since Abraham bowed before kings, does this support the Catholic and Orthodox practice of bowing before images?
No, veneration of images is unbiblical. However, regardless of a persons belief about veneration of images, this verse cannot be used to support bowing to images. In contrast to images, 1. Abraham bowed to show respect to a real person. 2. Abraham was showing respect to a pagan king, there was no veneration or any kind of religious honor. 3. Abraham did not pray to these kings. He also did not pray to God through these kings, as Orthodox claim to pray through the images to God. See When Cultists Ask p.28 for five additional reasons. Q: In Gen 20 and Ex 23:31, how could the Philistines be in Israel in Abrahams time, about 2000 B.C.? A: The earliest levels of Ashdod were occupied back in the 17th century (H.F. Vos, Archaeology in Bible Lands). Somebody lived in that fertile land back then, and there is no historical evidence which says it was not the Philistines. After the Egyptians defeated the Philistines in 1190 B.C., they came to Palestine in force, and makes sense they would retreat
