Haran

Haran or Aran (Hebrew: הָרָן Hārān)^[3] is a man in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible.^[4] He died in Ur of the Chaldees, was a son of Terah, and brother of Abraham. Through his daughter Milcah, Haran was the ancestor of the Israelites and Edomites ^{[5][6][7][8][9]}, and throught his son Lot, was the ancestor of the Moabites and Ammonites.

Terah, a descendant of Shem son of Noah, was the father of Abram/Abraham, Sarai/Sarah, Nahor, and Haran.^[10] Their home's location is not certain, but it is usually supposed to have been in Mesopotamia. Besides Lot and Milcah, Haran fathered a daughter Iscah.^[11]

After Haran died in Ur of the Chaldees 'before his father Terah', his family travelled towards Canaan, the Promised Land. However, Terah stopped at Charan (or Haran [Hebrew חָרָן, Ḥārān]) and settled there, as did Nahor and Milcah, whereas Lot accompanied Abraham and others onwards to Canaan.^[12][13]

The name Haran possibly comes from the Hebrew word har, = "mountain", with a West Semitic suffix appearing with proper names, anu/i/a.^[14] Thus, it has been suggested that Haran may mean "mountaineer".^[15] Personal names which resemble Haran include ha-ri and ha-ru, from texts of second millennium BC Mari and Alalakh, and ha-ar-ri, from one of the Amarna letters—but their meanings are uncertain.^[16][17][18] The initial element of Haran can be found in the Phoenician personal name hr-b`l, and also in the Israelite personal name hryhw from Gibeon.^[18]

Haran is the English name of two other people mentioned in the Bible.

• Haran, son of Caleb (Hebrew: חָרָן – Ḥārān) (1Chronicles 2:46).
• Haran, son of Shimei (Hebrew: הָרָן – Hārān). He was a Levite who lived in the time of David and Solomon (1Chronicles 23:1–9).

• Harran
• Sabians