Devotional Short Note on Genesis 14
Again this chapter holds a surprise to
many readers who did not know its’ historicity. There are extra-biblical
sources that support the veracity and historicity of this chapter. Scholars
knew about it long ago but at a certain point gave up thinking about the
reality of these long-periods mentioned in cuneiform texts. They shelved it as
errors or scribal oversights or slips of the eye, ear, hand, tongue or memory. In
an article I dealt with important cuneiform texts I discovered that they were
accounting their dates and events very accurately but that we as moderns do not
know how they calculated. Instead of being skeptical of these handful of
long-period texts, I lined them up within history and ended with Amraphel of
this chapter as a second earlier Hammurabi or Hammurabi I, of which the later
Hammurabi II or lawgiver was the second one. Many old scholars at the beginning
of the discovery of these texts thought that there was only one Hammurabi and
that these texts refer to the Lawgiver. However, as chronology of Mesopotamia
became refined and the Lawgiver Hammurabi was definitely circa 1792 BCE, they
then pulled-up their shoulders and said that these handful long-period texts
had slips in them. They moved to footnotes in their articles and that is where
modern consensus placed them. Without reproducing these academic material here,
I refer more serious reader to the article online available in the in (IJRSSH)
2017, Vol. No. 7, Issue No. I, Jan-Mar pages 114-140 especially 118 at http://www.ijrssh.com). Summarizing my findings I said in the
abstract: “ “In this article five of them are selected.
One reference is about 800 years; another one 700 years; still another 600
years and a further one covering a long period of 3200 years, the last which is
a case of a need for a better understanding of Ancient Mathematics or Counting
systems. These texts were discovered, transliterated, translated and discussed
or commented upon by many scholars since the middle of the 19th century.
Scholars are divided into two or more camps regarding these periods in
cuneiform references: those who tried to find historicity in them taking them
at face value; those who reject them as bogus and just “round numbers”.
Optimistic scholars and pessimistic scholars are divided by the epistemology
they are operating as well as the methodology they are selecting to solve the
problems. Those who are skeptical in hermeneutics will not utilize these texts
to construct chronology. Those who are affirmative in hermeneutics will try to
find solutions.” The year of Amraphel is counted very
carefully with biblical chronology as my findings explained fully in the
article and how I calculated it: “When Abraham was 75 years old he left
his country Haran (Genesis 12:4). That was in 2165 BCE. The invasion of the
Jordan Salt-sea area valley was probably directly after 2165 BCE, thus between
2165-2153 BCE (Genesis 14:4). In the 13th year they rebelled thus in 2152 BCE.
The suppression of the revolt was in the 14th year in 2151 and Lot was taken as
well. The disaster to Lot is after the sin of birth of Ismael and the disbelief
in God’s ability with the promise through Sarah. In that year 2151 BCE,
Melchizedek met Abraham (Genesis 14:18). The incident of the lie in Egypt took
place shortly before the invasion of the Jordan area by Amraphel and the others
in 2165 BCE. One can almost say the punishment for his lies in Egypt was the
invasion of the Jordan valley near the salt-sea. The punishment for the Hagar
event was the kidnapping of Lot. Bad foreign practices came in the valley of
Jordan and God had to eliminate Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18; 19). This was
after 2151 BCE. The relevant time to consider here is the time of Amraphel
between 2165-2153 BCE. If the beginning of this invasion is the calculating
point of departure for the later cuneiform texts, then 700 years distant from
Amraphel = Hammurabi is 1465 BCE for Burnaburiash. He reigned 27 years
according to Brinkman’s economic texts analysis: my allocation between
1465-1438 BCE. Kurigalzu followed him for 24 years between 1438-1414 BCE.
Nazi-Maruttash followed with 26 years between 1414-1388 BCE. Kadashman-Turgu
reigned for 18 years between 1388-1370 BCE. Kadashman-Enlil II reigned for at
least 8 years from 1370-1362 BCE. Kudur-Enlil reigned for 8 years between
1362-1354/3 BCE. Šagarakti-Šuriaš reigned for 12/13 years between 1354/3-
1342/1 BCE. A cross-check if the calculation is correct is the Distanzangabe of
800 years between Šagarakti-Šuriaš and Nabonidus and if the biblical orientated
dating of 1342/1 is the point of calculating the 800 years to Nabonidus, then
that 800 years ended in 541, exactly in the reign of Nabonidus.” (Van Wyk 2017:
119). The cuneiform counting and the
biblical chronology are exactly corresponding. Sofar I am alone in these
findings but many scholars are reading the article online at Academia.com so I
presume to hear from them in the future. Hammurabi or Amraphel is also
linguistically possible to be linked. “L. W. King mentioned some in 1907:
“Schrader’s suggestion that Amraphel is a corruption of the name of Hammurabi
has been regarded, linguistically, as extremely probable; but a difficulty
which has stood in the way of its unqualified acceptance has been that the
majority of writers on Babylonian history have assigned dates to Hammurabi some
centuries earlier than the date of Abraham according to the Biblical
chronology,” (L. W. King 1907: 22). King was citing Ryle’s article “Amraphel”
in Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, I, page 88. K. Kitchen voiced his
opinion on the equation of Hammurapi and Amraphel. He mentioned scholars who
accepted the identification like W. Albright and earlier studies such as K.
Jaritz, and also F. Cornelius (1960). Kitchen concluded: “Amraphel is
uncertain, but is most unlikely to be Hammurapi” (K. A. Kitchen, Ancient Orient
and Old Testament. London: Inter-Varsity Press, 1966. Hbk, page 44).
Linguistically he complained that initial ‘aleph-sound in ‘Amraphel is opposed
to the initial `ayin in Hammurapi which is thought to be that way because of
evidence more than a millennium later at Ugarit. His second objection is the
element –l in Amraphel but not in Hammurapi. This second objection can be
explained. If Hammurapi’s name was sometimes presented or called by factions in
society as d[ingir = god] and that accompanied his name at times, as was common
in Mesopotamia, then one would expect that a Semitic form of that rendering
would be Amraph-el where the el = god coincides with the dingir = god attached
to names in Levant.” (Van Wyk 2017: 115 footnote 6). What we have so far is a first
Hammurabi who’s name ended with the Canaanite god –el because it was the
practice in the days of the Babylonians to put dinger = god before the name of
important kings. Jews read from right to left and since they put in cuneiform
left to right the sign for god =dinger, that would be attached to the end of the
name of the King in Hebrew phonics. The years are 2165-2153 BCE for
Amraphel or Hammurabi I. Notice the geographical condition of the climate and
surroudings of the Dead Sea in these years in Genesis 13:10: “And Lot lifted up
his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered
everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of
the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go unto Zoar” = = י
וַיִּשָּׂא-לוֹט אֶת-עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת-כָּל-כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ
מַשְׁקֶה--לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת יְהוָה אֶת-סְדֹם וְאֶת-עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן-יְהוָה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם
בֹּאֲכָה צֹעַר.
Egypt and the Dead Sea were countries to desired to live. Like the Garden of
Eden. Five kings retired here in this “Beverly Hills” of Abraham and Lot’s
time. Lot’s wife were very happy there in the “debt-valley of the rich”. Image
and show was the name of the game. Fame was connected to how many diamonds and
gold the camels outside the house had on their saddles and travel gear. But Lot’s
wife was drawn in by these shiny flickering objects. Genesis 14:3 says that the Dead Sea
was the area: “valley of Siddim--the same is the Salt Sea” = אֶל-עֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים הוּא יָם הַמֶּלַח. These
kings from the East with Hammurabi I or Amraphel as the key player, colonized
the area for 12 years. Maybe a punishment for Abraham’s lie to Pharaoh Neterkhet
of the 2nd Dynasty of Egypt. The one who suffered also a drought and
talked about it in his 18th year of his reign in the Famine Stela as
seven years of severe drought. The inhabitants rebelled in the 13th
year: “and in the thirteenth year they rebelled” = וּשְׁלֹשׁ-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, מָרָדוּ. It was the
year 2152 BCE. According to strict biblical chronology [calculating the Exodus
as 1450 BCE and Solomon’s fourth year as 970 BCE]. The Bible and History are standing side by side and the
Hebrews were just as careful about their computations of dates and events in
their biblical transmission of texts as the cuneiform scribes were in
calculating the exact years between Hammurabi and a Kassite king many years
later or between a Kassite king until Nabonidus, the father of Belshazzar of
Daniel fame. Gone is the theory of myths and legends or “prehistory” of the
first chapters of Genesis. Gone are the uncertainties and “ifs” and “maybes”. It
really happened. In 2151 BCE which is the 14th year “And in the
fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote” =
וּבְאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה
שָׁנָה בָּא כְדָרְלָעֹמֶר וְהַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיַּכּוּ. They
attacked all the surrounding neigbors of Sodom and Gemorrah valley and then
came to the valley itself as well. These kings of the cities set their
battle against the Imperialists “and they set the battle in array against them
in the valley of Siddim;”= יַּעַרְכוּ אִתָּם
מִלְחָמָה בְּעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים. This
beautiful “Garden of Eden” valley of Siddim had one problem: slime pits. A good
apple with little bad spots. “Now the valley of Siddim was full of slime pits;
and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell there, and they that
remained fled to the mountain.” = וְעֵמֶק הַשִּׂדִּים בֶּאֱרֹת בֶּאֱרֹת חֵמָר וַיָּנֻסוּ מֶלֶךְ-סְדֹם
וַעֲמֹרָה וַיִּפְּלוּ-שָׁמָּה וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים הֶרָה נָּסוּ.. “Ismael
was circumcised when Abraham was 99 years old in 2141 BCE (Genesis 17:25). At
that time Ismael was 13 years old so Ismael was born when Abraham was 86 years
old in 2154 BCE (Genesis 16:17).” (Van Wyk 2017: 118). The
error with taking God’s promises in his own hands, Abraham made in the year
2155 BCE so Ishmael was born in 2154 BCE. The rebellion was in 2152 BCE and in
2151 BCE Lot was grabbed as well. “And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son,
who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed” = וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-לוֹט וְאֶת-רְכֻשׁוֹ בֶּן-אֲחִי אַבְרָם, וַיֵּלֵכוּ;
וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב, בִּסְדֹם (Genesis 14:12). As punishment for Abraham’s lie and Egypt, colonization
of Siddim Valley came. As punishment for Ishmael incident, Lot was captivated
and taken away. Abraham had to wage a war to get Lot back again. God forgives the sinner for his sins, but he consequences
of our sins He does not remove. I
wonder if the latest SDA Commentary on Genesis noticed this connection here? I
do not have one here in the Orient. After
a very good military tactic Abraham brought the captives back and were
victorious over Chedorlaomer and his coalition. As a result many kings came to
thank Abraham among them Melchizedek. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought
forth bread and wine; and he was priest of God the Most High.” = וּמַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא
לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן, לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן. In the word
Jeru-salem is a part that may be connected to a priest who was serving in 2151
BCE as a priest for God and he came to Abraham as well. He brought bread and
grapejuice to Abraham. Alcohol is out of the question. God and alcohol do not
mix. Alcohol is a symbol of sin. It’s effects are also. After
the blessing that God helped Abraham with good tactics, Abraham humbled himself
and his own pride of achievements and recognized God in his life by paying
tithe (Genesis 14:20) “And he gave him a tenth of all” = וַיִּתֶּן-לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר מִכֹּל.
Dear
God We
also want to bring to You from our income a tenth to the House of God and for
the ministry of the preachers in Your vineyard. Bless us also. In Jesus Name. Amen