Genesis 13, archaeology and Biblical geography provide clues
According to the Bible, “the men of Sodom were wicked” (Genesis 13, verse 13). For its many sins, God destroyed Sodom and all the inhabitants of the “cities of the plain” in an intense conflagration, but not before allowing Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family to flee to safety.
The stories of Sodom and its destruction, whether historical or not, were clearly understood to have occurred near the Dead Sea, among the so-called “cities of the plain” mentioned in Genesis 13, verse 12. But where exactly was this plain, and was a particular site associated with Sodom? In the article “Where Is Sodom?” in the March/April 2013 issue of BAR, archaeologist Steven Collins combines clues from Biblical geography with archaeological evidence from the site of Tall el-Hammam in Jordan to suggest that the author of Genesis 13 located Sodom in a fertile area northeast of the Dead Sea.
So where is Sodom, according to the Biblical geography of Genesis 13? Sodom and its sister cities are located in the large oval-shaped, fertile plain just north of the Dead Sea called simply ha-kikkar, or “the Disk” (Genesis 13, verse 13). In Biblical geography, this well-watered disk-shaped plain, said to have been located east of the highland towns of Bethel and Ai, was an area “like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” where Lot moved his family after his quarrel with Abraham (Genesis 13, verse 10). It is also the place where the Biblical writers set their dramatic tale of Sodom’s wickedness and destruction (Genesis 19).
Other than Israel, no country has as many Biblical sites and associations as Jordan: Mount Nebo, from where Moses gazed at the Promised Land; Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John baptized Jesus; Lot’s Cave, where Lot and his daughters sought refuge after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; and many more. Travel with us on our journey into the past in our free eBook Exploring Jordan.
Seeking to answer the question “Where is Sodom?” and using the Biblical geography of Genesis 13 as a guide, Collins decided to excavate Tall el-Hammam, an extensive and heavily fortified site located in modern Jordan at the eastern edge of the kikkar. First inhabited during the Chalcolithic period (4600–3600 B.C.E.), the site attained its maximum size during the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000–1600 B.C.E.) and became one of the largest cities in Canaan. But unlike other Canaanite cities that continued to flourish in the Late Bronze Age (1550-1200 B.C.E.), Tall el-Hammam was destroyed by fire at the end of the Middle Bronze Age and remained uninhabited for centuries.
Read responses by scholars Bill Schlegel and Todd Bolen regarding the location of Sodom.
Across Tall el-Hammam, archaeologists found widespread evidence of an intense conflagration that left the Middle Bronze Age city in ruins. They found scorched foundations and floors buried under nearly 3 feet of dark grey ash, as well as dozens of pottery sherds covered with a frothy, “melted” surface; the glassy appearance indicates that they were briefly exposed to temperatures well in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the approximate heat of volcanic magma. Such evidence suggests the city and its environs were catastrophically destroyed in a sudden and extreme conflagration.
Was it this event—which destroyed Hammam and the other cities of the kikkar—that was remembered by the Biblical writers in their telling of the story of Sodom?
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This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on February 20, 2013.
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Sodom long extinct to Isaiah’s day, and to Justin’s day
Justin Martyr, An Answer to the Jews, .9:
“For it calls your rulers ‘rulers of Sodom,’ and your people ‘the people of Gomorrah,’ [Isaiah 1:20] when those cities had already been long extinct.”
Note what is said in the Second Century A.D., THAT of ca. 735 B.C. “those cities [Sodom included] had been LONG extinct.”
Justin implies a length of time / extinction excelling many hundreds of years, and that once extinguished, Sodom never was inhabited again. By the absence of any Patristics and other ante-Nicene historians citing the habitation of Sodom since Isaiah 1:20, we also should note that wherever Sodom is, it remains uninhabited to at least the ante-Nicene period.
______________________________________
Mar 24, 2008, 02:55 PM Biblical Archaeology Society Forum (where I debated Dr Collins and Dr Graves previously).
Dr. Collins writes: “The biblical record does not say all evidence of their existence was wiped from the face of the earth so that the same locale would never be inhabited again.”
My Reply:
Isaiah 1:9 implies total annihilation:
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”
Deuteronomy 29:23 translates the destruction of Sodom as in the present tense, and on-going: “the whole land thereof IS brimstone, and salt, and burning, that IT IS NOT sown, NOR beareth, NOR any grass groweth therein, LIKE the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”
Jeremiah 49:18 implies total annihilation:
“As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.” and implies, no man shall dwell in it ever again.
Jeremiah 50:40 implies total annihilation:
“As G-D overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.” (again, “ever again” is implied by the text)
Jesus testifies that Sodom ceased existence, and implies having ceased existence in the Day it was judged:
“But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:29) — with — “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” (Matthew 11:23)
2 Peter 2:6 testifies that it ceased in existence:
“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”
Jude 7 testifies that Sodom ceased to exist: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The plain text readings support the permanent annihilation of Sodom, and these plain text interpretations are clearly supported by Jesus, Peter, and Jude in the NT.
The error in the argument by Dr. Collins becomes clearly apparent when Dr. Collins is unable to distinguish “esh” /”fire” because of immersion into the philosophical potential of its usages, rather than the plain text application.
He also struggles with Zephaniah 2:9, saying “dealing with similes, metaphors, and other figures of speech, one must be very careful to ascertain their character, which is often hyperbolic”…but sometimes a text implies what it implies, unless clarified by another text…as Sodom’s destruction clearly is…even without Josephus.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dr . Collins writes:” The Bible does not say Sodom and Gomorrah were located anywhere near the southern end of the Dead Sea.”
My Reply:
Genesis 10:19 expresses the boundary of Sodom as being southerly:
“And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon [in the north], as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza [the westerly south coast and border on the Mediterranean Sea]; as thou goest, unto Sodom, [implying a south and easterly border area toward or in the south Dead Sea region] and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.”
…Even Jewish Targums and the Babylonian Talmud, as well as Patristics, to my knowledge, have NEVER EVEN HINTED of a “still existing” Sodom that could be inhabited at any time by any body in their day. I think that one point alone, deserves consideration and thought before proceeding, should we dare do so.
Apr 11, 2008, 06:40 PM
Dr. Collins writes:
“Albright certainly was a genius on many subjects within the ANE sphere, but he was as sharp as a mudbrick when it came to Sodom’s location.”
Jan 31, 2010, 04:53 PM
Collins argues that his Sodom must have an Iron Age existence, when I have repeatedly shown (collectively on 3 threads) that Sodom was extinct from its fall until a time at least past when the New Testament texts were written. Collins contradicts the Bible in doing so. The extinction of Sodom for at least those 2,000 plus years is a Biblical textual fact…but Collins goes…’ah, skip that. That part of the Bible isn’t relevant…stay with Genesis 19 and then try to get me on my Northern Theory…you can’t.’ or an summarizing to that effect.
… Josephus states that the Dead Sea extends to Zoar in Arabia, at the southern regions of the Dead Sea, a few hours walk from Sodom (Wars of the Jews 4.8.4). In other words, Collins demands that Lot and his daughters walk to Zoar in an alien location from Josephus’ listing of Sodom. So let’s say he conceded Zoar would be south of the Dead Sea…figure about 65 miles in about 4 to 12 hours in the dark out on the trail. If a mountain was too far to go, why should anyone figure that 65 miles would be less of an effort in a few short hours, the majority of which was in the dark of night? Lot only arrived in Zoar just at or just after sunrise.
…In effect, W. F. Albright had it more right with less facts to go on, than Collins. 65 or so trail miles off by Collins is a big miss!
De jure by an educated and literate understanding of the Bible, we can say de facto that to call Tall el-Hammam “Sodom” is just a Public Relations SCAM for its excavators to gain notoriety and funding it would not otherwise obtain, and further, the Sodom that exists in the Biblical historical accounts has not yet been found, nor is it likely to ever be. The contention focused upon is that it rests on a peculiar 13 by 13 mile kikar or disc of land, but unfortunately for the theorists, that kikar is of the same valley basin that Joshua led the Children of Israel westward through into the Promised Land in 1511 B.C., and the same lands which Israelites of 2 1/2 tribes amounting to no less than 300,000 souls settled.
Prior to its Iron Age settlement, the disc, and most particularly the plain on which Tall el-Hammam is settled is, is 9 times referred to as “the plains of Moab”: Numbers 22:1, 26:3, 26:63, 31:12, 33:48, 33:49, 33:50, 35:1, 36:13.
There is NO MENTION OF SODOM as being nor ever having been in these plains of Moab, and then later in Deuteronomy we read how that the OTHER land and country of Sodom, that NOT of the kikar or of the plains of Moab, is uninhabitable…
Deuteronomy 29:23 – The whole land shall be burned with brimstone and salt; it shall not be sown, nor shall it sprout; nor shall there be any herb in it. It shall be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in His anger and in His fury.
Deuteronomy 32:32 – For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and their grapes of the fields of Gomorrah, grapes of gall; they have bitter clusters.
…that was not the case with the plains of Moab through which the children of Israel crossed in the Exodus, which was in the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550-1200 B.C., as stated by Tall el-Hammam excavators). In fact, the plains of Moab east of the Jordan, where Tall el-Hammam was, was so fruitful, that the lands of the disc east of the Jordan were able to sustain “a great multitude of cattle” and 2 1/2 tribes…the number of them as listed in Numbers chapter 1 and chapter 32.
The excavators of the Tall el-Hammam mound further state that the site, once reinhabited after an absence from extinction in the Middle Bronze Age (they cite as 2000-1550 B.C.), lasted from the Iron Age 1 (1200-1000 B.C.) or most certainly by the beginning of Iron Age 2 (ca. 1000 B.C.) until after the Muslim conquest in the 700s A.D. That is, starting generally around 1100 B.C. and then for 1800 more years, under one name or other, Tall el-Hammam flourished at a time when the Bible again called the lands of Sodom as a current barren and salted wasteland, where even nomads refused to stop and rest if they found themselves in it.
In circa 760 B.C., Sodom is a destroyed place: Amos 4:7 – it a place of no rain
In verse 9 – it a place of blasting and mildew [hence, moisture of some sort] and the creeping locust. In verse 10 – it is a place forsaken like the plague. In verse 11 – Sodom is an overturned [the use of the word “Hapak” or turned upside down, a plain now a valley in its use] place, a place of burning.
——Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 735 B.C., Sodom was a place ruined since its overthrow over 1200 years earlier, and set forth as an example.
Isaiah 1:7 speaks of how the land of Israel, ravaged by war, is a desolation; and its cities burned with fire.
Isaiah 1:9 Except Jehovah of Hosts had left a remnant for us, a few, we would be as Sodom; we would be as Gomorrah
Isaiah 13:19 uses mahpekah to describe Babylon’s overthrow, to describe a destruction as complete as Sodom and Gomorrah…the word picture being to the effect of: ‘it shall be taken down with great violence and poured out as liquid from a flask’ as the emphasis of the violence of its overthrow. The word picture in reference to Sodom and Gomorrah, suggest volcanic lava or like activity as being the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah. The overthrow of Babylon will be as complete as if Creation and a volcanic disaster had wiped that city out.
Isaiah 13:20 tells us that as of Isaiah’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah were UNINHABITED, and in a place where the Arabian was UNABLE to pitch his tent, and flocks (though they might perhaps step upon), were unable to lie down there. In other words, Sodom and Gomorrah, even under a receding sea due to drought, could well have been known to be under even amounts as little as about a foot or less of water of the Dead Sea consistently in Isaiah’s day.
This points us by markers to the southern regions of the Dead Sea, in a valley that was depressed to be even lower than the Jordan Valley proper, ceasing the river’s former run to the Gulf of Aqaba.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 620 B.C., Sodom is desolation and uninhabited:
Zephaniah 2:9 …surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and a pit of salt, and a ruin forever.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 590 B.C., Sodom is still a destroyed place, having only bitter and poisonous waters, and visibly ruined: Jeremiah 23:14 “They are all of them like Sodom to Me, and those living in her like Gomorrah.
Jeremiah 23:15 So Jehovah of Hosts says this concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them wormwood, and make them drink poisonous water…”
Jeremiah 49:17 And Edom shall be a ruin, everyone who goes by it shall be amazed and shall hiss at all its plagues.
Jeremiah 49:18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and its neighbor, declares Jehovah, no man shall remain there, a son of man shall not live in it.”
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 47 and 57 A.D., at the very time period of when the Tall el-Hammam excavators claims that their city thrived under the name of “Livias”, and was greatly inhabited, Jude and the Apostle Peter both testify that Sodom is a current example (current in the 1st Century A.D.) of everlasting destruction upon a location, suggesting its ruins were both still visible and uninhabited, and example of what everlasting fire will do:
Jude 1:7 “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after other flesh, laid down an example before-times, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire.”
2 Peter 2:6 “and covering the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with ashes, He condemned them with an overthrow, setting an example to men intending to live ungodly.”
According to the historical testimony of 2 Peter 2:6, all the cities of the Sodomic Pentapolis are designated as being covered and/or reduced to ashes in the use of tephrosas. The cities were covered with ashes and condemned. In order to FIND Sodom, it must be located from under a great coat of “ashes”.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
Sodom rests under more than 30 feet of volcanic ash in the southern Dead Sea area. Fact.
“Plain” means unadorned. “Plane” describes the location of the cities of interest. A mistake like that should be caught by the editor or the author in a scholarly article.
From the dictionary:
plain (n)
a large area of flat land with few trees.
plane (n)
a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie.
plane is more of a geometry term in this context. plain is actually the right word to use for geography.
There was no local volcanic eruption then or since in reference to volcanic ash is both wrong and misleading. the Dead Sea basin area.
Roger, the Dead Sea is on a fault line of two tectonic plates. The Dead Sea Transform Fault is the boundary between the Sinai Subplate and the Arabian Plate. So there might have been the possibility of volcanic activity along the fault.
Tall el-Hamman is not Sodom and Collins and associates have made grave errors in their thinking and analysis. Read my books on archaeology–Archaeology: What you need to know & The Future of Biblical Archaeology. They go into great detail why I made my statement
I’m new to this debate, but has anyone seen the Bunch et al article (2021; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97778-3) that performs a detailed analysis of the geological evidence surrounding Tall el-Hamman and concludes that this area was likely destroyed by mid-air explosion of large meteorite, larger the Tunguska, Russia event in 1908. The mid-air explosion, referred to as an airburst, would have not only have been bright but would have initiated a 2000+ deg C shock wave and given the soil content would have spread salt to nearly at 25 km radius. The authors briefly mention the consistency of the Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded in Genesis. The location would be more consistent with Dr. Collins view. The event would have easily been visible from the location where Abraham was recorded to be. The time recorded for the fleeing by Lot and his family would then be critical for they would have to travel further than 25 km. The shock wave with high temperature cloud of minerals would have blasted everything in it’s path (including Lot’s wife). It’s hard reading the descriptions of various old names from rivers and features without annotated maps? Perhaps, such maps exist somewhere? Thanks.
The epicenter of the ACTUAL blast that destroyed Sodom is found at the SOUTHERN end of the Dead Sea at Gawr al-Mazraah. It fits EVERY criterion. You can ALSO see the circular blast pattern in the geology there using Google Earth or Google Maps by going to Sodom Blast Site.
It is a distinct circular depression 8 miles wide.
Check it out
Many things here seem to fit correctly except for the date….it seems to me that this city was destroyed ( as dated by the researchers) a few centuries AFTER the time of Abraham.
I believe Dr. Collins is right on this one. He spoke at a recent conference we hosted on the topic. You can hear what he had to say here:
Pt. 1: http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019904
Pt. 2: http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019905
There surely isn’t a better alternative location for Sodom. Thank Dr. Collins for your important work on this.
I quote the following from the article:
“The stories of Sodom and its destruction,.. whether historical or not,… were clearly understood to have occurred near the Dead Sea,…”
I point out:”… whether historical or not…”
Do you believe the Bible is truthful…Yes or No…?
I believe the Bible and none whatsoever even if it is evident to my eyes… I blindly believe the Holy Bible only
The story has some cause to be in the Bible; can an archeology discover it? It would be great. That God punishes the wicked is all over the Bible; St.Paul in many letters condemns perverts.
The Bible itself explained where Sodom, Admah, Gomorrha and Zeboim were and presently are- just under/ inside the dead sea. The dead sea did not exist before the destruction of those cities. Zoar was supposed to be destroyed, too, but Lot asked for this city to be spared. Zoar is up to date located at the south end of the dead sea. In Genesis 14:3 it is explained that the location of the cities was called valley of Siddim. Valley means that the river Jordan was flowing there Gen. 13:10 BEFORE the LORD destroyed the four cities. Abraham could not have battled in the dead sea, but in a valley.God “over turned” the cities Gen.19:29
Trying to fit the archeological sites in the Middle East to biblical sights is not objective, or scientific. Instead it’s kind of presupposing something that cannot possibly be verified unless there is some kind of written script being discovered at the site that indicates the definite provenance of the dig.
Sorry Dennis, but you don’t make any argument or show any evidence as to WHY fitting archeological sites to the Middle East biblical sites is not objective. On the other hand, you may want to do some more reading on Tall El Hammam and other recent digs to see why they do compare very favorably to the biblical account we have. Besides, you could make the same argument for other ancient sites that are recorded in ancient writings. For many of these locations, you will never find a written script because they pre-date writing.
Wes, you are right that the long ages in Genesis fit the common practice in antiquity of exaggerating lifespans to give honor to ancient ancestors. There is no culture that used lifespans to calculate a chronology until after 300 BC. So, to use the Genesis lifespans as a basis for the chronology of Abraham is anachronistic. It is much better to interpret these lifespans “authentically”, i.e., the way the original readers would have. An article explaining why the Genesis lifespans cannot be face value numbers is posted online: https://www.academia.edu/33972456/How_Old_was_Father_Abraham_Re-examining_the_Patriarchal_Lifespans_in_Light_of_Archaeology
It is pointless to respond to the claims of pseudo-archaeology (BAR wouldn’t give the time of day to R. Wyatt) and those holding to Bishop Ussher-style chronologies with which no meaningful Bronze Age archaeology (even ‘biblical’ archaeology) can be done (liberals have denied Torah historicity on this basis). For Tall el-Hammam as the location of Sodom I have relied upon rigorous textual, geographical, archaeological, and other avenues of scientific analysis, wherein harebrained ideas devoid of actual scientific content have no place. So I am done with this little discussion, because so many of the comments are sheer fantasy. I do appreciate those who have substantive things to say. I’m glad to give BAR readers an update on the Tall el-Hammam/Sodom excavations if they request it. I’m also glad to engage in scholarly debate in the pages of BAR on any and all topics related to the subject.
—Steven Collins, Director, Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project, Jordan
Director of the School of Archaeology, Veritas International University
It actually reaches from California to New York.
The difficulty with Merrill’s chronological argument is his bias towards the old Usher and related chronologies. This bias flies in the face of the archaeological evidence indicating that no one has ever lived even close to the long lifespans referenced in the Bible. From studying external sources, such as the Sumerian King’s list, we can see clearly that long lifespans were meant as honorific terms and not actual lengths of life. Dr. Craig Olson has written an excellent article “Which Site is Sodom” addressing the location of Sodom, the long lifespans and the sojourn, I highly recommend it. Looking strictly at the available evidence the Patriarchs were clearly MBII figures, and a destruction of Tall el-Hammam (Sodom) in the 1750-1650 BCE range fits perfectly.
I appreciate the labors of so many professional archaeologists today and the recent past, that are finding artifacts and writings which harmonize with the Biblical Scriptures. And this is as it should be, for the entire Bible has relavent historical facts within the lives of the peoples it portrays.Thank You to all of you. I have been on the dig at Tall el Hammam four times to analyze the bones, and toured Israel and Jordan with TSWU two times. I say that to note that I have looked/studied the geography each time I was there. I became convinced that the Kikkar north of the Dead Sea was indeed the place where Sodom should be. I triangulated three sets of scriptures to come to this conclusion: Gen.13:10-11 (Bethel-Ai), Gen. 18:1,16 and 19:28 (Oaks of Mamre) and Det. 34:1-3 (Mt Nebo). I know that others disagree and encourage academic debate, but among Christians there should be a tenor of brotherhood. To God be the glory that so much about the ancient civilizations has been discovered. God Bless each of you, Dr John G Leslie
The biblical geography alone as described in Genesis 13 should give enough credence to believe that Sodom may very well be located on the northern end of the Dead Sea and not the southeastern end. Bethel and Ai are located near Jericho which is located directly across from the northern end of the Dead Sea. Based on apparently where Abraham and Lot were located as they both viewed the “well watered” Jordan valley, they would have been viewing the north end of the Dead Sea. In fact, Genesis 13:11 reads that Lot “journeyed eastward.” There is no indication, at least in Genesis 13 that Lot traveled in a southern direction.
Since I wrote this 2013 article at the request of Hershel Shanks, a wealth of additional archaeological evidence has arisen in support of the identification of Tall el-Hammam as the ‘seed-bed’ of the Sodom narratives (depending on your perspective, either historical Sodom or ‘literary’ Sodom). Since the Genesis patriarchal lifespan numbers are honorific formulas (likely base-60) and not base-10 arithmetic values, they cannot assist in constructing a proper chronology for Abraham. This must be done via historical synchronisms and elements of cultural specificity. In no way does Abraham belong in the Intermediate Bronze Age or early MB1 as the hackneyed Ussher-style biblical chronologies suggest, at a time when none of the ‘cities’ mentioned in the Abrahamic narratives existed, including Jerusalem and Dan. The narrative belongs solely during MB2 on every line of evidence available. The destruction date-range of Tall el-Hammam/Sodom confirms this as well. Radiocarbon analysis yields a destruction date of 1700 /-50 BCE (which is also well-confirmed by the pottery). The geographical argument for Tall el-Hammam being Sodom is a lock at every turn. Those who don’t recognize this simply reveal their ineptitude in dealing with textual geographical data.
—Steven Collins, Director, Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project
I’m sorry, but when you attack the content of a person’s character rather than the contact of their argument, you disqualify yourself as a critic. Attacking a person’s character only goes to prove that the content of YOUR argument is weak. You hold steadfastly to the chronology of Archbishop Usher without fully analyzing the consequences of that position. If Usher’s dates are a correct interpretation of the meaning of the numbers in the text, then you place Abraham in a period of history in which Jerusalem/Salem did not exist, and the whole Melchizedek narrative falls apart.
I am the Subject Matter Expert for Archaeology and Assistant Professor at Liberty University and have been a square and field supervisor at Tall el-Hammam for over 10 years. I have researched and written extensively on the Cities of the Plain and Sodom for over 35 years. The site of Tall el-Hammam in my opinion is by far the best candidate for the site of Sodom, destroyed in the Middle Bronze Age on the Kikkar of the Jordan visible from the region of Ai. The Late Bronze Gap, observed by many archaeologists working in the Jordan Valley can be explained by the destruction event as described in the Bible.
Graves, David E. The Location of Sodom: Key Facts for Navigating the Maze of Arguments for the Location of the Cities of the Plain. Toronto: Electronic Christian Media, 2016.
Graves, David E. “Sodom And Salt in Their Ancient Near Eastern Cultural Context.” Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 61 (2016): 15–32.
Others who support Tall el-Hammam include:
Geisler, Norman L., and Joseph M. Holden. The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2013), 70, 191, 202, 212–220, 383–87.
Robert A. Mullins is the Professor of archaeology and Old Testament at Azusa Pacific University.
James D. Tabor is the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Anson F. Rainey was the late (2011) Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University.
Amahai Mazar is the Professor at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After his visit to the site in 2014.
See also Silva, Phillip J. The Destruction of Sodom: What We Have Learned from Tall El-Hammam and Its Neighbors. Albuquerque, N.M.: Trinity Southwest University Press, 2016.
———. “The Middle Bronze Age Civilization-Ending Destruction of the Middle Ghor.” Ph.D. diss., Trinity Southwest University, 2016.
Silva, Phillip J., and Steven Collins. “The Civilization-Ending 3.7KYrBP Kikkar Event: Archaeological Data, Sample Analyses, and Biblical Implications.” In Annual Meeting of the Near East Archaeological Society: Atlanta, Ga., 1–6. Albuquerque, N.M.: TSU Press, 2015.
BTW Bolen places the Patriarchs in the Early Bronze Age which few conservative archaeologist do. Even Bryant Wood places the Patriarchs in the Middle Bronze Age.
The site is so large that is can now be called a city state (62 acres, while Jerusalem and Jericho at the time were only 10 acres). Not much wonder Sodom was mentioned in the Ebla tables in the Early Bronze age trading with Sodom. All agree that Sodom existed in the Early Bronze age (Gen 10) the Question of importance is when was it destroyed (Middle Bronze Age Gen 13). The debate and research continues but people should not be so quick to dismiss this amazing site.
I meant to say “Bolen places the Patriarchs in the Intermediate Bronze Age (2166 BC)”
I think that Sodom was destroyed by a meteorite that burst into flame above Sodom
Nathanael, I appreciate your posting of material that challenges the author and airs your thoughts on the matter. That is helpful. Not helpful is posing a battle between BAR and historical, biblical studies. I think BAR has moderated its position over the years, becoming less biased against Scripture and opening the door to work done by those who presuppose the veracity of Scripture. Isn’t it best that BAR allows for a neutral site, allowing scholars to make their case? The truth will be apparent over time, as history shows. As it does, BAR will be there to present it.
Shalom!
I am willing to share the word of Yahweh.
Israelis didn’t keep 70 Land Sabbaths strictly from 1099 BCE to 609 BCE (5th year of the king, Solomon to the 10th year of the king, Zedekiah = 490 Luni Solar Years) according to Yahweh’s Luni Solar Calendar Formula (Lev. 25:8-9).Yahweh applied His FORMULA 10 times in 70 Weeks Prophecy. Present Jews are following inaccurate Chronology, History, and Grecian 19 – Year Cycle which is misleading all the Jews and Gentiles since CE 1948. The Word of Yahweh is now going out of spiritual Zion and Jerusalem (The Body of the Jewish Messiah) since CE 36 because of Micah 4:1-2 fulfilled already. Yahweh revealed me His Calendar Formula atlast. For details visit http://www.yahwehcalendar.com. I am willing to hear from you as we are the body of the Messiah and I need your suggestions (Jeremiah 31:31-33 cf. Romans 11:13-23; Ephesians 3:1-6, 4:11-16).
Thank you,
Manasseh,
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 9704424254
For complete solution of Yahweh’s Calendar:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OAnA00FnjmZcm1BuKfb-sjsnTivus0Gq
Ok so if God wiped this out for a reason don’t you think he doesn’t want you to find it?? Like what are you going to get out of it?? Oh yea, we are going to have tourists come and see where evil people were, “vaped,” for their sins. Let’s go to present day… Do you want to go look around in Hiroshima or Nagasaki?? Like come on man! I believe in finding things that are said in the Bible, but this might need to be just not find. My personal opinion! God Bless!
Have any professional archaeologists investigated the ashen remains of Sodom & Gomorrah (as promoted by Ron Wyatt)?
The writer of this article is trying to prove that it was not God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. AAA……The Bible is more believed than this article. Keep on trying to prove.
Dear BAS Staff and readership,
I agree with Matt and Brian (both 02/21/13) that no one who calls themselves Biblical-anything should put “whether historical or not” in their articles. Rather it should be, “whether one believes they are historical or not”. If you are Biblical, and it is in The Holy Bible, then you should know yourself it is historical.
I also agree with Emerson and Randy (both 02/22/13) that as Christians one should never, ever, ever use BCE and CE. We believe in Jesus, and assumedly have put our trust in Him, and try to follow God’s Pure Word. We should not compromise by removing Christ from the calendar: “Before Christ” and “In the Year of Our Lord”.
For those who are interested, I have read and written extensively on Tall el-Hammam versus what The Sacred Scriptures detail about Sodom and the other 4 Cities of the Kikkar. Dr. Collins has never given any official answer to the evidences I present, and that can only mean the arguments are air-tight. Therefore people like Krissy and Arlan may want to take a look to see if they can dismantle them, seeing as they don’t believe Genesis really happened.
Recommended further reading with myriads of evidences against Tall el-Hammam being Sodom:
G. M. Grena’s detailed review for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on LMLK: A Royal Blog for all matters belonging to the King, a king, &/or kings (05/25/14). Links below:
http://lmlk.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-kikkar-dialogues.html
http://lmlk.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/the-kikkar-dialogues/
G. M. Grena’s brief review Steven Collins, an Easter-Bunny Christian for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on Amazon (06/07/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R35FWSUTDYE5D4/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X
My review Not Israel’s Younger Sister for Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City on Amazon (03/21/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3381RLNN8QGOV/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1451684304
My review Archaeology’s War on Biblical History for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on Amazon (06/22/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RYEFE6CD7HQA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X
My 11-part response to Dr. Collins’ comments on Biblical Problems with
Locating Sodom at Tall el-Hammam by Dr. Todd Bolen on his blog (08/23/14). Link to first part below, scroll down to read further:
http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2012/01/biblical-problems-with-locating-sodom.html#c5540397197379336674
And lastly, search BiblePlaces.com Blog by Dr. Todd Bolen, keyword: “Sodom”. Be sure to also read the comment sections. Links to all the current blogposts, with a few other links, can be found here (02/26/13):
http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2013/02/arguments-against-locating-sodom-at.html
Thank you for reading! ~ Nathanael “AmbassadorHerald” Eisner
@Krissy – to say that that Greek myth has not been disproven is strange…. it has been proven that Atlas was and is not physically holding the earth in its place and Helios does not transport the sun across the sky by chariot. There are tons of other examples. To say this inability to disprove is like any other “myth” is simply not true. Additionally, the sharing of Sodom and Gomorrah’s fate was not to breed disdain towards the LGBT “community”, it speaks to all sorts of intrinsically planted sin. We’re all a part off each other’s community and until we realize this, separation will remain. Disagreeing is not an “end all”.
Is Sodom related to Pompeii (present day- in Italy Rome)?
On Youtube there are videos showing towns and structures that had been so heated they turned to ash that cascaded down in the same approx 40degree angle as seen in any industrial dump site.
To turn the local stone into this ash does need really hot fire and as the mass of semiburned nodules covering the ara analyses at 98% sulphur and 2% magnesium their origin was not of this world as sulphur deposit around the usual sulphur quarries and volcanoe or hot springs is only about 20-40% purity.
Magnesium is the stuff that makes some fireworks burn with intense white light and as it can reach temperature over 5000Fahreheit it has no difficulty melting rock and fusing it into the same glassy material found at atom bomb test sites.
There needs to be some research into the temperature the S&g nodules burn at and how long they maintain a high heat that will effectively heat very thick walls, columns, statuary to turn it all to the flaky material that crumbles to dust at S&G
What is BAR’s position on the rich deposits of hail-sized sulfur to the west of the Dead Sea? Is that a possible location for the sinful cities of the plains? Why/why not?
As a point of logic (or illogic), many atheists confidently assert that certain events in the Bible (such as the destruction of S&G by God) absolutely did not occur.
Then, when asked for evidence of their assertion, they will either claim that, a) the burden of proof is not on them, but on those who claim the account is true, and/or, b) “you can’t prove a negative”.
Both statements are asinine & not logical.
Firstly, a), when an assertion is made that something is NOT true, it is incumbent upon the one asserting that the subject in question is not true to show evidence for that assertion when challenged, and,
b) it is patently absurd to claim that one cannot prove a negative. For example, if one claims that a gun does NOT exist in their pocket, it is quite easy to prove that this negative assertion is true or false, simply by visually examining the inside of the pocket. (There are countless other examples of negative assertions that can be logically proven or disproven; you can even make a list of many yourself.)
So,since negative assertions CAN be proven, their claimants can therefore be held accountable to prove their assertion or (if they fail to prove it), admit that their assertion is one that they believe by faith.
Therefore, the position that “God does not exist” is a position of faith.
In all actuality, there is certainly logical evidence that God does indeed exist. Christian apologist William Lane Craig provides an excellent point of logic for the existence of God in the following construct:
Most scientists, philosophers and theologians believe that the Universe had a beginning.
Since the Universe with all its matter & energy could not have just “popped” into existence without a cause, the cause logically exists OUTSIDE the known Universe, making this “cause” transcendent from the Universe, existing outside time, space, matter and energy.
Since the Universe is more powerful than we can imagine and its laws more complex than we can imagine, the “creator” of the Universe logically must also be more intelligent and powerful than we can imagine.
The two foremost theories for the genesis of the Universe are “chance” and “God”, and since “chance” does NOT meet these requirements, and “God” does, then obviously God is the best possible explanation for the genesis of all things.
@krissy and others:
This page should not be a medium through which we attack one another but for individual to express his mind.
Perspective at which we see things differ. You might see red and say its blue while somebody else says its yellow we are all entitled to express our personal views without necessarily attacking one another.
Personally, i believe its not a myth but reality as the holy book (Bible) put it. A myth, according to the dictionary, is a commonly-held but false belief, a common misconception; a fictitious or imaginary person or thing; a popular conception about a real person or event which exaggerates or idealizes reality. Meaning that it is used to explain what is incomprehensible. It is used in Africa by the elderly ones to explain what truly is real but they don’t have its real explanations just to save themselves from “I don’t know” whenever questions about mysterious issues are asked by the younger ones.
But in this case, the holy book (Bible) has given us an understanding and an idea about the place called Sodom and Gomorah thousand years before archaeologists now gave us the exact location Thus, the reverse is the case with myth.
Mythical approach of explanation in philosophy is called Appeal to Ignorance (Argumentum ad Ignorantum).
Biblical explanations of Sodom and Gomorah is a pure reality and true.
Studyinh genesis 18 and 19 know and doing reasearch.
My thanks to Steve Collins.
I forgot there were 5 cities and not just Sodom and Gomorrah. It is amazing that evidence
continues to come out that corroborates the historic accounts in the Bible. So many things
were discovered in Science because someone saw that the prevailing theories of Science
did not agree with the bible, so they kept looking for other answers.
‘Life comes from life’, versus ‘spontaneous generation’ in Pasteur’s day paved the way for
civilization to stop epidemics by seeking out the pathogens that caused disease.
Blacks are not any less than whites, versus, the race supremacy ideas that were the logical
extension of Darwin’s theories and propped up beliefs in slavery. And many more.
No one has to have blind faith, the evidence is there for the finding. But if one has his mind
made up, no amount of evidence will convince them. Not even if a dead relative comes back
from the dead – as Jesus’s words show in the Gospels.
OK, let’s get something straight. From a purely geological perspective, no one can argue that there haven’t been earthquakes in this region. Also, if one looks at the water table history in the Dead Sea area, the lake has been up and down several times over the millennia.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many cities could have disappeared under the rising level of water, only to appear again a few centuries later. I have no doubt we’ll find additional cities as the Israelis, Jordanians, Syrians and Palestinians continue to drain the Jordan for all it’s worth.
Again, speaking from a purely geological point of view, plate tectonics explains the continental drift between the Asian and African shelves. A fault line runs right through the Dead Sea. Therefore, again, it isn’t surprising to find out that several cities may have fallen to earthquakes. Moreover, it’s not surprising to find out that the earthquakes were severe and that they could have wiped out an entire city the infrastructure of which wasn’t up to modern code.
I have no doubt that two cities once existed by the names of Sodom and Gomorrah. I think there is evidence that they may be under a modern-day city now. Surely we’ve heard of tells. They’re all over that regions. The truth, however, is that they may have disappeared much later than our translations suggest.
Until very recently, the majority of biblical archeologists were concerned with finding evidence to support the Bible. Now that objective is beginning to shift toward a more thoughtful exploration into what actually happened — whether it backs up a bible story or offers a better insight into the actual history of the region.
Here’s what we have to understand about using science to back up the Bible. Science isn’t a tool to prove someone’s point of view. It often proves just the opposite of what we’d like to believe. If we’re going to accept radio-carbon dating for our bible manuscripts, and then turn around and reject it when it proves something wrong about the Bible’s account, we are deluding ourselves. Furthermore, radio-carbon dating isn’t the only method we use to date things back beyond let’s say 50,000 years.
If you’re going to use science at all, you might as well confront your old fears of this system of discovery and open your mind to the complete truth — whether that backs up your faith or challenges it to the very foundation. Perhaps you’ll never quite look at things the same way again. I don’t know. Maybe you’ll decide to become an atheist in the end. That’s up to you, but if your faith has any merit at all, it will survive this and many other challenges. The dross will burn away in the refiner’s fire, and what you’ll have left is pure gold.
Sodom long extinct to Isaiah’s day, and to Justin’s day
Justin Martyr, An Answer to the Jews, .9:
“For it calls your rulers ‘rulers of Sodom,’ and your people ‘the people of Gomorrah,’ [Isaiah 1:20] when those cities had already been long extinct.”
Note what is said in the Second Century A.D., THAT of ca. 735 B.C. “those cities [Sodom included] had been LONG extinct.”
Justin implies a length of time / extinction excelling many hundreds of years, and that once extinguished, Sodom never was inhabited again. By the absence of any Patristics and other ante-Nicene historians citing the habitation of Sodom since Isaiah 1:20, we also should note that wherever Sodom is, it remains uninhabited to at least the ante-Nicene period.
______________________________________
Mar 24, 2008, 02:55 PM Biblical Archaeology Society Forum (where I debated Dr Collins and Dr Graves previously).
Dr. Collins writes: “The biblical record does not say all evidence of their existence was wiped from the face of the earth so that the same locale would never be inhabited again.”
My Reply:
Isaiah 1:9 implies total annihilation:
“Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”
Deuteronomy 29:23 translates the destruction of Sodom as in the present tense, and on-going: “the whole land thereof IS brimstone, and salt, and burning, that IT IS NOT sown, NOR beareth, NOR any grass groweth therein, LIKE the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”
Jeremiah 49:18 implies total annihilation:
“As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.” and implies, no man shall dwell in it ever again.
Jeremiah 50:40 implies total annihilation:
“As G-D overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.” (again, “ever again” is implied by the text)
Jesus testifies that Sodom ceased existence, and implies having ceased existence in the Day it was judged:
“But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17:29) — with — “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” (Matthew 11:23)
2 Peter 2:6 testifies that it ceased in existence:
“And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;”
Jude 7 testifies that Sodom ceased to exist: “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
The plain text readings support the permanent annihilation of Sodom, and these plain text interpretations are clearly supported by Jesus, Peter, and Jude in the NT.
The error in the argument by Dr. Collins becomes clearly apparent when Dr. Collins is unable to distinguish “esh” /”fire” because of immersion into the philosophical potential of its usages, rather than the plain text application.
He also struggles with Zephaniah 2:9, saying “dealing with similes, metaphors, and other figures of speech, one must be very careful to ascertain their character, which is often hyperbolic”…but sometimes a text implies what it implies, unless clarified by another text…as Sodom’s destruction clearly is…even without Josephus.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dr . Collins writes:” The Bible does not say Sodom and Gomorrah were located anywhere near the southern end of the Dead Sea.”
My Reply:
Genesis 10:19 expresses the boundary of Sodom as being southerly:
“And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon [in the north], as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza [the westerly south coast and border on the Mediterranean Sea]; as thou goest, unto Sodom, [implying a south and easterly border area toward or in the south Dead Sea region] and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.”
…Even Jewish Targums and the Babylonian Talmud, as well as Patristics, to my knowledge, have NEVER EVEN HINTED of a “still existing” Sodom that could be inhabited at any time by any body in their day. I think that one point alone, deserves consideration and thought before proceeding, should we dare do so.
Apr 11, 2008, 06:40 PM
Dr. Collins writes:
“Albright certainly was a genius on many subjects within the ANE sphere, but he was as sharp as a mudbrick when it came to Sodom’s location.”
Jan 31, 2010, 04:53 PM
Collins argues that his Sodom must have an Iron Age existence, when I have repeatedly shown (collectively on 3 threads) that Sodom was extinct from its fall until a time at least past when the New Testament texts were written. Collins contradicts the Bible in doing so. The extinction of Sodom for at least those 2,000 plus years is a Biblical textual fact…but Collins goes…’ah, skip that. That part of the Bible isn’t relevant…stay with Genesis 19 and then try to get me on my Northern Theory…you can’t.’ or an summarizing to that effect.
… Josephus states that the Dead Sea extends to Zoar in Arabia, at the southern regions of the Dead Sea, a few hours walk from Sodom (Wars of the Jews 4.8.4). In other words, Collins demands that Lot and his daughters walk to Zoar in an alien location from Josephus’ listing of Sodom. So let’s say he conceded Zoar would be south of the Dead Sea…figure about 65 miles in about 4 to 12 hours in the dark out on the trail. If a mountain was too far to go, why should anyone figure that 65 miles would be less of an effort in a few short hours, the majority of which was in the dark of night? Lot only arrived in Zoar just at or just after sunrise.
…In effect, W. F. Albright had it more right with less facts to go on, than Collins. 65 or so trail miles off by Collins is a big miss!
De jure by an educated and literate understanding of the Bible, we can say de facto that to call Tall el-Hammam “Sodom” is just a Public Relations SCAM for its excavators to gain notoriety and funding it would not otherwise obtain, and further, the Sodom that exists in the Biblical historical accounts has not yet been found, nor is it likely to ever be. The contention focused upon is that it rests on a peculiar 13 by 13 mile kikar or disc of land, but unfortunately for the theorists, that kikar is of the same valley basin that Joshua led the Children of Israel westward through into the Promised Land in 1511 B.C., and the same lands which Israelites of 2 1/2 tribes amounting to no less than 300,000 souls settled.
Prior to its Iron Age settlement, the disc, and most particularly the plain on which Tall el-Hammam is settled is, is 9 times referred to as “the plains of Moab”: Numbers 22:1, 26:3, 26:63, 31:12, 33:48, 33:49, 33:50, 35:1, 36:13.
There is NO MENTION OF SODOM as being nor ever having been in these plains of Moab, and then later in Deuteronomy we read how that the OTHER land and country of Sodom, that NOT of the kikar or of the plains of Moab, is uninhabitable…
Deuteronomy 29:23 – The whole land shall be burned with brimstone and salt; it shall not be sown, nor shall it sprout; nor shall there be any herb in it. It shall be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in His anger and in His fury.
Deuteronomy 32:32 – For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and their grapes of the fields of Gomorrah, grapes of gall; they have bitter clusters.
…that was not the case with the plains of Moab through which the children of Israel crossed in the Exodus, which was in the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1550-1200 B.C., as stated by Tall el-Hammam excavators). In fact, the plains of Moab east of the Jordan, where Tall el-Hammam was, was so fruitful, that the lands of the disc east of the Jordan were able to sustain “a great multitude of cattle” and 2 1/2 tribes…the number of them as listed in Numbers chapter 1 and chapter 32.
The excavators of the Tall el-Hammam mound further state that the site, once reinhabited after an absence from extinction in the Middle Bronze Age (they cite as 2000-1550 B.C.), lasted from the Iron Age 1 (1200-1000 B.C.) or most certainly by the beginning of Iron Age 2 (ca. 1000 B.C.) until after the Muslim conquest in the 700s A.D. That is, starting generally around 1100 B.C. and then for 1800 more years, under one name or other, Tall el-Hammam flourished at a time when the Bible again called the lands of Sodom as a current barren and salted wasteland, where even nomads refused to stop and rest if they found themselves in it.
In circa 760 B.C., Sodom is a destroyed place: Amos 4:7 – it a place of no rain
In verse 9 – it a place of blasting and mildew [hence, moisture of some sort] and the creeping locust. In verse 10 – it is a place forsaken like the plague. In verse 11 – Sodom is an overturned [the use of the word “Hapak” or turned upside down, a plain now a valley in its use] place, a place of burning.
——Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 735 B.C., Sodom was a place ruined since its overthrow over 1200 years earlier, and set forth as an example.
Isaiah 1:7 speaks of how the land of Israel, ravaged by war, is a desolation; and its cities burned with fire.
Isaiah 1:9 Except Jehovah of Hosts had left a remnant for us, a few, we would be as Sodom; we would be as Gomorrah
Isaiah 13:19 uses mahpekah to describe Babylon’s overthrow, to describe a destruction as complete as Sodom and Gomorrah…the word picture being to the effect of: ‘it shall be taken down with great violence and poured out as liquid from a flask’ as the emphasis of the violence of its overthrow. The word picture in reference to Sodom and Gomorrah, suggest volcanic lava or like activity as being the demise of Sodom and Gomorrah. The overthrow of Babylon will be as complete as if Creation and a volcanic disaster had wiped that city out.
Isaiah 13:20 tells us that as of Isaiah’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah were UNINHABITED, and in a place where the Arabian was UNABLE to pitch his tent, and flocks (though they might perhaps step upon), were unable to lie down there. In other words, Sodom and Gomorrah, even under a receding sea due to drought, could well have been known to be under even amounts as little as about a foot or less of water of the Dead Sea consistently in Isaiah’s day.
This points us by markers to the southern regions of the Dead Sea, in a valley that was depressed to be even lower than the Jordan Valley proper, ceasing the river’s former run to the Gulf of Aqaba.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 620 B.C., Sodom is desolation and uninhabited:
Zephaniah 2:9 …surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, a possession of nettles, and a pit of salt, and a ruin forever.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 590 B.C., Sodom is still a destroyed place, having only bitter and poisonous waters, and visibly ruined: Jeremiah 23:14 “They are all of them like Sodom to Me, and those living in her like Gomorrah.
Jeremiah 23:15 So Jehovah of Hosts says this concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them wormwood, and make them drink poisonous water…”
Jeremiah 49:17 And Edom shall be a ruin, everyone who goes by it shall be amazed and shall hiss at all its plagues.
Jeremiah 49:18 As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, and its neighbor, declares Jehovah, no man shall remain there, a son of man shall not live in it.”
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
In circa 47 and 57 A.D., at the very time period of when the Tall el-Hammam excavators claims that their city thrived under the name of “Livias”, and was greatly inhabited, Jude and the Apostle Peter both testify that Sodom is a current example (current in the 1st Century A.D.) of everlasting destruction upon a location, suggesting its ruins were both still visible and uninhabited, and example of what everlasting fire will do:
Jude 1:7 “as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after other flesh, laid down an example before-times, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire.”
2 Peter 2:6 “and covering the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with ashes, He condemned them with an overthrow, setting an example to men intending to live ungodly.”
According to the historical testimony of 2 Peter 2:6, all the cities of the Sodomic Pentapolis are designated as being covered and/or reduced to ashes in the use of tephrosas. The cities were covered with ashes and condemned. In order to FIND Sodom, it must be located from under a great coat of “ashes”.
—–Hence, Tall el-Hammam — being inhabited — is disqualified.
Sodom rests under more than 30 feet of volcanic ash in the southern Dead Sea area. Fact.
“Plain” means unadorned. “Plane” describes the location of the cities of interest. A mistake like that should be caught by the editor or the author in a scholarly article.
From the dictionary:
plain (n)
a large area of flat land with few trees.
plane (n)
a flat surface on which a straight line joining any two points on it would wholly lie.
plane is more of a geometry term in this context. plain is actually the right word to use for geography.
There was no local volcanic eruption then or since in reference to volcanic ash is both wrong and misleading. the Dead Sea basin area.
Roger, the Dead Sea is on a fault line of two tectonic plates. The Dead Sea Transform Fault is the boundary between the Sinai Subplate and the Arabian Plate. So there might have been the possibility of volcanic activity along the fault.
Tall el-Hamman is not Sodom and Collins and associates have made grave errors in their thinking and analysis. Read my books on archaeology–Archaeology: What you need to know & The Future of Biblical Archaeology. They go into great detail why I made my statement
I’m new to this debate, but has anyone seen the Bunch et al article (2021; doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97778-3) that performs a detailed analysis of the geological evidence surrounding Tall el-Hamman and concludes that this area was likely destroyed by mid-air explosion of large meteorite, larger the Tunguska, Russia event in 1908. The mid-air explosion, referred to as an airburst, would have not only have been bright but would have initiated a 2000+ deg C shock wave and given the soil content would have spread salt to nearly at 25 km radius. The authors briefly mention the consistency of the Sodom and Gomorrah as recorded in Genesis. The location would be more consistent with Dr. Collins view. The event would have easily been visible from the location where Abraham was recorded to be. The time recorded for the fleeing by Lot and his family would then be critical for they would have to travel further than 25 km. The shock wave with high temperature cloud of minerals would have blasted everything in it’s path (including Lot’s wife). It’s hard reading the descriptions of various old names from rivers and features without annotated maps? Perhaps, such maps exist somewhere? Thanks.
The epicenter of the ACTUAL blast that destroyed Sodom is found at the SOUTHERN end of the Dead Sea at Gawr al-Mazraah. It fits EVERY criterion. You can ALSO see the circular blast pattern in the geology there using Google Earth or Google Maps by going to Sodom Blast Site.
It is a distinct circular depression 8 miles wide.
Check it out
Many things here seem to fit correctly except for the date….it seems to me that this city was destroyed ( as dated by the researchers) a few centuries AFTER the time of Abraham.
I believe Dr. Collins is right on this one. He spoke at a recent conference we hosted on the topic. You can hear what he had to say here:
Pt. 1: http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019904
Pt. 2: http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019905
There surely isn’t a better alternative location for Sodom. Thank Dr. Collins for your important work on this.
I quote the following from the article:
“The stories of Sodom and its destruction,.. whether historical or not,… were clearly understood to have occurred near the Dead Sea,…”
I point out:”… whether historical or not…”
Do you believe the Bible is truthful…Yes or No…?
I believe the Bible and none whatsoever even if it is evident to my eyes… I blindly believe the Holy Bible only
The story has some cause to be in the Bible; can an archeology discover it? It would be great. That God punishes the wicked is all over the Bible; St.Paul in many letters condemns perverts.
The Bible itself explained where Sodom, Admah, Gomorrha and Zeboim were and presently are- just under/ inside the dead sea. The dead sea did not exist before the destruction of those cities. Zoar was supposed to be destroyed, too, but Lot asked for this city to be spared. Zoar is up to date located at the south end of the dead sea. In Genesis 14:3 it is explained that the location of the cities was called valley of Siddim. Valley means that the river Jordan was flowing there Gen. 13:10 BEFORE the LORD destroyed the four cities. Abraham could not have battled in the dead sea, but in a valley.God “over turned” the cities Gen.19:29
Trying to fit the archeological sites in the Middle East to biblical sights is not objective, or scientific. Instead it’s kind of presupposing something that cannot possibly be verified unless there is some kind of written script being discovered at the site that indicates the definite provenance of the dig.
Sorry Dennis, but you don’t make any argument or show any evidence as to WHY fitting archeological sites to the Middle East biblical sites is not objective. On the other hand, you may want to do some more reading on Tall El Hammam and other recent digs to see why they do compare very favorably to the biblical account we have. Besides, you could make the same argument for other ancient sites that are recorded in ancient writings. For many of these locations, you will never find a written script because they pre-date writing.
Wes, you are right that the long ages in Genesis fit the common practice in antiquity of exaggerating lifespans to give honor to ancient ancestors. There is no culture that used lifespans to calculate a chronology until after 300 BC. So, to use the Genesis lifespans as a basis for the chronology of Abraham is anachronistic. It is much better to interpret these lifespans “authentically”, i.e., the way the original readers would have. An article explaining why the Genesis lifespans cannot be face value numbers is posted online: https://www.academia.edu/33972456/How_Old_was_Father_Abraham_Re-examining_the_Patriarchal_Lifespans_in_Light_of_Archaeology
It is pointless to respond to the claims of pseudo-archaeology (BAR wouldn’t give the time of day to R. Wyatt) and those holding to Bishop Ussher-style chronologies with which no meaningful Bronze Age archaeology (even ‘biblical’ archaeology) can be done (liberals have denied Torah historicity on this basis). For Tall el-Hammam as the location of Sodom I have relied upon rigorous textual, geographical, archaeological, and other avenues of scientific analysis, wherein harebrained ideas devoid of actual scientific content have no place. So I am done with this little discussion, because so many of the comments are sheer fantasy. I do appreciate those who have substantive things to say. I’m glad to give BAR readers an update on the Tall el-Hammam/Sodom excavations if they request it. I’m also glad to engage in scholarly debate in the pages of BAR on any and all topics related to the subject.
—Steven Collins, Director, Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project, Jordan
Director of the School of Archaeology, Veritas International University
It actually reaches from California to New York.
The difficulty with Merrill’s chronological argument is his bias towards the old Usher and related chronologies. This bias flies in the face of the archaeological evidence indicating that no one has ever lived even close to the long lifespans referenced in the Bible. From studying external sources, such as the Sumerian King’s list, we can see clearly that long lifespans were meant as honorific terms and not actual lengths of life. Dr. Craig Olson has written an excellent article “Which Site is Sodom” addressing the location of Sodom, the long lifespans and the sojourn, I highly recommend it. Looking strictly at the available evidence the Patriarchs were clearly MBII figures, and a destruction of Tall el-Hammam (Sodom) in the 1750-1650 BCE range fits perfectly.
I appreciate the labors of so many professional archaeologists today and the recent past, that are finding artifacts and writings which harmonize with the Biblical Scriptures. And this is as it should be, for the entire Bible has relavent historical facts within the lives of the peoples it portrays.Thank You to all of you. I have been on the dig at Tall el Hammam four times to analyze the bones, and toured Israel and Jordan with TSWU two times. I say that to note that I have looked/studied the geography each time I was there. I became convinced that the Kikkar north of the Dead Sea was indeed the place where Sodom should be. I triangulated three sets of scriptures to come to this conclusion: Gen.13:10-11 (Bethel-Ai), Gen. 18:1,16 and 19:28 (Oaks of Mamre) and Det. 34:1-3 (Mt Nebo). I know that others disagree and encourage academic debate, but among Christians there should be a tenor of brotherhood. To God be the glory that so much about the ancient civilizations has been discovered. God Bless each of you, Dr John G Leslie
The biblical geography alone as described in Genesis 13 should give enough credence to believe that Sodom may very well be located on the northern end of the Dead Sea and not the southeastern end. Bethel and Ai are located near Jericho which is located directly across from the northern end of the Dead Sea. Based on apparently where Abraham and Lot were located as they both viewed the “well watered” Jordan valley, they would have been viewing the north end of the Dead Sea. In fact, Genesis 13:11 reads that Lot “journeyed eastward.” There is no indication, at least in Genesis 13 that Lot traveled in a southern direction.
Since I wrote this 2013 article at the request of Hershel Shanks, a wealth of additional archaeological evidence has arisen in support of the identification of Tall el-Hammam as the ‘seed-bed’ of the Sodom narratives (depending on your perspective, either historical Sodom or ‘literary’ Sodom). Since the Genesis patriarchal lifespan numbers are honorific formulas (likely base-60) and not base-10 arithmetic values, they cannot assist in constructing a proper chronology for Abraham. This must be done via historical synchronisms and elements of cultural specificity. In no way does Abraham belong in the Intermediate Bronze Age or early MB1 as the hackneyed Ussher-style biblical chronologies suggest, at a time when none of the ‘cities’ mentioned in the Abrahamic narratives existed, including Jerusalem and Dan. The narrative belongs solely during MB2 on every line of evidence available. The destruction date-range of Tall el-Hammam/Sodom confirms this as well. Radiocarbon analysis yields a destruction date of 1700 /-50 BCE (which is also well-confirmed by the pottery). The geographical argument for Tall el-Hammam being Sodom is a lock at every turn. Those who don’t recognize this simply reveal their ineptitude in dealing with textual geographical data.
—Steven Collins, Director, Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project
I’m sorry, but when you attack the content of a person’s character rather than the contact of their argument, you disqualify yourself as a critic. Attacking a person’s character only goes to prove that the content of YOUR argument is weak. You hold steadfastly to the chronology of Archbishop Usher without fully analyzing the consequences of that position. If Usher’s dates are a correct interpretation of the meaning of the numbers in the text, then you place Abraham in a period of history in which Jerusalem/Salem did not exist, and the whole Melchizedek narrative falls apart.
I am the Subject Matter Expert for Archaeology and Assistant Professor at Liberty University and have been a square and field supervisor at Tall el-Hammam for over 10 years. I have researched and written extensively on the Cities of the Plain and Sodom for over 35 years. The site of Tall el-Hammam in my opinion is by far the best candidate for the site of Sodom, destroyed in the Middle Bronze Age on the Kikkar of the Jordan visible from the region of Ai. The Late Bronze Gap, observed by many archaeologists working in the Jordan Valley can be explained by the destruction event as described in the Bible.
Graves, David E. The Location of Sodom: Key Facts for Navigating the Maze of Arguments for the Location of the Cities of the Plain. Toronto: Electronic Christian Media, 2016.
Graves, David E. “Sodom And Salt in Their Ancient Near Eastern Cultural Context.” Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin 61 (2016): 15–32.
Others who support Tall el-Hammam include:
Geisler, Norman L., and Joseph M. Holden. The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2013), 70, 191, 202, 212–220, 383–87.
Robert A. Mullins is the Professor of archaeology and Old Testament at Azusa Pacific University.
James D. Tabor is the Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Anson F. Rainey was the late (2011) Professor Emeritus of Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and Semitic Linguistics at Tel Aviv University.
Amahai Mazar is the Professor at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After his visit to the site in 2014.
See also Silva, Phillip J. The Destruction of Sodom: What We Have Learned from Tall El-Hammam and Its Neighbors. Albuquerque, N.M.: Trinity Southwest University Press, 2016.
———. “The Middle Bronze Age Civilization-Ending Destruction of the Middle Ghor.” Ph.D. diss., Trinity Southwest University, 2016.
Silva, Phillip J., and Steven Collins. “The Civilization-Ending 3.7KYrBP Kikkar Event: Archaeological Data, Sample Analyses, and Biblical Implications.” In Annual Meeting of the Near East Archaeological Society: Atlanta, Ga., 1–6. Albuquerque, N.M.: TSU Press, 2015.
BTW Bolen places the Patriarchs in the Early Bronze Age which few conservative archaeologist do. Even Bryant Wood places the Patriarchs in the Middle Bronze Age.
The site is so large that is can now be called a city state (62 acres, while Jerusalem and Jericho at the time were only 10 acres). Not much wonder Sodom was mentioned in the Ebla tables in the Early Bronze age trading with Sodom. All agree that Sodom existed in the Early Bronze age (Gen 10) the Question of importance is when was it destroyed (Middle Bronze Age Gen 13). The debate and research continues but people should not be so quick to dismiss this amazing site.
I meant to say “Bolen places the Patriarchs in the Intermediate Bronze Age (2166 BC)”
I think that Sodom was destroyed by a meteorite that burst into flame above Sodom
Nathanael, I appreciate your posting of material that challenges the author and airs your thoughts on the matter. That is helpful. Not helpful is posing a battle between BAR and historical, biblical studies. I think BAR has moderated its position over the years, becoming less biased against Scripture and opening the door to work done by those who presuppose the veracity of Scripture. Isn’t it best that BAR allows for a neutral site, allowing scholars to make their case? The truth will be apparent over time, as history shows. As it does, BAR will be there to present it.
Shalom!
I am willing to share the word of Yahweh.
Israelis didn’t keep 70 Land Sabbaths strictly from 1099 BCE to 609 BCE (5th year of the king, Solomon to the 10th year of the king, Zedekiah = 490 Luni Solar Years) according to Yahweh’s Luni Solar Calendar Formula (Lev. 25:8-9).Yahweh applied His FORMULA 10 times in 70 Weeks Prophecy. Present Jews are following inaccurate Chronology, History, and Grecian 19 – Year Cycle which is misleading all the Jews and Gentiles since CE 1948. The Word of Yahweh is now going out of spiritual Zion and Jerusalem (The Body of the Jewish Messiah) since CE 36 because of Micah 4:1-2 fulfilled already. Yahweh revealed me His Calendar Formula atlast. For details visit http://www.yahwehcalendar.com. I am willing to hear from you as we are the body of the Messiah and I need your suggestions (Jeremiah 31:31-33 cf. Romans 11:13-23; Ephesians 3:1-6, 4:11-16).
Thank you,
Manasseh,
E-mail: [email protected]
Cell: 9704424254
For complete solution of Yahweh’s Calendar:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OAnA00FnjmZcm1BuKfb-sjsnTivus0Gq
Ok so if God wiped this out for a reason don’t you think he doesn’t want you to find it?? Like what are you going to get out of it?? Oh yea, we are going to have tourists come and see where evil people were, “vaped,” for their sins. Let’s go to present day… Do you want to go look around in Hiroshima or Nagasaki?? Like come on man! I believe in finding things that are said in the Bible, but this might need to be just not find. My personal opinion! God Bless!
Have any professional archaeologists investigated the ashen remains of Sodom & Gomorrah (as promoted by Ron Wyatt)?
The writer of this article is trying to prove that it was not God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. AAA……The Bible is more believed than this article. Keep on trying to prove.
Dear BAS Staff and readership,
I agree with Matt and Brian (both 02/21/13) that no one who calls themselves Biblical-anything should put “whether historical or not” in their articles. Rather it should be, “whether one believes they are historical or not”. If you are Biblical, and it is in The Holy Bible, then you should know yourself it is historical.
I also agree with Emerson and Randy (both 02/22/13) that as Christians one should never, ever, ever use BCE and CE. We believe in Jesus, and assumedly have put our trust in Him, and try to follow God’s Pure Word. We should not compromise by removing Christ from the calendar: “Before Christ” and “In the Year of Our Lord”.
For those who are interested, I have read and written extensively on Tall el-Hammam versus what The Sacred Scriptures detail about Sodom and the other 4 Cities of the Kikkar. Dr. Collins has never given any official answer to the evidences I present, and that can only mean the arguments are air-tight. Therefore people like Krissy and Arlan may want to take a look to see if they can dismantle them, seeing as they don’t believe Genesis really happened.
Recommended further reading with myriads of evidences against Tall el-Hammam being Sodom:
G. M. Grena’s detailed review for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on LMLK: A Royal Blog for all matters belonging to the King, a king, &/or kings (05/25/14). Links below:
http://lmlk.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-kikkar-dialogues.html
http://lmlk.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/the-kikkar-dialogues/
G. M. Grena’s brief review Steven Collins, an Easter-Bunny Christian for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on Amazon (06/07/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R35FWSUTDYE5D4/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X
My review Not Israel’s Younger Sister for Discovering the City of Sodom: The Fascinating, True Account of the Discovery of the Old Testament’s Most Infamous City on Amazon (03/21/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3381RLNN8QGOV/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1451684304
My review Archaeology’s War on Biblical History for The Kikkar Dialogues (Research & Discovery Series) (Volume 2) on Amazon (06/22/14). Link here:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RYEFE6CD7HQA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X
My 11-part response to Dr. Collins’ comments on Biblical Problems with
Locating Sodom at Tall el-Hammam by Dr. Todd Bolen on his blog (08/23/14). Link to first part below, scroll down to read further:
http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2012/01/biblical-problems-with-locating-sodom.html#c5540397197379336674
And lastly, search BiblePlaces.com Blog by Dr. Todd Bolen, keyword: “Sodom”. Be sure to also read the comment sections. Links to all the current blogposts, with a few other links, can be found here (02/26/13):
http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2013/02/arguments-against-locating-sodom-at.html
Thank you for reading! ~ Nathanael “AmbassadorHerald” Eisner
@Krissy – to say that that Greek myth has not been disproven is strange…. it has been proven that Atlas was and is not physically holding the earth in its place and Helios does not transport the sun across the sky by chariot. There are tons of other examples. To say this inability to disprove is like any other “myth” is simply not true. Additionally, the sharing of Sodom and Gomorrah’s fate was not to breed disdain towards the LGBT “community”, it speaks to all sorts of intrinsically planted sin. We’re all a part off each other’s community and until we realize this, separation will remain. Disagreeing is not an “end all”.
Is Sodom related to Pompeii (present day- in Italy Rome)?
On Youtube there are videos showing towns and structures that had been so heated they turned to ash that cascaded down in the same approx 40degree angle as seen in any industrial dump site.
To turn the local stone into this ash does need really hot fire and as the mass of semiburned nodules covering the ara analyses at 98% sulphur and 2% magnesium their origin was not of this world as sulphur deposit around the usual sulphur quarries and volcanoe or hot springs is only about 20-40% purity.
Magnesium is the stuff that makes some fireworks burn with intense white light and as it can reach temperature over 5000Fahreheit it has no difficulty melting rock and fusing it into the same glassy material found at atom bomb test sites.
There needs to be some research into the temperature the S&g nodules burn at and how long they maintain a high heat that will effectively heat very thick walls, columns, statuary to turn it all to the flaky material that crumbles to dust at S&G
What is BAR’s position on the rich deposits of hail-sized sulfur to the west of the Dead Sea? Is that a possible location for the sinful cities of the plains? Why/why not?
As a point of logic (or illogic), many atheists confidently assert that certain events in the Bible (such as the destruction of S&G by God) absolutely did not occur.
Then, when asked for evidence of their assertion, they will either claim that, a) the burden of proof is not on them, but on those who claim the account is true, and/or, b) “you can’t prove a negative”.
Both statements are asinine & not logical.
Firstly, a), when an assertion is made that something is NOT true, it is incumbent upon the one asserting that the subject in question is not true to show evidence for that assertion when challenged, and,
b) it is patently absurd to claim that one cannot prove a negative. For example, if one claims that a gun does NOT exist in their pocket, it is quite easy to prove that this negative assertion is true or false, simply by visually examining the inside of the pocket. (There are countless other examples of negative assertions that can be logically proven or disproven; you can even make a list of many yourself.)
So,since negative assertions CAN be proven, their claimants can therefore be held accountable to prove their assertion or (if they fail to prove it), admit that their assertion is one that they believe by faith.
Therefore, the position that “God does not exist” is a position of faith.
In all actuality, there is certainly logical evidence that God does indeed exist. Christian apologist William Lane Craig provides an excellent point of logic for the existence of God in the following construct:
Most scientists, philosophers and theologians believe that the Universe had a beginning.
Since the Universe with all its matter & energy could not have just “popped” into existence without a cause, the cause logically exists OUTSIDE the known Universe, making this “cause” transcendent from the Universe, existing outside time, space, matter and energy.
Since the Universe is more powerful than we can imagine and its laws more complex than we can imagine, the “creator” of the Universe logically must also be more intelligent and powerful than we can imagine.
The two foremost theories for the genesis of the Universe are “chance” and “God”, and since “chance” does NOT meet these requirements, and “God” does, then obviously God is the best possible explanation for the genesis of all things.
@krissy and others:
This page should not be a medium through which we attack one another but for individual to express his mind.
Perspective at which we see things differ. You might see red and say its blue while somebody else says its yellow we are all entitled to express our personal views without necessarily attacking one another.
Personally, i believe its not a myth but reality as the holy book (Bible) put it. A myth, according to the dictionary, is a commonly-held but false belief, a common misconception; a fictitious or imaginary person or thing; a popular conception about a real person or event which exaggerates or idealizes reality. Meaning that it is used to explain what is incomprehensible. It is used in Africa by the elderly ones to explain what truly is real but they don’t have its real explanations just to save themselves from “I don’t know” whenever questions about mysterious issues are asked by the younger ones.
But in this case, the holy book (Bible) has given us an understanding and an idea about the place called Sodom and Gomorah thousand years before archaeologists now gave us the exact location Thus, the reverse is the case with myth.
Mythical approach of explanation in philosophy is called Appeal to Ignorance (Argumentum ad Ignorantum).
Biblical explanations of Sodom and Gomorah is a pure reality and true.
Studyinh genesis 18 and 19 know and doing reasearch.
My thanks to Steve Collins.
I forgot there were 5 cities and not just Sodom and Gomorrah. It is amazing that evidence
continues to come out that corroborates the historic accounts in the Bible. So many things
were discovered in Science because someone saw that the prevailing theories of Science
did not agree with the bible, so they kept looking for other answers.
‘Life comes from life’, versus ‘spontaneous generation’ in Pasteur’s day paved the way for
civilization to stop epidemics by seeking out the pathogens that caused disease.
Blacks are not any less than whites, versus, the race supremacy ideas that were the logical
extension of Darwin’s theories and propped up beliefs in slavery. And many more.
No one has to have blind faith, the evidence is there for the finding. But if one has his mind
made up, no amount of evidence will convince them. Not even if a dead relative comes back
from the dead – as Jesus’s words show in the Gospels.
OK, let’s get something straight. From a purely geological perspective, no one can argue that there haven’t been earthquakes in this region. Also, if one looks at the water table history in the Dead Sea area, the lake has been up and down several times over the millennia.
Therefore, it is not surprising that many cities could have disappeared under the rising level of water, only to appear again a few centuries later. I have no doubt we’ll find additional cities as the Israelis, Jordanians, Syrians and Palestinians continue to drain the Jordan for all it’s worth.
Again, speaking from a purely geological point of view, plate tectonics explains the continental drift between the Asian and African shelves. A fault line runs right through the Dead Sea. Therefore, again, it isn’t surprising to find out that several cities may have fallen to earthquakes. Moreover, it’s not surprising to find out that the earthquakes were severe and that they could have wiped out an entire city the infrastructure of which wasn’t up to modern code.
I have no doubt that two cities once existed by the names of Sodom and Gomorrah. I think there is evidence that they may be under a modern-day city now. Surely we’ve heard of tells. They’re all over that regions. The truth, however, is that they may have disappeared much later than our translations suggest.
Until very recently, the majority of biblical archeologists were concerned with finding evidence to support the Bible. Now that objective is beginning to shift toward a more thoughtful exploration into what actually happened — whether it backs up a bible story or offers a better insight into the actual history of the region.
Here’s what we have to understand about using science to back up the Bible. Science isn’t a tool to prove someone’s point of view. It often proves just the opposite of what we’d like to believe. If we’re going to accept radio-carbon dating for our bible manuscripts, and then turn around and reject it when it proves something wrong about the Bible’s account, we are deluding ourselves. Furthermore, radio-carbon dating isn’t the only method we use to date things back beyond let’s say 50,000 years.
If you’re going to use science at all, you might as well confront your old fears of this system of discovery and open your mind to the complete truth — whether that backs up your faith or challenges it to the very foundation. Perhaps you’ll never quite look at things the same way again. I don’t know. Maybe you’ll decide to become an atheist in the end. That’s up to you, but if your faith has any merit at all, it will survive this and many other challenges. The dross will burn away in the refiner’s fire, and what you’ll have left is pure gold.