Genesis 14:10
And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
The vale of Siddim was the battlefield where the five Canaanite kings were defeated, with many of their soldiers killed and the survivors fleeing to the mountains. Following that rout, the invaders plundered the cities and carried away Lot and his family as captives. That disaster sets the stage for Abraham's rescue of the captives from the Elamites.
Abraham's triumph over a far stronger force turned the attention of the people of Sodom toward the true faith, for his courage and his unselfish dealing with the prisoners and the spoil demonstrated the superiority of the religion he honored. The victory came by divine power, for Jehovah was the source of Abraham's strength and delivered his enemies into his hand.