Bible Figure
Arioch
biblical king (Book of Genesis)
Arioch was king of Ellasar and one of the four eastern rulers who campaigned in Canaan in Genesis 14.
Biography
Genesis 14 names Arioch king of Ellasar alongside Amraphel of Shinar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal. Their coalition defeated the rebellious kings of the Jordan plain and carried off Lot. Abram then pursued the victorious army, defeated it, and rescued Lot and the captives. Attempts to identify Arioch and Ellasar precisely with rulers and locations known from ancient Near Eastern records remain uncertain.
Biblical Significance
Arioch belongs to the international setting of Abraham's rescue of Lot. Historical identifications beyond the Genesis account should be presented as proposals rather than established biblical facts.