According to the Bible, Medan (Hebrew: מְדָן Məḏān "contention; to twist, conflict"); also spelt Madan[1] was the third son of Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, and Keturah whom he wed after the death of Sarah.[2][3] Medan had five brothers, Zimran, Jokshan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.[4]
Josephus tells us that "Abraham contrived to settle them in colonies; and they took possession of Troglodytis and the country of Arabia Felix (Arabia the Happy), as far as it reaches to the Red Sea."[5] Abraham, in all probability, tried to keep them apart from Isaac to avoid conflict while fulfilling God's commission to spread out and inhabit the globe.[6][7][8] Little else is known about him.[9]
There is no known connection to the Madan people of Iran and Iraq.
References
- ^ Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities, 1.15.1
- ^ Genesis 25:2–6
- ^ 1Chronicles 1:32
- ^ Genesis 25:1–6
- ^ Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities, 1.15.1
- ^ Genesis 1:27,28
- ^ Genesis 9:1
- ^ Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities, 1.4.1-3
- ^ Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1, Review and Herald Publishing Association (Washington, D.C., USA), 1953, p.367