Dr. Dylan Johnson

It talks about a group of four eastern kings who make war on the cities of the plain. So I suppose I'll start with the eastern kings. So first off, none of these kings are known from history. Their names are clearly meant to evoke Eastern empires. Some are accurate and some are less clear, but we can't identify any of them. The first king is Amraphel, king of Shinar.

Shinar, we know, is how biblical writers refer to the land of Sumer that is extreme south of modern Iraq.

Shinar, we know, is how biblical writers refer to the land of Sumer that is extreme south of modern Iraq.

Shinar, we know, is how biblical writers refer to the land of Sumer that is extreme south of modern Iraq.

Yeah, yeah. So pre-Babylon, Babylon, basically. The next is Ariok, king of Elessar. No idea. No idea about these. There's hypotheses, but really this is the only reference to this king or to this place. The other king is Hedor, Laomar. That's a tricky name because it's an Elamite name. And Elam is pre-Persian Iran. So it's an ancient kingdom as well. And the last is Tidal, king of the Goyim.

Yeah, yeah. So pre-Babylon, Babylon, basically. The next is Ariok, king of Elessar. No idea. No idea about these. There's hypotheses, but really this is the only reference to this king or to this place. The other king is Hedor, Laomar. That's a tricky name because it's an Elamite name. And Elam is pre-Persian Iran. So it's an ancient kingdom as well. And the last is Tidal, king of the Goyim.

Yeah, yeah. So pre-Babylon, Babylon, basically. The next is Ariok, king of Elessar. No idea. No idea about these. There's hypotheses, but really this is the only reference to this king or to this place. The other king is Hedor, Laomar. That's a tricky name because it's an Elamite name. And Elam is pre-Persian Iran. So it's an ancient kingdom as well. And the last is Tidal, king of the Goyim.

And Goyim just means the nations. So these are figures who the biblical writers are associated with extremely great antiquity, but also coming from the East. So before they get to the Dead Sea, we learn about how these kings of the East, they kind of have some kind of coalition. They come together.

And Goyim just means the nations. So these are figures who the biblical writers are associated with extremely great antiquity, but also coming from the East. So before they get to the Dead Sea, we learn about how these kings of the East, they kind of have some kind of coalition. They come together.

And Goyim just means the nations. So these are figures who the biblical writers are associated with extremely great antiquity, but also coming from the East. So before they get to the Dead Sea, we learn about how these kings of the East, they kind of have some kind of coalition. They come together.

They fight with a motley crew of peoples who are the peoples of the land as far as the biblical writers are concerned. These are the pre-Israelite inhabitants. So again, they're clearly setting these events in a very, very ancient past, in the very distant past.

They fight with a motley crew of peoples who are the peoples of the land as far as the biblical writers are concerned. These are the pre-Israelite inhabitants. So again, they're clearly setting these events in a very, very ancient past, in the very distant past.

They fight with a motley crew of peoples who are the peoples of the land as far as the biblical writers are concerned. These are the pre-Israelite inhabitants. So again, they're clearly setting these events in a very, very ancient past, in the very distant past.

So these kings encounter groups like the Rephaim, which are often remembered as giants, the Amalekites, this quintessential enemy of Israel, the Hurrians, which is a Bronze Age people who lived up in kind of Syria, Northern Iraq region, and other obscure groups. So they come, make war with these peoples before then turning their attention to the cities of the plain.

So these kings encounter groups like the Rephaim, which are often remembered as giants, the Amalekites, this quintessential enemy of Israel, the Hurrians, which is a Bronze Age people who lived up in kind of Syria, Northern Iraq region, and other obscure groups. So they come, make war with these peoples before then turning their attention to the cities of the plain.

So these kings encounter groups like the Rephaim, which are often remembered as giants, the Amalekites, this quintessential enemy of Israel, the Hurrians, which is a Bronze Age people who lived up in kind of Syria, Northern Iraq region, and other obscure groups. So they come, make war with these peoples before then turning their attention to the cities of the plain.

And finally, we get to the cities of the plain. So we have Bera, king of Sodom, one of the targets. Bersha, king of Gomorrah. And then we get the other cities of the plains. We have a king of a place called Adma named Shinab, a king of a place called Zeboim named Shemeber, and then a king or the king of Bela.

And finally, we get to the cities of the plain. So we have Bera, king of Sodom, one of the targets. Bersha, king of Gomorrah. And then we get the other cities of the plains. We have a king of a place called Adma named Shinab, a king of a place called Zeboim named Shemeber, and then a king or the king of Bela.

And finally, we get to the cities of the plain. So we have Bera, king of Sodom, one of the targets. Bersha, king of Gomorrah. And then we get the other cities of the plains. We have a king of a place called Adma named Shinab, a king of a place called Zeboim named Shemeber, and then a king or the king of Bela.

We don't know if that's the name of the king or the name of the town, which is associated with this Zoar. Zoar was the place where Lot and his family fled at the destruction of Sodom. So these are the enemies of these eastern kings. And long story short, they lose the fight. And the instigator of all of this, Herola Omar, king of Elam, he takes prisoner Lot. So this is the kinsman of Abram.