(Deuteronomy 1:1 - 1:18)
These are the words Moses said to the people of Israel while they were encamped in the desert wastelands beyond the River Jordan in Arabah opposite Suph, between the towns of Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is an 11 day journey from Horeb to Kadesh Barnea by way of Mount Seir. But it had been 40 years since the Israelites had left Egypt, and it was on the 1st day of the 11th month [Shevat] that Moses addressed the people of Israel to tell them all that Jehovah had commanded him to say. (This took place after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled from Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who ruled from Ashtaroth near Edrei.) While the Israelites were still in Moab, east of the River Jordan, Moses began to explain the commandments. He began thusly:
"Our god Jehovah told us when we were in Horeb, 'You have tarried long enough at this mountain! Break camp and resume your journey. Advance into the hill country inhabited by the Amorites and the neighboring peoples, into Arabah, the uplands and the lowlands, into the Negev, the coastlands, the lands of the Canaanites, and Lebanon as far as the Euphrates River. See, I am offering this land to you. Invade it and take possession of the land I, Jehovah, promised to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.'
"At that time I told you, ‘I’m not able to bear the burden of leading you alone. Your god Jehovah has so increased your population that you are now as numerous as the stars in the sky. --- And may Jehovah, the god of your fathers, multiply you a thousand times more and bless you, as he has promised to do. --- But how can I assume the responsibilities you place upon me and deal with all your problems and disputes by myself? So choose from each tribe men who are respected for their wisdom and judgment; I will make them your leaders.' And you responded, 'What you propose is good for us.’ And so I took the wise and respected men selected by each of your tribes and appointed them to positions of authority over you, some responsible for a 1000 men, some 100, some 50, and others 10. I charged the judges at that time, 'Hear cases of your fellow Israelites and resident aliens with equal fairness and render your decisions justly. Show no impartiality between the great and the lowly. Do not be intimidated by men, for the justice you administer is from God. But any cases that are too difficult for you to decide, you may bring to me and I will handle them.' At that time I instructed you in all that you were required to do."
Notes
1. In an address to his people, Moses recaps the history of the Israelites since they left Egypt. This is rather like an old movie serial when, about two-thirds of the way through, a chapter is devoted to retelling the story so far, for the sake of viewers who missed earlier chapters or had lost the thread of the story. One wonders how Moses could have addressed the entirety of his people, but perhaps he only spoke to the elders. This is one of the few times when Moses expresses his own thoughts, tells his own story, and is not merely a mouthpiece of Jehovah. Recounting what is now history, he speaks to those who, if they experienced the Exodus and subsequent events at all, were children at the time.
2. Moses spoke to his people on the 30th day of Shevat, about late January or February.
2. The Amorites in the Bible were Canaanites who occupied the uplands east of the River Jordan. They are often described as giants. They are probably not synonymous with the Amorites that figure in the history of Mesopotamia and Syria. Bashan is now referred to as the Golan Heights, an area formerly in Syria, but most of which has been occupied since 1967 by Israel. Heshbon, in modern Jordan, is northeast of the Dead Sea. Horeb is another name of the Sinai. Arabah refers to the Jordan Valley.
3. The decision that Moses made to delegate authority was suggested by his father-in-law Jethro, the Midianite. Perhaps because the Israelites have already totally exterminated the Midianites, a virtual genocide, Moses prefers to forget this fact.
4. Moses chooses to mention at the beginning of his remarks the appointment of judges. Although their concepts of law would have been inherited from the Babylonians or acquired from the Egyptians, it is nevertheless admirable that the early Israelites, whose society and lifestyle was far more primitive, retained and fully embraced a fairly sophisticated and civilized legal system.
Showing posts with label Amorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amorites. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Conquest of the Amorites
(Book of Numbers 21:10 - 21:35)
The Israelites moved on to make their camp at Oboth. Next, they left Oboth and traveled to Abarim, the desert that faces the eastern border of Moab. From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley. They left there and next camped on the far side of the Arnon river, in the desert that extends to the border of Amorite territory. (The Arnon is the boundary between Moab and the land of the Amorites.) So it is that the Book of the Wars of Jehovah refers to "the town of Waheb in the region of Suphah, and the ravines of Arnon River that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab."
From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, the well that Jehovah referred to when he told Moses, "Gather your people together and I will bring them water." The Israelites then sang this song:
"Spring up, O well. Sing its praises!
The well that was sunk by princes,
That the nobles of the people dug
Scraped out with the scepter and the staff."
They went from the desert to Matannah, from Matannah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where the Pisgah Mountains overlook desert wasteland.
Israel then dispatched envoys to King Sihon of the Amorites with the request, "We ask your permission to be given safe passage through your land. We will take care not to travel through your tilled fields or vineyards. We won't drink from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."
But King Sihon refused them passage through his land. Instead, he mustered his entire army and marched it into the desert to challenge Israel. When he reached Jahaz, his forces attacked Israel. Israel, however, defeated him in battle and occupied his territory from the Arnon river to the Jabbok River, but only as far as the Ammonite border, which was heavily fortified. Israel captured and settled in all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and its surrounding settlements.
Heshbon was the capital city of King Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had wrested from him all the Moabite territory as far as the Arnon.
The poets wrote of this:
"Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
For a fire issued forth from Heshbon,
And a flame engulfed the city of Sihon.
Conflagration consumed Ar of Moab
And destroyed the lords of the Arnon heights.
Woe be to you, O people of Moab
You are thwarted, O worshipers of Chemosh.
Your sons have been put to flight and your daughters,
Captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
The rule of Heshbon has been overthrown;
Its domain, plundered all the way to Dibon
And set aflame from Nophah to Medeba."
And thus the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. Moses sent out men to scout the Jazer region; they captured all the towns in the area and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Next, the Israelites marched north on the route to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, mobilized his army and was prepared to engage the Israelites in battle at Edrei.
Jehovah told Moses, "Don't be afraid of him, for I am delivering him into your hands along with his army and his lands. Deal with him as you did Sihon, the king of the Amorites who reigned at Heshbon." And so they so they killed King Og and his sons, wiping out his people and then occupying his land.
Notes
1. The Israelites, after moving around from place to place now seem to get serious about finding a place to settle even though they have been denied access to the Promised Land by Jehovah. And/or they want to get back at those peoples who had denied them safe passage through their countries when they asked politely for it. The people who have spent all their time griping about the food, yearning to return to Egypt, challenging Moses, (and being afraid of snakes) suddenly, inexplicably, transform themselves into a formidable fighting force, conquerors, in fact. They are, of course, getting a hand from Jehovah, but his part in the successful battles against against Sihon and Og is not specified. The Israelites seem incapable of building anything themselves, except what is demanded by Jehovah, so they do not claim territory and begin building houses like pioneer immigrants have always done. Instead, they settle in the towns they have taken, presumably living in the homes of the enemies they have killed. This would certainly be a major lifestyle change. One would think this would mean no more living in tents. However, it is not clear whether it is the entire community of Israel that occupies the conquered towns, or only a small contingent.
2. The narrative references, even quotes, another book, The Book of the Wars of Jehovah. Is this some ancient text used by the biblical authors? A book that didn't make it into the Old Testament or was lost? Since Numbers, along with the other 4 Books of Moses, claims to have been written by Moses himself, how could he, and why would he, refer to another book. How and by whom could it have been written that it predates the Books of Moses? It has been suggested that it was, in fact, another book written by Moses and perhaps Joshua. Later, poets are quoted. Of what nationality were these poets and in what language did they write, considering that in the time of Moses Hebrew did not exist and no alphabet had yet been invented. Of course it is well established that the Books of Moses were written, or rather compiled, several hundred years after Moses, but one would have thought that the authors would have avoided the inclusion of any reference that obviously contradicted the fiction they sought to maintain, that Moses was their author.
3. No moral justification is given for the wars the Israelites engage in. Jehovah has never been concerned with such moral issues, but promotes a tribalistic sense of ethics -- any act that benefits your tribe is right and just regardless of the harm it may inflict upon those outside your tribe.
4. Pisgah can refer to the mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea or its primary peak, Mount Nebo. The Arnon River (now Wadi Mujib in Jordan), the boundary between the lands of the Moabites to the south and the Amorites to the north, flows westward through mountainous terrain into the Dead Sea. To the south, the Zered River (Wadi Hasa) also flows west into the Dead Sea and formed the boundary between Edom and Moab. The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, north of Moab and the Amorites. The Jabbok River (the Zarqua) flows into the Jordan. The biblical Amorites, probably distinct from the Mesopotamian people of an earlier period, were a tribe of mountain-dwelling Canaanites often thought to be of great physical stature. The city of Heshbon was northeast of Moab, east of the north bank of the Dead Sea. Jabaz was a few miles to the south. Jazar, well to the north, was on the border of Ammon. Bashan, a kingdom, was in the Golan Heights, far to the north, east of the Sea of Galilee. Its capital, Edrei (Daraa) lies across the border of modern Syria. The Israelites are indeed covering a great deal of distance in their conquests!
5. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and possibly the Ammonites as well. He may have been the same deity as Moloch, or Chemosh and Moloch may have been two aspects of the same god. It may be remembered that the Moabites and Ammonites were supposedly descended from Lot and his daughters.
The Israelites moved on to make their camp at Oboth. Next, they left Oboth and traveled to Abarim, the desert that faces the eastern border of Moab. From there they moved on and camped in the Zered Valley. They left there and next camped on the far side of the Arnon river, in the desert that extends to the border of Amorite territory. (The Arnon is the boundary between Moab and the land of the Amorites.) So it is that the Book of the Wars of Jehovah refers to "the town of Waheb in the region of Suphah, and the ravines of Arnon River that extend as far as the settlement of Ar on the border of Moab."
From there the Israelites traveled to Beer, the well that Jehovah referred to when he told Moses, "Gather your people together and I will bring them water." The Israelites then sang this song:
"Spring up, O well. Sing its praises!
The well that was sunk by princes,
That the nobles of the people dug
Scraped out with the scepter and the staff."
They went from the desert to Matannah, from Matannah to Nahaliel, from Nahaliel to Bamoth, and from Bamoth to the valley of Moab where the Pisgah Mountains overlook desert wasteland.
Israel then dispatched envoys to King Sihon of the Amorites with the request, "We ask your permission to be given safe passage through your land. We will take care not to travel through your tilled fields or vineyards. We won't drink from your wells. We will stay on the king's highway until we have passed through your territory."
But King Sihon refused them passage through his land. Instead, he mustered his entire army and marched it into the desert to challenge Israel. When he reached Jahaz, his forces attacked Israel. Israel, however, defeated him in battle and occupied his territory from the Arnon river to the Jabbok River, but only as far as the Ammonite border, which was heavily fortified. Israel captured and settled in all the Amorite cities, including Heshbon and its surrounding settlements.
Heshbon was the capital city of King Sihon, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had wrested from him all the Moabite territory as far as the Arnon.
The poets wrote of this:
"Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt;
Let the city of Sihon be restored.
For a fire issued forth from Heshbon,
And a flame engulfed the city of Sihon.
Conflagration consumed Ar of Moab
And destroyed the lords of the Arnon heights.
Woe be to you, O people of Moab
You are thwarted, O worshipers of Chemosh.
Your sons have been put to flight and your daughters,
Captives of Sihon, the Amorite king.
The rule of Heshbon has been overthrown;
Its domain, plundered all the way to Dibon
And set aflame from Nophah to Medeba."
And thus the people of Israel occupied the territory of the Amorites. Moses sent out men to scout the Jazer region; they captured all the towns in the area and drove out the Amorites who lived there. Next, the Israelites marched north on the route to Bashan. Og, the king of Bashan, mobilized his army and was prepared to engage the Israelites in battle at Edrei.
Jehovah told Moses, "Don't be afraid of him, for I am delivering him into your hands along with his army and his lands. Deal with him as you did Sihon, the king of the Amorites who reigned at Heshbon." And so they so they killed King Og and his sons, wiping out his people and then occupying his land.
Notes
1. The Israelites, after moving around from place to place now seem to get serious about finding a place to settle even though they have been denied access to the Promised Land by Jehovah. And/or they want to get back at those peoples who had denied them safe passage through their countries when they asked politely for it. The people who have spent all their time griping about the food, yearning to return to Egypt, challenging Moses, (and being afraid of snakes) suddenly, inexplicably, transform themselves into a formidable fighting force, conquerors, in fact. They are, of course, getting a hand from Jehovah, but his part in the successful battles against against Sihon and Og is not specified. The Israelites seem incapable of building anything themselves, except what is demanded by Jehovah, so they do not claim territory and begin building houses like pioneer immigrants have always done. Instead, they settle in the towns they have taken, presumably living in the homes of the enemies they have killed. This would certainly be a major lifestyle change. One would think this would mean no more living in tents. However, it is not clear whether it is the entire community of Israel that occupies the conquered towns, or only a small contingent.
2. The narrative references, even quotes, another book, The Book of the Wars of Jehovah. Is this some ancient text used by the biblical authors? A book that didn't make it into the Old Testament or was lost? Since Numbers, along with the other 4 Books of Moses, claims to have been written by Moses himself, how could he, and why would he, refer to another book. How and by whom could it have been written that it predates the Books of Moses? It has been suggested that it was, in fact, another book written by Moses and perhaps Joshua. Later, poets are quoted. Of what nationality were these poets and in what language did they write, considering that in the time of Moses Hebrew did not exist and no alphabet had yet been invented. Of course it is well established that the Books of Moses were written, or rather compiled, several hundred years after Moses, but one would have thought that the authors would have avoided the inclusion of any reference that obviously contradicted the fiction they sought to maintain, that Moses was their author.
3. No moral justification is given for the wars the Israelites engage in. Jehovah has never been concerned with such moral issues, but promotes a tribalistic sense of ethics -- any act that benefits your tribe is right and just regardless of the harm it may inflict upon those outside your tribe.
4. Pisgah can refer to the mountain range northeast of the Dead Sea or its primary peak, Mount Nebo. The Arnon River (now Wadi Mujib in Jordan), the boundary between the lands of the Moabites to the south and the Amorites to the north, flows westward through mountainous terrain into the Dead Sea. To the south, the Zered River (Wadi Hasa) also flows west into the Dead Sea and formed the boundary between Edom and Moab. The Ammonites lived east of the Jordan, north of Moab and the Amorites. The Jabbok River (the Zarqua) flows into the Jordan. The biblical Amorites, probably distinct from the Mesopotamian people of an earlier period, were a tribe of mountain-dwelling Canaanites often thought to be of great physical stature. The city of Heshbon was northeast of Moab, east of the north bank of the Dead Sea. Jabaz was a few miles to the south. Jazar, well to the north, was on the border of Ammon. Bashan, a kingdom, was in the Golan Heights, far to the north, east of the Sea of Galilee. Its capital, Edrei (Daraa) lies across the border of modern Syria. The Israelites are indeed covering a great deal of distance in their conquests!
5. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites and possibly the Ammonites as well. He may have been the same deity as Moloch, or Chemosh and Moloch may have been two aspects of the same god. It may be remembered that the Moabites and Ammonites were supposedly descended from Lot and his daughters.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The History of Abraham, Part Two
(Genesis 13:19 - 15:21)
It happened that King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal, king of many tribes made war against King Bera of Sodom and his allies King Bersha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar). They engaged in battle in the valley of Siddim, which is now a salt sea. The latter had paid tribute to Chedorlaomer of Elam for 12 years, but in the 13th year they revolted against his authority. Thus in the 14th year Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Sahveh Kiriathaim, the Horite on Mount Seir as far as Elparan, bordering the wilderness. On their return, the army came to Enmishpat, later known as Kadesh, and raided the lands of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in Hazezontamar. The Kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela mobilized their armies and engaged in a battle in the Valley of Siddim with Chedorlaomer, Tidal, Amraphel, and Arioch. The valley was full of tar pits and in retreat the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah were trapped in them. Those that were not, fled to the mountains.
The victorious army of Chedorlaomer looted Sodom and Gomorrah of treasures and provisions and withdrew with their booty. Taken, along with his possessions, as a captive of war, was Lot, Abram's nephew. One captive who had managed to escape reported the situation to Abram, who was living in the forests of Mamre the Amorite, whose brothers Eschol and Aner were allies of his. When Abram heard that his nephew was a prisoner, he armed what household servants had been trained to fight. With 318 of them he tracked Chederlaomer's army to Dan. With flanking forces he made a night attack upon the enemy forces and routed them. He pursued the enemy army to Hobah, to the east of Damascus. There he was able to free all the captives, including Lot, and retrieve all the booty that had been taken.
On his return from the defeat of Chederlaomer and his alliance, Abram was greeted by the King of Sodom at the Valley of Shaveh, which was in his land. Melchizedek, the King of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Being a high priest, he extolled Abram, "Blessed be Abram of the great god who rules heaven and earth! Blessed be the great god who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And so Abram proffered to him a portion of the recovered booty as a tithe.
The King of Sodom told Abram "You may keep the rest of the booty for yourself; just let me take custody of the captives."
Abram replied. "I worship Jehovah, the great god who rules heaven and earth. I refuse take anything that is yours, not even a thread, not even a boot lace, in case someone might think that I have been enriched by you. I only accept payment for what the captives and for what Aner, Eschnol and Mamre, and the men who came with me may have eaten."
After these things had transpired, Jehovah appeared to Abram in a vision and consoled him "Don't be afraid. I will protect and reward you!"
Abram replied "Jehovah, what can you give to me, considering I am childless? You have given me no offspring and, as it is, Eliezer of Damascus, my steward, will become my heir."
The words of Jehovah that came into his head were these: "He shall not be your heir, for your heir will be of your flesh and blood." And he led Abram outside and made him look up at the night sky. "See if you can count the stars, for your descendants will be just as numerous." And he trusted in Jehovah and in the accuracy of his words.
Jehovah told him "I am the one who took you out of your home in Ur of Chaldea, so that I can give you this land, that you can occupy it."
"But, my god, how will I know when it's to be mine?' Abram asked.
"Bring me a three-year old heifer, a nanny goat and a ram that is also three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Abram did so. He slaughtered the animals; he slit their carcasses and laid out one slice of flesh alongside another. (The birds, which he did not kill, landed on the carcasses, but Abram shooed them away.) At dusk Abram fell into a deep sleep and experienced an horrific nightmare. In it a voice proclaimed "Let it be known that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land where they shall be made slaves and undergo great hardship for four hundred years. But I will pronounce a judgment against the nation they serve and afterward your people will depart there with considerable wealth. You will go to your ancestors peacefully and be buried at a ripe old age. But four generations after, hard times will come again for your people, for the violence of the Amorites has not been fully expended."
After sunset, when it fell dark, there arose smoke like that from a furnace and glowing flames flickered between the strips of meat. On the following day Jehovah made a contract with Abram. "To your descendants I bequeath this land, from the River Nile to the great river, the Euphrates, the lands of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaims, as well as the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Notes
1. The location of the Battle of the Valley of Siddim was either just south of the Dead Sea or in an area now covered by water. Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to be in this area. Archaeologists have not located the ruins of those cities, although some recent excavations have shown promise. Kadesh, in the south on the border of the Sinai has long been considered the south border of traditional Israel. The Amorites, who spoke a Semitic language, were originally nomads from Syria who moved into southern Mesopotamia in the 22nd Century B.C. In the 18th Century B.C. they ruled all Mesopotamia under Hammurabi, the first king of the Babylonian Empire. But they were soon expelled from Mesopotamia and moved into Canaan. In the Bible they are often synonymous with Canaanites, or at least eastern Canaanite tribes. The Amalekites (the name is here used anachronistically) were nomads who inhabited northwestern Arabia. They would become the ancestral enemy of the Jewish people.
2. Much scholarship has been expended trying to identify the kings listed as participating in the Battle of the Valley of Siddim with known rulers of the time. About a hundred years ago Biblical scholars were confident that credible matches had been made, eg. identifying Amraphel with Hammurabi. However, further research thoroughly exploded the identifications. It seems likely that the kings mentioned, if they existed at all, were not even contemporaneous with one another. Moreover, the alliance is patently implausible. The leader of the coalition was the Elamite king. Elam, a kingdom southeast of Sumer, was a country of some importance in ancient times, but was not a dominant force. Although it was often ruled by Mesopotamian powers, it did maintain an empire of sorts in southwest Iran, but that was in the 13th and 12th Centuries B.C. The king of Shinar (Babylonia or Akkad) would have been an unlikely ally, as would the king of Ellasar (or Assyria in the northern Mesopotamia). No Mesopotamian power extended their control as far west as southern Canaan in the 2nd Millennium B.C. This occurred in the 1st Millennium B.C. when the Hebrew nations ran afoul of the Assyrians and Chaldeans. While the combatants in the Siddim battle are impressively recounted, the list is an instance of spurious detail employed to enhance the credibility of a fiction. The basis of this account is probably oral tradition, but the Genesis writers probably had access to Babylonian writings and from them learned of past rulers whose names, added to the tale, would lend it greater importance and interest. A modern analogy: a little-known sheriff in a little-known town in the Old West thwarts a gang of little-known outlaws. More than a half century later the real-life incident becomes a popular movie. In the film, the town is now Abilene, the sheriff becomes Wild Bill Hickock, and outlaw gang consists of the James Brothers, the Daltons, Sam Bass, Sundance, and Billy the Kid. Future generations have access to the movie, but know nothing of the true incident that inspired it. Will they accept the film as Gospel?
3. It is amazing how quickly Abraham springs in action to rescue his nephew from the Elamites, when he did nothing to rescue his wife from the lustful Egyptians. With a small party of armed servants, 318 of them, he was able to defeat, with superior strategy and a sneak, night-time attack, an army which surely would have numbered in the many thousands, if not tens of thousands. (The great powers of Mesopotamia would have had to taken a considerable force with them to subdue the rebellious Sodomites, if, indeed, that's what they did.) The tale is hardly credible, but it must be remembered that this is merely a propaganda piece to enhance ancient Jewish national pride by exalting its patriarch Abraham, making him a warrior who routs a far superior force and humbles the great kings of his time. (This is like Robin Hood and his merry men defeating in battle the combined forces of King John, Philip Augustus, and Frederick Barbarossa in order to rescue Maid Marian.) It is curious that Abraham who was so timid when he was in Egypt is now all of a sudden a bold man of action, a mighty warrior. Why this change of character? It is easily explained when one considers the likelihood that the two stories, passed down for more than a thousand years, may have applied to two different persons, perhaps living in different times.
4. It is written, not without purpose, that Abraham honors the King of Salem, because the city (later Jerusalem) would become the Hebrew capital and religious center. He rebuffs the generous offer of the King of Sodom, which is sin city and the anathema of Jehovah. It is noble that Abraham has offered his military services to the region' rulers pro bono, but this is certainly at odds with the man who accepted unearned gifts from the Pharaoh.
5. It would seem that his action in refusing the King of Sodom's generosity placed him in peril, so much so that Jehovah had to appear in a dream to comfort him -- and to reiterate the old promise of making him the father of a nation and the patriarch of numberless descendants. When Abraham starts asking too many questions, Jehovah falls back upon the familiar demand -- slaughter a few helpless animals for me, cut them up, and burn them. This, apparently, instead of the customary hand shake, was required to seal the deal. (The importance of the birds who were not sacrificed somehow escapes one.)
6. In this story there is also the prophecy of the 400-year bondage of the Israelites in Egypt. Since all that happens is the will of God, the writer of the Old Testament find it continually necessary to have Jehovah prophesy every significant future event -- with remarkable accuracy!
It happened that King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal, king of many tribes made war against King Bera of Sodom and his allies King Bersha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar). They engaged in battle in the valley of Siddim, which is now a salt sea. The latter had paid tribute to Chedorlaomer of Elam for 12 years, but in the 13th year they revolted against his authority. Thus in the 14th year Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emins in Sahveh Kiriathaim, the Horite on Mount Seir as far as Elparan, bordering the wilderness. On their return, the army came to Enmishpat, later known as Kadesh, and raided the lands of the Amalekites and the Amorites who lived in Hazezontamar. The Kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela mobilized their armies and engaged in a battle in the Valley of Siddim with Chedorlaomer, Tidal, Amraphel, and Arioch. The valley was full of tar pits and in retreat the armies of Sodom and Gomorrah were trapped in them. Those that were not, fled to the mountains.
The victorious army of Chedorlaomer looted Sodom and Gomorrah of treasures and provisions and withdrew with their booty. Taken, along with his possessions, as a captive of war, was Lot, Abram's nephew. One captive who had managed to escape reported the situation to Abram, who was living in the forests of Mamre the Amorite, whose brothers Eschol and Aner were allies of his. When Abram heard that his nephew was a prisoner, he armed what household servants had been trained to fight. With 318 of them he tracked Chederlaomer's army to Dan. With flanking forces he made a night attack upon the enemy forces and routed them. He pursued the enemy army to Hobah, to the east of Damascus. There he was able to free all the captives, including Lot, and retrieve all the booty that had been taken.
On his return from the defeat of Chederlaomer and his alliance, Abram was greeted by the King of Sodom at the Valley of Shaveh, which was in his land. Melchizedek, the King of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Being a high priest, he extolled Abram, "Blessed be Abram of the great god who rules heaven and earth! Blessed be the great god who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And so Abram proffered to him a portion of the recovered booty as a tithe.
The King of Sodom told Abram "You may keep the rest of the booty for yourself; just let me take custody of the captives."
Abram replied. "I worship Jehovah, the great god who rules heaven and earth. I refuse take anything that is yours, not even a thread, not even a boot lace, in case someone might think that I have been enriched by you. I only accept payment for what the captives and for what Aner, Eschnol and Mamre, and the men who came with me may have eaten."
After these things had transpired, Jehovah appeared to Abram in a vision and consoled him "Don't be afraid. I will protect and reward you!"
Abram replied "Jehovah, what can you give to me, considering I am childless? You have given me no offspring and, as it is, Eliezer of Damascus, my steward, will become my heir."
The words of Jehovah that came into his head were these: "He shall not be your heir, for your heir will be of your flesh and blood." And he led Abram outside and made him look up at the night sky. "See if you can count the stars, for your descendants will be just as numerous." And he trusted in Jehovah and in the accuracy of his words.
Jehovah told him "I am the one who took you out of your home in Ur of Chaldea, so that I can give you this land, that you can occupy it."
"But, my god, how will I know when it's to be mine?' Abram asked.
"Bring me a three-year old heifer, a nanny goat and a ram that is also three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Abram did so. He slaughtered the animals; he slit their carcasses and laid out one slice of flesh alongside another. (The birds, which he did not kill, landed on the carcasses, but Abram shooed them away.) At dusk Abram fell into a deep sleep and experienced an horrific nightmare. In it a voice proclaimed "Let it be known that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land where they shall be made slaves and undergo great hardship for four hundred years. But I will pronounce a judgment against the nation they serve and afterward your people will depart there with considerable wealth. You will go to your ancestors peacefully and be buried at a ripe old age. But four generations after, hard times will come again for your people, for the violence of the Amorites has not been fully expended."
After sunset, when it fell dark, there arose smoke like that from a furnace and glowing flames flickered between the strips of meat. On the following day Jehovah made a contract with Abram. "To your descendants I bequeath this land, from the River Nile to the great river, the Euphrates, the lands of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaims, as well as the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
Notes
1. The location of the Battle of the Valley of Siddim was either just south of the Dead Sea or in an area now covered by water. Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to be in this area. Archaeologists have not located the ruins of those cities, although some recent excavations have shown promise. Kadesh, in the south on the border of the Sinai has long been considered the south border of traditional Israel. The Amorites, who spoke a Semitic language, were originally nomads from Syria who moved into southern Mesopotamia in the 22nd Century B.C. In the 18th Century B.C. they ruled all Mesopotamia under Hammurabi, the first king of the Babylonian Empire. But they were soon expelled from Mesopotamia and moved into Canaan. In the Bible they are often synonymous with Canaanites, or at least eastern Canaanite tribes. The Amalekites (the name is here used anachronistically) were nomads who inhabited northwestern Arabia. They would become the ancestral enemy of the Jewish people.
2. Much scholarship has been expended trying to identify the kings listed as participating in the Battle of the Valley of Siddim with known rulers of the time. About a hundred years ago Biblical scholars were confident that credible matches had been made, eg. identifying Amraphel with Hammurabi. However, further research thoroughly exploded the identifications. It seems likely that the kings mentioned, if they existed at all, were not even contemporaneous with one another. Moreover, the alliance is patently implausible. The leader of the coalition was the Elamite king. Elam, a kingdom southeast of Sumer, was a country of some importance in ancient times, but was not a dominant force. Although it was often ruled by Mesopotamian powers, it did maintain an empire of sorts in southwest Iran, but that was in the 13th and 12th Centuries B.C. The king of Shinar (Babylonia or Akkad) would have been an unlikely ally, as would the king of Ellasar (or Assyria in the northern Mesopotamia). No Mesopotamian power extended their control as far west as southern Canaan in the 2nd Millennium B.C. This occurred in the 1st Millennium B.C. when the Hebrew nations ran afoul of the Assyrians and Chaldeans. While the combatants in the Siddim battle are impressively recounted, the list is an instance of spurious detail employed to enhance the credibility of a fiction. The basis of this account is probably oral tradition, but the Genesis writers probably had access to Babylonian writings and from them learned of past rulers whose names, added to the tale, would lend it greater importance and interest. A modern analogy: a little-known sheriff in a little-known town in the Old West thwarts a gang of little-known outlaws. More than a half century later the real-life incident becomes a popular movie. In the film, the town is now Abilene, the sheriff becomes Wild Bill Hickock, and outlaw gang consists of the James Brothers, the Daltons, Sam Bass, Sundance, and Billy the Kid. Future generations have access to the movie, but know nothing of the true incident that inspired it. Will they accept the film as Gospel?
3. It is amazing how quickly Abraham springs in action to rescue his nephew from the Elamites, when he did nothing to rescue his wife from the lustful Egyptians. With a small party of armed servants, 318 of them, he was able to defeat, with superior strategy and a sneak, night-time attack, an army which surely would have numbered in the many thousands, if not tens of thousands. (The great powers of Mesopotamia would have had to taken a considerable force with them to subdue the rebellious Sodomites, if, indeed, that's what they did.) The tale is hardly credible, but it must be remembered that this is merely a propaganda piece to enhance ancient Jewish national pride by exalting its patriarch Abraham, making him a warrior who routs a far superior force and humbles the great kings of his time. (This is like Robin Hood and his merry men defeating in battle the combined forces of King John, Philip Augustus, and Frederick Barbarossa in order to rescue Maid Marian.) It is curious that Abraham who was so timid when he was in Egypt is now all of a sudden a bold man of action, a mighty warrior. Why this change of character? It is easily explained when one considers the likelihood that the two stories, passed down for more than a thousand years, may have applied to two different persons, perhaps living in different times.
4. It is written, not without purpose, that Abraham honors the King of Salem, because the city (later Jerusalem) would become the Hebrew capital and religious center. He rebuffs the generous offer of the King of Sodom, which is sin city and the anathema of Jehovah. It is noble that Abraham has offered his military services to the region' rulers pro bono, but this is certainly at odds with the man who accepted unearned gifts from the Pharaoh.
5. It would seem that his action in refusing the King of Sodom's generosity placed him in peril, so much so that Jehovah had to appear in a dream to comfort him -- and to reiterate the old promise of making him the father of a nation and the patriarch of numberless descendants. When Abraham starts asking too many questions, Jehovah falls back upon the familiar demand -- slaughter a few helpless animals for me, cut them up, and burn them. This, apparently, instead of the customary hand shake, was required to seal the deal. (The importance of the birds who were not sacrificed somehow escapes one.)
6. In this story there is also the prophecy of the 400-year bondage of the Israelites in Egypt. Since all that happens is the will of God, the writer of the Old Testament find it continually necessary to have Jehovah prophesy every significant future event -- with remarkable accuracy!
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