Journeys · Abraham, Sarah and Lot

Abraham's journey

Called by God, Abraham left Ur and Haran for a land he had not seen, living as a sojourner in Canaan and trusting God's promise of land, offspring and blessing for all nations.

Genesis 11:31–13:18 Genesis 20–23

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How sure is this route? The main stops are well known. Ur is usually identified with Tell el-Muqayyar in southern Iraq, though some scholars argue for a northern Ur near Haran; the stay in Egypt and the land of Moriah are shown approximately.

Stop by stop

1
Ur of the Chaldeanslocation approximateGenesis 11:31
Tell el-Muqayyar, the usual identification; a northern Ur has also been proposed.
2
HaranGenesis 11:31
Terah's family settled here; Abraham left after Terah died (Acts 7:4).
3
Shechem (the oak of Moreh)Genesis 12:6
The Lord appeared and promised the land; Abraham built an altar.
4
BethelGenesis 12:8
Pitched his tent between Bethel and Ai and called on the name of the Lord.
5
Egyptlocation approximateGenesis 12:10
Went down because of famine; the eastern Nile Delta is shown, the exact place is not given.
6
BethelGenesis 13:3
Returned to the altar; Lot chose the Jordan valley.
7
Hebron (the oaks of Mamre)Genesis 13:18
Settled by the oaks of Mamre and built an altar.
8
Gerarlocation approximateGenesis 20:1
Usually placed at Tel Haror.
9
BeershebaGenesis 21:31
The covenant with Abimelech; Abraham planted a tamarisk and called on the Lord.
10
Land of Moriahlocation approximateGenesis 22:2
Later tradition links it with the temple mount in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 3:1).
11
BeershebaGenesis 22:19
12
Hebron (the oaks of Mamre)Genesis 23:19
Sarah was buried in the cave of Machpelah, the first piece of the promised land Abraham owned.

Next journey: The Exodus and the wilderness ›

Lines join the stops in order; they are not the actual roads or sea lanes. Modern map: OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.