Haran

(1.) Heb. haran; i.e., “mountaineer.” The eldest son of Terah, brother of Abraham and Nahor, and father of Lot, Milcah, and Iscah. He died before his father (Gen. 11:27), in Ur of the Chaldees. (2.) Heb. haran, i.e., “parched;” or probably from the Accadian charana, meaning “a road.” A celebrated city of Western Asia, now Harran, where Abram remained, after he left Ur of the Chaldees, till his father Terah died (Gen. 11:31, 32), when he continued his journey into the land of Canaan. It is called “Charran” in the LXX. and in Acts 7:2. It is called the “city of Nahor” (Gen. 24:10), and Jacob resided here with Laban (30:43). It stood on the river Belik, an affluent of the Euphrates, about 70 miles above where it joins that river in Upper Mesopotamia or Padan-aram, and about 600 miles northwest of Ur in a direct line. It was on the caravan route between the east and west. It is afterwards mentioned among the towns taken by the king of Assyria (2 Kings 19:12; Isa. 37:12). It was known to the Greeks and Romans under the name Carrhae. (3.) The son of Caleb of Judah (1 Chr. 2:46) by his concubine Ephah.

(a mountaineer).

HA'RAN (a mountaineer). The brother of Abraham, and the father of Lot, Gen 11:26. A Levite, 1 Chr 23:9.

HA'RAN (parched), a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah, 1 Chr 2:46.

HA'RAN (parched, dry), called also CHAR'RAN, Acts 7:2, Acts 7:4, the place to which Terah removed from Ur of the Chaldees, taking with him his two sons, Abram and Nahor, and his grandson, Lot. Terah died there, Gen 11:31-32; Abram and Lot moved to Canaan, Gen 12:4, while Nahor remained at Haran, which was called the city of Nahor, Gen 24:10. It was the early home of Rebekah, and Jacob afterward resided there with Laban, Gen 27:43. The city was in Mesopotamia, and more definitely in Padan-aram, Gen 24:10; Gen 25:20, and also in western Assyria. It is generally identified with the modern Haran, the Roman Carras, situated on the river Belik (the ancient Bilichus), about 50 miles above its entrance into the Euphrates. It is now a small Arab village, containing within its ruined walls the traditional tomb of Terah, the father of Abraham. About 20 miles distant is Orfak, which some claim to be Ur of the Chaldees. There is a Harran on the border of Lake Antcibeh east of Damascus, which Dr. Beke would identify with Haran of Abram, but his view is not accepted by biblical scholars.

mountainous country

HA'RAN (parched, dry), called also CHAR'RAN, Acts 7:2, Acts 7:4, the place to which Terah removed from Ur of the Chaldees, taking with him his two sons, Abram and Nahor, and his grandson, Lot. Terah died there, Gen 11:31-32; Abram and Lot moved to Canaan, Gen 12:4, while Nahor remained at Haran, which was called the city of Nahor, Gen 24:10. It was the early home of Rebekah, and Jacob afterward resided there with Laban, Gen 27:43. The city was in Mesopotamia, and more definitely in Padan-aram, Gen 24:10; Gen 25:20, and also in western Assyria. It is generally identified with the modern Haran, the Roman Carras, situated on the river Belik (the ancient Bilichus), about 50 miles above its entrance into the Euphrates. It is now a small Arab village, containing within its ruined walls the traditional tomb of Terah, the father of Abraham. About 20 miles distant is Orfak, which some claim to be Ur of the Chaldees. There is a Harran on the border of Lake Antcibeh east of Damascus, which Dr. Beke would identify with Haran of Abram, but his view is not accepted by biblical scholars.