Ishmael
Who was Ishmael? Abraham's firstborn son by Hagar the Egyptian, who lived 137 years according to the Bible and fathered twelve rulers. Where is he buried?
- Burial place
- Not in the Bible; tradition: Mecca (Tradition)
- Age at death
- At 137 (The Bible: Genesis 25:17, Genesis 16:16, Genesis 25:9)
- Manner of death
- No details given; died at 137 (The Bible: Genesis 25:17, Genesis 25:8)
- Birthplace
- In Canaan; no town named (The Bible: Genesis 16:3, Genesis 16:9, Genesis 16:15-16)
Ishmael is the son Abraham had with Hagar, the Egyptian servant, when Abraham was 86. The angel of the Lord named him before his birth; his name means God hears. At thirteen he was circumcised on the same day as his father. After Isaac's birth he and his mother were sent away; when their water ran out in the wilderness of Beersheba, God heard the boy and saved them. Ishmael grew up in the Wilderness of Paran and became an archer. God promised to make him the father of twelve rulers and a great nation. With Isaac he buried Abraham at Machpelah, and he died at 137.
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Related topics
Related places
- Egypt
- Garden of Eden
- Haran
- Mountains of Ararat
- Ur
- Canaan
- Hebron
- Damascus
- Sidon
- Moab
- Shechem
- Dead Sea (Salt Sea)
- Sodom and Gomorrah
Related verse collections
- Bible Verses About Creation
- Bible Verses About Family
- Bible Verses About Marriage
- Bible Verses About Trials and Testing
- Bible Verses About God's Promises
- Bible Verses About Work and Labor
Reading plans
- The Bible for Beginners — 10 Days
- Advent — 24 Days to Christmas
- The Bible in a Year — 365 Days from Cover to Cover
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Where is Ishmael buried?
The Bible does not say where Ishmael was buried. In Islamic tradition, he is believed to lie with his mother Hagar in the Hijr Ismail (Hatim), the area enclosed by a low semicircular wall right beside the Kaaba in Mecca. This comes from Islamic accounts, not from the Bible, which says Ishmael's descendants settled in the region stretching from Havilah to Shur (Genesis 25:18).
How old was Ishmael when he died?
Ishmael died at the age of 137 (Genesis 25:17). His father Abraham was 86 when he was born (Genesis 16:16). When Abraham died, Ishmael and his brother Isaac buried him together in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25:9). The Bible gives Ishmael's lifespan but not the place or cause of his death.
How did Ishmael die?
The Bible describes Ishmael's death in a single sentence: at 137 he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people (Genesis 25:17). No illness, accident or violence is mentioned, and the same wording is used for his father Abraham's death in old age (Genesis 25:8). Where he died is not recorded.
Where was Ishmael born?
Ishmael was born in Canaan, though the Bible names no town. The story says Hagar conceived after Abraham had lived in Canaan for ten years, fled into the desert and, at the word of the angel of the Lord, returned to her mistress; Ishmael was born after that (Genesis 16:3, 9, 15). Abraham was 86 at the time (Genesis 16:16).
Where did Ishmael live?
According to the Bible, after he and his mother were sent away, Ishmael lived in the Wilderness of Paran and became an archer (Genesis 21:20-21). His descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt on the way to Assyria (Genesis 25:18).
Were Ishmael and Isaac brothers?
Yes, both were sons of Abraham: Ishmael was born to Hagar and Isaac to Sarah. Ishmael was the elder; Abraham was 100 when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5). When Abraham died, the two brothers buried him together in the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 25:9).