Interesting Facts

• Bela was a man from the house of Ashur.
• Bela went from the land of Ninevah.
• Bela’s journey was to sojourn with his household wherever he could find a place.
• Bela and his household came until opposite the cities of the plain against Sodom.
• Bela built a small city there and called its name Bela, after his name, which is the land of Zoar unto this day.

Genealogy

• Bela was a man from the house of Ashur.
• Ashur was a son of Shem, the son of Noah.

Historical Context

The narrative of Bela unfolds in the period after the Lord had scattered the sons of men on account of their sin at the tower. Following the confusion of tongues and the dispersal, the descendants of Noah spread forth into many divisions, each according to its language, land, or city. The sons of men built many cities in the places where they were scattered. Bela’s departure from Ninevah and his search for a place to sojourn are situated within this context of post-Babel migrations and the establishment of new settlements. His decision to settle near the cities of the plain against Sodom and build a new city reflects the pattern of individuals and families seeking new territories and establishing their own communities in the wake of the great scattering.

Narrative

The account of Bela begins in the second year after the tower. Bela, identified as a man from the house of Ashur, departed from the land of Ninevah with his household, seeking a place to settle. His journey led him to a location opposite the cities of the plain against Sodom, where he chose to dwell. In this new location, Bela took the initiative to build a small city, which he named Bela, after his own name. The text notes that this city became known as Zoar and persisted to the time of the writing. Bela’s actions exemplify the process of resettlement and city-building that characterized the post-Babel era, where individuals and families ventured out and established new communities, often naming them after themselves or significant events. His story, though brief, highlights the individual initiative taken in the repopulation and reorganization of the earth after the confusion of languages.