History
The Ebla Tablets were discovered in northern
Syria by two professors from the University
of Rome, Dr. Paolo Matthiae, an archaeologist;
and Dr. Giovanni Petinato, an epigrapher. The
excavation of Tell Mardikh began in 1964 and
in 1968 they uncovered a statue of King Ibbit-Lim.
Since 1974, 17,000 tablets have been unearthed
from the era of the Ebla Kingdom. These tablets
have already made valuable contributions to
biblical criticism.
One contribution is in relation to Genesis
14. Critics have have described the victory
of Abraham over Chedorlaomer and the Mesopotamian
kings as fictitious and the five Cities of
the Plain (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim
and Zoar) as legendary.
Genesis 14:8 And there went out the king
of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the
king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and
the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;) and
they joined battle with them in the vale
of Siddim The Ebla archives, however,
refer to all five Cities of the Plain and on one tablet
the cities are listed in the exact same sequence
as Genesis 14. The tablets further reflect
that the region was prosperous and successful
with a patriarchal culture consistent with
that recorded in Genesis prior to the catastrophe
recorded in Genesis 14.
Thousands of Tablets
Over 8000 inscribed
clay tablets discovered at Ebla show close
contact
with
Mari and
indicate that the site wielded extensive
political power. Contacts with cities in
the south of Mesopotamia were also significant.
King Sargon and his grandson Naram-sin,
the conquerors of much of Mesopotamia,
each claim to have destroyed Ebla; the
exact date of destruction is the subject
of continuing debate.
Scriptures
Genesis 19:24 Then
the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah
brimstone and fire from the
Lord
out of heaven.
Genesis 14:8 And
there went out the king of Sodom,
and the king of Gomorrah,
and the king of Admah,
and the king of Zeboiim,
and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar;)
and they joined battle with them in the vale
of Siddim
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