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Charan

The 1901 Jewish Encyclopedia

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1. Third son of Terah and consequently the youngest brother of Abraham; he was born in Ur of the Chaldees, where he died while his father was still living. He had three children, Lot and two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. Milcah became the wife of her uncle Nahor (Genesis 11:27-29). Josephus mentions that Haran's monument was shown in his time; and that there was also a Haran, son of Nahor, Terah's father, begotten when Nahor was one hundred and twenty years old ("Ant." 1:6, § 5). According to the Rabbis, who interpreted "Ur" to mean "fire," Haran was thrown after Abraham into the furnace by Nimrod. Haran had no firm belief in God. He said to himself: "Should Abraham perish in the furnace, I will side with Nimrod; if he come out alive, I will be with Abraham." Therefore he perished in the flames (Gen. R.; Yalḳ., Gen. 62).
2. A Levite in the time of David; one of the family of Shimei (1 Chronicles 23:9).