I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 12-15. I have decided to switch from suing the New Living Translation to using the New International Version because, all in all, I prefer the NIV.

As I was reading today’s passage I started to wonder why the detailed description of the kings allied on either side of the battle which led to the capture of Lot and of the geopolitics which led to that battle.  Those listening to the story around the time it was first written down would not have known who any of these kings were, and would have barely known anything about the cities involved.  Then it struck me, this detail is evidence that the account is about an actual historical event.  Yes, by the time this story was written down many of those who were mentioned had been lost in the mists of time, and it is possible that at some point one or two of those mentioned had been substituted for those who were actually there due to someone’s flawed memory, but those telling it were not just telling a story, they were recounting an event which had actually happened.  As I think about this further, the account about Melchizedek’s encounter with Abraham suggests to me that Abraham had an ongoing relationship with Melchizedek.  Nothing particularly noteworthy, merely that they had friendly encounters from time to time, which were never important enough to mention in the stories about Abraham.