Interesting Facts

• Ur of the Chaldees was the city where ‘Ûr, the son of Kesed, built a city called ‘Ara of the Chaldees.
• Serug dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees and engaged in the worship of idols. Furthermore, he was instructed in the divinatory practices of the Chaldees.
• It was in Ur of the Chaldees that Haran, the brother of Abram, met his demise, perishing in a fire under circumstances related to idolatry.
• The patriarch Terah, along with his son Abram, Abram’s wife Sarai, and his grandson Lot, commenced their journey from Ur Casdim, intending to go to the land of Canaan, before settling in Haran.
• Abraham later dispatched his head servant, Eliezer, back to his birthplace and his father’s house, implying a known origin and familial connections remaining in that region.

Genealogy

• ‘Ûr, son of Kesed, is identified as the builder of a city in the land of the Chaldees, named after himself and his father, suggesting an early settlement or connection of their lineage to this area.
• Serug, son of Reu, established his residence in Ur of the Chaldees. He married Melka, the daughter of Kaber, and their son Nahor was born in Ur.
• Terah, the son of Nahor, also resided in Ur of the Chaldees and was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran fathered Lot. Abram married Sarai, and they departed from Ur with Terah and Lot.

Historical Context

The land of Ur of the Chaldees existed within a cultural milieu where the worship of idols was widespread. Serug’s devotion to idols and his instruction in Chaldean divination highlight the religious practices prevalent in Ur during his time. This era was marked by a general turning away from the Lord, with people creating and serving gods of wood and stone. Terah himself was an adherent of this idolatrous practice, possessing twelve gods. The narrative underscores a societal drift towards false deities, setting the stage for the emergence of individuals like Abram who would question and ultimately reject such practices. Geographically, Ur was situated in the land that was part of Arpachshad’s inheritance following the division of the earth after the flood, indicating its place within the post-diluvian world order and the dispersal of Noah’s descendants.

Narrative

Ur of the Chaldees serves as the pivotal starting point in the story of Abraham’s lineage. It is from this city that Terah initiated the migration of his family towards Canaan. However, their journey halted in Haran, marking a significant transition from their place of origin. The life of Serug in Ur is depicted as one intertwined with idolatry and Chaldean practices, reflecting the spiritual climate of the city. The tragic death of Haran in Ur, linked to a fiery confrontation possibly involving idols, further underscores the significance of this location as a backdrop for the early lives of Abraham’s immediate family. The eventual departure from Ur signifies not only a physical relocation but also, for Abram, a nascent spiritual journey away from the prevailing idolatry of his homeland towards the monotheistic faith he would come to embrace. Even after settling in Canaan and later Haran, the connection to Ur remains, as evidenced by Abraham’s instruction to seek a bride for his son Isaac from his kindred there, suggesting a lasting awareness of their ancestral roots in the land of the Chaldees.