Walk With Abraham
אברהם אבינו
Follow the father of the Jewish people from his first steps in Canaan to the Binding of Isaac. Abraham's journey traces a path through the heartland of Israel — from Shechem in the north to Beer Sheva in the south — establishing the sacred geography that his descendants would inherit.
Approximately 350 km across Israel
The Journey
Abraham enters the land of Canaan and receives God's first promise: 'To your offspring I will give this land.'
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר אַבְרָם֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַ֚ד מְק֣וֹם שְׁכֶ֔ם עַ֖ד אֵל֣וֹן מוֹרֶ֑ה וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י אָ֥ז בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, at the terebinth of Moreh. The Canaanites were then in the land.
Abraham pitches his tent between Bethel and Ai, builds an altar, and calls upon the name of the Lord.
וַיַּעְתֵּ֨ק מִשָּׁ֜ם הָהָ֗רָה מִקֶּ֛דֶם לְבֵֽית־אֵ֖ל וַיֵּ֣ט אׇהֳלֹ֑ה בֵּֽית־אֵ֤ל מִיָּם֙ וְהָעַ֣י מִקֶּ֔דֶם וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֤ם מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהֹוָֽה׃
From there he moved on to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and he built there an altar to GOD and invoked GOD by name.
Abraham settles by the oaks of Mamre. Here he hosts three angels, receives the promise of Isaac's birth, and negotiates with God over Sodom.
וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
And Abram moved his tent, and came to dwell at the terebinths of Mamre, which are in Hebron; and he built an altar there to GOD.
When Lot is captured by the four kings, Abraham musters 318 trained men and pursues them all the way to Dan in the far north.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אָחִ֑יו וַיָּ֨רֶק אֶת־חֲנִיכָ֜יו יְלִידֵ֣י בֵית֗וֹ שְׁמֹנָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וַיִּרְדֹּ֖ף עַד־דָּֽן׃
When Abram heard that his kinsmanbhis kinsman I.e., Lot and his household. had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers,cretainers Meaning of Heb. ḥanikh uncertain. born into his household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
After rescuing Lot, Abraham meets Melchizedek, king of Salem, who brings bread and wine and blesses him. Abraham gives him a tenth of everything.
וּמַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם הוֹצִ֖יא לֶ֣חֶם וָיָ֑יִן וְה֥וּא כֹהֵ֖ן לְאֵ֥ל עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High.dGod Most High Heb. ʼEl ʻElyon.
Abraham digs a well and makes a covenant with Abimelech. He names the place Beer-sheba — 'Well of the Oath' — and plants a tamarisk tree.
עַל־כֵּ֗ן קָרָ֛א לַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֛י שָׁ֥ם נִשְׁבְּע֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃
Hence that place was called Beer-sheba,dBeer-sheba I.e., “well of seven” or “well of oath.” for there the two of them swore an oath.
The Binding of Isaac (Akeidah). God tests Abraham by asking him to offer Isaac on Mount Moriah. At the last moment, an angel stops him and a ram is offered instead.
וַיֹּ֡אמֶר קַח־נָ֠א אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־יְחִֽידְךָ֤ אֲשֶׁר־אָהַ֙בְתָּ֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֔ק וְלֶ֨ךְ־לְךָ֔ אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ הַמֹּרִיָּ֑ה וְהַעֲלֵ֤הוּ שָׁם֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה עַ֚ל אַחַ֣ד הֶֽהָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֹמַ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
“Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”
Sarah dies at age 127. Abraham buys the Cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite — the first land purchase in the Torah — and buries Sarah there.
וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן֩ קָבַ֨ר אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ אֶל־מְעָרַ֞ת שְׂדֵ֧ה הַמַּכְפֵּלָ֛ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א הִ֣וא חֶבְר֑וֹן בְּאֶ֖רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃
And then Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of the field of Machpelah, facing Mamre—now Hebron—in the land of Canaan.
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