered under a patriarch whose authority was revealed by God Genesis 11:31, Book of Jasher 12:23, Book of Jasher 13:1–2, Jubilees 12:12–15.

As Abram journeyed from Ur toward the northern lands, he continued to proclaim the truth that had been revealed to him by God. He taught the people along the way to turn from idols, to cease bowing to the host of heaven, and to worship the Creator who rules all things. Many listened to his voice and believed, joining themselves to his household and entering the covenant under his patriarchal care. These were men and women who abandoned the gods of Shinar, choosing instead to walk in the ways taught by Abram. Thus the company increased as they traveled, and the remnant of believers grew into a people separated unto the Lord Book of Jasher 13:7–9, Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1, Chronicles of Jerahmeel 15.

Though Abram was the spiritual head of the covenant people, Terah—being the elder patriarch—took charge of the caravan’s outward direction. He chose to lead the company toward Haran, a region familiar to their extended kin and distant enough from Nimrod’s reach to offer safety. The record declares that Terah “took Abram his son… and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees to go into the land of Canaan, and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.” In this way the migration first moved northward, where the families settled long enough for their flocks to prosper and their household to grow Genesis 11:31, Book of Jasher 13:6.

In Haran Abram continued the ministry God had given him. He taught the people of that land to forsake the idols of Mesopotamia and to worship the Creator whose glory fills heaven and earth. Many in Haran heard his voice, and as he had done in Ur and along the journey, Abram gathered souls into the covenant—men, women, servants, and entire households who desired to walk in the ways revealed to him by God. The house of Abram grew strong in Haran, and the remnant of believers increased as they learned the ordinances preserved from the fathers Book of Jasher 13:8–10, Jubilees 12:12–15.

After the household had dwelt in Haran for many years, the word of the Lord came again to Abram, renewing the command that he should depart and go into the land appointed by God. Abram had already left his country and the court of Nimrod, but now the Lord required him to separate more fully, leaving the land of his kindred and going forth to establish the covenant lineage in a new land. God promised that His presence would go with Abram and that the blessings spoken in Ur would follow him into the land He would show him Jubilees 12:16–21, Genesis 12:4–5, Book of Jasher 13:11–12.

When the command of the Lord came, Abram prepared his entire household to depart from Haran. He was seventy-five years old when the Lord renewed the call, and the land appointed for him was Canaan—the inheritance promised to the covenant lineage. Abram gathered his covenant women, his sons and daughters, his young men trained in stewardship, and the many souls who had entered the covenant under his care. Their flocks and herds had multiplied greatly during their years in Haran, and the household had become a large and flourishing company. Abram instructed them in the will of God and set their hearts toward the land of promise. They made ready their tents, their provisions, and their families, for all who belonged to Abram were to journey with him into the land the Most High had sworn to give him Genesis 12:4–5, Book of Jasher 13:12–13.

Though Abram prepared to obey the voice of the Lord, Terah remained in Haran. Age, weariness, and the long years of service under Nimrod had taken hold of him, and he would not journey further into the land of Canaan. Terah loved his son, yet he could not bring himself to forsake the land where he had settled, nor could he fully separate from the ways of Shinar that had shaped his life. Thus the families divided: Abram went forth to establish the covenant lineage in the land God had sworn to give him, while Terah dwelt in Haran until the end of his days Genesis 11:32, Book of Jasher 13:13–15.

Among those who remained steadfast with Abram was Lot, the son of Haran and Abram’s brother’s son. Lot had been raised within the extended family and had watched Abram’s faith from his youth. When Abram departed from Ur, Lot chose to follow him, binding himself to the covenant household and sharing in the life of the Ancient Order. During the years in Haran, Lot’s own family and possessions increased, for he too was a man of substance with flocks, herds, servants, and growing responsibilities. His household grew alongside Abram’s, and the two families traveled together in unity, joined not only by blood but by covenant. As Abram prepared to obey the voice of the Lord and enter the land of Canaan, Lot gathered his own household to accompany him, standing as a faithful nephew and ally to the patriarch appointed by God Genesis 12:4–5, Book of Jasher 13:15–17.

Genesis Rabbah 23:3 – “In the early generations men married young, for the earth was full before them; but in later generations they delayed, and the increase of families diminished.”
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Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.1 – “These men were the inventors of the ordering of genealogy, and of dividing their habitations; and they had many children, and their families increased greatly upon the earth.”
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Genesis 14:14 (KJV) – “And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.”
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Book of Jasher 9:11–12 – “And Abram spoke all these words before the people… and they told it in the city, and the people came and reported it to the elders, saying: The son of Terah speaks against the gods.”
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Jubilees 12:2–4 – “And Abram departed from the house of Noah and went unto his father’s house… and he found all the people serving other gods. And they made molten images for themselves… and they served the sun and the moon and the stars of heaven, and all the host of heaven.”
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Herodotus, Histories I.131 – “The Babylonians have many temples… and upon their towers they observe the signs of heaven. For they worship the sun and the moon, and the host of heaven, making offerings according to their observations.”
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Apocalypse of Abraham 1–3 – “And my father served other gods, and I, seeing the images before the fire, knew there was no power in them… for the Chaldeans worshipped the sun and the moon and the stars, and offered incense to them.”
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Mishneh Torah, Idolatry 1:1–2 – “In the days of Enosh men erred greatly… they began to worship the stars and build temples to them… and the Chaldeans followed after this wisdom, serving the stars and offering to them, until the true knowledge was lost from among them.”
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Jubilees 4:2–5 – “And unrighteousness increased in the earth… and the watchers sinned… and God brought the Flood upon all their works; but Noah was found righteous… and he taught his sons all that was written, that they might understand all things.”
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Book of Jasher 11:19–21 – “And Terah worshipped other gods, and bowed down to them, and his house was full of images of wood and stone. And Abram saw the images in his father’s house, and his anger was kindled against his father.”
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Book of Jasher 8 – “And Terah made gods of wood and stone, and he bowed down to them; and he caused his sons and all his household to serve them.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 12–13 – “And the house of Terah was filled with graven images, and he bowed before them; and Abram rebuked his father, saying these gods are the work of men’s hands.”
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Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 27 – “Terah made images and served other gods, and the people of the Chaldeans came to him for their idols.”
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Josephus, Antiquities 1.6.4–1.7.1 – “For the Chaldeans were the first to pervert the true worship of God, and introduced images made with hands… and many turned to worship the works of their own devising.”
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Book of Jasher 8:23–27 – “And Abram was in Noah’s house thirty-nine years, and Abram knew the Lord from three years old; and he went in the ways of the Lord all the days of his life… And Noah and his son Shem taught him the statutes and the judgments of the Lord, for he dwelt with them.”
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Book of Jasher 9:19–21 – “And Abram grew up, and the Lord was with him; and he understood the works of the Lord, and all the teachings of Noah and his son Shem were in his heart; and all men wondered at him, for he was wise in all matters.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13 – “And Abram was brought to Noah and Shem, and they taught him all the ordinances of the fathers… and he walked in their ways, and the fear of the Lord was before him.”
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Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26–28 – “And Abram was hidden from the king, and he was brought to Noah and Shem, and they taught him the knowledge of the Creator and the commandments of the fathers, and he grew in wisdom and in the fear of heaven.”
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Genesis Rabbah 39:1 – “Sarai was the daughter of Terah, and she was as the princess of her father's house; all who saw her praised her for her beauty and her righteousness.”
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Jubilees 12:9 – “And Abram took Sarai his father’s daughter to be his wife, and she walked in righteousness all her days.”
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Genesis 20:12 (KJV) – “And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.”
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Genesis Rabbah 38:13 – “And Abram would convert the men, and Sarai would convert the women; and many forsook their idols and turned to the worship of the Most High.”
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Book of Jasher 11:15–17 – “And Abram took the hatchet in his hand, and came to the chamber of the gods, and he broke all the images… and he left the largest image which was in the house, and he put the hatchet in his hand. And he went out.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13 – “And Abram rebuked his father for worshipping images… and he went into the chamber of idols and broke them all save the largest; and he placed the axe in its hand.”
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Apocalypse of Abraham 1–6 – “And I, Abram, seeing the gods of my father Terah… knew that they had no breath, nor hearing, nor motion. And my soul was troubled within me… And I broke his gods and cast them down before him.”
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Genesis Rabbah 38:13 – “Terah said to Abram: ‘Why dost thou mock me? Have they then any knowledge?’ Abram answered: ‘Let thine ears hear what thy mouth has spoken.’”
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Jasher 11:15–17 – “And Abram took the hatchet… and he broke all the images but left the largest, and he put the hatchet in its hand. And when Terah returned and asked who had done this, Abram said: ‘The great god was angry with the lesser gods and broke them.’”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13 – “And Terah said, ‘Why sayest thou such things to me? Dost thou not know these have no life in them?’ And Abram replied, ‘If they have no life nor strength, why dost thou worship them?’”
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Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1 – “Abram began to have higher notions of virtue than others… and he was determined to reform mankind; and he brought many to a better way of thinking. For he was the first that ventured to publish that God, the Creator of the universe, was one and alone.”
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Book of Jasher 11:17–21 – “And Terah said to Abram, ‘Why hast thou done this to my gods?’… And the people came and told the king all that Abram had done, that he had broken the gods and spoken against them; and they accused him before the king.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 13 – “And the priests and elders were angry with Abram, saying he had despised their gods… and they went before the king and accused Abram, that he had broken the idols and spoken blasphemy against the gods of the land.”
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Book of Jasher 12:1–8 – “And Abram was brought before the king… And Abram said before the king: ‘The God of heaven and earth we will serve, and Him we will fear.’ And the king said, ‘Bow down to the sun.’ But Abram answered, ‘It sets every day. Shall I worship that which has no power to save?’”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14 – “And the king said to Abram: ‘Worship the sun.’ Abram answered: ‘The sun is but a servant, rising and setting by command. I will not bow to that which obeys another.’ And the king said, ‘Then bow to the moon,’ but Abram replied, ‘It wanes and increases. How shall I worship that which changes?’”
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Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26–28 – “Nimrod said to Abram: ‘Bow down to fire, bow to the stars, bow to the sun.’ But Abram said: ‘Why worship things created? Worship Him who created heaven and earth, who commands all things and they obey Him.’”
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Book of Jasher 12:9–12 – “And Abram spoke before the king: ‘The sun cannot be God, for at evening it sinks… and the moon also wanes and changes. Neither have speech nor knowledge. How shall I worship that which cannot save?’”
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Apocalypse of Abraham 7–8 – “And Abram said in his heart: ‘This cannot be God that moves or sets,’ as he watched the sun and the moon… And the voice said to him: ‘Seek Him who made them all, who is greater than all their lights.’”
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Book of Jasher 12:12–20 – “And the king’s servants seized Abram and brought him before the king… And the king said, ‘Cast him into the furnace.’ And they cast him into the fire, and the furnace was heated seven days and seven nights because of the anger of the king… And all who came near the furnace to feed it were burned, for the flames shot forth.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14 – “And the king commanded that Abram be cast into the fire… and the men who brought him were burned by the flames. But Abram walked in the midst of the fire praising the Lord God of heaven, and no harm came upon him.”
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Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26 – “Nimrod said: ‘Cast Abram into the furnace of fire.’ They cast him in, but the Holy One saved him, for Abraham walked in the midst of the fire and was not burned. And all who saw it marveled, yet Nimrod hardened his heart and did not repent.”
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Book of Jasher 12:24–25 – “And Abram came forth from the furnace, and no man could believe his life was in him, for the fire had had no power over him… And the king marveled exceedingly, but he would not hearken to Abram’s words.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14 – “And Abram was in the fire three days and three nights, and he was not hurt… and the king trembled when he saw him, yet he hardened his heart and did not turn from his idols.”
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Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 26 – “Abraham came forth from the furnace, and all the people wondered greatly. Yet Nimrod remained stubborn in his wickedness and did not repent before the Holy One.”
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Genesis 12:1–4 (KJV) – “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great… and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him.”
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Jubilees 12:1–4 – “And the Lord said to Abram: ‘Leave thy country, and thy kindred, and thy father’s house, and go to the land which I shall show thee… and I will bless thee and make thee a great nation, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ And Abram arose and did according to the word of the Lord.”
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Book of Jasher 12:16–22 – “And the Lord said to Abram: ‘Arise, go forth from thy father’s house and from the land of thy birth… for I will send thee to a land where I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great.’ And Abram hearkened to the voice of the Lord, who appeared unto him, and he went from his father’s house.”
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Book of Jasher 12:16–20 – “And Abram said to his father: ‘Forsake these gods which thou servest, and serve the God of heaven, who delivered me from the furnace of fire… for they are the work of men's hands, and cannot save.’ And Terah hearkened to the voice of Abram his son for a moment, but he said: ‘I fear the king, and I cannot leave the ways of my fathers.’”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14 – “And Abram said unto Terah his father: ‘Why worship that which has no life?’ And Terah answered: ‘Thy words are true, my son, yet how shall I forsake the gods of the king? For if I do this thing, Nimrod will slay me.’ Thus Terah spoke truth yet turned not from his evil way.”
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Apocalypse of Abraham 7–9 – “And I, Abram, spoke to my father Terah and said: ‘Why worship that which neither speaks nor hears?’ But Terah said: ‘Keep silence, my son, lest the king hear thy words.’ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: ‘Leave thy father’s house, for he will not hearken unto thee.’”
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Book of Jasher 12:20–23 – “And Terah said unto Abram: ‘Behold, the king seeketh thy life again, and the priests have conspired to slay thee. Now therefore hearken to my voice and flee from this land, for I cannot save thee from his hand. The God who delivered thee from the furnace, He will deliver thee now.’ And Abram hearkened to the words of Terah his father, and he rose up to go from the land.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 14 – “And Terah called Abram his son secretly and said unto him: ‘Know thou that the king’s wrath is kindled yet again against thee, and the priests speak evil concerning thee. Arise, flee from this place, for I cannot deliver thee from the hand of the king.’ And Abram went forth as his father had spoken.”
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Book of Jasher 13:1–5 – “And Abram went forth from the king, and he returned to his house. And the Lord said unto Abram: ‘Go forth from thy land, and from thy father's house, to the land which I will show thee.’ And Abram obeyed the voice of the Lord… And many of the people of Ur went with him, and they came unto Haran, and they dwelt there together, for many had followed Abram to hear the Lord who had delivered him.”
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Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1 – “He began to have higher notions of virtue than others… He determined to reform the opinions concerning God; and he was the first that ventured to publish this notion, that there was but one God… and many came to follow him. Whereupon, when the Chaldeans resolved to molest him, he resolved to leave the country.”
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Genesis 11:31 (KJV) – “And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.”
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Book of Jasher 12:23 – “And Terah said unto Abram: ‘Go, flee for thy life, for I know that Nimrod is seeking thee in every place to destroy thee; and go and flee, and tarry not.’”
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Book of Jasher 13:1–2 – “And Abram hearkened to the voice of his father, and he arose and went forth from the land of the Chaldees, he and all belonging to him… And Abram went forth from the land of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan.”
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Jubilees 12:12–15 – “And Abram rose and went forth from the land of the Chaldees, and he went to his father… And he said unto his father: ‘Let us depart from the land of the Chaldeans, for their works are uncleanness.’ And they departed together from the land of the Chaldeans, and they went into the land of Haran.”
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Book of Jasher 13:7–9 – “And Abram journeyed, going on and speaking these words before all the people; and many of the people came to join Abram and follow the Lord. And Abram taught them the way of the Lord, and they went in the path that he had shown them. And the Lord was with Abram, and his company increased daily.”
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Josephus, Antiquities 1.7.1 – “He determined to reform the opinions concerning God; and he was the first that ventured to publish this notion, that there was but one God… and many came to follow him. Whereupon, when the Chaldeans resolved to molest him, he resolved to leave the country.”
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Chronicles of Jerahmeel 15 – “And Abram went on his way, and all who believed in his words went with him; and he taught them the knowledge of the Most High, and they walked in his statutes as he instructed them.”
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Book of Jasher 13:6 – “And they came as far as Haran, and they remained there, for many of the people of Haran were inclined to follow after Abram and to hear his teachings; and their flocks increased and multiplied exceedingly in the land.”
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Book of Jasher 13:8–10 – “And Abram taught the people in the land of Haran the way of the Lord, and many of the people of Haran came to hear his words; and they followed him and walked in the path that he had instructed them. And the Lord was with Abram, and his company increased in the land of Haran.”
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Jubilees 12:16–21 – “And in the sixth year of the fifth week Abram sat up during the night… and the word of the Lord was with him, saying: ‘Go forth from thy land, and from thy kindred, to a land which I shall show thee. And I shall make thee a great and exalted nation… and I shall bless them that bless thee… And Abram arose to do according to the command which the Lord had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him.’”
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Genesis 12:4–5 (KJV) – “So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan.”
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Book of Jasher 13:11–12 – “And Abram rose and took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot, and all belonging to him, and all the souls he had made in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, as the Lord had spoken unto him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran.”
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Book of Jasher 13:12–13 – “And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother Haran’s son, and all belonging to him, and all the souls he had made in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, as the Lord had spoken unto Abram. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran with his servants and all belonging to him.”
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Genesis 11:32 (KJV) – “And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.”
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Book of Jasher 13:13–15 – “And Abram was seventy-five years old when he went forth from Haran with his servants and all belonging to him. But Terah remained in the land of Haran; for he was old and would not go forth with them, and he died there in Haran.”
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Book of Jasher 13:15–17 – “And Lot, the son of Haran, also went with Abram, and he had flocks and herds and tents; for Lot also was a man of substance, and he went with Abram. And they journeyed together from Haran to go into the land of Canaan, and Abram took all belonging to him, and Lot likewise took all belonging to him, and their households went together.”
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