Haran

Narrator: Chris Genthree
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Ancient city in Mesopotamia to which Terah and his family removed from Ur of the Chaldees, and where Abraham tarried, when on his way to the land of Canaan, until his father’s death. Here also the descendants of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, established themselves; hence the city was called the “city of Nahor” (Gen. 24:1010And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. (Genesis 24:10)). The name occurs in Genesis 11:31-3231And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran. (Genesis 11:31‑32); Genesis 33:1010And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. (Genesis 33:10); Genesis 29:44And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. (Genesis 29:4); Isaiah 37:1212Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? (Isaiah 37:12); Ezekiel 27:2323Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants. (Ezekiel 27:23), among others. It appears in its Greek form as CHARRAN in Acts 7:2, 42And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, (Acts 7:2)
4Then came he out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. (Acts 7:4). Its district is situated between the river Khabour and the Euphrates. There is still a town in the district called Harran, about 36° 50' N, 39° E. The name signifies “road” in Accadian. It was probably so called because the caravan routes of Syria, Assyria and Babylonia crossed there. It was the seat of a bishopric in the fourth century, and there are still ruins of a cathedral.