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Citation Information
How to Cite
Manser, Martin H. "Abraham." Writer's Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 17 Apr. 2025. <http://fofweb.infobase.com/wrc/Detail.aspx?iPin=DOA00012>.
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Abraham

Pronunciation pronunciation key
aybrăham

Definition 
Archetypal patriarch. One of the most important figures of the Old Testament, Abraham is usually considered the father of the Hebrew people and the ancestor of all Jews and is referred to as "the father of many nations" in Genesis 17:5. His name is often invoked as an image of patriarchal values or wisdom or as a symbol of fertility. "In the latter quarter of each year cattle were at once the mainstay and the terror of families about Casterbridge and its neighbourhood, where breeding was carried on with Abrahamic success" (Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886). See also Abraham's bosom; Abraham's supreme test.

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