Was Abraham a Jew or a Syrian originally?
Abraham was originally a Syrian, not a Jew. He came from Ur of the Chaldeans and migrated into northern Syria. Though he became the father of the Jewish people, his original identity was Syrian, and Sarai likewise was Syrian. God chose him and made the Abrahamic covenant with him.
Les explains that Abraham came on the scene around 2,000 B.C. out of Ur of the Chaldeans. He notes that people often assume Abraham was a Jew, but originally he was a Syrian, and Sarai was Syrian too. Abraham became the father of the Jewish people, and God promised that from him He would bring about a nation through whom the plan of redemption would come to the whole human race. God gave Abraham the Abrahamic covenant, promising a great nation, a geographical land, and that He would one day be their king and government.