On the plains of the great Ti'gris and Eu'phra'tes rivers, to the south of Mt. Ar'a-rat where No'ah and his sons came out of the Ark, and not far from the site of the unfinished tower of Ba'bel, there stood the city called Ur of the Chal-dees'. There lived in this city the family of Te'rah, who was a direct descendant of Shem. Among the sons of this family was a man named Ab'ram, afterward called A'bra-ham.
Abram was chosen by God to found the nation later known as Is'ra-el, a people who, in the main trend of history, should worship the one God of Heaven and earth, to whom the revealed Word of God should be committed, and through whom a Savior should be provided for the entire race. Beginning with the story of his call by God and his long journey to the land of Ca'naan, the remainder of the Old Testament Scriptures is confined almost entirely to the history of that race. The references to other nations which sprang from the descendants of the three sons of No'ah are purely incidental, relating to matters in which these nations played some part in the history of Is'ra-el. It was not the purpose of the Bible to trace the development of the kingdoms of this world, but rather to unfold the spiritual dealings of God with man, and to make known the plan of human redemption.
The people who lived in Ur were not as a rule worshipers of the true God. They made gods of the sun and moon, and bowed in prayer before idols made of wood and stone. Although his father was an idolater, Ab'ram worshiped God. He sought in every way to know and do His will, led an upright life in the midst of idolatry and wickedness, and sought to guide his neighbors in the way of truth. The Lord talked with Ab'ram from time to time, and one day directed him to move from Ur to a land which He would afterwards show him.
Ab'ram told his father and the entire family of the message which he had received from God, and they were so greatly impressed by his earnestness and deep religious convictions that they went with him on the journey to Ca'naan. After traveling several hundred miles in a northwesterly direction they came to Ha'ran, where they established a home. This city located in what was known as A'ram, or Mes-o-po-ta'mia, and was about five hundred miles northeast of the land which the Lord later gave to Ab'ram.
After living in Ha'ran for a time Ab'ram's father Te'rah, died, and was buried in this city. Ab'ram's brother Ha'ran, who was the father of Lot, had died before they left the City of Ur. Ab'ram and Na'hor, who was another brother, prospered in the land of Mes-o-pot-ta'mia; their herds of sheep and cattle were greatly increased, and they had gathered many servants. Na'hor and his wife were blessed with several children, but Ab'ram and Sa'rai remained childless.
