Valley of Siddim

Biblical Text and Narrative

The Valley of Siddim appears only in Genesis 14. The five kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar) had served Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, for twelve years. When they rebelled in the thirteenth year, Chedorlaomer invaded in the fourteenth year together with the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, and Goiim ("nations"). The five kings gathered to oppose them in "the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea," but were defeated (Genesis 14:3, 14:8–9).

Genesis 14:10 records that "the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits." The term refers to pits of bitumen, a naturally occurring asphalt. Some on the losing side fell into these pits, and the rest fled to the mountain. The victorious coalition carried off Lot, who was living in Sodom, along with his goods. When Abram heard the news, he "armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan," recovering Lot and his goods (Genesis 14:12–16). On his return, Melchizedek, king of Salem, blessed him (Genesis 14:18–20).

Background

The explanatory note "which is the salt sea" is generally read to mean that by the time the account was written, the site already lay within the Salt Sea, the body of water known today as the Dead Sea. Bitumen has been produced in the Dead Sea region since antiquity, and ancient Greek and Roman writers are known to have sometimes called the Dead Sea the "Asphalt Lake." Many scholars associate the Valley of Siddim with the shallow region at the southern end of the Dead Sea, but its exact location has not been established. The meaning of the Hebrew word Siddim is also uncertain.

Korean Bibles use the same transliteration (싯딤) for other places as well, such as the place where Israel encamped on the plains of Moab (Numbers 25:1; Joshua 2:1) and the "valley of Shittim" in Joel 3:18. In the Hebrew original, however, these represent a different word, meaning acacia trees, and they are distinct from the Valley of Siddim in Genesis 14. English Bibles render them as Shittim.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

This war follows Lot's choice of the well-watered plain of the Jordan and his move as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:10–12). For this reason, the account of the Valley of Siddim is often read as one stage in Lot's growing entanglement with Sodom. Later, in Genesis 19, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed.

In the same chapter, Abram gives Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils and refuses the goods offered by the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:20–24). In the New Testament, Hebrews 7 takes up this scene and connects Melchizedek with the priesthood of Christ. The place name Valley of Siddim itself, however, does not appear in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The relationship between the valley and the sea: A widely circulated explanation holds that the valley was submerged and became the Salt Sea when Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. The text, however, says only "which is the salt sea" and does not state when or how it became a sea.
• Those who fell into the bitumen pits: The Hebrew text states only that the kings "fell there." Yet in 14:17 the king of Sodom comes out again to meet Abram. For this reason, some interpreters understand those who fell into the pits to be soldiers, while others read the passage as saying that the king hid in the pits.
• Historicity: There have been attempts to identify the four kings with actual figures of the ancient Near East. For example, the view identifying Amraphel with Hammurabi was once proposed but is not widely accepted today. Scholars differ in their assessments of the date and character of the account.
• Connection with the tithe: The tithing scene in this chapter (Genesis 14:20) is frequently cited in the tithing debate. One side sees it as evidence that the tithe existed before the Law, while the other regards it as a one-time offering from the spoils of war.