This article's citation style may be unclear. The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation, footnoting, or external linking. (November 2010)

Sarah (right) and Abraham hosting three angels in a Children's Bible illustration

Sarah or Sara ( /ˈsɛərə/;^[1] Hebrew: שָׂרָה, Modern Sara Tiberian Śārā ISO 259-3 Śarra; Latin: Sara; Arabic: سارة) was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai. According to Genesis 17:15 God changed her name to Sarah as part of a covenant after Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael.

The Hebrew name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank and is translated as "princess".

In the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature[link]

Abram’s Counsel to Sarai (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)

Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as being his half-sister, the daughter of his father Terah (Genesis 20:12). The Talmud ^[2] identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:29), so that Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and the sister of Lot and Milcah. She was also the mother-in-law of Rebecca, her successor. 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.^[3] It is apparent that she remained attractive into her later years. Despite her great beauty, she was barren for an unknown reason.^[4] She was originally called "Sarai" which is translated "my princess." Later she was called "Sarah" i.e., princess."^[5] In Biblical times, the changing of one's name was significant and used to symbolize the binding of a covenant. In this case, God promised to put an end to her barrenness and give her a child (Isaac).^[6][7]

Pharaoh's harem[link]

Sarah, as depicted on Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum

On the journey to Egypt, Abraham instructed Sarai^[8] to identify herself only as his sister, fearing that Pharaoh would kill him in order to take his wife, saying, "I know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'this is his wife.' Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you."^[9] When brought before Pharaoh, Sarai said that Abraham was her brother, and the king thereupon bestowed upon the latter many presents and marks of distinction.^[10] As a token of his love for Sarai the king deeded his entire property to her, and gave her the land of Goshen as her hereditary possession: for this reason the Israelites subsequently lived in that land.^[11] It is likely that she acquired her Egyptian maidservant Hagar during this stay. Sarai prayed to God to deliver her from the king, and He thereupon sent an angel, who struck Pharaoh whenever he attempted to touch her. Pharaoh was so astonished at these blows that he spoke kindly to Sarai, who confessed that she was Abraham's wife. The king then ceased to annoy her.^[10] According to another version, Pharaoh persisted in annoying her after she had told him that she was a married woman; thereupon the angel struck him so violently that he became ill, and was thereby prevented from continuing to trouble her.^[12] According to one tradition it was when Pharaoh saw these miracles wrought in Sarai's behalf that he gave her his daughter Hagar as slave, saying: "It is better that my daughter should be a slave in the house of such a woman than mistress in another house"; Abimelech acted likewise.^[13] Sarai treated Hagar well, and induced women who came to visit her to visit Hagar also. Hagar, when pregnant by Abraham, began to act superciliously toward Sarai, provoking the latter to treat her harshly, to impose heavy work upon her, and even to strike her ^[14]

Relations with Hagar[link]

Banishment of Hagar, Etching. À Paris chez Fr. Fanet, Éditeur, Rue des Saints Pères n° 10. XVIIIth century. Sarah is seen on the left side, looking

Some believe Sarai was originally destined to reach the age of 175 years, but forty-eight years of this span of life were taken away from her because she complained of Abraham, blaming him as though the cause that Hagar no longer respected her.^[15][16] Sarah was sterile; but a miracle was vouchsafed to her^[17] after her name was changed from "Sarai" to "Sarah".^[15] According to one myth, when her fertility had been restored and she had given birth to Isaac, the people would not believe in the miracle, saying that the patriarch and his wife had adopted a foundling and pretended that it was their own son. Abraham thereupon invited all the notabilities to a banquet on the day when Isaac was to be weaned. Sarah invited the women, also, who brought their infants with them; and on this occasion she gave milk from her breasts to all the strange children, thus convincing the guests of the miracle.^[18] None of this is Biblical, however, except for the fact that Abraham organized a celebration when Isaac was weaned. It was during this banquet that Sarah happened upon the then teenaged Ishmael "mocking" her son^[19] and was so disturbed that she requested that both he and Hagar be removed from their company.^[20]

Death[link]

Legends connect Sarah's death with the attempted sacrifice of Isaac,^[21] there being two versions of the story. According to one, Samael came to her and said: "Your old husband seized the boy and sacrificed him. The boy wailed and wept; but he could not escape from his father." Sarah began to cry bitterly, and ultimately died of her grief.^[22] According to the other legend, Satan came to Sarah disguised as an old man, and told her that Isaac had been sacrificed. Believing it to be true, she cried bitterly, but soon comforted herself with the thought that the sacrifice had been offered at the command of God. She started from Beer-sheba to Hebron, asking everyone she met if he knew in which direction Abraham had gone. Then Satan came again in human shape and told her that it was not true that Isaac had been sacrificed, but that he was living and would soon return with his father. Sarah, on hearing this, died of joy at Hebron. Abraham and Isaac returned to their home at Beer-sheba, and, not finding Sarah there, went to Hebron, where they discovered her dead.^[23] According to the Genesis Rabbah, during Sarah's lifetime her house was always hospitably open, the dough was miraculously increased, a light burned from Saturday evening to Saturday evening, and a pillar of cloud rested upon the entrance to her tent.^[24]

New Testament references[link]

The First Epistle of Peter praises Sarah for obeying her husband.^[25] Other New Testament references to Sarah are in Romans,^[26] Galatians^[27] and Hebrews.^[28] In Galatians 4, she and Hagar are used as an allegory of the old and new covenants:

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother...Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise...Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman." ^[29]

Islam[link]

Sarah (Arabic: سارة, Sara), the wife of the patriarch and Islamic prophet Abraham and the mother of the prophet Isaac, is an honoured woman in the Islamic faith. According to Muslim belief, she was Abraham's first wife. Although not mentioned by name in the Qur'an, she is referenced and alluded to via the story of her husband. She lived with Abraham throughout her life and, although she was barren, God promised her the birth of a prophetic son, Isaac. Muslim tradition holds that Sarah and Abraham had no children. Abraham, however, prayed constantly to God for a son. Sarah, being barren, subsequently gave him her Egyptian handmaiden,^[30] Hājar (Hagar), to wed as his second wife. Hagar bore Ismā'īl (Ishmael), when Abraham was 86,^[31] who too would become a prophet of God like his father. Thirteen years later, God announced to Abraham, now a hundred,^[32] that barren Sarah would give birth to a second son, Isaac, who would also be a prophet of the Lord. Although the Qur'an does not mention Sarah by name, it mentions the annunciation of the birth of Isaac. The Qur'an mentions that Sarah laughed when the angels gave her the glad tidings of Isaac, which is perhaps why the name Isaac has the root meaning of 'laughter'.^[33]

There came Our messengers to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, 'Peace!' He answered, 'Peace!' and hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.
But when he saw their hands went not towards the (meal), he felt some mistrust of them, and conceived a fear of them. They said: "Fear not: We have been sent against the people of Lut.
And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed: But we gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob.
She said: "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"

—Qur'an, Sura 11 (Hud), ayat 69-72^[34]

There is a necessary clarification that Sara was not annoyed with Hagar but it was the only order from Allah that Abraham bring them in the Arab Desert, there was no water and nothing to eat and the baby Ismael was very thirsty Hagar ran over the Al-Safa and Al-Marwah hills in search of water but she returned to see Ismael again, then ran over the hills again and return again,Hence she rounded ups and down seven times and at last she saw an miracle of Allah that where the baby Ismeal rubbed his feet on the sand a fountain was seeping out from the ground. That was the fountain of Zam-Zam. The second thing is the sacrifice was given by Ismael not Issac and the Ismael was not sacrifice by his soul but a sheep was sent by Allah. It was the symbolic sacrifice that Ibraham was fully ready to kill his son as per Allah s' order, but Allah wanted the spirit of true sacrifice and obedience not the killed body of Ismael.

Tomb of Sarah[link]

Mausoleum of Sarah, 1911.

Sarah is believed to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs (known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham). The compound, located in the ancient city of Hebron, is the second holiest site for Jews (after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), and is also venerated by Christians and Muslims, both of whom have traditions which maintain that the site is the burial place of three Biblical couples: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. According to the book of Genesis, Abraham purchased the plot of land for her tomb from a man named Ephron the Hittite.^[35] Although some Jews alternatively also believe this to be the burial place for Adam and Eve, this is a view not usually adopted by Christians or Muslims.

Notes[link]

Sarah Geronimo
Sarah Geronimo performing on 2011
Background information
Birth name	Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo
Also known as	Sarah Geronimo
Born	(1988-07-25) July 25, 1988 (age 23)
Origin	Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines
Genres	Pop, R&B, Dance
Occupations	actress, recording artist, singer, dancer, host, model, product indorser, rapper, song writer, total performer
Instruments	Vocals, Piano
Years active	2002–present
Labels	VIVA Records, Star Records
Website	www.sarahgeronimo.ph www.sarahgeronimo.com 100px Sarah Geronimo's signature

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo is a Filipino recording artist and actress. Geronimo started her official debut in show business after having won the Star for a Night singing competition. In 2003, after winning the contest, she released her first album entitled Popstar: A Dream Come True under Viva Records. It is considered as Geronimo's most successful album which sold more than 210,000 copies nationwide.^[1][2]

She is the first Filipino artist to receive a platinum award for a DVD copy of her concert The Other Side in 2005 and is currently the only artist who has a platinum record for 4 DVDs of her concert. Her fourth one was awarded with triple platinum status in December of 2010.^[3]

Moreover, Geronimo received from the Aliw Awards the "Best Female Major Concert" award for Record Breaker and the "Entertainer of the Year" award, making her the youngest artist to receive it in history. ^[4][5]

Geronimo was crowned as the Philippines' Box-Office Queen in 2008 and 2009 for her movies, A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life.

Life and Career[link]

Childhood and early beginnings[link]

Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo was born on July 25, 1988 in Santa Cruz, Manila, Philippines, to Delfin Geronimo, a retired Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) employee, and Divina Geronimo, who ran a beauty parlor from the family home. She studied at Dominican School Manila. Geronimo’s first performance was in a mall show when she was two years old.^[6] At the age of four, she made her first appearance on national television and was a member of the children's television show Pen-Pen de Sarapen for two years.^[7][8] At six, she performed at a short concert at Isetann Cinema Complex on Recto Avenue in Manila.^[8] She sang for Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Philippines in 1995, when she was six.^[6] At the age of eight, her father enrolled Geronimo at the Center for Pop Music Philippines, where she received her first formal music and voice lessons.^[8] Geronimo performed in hotel lounges, on campuses, in shopping malls, and on a few TV shows. Around this time, she was part of the cast of the ABS-CBN children's show Ang TV.^[7][8] At the age of nine, she joined the cast of the TV show NEXT.^[6] She also played a cameo role in Star Cinema’s Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa.^[8]

2002–2003: Debut[link]

In 2002, Geronimo competed in the Star for a Night competition, hosted by Filipino pop singer Regine Velasquez. At the age of fourteen, Geronimo won the competition, which included a ₱1 million cash prize and a managerial contract to Vicente Del Rosario, owner of Viva Artists Agency. She was given the title of Pop Star Princess.^[6][8] Her mother said, "Her cash prize in Star For a Night was a big help, This school year, we don't need to borrow money from other people because of my children's tuition fees."^[9]

Geronimo became the featured artist in MTV's Rising Star in September 2002,^[7] and she released her first album Popstar: A Dream Come True, in late 2002.^[9][10] Her first concerts, in conjunction with her first album, were staged in October 2003.^[11]

Geronimo's first movie role was in Filipinas, released in late 2003.^[8] According to the Philippine Star, Geronimo's co-star in the film, Maricel Soriano, "predict[ed] a bright future" for her and stated, "That girl will go far. She’s only 14, right? For someone like Sarah, for the first time she appears and acts in a film, she's good. Maybe some people have high expectation on her but for me she's good."^[12]

2004–2007: Career Expansion[link]

The Manila Bulletin states that 2004 was the year that Geronimo's career "boomed".^[13] Geronimo signed a contract with the ABS-CBN network, which aired her first television series, Sarah the Teen Princess.^[14] Later that year, she became a regular host and performer on the variety show ASAP.^[15][16] She sang the Philippine National Anthem at the pre-inaugural ceremonies of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 30, 2004. In November 2004, Geronimo released her second album, Sweet Sixteen, with "How Could You Say You Love Me" as its first single. After a week of its release, the album was certified gold and quickly achieved triple platinum status when it sold more than 90,000 copies nationwide.^[6] Geronimo performed in the Night of the Champions concert at the Araneta Coliseum ("the Dome") with other singing competition winners Rachelle Ann Go and Erik Santos, followed by a tour in the U.S.^[17]

In 2005, Geronimo recorded the theme song of the Star Cinema movie, Can This Be Love.^[18] She joined the fourth-season cast of the teen-oriented television program SCQ Reload: Kilig Ako and appeared in the fantasy movie Lastikman, produced by VIVA Films. She hosted three talent competitions: Search For Star in a Million, Little Big Star and Little Big Superstar.^[15][6]

On September 30, 2005, Geronimo performed a solo concert, The Other Side. The Manila Bulletin reported that, "The Dome became one huge oven."^[19] Viva Records released a live DVD album of her concert at Araneta Coliseum titled The Other Side: Live Album. In the summer of 2005, a repeat of Night of the Champions toured the U.S. for two months.^[20]

In 2006, Geronimo starred in ABS-CBN's primetime soap opera, Bituing Walang Ningning, a remake of the 1985 movie. She played the role of an aspiring singer named Dorina Pineda, originally played by Sharon Cuneta in the movie,^[6][21] and released a soundtrack of the series.

In the summer of 2006, Geronimo's third studio album, Becoming, was released in the international market. Produced by Christian De Walden, the album went platinum a month after its release. De Walden said that Geronimo was "definitely the biggest talent I have come across...the last ten years." He was particularly astounded by Geronimo's ability to not only learn a song quickly but to give it her own distinctive style.^[22] The album yielded three singles: "I Still Believe In Loving You", "Carry My Love" and "Iingatan Ko Ang Pag-ibig Mo." One critic said, "The album isn't completely successful. It's nevertheless heartening to hear Sarah spreading her musical wings by trying new types of songs that wouldn't have been considered in the lineup of her showy first albums."^[23]

Geronimo continued to perform in concerts throughout the world, in places like Taiwan, Canada, the U.S., and Dubai.^[24][25] Philstar News reported that Geronimo was the first Filipino to perform at the Harris Theater in Chicago.^[25] On November 18, 2006, Manny Pacquiao chose Geronimo to sing Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, before his match against Mexico's Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.^[24][26]

Geronimo's second major solo concert In Motion, took place on July 14, 2007, at the Araneta Coliseum. Unlike her first solo concert at the Dome, this concert went off with no technical glitches.^[27] She spent the rest of 2007 performing concerts in the Philippines and the U.S.^[15][28] and recording her fourth studio album, Taking Flight,^[29] which sold more than 60,000 units and achieved double platinum status. In the latter half of 2007, Geronimo appeared in her third television series for ABS-CBN, Pangarap Na Bituin.^[15]

2008–2010: The Next One and Record Breaker[link]

In early 2008, Geronimo reunited with Erik Santos, Rachelle Ann Go, and Christian Bautista in a Valentine's Day concert at the Araneta Coliseum, entitled "OL4LUV".^[30] Before Geronimo released her fifth studio album, she released I'll Be There as the fourth single from Taking Flight. On July 30, 2008, Geronimo starred with Filipino actor John Lloyd Cruz in A Very Special Love which was produced by Star Cinema and VIVA films and grossed almost ₱180 million.^{[31][32][32][33]} The movie opened with ₱ 14 million pesos and Isah V. Red of The Manila Standard Today quoted