According to the Bible, Bera ( ''Beraʿ''; possibly meaning "gift"
, ''International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' (1915).) was the king of the wicked city of Sodom, spoken of in Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
14:2, "... ''that'' they made war with Bera king of Sodom."
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.Canaan
CanaanThe current scholarly edition of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interprets. 2. ed. / recogn. et emendavit Robert Hanhart. Stuttgart : D ...
ite city kings in rebelling against Chedorlaomer
Chedorlaomer, also spelled Kedorlaomer (; ; ''Khodollogomor''), is a king of Elam mentioned in Genesis 14. Genesis portrays him as allied with three other kings, campaigning against five Canaanite city-states in response to an uprising in the day ...
, an Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
ite king and his allies who rule a vast area. In the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
The Battle of the Vale of Siddim, also often called the War of Nine Kings or the Slaughter of Chedorlaomer, is an event in the Hebrew Bible book of that occurs in the days of Abram and Lot (Biblical), Lot. The Vale of Siddim was the battleground ...
, 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 tarpit
Tar pits, sometimes referred to as asphalt pits, are large asphalt deposits. They form in the presence of petroleum, which is created when decayed organic matter is subjected to pressure underground. If this crude oil seeps upward via fractures ...
s while other survivors escape into the mountains (14:10).
In popular culture
In the Israel film ''Zohi Sdom
''Zohi Sdom'' (, ) is an Israeli comedy feature film released on 5 August 2010. It was conceived and created by the team behind the television programme ''Eretz Nehederet'', and directed by Muli Segev and . According to official figures, the movi ...
'', roughly based upon the Biblical tale of Sodom and Gomorrah
In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah () were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Sodom and Gomorrah are repeatedly invoked throughout the Hebrew Bible, Deuterocanonical texts, and the New Testament as symbols of sin, di ...
, King Bera is portrayed by actor Eli Finish
Eli Finish (; born 17 July 1975) is an Israeli actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He is well known for acting in the popular TV show Eretz Nehederet.
Career
After his release from the IDF in 1996, Finish studied acting in the art sch ...
as the corrupt dictator of the city.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Sodom and Gomorrah
Monarchs in the Torah
Lech-Lecha
Book of Genesis people
Canaanite people
Ancient rebels