Battle of Siddim

Battle of Siddim

Abram Makes the Enemies Flee Who Hold His Nephew (1613 etching by Antonio Tempesta at the National Gallery of Art)
DateEarly 2nd millennium BCE
Location
Vale of Siddim (Salt Sea)
Result Cities of the Jordan plain freed from Mesopotamian control; Lot and captives rescued
Belligerents

Five Cities of the Plain

Unaligned:

Mesopotamian kingdoms

Commanders and leaders

Five Kings

Four Kings

The Battle of the Vale of Siddim, also often called the War of Nine Kings or the Slaughter of Chedorlaomer, is an event in the Hebrew Bible book of Genesis 14:1–17 that occurs in the days of Abram and Lot. The Vale of Siddim was the battleground for the cities of the Jordan River plain revolting against Mesopotamian rule.

Whether this event occurred in history has been disputed by scholars.[1] According to Ronald Hendel, "The current consensus is that there is little or no historical memory of pre-Israelite events in Genesis."[2]

  1. ^ Susan Brayford (2007). Genesis. Septuagint Commentary Series. BRILL. p. 293. ISBN 978-90-04-15552-7.
  2. ^ Ronald Hendel (2012). "Historical Context". In Craig A. Evans; Joel N. Lohr; David L. Petersen (eds.). The Book of Genesis: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation. BRILL. p. 64. ISBN 978-90-04-22653-1. The current consensus is that there is little or no historical memory of pre-Israelite events in Genesis