In the land of Canaan

In the land of Canaan, there came upon them war.

King Chedorlaomer of Elam was a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah. Noah had made a prophecy, a curse upon his grandson, Canaan, for Ham, the father or Canaan had done a detestable thing when he went into his father Noah’s tent and found him naked in his drunkenness. He ran out of the tent to tell his brothers and because of this, Noah cursed his son Canaan. It is thought the reason had something to do with perversion upon Ham to cause Noah to curse his grandson. The curse was that Canaan would serve his brother (cousins), descendants of Shem. (Genesis 9)

The descendants of Canaan were the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar. They had violently seized the land that rightfully belonged to Shem’s descendants. King Chedolaomer, a descendant of Shem and ruler of Elam was the rightful owner of the land and made the citites pay tributary to dwell there. For twelve years they did this but on the thirteenth, they rebelled and refused to pay it. King Chedolaomer, Amraphel, king of Shinar (Samaria), Arioch, king of Ellasar, and Tidal, king of Goiim (of nations) declared war upon the cities. They came to the valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea), and in the fourteenth year of Chedolaomer, he with his allies, defeated the Rephaim (giants) in Asteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shavey-kiriathaim, the Horites in Mount Seir, and as far as El-paran which was by the wilderness.

When these places were defeated, King Chedolaomer turned back and went to Kadesh and conquered all the country of the Amalekites and the Amorites, who dwelt in Hazezontamar. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar, came against Chedolaomer and Amraphel, Arioch and Tidal. It was four kings against five.

The Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits and the soldiers of Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies fled, they fell into these tar pits and died, and the survivors all fled to the mountains. The war was over. Chedolaomer and the descendants of Shem were the victors. They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and their allies, including their food supplies. They also took captive Lot, nephew of Abram, and all his possessions and left.

A fugitive who had escaped capture and death fled to Abram the Hebrew (Abraham, who was still called Abram at this time). Abram was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eschol and brother of Aner, and they were allies with Abram. Abram gathered all his servants who had been trained in war, those born in his house and they numbered 318 and led them in pursuit to rescue Lot. They went as far as Dan. Here he divided his forces against them during the night defeated them. He rescued his nephew Lot and all his possessions, and also the women and the people. The reason Abram fought Chedolaomer was because they had broken the law of nations. Lot was a sojourner, not a citizen of Sodom, and therefore had no concern in the arguments between the kings. Abraham was justified in what he did to rescue Lot.

Afterward, the King of Sodom went to meet Abram at the valley of Shaveh, the King’s Valley. He’d fled as his armies were defeated, into the mountains. Now he came out of hiding to meet Abram to congratulate him for his victory over Chedolaomer and the other kings.

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