According to Genesis, Abraham’s father was named Terah.
Genesis 11 presents Terah as a descendant of Shem and the father of Abram, who is later called Abraham, as well as Nahor and Haran. Terah’s family lived in Ur of the Chaldeans. He began a journey toward Canaan with Abram, Sarai, and Lot, but the family stopped at Harran, where Terah died.
The account distinguishes Terah from his sons. Nahor was Abraham’s brother, while Haran was the father of Lot and died before the family’s migration to Canaan. These similar names are a frequent source of confusion when reading the genealogy.
After Terah’s death, Genesis 12 describes Abram leaving Harran at God’s command and traveling to Canaan. The biblical genealogy therefore places Terah at the beginning of the family line that leads to the patriarchs of Israel and several neighboring peoples.