Interesting Facts

• Menon is identified as one of the four judges governing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, specifically residing in Zeboyim.
• Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, referred to Menon by the altered name Matzlodin.
• As a judge in Zeboyim, Menon would have been instrumental in enforcing the wicked and oppressive customs of these cities.
• By the decree of Menon and the other judges, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah erected beds in the streets for the torturous practice of measuring and mistreating travelers.
• The judges, including Menon, upheld the cruel custom of denying food to the poor and then seizing their possessions upon their death.

Genealogy

• The provided sources contain no information regarding the genealogy of Menon or Matzlodin. There are no details concerning their ancestry, birth, familial connections, or offspring mentioned within these texts.

Historical Context

Menon’s role as a judge in Zeboyim places him squarely within the historical and cultural milieu of the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboyim, and Bela (Zoar). These cities were collectively infamous for their extreme wickedness and sinfulness before the Lord. The societal norms and practices, shaped and enforced by authorities like Menon, were characterized by profound inhospitality and brutality towards strangers. Furthermore, a deeply entrenched cruelty towards the poor was evident, involving the denial of sustenance and the subsequent appropriation of any meager possessions they might have acquired. The judges, including Menon, were the pillars of this corrupt system, wielding their authority to maintain these detestable customs, thereby contributing to the pervasive moral degradation that ultimately led to the divine destruction of these cities.

Narrative

Menon’s individual narrative within the provided sources is not presented through specific personal accounts or dialogues. Instead, his character is revealed primarily through his position as one of the four ruling judges of the condemned cities, specifically in Zeboyim. His significance lies in his participation in the collective decisions and enforcement of the inhumane laws and customs that defined these societies. The explicit mention that the erection of the torture beds in the streets was done by the desire of the four judges, including Menon, underscores his direct complicity in this cruel practice against travelers. Similarly, his authority as a judge would have been crucial in upholding the wicked treatment of the poor. While the texts do not offer specific instances of Menon’s personal interactions or judgments like those attributed to Serak, his role as a judge in Zeboyim firmly establishes him as an integral figure in the systemic injustice and moral bankruptcy that characterized these cities and ultimately sealed their fate.