CPCC Bible Study: Genesis 14

      Our quote this time is:
"Now the valley of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there, and the residue fled to the mountain." Verse 10, 1560 Geneva Bible (link below)

      Besides that all important Genealogy, Genesis is History. And in this chapter we run headlong into a big piece of it. While some of the names of the various individuals cannot be tracked to a living person, most of the place names can be identified to answer "who's what and where's that?"
      So, for at least a good part of this chapter we will have:

Analysis and Commentary:
It is worth noting here that Some of the people, and peoples, listed here can be traced back a few chapters to the grandkids of Noah or the dispersal after Babel, and some, cannot. So it goes.
verse 1
      Amraphael or Amraphel, the king of Shinar. The king has been linked to the archeologically known ruler Amar-Sin of Ur. The Hebrew word Shinar is known to be Sumer, part of the region to the south of Babylon.
      Aryowk / Arioch king of Ellasar. While the identity of this king isn't certain, his town is possibly the Chaldaen city of Larsa / Larancha which has been located just northwest of Ur. He is one of the three identified in the Cuneiform Tablet that is known by the name of our next king and can be seen at the link below to its page at the British Museum.
      Chedorlaomer / Kedorlaomer king of Elam. Elam is a known location to the east of the Persian Gulf in what is now Iran. The name is Elamite, and has been archaeologically confirmed, including being the king for which that ancient clay tablet is named. His name states that he was a servant of Lagamar / Lagamal, a regional goddess who was associated with the underworld, misfortune, war, and death.
      Tidal king of "Goiim" ('gentile' nations). The last of the three kings mentioned in the tablet. The 'nations' designation probably means he rules a group of more or less affiliated cities and small independent states.
      Clarification: these are the 'four kings'.

A Kingly Note
      The Hebrew word translated here as 'king' is "melek". While the noun is masculine, it means 'ruler' / 'to reign as king', but it could be neutral, and this is its first use in the Bible, when Abram was in Egypt, the 'king' there was called "paroh". It is worth mentioning that the word for 'queen', "malkah" is a form of the male term, and is most famously seen in 1 Kings 10 with the Lady from Sheba, and Esther.
      Keep the term "melek" in mind, it comes up again before we finish the chapter.
End Note

2
(those guys)..."asah" (make / perform (implies intent)) "milchamah" (war / battle / conflict (this is its first use in the OT)) with... (these guys:
      King Bera of Sodom, and King Birsha of Gomorrah.....

Obligatory Note on Sodom and Gomorrah we'll do this part now and the other later
      The two infamous cities are known to have existed from outside references in such sources as an Akkadian poem that describes two cities being destroyed by a rain of fire. See link below to an article on that tablet.
      And the Ancient Greek historian Strabo's epic Geographica which included thirteen cities in the region, of which Sodom was the largest, although Strabo (about 64 BC to 24 AD) was quoting an older text.
      That there are few historically reliable references to the cities is hardly surprising. All of the towns listed in this verse were, by all accounts, small cities, in an out of the way place, which existed for a a comparatively short period of time, and all of them came to a sudden, bad, end.
      We'll look at some other information about them later.... when they come to that sudden, bad end, that is.
end note

      .... of whom there is no other record. Given that the names listed mean "evil" and "wickedness", that is probably to be expected.
      .... Shinab (sharp tooth) King of Admah.... the city name is a variation of "ground / soil" and is only known as one of the cities of the plain.
     ... King Shemeber (of reknown) of Zeboiim / Tsebouim... city name means "numerous" ... same thing.
      ... 'and' Zoar / Tsoar (small / unimportant) King of Bela (the word means: swallowed / engulfed).
      Further Clarification: these are the "five kings".

3
      This verse specifies some geographic information, that the Siddim Valley includes the Salt Sea. The word "Siddim" means harrow, which is what a plow does to the ground, and is a reasonably accurate description of the area.
      This region, which includes the Jordan River, is part of the Great Rift Valley that runs from north of the Lake Galilee which is itself over 200 meters (over 650 feet) Below sea level. It is interesting to note that Lake Hula is essentially at sea level, some 25 km (16 miles) north of Galilee, and the Jordan is below sea level from Hula to the Dead Sea, 440 meters (1,400 feet) below, that is. This branch of the Rift continues south through the Gulf of Arabia down to join the Red Sea Rift, and on as part of the African Rift system.
      While the Salt Sea / Dead Sea was significantly larger during Biblical times, particularly to the south, it has always been a source of minerals, especially salt, even in ancient times. And it is likely that these towns in the plain traded salt and potash from the water and the shoreline to caravans going elsewhere to obtain everything else they needed.

4
      Twelve years the Siddin kings (which means the king of Sodom and the others of the 'five') served Chedorlaomer / Kedorlaomer ('the gang of four') and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

5
      Summary then discussion.
      The rebellion went on for a year before Ched... noticed, and got a group together and attacked in the "Rephaites / Repha'im" and 'company'.... That first name is interesting, the others we'll come back to.
      In the KJV, and other translations, in Deuteronomy 2, in Joshua 12, and elsewhere, "Rapha" is translated, as 'giant'. Other translators left it as some form of the word, and have 'Rephaim' in the text.
      As mentioned in our special look at Giants, see link below, we mentioned that there is a difference between true giants, such as the Nephilim, and just 'really big guys' such as Goliath, and our friend from that article, Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax .
      For what it's worth, the Hebrew word "Rapha" is based on a word that means "heal" or "restore". While the people referred to are considered to be mighty warriors, it isn't until you come to the Septuagint, the Greek Translation done at the request of the first Macedonian Greek Pharaoh of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, somewhere around 260 - 250 BC, that you get the word 'rapha' translated as "Gigas" in Greek, which, of course, means ... yeah.
      So while the Rapha people may have been great warriors during the time of Abram, they didn't become giants until during the 400 Years of Silence.
      The idea was picked up by later translators that followed Jerome's Latin lead in the Vulgate, who has them as "gigantes" in the passage in Deuteronomy 2, which is also seen in the Geneva Bible from 1560. And from that point it continues even into some of the more modern translations who find it easier to repeat the error than correct it, see the NKJV and the Good News for example.
      And now a point of order from Jubilees. The Rapha people are also described as larger than usual in a passage related to our section in Genesis. See Jubilees 20 : 5 and a later passage:
29 :9 "But before they used to call the land of Gilead the land of the Rephaim; for it was the land of the Rephaim, and the Rephaim were born (there), giants whose height was ten, nine, eight down to seven cubits."
See link below
      So it would appear that they were getting smaller over time, but a warrior who was seven cubits tall (just over ten feet / 300 cm) would make an impression on the battlefields of the era. Later, when Goliath makes his entrance, he's estimated to be nine feet tall.

      And now for the other names in verse 5, beginning with "Ashteroth Qarnayim", this is evidently not a town as much as a ceremonial location devoted to the worship of the pagan goddess Ashtaroth / Ashtoreth / etc. As far as we can tell from this far out, Ashteroth / Asherah / etc was the sister / girlfriend / consort / lover of Ba'al, or she wasn't, being instead married to the chief god El, and it is Ashtaroth that has Ba'al restored to life after he is killed by the bad guy Mot. See link to a translation of the Ba'al cycle from the ancient city of Ugarit linked below.
      The word "Qarnayim" in the name means 'peaks', most usually said to mean 'two horns' such as in similar summit points. Many of the pagan religions used such high points as places of worship.
      Next is listed the "Zuzim / Zuzites" (nomads / wanderers) in Ham, usually regarded as the warmer regions to the south of Israel. They may be the ancestors of today's Bedouins or other similar semi-nomadic tribes found throughout the Arabian peninsula and down into Africa.
      ... and the "Eymiym / Emim / Emites" (people) of the "Shaveh Qiryathayim / Kiriathaim", another race said to be 'larger than everybody else' probably related to the Repham in some way, and were fierce warriors. While there is no direct evidence of them or their settlements, if they were in the land of Moab before Moab became Moab, it is likely they simply assimilated into the Moabite nation which, in Biblical times, was due east of the Dead Sea and ran inland for about thirty miles along the various Wadi that flow into the Sea and are the only source of water in that area. Which is what the word "Shaveh" means in Hebrew: Valley. "Qiryathayim" means 'city'. The combination of the three words meaning "the warrior people of the city in the valleys... to the east" can only be describing those known to Archaeology as the Nabateans.
      The Nabateans are perhaps most famous for building the amazing city of Petra in what is now Jordan. Carved into the face of sheer cliffs of the valley and harvesting what little rain and dew can be had in the desert and collecting it in giant cisterns, Petra, their capital, had a population of between 20,000 and 30,000 at its height. The second thing the Nabateans are famous for was turning back the advancing Seleucid Greek Army in battle in 84 BC. Killing King Antiochus XII and routing the army, then they existed in relative peace for some time.

6
      'and the "Chori / Horite" in their mountain'. They may have been the people in the southern reaches of Jordan who lived in caves in the rocks around what is called Seir. Inhabited caves have been found, but little is known about the people that called them home.
      'as far as "El Paran"'. It appears to refer to a region in what it today thought of as the Sinai Peninsula between Israel and Egypt.
      "... which is by the wilderness / desert". The word used is "midbar" and it can be thought of to mean an 'uninhabited region' moreso than what we think of as a wild land, given what has already been discussed as people living deserts and in caves and valleys around the Dead Sea.

7
      'and they (the army of the four) turned back and came to "En Mishpat"'... This is thought to be the spring / well of Kadesh / Kadesh-barnea. The site is south west of the Dead Sea about half way between the Mediterranean and the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba off the Red Sea.
      'and they attacked the country "Amaleqi / Amalekite". This name is somewhat anachronistic, that is, out of time. These people were known to be one of the enemies of Israel during the period of the Exodus, well over 400 years in the future. While it is possible that a people were still there, given the history of the region, it is unlikely.
      'and also - the "Emori / Amorite" town in "Chatsatson Tamar / Hazazon Tamar"'. The Amorites are known to have been part of the coastal landscape along the Mediterranean from Egypt to Syria. And they had been there since... after the Flood. The second name in the description of this place is no help at all with figuring out where it was. The words simply mean "settlement near the palm trees". While there is some thought that it meant the village near the spring of En-gedi along the western edge of the Dead Sea, it may have been almost anywhere.

8
      And went out... the five kings we mentioned earlier, and fought in the Valley of Siddim (Valley of the Dead Sea).

9
      Against Ched... (the four) that we identified earlier. "Four against five".

10
      Now the Valley of Siddim full of "beer" (pits / wells) "chemar" (bitumen / asphalt / pitch (same word was used in chapter 11 at the Tower)) - and fled the kings, and at least two of the five kings were killed there - the rest fled into the mountains.
      Remember which kings had a bad day, it comes up again later.

Geological Note:
      There are petroleum seeps throughout the Middle East, the result is what is called bitumen (a type of asphalt that, in its liquid form, is significantly stickier than what is used for roads), and other oil based combinations. Remember, it was something similar that Noah used in chapter six to seal up the seams in his boat.
      And more important to our good work here, they are found throughout the Rift Valley south of the Dead Sea. And there were evidently more of them in ancient times than there are today due to mining and other activity. Think "the LaBrea Tar Pits" with a side of Mansaf (lamb cooked in dried yogurt served with rice).
"...hydrocarbons in the form of tars and asphalts have been known and mined in the Dead Sea region of the Land of Israel since Neolithic times 11 - 12,000 years ago."
from: "The Search for Oil in the Land of Israel" see link below.
end note

11 and 12
      Summary: "To the winners belong the spoils".
      The winning (four) kings sack the losing (five) cities...
          .... and part of that loot was Lot and his stuff.

13
      Partial Summary: Somebody from Lot's household escapes and told Abram the Hebrew...

      Two things. One: The news being carried by "one who escapes" is used in several places in the OT, most notably in Job where during the various disasters that befall Job's family, there is one who gets away to relay the news.
      And Two: The reason Abram was now called "Ibri" (a Hebrew') was that he had moved in next to some trees. The trees were owned by Mamre the Amorite, and others (remember the note about the grandkids of Noah)... And they had a "berith" (covenant / agreement (treaty)) with Abram, which is important later. Moving on -

14
      Summary: Abe's got his own small army of Trained and heavily Armed Servants. Three Hundred and Eighteen of them! And, as we find out later, his landlord went with him with whatever men they had. They chased the four kings to either the north or the west, depending on which map you look at. In a minute we'll see that, in this case, they are talking about the far north near the headwaters of the Jordan River.
      At the time of Abram's chase scene, the Land of Dan as such. did not exist. When Moses was alive and dictating the book, the Land named Dan did not exist. The Tribe of Israel named Dan took control of the area until the middle of the Book of Joshua, somewhere around 1400 BC. And we don't see the name again until the birth of Dan himself in Genesis 30.

15 and 16
      Overview. Ol' Abe's a capable general, and after tracking down the four bad guys, he raids their camp at night, routs the enemy, and frees a sizable number of captives.

17
      Summary: Some of the five kings that had had their city's sacked by the four other kings turn out to meet Abram and his party.
      While the location of the valley of "Shaveh", also called the King's Valley isn't certain, from the text, it appears to be what is now called the Kidron Valley, a seasonal water course which begins near Jerusalem's old city and runs southwest to the Dead Sea.

18 and 19
      Then "Malki-tsedeq / Melchizedek" king of Salem.....

Time Out or "holdeth thine horses"
A Malki-tsedeq... Tangent
First, A challenge: Name another Old Testament Figure that is as mysterious as 'this guy', and all we know about them is from a couple of verses. In this case, 18, 19, and 20 of Genesis 14.
      Well, OK, you've got the Medium of Endor from 1 Samuel 28, but compared to the passage that introduces Melchizedek, that's gobs of coverage. But our point is made.
      First off, his name, the "melek" portion of it we saw earlier in this chapter, it means 'king', or at least 'ruler'. The name part of it is "Sedeq / Tsedeq", so what is usually translated as King Melchizedek is at least somewhat redundant. Remember that, it becomes very important in a minute when we debunk a pseudepigraphic text that makes several dramatic statements about him.

      Oddly enough, the only reliable source we have for his existence, never mind anything he ever did, is in Genesis 14, and other passages that refer to him based on that passage, which we'll mention in a second. And a brief note in the Book of Jubilees (which is old, but not as old as Genesis!), see chapter 13 : 22 - 29, link below.
      There is a fragment that mentions Melchizedek that was discovered in one of the Qumran caves, see link below for image, text, and translation. This fragment however, is almost pure Jewish Mystacism, and refers to Melchizedek in terms related to Psalm 110 : 4, which is familiar to those Christians that have read Hebrews 7.
      But again, these passages, and others like them, see link below to a passage from Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews, don't add anything new to the menu.
      Some commentators go to great lengths to make Mel something he was not. Many wax poetic about how he was the first Gentile Priest without ever stopping to think about the timing. When "Father Abraham" stopped by the king's place, Abe was still Abram, and EVERYBODY was a "Gentile" as The Circumcision of the Jews had not been invoked as a symbol of the Covenant of Abraham.
      And then there are those that say Mel was the King of Sodom, which makes no sense at all. Or that he was an early incarnation of Jesus, which, while possible, isn't logical when you consider a passage like Psalm 110, and the summary in Hebrews 7.

Yes, a question, OK, you, over by the bookshelf:
      "What about the passage, Hebrews 7:3?"

and now a sidenote about a single NT verse
"Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever." (NRSV - link below)
      Instead of the physical man, who either had to have had parents, or sprang out of the same mudhole where GOD made Adam, and who had to have died, or he'd still be coming into the throne room to work as King of Jerusalem... it has to be talking about the priesthood he occupied.

      To further support that, what does the passage in Hebrews then go on to talk about? - tithes to the priests.
end sidenote

      And now a note about the famous passages in the book called Second Enoch, or "the secrets of Enoch", or even "Slavonic Enoch" based on where the most complete version was found.
      The book is not ancient and Enoch did not write it. And while the First Book of Enoch was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls cache, 2 Enoch was not, and there is some evidence that it was written during the early Christian Era, possibly around 200 - 300 AD, by somebody at least familiar with the Jewish history, in Greek, in Eastern Europe or Asia Minor, although some Coptic fragments are known. Several free editions are linked below.

      In 'section 71' the child is born and is named Melchizdek. Which means whoever wrote this passage did not understand the two parts of the name as we discussed earlier.
      The reason we said the section title in quotes is because the part about Melchezedek's birth is in an Appendix, supposedly discovered later as part of another version of the book. Which means, it may be from a different writer than the bulk of 2 Enoch.       Furthermore, in 2 Enoch 56 (the chapter numbers are different in some editions) and elsewhere, the individual is identified as Methosalam, and is supposed to be the King of Salem, is said to be Enoch's son. There's a problem there... Both were pre-flood. Abram's lunch with the good king was many years Post-flood. And if our mysterious king was Shem, the son of Noah, wouldn't such a notable individual be so identified? Even if it were many years after the event? And then there is also the story around that aspect in which an angel appeared, Gabriel no less, and escorted the good king to heaven to wait out the rain. And, in the text, there is nothing Shem-ish about the event, including the Name of GOD used.
      But the idea that Mel was Shem can also be found in some editions of the Talmud, and in the comments of the Aramaic version of the Jewish Bible called the Targumim (see link below), which is probably where those that fleshed out the stories that become 2 Enoch got their material.
      However, we can dismiss most of the commentaries about the King with a look at one of the more fantastic ideas about him, that, is taken quite seriously in some quarters. This is from an online Midrash, which is the Books of Moses, the Torah, with additional commentary included, and commentary on the commentary, most of which was written down about 200 AD, although the oral histories go back much further. It is similar to the Talmud, but there are some stylistic and contextual differences. This comment is on the section of Genesis 14 relating to Abram and Melchizedek....

"King of Salem [Shalem]" - Rabbi Yitz?ak the Babylonian says: 'He was born circumcised.'
Bereishit Rabbah 43:6. (link below)

"That's all fine, but Who, or What, do you think Malki-tsedeq was?"
      That's easy. A Believer in the One Living GOD, the CREATOR.
      That's all. He was a man, who happened to be the ruler of what was then a fairly small and unimportant town. He believed. And more important for our work here: He ACTED on those beliefs.
      Why isn't that good enough?
            And now, we'll move on.
End Tangent

18 and 19
      Then "Malki-tsedeq / Melchizedek" king of Salem, brought out "lachem" (bread, also - food in general) and "yayin" (wine) since he was a "kohen" (priest / one who acts on behalf of the people before GOD (this is the first use of that word in the OT!)) of "'el" (God) "'Elyown" (Most High).
      And he "barak" (blessed) him and said, "blessed be Abram of the God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth".
      The Hebrew text makes a point here to NOT USE the Jewish name for GOD, because, whatever else he was, Mel wasn't of the line of Abram, and was not a Hebrew (Mel didn't live under a tree), or a Jew (neither was Abram, yet.). But the blessing from the King makes it exactly clear who he is talking about. The word 'possessor' in the Hebrew is "qanah", which in one form means "Creator" and "Owner". And the king recognizes that Abram is, literally, a man of GOD.

20
      The 'kings speech' continues.
      "and blessed be GOD Most High, who has..." "magan" (includes: handed over) "tsar" (adversary / opponent) into your hands.
      The rest of the verse implies that Abram gave the king a tithe of what he had taken from the losers. However, there is some dispute about that. Which "he" is which is not defined here. However, in the following passage, it would seem to be Abram giving away stuff, because the King of Sodom has his nose out of joint.

21
      Paraphrase: The King of Sodom tells Abe to give him the people, and for Abe to take the stuff.
      Note: Earlier, the King of Sodom was named Bera. That name is no longer used. Implying that the throne has recently changed hands. Remember verse 10.

22
      Said Abram to the King of Sodom: I "rum" (lift up / exalt) with my hands "YHWH 'el 'elyown" (Yahweh Most High God), Creator of Heaven and Earth.
      Abram uses the Jewish name for the Creator, in addition to the title used by the local king.

23 and 24
      Abe turns him down flat, and explains why. All he took was what his troops had eaten for lunch, and that had been supplied by Mel.
      Remember who owned the trees that Abram was living under? That's these three guys, and their friends. We don't know whether or not they took any of the loot. And it doesn't matter.

end 14

Selected resources for this chapter:

The Geneva Bible http://www.genevabible.org/geneva.html

The Interlinear: Hebrew - English https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/14.htm

The Vulgate, the Latin Bible: Genesis 14 https://vulgate.org/ot/genesis_14.htm
-and-
Deuteronomy 2 https://vulgate.org/ot/deuteronomy_2.htm

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition:
Hebrews 7: The Priestly Order of Melchizedek https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%207&version=NRSVUE

Other Stuff:
Images of the "Chedorlaomer Tablet" https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_Sp-II-987

"These ancient cuneiform tablets, known as the Chedorlaomer Tablets, offer a fascinating archaeological connection to a key Biblical event recorded in Genesis 14. The tablets mention three kings who are also named in the Bible, aligning with the story of Abraham’s rescue of Lot during the war of the kings:
Chedorlaomer, King of Elam
Arioch, King of Ellasar (linked with the city of Larsa)
Tidal, King of Nations (likely Tud?ula of the Hittites o…

The link is what it says it is: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-551010/Decoded-The-clay-tablet-tells-asteroid-destroyed-Sodom-5-000-years- ago.html

Book of Jubilees https://www.ccel.org/ccel/c/charles/otpseudepig/files/jubilee/index.htm

The Baal Cycle and related texts https://www.marquette.edu/maqom/baalyamm.pdf

THE SEARCH FOR OIL IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL - A BIBLICAL TREASURE HUNT https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1131312/000113131206000057/fwpthw.htm

The La Brea Tar Pits Museum https://tarpits.org/
-and-
https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/quaternary/labrea.html

And, even today, the oil and tar continues to come out of the ground and into the streets of LA:
"Drivers warned of oozing tar on street near La Brea Tar Pits" https://ktla.com/news/local-news/drivers-warned-of-oozing-tar-on-street-near-la-brea-tar-pits/

Melchezedek

"Now the king of Sodom met him at a certain place, which they called The King's Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the city Salem, received him. That name signifies, the righteous king: and such he was, without dispute, insomuch that, on this account, he was made the priest of God: however, they afterward called Salem Jerusalem."
Chapter 10 section 2 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2848/2848-h/2848-h.htm#link2HCH0010

From the Dead Sea Scrolls. Image, Text, and Translation: Melchizedek in 11Q13 (11QMelch) https://otstory.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/melchizedek-in-11q13-11qmelch/

Melchizedek at Qumran and Nag Hammadi https://rsc.byu.edu/apocryphal-writings-latter-day-saints/melchizedek-qumran-nag-hammadi

Sefaria.org - Melchizedek https://www.sefaria.org/topics/melchizedek?sort=Relevance&tab=notable-sources

"And Malka Zadika, who was Shem bar Noah, the king of Yerushalem, came forth to meet Abram, and brought forth to him bread and wine; and in that time he ministered before Eloha Ilaha. [JERUSALEM. And Malki Zedek, king of Yerushalem, who was Shem, who was the great priest of the Most High.] And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Lord God Most High, who for the righteous possesseth the heavens and the earth. And blessed be Eloha Ilaha, who hath made thine enemies as a shield which receiveth a blow. And he gave to him one of ten, of all which he brought back."

-AND-
The book called Second Book of Enoch: "The Book Of The Secrets Of Enoch" https://www.sacred- texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe107.htm

Another edition: "The Book Of The Secrets Of Enoch" https://archive.org/details/bookofsecretsofe00morf/page/n7/mode/2up

CHAP. LV https://archive.org/stream/pdfy-R9zRtlssi4sDgDNt/The+Second+Book+Of+Enoch+%5BThe+Book+Of+The+Secrets+Of+Enoch%5D_djvu.txt

Our look at Giants http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org/genstudy/giants.htm

The Genesis Study Index Page

NOTE: The Bible Study Lesson presented above is posted as a reference document to begin a conversation of the topic. And that's it. Please accept it at such.

http://centralparkchurchofchrist.org