20260721 Self Intro

37,434 views Streamed live on Jul 21, 2026

Was Abraham a real historical figure, or is he best understood as the legendary ancestor of Israel? In this live lecture, we will go beyond the simple question “Did Abraham exist?” to explore why the stories of Abraham and Sarah mattered to ancient Israel. Why is Abraham said to come from Ur? Why is Sarah unable to have children? Why are they exposed to famine, danger, and foreign kings? And why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his own son? In the Book of Genesis, God makes a covenant with Abram, changes his name to “Abraham,” and promises to make him the “father of many nations.” Abraham then becomes the progenitor of the biblical patriarchs. In Judaism, the Jewish people are traditionally understood to be his descendants through his son Isaac, while in Islam, Arabs claim descent from Abraham through his son Ishmael. However, like so many characters in Genesis, no extra-biblical evidence for Abraham as a historical figure exists. John Hamer of Toronto Centre Place will review the portrayal of Abraham in Genesis to consider what these stories and references by other biblical authors can tell us about the earliest understanding of the character. Join the livestream to participate in the discussion and to ask questions of our lecturer during the Q&A. This lecture is part of our series exploring Christianity and the Bible from an academic perspective through history, mythology, archaeology, theology, and biblical studies. 📚 Browse our catalogue of free lectures at https://www.centreplace.ca/lectures Your generous support allows us to offer these lectures at no cost. Please consider making a donation (tax deductible in the US and Canada): ❤️ https://www.centreplace.ca/donate ️