Key items

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Explanatory notes

A son of Noah and ancestor of the Semitic peoples. Linguistically the name is probably related to Sumer, reflecting the region first settled in the expansion after the flood.

Arphaxad

Son/descendant of Shem.

Shelah

Son/descendant of Arphaxad.

Eber

Son/descendant of Shelah. Eber is often taken as the eponymous ancestor for the Hebrews, though there are several alternative derivations for this name and it is not clear which (if any) is correct.

Peleg

Descendant of Eber. The Hebrew name means 'divided' and Peleg is taken here to have been leader at approximately the same time as Enmerkar (Nimrod), builder of the Tower of Babel and instigator of division on the earth.

Reu

Descendant of Peleg.

Serug

Descendant of Reu.

Nahor

Descendant of Serug. Abraham's brother also had the same name. In Genesis 24, Abraham's servant traveled to the 'city of Nahor' while following instructions to find a bride for Isaac from the land of Abraham's birth.

Terah

Father of Abraham and descendant of Nahor. He moved from 'Ur of the Chaldees' towards the land of Canaan, but halted at the city of Haran. See Dating the patriarchs - Objections for a brief discussion of the city of Ur.

Abraham

Son of Terah, he was born in Ur but moved with his father, his wife Sarah, his brothers Nahor and Harran, and his nephew Lot to Harran. When his father died, he moved on to Canaan. As the first of the series of patriarchs discussed at length in Genesis, more details are given on the patriarchs page.