Northern Ur as the Ur of Genesis

A few scholars suggest the Ur of Genesis was located in northern Mesopotamia, though there is no consensus on which northern Ur, and there is no archaeological evidence from these proposed sites that correlates with the time of Abraham. However, there are numerous arguments for a northern location for Ur of the Chaldeans.

• As mentioned, some argue the route from Ur in southern Mesopotamia to Haran and on to Canaan does not make sense (Gordon, “Abraham,” 30). It has been suggested that the name Ura would come into Hebrew as Ur, and that Ur of Kasdim is equivalent to a northern location closer to Haran. An ancient text describing merchants of a city called “Ura” was found in documents of the 13th century bc discovered at Ugarit. This confirms that other cities with similar names or the same name existed (Gordon, “Abraham,” 28). However, all of the cities and towns called Ura were located near the coast of Cilicia or in northern Anatolia—far outside the region of northern Mesopotamia (Millard, “Abraham’s Ur,” 52–53, 57).

• Other references to a possible northern Ur have also been cited. According to unpublished information in the Ebla tablets from around the late third millennium bc, in addition to texts from Alalakh and Nuzi from the middle second millennium bc, there were several towns called Ura, Uru, and Uri located in northern Mesopotamia (Millard, “Abraham’s Ur,” 52–53, 57).

• A place called Ura’u is mentioned in a 19th century bc text from Tell Shemshara; it appears to be located west of the Tigris River (Millard, “Abraham’s Ur,” 52–53, 57).

However, to equate one of the above mentions with the Ur of Abraham would require an association with Kasdim. Acknowledging this necessity, Gordon claims that in ancient times, there were other Chaldeans living to the north of Mesopotamia (Gordon, “Abraham,” 30). The northern Ur theory also refers to geographical descriptions that may favor a northern location.

• The land “across the river” appears to pose problems for Ur in southern Babylon (Josh 24:2–3; Gordon, “Abraham,” 30).

• The northern Ur view also argues that the way in which Genesis refers to the land of Abram and of his birth implies that the area around Haran, but not southern Mesopotamia, was included (Gordon, “Abraham,” 31; Gen 24:4–7).

• The northern view does acknowledge the relationship between the prominent worship of the moon god Sin at Haran and at Ur in southern Mesopotamia, but suggests this has no significant impact on the placement of biblical Ur since various forms of moon worship were prolific (Gordon, “Abraham,” 31).

• A major proponent of this view also suggested that Isa 23:13 dictates a northern location for Chaldea, but contrary to this suggestion, all of the other geographical locations are in the Levant and Mediterranean region, not in northern Mesopotamia (Gordon, “Abraham,” 30). The mention of Chaldea here appears to be in the context of the Babylonians and their defeat by Assyria (Saggs, “Ur of the Chaldees,” 207).

• A northern Ur has also been posed at Urfa, based on the similarity of names, classical and Islamic-period traditions, the focus on the Haran area later in the patriarchal narratives, and the reference to a land across or beyond the river interpreted as northern Mesopotamia (Saggs, “Ur of the Chaldees,” 200; Josh 24:2–3). However, the name Urfa does not predate Turkish times, and the tradition there associated with Abraham appears to be from the Christian or Islamic era (Millard, “Abraham’s Ur,” 52–53, 57).

Finally, the northern Ur view also argues that the patriarchs fit better as city merchants rather than nomadic tribesmen, and this concept is said to go along with a northern Ur location (Gordon, “Abraham,” 31; Saggs, “Ur of the Chaldees,” 201). However, according to those who argue for the southern location, the notion that Abraham fits the description of a certain type of merchant (tamkaru) mentioned in a 13th century bc document is anachronistic. It also seems to disagree with the depiction of Abraham in the Bible: Abraham is depicted as a pastoralist, not a merchant trading in metals and precious stones (Saggs, “Ur of the Chaldees,” 203–4).