Interesting Facts

• Bela was the king of the city that was also known as Zoar.
• He was one of the five kings who engaged in war with Chedorlaomer king of Elam and his allies in the vale of Siddim.
• His kingdom, initially referred to as Bela, was later known as Zoar. This suggests a potential change in the city’s name or how it was referred to.
• He joined the other four kings in the vale of Siddim to wage war against the four kings led by Chedorlaomer.
• He was among the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah whose forces were smitten before the kings of Elam.

Genealogy

• The sources do not provide any information regarding Bela’s ancestry, birth, marital connections, or offspring.

Historical Context

The reign of Bela, who was the king of the city later known as Zoar, occurred during a period defined by the hegemonic control of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, over several city-states in the region of the vale of Siddim. For twelve years, Bela and the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim served under Chedorlaomer’s authority. The decision by these five kings to rebel in the thirteenth year signifies a desire to regain autonomy and highlights the volatile political landscape of the time, where smaller kingdoms often found themselves under the sway of more powerful rulers. This act of rebellion led directly to a military response in the fourteenth year, as Chedorlaomer, allied with the kings of Shinar, Ellasar, and nations, marched to quell the uprising. The vale of Siddim, which is identified as the location of the subsequent battle and is also described as the salt sea, was a geographically significant area where these competing powers clashed. The presence of slimepits (or lime pits) in this valley would have been a notable environmental factor influencing the events of the war and the fate of those who were defeated.

Narrative

Bela’s principal role in the narrative unfolds as the king of the city that was initially known as Bela and subsequently referred to as Zoar. He allied himself with the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim in a collective effort to resist the dominion of Chedorlaomer of Elam, after twelve years of servitude. Driven by the ambition to reclaim their independence, Bela led his forces into the vale of Siddim to confront Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings. This confrontation brought together a coalition of five kings against another of four, indicating a significant regional conflict. However, the combined military strength of Bela and his allies proved insufficient against the Elamite forces, as they were ultimately defeated in the vale of Siddim. The narrative further indicates that following their defeat, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into the slimepits that were prevalent in the valley. While Bela is identified as one of the five defeated kings who engaged in this battle, the sources do not explicitly detail his personal fate during the rout, other than his participation in the failed military endeavor. The city over which he ruled is later referred to as Zoar, notably being the city to which Lot requested to flee during the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, asking if it was not a “little one”. This later association with Lot’s escape suggests that Bela’s kingdom, under its later name, played a role in the aftermath of the conflict, although Bela himself is not mentioned in that later context within these sources. His participation in the rebellion and the battle in the vale of Siddim constitutes the primary narrative element associated with Bela in these texts, illustrating his involvement in the geopolitical struggles of his time.