Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as being his half-sister, the daughter of his father Terah
Sarah was ten years (or less) younger than her husband.[3]
She was considered beautiful to the point that Abraham feared that when they were near more powerful rulers she would be taken away and given to another man. Twice he purposefully identified her as being only his sister so that he would be "treated well" for her sake.[4] It is apparent that she remained attractive into her later years, but was barren for an unstated reason.[5] She was originally called "Sarai" which is translated "my princess." Later she was called "Sarah" i.e., princess."[6] In biblical times, the changing of one's name was significant and used to symbolize the binding of a covenant
Terah, with Abram (as he was then called), Sarai and Lot, departed for Canaan, but stopped in a place named Haran, where Terah remained until he died at the age of 205.[9]
Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and the wealth and persons that they had acquired, and traveled to Shechem in Canaan. Abram was 75 at this time.[11]
In Genesis 17 when Abram was ninety-nine years old, God declared his new name: "Abraham" – "a father of many nations", and gave him the covenant of circumcision. God gave Sarai the new name "Sarah", and blessed her.[17] Abraham was given assurance that Sarah would have a son. Not long afterwards, Abraham and Sarah were visited by three men. One of the visitors told Abraham that upon his return next year, Sarah would have a son. While at the tent entrance, Sarah overheard what was said, and she laughed to herself about the prospect of having a child at their ages. The visitor inquired of Abraham why Sarah laughed at the idea of bearing a child, for her age was as nothing to God. Frightened, Sarah denied laughing.
As had been prophesied in the previous year,[18] Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham, at the very time which had been spoken. The patriarch, now a hundred years old, named the child "Isaac" (Hewbrew yitschaq, laughter) and circumcised him when he was eight days old.[19] For Sarah, the thought of giving birth and nursing a child, at such an old age, also brought her much laughter, as she declared, "God hath made me to laugh, [so that] all that hear will laugh with me."[20] Abraham held a great feast on the day when Isaac was to be weaned. It was during this banquet that Sarah happened upon the then teenaged Ishmael mocking[21] and was so disturbed that she requested that both he and Hagar be removed from their company.[22] Abraham was initially distressed by this but relented when told by God to do as his wife had asked.[23]
Sarah, who died at the age of 127, is the only woman in the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) whose age is given.[27] Abraham buried her in the Cave of the Patriarchs (also called the Cave of Machpelah), near Hebron which he had purchased, along with the adjoining field, from Ephron the Hittite and laid her to rest in the cave.[28]
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