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 cant prove a negative. (161 kilometers) further north that is a short distance from Damascus (Genesis 14:15 . 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. I will also bless you, Jerusalem. would result in the cit ies' lineup as shown in g ure 3. Where Were the Old Testament Kings of Ancient Jerusalem Buried? Bethel and Ai are located near Jericho which is located directly across from the northern end of the Dead Sea. Steven Collins responds to a letter by Bill Schlegel. I have no doubt that two cities once existed by the names of Sodom and Gomorrah. Combine a one-year tablet and print subscription to BAR with membership in the BAS Library to start your journey into the ancient past today! It often proves just the opposite of what wed like to believe. . So I am done with this little discussion, because so many of the comments are sheer fantasy. Albuquerque, N.M.: TSU Press, 2015. Geisler, Norman L., and Joseph M. Holden. The destruction date-range of Tall el-Hammam/Sodom confirms this as well. But now Zoar was not far distant from Sodom, when Lot, with his company, got thither before the rising of the sun, Genesis 19:23. 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. 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. But if one has his mind Was it the action of the men of Sodom that precipitated its destruction in Genesis 19? - Genesis 19:1 In 19:22, its name is said to have been given because of its littleness, which also seems to have accounted for its being spared. Genesis 10:19 The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as you go toward Gerar, to Gaza; as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, to Lasha.. Genesis 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. Rather it should be, whether one believes they are historical or not. OK, lets get something straight. Giovanni Pettinato, claimed in 1976 to have found the names Sodom, Gomorrah and Zoar/Bela in the Ebla tablets. So, yes. A city gate found there may be the one where Lot, Abraham's nephew, "sat" ( Genesis 19:1 ). Isaiah 15:5 My heart cries out for Moab! 56 Jerusalem, you were so arrogant that you sneered at Sodom. Theyre all over that regions. Ezekiel 16:52-58 MSG;NLT;WYC;CEV;CJB ? the king of Goiim, made war with Bera, the king of Sodom, and Birsha, Like what are you going to get out of it?? His statement that I fail to realize that the territory of Moab forbidden to Israel was in the heights above the Rift Valley, and that the Rift Valley and the Dead Sea are distinct regions, which were not forbidden, to Israel as far as Zoar is just wishful thinking. Romans 11:13-23; Ephesians 3:1-6, 4:11-16). Across Tall el-Hammam, archaeologists found widespread evidence of an intense conflagration that left the Middle Bronze Age city in ruins. Tall el-Hamman is not Sodom and Collins and associates have made grave errors in their thinking and analysis. Moreover, its not surprising to find out that the earthquakes were severe and that they could have wiped out an entire city the infrastructure of which wasnt up to modern code. 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. plain is actually the right word to use for geography. Depending on the vehicle you choose, you can also calculate the amount of CO2 emissions from your vehicle and assess the environment impact. Zoar, Sodom and Gomor rah in t hat order from sout h to north. As a result, on April 19, 1819, the group formed the Society of . king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 20 Look, that city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. The difficulty with Merrills chronological argument is his bias towards the old Usher and related chronologies. From the Besides, you could make the same argument for other ancient sites that are recorded in ancient writings. Nor is the Lisan (Tongue) missing from the map because of low water levels. Perhaps exactly the opposite is truethe Madaba Map depicts no Lisan because of high water levels. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! 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. We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues. 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. Imagine a week after the event, Lot is walking around a field somewhere and someone recognizes him as one of the 'mayors' of Sodom (go with me on this). Thank you, (b) It is identical in . The works of Josephus: complete and unabridged (p. 687). Steven Collins, Director, Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project, Jordan To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Ok so if God wiped this out for a reason dont you think he doesnt want you to find it?? Silva, Phillip J., and Steven Collins. 23]: "The sun rose over the earth, when Lot entered into Zoar"; and R. Hanina said: "I saw the distance between Sodom and Zoar, and found it to be five miles." There has been some doubt about the exact location . After a few hundred meters the trail makes a sharp . will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Link here: Therefore, For centuries people knew exactly where Sodom and Gomorrah once stood. The destruction of Sodom (c. 2067 BC) 5, takes place in Genesis 19 after Lot, his wife, 6 and two daughters, with the help of the two angels, escape Sodom and flee to Zoar (Genesis 19:20-22). Gen. 14.1-2 (LEB). The Crusaders mention "Segor" as situated in the midst of palm trees. Thus, Lot had from dawn to dusk to travel from Sodom (Tall el-Hammam) to Zoar. Before the destruction, the Dead Sea was a valley full of natural tar pits, . Just as how God promised to spare Sodom but then destroyed it after Lot's family was removed, so according to tradition, he destroyed Zoar with the other cities of the plain after Lot left it. Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people. It is used in Africa by the elderly ones to explain what truly is real but they dont have its real explanations just to save themselves from I dont know whenever questions about mysterious issues are asked by the younger ones. Zoar (Safi) is the only town that is still in existence after thousands of years since the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was also known as Bela during the time of Abraham ( Genesis 14:2 ). 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. 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. 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. And he said to him, Behold, I will grant this favor as well; that I Roman Crucifixion Methods Reveal the History of Crucifixion. the name of the city was called Zoar. Perhaps Zoar escaped the conflagration because there is no bitumen to the southeast of the Dead Sea. Lot chose the land of the plain of Jordan, near Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the rich pastureland there. I thought it might be helpful for readers ofBiblical Archaeology Reviewto know where to go for another []. I will go with Him on that. 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 wouldnt 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). The debate and research continues but people should not be so quick to dismiss this amazing site. Lot, etc. Then Lot and his > family walk to Zoar, which likely was a distance of 5 miles. The territories of Moab and Edom (and the Ammon, for that matter) followed their wadi/river borders right into the Rift Valley. Collins locates Zoar near the Arnon River (Collins 2020; cf. Video lectures from world-renowned experts. to be eaten; but if you pluck them with your hands, they will dissolve Ackermann Function without Recursion or Stack. extension of Darwins theories and propped up beliefs in slavery. I believe the Bible and none whatsoever even if it is evident to my eyes I blindly believe the Holy Bible only. 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). Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Biblical Archaeology Review is the guide on that fascinating journey. To reference the OP though, what would be interesting to consider is this: The destruction of the cities of the plain would have been BIG NEWS of the day. Answer. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 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. The promise God made to Lot to preserve the city was fulfilled. It is also the place where the Biblical writers set their dramatic tale of Sodoms wickedness and destruction (Genesis 19). For details visit http://www.yahwehcalendar.com. As for the distance from Tall el-Hammam to Zoar at the confluence of the Arnon with the Dead Seait is 27 miles, not over 40 miles as Schlegel states. We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. Link here: The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. a man can traverse five miles. Whence does he adduce this? The truth will be apparent over time, as history shows. Others who support Tall el-Hammam include: Geographical Evidence for Locating Sodom. Both statements are asinine & not logical. 2 And he said, Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your Thank Dr. Collins for your important work on this. Roman Crucifixion Methods Reveal the History of Crucifixion, http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019904, http://eternityimpact.sermon.net/main/main/21019905, https://www.academia.edu/33972456/How_Old_was_Father_Abraham_Re-examining_the_Patriarchal_Lifespans_in_Light_of_Archaeology, https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OAnA00FnjmZcm1BuKfb-sjsnTivus0Gq, http://lmlk.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-kikkar-dialogues.html, http://lmlk.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/the-kikkar-dialogues/, http://www.amazon.com/review/R35FWSUTDYE5D4/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X, http://www.amazon.com/review/R3381RLNN8QGOV/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1451684304, http://www.amazon.com/review/R3RYEFE6CD7HQA/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=061590999X, http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2012/01/biblical-problems-with-locating-sodom.html#c5540397197379336674, http://blog.bibleplaces.com/2013/02/arguments-against-locating-sodom-at.html, http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/where-is-s. 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