The skies over the Valley of Siddim hung heavy with the scent of war. Four mighty kings—Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim—formed a fearsome alliance. They swept across the lands like a storm, waging war against five rebellious kings: Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the unnamed king of Bela, also called Zoar.
For twelve long years, these five cities had bent the knee to Kedorlaomer. But in the thirteenth, they rose in defiance. Kedorlaomer would not have it. In the fourteenth year, his armies marched. The earth trembled beneath their boots as they crushed the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, swept through Ham to defeat the Zuzites, destroyed the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim, and chased the Horites up into the rugged hills of Seir, near the edge of the desert.
Their campaign of wrath didn't end there. They turned back toward Kadesh, striking down the Amalekites and Amorites in Hazazon Tamar.
Then the five rebel kings gathered their forces and stood together in the Valley of Siddim, the land near the Salt Sea. It was four kings against five. The battlefield was treacherous—full of sticky tar pits. As the battle raged, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled. Some fell into the pits; others vanished into the hills.
Victory belonged to Kedorlaomer's alliance. They plundered Sodom and Gomorrah, taking everything—goods, food, and people. Among the captives was Lot, Abram's nephew, who had been living in Sodom.
But word travels fast. A survivor escaped the slaughter and found Abram, who dwelled near the oaks of Mamre the Amorite—an ally, along with his brothers Eshcol and Aner.
When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken, something fierce lit within him. He summoned 318 trained men born in his household and rode out under the cloak of night, pursuing the captors all the way to Dan.
Under moonlight, Abram divided his forces and struck. Surprise was his ally, and victory followed. He pursued the fleeing kings as far as Hobah, north of Damascus, and recovered everything—Lot, the women, the goods, and the people.
Upon returning, Abram was met in the Valley of Shaveh—the King's Valley—by the king of Sodom. But another figure appeared too: Melchizedek, king of Salem. A mysterious ruler, he was also priest of God Most High. He brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram, saying:
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand."
In awe and gratitude, Abram gave him a tenth of all he had won.
Then came the king of Sodom with an offer: "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."
But Abram refused. "I have sworn an oath to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth," he said. "I will take nothing—not even a thread or sandal strap—so that you can never say, 'I made Abram rich.' Let only my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre—take their share. As for me, I want nothing."
And so Abram stood tall—not just a man of war, but a man of integrity, blessed by heaven and unwavering in honor.