Sodom Is In the News
The long-lost city of Sodom is a hot topic right now. Last week alone there were dozens of news reports with headlines like:
“Biblical city of Sodom ‘found in Jordan” (The Independent)
“City of Sodom Discovered: Archeological find gives insight into story of destruction” (Fox News)
“Incredible: Researchers Just Revealed They May Have FINALLY Found This ‘Monstrous’ Biblical City” (Western Journalism)
But Where’s the Evidence? (Visit the link at the bottom of the article for working links)
Some news sites are presenting the evidence better than others. Yet some, like the Washington Post, seem to avoid listing any evidence at all, offering a hasty conclusion instead: “Of course, while the reality of this city is not in doubt, there is little evidence that it’s actually biblical Sodom.” Sifting through the articles, it can be difficult to understand just what the actual evidence is. So here I do my best to summarize all of the top evidence for Tall el-Hammam being the long-lost biblical city of Sodom.
Top 12 Reasons Sodom is Tall el-Hammam
In 2013 I was fortunate to enroll in a graduate level class from the lead archaeologist running the excavation, Dr. Steve Collins. Here is his top evidence Sodom is Tall el-Hammam compiled from my notes. All of this info can be found on Dr. Collins’ website, particularly here and here, or in his book Discovering the City of Sodom.
#1. There’s evidence the men at the site practiced the kidnapping and raping of young boys.
The biblical text says:
“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” (Gen. 19:4-5)
Dr. Collins has found Minoan pottery at his site indicating a possible Sodom/Minoan connection. While the research is ongoing, this may provide startling insight into what was going on. The historian Strabo said the Minoan culture had a custom where older men would abduct young boys and rape them as a type of right-of-passage (Strabo’s Geography, 10.4.21). In Dr. Collins’ own words:
“Each boy, at age 12, was taken as an eromenos (“beloved”) by a 22-year-old erastes (“lover”) to be raised for 8 years in a male-male sexual bond. It was usually initiated with a ceremonial kidnapping performed by a gang of ritual abductors sent by the older male. The practice was formalized and ubiquitous across Minoan culture. Boys couldn’t be considered properly-trained male citizens unless they submitted to this process.” (April 22, 2013 TEH Update Newsletter, emphasis added)
#2. A meteor air burst explosion completely decimated the city that’s buried there.
Above: Actual video (visit site for picture) still of much smaller air burst event over Russia in 2013.
There is convincing evidence that a significant air burst event destroyed the city. Trinitite was discovered on the back of a pottery shard. A zircon bubble which can only form under extreme temperature was also found. There’s typically nothing to burn at a gate area, yet its gate area is covered with half meter of thick black, dark ash. Scattered human bones throughout the site suggest people were literally blown apart from the event.
This event was similar to the one which occurred in Russia recently in February, 2013. If the meteor over Russia has been just ten percent larger and in a straighter trajectory it would have probably killed a million people or more, producing an air burst more in line with the Siberian Tunguska airburst in 1908 which produced an explosion 1,000 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
#4. It could also explain the strange “pillar of salt” verse.
An air burst event might also explain the turning of Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt. The Bible says Lot’s wife “looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” (Gen. 19:26) +
As they made their escape they would have been walking along shore of Dead Sea which is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. The “look back” was probably more than just a quick glance but a deep longing to return. It’s quite possible she stopped while the others continued; perhaps she began walking back alone. Either way, when the air burst event happened, it brought 6-8000 degrees kelvin. If it splashed water it would cover the entire landscape with an encrustation of salt. Because of the extremely high temperature anybody along the shore, including Lot’s wife, would be dead in an instant, completely encased in salt.
#7. The city is located in what looks like the “disc” of the Jordan.
kikkar-the-disc
Genesis 13:10-12 says:
“And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain [kikkar]* of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.”
In Hebrew, there are four words for “plain” and this is not one of them. The word used is kikkar and literally means “disc” or “circle.” Over 50 times it refers to talent of metal, a circular, ring-like disc. Or it refers to a circular, flat loaf of bread like a pita. The area where Dr. Collins’ site is located actually looks like a disc.
In addition, the biblical text implies that Lot was able to lift his eyes and view the entire disc of the Jordan all at once (Gen. 13:10). If a person is standing on the west looking eastward towards Tall el-Hammam towards the east, they can see the entire disc shaped area of the kikkar just as Lot did, with Sodom on the other end.
+ Genesis 19:23-26
By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19 doesn't say anything about Lot's wife going back, just looking back.
* Concerning #7 and the word Kikkar. 10 י וַיִּשָּׂא-לוֹט אֶת-עֵינָיו, וַיַּרְא אֶת-כָּל-כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן, כִּי כֻלָּהּ, מַשְׁקֶה--לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת יְהוָה, אֶת-סְדֹם וְאֶת-עֲמֹרָה, כְּגַן-יְהוָה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, בֹּאֲכָה צֹעַר. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.
יא וַיִּבְחַר-לוֹ לוֹט, אֵת כָּל-כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן, וַיִּסַּע לוֹט, מִקֶּדֶם; וַיִּפָּרְדוּ, אִישׁ מֵעַל אָחִיו. 11 So Lot chose him all the plain of the Jordan; and Lot journeyed east; and they separated themselves the one from the other.
יב אַבְרָם, יָשַׁב בְּאֶרֶץ-כְּנָעַן; וְלוֹט, יָשַׁב בְּעָרֵי הַכִּכָּר, וַיֶּאֱהַל, עַד-סְדֹם. 12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom.
3603. kikkar
Strong's Concordance
kikkar: a round, a round district, a round loaf, a round weight, a talent (a measure of weight or money)
Original Word: כִּכָּר
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: kikkar
Phonetic Spelling: (kik-kawr')
Short Definition: talents
For a more in-depth list visit; Evidence Sodom is Tall el-Hammam
