Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq]
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq]
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
v. 2 that they made war with Bera
king of Sodom, and with Birsha king
of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah,
and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and
the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
The first “Gulf War”
involving Persians,
Iraq, Iran, as far down
as the Gulf of Aqaba
Dead Sea
Possible locations of
Cities of the Plain in
Genesis 14:2
Bible and Spade, Summer 1999, p. 67-80
Sodom
Valley of
Siddim
Discovered by archaeology in 1924
by William Foxwell Albright
Gomorrah
Discovered by archaeology in 1973
Zoar
Scholars have puzzled over Genesis 14 for
generations. Some even said it was
mythological — that is, until W. F. Albright
researched it and found that it is very much
authentic. Albright found that the names
mentioned are authentic place names and
personal names and the language throughout
is very archaic [ancient, from the time period].
He concluded that it records an actual
historical event during the days of Abraham. - Bible and Spade (1974) Volume 3/1, p. 10.
Archaeology overturns the critics
• Critics once scoffed that there wasn’t writing yet in
the time of Moses to write Genesis but 17,000+
tablets with writing have been found since 1974
dated to 2500 BC well before time of Abram!
• Gen. 14:2 refers to the 5 cities of the Plain (Sodom,
Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Zoar), verified by Ebla
archives, one scholar claimed even in same order
• Many names of people and places in Genesis were
found in Ebla (ex: Salem in Gen 14:18, etc.)
• Another text from different area dated to 1900 B.C.
confirms Ashteroth (v. 5) around the time of Abram
• Some critics questioned whether “Hebrew” (in v. 13)
was a term used that early in history, but later
archaeology has found texts using the word Hebirew
as early as 1750 B.C., close to the time of Abraham.
Archaeological Study Bible, p. 23-25: ‘These
cities were not mythical places but historical
sites, and there is evidence of their
destruction precisely as the Bible describes
… We know [Zoar’s] location from the
Medeba map, a mosaic map on the floor of a
church in Madaba, Jordan, depicting the Holy
Land … during the sixth century … the name
Arioch [v. 1] is rendered … in 18th–15th
century [BC] texts discovered at Mari and
Nuzi in Mesopotamia … Contemporary
records [of the time of Abram] trace similar
Mesopotamian confederations that formed’
Beni Hasan Tomb Painting
Painting dated to 1900 B.C. shows
people from Canaan and the
weapons they might have used in
warfare (Gen 14)
ex: Axes, spears,
bow & arrow, etc.
Genesis 14:3 All these [cities of v. 2]
came as allies to the valley of Siddim
(that is, the Salt Sea) [or Dead Sea]*
*Many believe the valley of Siddim and cities in v. 2
are now under the southern Dead Sea
Read Genesis 14:4-5
Places in
Genesis 14:5
Places in
Genesis 14:6-8
Below is valley near Salt Sea (Dead Sea) today
Southern Dead Sea (Holman Bible Atlas)
Dead Sea western cliffs to south from En Gedi
Read Genesis 14:8-9
Dead Sea
Valley of
Siddim
Genesis 14:10–11:
“Now the valley of
Siddim was full of tar
pits; and the kings of
Sodom and Gomorrah
fled, and they fell into
them. But those who
survived fled to the hill
country. Then they took
all the goods of Sodom
and Gomorrah and all
their food supply, and
departed.”
Dead Sea mud terraced shoreline
‘That the southern end of the Dead Sea is a
source of bitumen [tar or black asphalt-type
susbtance] is a well established fact. The
historians Diodoros, Strabo, Josephus, and
Tacitus wrote of large masses of asphalt
coming to the surface of the water in the
sector of the Dead Sea below the Lisan.
Similar phenomena have been observed in
modern times as well.’ -- Bible and Spade
(1974) Volume 3/3, p. 79.
Traditional site of “Oak of Abram”
(Gen. 14:13) in Mamre, as of 1847
Read Genesis 14:12-13
• ‘The Hebrew text [about Abram’s alliance at the
end of v. 13] means they had a covenantal
relationship with him. Indeed, in those days even
to live there temporarily required a treaty. This, in
turn, shows Abram’s strength, materially (in
wealth) and physically (in manpower), for certain
inhabitants of the Land to make this treaty with
him. But this treaty also required the other three
covenantal parties to join him in battle, and they
now honored this treaty and did so. These may
also have been Abram’s converts in the worship
of Jehovah.’ [see Genesis 12:3]
– Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary:
The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel
Ministries, 2008), 265.
Abram’s pursuit of the eastern
kings and rescue of Lot
• Dan
Read Genesis 14:14-16
• Shechem
• •Ai
Bethel
Hebron
Beer-sheba
•
•
Sodom and •
Gommorah?
Archaeology has found in Dan (v. 14) a 4000year-old mud-brick gate from the very timeframe
when Abram travelled through
Note the descendants of
Abram come through
some of the same areas
after Exodus that the
kings defeated in Gen 14
Note: Shinar is in
Genesis 11:2 the
place where men
united in rebellion
against God at the
Tower of Babel. In
Genesis 14:1 there
is another alliance
of sinful men to
build a kingdom
and make a name
for themselves
(see Genesis 11:4)
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
But God calls
Abram from Iraq
(Ur) and promises
He will make
Abram’s name
great and all
nations will be
blessed in Abram
(Genesis 12:1-3)
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
Daniel 4 suggests
another notable man
from Babylon is
saved. Psalm 87:4
indicates others from
this land also came to
know God, who says:
“Among those who
know me I mention
Rahab and Babylon.”
(Psalm 87:4 ESV)
God’s grace comes to
Assyria later by the
prophet Jonah and
Nineveh repents. An
even bigger mass
salvation in Assyria
seems prophesied in Isa
19:24-25 where Assyria
will be with Israel “a
blessing in the midst of
the earth … whom the
Lord of hosts has
blessed saying, ‘Blessed
is … Assyria, the work of
my hands, and Israel my
inheritance.’”
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
In Matthew 2, Magi
from the East come
to the promised land,
but this time coming
to worship Jesus the
newborn King. Some
think they came from
the area of Babylon
or Elam. Wherever
they came from it is a
fulfillment of Abram’s
promise in Gen. 12:3,
including formerly
enemy nations (see
Gal. 3)
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
Some converts to
Abram’s faith from
Elam and other
Persians/Arabs are
among those
saved in Acts 2:911 when they hear
the gospel from
descendants of
Abraham on the
day of Pentecost,
in fulfillment of
Genesis 12:3 (see
also Gal. 3:8-29)
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
Gen 14:1 And it came about in the days of
Amraphel king of Shinar [Babylon, Iraq],
Arioch king of Ellasar [Assyria?]
Chedorlaomer king of Elam [Persia, Iran],
and Tidal king of Goiim [Hittites? Turkey?]
A number of Goiim
(Gentiles) come to
faith and join Israel in
the time of David. A
notable faithful godly
soldier of David’s is
Uriah the Hittite, who
demonstrates truer
godliness than David
(2 Samuel 10-11)
Genesis 14 and Jesus’ family tree
• Matthew’s gospel introduces Jesus as “son of Abraham” (1:1)
and ends with the same phrase “all nations” (28:19) as
Abraham’s promise in Genesis 12:3
• The genealogy of Jesus then includes many people from
nations in Gen 14:
– Abraham (Matt 1:2) was from Ur in Babylon (part of land
mentioned in Gen 14:1)
– Isaac (Matt 1:2) married from Syria (Gen 25:20), where Damascus
is (Gen 14:15)
– Jacob (Matt 1:2) married someone from Haran (Gen 29), modern
Turkey (Gen 14:1)
– Tamar and Rahab are both Canaanites (Mt 1:3, 5), the land where
Abram is dwelling in, Gen 14
– Ruth is a Moabite (Matt 1:5) from the land the kings pass through
in Genesis 14
– The wife of Uriah the Hittite (Mt 1:6, people group in Gen 14:1?)
“By faith Abraham … let us run the race … fixing our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Heb 11:8, 12:2)
Damascus
Genesis 14:15 describes Abram the
Hebrew on a road to Damascus
pursuing Lot to rescue him
Acts 9 describes a later “Hebrew of
Hebrews,” a descendant of Abraham
also on a road to Damascus, when
Jesus, the Son of Abraham, comes
and pursues Saul and rescues him!