To better understand the Battle of Siddim mentioned in chapter 14 we need to first take a close look at the kings and their cities.
Some scholars have said that Amraphel is actually Hammurabi king of Babylon while others have said he is the Nimrod who built the tower of Babel. He was the king of Shinar which is located in the southern part of modern day Iraq.
Arioch was the king of Ellasar, also known as Larsa. According to Wikipedia, "Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu." It was south of Shinar at the site of modern Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah. Its remains cover an oval of about 4.5 miles in circumference and its highest point is around 70 feet tall. The most prosperous period was about 2025-2005 BC. Business records on clay tablets reveal that Larsa was already on the way to dominance by the time of the 5th and 6th kings (Gungunum and Abisare).
Chedorlaomer ruled Elam for 14 years. Elam was located in the far west and southwest of modern day Iran and a small part of southern Iraq. They practice polytheism. Jabru, lord of the underworld, was among the many gods they worshipped. Women's rights were not equal to those of men but there were periods of a matriarchal society. They could take care of legal matters when their men were not around, own property, borrow and lend, go to the market places, buy and sell, and be in business. Priestesses and members of royal families would learn to read and write and be given considerable administrative authority. This first evidence of laws requiring the public veiling of elite women came from this period.
Tidal king of nations (Biblical Hebrew is goyim), ruled a tribe of people called the Gutians (Guteans, Guti, Quti, Qurtie, and Kurdu). They were a barbarous, ravenous people that lived in the northern and central ranges of the Zagros Mountains which is east of Babylon and north of Elam in modern day Kurdistan. Their hit-and-run tactics (being long gone by the time forces could arrive to deal with the situation) caused travel and working in the field to become unsafe which resulted in famine. According to The Weidner Chronicle: "The Gutians were uncultured and uncouth and the people were unhappy. They were unaware how to revere the gods, ignorant of the right cultic practices."
I am combining Kings Bera and Birsha and their cities Sodom and Gomorrah because I am unable to find much information and what I did find was already combined. Sodom and Gomorrah were located on the eastern bank of the Dead Sea. Aish.com describes it as a great and thriving metropolis. "Grain grows in abundance and precious raw materials are easily accessed. Its lush tree-shaded groves graciously bestow their blessings of fine fruits. The green canopy of its orchards stretch as far as the eye can see. There are no predatory animals to threaten passersby. The great metropolis and its citizenry are self sufficient; every need can be met locally. A veritable Garden of Eden, it is described in the Torah when Abraham and Lot decide to part ways."
I was unable to find any information regarding Shinab and Shemeber or their cities Admah and Zeboiim other than their locations. They were located south of Sodom and Gomorrah on the eastern side of the Dead Sea.
Bela (which is Zoar) was located at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. It was a flourishing oasis where the balsam, indigo, and date trees bloomed luxuriantly due to the waters coming down from the mountains of Moab.
Some scholars have said that Amraphel is actually Hammurabi king of Babylon while others have said he is the Nimrod who built the tower of Babel. He was the king of Shinar which is located in the southern part of modern day Iraq.
Arioch was the king of Ellasar, also known as Larsa. According to Wikipedia, "Larsa was an important city of ancient Sumer, the center of the cult of the sun god Utu." It was south of Shinar at the site of modern Tell as-Senkereh or Sankarah. Its remains cover an oval of about 4.5 miles in circumference and its highest point is around 70 feet tall. The most prosperous period was about 2025-2005 BC. Business records on clay tablets reveal that Larsa was already on the way to dominance by the time of the 5th and 6th kings (Gungunum and Abisare).
Chedorlaomer ruled Elam for 14 years. Elam was located in the far west and southwest of modern day Iran and a small part of southern Iraq. They practice polytheism. Jabru, lord of the underworld, was among the many gods they worshipped. Women's rights were not equal to those of men but there were periods of a matriarchal society. They could take care of legal matters when their men were not around, own property, borrow and lend, go to the market places, buy and sell, and be in business. Priestesses and members of royal families would learn to read and write and be given considerable administrative authority. This first evidence of laws requiring the public veiling of elite women came from this period.
Tidal king of nations (Biblical Hebrew is goyim), ruled a tribe of people called the Gutians (Guteans, Guti, Quti, Qurtie, and Kurdu). They were a barbarous, ravenous people that lived in the northern and central ranges of the Zagros Mountains which is east of Babylon and north of Elam in modern day Kurdistan. Their hit-and-run tactics (being long gone by the time forces could arrive to deal with the situation) caused travel and working in the field to become unsafe which resulted in famine. According to The Weidner Chronicle: "The Gutians were uncultured and uncouth and the people were unhappy. They were unaware how to revere the gods, ignorant of the right cultic practices."
I am combining Kings Bera and Birsha and their cities Sodom and Gomorrah because I am unable to find much information and what I did find was already combined. Sodom and Gomorrah were located on the eastern bank of the Dead Sea. Aish.com describes it as a great and thriving metropolis. "Grain grows in abundance and precious raw materials are easily accessed. Its lush tree-shaded groves graciously bestow their blessings of fine fruits. The green canopy of its orchards stretch as far as the eye can see. There are no predatory animals to threaten passersby. The great metropolis and its citizenry are self sufficient; every need can be met locally. A veritable Garden of Eden, it is described in the Torah when Abraham and Lot decide to part ways."
I was unable to find any information regarding Shinab and Shemeber or their cities Admah and Zeboiim other than their locations. They were located south of Sodom and Gomorrah on the eastern side of the Dead Sea.
Bela (which is Zoar) was located at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. It was a flourishing oasis where the balsam, indigo, and date trees bloomed luxuriantly due to the waters coming down from the mountains of Moab.