Haran

(1) Son of Terah and brother of Abraham. The father of Lot and also the father of Abraham’s wife Sarah (Abr. 2:2), he died as the result of a severe famine in Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 11:26–31; Abr. 2:1).

(2) A Levite (1 Chr. 23:9).

(3) The place of Abraham’s (Abram’s) first settlement on leaving Ur of the Chaldees; apparently named in memory of Abraham’s deceased brother Haran. It was a place of many flocks, and Terah, Abraham’s father, tarried there. The Lord appeared to Abraham at Haran (Gen. 11:29–32; Abr. 2:4–6). It was in the district near the source of the Euphrates and was a trading center of great importance, frequently mentioned in Assyrian inscriptions. It continued to be a flourishing city for many centuries. Acts 7:2 renders the word “Charran.”