The Valley of Siddim and the Capture of Lot in the War of the Kings

"All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim" (Genesis 14:3). Three names were given to it: the Valley of Siddim, the Valley of Shaveh, the Valley of Sukkot. The Valley of Siddim, because it grew tree stumps. Another interpretation: because it was made of breasts, that it would nurse its inhabitants like breasts. "The Valley of Shaveh," because there all the nations were made equal, and they cut down cedars for him and made him a platform and seated him on high and praised him, and they said, "Hear us, my lord, you are a prince of God among us" (cf. Genesis 23:6). They said to him, "You are king over us, you are a prince over us, you are a god over us." He said to them, "Let the world not lack its king, let the world not lack its God." The Valley of Sukkot, because it was covered over with trees, vine and fig and pomegranate, nut and almond, apple and peach. "That is the Salt Sea": there was no sea there, but the channels of the river burst open and became a sea, as it is written, "He cut channels in the rocks" (cf. Job 28:10). "Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer" (Genesis 14:4-5). Rabbi Yose says, twelve and thirteen, that is twenty-five. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, all of them were thirteen years. And how does Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel uphold "and in the fourteenth year"? In the fourteenth year of their rebelling. "And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer," like an owner of a beam who loads himself with its thickest part. "And they struck the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim," in Ashteroth of the horns; "and the Zuzim with them," their splendid ones among them; "and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim," they are two. "And the Horites" (Genesis 14:6), this is the metropolis which they cleared out, and it went free in the generation of the dispersion; "unto El Paran," unto the plain of Paran. "And they returned and came to En Mishpat, which is Kadesh" (Genesis 14:7). They came only to assault the very pupil of the eye of the world; they sought to blind it, and so forth. "And they struck all the field of the Amalekites": Amalek had not yet arisen, but Scripture tells the end from the beginning. "And also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazazon Tamar," in En Gedi of the palms. "Four kings against the five" (Genesis 14:9), and they prevailed against them. "And the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits" (Genesis 14:10), wells upon wells bringing up bitumen. "And the king of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there." Rabbi Yehudah says, "and fell there," these are the troops, "and those who remained fled to the mountain," these are the kings. Rabbi Nehemiah says, "and fell there," these are the kings, "and those who remained fled to the mountain," the troops. According to Rabbi Yehudah it is well; according to Rabbi Nehemiah it is not well: when Abraham went down into the fiery furnace and was saved, there were some of the nations of the world who believed and some who did not believe; once the king of Sodom went down into the bitumen and was saved, they began to believe retroactively. "And all their food" (Genesis 14:11), these are the dates. "And they took Lot and his goods, the son of Abram's brother" (Genesis 14:12). Thus they did to Lot: they put him in a cage and took him with them. Why all this? "And he was dwelling in Sodom," to fulfill what is said, "He who walks with wise men becomes wise" and so forth (Proverbs 13:20). "And there came the fugitive" (Genesis 14:13). He is Og, he is the fugitive. And why was he called Og? Because he came and found Abraham occupied with the commandment of cakes [ugot]. He did not intend it for the sake of Heaven; Abraham said, "This one is a zealot. Now I will tell him that his brother's son has been captured, and he will go out to war and be killed, and I will take Sarai his wife." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "The reward of your steps you shall receive, that you live long days; and because you intended to kill the righteous one, by your life, you shall see a thousand thousands of his children, and the end of that man is to fall only by their hand," as it is said, "And the LORD said to Moses, Fear him not, for I have given him into your hand" (Numbers 21:34).