Interesting Facts

• Shemeber was the king of Zeboiim.
• He was one of the five kings who made war with Chedorlaomer king of Elam and his allies in the vale of Siddim.
• His forces were smitten before the kings of Elam.
• He went out to join the other four kings in the vale of Siddim to do battle against the four kings led by Chedorlaomer.
• He was among the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah who fled during the battle in the vale of Siddim.

Genealogy

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

Historical Context

The reign of Shemeber as king of Zeboiim is situated within a period of significant geopolitical tension in the region of the plain of Siddim, later identified as the Salt Sea. Zeboiim was part of a coalition of five city-states that included Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Bela (Zoar). These five kingdoms had been under the dominion of Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, for twelve years. In the thirteenth year, these kings collectively rebelled against Elamite rule, setting the stage for a major military confrontation. The subsequent incursion of Chedorlaomer and his allies – Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, and Tidal king of nations – in the fourteenth year highlights the power dynamics of the time, where larger empires exerted control over smaller city-states, and attempts to break free often resulted in military conflict. The vale of Siddim, characterized by its numerous slimepits (or lime pits), served as the location for this pivotal battle. The moral climate of Sodom and Gomorrah is later described as exceedingly wicked [8, 13, 17b, 73, 91], and while Zeboiim is associated with them in this conflict, the sources do not explicitly detail the specific moral or cultural practices within Zeboiim itself during Shemeber’s reign in this particular context.

Narrative

Shemeber’s primary role in the narrative is as the king of Zeboiim, who joined the coalition of four other kings – Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, and the king of Bela – in an attempt to overthrow the dominion of Chedorlaomer of Elam. Motivated by the desire to end twelve years of servitude, Shemeber led the forces of Zeboiim into the vale of Siddim to engage in battle against Chedorlaomer and his three allied kings. This clash involved a total of nine kings, signifying a significant regional conflict. However, the combined forces of these five kings were ultimately defeated by the Elamite coalition. The narrative records that during the battle, Shemeber, along with the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, fled from the advancing armies of Chedorlaomer. The text notes that the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits, and the fleeing kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into them. While Shemeber is mentioned as being among those who fled, the specific detail of him falling into a slimepit is not explicitly stated in the sources, though it is a likely circumstance given the description of the battlefield and the fate of other fleeing kings. Following Abram’s defeat of Chedorlaomer and the recovery of the captured people and goods of Sodom, the king of Sodom took a leading role in the interaction with Abram in the valley of Shaveh. Although Shemeber is not mentioned specifically in this encounter, as one of the defeated kings whose forces were rescued indirectly by Abram’s victory, he would likely have been part of the collective relief and the subsequent offer made by the king of Sodom. His participation in the rebellion and the battle in the vale of Siddim defines his role within this segment of the narrative, highlighting the political struggles and military conflicts of the era.