CHAPTER 10.

How Abram Fought With The Assyrians, And Overcame Them, And Saved
The Sodomite Prisoners, And Took From The Assyrians The Prey They
Had Gotten.

1. When, Abram heard of their calamity, he was at once afraid for
Lot his kinsman, and pitied the Sodomites, his friends and
neighbors; and thinking it proper to afford them assistance, he
did not delay it, but marched hastily, and the fifth night fell
upon the Assyrians, near Dan, for that is the name of the other
spring of Jordan; and before they could arm themselves, he slew
some as they were in their beds, before they could suspect any
harm; and others, who were not yet gone to sleep, but were so
drunk they could not fight, ran away. Abram pursued after them,
till, on the second day, he drove them in a body unto Hoba, a
place belonging to Damascus; and thereby demonstrated that
victory does not depend on multitude and the number of hands, but
the alacrity and courage of soldiers overcome the most numerous
bodies of men, while he got the victory over so great an army
with no more than three hundred and eighteen of his servants, and
three of his friends: but all those that fled returned home
ingloriously.

2. So Abram, when he had saved the captive Sodomites, who had
been taken by the Assyrians, and Lot also, his kinsman, returned
home in peace. Now the king of Sodom met him at a certain place,
which they called The King's Dale, where Melchisedec, king of the
city Salem, received him. That name signifies, the righteous
king: and such he was, without dispute, insomuch that, on this