Keturah

Keturah is Abraham's wife after Sarah's death, through whom he fathers six sons - expanding his legacy beyond the covenant line of Isaac while fulfilling the promise that he would be father of many nations. Jasher 25 records the marriage and the births of Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Abraham gives them gifts and sends them eastward, separating them from Isaac's inheritance. The Midianites (from Midian, Keturah's son) later appear as the traders who buy Joseph. Within the broader narrative preserved across these three ancient texts, Keturah occupies a distinctive position in the Patriarchs that connects to figures such as others in the tradition. The pseudepigraphal accounts provide details and perspectives absent from other ancient sources, offering readers a more complete portrait of this figure's significance within the cosmic drama of covenant, rebellion, and restoration that defines the Enochian worldview. These expanded narratives invite deeper reflection on the moral and spiritual dimensions of Keturah's story as it relates to the overarching themes of divine sovereignty, human agency, and the consequences of choices made in the presence of heavenly realities.

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Biography

Era: Patriarchs

Matriarch

Key Chapters

The Book of Jasher 25 Abraham takes Keturah for a Wife, by whom he has Six Sons. The Generations of the Sons of Keturah, and of Ishmael. 5 min read

Key Passages

Abraham takes Keturah

The Book of Jasher 25:1-12

And it was at that time that Abraham again took a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the land of Canaan...

A¹nd it was at that time that Abraham again took a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the land of Canaan.

² And she bare unto him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuach, being six sons. And the children of Zimran were Abihen, Molich and Narim. ³ And the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan, and the sons of Medan were Amida, Joab, Gochi, Elisha and Nothach; and the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah. ⁴ And the sons of Ishbak were Makiro, Beyodua and Tator. ⁵ And the sons of Shuach were Bildad, Mamdad, Munan and Meban; all these are the families of the children of Keturah the Canaanitish woman which she bare unto Abraham the Hebrew. ⁶ And Abraham sent all these away, and he gave them gifts, and they went away from his son Isaac to dwell wherever they should find a place. ⁷ And all these went to the mountain at the east, and they built themselves six cities in which they dwelt unto this day. ⁸ But the children of Sheba and Dedan, children of Jokshan, with their children, did not dwell with their brethren in their cities, and they journeyed and encamped in the countries and wildernesses unto this day. ⁹ And the children of Midian, son of Abraham, went to the east of the land of Cush, and they there found a large valley in the eastern country, and they remained there and built a city, and they dwelt therein, that is the land of Midian unto this day. ¹⁰ And Midian dwelt in the city which he built, he and his five sons and all belonging to him. ¹¹ And these are the names of the sons of Midian according to their names in their cities, Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah. ¹² And the sons of Ephah were Methach, Meshar, Avi and Tzanua, and the sons of Epher were Ephron, Zur, Alirun and Medin, and the sons of Chanoch were Reuel, Rekem, Azi, Alyoshub and Alad.

Read full chapter: The Book of Jasher 25 →

Did You Know?

Abraham marries her after Sarah's death, fathering six more sons.

Her son Midian's descendants become the Midianites - significant later in Moses' story.

Abraham sends all her sons eastward with gifts, separating them from Isaac's inheritance.