Abraham
c. 1812–c. 1637 B.C.
Google searches: 9.1 million+ per month
Number of books: c. 2 million
The google searches for Abraham the Old Testament prophet are not as reliable as
those for Moses or Adolf Hitler, since quite a few famous historical or fictitious people
have been named Abraham. The top three most famous are Abraham of the
Bible, Abraham Lincoln, and Abraham van Helsing. But if you were to go, say,
the Philippines, and ask the first passerby who Abraham Lincoln was, they might
actually not know. Among well over 99% of the world’s cultures and societies,
you will not have that problem when asking about the prophet called Abraham.
those for Moses or Adolf Hitler, since quite a few famous historical or fictitious people
have been named Abraham. The top three most famous are Abraham of the
Bible, Abraham Lincoln, and Abraham van Helsing. But if you were to go, say,
the Philippines, and ask the first passerby who Abraham Lincoln was, they might
actually not know. Among well over 99% of the world’s cultures and societies,
you will not have that problem when asking about the prophet called Abraham.
He is revered by all three monotheisms, as well as Baha’i, as a prophet, and one
of the first, if not the first, persons of the Middle East to believe in a single
God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are referred to as “the Abrahamic
religions.” In the Bible, God makes a covenant with Abraham because of his
devout, unswerving faith in God, while everyone around him follows the
newest god to take everyone’s fancy. This covenant is marked by circumcision.
God then tests the conviction of Abraham’s faith in him by demanding that he kill
his firstborn son, Isaac, to glorify God. Abraham does not hesitate, but takes Isaac
up to the top of a mountain and is about to kill him when an angel arrives and tells
him to stop. God is i mmensely impressed and blesses Abraham with fruitfulness:
he will be the father of many nations.
of the first, if not the first, persons of the Middle East to believe in a single
God. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are referred to as “the Abrahamic
religions.” In the Bible, God makes a covenant with Abraham because of his
devout, unswerving faith in God, while everyone around him follows the
newest god to take everyone’s fancy. This covenant is marked by circumcision.
God then tests the conviction of Abraham’s faith in him by demanding that he kill
his firstborn son, Isaac, to glorify God. Abraham does not hesitate, but takes Isaac
up to the top of a mountain and is about to kill him when an angel arrives and tells
him to stop. God is i mmensely impressed and blesses Abraham with fruitfulness:
he will be the father of many nations.
Today, Abraham is precisely that. Muslims believe that it was not Isaac, but Ishmael,
his other
son, whom God told Abraham to sacrifice, and Muslims believe that Ishmael’s lineage
led to the next entry. The site of the near sacrifice is traditionally deemed to be where
the Dome of the Rock sits today. This shrine is sacred to all three Abrahamic religions.
his other
son, whom God told Abraham to sacrifice, and Muslims believe that Ishmael’s lineage
led to the next entry. The site of the near sacrifice is traditionally deemed to be where
the Dome of the Rock sits today. This shrine is sacred to all three Abrahamic religions.
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