Interesting Facts

• Ishbak was one of the six sons born to Abraham through Keturah.
• He was born during the period of 2090-2099 AM.
• Ishbak had three sons: Makiro, Beyodua, and Tator.
• Along with his brothers, Ishbak received gifts from Abraham and was sent away eastward from Isaac while Abraham was still alive.
• The families of Ishbak, along with his brothers, went to the mountain at the east and built cities in which they dwelt.

Genealogy

• Ishbak was the son of Abraham.
• His mother was Keturah, who is described as being from the land of Canaan or as a Canaanitish woman.
• His brothers were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, and Shuah.
• Ishbak was the father of Makiro, Beyodua, and Tator.
• The descendants of Ishbak are referred to as being among the children of Keturah the Canaanitish woman which she bare unto Abraham the Hebrew.

Historical Context

Ishbak’s birth occurred during a period when Abraham, in his old age, married Keturah [20, 20a]. This marked an expansion of Abraham’s family beyond his primary lineage through Sarah and Isaac. The cultural practice of a patriarch providing gifts and sending away sons from secondary wives to establish their own territories is evident in Abraham’s actions towards Ishbak and his brothers. This eastward movement, away from Isaac, the inheritor of Abraham’s primary blessings and the promised land, suggests a differentiation in their destinies and territories. Abraham’s instructions to his wider family included maintaining a separation from the Canaanites. The timeline suggests Ishbak lived during the same period as significant figures like Shem and Eber, and his life overlapped with major events in Abraham’s life, including the acquisition of the burial cave at Machpelah.

Narrative

The personal narrative of Ishbak within the provided sources is relatively limited. His primary role in the overarching story is as one of the six sons born to Abraham through Keturah in Abraham’s later years. A key event in his narrative, shared with his brothers, is receiving gifts from Abraham and being sent eastward, away from Isaac. This act signifies the establishment of a separate lineage, distinct from the line of promise through Isaac. The text indicates that Ishbak and his descendants journeyed to the mountain at the east and built cities where they dwelt. This suggests a settling and establishment of their own communities away from the central land of Canaan where Isaac resided with Abraham. Unlike some of his brothers, such as Midian who is later associated with merchant activities, the provided sources do not detail specific actions or interactions of Ishbak or his immediate descendants beyond their initial separation and settlement. His narrative, therefore, primarily highlights the expansion of Abraham’s family and the geographical dispersal of his non-Isaacic lineage.