First of the four matriarchs and the wife of Abraham. According to the talmudic sages, she assisted Abraham in his efforts to win over converts to the belief in the One God. The Bible records that she possessed great beauty (Gen. 12:11) and was coveted by the kings of Egypt and Philistia. Because she was barren, she urged Abraham to take her handmaid, Hagar, for a concubine. Out of this union came a son, Ishmael, who according to tradition is the ancestor of the Arab peoples. At the age of 90, Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac. Unhappy with Ishmael's treatment of Isaac, she demanded that Abraham send away Hagar and her son. Sarah died at the age of 127 and was buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Her story is recounted in Genesis 11:29–23:19.
