Who wrote the garden and gamora. History of Sodom and Gomorrah. Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah

SODOM AND GOMORRA, two cities, the mention of which in the Bible is associated primarily with the exceptional depravity of their inhabitants. In Genesis, they are described as "cities of the plain" that God destroyed "with fire and brimstone." Two other cities, Adma and Tsevoim, were also destroyed, and the fifth, Sigor, was spared by God so that Abraham's nephew Lot with his two daughters could find refuge there. Disobeying God, Lot's wife looked back at the dying Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt. Sodom and Gomorrah are perhaps the most famous biblical cities, which have become a universal symbol of depravity and immorality and divine retribution. Sodom is associated, in particular, with the sin of sodomy, but both cities were distinguished by the depravity of the inhabitants and the mistreatment of the aliens. According to one of the legends, the guest was offered a bed here, the length of which he had to match: the limbs were cut off too high, and the short ones were stretched.

The exact location and circumstances of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah remain a mystery. According to the Bible, they were located at the southern end of a depression surrounded by mountains (the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea), which lies approximately 400 m below sea level. Lot, who had chosen the fertile Jordan Valley as his residence, pitched his tents near Sodom itself. The Bible tells of the battle of four kings against five kings (Gen. 14) in the "valley of Siddim", where there were many asphalt lakes (in the old translations - "pitch pits"). Both ancient authors and modern researchers point to the presence of asphalt (or bitumen) in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, especially in the south.

At the southwestern tip of the Dead Sea rises a rock, consisting mainly of crystalline salt; the Arabs call it Jebel-Usdum, i.e. "Mount Sodom". This lump of salt (approx. 30 m high), as a result of erosion and weathering, turned into a rock resembling a human figure. Biblical and Muslim traditions, as well as travelers of antiquity and today, identify her with Lot's wife.

Archaeological finds also confirm the localization of Sodom and other “cities of the plain” in the region. Bab Ed Dhra, a pilgrimage site, was discovered by archaeologists in the mountains east of the southern coast of the Dead Sea; judging by the pottery found there, it was most frequently visited between 2300 and 1900 BC. Scientists have not found any settlements where participants in religious festivals held in Bab Ed-Dra could have been accommodated, although they should have been located somewhere nearby. There remains only one place where the ill-fated "cities of the plain" could have been located - under the water of the present southern bay of the Dead Sea. There, south of the El Lisan ("Tongue") peninsula, the maximum water depth does not exceed 6 m, while to the north of the peninsula echo sounders recorded a depth of more than 400 m. This area was once a fertile plain called the Siddim Valley. Since then, the water level in the Dead Sea has been rising (now it rises by 6-9 cm per year).

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by the Lord happened after Abraham failed to find even ten righteous people in Sodom. According to Genesis (19: 24-28), the Lord rained down "brimstone and fire" on the "cities of the plain." Modern research has shown the presence of oil and asphalt deposits. The unpleasant smell and fumes, which, according to ancient authors, rose from the Dead Sea and made the metals tarnish, can be explained by the action of some natural gas, the origin of which was naturally unknown to the ancients. Then the catastrophe broke out because oil and associated gases ignited either from a lightning strike or an earthquake (they are not uncommon in this region), which could destroy hearths and cause a large fire. It is noteworthy that Abraham, who was near Hebron, could observe from there the smoke rising over the valley like "smoke from a furnace", which is quite consistent with the picture of burning oil and gas fields. Therefore, the cessation of pilgrimages to Bab Ed-Dhra c. 1900 BC may indicate the time of the death of Sodom and Gomorrah at the end of the 20th century. BC.

After Noah, there was another godly man named Abraham. He was very rich, he had large herds of cows, camels, sheep, in his chests there was a lot of gold and silver. Abraham was not a mean, selfish person. He tried to do good to God and people. And obeyed the Lord in everything. Once God told Abraham that His behavior is very saddening for the inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And the Lord God wants to destroy them for their sinfulness.

But in the city of Sodom lived Abraham's nephew, the righteous man Lot, a pious and kind man. And Abraham did not want Lot to perish with all the wicked. Abraham went to God to ask him for the salvation of people.

He began like this: “Is the merciful God ready to destroy the righteous with the wicked? What if 50 righteous people live in this city? Destroy them too? " The Lord answered that he would not destroy the city if 50 righteous people live in it. Abraham then asked, what if only 45 righteous people live in it? And again the Lord said that he would not destroy such a city. And so, in a conversation with God, Abraham brought the number of the righteous to 10 people. But then the Lord God could not stand the "huckster's" conversation and left. And Abraham left too.

And in the evening two angels came to Sodom. Lot sat at the gates of the city. He invited them to his house, fed them, gave them drink and offered to spend the night. At that moment, a crowd of evil people gathered in front of Lot's house, they demanded that he give them two strangers who came to their city. But Lot did not want to give away the guests to the angry crowd. He feared that the people to whom he had promised his shelter would be torn apart. And he offered the audience his two unmarried daughters.

But the crowd was raging. The residents who came did not want to listen to him, they threatened to break down the door of the house and take the uninvited guests out for reprisals. Lot remained adamant. And then the angels stood up to protect him. When Lot entered the house, all the bolts were closed behind him, and blindness suddenly attacked the people who surrounded his house and raged in front of the doors and windows. The evil people who came with groaning and crying retreated.

Then the angels told Lot to urgently leave home with all his family. They explained to him that the Lord, being angry at Sodom and Gomorrah for sinfulness, sent them, angels, to the earth to destroy all the inhabitants of these cities. But Lot hesitated, did not leave, it was a pity for him to part with the house he had acquired. Then the angels took him by the hands, his wife and his two daughters, and led them out of Sodom.

Save your soul, ”one angel told him,“ don't look back; and do not stop anywhere in the vicinity of this one; save yourself to the mountain so that you do not die.

“The sun rose over the earth, and Lot came to Sigor. And the Lord rained sulfur and fire from heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah. Thus, two cities disappeared from the face of the earth, and all the wicked inhabitants of these cities perished. Lot's wife also died. When they left, she really wanted to see what had become of their city. She turned back and immediately became a pillar of salt.

The next morning, the pious Abraham looked at the places where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah used to be, and saw only smoke rising to the sky.

The biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah looks like fantasy. In fact, the story of two cities that were destroyed by "fire and brimstone" for the sinful behavior of their inhabitants looks far-fetched. However, they confirm the existence of these cities and their terrible death.

The account of Sodom and Gomorrah shows us the early period of Jewish history, long before the people of Israel settled in the Promised Land. The ancestors of the Jews had a semi-nomadic lifestyle, trading with their neighbors, they moved from one region of the Middle East to another in search of new pastures for livestock. Their leader during the times of Sodom and Gomorrah was the patriarch Abraham, revered as a founding father through his son Isaac by all Jews, and through the other son of Ishmael by all Arabs. Abraham plays a prominent role in both the Old Testament and the Qur'an, where his life story is essentially the same. If you literally interpret the biblical chronology, the events described took place around 2100 BC. e.

Abraham was born in "Ur of the Chaldees", which is generally considered the Sumerian city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia (today's Iraq). His family moved from there to Harran (northern Mesopotamia), where his father died. It was at that time, as it is said in the Book of Genesis (12: 1–5), that God revealed to Abraham his fate. Abraham had to leave Mesopotamia and settle in Canaan (modern Palestine): “And I will make a great nation from you, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. " Taking his spouse and kinsman Lot, along with their household, Abraham went to Canaan. After a short stay in Egypt (while there was a famine in Canaan), Abraham and Lot settled in the south of Canaan and began to engage in cattle breeding.

There was a conflict between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot over the right to use the pastures, so Abraham proposed to split up. Lot and his family traveled further east to the plain on the other side of the Dead Sea (present-day Jordan) and pitched their tents near the city of Sodom. The plain "was watered with water like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt." Today the area is a barren wasteland with a depressingly hot climate and extremely scarce water resources. But at the time of Lot, 5 prosperous cities were located on the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Sevoim, Adma and Sigor. Ruled by 5 kings, they were powerful and wealthy enough to attack and defeat a coalition of Mesopotamian rulers.

According to Genesis, it all had to change in one day. The Bible constantly mentions the "depravity" of the inhabitants of five cities, especially Sodom and Gomorrah. The nature of this depravity, which is usually mistaken for a penchant for sexual perversion, remains not entirely clear. But among the sins of the sodomites, inhospitableness was at the forefront, and their fall was only accelerated by the rough treatment of the two angels whom Lot invited to his house as guests of honor. The inhabitants of Sodom began to demand that Lot lead them out into the street, and began to break the door, but were blinded by the angels, who announced to Lot that God had sent them to punish the city; he must immediately gather his family and seek refuge in the mountains, and when leaving in no case looked back.

Lot took his wife and daughters and left the city, which soon turned into smoking ruins. His wife, as you know, broke the ban, turned to look at the city and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters and their father took refuge in a mountain cave; they were afraid that they were the only living people in the world.

Then comes one of the colorful, but not entirely decent passages that are often found in the texts of the Old Testament. Lot's daughters got their father drunk and took turns sleeping with him; as a result, both conceived sons from him. These sons became the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites, the Jordanian tribes, which eventually became the sworn enemies of the Israelites.

After that, we no longer hear about Lot. As for Abraham, he watched the disaster from a safe distance from southern Palestine. When he looked in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah, then "... he saw: behold, smoke rises from the ground like smoke from a furnace." All the cities on the plain were destroyed by an angry God.

No matter how you relate to this story, it is replete with colorful details. The episode about Lot and his daughters is clearly an ancient Hebrew "moralizing story" invented with an almost comical purpose: to explain what kind of "wicked" in the literal and figurative sense were the enemies of the Israelites from the tribe of Moabites and Ammonites. It is not difficult to guess the origin of the idea of ​​transforming Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.

The Dead Sea is so rich in salt that fish cannot live in it, and its coastline is dotted with columns of crystalline salt of various shapes. An accidental resemblance between one of these columns and a human figure may well have given rise to the story of a man turned into a pillar of salt. These places are also very rich in native sulfur, which is sometimes found in the form of small balls. Could this circumstance give rise to the legend that God once brought down sulfur (fiery) rain on the earth?

Analogies with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah can be found in the myths of other peoples. For example, in the Greek myth of Orpheus, he managed to save his wife Eurydice from Hades only on the condition that she would not look back when she left the Lower World; she looked back, and Orpheus lost her forever.

The story of the visit of two angels is very similar to another story from ancient myth as retelling by the poet Ovid. It tells how the gods Mercury and Jupiter, who took the form of mortals, came to a city in Phrygia (now central Turkey) and were unpleasantly surprised by the unfriendliness of the local population. In retaliation for the bad treatment of the gods, the whole city was destroyed, sparing only a couple of elderly poor people who took them into their house and offered them food.

In fact, the story of the city, destroyed to the ground for the sins of its inhabitants, was quite popular. There is no need to look far for examples, so there is a temptation to interpret the history of Sodom and Gomorrah in a purely folklore sense.

The best description of the vicinity of the Dead Sea in the 1st century. n. e. belongs to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, who retold the history of his people for Greco-Roman readers. As you can see, Joseph was a witness of what he wrote: “The region of Sodom adjoins it (the Dead Sea), once rich in its fertility and prosperity of cities, now completely burnt out. It is said to have been destroyed by lightning due to the sinfulness of its inhabitants. Even now there are traces of the fire sent down by God, and even now you can see the shadows of five cities. Each time, ashes appear again in the form of unknown fruits, which seem edible in color, but as soon as they feel them with the hand, they turn into dust and ashes. Thus, the ancient legends about the Sodom country are clearly confirmed. "

The Bible scholars themselves had little to say in support of the hypothesis of the reality of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Rev. T. Chain, Professor of Oriental Studies and Scripture Interpretation at Oxford University, in an article published in The Bible Encyclopedia in 1903, interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a variant of the familiar myth of the catastrophic flood, where the sins of the people are punished by the Great Flood.

In 1924, a team of archaeologists led by William Foxwell Albright found the remains of a Bronze Age settlement in a place called Bab al-Dahra. After collecting a few clay shards, the name "Bab al-Dakhra" was put on the archaeological maps of the Jordan.

But only in the 70s. XX century, archaeologists began to realize the true meaning of the discovery. Beneath the sands and dust of the desert was a large settlement dating back to the early Bronze Age (c. 3100–2300 BC).

Bab al-Dahra is now known as one of the oldest Palestinian cities. Archaeologists have unearthed there a temple, other cultural centers and the remains of a powerful protective wall, which is about 7 meters thick, built of stone and clay bricks. However, the most unexpected discovery was the nearby cemetery, one of the largest in the Middle East. According to various estimates, about half a million people are buried there (about three million pots with funeral gifts were also found there).

Even before the excavations, it became clear that Bab al-Dahru was destroyed by fire - pieces of spongy charcoal were scattered everywhere in the vicinity of the settlement. Subsequently, Bab al-Dahra remained abandoned for 2000 years, until the beginning of the Hellenistic era.

It is not the only Palestinian settlement to suffer such a fate. Shortly after excavation began in 1975, archaeologists Walter Rast and Thomas Schaub found Numeria, another Early Bronze Age settlement 11 km south, also dotted with spongy charcoal that could be collected in handfuls from the surface of the earth. Destroyed by fire around the same time as Bab al-Dahra, Numeira also remained abandoned for 2,000 years.

So, a certain pattern appeared in the excavations. By 1980, Rest and Schaub presented preliminary findings: the settlements they found were the five “cities on the plain” referred to in Genesis (Sodom, Gomorrah, Sevoim, Adma and Sigor).

There was a murmur in academia. One academician immediately threatened to deprive Rrest and Schaub's expedition of financial support if they really intended to identify their excavation sites with biblical "cities on the plain." Fortunately, this hysteria did not affect the continuation of the work, and after about 20 years, experts stopped breaking spears in the discussion about Sodom and Gomorrah.

What caused the destruction of five prosperous cities around 2300 BC? e.? Are there points of contact between archeology and religion?

The Bible says that God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and the surrounding cities. Lightning strikes are often accompanied by a sulphurous smell, and some of the ancient authors, including Tacitus, believed that lightning was the cause of the death of cities. Josephus Flavius ​​mentions "arrows of thunder", or simply about "lightning".

As the geologist Dorothy Vitaliano noted, "it is unlikely that a lightning strike by itself could cause a fire, in the flames of which 4 cities could die." (It is said about 4 cities, because some argued that the city of Sigor survived a catastrophe.)

However, let's take one more factor into account. It has been known since antiquity that the Dead Sea region is rich in oil. Genesis speaks of "tar pits" in the Siddim Valley near Sodom, and in the time of Josephus, the Dead Sea was generally called the Asphalt Lake because of the lumps of bitumen floating in it. Their number increased sharply after the earthquakes; some reports report house-sized boulders.

Sodom and Gomorrah were actually on a powder keg. Moreover, they were erected on a large fault in the earth's crust - the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea is a continuation of the Great Rift in Africa, one of the main zones of seismic activity on Earth. An earthquake, of course, can lead to a fire.

Dorothy Vitaliano agrees with the assumptions of her predecessors: “A powerful earthquake occurred in the Siddim Valley around 2000 BC. e. It was accompanied by emissions of natural combustible gases and bitumen, ignited by fires in home fires. If some rocks with a high bitumen content were used during the construction of external walls or buildings, they became additional fuel for the fire. "

It is interesting to note that she wrote this in 1973, before the publication of the Rest and Schaub discovery. And recent studies have confirmed that earthquakes played a key role in the destruction of cities.

Two prominent specialists, D. Negev from the Geological Survey of Israel and K. Amery from the Woodshall Oceanographic Laboratory in Massachusetts, dedicated a whole book to the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. According to them, from a geological point of view, it is quite possible that the history of the dead cities retained echoes of the popular memory of a powerful seismic cataclysm at the end of the early Bronze Age. The Negev and Aymery believe that the main fuel for the fire was the hydrocarbons poured out of the fractures in the soil. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the bitumen in this area is very rich in sulfur. The streams of hot salt water from earthquakes could produce a deadly mixture of combustible gases rich in sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

So, can the riddle of Sodom and Gomorrah be considered solved? But let's not rush to send the topic to the archive.

It turned out that simultaneously with the earthquakes in the area located southeast of the Dead Sea, there were sharp climatic changes. The lands, which were once abundantly moistened and were quite fertile, suddenly became drier and hotter. That is why, after the death of the cities, these places were not inhabited for so long. A severe drought lasted for about 300 years, and during this time barren wastelands formed.

It is now becoming increasingly apparent that the deaths of Sodom and Gomorrah are just one small piece of a larger puzzle. At the same time as the dramatic deterioration of climatic conditions, virtually all of the great urban centers of the Levant were destroyed, many by earthquakes. Throughout Turkey, at least 300 cities were burned or abandoned; among them was Troy, which Schliemann considered Homeric Troy. At the same time, the Greek civilization of the early Bronze Age fell into decay. In Egypt, the era of the Old Kingdom and the great builders of the pyramids came to an end: the country slipped into the abyss of anarchy. The level of the Nile plummeted, and in the west, the Sahara Desert recaptured vast areas that were once fertile and well-irrigated.

Today, many facts show that a natural disaster in the Middle East at the end of the III millennium BC. e. was part of a global cataclysm. Moreover, some evidence prompts scientists to seek an explanation outside of Earth. There is one reason that can explain the sharp increase in seismic activity and climate change due to the release of huge amounts of dust into the atmosphere: the collision of our planet with large meteorites and fragments of comets. Thus, a relatively small fragment of cometary matter that exploded over Podkamennaya Tunguska in Siberia in 1908 caused tremors recorded by seismographs around the globe and devastated vast areas of the taiga. A larger celestial body that fell in the area of ​​a fault in the earth's crust could lead to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

This consideration brings us back to the biblical account of events. What was the nature of the "heavenly fire" that, according to Genesis, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? The "lightning" in the chronicles of Josephus Flavius ​​is not an ordinary lightning, as it might seem at first glance. Of the two Greek words he used to describe the event, keraunos (lightning) and bolos (projectile), neither is used in the context of a common thunderstorm, with thunder and lightning. In particular, the word keraunos was used to describe the sacred, most deadly weapon of the god Zeus, which he used only on special occasions. In the Hellenistic world, Zeus, as the god of thunder, was associated with a number of meteorite cults, and the "heavenly stones" were preserved and revered for centuries after their fall.

It may seem like a big stretch that Sodom and Gomorrah, located on the fault line of the earth's crust, and even above the deposits of combustible hydrocarbons, were also hit by a meteorite. But if the catastrophe, according to the testimony of contemporaries, occurred during a heavy meteor shower, the causes and effects could well have changed places in the minds of people. A meteorite or a fragment of cometary matter that fell elsewhere could cause seismic shocks, while smaller debris that burned up in the atmosphere lit up the night sky ...

Thus, the many times ridiculed story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by "heavenly fire", may be a curious example of human reaction in one small corner of the world to a catastrophe on a global scale.

N.Nepomnyashchy

History of Sodom and Gomorrah. Photo from padrulleonid

The Bible tells the story of the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by God, who rained on them from native sulfur, due to the decay of the morals and the decline of the morals of their inhabitants.

“When dawn came up, the Angels began to rush Lot, saying:“ Get up, take your wife and your two daughters that are with you, 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 C.E. these cities were known in the first century and traces or shadows of these five cities should be visible. It is believed 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 in 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 that 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 Sodom did not do the same to her daughters as you and your daughters did. This is what was 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. " 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, and did not help the poor and needy. In addition, they were engaged in debauchery and homosexuality (as can be seen from the story with two angels who took refuge in Lot's house)

How were these cities destroyed?

“And the Lord rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord from heaven, and overthrew these cities, and all this neighborhood, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and the growth of the earth. But [Lotov's] wife looked behind him and became a pillar of salt. " Genesis 19: 24-26.

Wicked people were punished by divine fire. Native sulfur rained down from the sky. Heat and scorching heat fell on these cities and their inhabitants. But Lot's wife turned to look at the burning city, against the commandment of the angel, and turned into a pillar of salt. (The pillar of salt, found near the Dead Sea, is 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 was once a beautiful, blooming place. Now this place is 13 hundred feet below sea level, it is the lowest place on earth, a very hot and desolate 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 desolate area where nothing grows. Looking around, you can see that the structures contain human-made elements such as 90-degree corners, even though the buildings were on fire, the remaining ash in this city is made of a heavier material due to the native sulfur content and still retains some of the original forms of artificial structures.

For the first time in modern history, round balls of native sulfur, or near-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 are sulfur, most of them the size of a golf ball, and some have burn marks on the surface.

Each of the cities in the Plain contains evidence of native sulfur that rained down from heaven on cities to destroy. Native sulfur is 96-98% sulfur, with traces of magnesium, which create an extremely high combustion temperature. It is the only place on earth to 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), since 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 multi-ton ash salting, 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 blocks of limestone 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 in satellite photos

These cities have almost completely turned to white ash, and can be seen in satellite photographs.

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 border, so they may not have clustered at the southern end of the Dead Sea as is commonly thought. They were formed between the north and south line of the Jordan / Dead Sea region. 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 found on the Israeli side have also been found on the Jordanian side, ash, native sulfur, and even ceramic tiles.

Anomalies

More evidence of extreme heat was found.

The Bible says:

“Sulfur and salt, conflagration is the whole earth; it is not sown and does not grow, and no grass comes out on it, as after the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Sevoim, which the Lord overthrew in His wrath and in His fury. " Deuteronomy 29:23

Conclusion - Judgment Day

The Bible offers a warning to the people of the future about what can happen to those who behave selfishly, ignoring the moral standards bestowed on humanity by Heaven:

"And if the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, having condemned them to destruction, have turned into ashes, setting an example for the future wicked", II Book of 2 Peter: 6. (The word "example" means a warning)

It also says:

“But the fearful and the unbelievers, and the abominable and murderers, and the fornicators and sorcerers, and idolaters and all liars, their lot will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.” Book of Revelation 21: 8

What seems to be the evidence of Doomsday:

“For behold, the day is coming that will burn like an oven; Then all the haughty and wicked ones will be like straw, and the day to come will burn them, says the Lord of hosts, so that he will not leave them either 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 about the meaning of our lives, why are we here, and where did we come from? How are our lives different from those of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah?

Is there a higher power that controls the flow of our lives? Are there really such things as the Day of Judgment and Divine Punishment mentioned in spiritual scriptures? If so, how will we meet the Lord Creator on the Day of Judgment? Perhaps the story of Sodom and Gomorrah will prompt us to look deeper in 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)

Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed? June 18th, 2013

Sadly I look at our generation ... It is hard for me to believe that people who have lived carefreely in atheism for many years suddenly suddenly returned to faith in the Almighty. Such a massive conversion can be explained either by a miracle of God, or by the fact that the newfound faith is as shaky as the safely lost atheism.

About the same, in order to strengthen this precariousness somewhat, after thoughtfully reading the scriptures, there is no talk at all. Religious texts are difficult to read. Difficult and boring.

But there are also exciting episodes in the Bible that read like excellent fantasy. One such episode is the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Everything begins with the scene of the demarcation of Abram and his nephew Lot, who herself asks for the screen. Here they are standing on the top of the mountain, looking at both the part of the desert that descends to the verdant valley of the Jordan River, and the part that rises as if to heaven to the place where Jerusalem would later arise.

Both of them are sheikhs, that is, the leaders of large tribes. They are both rich. Abram has a lot of cattle, Lot has a lot of cattle, and mutual strife between the shepherds begins. For the best pastures, for a place at the watering hole. To prevent these feuds from escalating into war, one should disperse.

"... Separate yourself from me: if you are to the left, then I will go to the right; and if you are to the right, then I will to the left ... And they separated from each other. Abram began to live in the land of Canaan; and Lot ... spread his tents to Sodom." ... (Genesis 13)

This movie will not do without battle scenes. When foreign kings attacked the cities in the valley, robbed them and captured Lot and his family, Abram came to the aid of his nephew. At the head of the men of his tribe, he overtook the robbers, defeated them in a night battle and rescued a relative and all his property. (Genesis 14)

Further, our film gradually turns into a disaster film. But at first it seems like a comedy. Three travelers appear at the tent of Abraham. Abraham recognizes in them God himself and his two messengers, the angels. By the way, the word "Angelos" in Greek means exactly "messenger", a direct translation of the Hebrew word with the same meaning, "malach".

These angels are terminator angels. They are charged with destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are so mired in sins that they have drained God's patience.

And this wonderful old man, Abraham, suddenly tried to change God's decision. He began to bargain with God himself, to reduce the price, as if in a market in some Damascus or Jericho. And he lowered the bar of the limit of God's wrath! Doomed to destruction by Sodom and Gomorrah, God undertook to have mercy on the condition that at least ten righteous people were not found in these cities. (Genesis, 18)

How did the inhabitants of sinful cities "distinguish themselves"? Even a deputy of the State Duma will be able to tell about this now. But we will not listen to angry deputy philippics. Let's better read the text.

In European languages, the name of the city of Sodom comes from the word "sodomy", meaning non-traditional sexual behavior.

For Abraham and his fellow tribesmen, the line between traditional and non-traditional sexual behavior was clear and precise. They, the Bedouin nomads, professed simplicity and fundamentalism in matters of sex. Sex is necessary for procreation. Dot. Anything that leads to a "waste of the seed fund" is wrong, because it contradicts the first commandment of God given to people, "Be fruitful and multiply!" Therefore, homosexuality, and bestiality (a fairly common sin in shepherd tribes), and masturbation, as well as anal and oral sex, were considered equally god-loathing. Nowadays, we are much more tolerant in this matter. Is not it? But we are not Bedouins, but educated people.

However, if anyone thinks that God punished the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah for non-traditional sexual orientation, he is wrong. God, apparently, was very tolerant of his creatures in this matter. After all, he knew exactly what kind of material they were created from. So failures in the genetic program are common. Again, the divine mind that this funny monkey was endowed with generated such fantasies in her head! And these fantasies were a powerful engine of progress for the entire human society! With the general benefit brought by a vivid creative imagination, some of its "leaps" in the sexual sphere could be resigned to.

Complaints to God against the inhabitants of Sodom were not raised for debauchery, but for their attitude towards the newcomers. Newcomers in this city were not liked or welcomed. At best, they were raped, and at worst, they were killed.

The reason for the atrocities was completely redneck. Sodom and Gomorrah were located in one of the best places to live on Earth. Here, in the basin, located 400 meters below sea level, it was always warm. As scientists confirm, in those days, instead of the salty Dead Sea, the waters of the Jordan River flowed here. Water and a mild climate - what else do you need? Everything that could grow here grew. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah have never known hunger. God's grace! But, fearing that there would not be enough grace for everyone, they did not at all want other people to come here to settle. So they dared the guests as best they could, violating all the laws of hospitality. This is why the surrounding nations considered the inhabitants of Sodom to be depraved and worthy of God's punishment. “And the Lord said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy; I will come down and see whether they are doing exactly what the cry is against them, ascending to Me, or not; I will find out. " (Genesis, 18)

Leaving with his angels, God promised Abraham's aged wife, Sarah, that in a year she would have a child. Well, isn't it a comedy? Sarah, of course, could not help laughing!

But the hilarious comedy, as promised, turns into a disaster film. Destructive angels came to Sodom and met Lot there, who offered them his hospitality. As soon as the guests settled down for the night, the inhabitants of the city appeared and demanded from Lot to hand over the newcomers. And the matter would have ended badly for the hospitable host if Lot's guests had not struck the assembled Sodomites with blindness. And that was a small fraction of what the slaying angels were capable of.

But every cloud has a silver lining. Now God had no doubts about the moral qualities of the inhabitants of this lovely city. The ten righteous men whom Abraham bargained for were not found in the city either. So the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah was sealed.

In the morning, the angels took Lot and his family outside Sodom and got down to business. Out of nowhere, a black cloud flew in and sulfur and fire spilled over the doomed cities. Honestly, the picture is comparable to the atomic bombing. In general, it was worse in Sodom than in Pompey. Burned out everything and everyone. And then the destroyed place was flooded with the water of the Jordan River. This is how the Dead Sea was formed. It is, in fact, dead. No living organism can exist in its terribly salty water.

Even before dawn, the angels took Lot and his family outside Sodom and got down to business. Out of nowhere, a black cloud flew in and sulfur and fire spilled over the doomed cities. It was a picture comparable to the atomic bombing. In general, it was worse in Sodom than in Pompey. Burned out everything and everyone. No residue, no trace. And then this place was flooded with the water of the Jordan River. This is how the Dead Sea was formed. It is, in fact, dead. No living organism can exist in its terribly salty water.

God's miracles are distinguished by the fact that they do not violate the laws of nature, which were established by God himself. Therefore, scientists can fully scientifically explain the long-standing disaster, appealing to the fact that the entire valley where Sodom and Gomorrah once lay is located just on the border between two continents, Asia and Africa. Africa is quietly "moving away" from Asia, so earthquakes in this area are not uncommon. Four thousand years ago, one of these earthquakes could have been so strong that volcanic lava poured out of the underground. Here is the fiery execution of Sodom and Gomorrah ...

However, attempts at such a scientific explanation of the formidable miracles of God today have become not only out of fashion, but even dangerous. What if you offend the feelings of believers with this! Painfully, everyone around them became pious and, moreover, surprisingly touchy. Such resentment, perhaps, would speak of the tenderness of the soul, if it were not accompanied by a persistent desire to immediately clean up the snout of the offender. In the best traditions of religious morality.

1. Sodom and Gomorrah constantly attracted the attention of filmmakers by allowing them to "frolic" properly. Film "Sodom and Gomorrah" 1962 year


2. What actually happened in Sodom and Gomorrah? (BBC movie)


3. What's happened