Chedorlaomer

(= Khudur-Lagamar of the inscriptions), king of Elam. Many centuries before the age of Abraham, Canaan and even the Sinaitic peninsula had been conquered by Babylonian kings, and in the time of Abraham himself Babylonia was ruled by a dynasty which claimed sovereignity over Syria and Palestine. The kings of the dynasty bore names which were not Babylonian, but at once South Arabic and Hebrew. The most famous king of the dynasty was Khammu-rabi, who united Babylonia under one rule, and made Babylon its capital. When he ascended the throne, the country was under the suzerainty of the Elamites, and was divided into two kingdoms, that of Babylon (the Biblical Shinar) and that of Larsa (the Biblical Ellasar). The king of Larsa was Eri-Aku (“the servant of the moon-god”), the son of an Elamite prince, Kudur-Mabug, who is entitled “the father of the land of the Amorites.” A recently discovered tablet enumerates among the enemies of Khammu-rabi, Kudur-Lagamar (“the servant of the goddess Lagamar”) or Chedorlaomer, Eri-Aku or Arioch, and Tudkhula or Tidal. Khammu-rabi, whose name is also read Ammi-rapaltu or Amraphel by some scholars, succeeded in overcoming Eri-Aku and driving the Elamites out of Babylonia. Assur-bani-pal, the last of the Assyrian conquerors, mentions in two inscriptions that he took Susa 1635 years after Kedor-nakhunta, king of Elam, had conquered Babylonia. It was in the year B.C. 660 that Assur-bani-pal took Susa.

(handful of sheaves), a king of Elam, in the time of Abraham, who with three other chiefs made war upon the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Zoar, and reduced them to servitude. (Genesis 14:17)

roundness of a sheaf

CHEDORLA'OMER (handful of sheaves), the king of Elam, and one of the four allied kings who subjected the kings of the five cities of the plain. These remained in the service of Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth rebelled. Chedorlaomer summoned the allies, met the five kings, completely routed them, carried off much spoil, part of which belonged to Lot, whom they likewise captured. Abram started in pursuit with his own servants, defeated them, was able to recover all the spoil and his nephew Lot. In the battle Chedorlaomer appears to have perished. The narrative is given in Gen 14.

CHEDORLA'OMER (handful of sheaves), the king of Elam, and one of the four allied kings who subjected the kings of the five cities of the plain. These remained in the service of Chedorlaomer for twelve years, but in the thirteenth rebelled. Chedorlaomer summoned the allies, met the five kings, completely routed them, carried off much spoil, part of which belonged to Lot, whom they likewise captured. Abram started in pursuit with his own servants, defeated them, was able to recover all the spoil and his nephew Lot. In the battle Chedorlaomer appears to have perished. The narrative is given in Gen 14.