Why You Should Know the Truth About Abraham
ABRAHAM—a mythological hero or a true prophet? How important is the answer to that question? According to Bible chronology, Abraham lived some 4,000 years ago. Some may therefore reason, ‘What difference does it make whether he really existed or not?’
Well, half the world’s population belong to religions that claim to believe in Abraham. The 1988 Britannica Book of the Year lists 32.9 percent of the world as Christian, 17.2 percent Muslim, and 0.4 percent Jewish, and Abraham is a prominent figure in all three of these religions. Surely, sincere believers from these faiths should want to make sure that what they have been taught about Abraham is the truth. Even those who belong to other religions or those who profess no religion at all should be interested. Why?
Because the Bible says that Abraham was a prophet. (Genesis 20:7) That is a Biblical word used to describe a spokesman of God with a message for other humans. If Abraham was a true prophet, all stand to benefit. Why? Because the message he received contained good news for all mankind. (Galatians 3:8) According to the Bible, God promised Abraham: “All the families of the ground will certainly bless themselves by means of you.”—Genesis 12:3.
That is a staggering promise, and Abraham heard it uttered on at least two other occasions. (Genesis 18:18; 22:18) In order to fulfill it, God will even resurrect from the dead representatives of families that have died out. Life for such resurrected ones will truly be a blessing, since most of them will come back to an earthly situation resembling the Paradise that man originally lost. Thereafter, they will be taught how to gain the blessing of everlasting life.—Genesis 2:8, 9, 15-17; 3:17-23.
If, on the other hand, Abraham were just a mythological character, there would be no basis for believing the marvelous promise he received. Furthermore, if Bible promises cannot be relied upon, some might argue for devoting themselves entirely to the pleasures of the present life. As one of the early Christians wrote: “If the dead are not to be raised up, ‘let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die.’”—1 Corinthians 15:32.
Therefore, you have every reason to examine the question, Was Abraham just a mythological hero or was he a true prophet? It may shock you to know what prominent 19th-century clergymen have said about this. Meanwhile, archaeologists have made amazing discoveries that challenge those clergymen’s views.