Lives of Scripture

Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, held five Canaanite kings -- including the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah -- under tribute for twelve years (Genesis 14:1-4). When they rebelled in the thirteenth year, Chedorlaomer marched west the following year with three allied kings, first crushing several other peoples (the Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and Horites) before routing the five rebel kings in the tar-pit-filled Valley of Siddim (14:5-10). The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into the pits while fleeing, and the victors plundered Sodom and Gomorrah, carrying off goods, food, and captives -- including Lot, Abram's nephew, who was living in Sodom (14:11-12). When a survivor reported this to Abram, he armed 318 of his own trained men, pursued Chedorlaomer's retreating forces by night as far north as Dan, routed them, and pursued them further to Hobah, recovering Lot, the other captives, and all the plundered goods (14:13-16). Returning victorious, Abram was met and blessed by Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, to whom Abram gave a tenth of everything (14:17-20). Chedorlaomer himself speaks no words and receives no further mention in Scripture -- his campaign exists in the text chiefly as the occasion for Abram's decisive rescue of Lot and his first recorded encounter with Melchizedek.