To the north and west of Sumer, extending to the coast of Canaan, lived a group of peoples called the Semites, who spoke a language related to modern Arabic and Hebrew. Many of them also settled in Sumer.
Around 2,400 B.C., a Semitic officer named Sargon of Akkad conquered Sumer.
Later, Sumer was invaded by another wave of Semites, the Martu, a rugged mountain people. The Martu assimilated (absorbed) Sumerian culture and religion.
It was at this time (about 1800 B.C.) that Hammurabi rose to power and reunited the land between the rivers as Babylonia.
Abraham, a Martu, was living in the city of Ur when he heard God speak to him. If Abraham went to Canaan, he would become the father of a great nation of people. So Abraham moved to Canaan with his family.
The following story about Abraham comes to us from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament): Abraham remained childless well into old age. Finally, his wife Sarah had a son, Isaac. God spoke to Abraham, asking him to offer his son as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed, but just as he was about to kill Isaac, God sent an angel to stop him, as well as a ram to sacrifice in the boy's stead.
Abraham's family grew and grew, and a group of his descendants immigrated to Egypt to escape a severe drought.
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