| During the war of the five kings against the four | | | | and Haran was over-run, the troops all killed along |
| kings, Abraham's nephew Lot and his family were | | | | with Terah and Susanna, Abraham's first wife. Sarah |
| taken captive, and when Abraham heard it, he took | | | | was technically a secondary wife who was sterilized |
| 318 men "born in his household" and pursued them. | | | | so that she would bear no children to claim the |
| Who were these 318 men, and what was their | | | | inheritance, as that was the primary wife's duty. |
| significance? | | | | When Susanna and her children were slaughtered, |
| To understand these questions, first we have to | | | | Abraham married Sarah, which made her his primary |
| know who Abraham really was. His father, Terah, | | | | wife and so the effort for her to bear children |
| had been the general of the army in Babylon and had | | | | began, but that's another story for another time. |
| won many victories for the king of that city, thought | | | | Marduk and his army eventually prevailed, the leader |
| to be Nimrod. When war with Marduk broke out on | | | | of the lesser gods surrendered, and Abraham and his |
| his north-west border, Nimrod sent Terah to lead the | | | | men were decommissioned to become private |
| fighting and Terah appointed Abraham as a cavalry | | | | citizens. They decided to stay in the area where they |
| leader. Horses were of little use in that territory, so | | | | were, as the citizens appreciated their efforts at |
| Abraham and his men were provided with fast young | | | | keeping the area safe from robbers and thieves, so |
| female camels called dromedaries. Abraham rose | | | | they retained their general profile and organization |
| rapidly in respect as he won many skirmishes and his | | | | without the official backing they originally had. This |
| troops were gradually increased until he had a full | | | | permitted Abraham and his camp, now numbering |
| division for that day. | | | | well over 1,000 persons, to migrate to Egypt during |
| This division of soldiers consisted of 12 units of 25 | | | | the famine (yet another story for another time). |
| men, each with a captain, then each four captains | | | | When war broke out between the kings and Lot |
| had a commander for a total of 4 commanders who | | | | was taken captive, the people of the land appealed |
| answered to the general, who was Eleazer, the | | | | to Abraham, who took his trained troops in pursuit of |
| trusted servant who later brought Rebecca to Isaac | | | | the invaders and sent them running for their lives in |
| that Nimrod had given to Abraham when he first | | | | the middle of the night, drunk and disorganized. |
| commissioned Abraham. This Eleazer was a seasoned | | | | The modern interpretation of this information is that |
| battle veteran whose experience balanced Abraham's | | | | these 12 fighting groups are the basis of the 12 |
| lack of experience in the field, while Abraham had a | | | | tribes, and that Jacob's sons eventually inherited the |
| lot of experience in diplomacy. | | | | captaincy, each of one of the groups. This would |
| So there were 300 fighting men, 12 captains, 4 | | | | explain why Levi and Simeon were able to overcome |
| commanders, and one general, which brings the total | | | | Shechem so easily. They were not alone. They took |
| to 317. Then there was a Chief of Staff under | | | | their troops with them for a total of 54 trained, |
| Eleazer to assist him in his duties, bringing the total to | | | | well-armed warriors. |
| 318 men who ultimately reported to Abraham. | | | | There were other battles mentioned in common |
| Abraham was assigned to Terah when he was | | | | literature. One of them speaks of an incident in which |
| stationed in Haran, and his troops were assigned to | | | | Levi's shield was split into two parts by an enemy |
| the interior portion of the land near what is | | | | warrior and his left hand, the one holding the shield, |
| Damascus today to patrol and control it. Other | | | | was nearly severed from his arm. |
| troops were assigned to the border area. The | | | | The land eventually became so lawless that the |
| fighting went on for many years, long enough for | | | | group built a stone fortress when Abraham was an |
| children to be born to the wives of the troops under | | | | old man, and moved their wives and children into it |
| Abraham, so that these men were brought up and | | | | for safety. This was the fortress in which Jacob was |
| trained to succeed their fathers as soldiers, so they | | | | living when Esau's sons provoked him into fighting |
| were technically "born into Abraham's household" | | | | against Jacob, but that will have to wait for the next |
| since Abraham was responsible for their welfare. | | | | story telling session. |
| The fighting at the border didn't go so well, though, | | | | |