HAR'AN, I.

  1. Son of Terah, and brother of Abraham (Genesis 11:29).
  2. A Levite (1 Chronicles 23:9).

HA'RAN, II. (road, business).

  1. A city of Mesopotamia, about 280 miles northest of Damascus. It was a city of much commercial activity, like Ur of the Chaldees, and had the moon-god for its patron diety. Abraham and Terah sojourned there for a time, and Terah died there (Genesis 11:31,32; 12:4,5). Jacob also resided there for a time (Genesis 28:10; 29:4). As early as 1100 B.C., the Assyrians hunted in the vicinity of Haran, and later captured it (2 Kings 19:12). See also Acts 7:2,4.
  2. A son of Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:46).

"This is the account of Terah's family line. Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot. While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth." Gen. 11:27-28 (NIV)

The above is, in sum, all the Hebrew Bible has to say about Haran. Though he was the brother of who was arguably the most important person in Judaism, his entire life is confined to two sentences. Naturally, the rabbis could not let such a curious mention go on without being elaborated on, so a more specific version of the death of Haran can be found in Genesis Rabba. In that midrash, Terah, the father of Haran, is said to have been a manufacturer of idols that his righteous son Abram, being left alone at the shop one day, destroyed. To be punished, Abram was taken before King Nimrod, who decided that he should be burnt to death in a furnace. However, God caused the flames to not burn Abram, thus saving his life. Haran, seeing this, also jumped into the fire, but, because he had required a miracle to have faith, was killed.

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