In theHebrew Bible,Amraphel/ˈæmrəˌfɛl/ (Hebrew:אַמְרָפֶל,romanized: ’Amrāp̄el;Greek:Ἀμαρφάλ,romanized: Amarphál;Latin:Amraphel) was a king ofShinar (Hebrew forSumer) inBook of Genesis Chapter 14,[1] who invadedCanaan along with other kings under the leadership ofChedorlaomer, king ofElam. Chedorlaomer's coalition defeatedSodom and the other cities in theBattle of the Vale of Siddim.
Beginning with E. Schrader in 1888,[2] Amraphel was usually associated withḪammurabi, who ruledBabylonia from 1792 BC until his death in 1750 BC. This view has been largely abandoned in recent decades.[3][4]
David Rohl has argued for an identification withAmar-Sin, the third ruler of theUr III dynasty.[5] Some suggest that Amraphel is a Semitic name that is composed of two elements, "Amar", which was also used by Sumerian King,Amar-Sin, and "a-p-l".[6]John Van Seters, inAbraham in History and Tradition, rejected the historical existence of Amraphel.[7] According toStephanie Dalley, Amraphel was "[e]ither Hammurabi with an unexplained suffix-el, orAmud-piʾel, king ofQatna, with the common misreading of the letterr ford; possibly a confusion of the two names."[8]
Rabbinic sources such asMidrashTanhumaLekh Lekhah 6,Targum Yonatan to Exodus 14:1, andEruvin 53a[9]: 2 identify Amraphel withNimrod. This is also asserted in the 11th chapter of theSefer haYashar, attested from the early 17th century:
And Nimrod dwelt in Babel, and he there renewed his reign over the rest of his subjects, and he reigned securely, and the subjects and princes of Nimrod called his name Amraphel, saying that at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.
— Sefer haYashar 11
Genesis Rabbah 42 says Amraphel was called by three names:Cush, after his father's name (Gen. 10:8), Nimrod, because he established rebellion (mrd) in the world, and Amraphel, as he declared (amar) "I will cast down" (apilah).