Biblical Wars

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses and analyzes three legendary wars from the Bible which are discussed in two chapters from the Bible, Genesis 14 and Exodus 17 and apocryphal Book of Judith. It describes the common features of the wars and particularly focuses on the uncommon war strategies. The paper describes each of these wars in detail and cites several passages from the Bible to explain them.

From the Paper:

"Genesis 14 reveals God's mysterious actions through Abram's refusal to take their goods after the victory, as it would normally happen in a war. The unusual act can be interpreted as a testimony of God's glory, who is the only distributor of riches and poverty among men. As we find out from Abram, he had promised God not to take any of the goods after the victory so that the king of Sodom might not have occasion to tell Abram that he has made him rich: "I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, [...] that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich."(Genesis 14.22-23) Abram seems to have fought the battle in the usual way, with the help of his three hundred servants, but the fact that he does not take the spoil emphasizes that the act was done trough God's will: "And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand."(Genesis 14.20) Also, the text demonstrates God's sway over the will and the mind of his people, and his power to determine their behavior. Abram is an example of a model leader, who fears God and gives himself into His power."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Van Seters, John. Abraham in History and Tradition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1975
• Sawyer, Deborah. God, Gender and the Bible. New York: Routledge, 2002

More papers on Biblical Wars:

• Research Paper # 54531 : "'Just War' Theory"
• Essay # 4223 : "What Lies Behind the Battle of Jericho"
• Analytical Essay # 50527 : "The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"

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