Gerar was an ancient town, surrounded by a rampant of beaten earth, in the Western Negev, half-way between Beer'Sheba and Gaza, covering 40 acres.
In earliest times, Gerar was within the territory of the Canaanites: "Afterward the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha." (Genesis 10).
The Bible shifts its focus in Genesis 12 from the history of the entire human race to a man named Abram, the first Hebrew. God appeared to Abram and promised him that if he would leave his country and journey to a land that he has never seen, God would make of his descerndants a great nation and through them the Saviour of the world would come, through his 'seed.'
Abraham and Isaac both, who were born in the area, sought to live in Gerar. It was in Gerar that they deceived the king of the land.
In the time of Abraham, it was ruled by a Philistine king named Abi'Melech. Abraham moved there after living Kadesh (Barnea) and Shur in Western Sinai. (Genesis 20). Both made a treaty with the king of Gerar, after separate incidents in which both claimed that their wives were their sisters, in order to keep from being killed. Abraham's wife was eventually returned with 1000 shekels of silver.
Isaac came to Gerar to live inside the city during a famine in the land, instead of going to Egypt like Abraham and Jacob. (Genesis 26). Isaac's troubles over Rebekah happened in the city, since the king observed the display of affection from his window.
Abraham and, later Isaac's troubles with the locals required that they move to the outside edge of Gerar's territory: "Then Isaac departed from Gerar and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there." The productivity of the land around Gerar is described in Genesis 26: "Now Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him."
The Promised Land would be the inheritance of Abraham's descendants but Abraham would only be a pilgrim there. On his journey Abraham visited 17 places :
1) Ur of the Chaldeans was the original home of Abraham. God told Abraham to leave his home and country and go to a land that He would show him. He obeyed and departed from Ur, with his father Terah and his nephew Lot. (Genesis11; Acts 7).
2) Haran was his 1st stop. He dwelt here until his father died. In Haran God called Abraham again.
3) Damascus, located in ancient Aram (Syria). Here Abraham secured his servant Eliezer. (Genesis 15).
4) Shechem was the 1st place in the Promised Land. The Lord appeared to Abraham again and confirmed His Promises. Abraham built the First Altar to the Lord. There is much history in this place. (Joshua 24:1; Judges 9:6; 1Kings 12:1).
5) Bethel is the 2nd place in which Abraham built an Altar to the Lord, in a nearby mountain. (Gen 12).
6) Egypt was the place where Abraham and his family migrated because of a major famine hit the land.
In Egypt Abraham deceived the King in order to save his own life and was expelled from the land. The king of Egypt feared Abraham because of a dream and allowed him to leave with all his possessions.
7) Bethel was the former home of Abraham and Lot. They returned to their former home at Bethel, but on account of strife between their herdsmen they parted each other company as friends. (Genesis 13).
8) Hebron. Lot chose the warm climate and lush plains of the Jordan Valley and pitched his tent toward Sodom, and Abraham left and sojourned at Hebron in Mamre, one of the oldest cities (Numbers 13), where he heard again from the Lord and built an Altar there.
9) Dan. Four kings of the East came to Canaan who were united under Chedorlaomer of Elam (the territory of ancient Ur) and made War against the five kings of Canaan. In their conquest of the Jordan Valley they captured Lot as a prisoner of war, and when Abraham heard of it pursued the 4 kings and overtook them at Dan and defeated them with the help of the Lord (Genesis 14). Abraham already had assembled an army of 318 men. Dan was located in the North between Hazor and Damascus.
10) Hobah. Abraham and his army of servants smote the army of the 4 kings and chased them to Hobah, near Damascus. Lot and all the people with him were rescued with their belongings.
11) Salem. On his return Abraham passed through Salem (Jeru'Salem) and was met by a man named Melchizedek whose name means "King of Righteousness," He was a mysterious man regarded in the Bible as the 'priest' and 'king of Salem.' This was the 1st mention of the word 'Priest' in the Bible, and he gave to Abraham bread and wine. Abraham paid him 1/10th of all his spoils from the War as a 'tithe.' Hebrews 7 gives an interesting description of Melchizedek and therefore his identity remains a mystery. The king of Sodom also came out to meet Abraham at the same place.
12) Hebron. When Abraham finally returned to Hebron God reminded him of His Covenant with him and changed his name from Abram to Abraham. During his stay at this place Ishmael was born and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. (Genesis 16; 18; 19).
13) Gerar. Abraham left Hebron and for a time sojourned among the Philistines in Gerar which was in Southern Canaan West of Beer'Sheba. It was here that Abraham deceived the King of Gerar. (Gen.20).
14) Beer'Sheba. Abraham remained at this place for some time. During this time he made a covenant with king Abi'Melech. Later he gave birth to Isaac (Laughter), a natural son of him and Sarah, in his old age. When Isaac was born Ishmael was expelled and his mother Hagar fled and was met by "the Angel of the Lord" which was the Lord Himself. (Genesis 21).
15) Moriah. It was in Beer'Sheba that Abraham received the command from the Lord to take his only natural son Isaac to Mount Moriah, a mountain of Salem, to offer Isaac as a Burnt Offering. (Gen 22).
16) Beer'Sheba. Abraham returned to this place and dwelt here for some time.
17) Hebron. Abraham bought the Cave of Mach'Pelah as the family sepulcher and buried his wife Sarah there. (Genesis 23). At the age of 175 Abraham died, and was also buried in the Cave at Mach-Pelah.
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