Ur

The city where Abraham was born and grew up. It was near the north end of the Persian Gulf in what is now Iraq. Ur was a center of advanced learning in Abraham’s day; it had libraries, schools, and many temples to idols. Ur was also a trading center. Ships carried alabaster, copper ore, ivory, gold, and hardwoods to trade at Ur. God called Abraham out of Ur and sent him to the land of Canaan.