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Year 7

The world of Abram

I can describe the world of Abram before he became Abraham.

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New
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Year 7

The world of Abram

I can describe the world of Abram before he became Abraham.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Bible states that Abram lived in Ur, which is modern-day Iraq.
  2. People were polytheistic in Abram's homeland.
  3. The gods were worshipped through the use of idols.
  4. Abram's father was an idol maker and Abram rejected this practice.

Keywords

  • Deity - a supernatural being that is worshipped, like a god or goddess

  • Idol - an image or statue used as an object of worship​

  • Monotheism - the belief in and worship of one god

  • Polytheism - the belief in and worship of multiple gods

Common misconception

Everyone in the Torah or Old Testament always believed in only one god.

Abram's family and the people of Abram's homeland were polytheists, meaning they believed in multiple gods.

The image used of Abraham throughout this lesson shows Abraham holding a dagger/knife. This relates to a later event where God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22). This event occurs later in Genesis than the events discussed within this lesson.
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Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Christianity, and Judaism are all Abrahamic religions.
Correct Answer: Islam
Q2.
What did God promise Abraham?
Correct answer: land
Correct answer: redemption
reconciliation
laws
Correct answer: descendants
Q3.
Match these keywords to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:sacrifice,to give something up for the sake of others

to give something up for the sake of others

Correct Answer:redemption,to be saved from sin

to be saved from sin

Correct Answer:covenant,an agreement between God and people

an agreement between God and people

Q4.
The covenant between Abraham and God is known as the covenant.
Correct Answer: Abrahamic
Q5.
is the belief in one God.
Correct Answer: Monotheism
Q6.
Covenants are meaningful because ...
they allow humans to tell God exactly what they want from him.
Correct answer: they allow God to set out exactly what is expected of humans.
they allow humans to benefit from God and do nothing in return.
they allow God to oversee agreements between figures of authority.

Exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
What was Abram called after he made a covenant with God?
Correct Answer: Abraham
Q2.
Where was Abram born?
Correct answer: Ur
Haran
Canaan
Q3.
is a supernatural being that is worshipped, such as a god or goddess.
An idol
An icon
Correct answer: A deity
Q4.
The that the Sumerians built for their gods to live in was called a ziggurat.
Correct Answer: temple
Q5.
Starting with the earliest, put the events from the story of Abram and his father's idols in the correct order.
1 - Abram's father was an idol maker
2 - Abram was asked to help sell the idols
3 - Abram tried to discourage the customers
4 - Abram smashed the idols but left one to blame
5 - Abram's father admitted the idols were powerless

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