The Hittites: Abraham’s Northern Neighbors

Last month we began the story of Old Testament Israel with Abraham’s departure from the great city of Ur. Journeying northwest along the Euphrates River out of Sumer, he and his extended family arrived at the ancient town of Haran, which was located in a region the Bible calls “Padan-aram” (Gen. 25:20) along the border of modern-day Turkey and Syria.   Haran was a place of considerable significance in Abraham’s day, serving as a key trading hub along the major trade routes connecting the...