Bera
Who he was
Bera was the king of Sodom during the time of Abraham. He formed an alliance with four other kings—Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (Zoar)—to rebel against Chedorlaomer, the king of Elam, whom they had served for twelve years (Gen. 14:1-2). In the ensuing battle, known as the Battle of the Valley of Siddim, the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell into the tar pits, while the rest fled to the mountains (Gen. 14:10). Chedorlaomer's forces captured the goods and people of Sodom and Gomorrah, including Abraham's nephew Lot. This prompted Abraham to mount a rescue mission, ultimately defeating Chedorlaomer and his allies and freeing the captives (Gen. 14:14-16).
Every mention
Genesis 1 mention
What the dictionary says
Gift, or son of evil, king of Sodom at the time of the invasion of the four kings under Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14:2, 8, 17, 21).
Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain