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Which route did Abrahamās family likely travel from Ur toward Canaan?
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Abraham
The March of Abraham, painting by JĆ³zsef MolnĆ”r, 19th century; in the Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest.
While the Bible does not explicitly detail the itinerary of Abraham's family, scholars have reconstructed a likely route based on historical and geographical context.
The migration from Ur to Canaan occurred in two primary stages:
- Ur to Harran: Scholars believe the caravan traveled north from Ur, following the Euphrates River before turning to follow the Balikh valley to reach Harran in upper Mesopotamia.1
- Harran to Canaan: After departing Harran, the family moved from east to west. They likely crossed the Euphrates River, possibly at Carchemish. The route continued through the region of Aleppo and potentially Damascus. From there, the path likely crossed the Hawran region, the Jabboq river, and the Jordan River at the DÄmiyÄ ford, eventually reaching Shechem and later Bethel and Hebron.1