Terah or Térach (Hebrew: תֶּרַח / תָּרַח, Modern Téraḥ / Táraḥ Tiberian Téraḥ / Tāraḥ ; "Ibex, wild goat", or "Wanderer; loiterer") was the father of Abraham mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
The person
The Bible
According to the Book of Genesis 11, Terah was the son of Nahor, who was the son of Serug, who was the son of Reu, who was the son of Peleg, who was the son of Eber, who was the son of Shelah, who was the son of Arpachshad, who was the son of Shem, who was one of the sons of Noah.
According to Genesis 11 Terah had three sons: Abram; Haran; and Nahor; according to Genesis 20:12, Sarah, Abraham's wife, was his half-sister (Terah's daughter by a wife other than Abraham's mother). He lived in "Ur of the Chaldees," where his son Haran died, leaving behind his son Lot. Nahor settled at Harran, a place on the way to Ur. Terah later migrated with Abraham (probably his youngest son) and Lot (his grandson), together with their families, from Ur. He intended to go with them to Canaan but he stayed in Harran, where he died at the age of 205 years (Genesis 11:24-32). Abram moved his family out of Harran when Terah was 145 years old (Gen 11:31,32; Acts 7:4). The Book of Joshua reports that Terah worshipped other gods (Josh. 24:2).
Jewish Tradition
The Midrash regards Terah as wicked. (E.g., Numbers Rabbah 19:1; 19:33.) Rabbi Hiyya said that Terah manufactured idols and told the following account: Terah once went away and left Abraham to mind the store. A woman came with a plateful of flour and asked Abraham to offer it to the idols. Abraham took a stick, broke the idols, and put the stick in the largest idol’s hand. When Terah returned, he demanded that Abraham explain what he had done. Abraham told Terah that the idols fought among themselves and the largest broke the others with the stick. “Why do you make sport of me?” Terah cried, “Do they have any knowledge?” Abraham replied, “Listen to what you are saying!” Terah then delivered Abraham to King Nimrod for punishment. (Genesis Rabbah 38:13.) The Zohar says that when God saved Abraham from the furnace, Terah repented. (Zohar, Bereshit 1:77b.) Rabbi Abba b. Kahana said that God assured Abraham that his father Terah had a portion in the World to Come. (Genesis Rabbah 30:4; 30:12.)
Islamic Tradition
In several places the Quran depicts the story of Ibrahim (Abraham) and his father who is named Azar. The story is much similar to the Jewish tradition: Azar (an arabicized form of Zarah or Athar found in Jewish books as Talmud) is a wicked polytheist whose occupation is carving wooden Idols for worship.
The place
Terah is also the name of a place where the Israelites stopped on the Exodus.
See also
Terah was also the name of a character on Star Trek: Enterprise, played by Suzie Plakson.
