Abraham, along with Noah, Moses and King David, is considered one of the most important individuals in the Old Testament. His name is recorded 250 times in the King James Bible, the eighth most. God made no less that eight covenants with Abraham (Genesis 12:1 - 3, 7, 13:14 - 17, 15:13 - 21, 17:1 - 22, 18:9 - 15, 21:12, 22:15 - 18).

God appeared to Abraham at 99 years old to promise him that he would produce many descendants. And Abram fell on his face. And God talked with him, saying, "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. . . . but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations (Genesis 17:3 - 5 ...

Abraham, Sarah, Lot, as well as their slaves, leave Haran for the Promised Land. Nahor and his family, however, although they stay in the city (Genesis 12:4 - 5), will play a major role in the lives of the patriarch's descendants. Abraham's future son Isaac will end up marrying Rebekah, the daughter of Nahor's son Bethuel (22:20 - 23, 24:15).

The genealogy from Shem to Abraham is the fifth found in the Bible. Preceding it are the lineages of Cain (Genesis 4), Seth (Genesis 5), Japheth and Ham (Genesis 10). For the eleven post-flood patriarchs from (and including) Noah and Shem to Abraham, the average age at which they produced their firstborn son was 90 years old.

Abraham is one of the most blessed people in the Bible. Although Scripture is not a comprehensive history of humans it does, however, chronicle the relationship of one man and his descendants with the Creator of the Universe. Ultimately, it is a record of how God has and will bless mankind through the life of the next person in our timeline.

The above table of Noah's descendants places special emphasis on the peoples and nations that came out of Shem (whose name means "renown") because, through him, came Abraham, the Israelites and the Messiah. One of his sons, Elam, migrated to a land named after him and started a people who would affect the course of Biblical history.

Hagar and her son were sent away from Abraham and Sarah on two separate occasions (Genesis 16:5 - 6, 21:9 - 14). Some of the modern-day Palestinians are also likely descendants of Lot (one of Abraham's relatives whose two daughters gave birth to the peoples of Moab and Ammon, Genesis 19:36 - 38).

Birth and Early Life of Abraham. Abram (Abraham) is born in 1960 B.C. to a 130 year old man named Terah living in Ur of the Chaldees. He is the third son in a family composed of older brother Haran (60 years old) and second oldest Nahor. The family, like many others in Ur (which is a seaport at the time), worships pagan deities (Joshua 24:2).

God informs Abraham that his descendants will be afflicted for 400 years before they will be able to claim their inheritance in the Promised Land (Genesis 15:13 - 16). Abraham pays 400 shekels of silver for a cave and nearby land on what would become the outskirts of Hebron. His purpose for purchasing the property is to bury his beloved wife Sarah.

The book of Genesis informs us the idea of a guaranteed inheritance originated with God making a covenant with the patriarch Abraham. He informed the father of the faithful, "I will give to you and to your descendants this land (Canaan) in which you are now a foreigner . . . (it) will belong to your descendants forever" (Genesis 17:8).