Bera (king)

According to the Bible, Bera (Hebrew: בֶּ֫רַע Beraʿ; possibly meaning "gift") was the king of the city of Sodom, referred to in Genesis 14:2 in the Hebrew Bible:

They [Chedorlaomer and his allies] made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

Scholars are divided on Genesis 14. According to Frances Anderson, "Opinions range from identifying Genesis 14 as a piece of late fiction" to scholars who believe there may be "some historical foundation" behind the narrative it relates.

In the narrative, Bera joins four other Canaanite city kings in rebelling against Chedorlaomer, an Elamite king, and his allies who rule a vast area. In the Battle of the Vale of Siddim, the combined imperial forces plunder Sodom and nearby cities, taking many people captive and also much plunder. Bera and the king of Gomorrah, Birsha, flee the battle and fall into one of Siddim's many tarpits, while other survivors escape into the mountains. Abram's nephew Lot is captured during the battle, leading Abram (later Abraham) to engage in a rescue expedition.

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