TERAH

(Teʹrah) [possibly from Babylonian, meaning “Ibex”].

1. Abraham’s father, the eighth generation from Shem. (Lu 3:34; Ge 11:10-24; 1Ch 1:24-26) Terah, through his sons Abraham, Nahor, and Haran, became a forefather of numerous tribes. (Ge 11:27; 22:20-24; 25:1-4, 13-15; 1Ch 1:28-42; 2:1, 2) Terah began having children at 70. While Abraham is listed first, this appears to be because he is the most famous of Terah’s sons rather than the firstborn. When Terah died at 205, Abraham was only 75, so Terah must have been 130 when Abraham was born. (Ge 11:26, 32; 12:4) Sarah was Abraham’s half sister, likely a daughter of Terah by a different wife. (Ge 20:12) Terah’s firstborn was most likely Haran, whose daughter was old enough to marry Terah’s other son Nahor.​—Ge 11:29.

Terah lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, and there his family grew up. (Ge 11:28) According to Joshua 24:2, Terah at one time worshiped gods other than Jehovah, perhaps the moon-god Sin, the favored deity of Ur. Nonetheless, when Jehovah called Abraham to leave Ur, Terah as family head went along to Haran where they all lived until after his death about 1943 B.C.E.​—Ge 11:31, 32; Ac 7:2-4.

2. One of the campsites during Israel’s wilderness wandering; its location is unknown.​—Nu 33:27, 28.