Was Abraham a real person?

[catholic0913]

Someone was trying to tell me that there is no historical evidence that Abraham was a real person besides bible, and that Abraham is not a real person but just a fictional character. He said the origin of the character Abraham is traced back to ancient Indian legend. I can’t remember everything he said but it was an disturbing experience for me (as Christians are expected to believe that Abraham was a real person).

Also, lot of other modern historicians says that Abraham is not a real person. What is the Church’s defender against these claims? What supports that Abraham was real?

Thank you,

 

[Jennifoo]

My question for him would be how does he know? He wasn’t there. Abraham was most certainly a real person.

 

[Bookcat]

Yes

 

[petra22]

Someone was trying to tell me that there is no historical evidence that Abraham was a real person besides bible, and that Abraham is not a real person but just a fictional character. He said the origin of the character Abraham is traced back to ancient Indian legend. I can’t remember everything he said but it was an disturbing experience for me (as Christians are expected to believe that Abraham was a real person).

Also, lot of other modern historicians says that Abraham is not a real person. What is the Church’s defender against these claims? What supports that Abraham was real?

Thank you,

Abraham had real sons. Those sons had sons. Those sons had real sons… (Jacob had 12 special ones that shared the promised land in Israel… I mean, Gee WHIZ!

 

[StJoseph8]

Remember that events in the Bible can stand by itself without any external evidence. It would be nice if there were some other evidence, but to say that other evidence is needed in order to validate Biblical events shows an unfair bias against the Bible; a bias that should be explained BTW.

 

[StJoseph8]

Also, ask for his evidence of this alleged Indian origin of Abraham. It might be that this Indian legend’s story sounds similar to Abraham. If that’s the case, then that’s a bad argument.

 

[Bridgit_Andrews]

Jewish scholars believe that the gravesite of Abraham is in the Machpelah at Hebron, Israel. Additionally Abraham was known to ancient non-Jewish historians. Besides the Bible and the Jewish oral and written tradition, Abraham is named in the writing of Berosus, Hecateus, and Nicolaus Damascenus to name a few.

I can give you source material for that and more. I just have to find my notes.

Peace,
B

 

[RomanoAmerio]

Even the most liberal Catholic Biblical commentaries accept the historicity of Genesis from Abraham onwards.

His existence as an actual person is affirmed not only by Christianity, but by Judaism and Islam.

Besides, if we are, in the words of St. Paul, the children of Abraham in faith, how can we be the children of an imaginary or mythical personage? If Abraham were mythical, how could Our Saviour say that Abraham had seen him (John 8)? Such suppositions are ridiculous.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I would say the genetic history of the Semitic people of the Middle East such as the Assyrians the Jews and the Arabs would seem to indicate such.

 

[slMike]

Also, lot of other modern historicians says that Abraham is not a real person. What is the Church’s defender against these claims? What supports that Abraham was real?

Thank you,

First, the historical evidence in the Bible proves that Abraham was a real person.

The doubters have the burden of proof and archaeological finds continuously

discredit them.

Here is an article from Mark Shea:

A Question About Abraham

 

[thistle]

Someone was trying to tell me that there is no historical evidence that Abraham was a real person besides bible, and that Abraham is not a real person but just a fictional character. He said the origin of the character Abraham is traced back to ancient Indian legend. I can’t remember everything he said but it was an disturbing experience for me (as Christians are expected to believe that Abraham was a real person).

Also, lot of other modern historicians says that Abraham is not a real person. What is the Church’s defender against these claims? What supports that Abraham was real?

Thank you,

God made a covenant with Abraham. Even for God it would be hard to make a covenant with a fictional person!

 

[psalm90]

Someone was trying to tell me that there is no historical evidence that Abraham was a real person besides bible, and that Abraham is not a real person but just a fictional character. He said the origin of the character Abraham is traced back to ancient Indian legend. I can’t remember everything he said but it was an disturbing experience for me (as Christians are expected to believe that Abraham was a real person).

Also, lot of other modern historicians says that Abraham is not a real person. What is the Church’s defender against these claims? What supports that Abraham was real?

Thank you,

Others have answered the central question. The question itself implies you have doubts. Judaism and Christianity are ultimately based on faith. People have questioned the history of the Bible, in all its parts.

Read Psalm 1 very carefully. Don’t worry about godless people, skeptics, and scoffers. I don’t think you find any skepticism about the Jewish scriptures in the New Testament writings. Trust in that.