Who Was Abraham in Judaism?
Learn who Abraham was in Judaism, why he is called the father of the Jewish people, and how his covenant with God connects to Jewish belief and practice.
Abraham was a biblical patriarch who is regarded in Judaism as the father of the Jewish people. His importance comes from the covenant he made with God: a binding agreement that established a special relationship between God and Abraham’s descendants.
Abraham and the covenant
According to the Torah, God called Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to the land of Canaan. God promised him descendants, a land for them to live in, and an enduring relationship with them. Abraham responded by trusting God and following the call.
God instructed Abraham that males in his household should be circumcised as a sign of the covenant. This is why brit milah, the circumcision of a Jewish baby boy, remains an important Jewish practice. It is traditionally performed on the eighth day after birth.
Why he matters
Abraham is an example of faith: he trusted God even when the future was uncertain. The Torah also tells how God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac. Abraham was willing to obey, but God stopped him. The story is about his trust and obedience; it does not mean that Judaism permits human sacrifice.
For a GCSE answer, connect Abraham to both belief and practice. You could explain that he is seen as the ancestor of the Jewish people, that God’s covenant included promises of descendants and land, and that circumcision is a sign of that covenant. Avoid saying Abraham founded Judaism in the sense of setting up all its later laws and practices: his central role is as a patriarch and the person with whom God made this covenant.
