Bible Figure
Amraphel
opponent of Abram mentioned in Genesis 14
Amraphel was king of Shinar and one of the four eastern kings who campaigned in Canaan in Genesis 14.
Biography
Genesis 14 names Amraphel king of Shinar alongside Arioch, Chedorlaomer, and Tidal in a coalition that fought rebellious kings of the Jordan plain. The eastern coalition defeated several peoples and then the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, carrying off Lot and his possessions. Abram gathered his trained men, pursued the victors, defeated them, and rescued Lot. Attempts to identify Amraphel with particular rulers known from Mesopotamian history have been proposed, but no identification has achieved certainty from the biblical text alone.
Biblical Significance
Amraphel belongs to the international setting of Genesis 14, where Abram's rescue of Lot leads directly to his encounter with Melchizedek. Historical identifications should be presented as proposals rather than facts.