Interesting Facts

• Birsha was the king of Gomorrah.
• He was one of the five kings who made war with Chedorlaomer and his allies in the vale of Siddim.
• His forces were smitten before the kings of Elam.
• He fled and fell into a slimepit (lime pit) during the battle in the vale of Siddim.
• Along with the other defeated kings, he later met Abram in the valley of Shaveh (the king’s dale) after Abram’s victory over Chedorlaomer.

Genealogy

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

Historical Context Birsha’s reign as king of Gomorrah occurred during a period marked by significant inter-kingdom conflict in the region of the plain surrounding the Salt Sea. Gomorrah was part of a coalition of five city-states – Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (Zoar) – that had been under the dominion of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, these five kings rebelled against Chedorlaomer, leading to a military confrontation in the vale of Siddim in the fourteenth year. This event highlights the volatile political landscape of the time, where smaller kingdoms were subject to the rule of more powerful entities and occasionally sought to assert their independence. The presence of numerous slimepits in the vale of Siddim was a notable geographical feature that influenced the course of the battle. The moral and cultural state of Gomorrah is later depicted as exceedingly wicked, although the immediate context of Birsha’s actions is primarily framed by the military and political events of the war against Chedorlaomer.

Narrative

Birsha’s role in the narrative is primarily defined by his participation in the coalition of five kings who engaged in battle against Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, and his three allied kings in the vale of Siddim. As the king of Gomorrah, Birsha presumably led the forces of his city-state into this conflict. However, the five kings of the plain were ultimately defeated by the Elamite coalition. In the ensuing flight from the battle, Birsha, along with the king of Sodom, fell into one of the many slimepits that characterized the vale of Siddim. Following Abram’s intervention and defeat of Chedorlaomer, Birsha, having emerged from the slimepits, joined the other surviving kings of the defeated cities in meeting Abram in the valley of Shaveh. The king of Sodom took the lead in the subsequent interaction with Abram, offering him the goods of Sodom in exchange for the return of the people. Birsha’s direct speech or specific actions during this meeting are not detailed in the sources, but his presence indicates his acknowledgment of Abram’s victory and the subsequent offer made by the king of Sodom likely represented the collective will of the remaining rulers of the plain. Birsha’s narrative at this juncture underscores the vulnerability of these city-states to larger powers and their reliance on external forces, such as Abram, in the aftermath of military defeat.