In the Hebrew Bible, Amraphel (; ; ) was a king of Shinar (Hebrew for Sumer) in Book of Genesis Chapter 14, who invaded Canaan along with other kings under the leadership of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. Chedorlaomer's coalition defeated Sodom and the other cities in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim.
Modern identifications
Beginning with E. Schrader in 1888, Amraphel was usually associated with Ḫammurabi, who ruled Babylonia from 1792 BC until his death in 1750 BC. This view has been largely abandoned in recent decades. The name Amraphel is combination of two words "Ammurāpi", which is the original pronunciation of the name "Hammurabi", and "El/Ilu", which means the "god" or the "lord", thus meaning "Hammurabi is (my?) lord." Considering this, Amraphel might not be the king Hammurabi himself, but one of Hammurabi's successors (e.g., Samsu-iluna) or any other southern Mesopotamian king who was under Hammurabi's influence. Other scholars have identified Amraphel with Aralius, one of the names on the later Babylonian king-lists, attributed first to Ctesias. Recently, David Rohl argued for an identification with Amar-Sin, the third ruler of the Ur III dynasty. 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". John Van Seters, in Abraham in History and Tradition, rejected the historical existence of Amraphel.
In Rabbinic tradition
Rabbinic sources such as Midrash Tanhuma Lekh Lekhah 6, Targum Yonatan to Exodus 14:1, and Eruvin 53a identify Amraphel with Nimrod. This is also asserted in the 11th chapter of the Sefer haYashar, attested from the early 17th century:
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).
References
Bibliography
Irving L. Finkel, The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2014).