Sodom and Gomorrah are two very famous cities in the Bible. Lot, Abraham's nephew, once decided to settle in Sodom. Genesis 13:10 says that the area was "watered with water, like the garden of the Lord." Obviously, this was a very rich and fertile land. The people who lived on it were probably rich, and their standard of living was higher than that of people from other areas. They did not lack either food or water, since their land was fertile and well irrigated with water. That is what attracted Lot to that land, and that is why he decided to live in it. As Genesis 13:10 says, “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw,” and based on what he saw, he made his choice. However, what we see as beautiful, "lifting up our eyes", the Lord can see in a completely different way (1 Samuel 16:7). And what Lot saw was significantly different from what the Lord saw, looking into the hearts of the people who lived in that land. In Genesis 13:13 we read:
Genesis 13:13
"The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord."
While Lot saw an incredibly fertile land, the Lord saw extremely wicked hearts. As He says in Genesis 18:20:
Genesis 18:20
"The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy."
And, in the end, saving the life of Lot, the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Leaving Sodom, Lot received advice from the Lord that was the exact opposite of what Lot had done in the beginning:
Genesis 19:17
“When they brought them out, one of them (the angel of the Lord - author's note) said: save your soul; do not look back…»
In choosing Sodom as a place to live, Lot made his decision after he "lifted up his eyes and saw." And now he had to flee and not "look back." As soon as Lot left, the Lord destroyed the area.
But what was the sin of Sodom? Ezekiel 16:49-50 says what the Lord saw:
Ezekiel 16:49-50
“This is the iniquity of Sodom, your sister and her daughters: in pride, satiety and idleness, and she did not support the hands of the poor and the beggar. And they became proud and did abominations before Me, and when I saw this, I rejected them.”
I was astounded to see that "satiety and idleness" were ranked with pride on the list of "the iniquities of Sodom." And although pride is usually condemned, at least outwardly, the other two vices - satiety (food) and idleness (when people live without doing anything) - the attitude is completely different. On the contrary, often even Christians consider them their goal. Of course, we do not mean that we need to be exhausted and hungry. However, despite what the world tells us, we SHOULD NOT strive for satiety and idleness. We must pursue the Lord, His Word, and His purposes. The meaning and purpose of our life should not be idleness and wealth, but the fulfillment of God's will. We must strive to know ourselves and help others to know the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. And just as Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped off the face of the earth, so this world will someday come to an end. And just as the Lord brought Lot out of that place before destroying it, so He will take us out of this world before doing to him what he did to Sodom and Gomorrah.
So let's be ready and vigilant. The Lord is coming. And “just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all; 30 So it will be in the day when the Son of Man appears... Remember Lot's wife. Whoever begins to save his soul will destroy it; but whoever destroys her will revive her” (Luke 17:28-33).
In the book "Sefer ha-Yashar" it is written how a man came to Sodom on a donkey, and without housing, was received by a resident of the city. Preparing to leave, he did not find a colored blanket and a belt with which it was attached to the donkey's back. When he asked the owner of the house about this, he replied that he simply dreamed of these things, but this vision was a good omen, since the blanket meant that he would have a large vineyard, and the belt meant that his life would be long. The guest protested, but he was dragged to court and sentenced to pay four shekels of silver. The names of the judges, according to this story, were: Sarak from Sodom, Sarkar from Gomorrah, Zabuak from Adme and Manon from Zeboim (ibid., 24-27).
Footprint in world culture
Sexual activities attributed to sodomites have transferred the name of the city to modern terminology sodomy(sexual perversions). In modern Hebrew, the saying "sdom ugmoraʹ" means a complete mess.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is written by Flavius Josephus (Bibliotheca Judaica IV.8, § 4) and in the Koran (Sura Liv.).
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah has become a source of inspiration for writers, artists and psychologists, the subject of numerous dramas - from medieval mysteries to modern plays (for example, the French playwright Jean Giraudoux in 1943 and the Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis in the 1950s. In the visual arts, the plot about Sodom and Gomorrah is found in illustrations for medieval psalms, Renaissance frescoes and paintings up to the present.
History of Sodom and Gomorrah. Photo from padrulleonid website
The Bible tells the story of the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by God, who poured a rain of sulfur on them, due to the decay of morals and the decline of the morals of their inhabitants.
“When the dawn broke, the angels began to hasten Lot, saying: “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters that you have, so that you do not perish for the iniquity of the city.” Genesis 19:15
According to Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century CE. these cities were known in the first century and traces or shadows of these five cities must be visible. There is an opinion that the city was later submerged under the waters of the Dead Sea. However, if Josephus could see them, then so should we, since the water level of the Dead Sea has dropped since that time. These cities existed in what is now Israel.
Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah?
The Bible answers this question.
“Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29, but on the day Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:28/29
“... I live, says the Lord God; Your sister Sodoma did not do herself and her daughters what you and your daughters did. This was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister and her daughters: in pride, satiety and idleness, and she did not support the hand of the poor and the needy. Ezekiel 16:49-50
These paragraphs provide a vivid picture of the way the people of Sodom and Gomorrah lived and what sins they committed. They enjoyed physical pleasures, ate, drank, did not help the poor and the needy. In addition, they were engaged in debauchery and homosexuality (as can be seen from the story of two angels who took refuge in Lot's house)
How were these cities destroyed?
“And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord from heaven, and overthrew these cities, and all this region, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and the growth of the earth. And [Lot's] wife looked behind him and became a pillar of salt." Genesis 19:24-26.
Evil people were punished by divine fire. Native sulfur rained down from the sky. Heat and hell fell on these cities and their inhabitants. But Lot's wife turned around to look at the burning city, against the angel's commandment, and turned into a pillar of salt. (Pillar of salt found near the Dead Sea, believed to be the pillar of salt mentioned in the Bible)
The Bible tells us that these cities existed in the plain of Jordan, the area surrounding the Dead Sea in Israel. It used to be a beautiful, flourishing place. Now this place is 13 hundred feet below sea level, the lowest place on earth, a very hot and desert area.
Sodom and Gomorrah today and archaeological findings
Today, ash can be found in an area that is lighter in color than the nearby mountains and landscape. Just like it is mentioned in the Bible, this is a desert area where nothing grows. Looking around, you can see that the structures contain man-made elements such as 90 degree angles, even though the buildings were on fire, the remaining ash in this city is made up of heavier material, due to the content of native sulfur and is still retains some of the original forms of man-made structures.
For the first time in modern history, round balls of native sulfur, or almost pure sulfur, have been found in an incinerated area near the Dead Sea, which show clear signs of buildings of ancient construction.
Native sulfur analysis
These balls of sulfur are mostly the size of golf balls, and some show burn marks on the surface.
Each of the cities of the plain contains evidence of the brimstone that rained down from heaven on the cities to destroy them. Native sulfur consists of 96-98% sulfur, with traces of magnesium, which create an extremely high combustion temperature. This is the only place on earth where you can find ninety-six percent pure monoclinic sulfur in a round ball. This native sulfur did not originate from any type of geothermal activity (volcanic eruption), as there is no confirmation of this in the area, and geothermal sulfur ores contain only 40% pure sulfur and are diamond-shaped.
Ash analysis
Everything in these cities burned and turned to ash, including the buildings, as the Bible says the cities were to be destroyed as well.
The extremely high, searing temperature created a multi-ton salting of the ash, which was formed by thermal ionization caused by the repulsion and attraction of electrons, creating a swirling effect on the ruins. The intense fire that God rained on these cities was so hot that it burned the limestone blocks that were used in the construction of the cities. Today, the ash there consists of calcium sulfate and calcium carbonate, by-products of the combustion of sulfur and limestone.
Cities visible on satellite photos
These cities have almost completely turned to white ash, and can be seen on satellite photos.
Notice how each of the cities stands out from the surrounding landscape due to the white ash they contain. The city of Zohar was a "small" or newly built city, square in shape. As cities grew or expanded, they quickly lost their square shape.
Genesis 10:19 says that these five cities formed the Canaan frontier, so they may not have clustered at the southern end of the Dead Sea as is commonly thought. They were formed between the northern and southern line of the Jordan/Dead Sea area. Gomorrah was located at the foot of Masada, and in 1998 additional formations were found in Jordan on the opposite side of the Dead Sea from Gomorrah on the Lisan Peninsula, including a large cemetery of 1,000,000 graves. The same structures that were found on the Israeli side were also found on the Jordanian side, ash, brimstone and even ceramic tiles.
anomalies
More evidence of extreme heat has been found.
The Bible says:
“Sulfur and salt, conflagration - the whole earth; neither is it sown nor does it bring forth, and no grass comes out of it, as after the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma, and Seboim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His fury. Deuteronomy 29:23
Conclusion - Judgment Day
The Bible offers a warning to the people of the future about what may happen to those who behave selfishly, ignoring the moral standards that Heaven has bestowed on mankind:
“And if the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemning to destruction, turned into ashes, setting an example for the future wicked”, II Book 2 Peter: 6. (The word "example" means a warning)
It also says:
"But the fearful, and the unbelievers, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their fate in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. This is the second death." Revelation 21:8
What seems to be the evidence of the Day of Judgment:
“For behold, the day will come, burning like an oven; then all the arrogant and wicked will be like stubble, and the coming day will burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will not leave them root or branches. Malachi 4:1
What do these archaeological finds, ashes and found native sulfur tell us, modern people? How many of us spend our lives "drinking, eating, trading?" Do we ask ourselves the meaning of our lives, why are we here and where did we come from? How are our lives different from those of Sodom and Gomorrah?
Is there a higher power that controls the course of our lives? Are there really such things as Judgment Day and Divine Punishment mentioned in spiritual scriptures? If so, how will we meet the Lord of the Creator on the Day of Judgment? Perhaps the story of Sodom and Gomorrah will encourage us to look deeper into ourselves and ask ourselves these questions.
Video about archaeological findings in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah " Revealing the Treasures of God - Sodom and Gomorrah"(in English)
Four cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adma and Seboim were destroyed from the face of the earth by fire from heaven. The wrath of the Lord was caused by the wickedness and heinous sins of the inhabitants of these cities. God announced to Abraham that Sodom would be destroyed, Abraham prayed for this sinful city, and the Lord promised him that he would not destroy the city if there were at least ten righteous people there. But they were not found. And that's what happened. Lot lived in Sodom, a righteous man with his wife and two daughters. God sent two angels to this city, who took human form. It was in the evening. The hospitable Lot received them in his house, not knowing that they were angels.
They had not yet gone to bed, like city dwellers, Sodomites, from young to old, all the people with all ends cities surrounded the house.And they called Lot, and they said to him, Where are the people who came to you at night? Bring them out to us; we get to know them.
Lot went out to them at the entrance, and locked the door behind him,and said, My brethren, do no evil;here I have two daughters who have not known a husband; I'd rather bring them out to you, do with them what you please, only don't do anything to these people, since they came under the shelter of my house.
But they said to him: come here. And they said: here is a stranger, and he wants to judge? now we will deal worse with you than with them. And they came very close to this man, to Lot, and came up to break down the door.Then the men stretched out their hands and brought Lot into their house, and they locked the door;and the people who were at the entrance to the house were smitten with blindness, from the smallest to the greatest, so that they were exhausted, looking for an entrance.
The men said to Lot, Who else do you have here? son-in-law, or your sons, or your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, bring them all out of this place,for we will destroy this place, because the cry against the inhabitants of it to the Lord is great, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.
And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were taking his daughters for themselves, and said, Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city. But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
When the dawn broke, the angels began to hasten Lot, saying, Get up, take your wife and your two daughters that you have, so that you do not perish for the iniquities of the city.And as he hesitated, those men, by the mercy of the Lord, took him by the hand, and his wife, and his two daughters, and brought him out and set him outside the city.When they brought them out then one of them said: save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this neighborhood; flee to the mountain lest you perish.
The sun rose over the earth, and Lot came to Segor.
And the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord from heaven,and he overthrew these cities, and all this region, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and All earth growth.wife Lotova looked behind him and became a pillar of salt.
And Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the Lord,
It is believed that these destroyed cities were located on the site of the southern part of the Dead Sea. The expressions "sodom and gomorrah" are still used today to define debauchery, including the sin that God was so angry about, and which has been spreading more and more on the earth in recent times.
Until now, scientists are trying to prove or disprove the legend of Sodom and Gomorrah. At the same time, to date, little evidence has been found that indicates only the existence of these cities. So far, no one has been able to determine what actually happened, as well as to establish the exact location.
What it means "Sodom and Gomorrah" is known to many from the Bible. However, this is not the only source of mention of cities. The Bible colorfully paints the story, sets out the reasons for what happened, but this version has no scientific confirmation. Other references to Sodom and Gomorrah belong to the ancient Greek historian Strabo. More about the once existing cities is written in the works of Tacitus, Flavius, Sanhunaton, etc.
Myth or reality
Ancient historians and geographers rather "sparsely" mention the villages. The only thing that converges in their writings is that the cities were located in the Siddim valley, and the people in them lived in abundance, since the lands were fertile, the climate favored agriculture and animal husbandry. Information about the mysterious death of cities varies somewhat. For example, Tacitus in the 1st-2nd century BC. e. wrote that the remnants of the scorched cities can still be seen. At the same time, the Phoenician historian Sankhunaton mentioned that the villages fell into the ground, becoming a lake.
First evidence
For the first time, real facts proving that cities actually existed were discovered during excavations in Syria, when in 1982 the archive of the ancient city of Ebla was found. Among more than 1,000 cuneiform tablets were records of Sodom, Gomorrah and Segor as trading partners. The facts turned out to be irrefutable, but only that Sodom and Gomorrah existed. What happened there and how the cities died remains a mystery to science.
Bible version
After Noah, a righteous person lived on earth - Abraham. He was a fairly rich man, possessing large herds of sheep, gold and silver. His success was not only in wealth and was due to obedience to the Almighty. Abraham had a native nephew - Lot, with whom they moved to the land of Canaan. Having settled together in a new place, the lands turned out to be insufficient for grazing sheep, and disputes began to occur between the shepherds. As a result, they decided to split up. Lot and his family went east to the valley of Siddim.
Sodom, Gomorrah and the nearby villages - Sigor, Seboim, Adma were distinguished by immorality and depravity. The inhabitants were inhospitable, and strangers who set foot on their land were always dealt with with particular cruelty. Lot and his family remained faithful to God, not plunging into sin and depravity.
The Lord, having seen what was happening, decided to punish the sinners, but first, having appeared to Abraham, he told him about his plans. Abraham stood up for the people, so God gave the cities another chance. Abraham needed to find 10 righteous people and then the punishment would be cancelled.
One evening, angels in human form knocked on Lot's door, sent to see what was happening in the city. Lot invited them into the house, because it was not safe outside. The owner, as a true righteous man, showed all his hospitality, feeding and watering the guests. The inhabitants learned about the strangers and, having come to Lot, began to demand that they be handed over. Lot called the angry crowd to reason. He even offered them two of his daughters in return. Those who came did not agree and began to threaten to break the door. Then the angels blinded the raging and it was decided to destroy them all.
Lot was told to leave the city. The main condition was not to turn around. Lot obeyed, but his sons-in-law did not believe in the seriousness of what was happening, deciding to stay. The Almighty brought down fiery sulfur on the villages from heaven, which burned the cities along with all the inhabitants. During this, Lot and his family were leaving, but his wife violated the main condition and turned around. In a second, she turned into a pillar of salt. The original can be read in the Bible, Genesis ch. 18-19, and see clearly the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah in an 1852 painting by artist John Martin.
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