Garden and Gamora finding cities. Forbidden archeology of Sodom and Gomorrah. “Sodom and Gomorrah”: the meaning of phraseology

Until now, scientists are trying to prove or disprove the legend of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, to date it has been possible to find little evidence pointing only to the existence of these cities. No one has yet succeeded in establishing the exact location of what actually happened.

What this 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 describes the story, sets out the reasons for what happened, but this version has no scientific confirmation. Other mentions of Sodom and Gomorrah belong to the ancient Greek historian Strabo. More about the once existing cities is written in the works of Tacitus, Flavius, Sankhunaton and others.

Myth or reality

Ancient historians and geographers mention villages rather sparingly. The only thing that agrees in their works is that the cities were located in the Siddim Valley, and the people in them lived in prosperity, since the lands were fertile and the climate was favorable for agriculture and livestock raising. Information about the mysterious death of cities varies somewhat. For example, Tacitus in the 1st-2nd century BC. e. wrote that the remains of the scorched cities can still be seen to this day. At the same time, the Phoenician historian Sankhunaton mentioned that the villages fell underground, becoming a lake.

First evidence

For the first time, real facts proving that cities actually existed were discovered during excavations in Syria, when the archives of the ancient city of Ebla were found in 1982. Among more than 1,000 cuneiform tablets were records of Sodom, Gomorrah and Zoar 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 man lived on earth - Abraham. He was a fairly rich man, possessing large flocks of sheep, gold and silver. His success was not only in wealth and was explained by obedience to the Almighty. Abraham had a nephew, Lot, with whom they moved to the land of Canaan. Having settled together in a new place, the land turned out to be insufficient for grazing sheep and disputes began to occur between the shepherds. As a result, they decided to separate. Lot and his family went east to the Valley of Siddim.

Sodom, Gomorrah and nearby villages - Zoar, 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, seeing what was happening, decided to punish the sinners, but first, appearing 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 canceled.

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, like a true righteous man, showed all his hospitality by feeding and drinking the guests. The inhabitants learned about the foreigners and, coming to Lot, began to demand that he give them up. Lot called the angry crowd to reason. He even offered them his two daughters in exchange. Those who came did not agree and began to threaten to break the door. Then the angels blinded the demons and it was decided to destroy everyone.

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 from heaven on the villages, which burned out 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 that very 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 the 1852 painting by artist John Martin.

Scientific versions

Among the logical explanations for the death of cities, many versions have been put forward, although none of them has been confirmed. A volcanic eruption is considered the most likely. Perhaps the area was rich in sulfur deposits, which burns with a temperature of about 4000°C. If it rained fire on the ground, even that which did not burn would burn.

In addition, the volcano version explains the transformation of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt. Similar cases as a result of research were discovered at the site of the eruption of Vesuvius, when the bodies of the dead were covered with ash containing salt. Over the course of thousands of years, the flesh decayed, leaving only a column of salt.

The second version was the assumption of a shift of tectonic plates. This explanation coincides with the supposed location of Sodom and Gomorrah, which means that the villages standing in this place went underground, and subsequently a sea was formed. That is why many researchers adhere to this option and look for lost cities at the bottom of the Dead Sea.

A later version appeared in 2008. It was put forward by A. Bond and M. Hempsell. They suggested that an asteroid would fall to earth, which would also lead to the death of all living things and the formation of a sea.

I. THE BIBLE ABOUT SODOM AND GOMORRAH

1. Historical and geographical data
Sodom . The name of the city translates as “burning”. Gomorrah . The name of the city translates as “overflowing with water” or “submerged.”
Sodom and Gomorrah are two of the five cities in the Jordan region that were destroyed by fire and brimstone. Five cities in the vicinity of Jordan - Sodom, Gomorrah, Zoar, Admah and Zeboim (Tzeboim). Mention of them is in Genesis 10:19 « And the borders of the Canaanites were from Sidon to Gerar to Gaza, from here to Sodom, Gomorrah, Adme And Tsevoimu to Lashi».
All these cities were located in the Siddim Valley, where the Dead Sea is now located: Genesis 14:1-3 « And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goim, that they went to war against Berah king Sodomsky, against Birshi, the king Gomorrah, Shinava, king Admy, Shemever, king Sevoimsky, and against King Bela, who is Segor. All these united in the valley of Siddim, where is now the Salt Sea».

What was this area like?
Genesis 13:10 « Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the region around the Jordan, that before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, all the way to Zoar watered with water like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt ».
Genesis 14:10 « In the valley of Siddim there were many tar pits.».

2. The Bible about the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah:

• Evil and very sinful: Genesis 13:13 « The inhabitants of Sodom were evil and very sinful before the Lord». Genesis 18:20-21 « And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy; I will go down and see whether they are doing exactly what the cry is against them, rising to Me, or not; I'll find out».
• In these cities the ten righteous were not found for which God would not have destroyed these cities: Genesis 18:23-32.
• Proud, full, idle, unmerciful and committing abominations: Ezekiel 16:48-50 « As I live, says the Lord God; Sodoma your sister did not do the same things she and her daughters did that 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 hands of the poor and the beggar A. And they became proud, and did abominable things before me, and when I saw this, I rejected them».
• Proud of their sin: Isaiah 3:9 « The expression on their faces testifies against them, and they talk about their sin openly like the Sodomites, don't hide: Woe to their soul! for they bring evil upon themselves».
• Sexual debauchery reached its climax in Sodom and Gomorrah: Genesis 19:4-9 .

3. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah .
The wickedness and lawlessness of the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah led to the incineration of these cities. The picture of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is described in Genesis 19:15-26.
Particular attention should be paid to the picture of the destruction of cities: Genesis 19:24-25 “ And the Lord rained down upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and overthrew these cities, and all the surrounding countryside, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and the growth of the earth." Also Genesis 19:27-29 « And Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he stood before the Lord, and looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and all the surrounding area and saw: behold, smoke rises from the earth like smoke from a furnace. And it came to pass, when God was destroying the cities around this place, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out from the midst of the destruction, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived».
Lot's attitude towards the incident is described in Genesis 19:30 « And Lot went out from Zoar and lived in the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he I was afraid to live in Zoar. AND lived in a cave and with him his two daughters».

It is known that there were five cities in the Valley of Siddim: Sodom, Gomorrah, Zoar, Admah and Zeboim. How many cities were destroyed that day: two, three, four or all five? To answer this question, you need to carefully read the story of Lot's family being brought out of Sodom: Genesis 19:15-26.
Firstly, special attention should be paid to the conversation between Lot and the angels Genesis 19:15-22 « When the dawn rose, the Angels began to hurry Lot, saying: Arise, take your wife and your two daughters that are with you, so that you do not perish for the iniquities of the city. And as he delayed, those men, by the mercy of the Lord towards him, took him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, and brought him out and placed him outside the city. When they were brought out, one of them said: save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this vicinity; escape to the mountain so that you do not die. But Lot said to them: No, Master! Behold, Thy servant has found favor in Thy sight, and great is Thy mercy which Thou hast done to me, that Thou hast saved my life; but I cannot escape to the mountain, lest misfortune overtakes me and I die; Now, it’s closer to run to this city, it’s small; I’ll run there - it’s small; and my life will be preserved. And he said to him: Behold, to please you I will do this also: I will not overthrow the city of which you speak; hasten and escape there, for I cannot do any work until you get there. That is why this city is named Zoar».
According to God's plan, all five cities of the Valley of Siddim were to be destroyed by fire and brimstone. For this reason, the angels warned Lot not to stop in any city around the Jordan, but to flee to the mountains: “ Save your soul; do not look back and do not stop anywhere in this vicinity; escape to the mountain so you don’t die» ( verse 17).
Lot was afraid he would not have time to escape to the mountains and asked the angels to allow him to take refuge in Zoar, one of the five cities of the Valley of Siddim. The angels promised Lot that Zoar would not be destroyed for his sake: “ And he said to him, Behold, to please you I will do this also: I will not overthrow the city of which you speak.» ( With. 21).
Secondly, you should pay attention to verses 23-25: « The sun rose over the earth, and Lot came to Zoar. And the Lord shed to Sodom and Gomorrah rained brimstone and fire from the Lord from heaven, and overthrew these cities, and this whole neighborhood and all the inhabitants of these cities, and the growth of the earth" It describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the entire region around the Jordan, with the exception of Zoar. Thus, we see that in addition to Sodom and Gomorrah, two more cities were destroyed that day.
An excerpt from the book talks about this Deuteronomy 29:23 « ...sulfur and salt, conflagration - the whole earth; it is not sown or brought forth, nor does it produce any grass, as if it were destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His wrath».

4. Symbolism of Sodom and Gomorrah
A. These two cities are symbols of debauchery and lawlessness:
Genesis 18:20-21 « And the Lord said: The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy.». Romans 9:29 « And, as Isaiah predicted: if the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and would have been like Gomorrah».
Although Ezekiel 16:49 accuses Sodom of being proud, selfish, and idle, the main sin of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah is homosexuality, which the Bible calls “an abomination to the Lord” (Ezekiel 16:50). Exactly the same word (“abomination”) is used to describe the sin of homosexuality in Leviticus 18:22 « ».
Homosexual relations were an accepted relationship among the Canaanites, the pagan tribes and peoples who inhabited Canaan. Fearing that their sinful lifestyle could be adopted by the Jews, the Lord God, leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land, commanded them to destroy all these nations, which, by the way, they did not do. But this will be much later than the events described. IN Genesis 15:16, « the measure of the iniquities of the Amorites has not yet been filled", but the depravity of the two cities in the valley of Siddim - Sodom and Gomorrah- has already crossed all boundaries.

B. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of what awaits the atheists: 2 Peter 2:6 « ...and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction and turned them into ashes, setting an example for future wicked people ». Jude 1:7 « Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, like them, they committed fornication and went after other flesh, and were subjected to the punishment of eternal fire, set as an example ».
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example and proof of how the Lord God judges and punishes sin.

C. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is a symbol of the end of the world.
Luke 17:28-30 « 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 came out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from the sky and destroyed everyone; so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears».

D. The corruption of Sodom and Gomorrah became the talk of the town:
In other words, the names of Sodom and Gomorrah became common nouns for all kinds of lawlessness and abomination before God.
Isaiah 1:9-10 « If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, princes of Sodom; Hearken unto the law of our God, O people of Gomorrah!”
Jeremiah 23:13-14 « And in the prophets of Samaria I saw madness; they prophesied in the name of Baal, and misled my people Israel. But I see something terrible in the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery And walking in lies, support the hands of the villains so that no one turns from his wickedness; they are all before Me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah».

E. The lawlessness of Sodom and Gomorrah can be surpassed:
Matthew 10:14-15 « And if anyone does not receive you and does not listen to your words, then, when leaving that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet; Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city».
Mark 6:11 « And if anyone will not receive you and will not listen to you, then when you leave there, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city».
In other words, the punishment for refusing to accept the Good News of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will be much worse than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

II. THE BIBLE ABOUT THE SIN OF HOMOSEXUALISM

1. Terminology
Homosexuality is understood as attraction directed towards persons of the same sex. In women, this phenomenon is called lesbianism. Those people who follow a homosexual lifestyle are said to be gay (gay is an acronym that stands for " good as you- that is, “no worse than you.” This is not just an abbreviation, but an ideological slogan of the homosexual movement); in clinical practice they are called “egosyntonic” ** homosexuals."
So-called sexual minorities compare the fight for their rights with the fight for the emancipation of women or against racial discrimination. But the fact is that women or, say, black people were really born this way and cannot change. With homosexuals, from a scientific point of view, the situation is somewhat different.

2. What causes homosexuality, what are its causes?
Illiterate people believe that people are just “crazy.” Popular gay propaganda, on the contrary, claims that homosexuals are born. Both are wrong. The development of homosexuality is a process, not an instantaneous event.
The hypothesis about the existence of a special “homosexuality gene” transmitted on the maternal “X” chromosome was not confirmed. Which is not surprising: after all, biologists have established that not only in humans, but even in higher mammals, sexual behavior is not genetically encoded, but is the result of learning. Only a certain type of character can be inherited, which under certain conditions can lead to homosexuality.

Many homosexuals say: “As long as I can remember, I have always been like this.” But an experienced specialist, talking with them, can always identify the moment at which the deviations began and what contributed to this.

What influences the formation of a person’s homosexual worldview?

• Intrafamily relationships play a big role, for example, when a boy’s father is not an example for him, and his mother is overprotective. Such a child may never understand what it means to be a man. But at the same time, he is admired and attracted by those who have this masculinity so lacking in him - other boys or men. Sooner or later this admiration takes on an erotic character...
• Negative experiences with peers (lack of friends and failures in relationships with the opposite sex) also influence the development of homosexual orientation.
• For women, everything can happen much the same, but there is another decisive factor: most lesbians have experienced violence or severe insult inflicted by a man, and since then they are simply afraid of them. Women's care and tenderness are especially attractive to them.
• The first sexual experience has a particular influence on future sexual orientation. I'm not even talking about the fact that homosexuality can also be the result of a conscious choice. This is how they make money. This challenges society. They try it out of curiosity, for the thrill.

In other words, people are not born homosexuals.

3. What's wrong with homosexuality: what is its harm?
A. Negative impact on physical health.
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is AIDS and its many famous and unknown victims. But it's not only that. In the United States, based on an analysis of obituaries, they found that even in the absence of AIDS and in the presence of permanent partners, gays live on average 25-30 years less than heterosexual men. Because, in addition to AIDS, they are threatened by several dozen more specific diseases. Well, if AIDS is added, then, you know...

B. Negative impact on moral health.
There is a higher suicide rate among homosexuals. They say that they, poor fellows, are constantly subjected to pressure from society, but in the West society has not put pressure on anyone for a long time. It’s just that in general there are more unhappy people among them. Again, in the USA, where some statistics have already accumulated after the sexual revolution, it is estimated that only 2% of gays had less than 10 partners throughout their lives, 43% - more than 500, and 28% - more than 1000. Naturally, it is more difficult for homosexuals to find themselves "a couple". All this is not so scary while they are young, but what awaits them in old age, when there is no former attractiveness, no children, no grandchildren?

B. Negative impact on society
How does the widespread spread of “rainbow” love affect society? First of all, the very concept of norm is blurred. And please: sadism, masochism and other “oddities” also don’t surprise anyone anymore - you never know how people have fun. And in the West, pedophiles are already starting to fight for their rights - they say, why are we worse... Normal people, on the contrary, find themselves in a strange position: for example, friendship between men already seems obviously suspicious - gays have convinced everyone that men cannot simply be friends. And any teacher should think three times before asking a teenager if he has a girlfriend - a boy may, on the contrary, have a friend! And such a tactless question traumatizes the young psyche.
But this is so, “flowers” ​​in comparison with the situation in which a fairly large group of people found themselves - namely, homosexuals who want to move on to a normal lifestyle. There are very few places where they can get qualified help; usually they hear: “Why? This is your nature! Accept yourself as you are and be happy about it!” And they, poor people, want a normal family and children.

4. A Biblical View of Homosexuality
A. Old Testament teaching on marriage and gender relations:
The book of Genesis lays out the basic teachings on marriage and family: Genesis 2:18-24 « And the Lord God said: It is not good for man to be alone; let's do it for him assistant corresponding to him. The Lord God formed from the ground every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought it to man to see what he would call them, and that whatever man called every living soul, that would be its name. And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was no helper like him. And the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and when he fell asleep, he took one of his ribs and covered that place with flesh. And the Lord God created a wife from a rib taken from a man, and brought her to the man. And the man said: Behold, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she will be called woman, for she was taken from man. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they will be one flesh ».

The Lord defined the family as a union of a man and a woman. Below are a few reasons why He ordained it this way:

• Firstly, our bodies are designed in such a way that the anatomy of the female body complements the anatomy of the male, and vice versa.
• Secondly, the derivative of the union of a man and a woman is offspring. A homosexual union is not able to fulfill the commandment of the Lord God: “Be fruitful and multiply” ( Genesis 1:28).
• Thirdly, God has assigned men and women their own (different) roles in the family, the fulfillment of which contributes to the strengthening of the family union. As is known from Genesis 2:18, the wife was created to be the perfect helper to her husband.
• In addition, it must be remembered that the Lord created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Eve. If God did not care who has intimate relations with whom, then there would be no command that “a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they will become one flesh" ( Genesis 2:24). Husband and wife become one flesh, for Eve was taken from the flesh of Adam ( Genesis 2:23-24 « And the man said, Behold, this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she will be called woman, for she was taken from man. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they will be one flesh"). That is why homosexual relations are called in the Bible " going after other flesh» ( Jude 1:7).

The Lord God clearly forbade homosexual relations in His Word:
Leviticus 18:22 « Do not lie with a man as with a woman: it is an abomination».
Leviticus 20:13 « If anyone lies with a man as with a woman, then both of them have committed an abomination: they shall be put to death, their blood shall be on them.».

B. New Testament Teaching on Marriage and Sexual Relationships:
Jesus Christ : In speaking of marriage, Jesus referred to the teachings of the Old Testament, particularly Genesis.

Matthew 19:4-6 « He answered and said to them, Have you not read that He who created in the beginning made them male and female? And he said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh.” So what God has joined together, let not man put asunder». Mark 10:6 « At the beginning of creation, God created them male and female. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh».

Epistles of the Apostles
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 « Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, neither malakia* nor homosexuals neither thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God».
1 Timothy 1:9-10 « ...knowing that the law is not made for the righteous, but for the wicked and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the depraved and defiled, for those who insult father and mother, for murderers, for fornicators, homosexuals, predators of man, slanderers, bestialists, liars, perjurers, and for everything that is contrary to sound doctrine...»

Homosexual relationships between the sexes are a sin that the Lord God will judge. However, we must not forget that those guilty of this sin reap the fruits of their iniquity during their lifetime, receiving in themselves due retribution for their error: Romans 1:26-27 « Therefore, God gave them over to shameful passions: their women replaced natural use with unnatural; likewise, men, abandoning the natural use of the female sex, were inflamed with lust for one another, men committing shame on men and receiving due retribution in themselves for your error».
In addition, this passage indicates that homosexuality, firstly, is an “unnatural” phenomenon, that is, an anomaly. Secondly, homosexuality is not a genetic disorder, but a “delusion,” that is, self-deception.
The cause of homosexual debauchery is godlessness: Romans 1:28 « And How they didn't care to have God in their mind, then God gave them over to a depraved mind - to do lewd things».

In the Bible, homosexuality and other sexual immorality are compared and equated with the shameless behavior of dogs. In Old Testament times, sexual libertines were called “dogs”: Deuteronomy 23:17-18 « There shall be no harlot among the daughters of Israel, and there shall be no fornicator among the sons of Israel. Do not pay the wages of a harlot and dog prices into the house of the Lord your God by any vow, for both are an abomination to the Lord your God».
Revelation 22:14-15 « Blessed are they who keep His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and to enter into the city through the gates. And outside - dogs and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices iniquity»

5. How to treat “gays”?
When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Christ, He did not justify her or accuse her. Jesus said to her: " Go and sin no more" Subsequently, she became His devoted disciple.
Homosexuality, like adultery, is a type of the sin of fornication. We Christians are to hate sin but show God's love to sinners. This does not mean that we should encourage sinful lifestyles and indulge sinners in their sin. It must be remembered that the Lord God is able to heal and free a repentant sinner from the sin of homosexuality.
Notice the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 « Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God. AND some of you were like that; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" As you can see, liberation from homosexuality is a reality that is within the power of our great Creator and Savior Jesus Christ.

For God, every person, regardless of his orientation, is infinitely precious. Christ died to give us all freedom from sin and the peace of God, so that souls tormented by despair would find peace and joy. The Lord is ready to accept any repentant sinner, therefore we - Christians - must testify to sinners about the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Perhaps someone's heart will respond, and there will be another forgiveness, and there will be another new life.

**Term "egosyntonic" refers to impulses, desires, thoughts, etc., consonant with and compatible with the Self. The egosyntonic type of manifestation is characterized by the perception of one’s sexual inclinations and preferences as natural and consistent with the subject’s ideas about the subject’s own personality.

According to the Old Testament, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were in union with the cities of Admah, Sheboim and Bela (Zoar). These five cities, also known as the "cities of the plain", were located on the Jordan Plain in the southern region of the land of Canaan. Some researchers believe that this place was located north of the modern Dead Sea, others believe that it was to the south.

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by divine judgment, as were neighboring Admah and Shevoim. Zoar (Bela) was the only city that escaped the wrath of God, since Lot hid in it. In Abrahamic religions, the expression Sodom and Gomorrah- synonymous with unrepentant sins, fall and divine retribution for sins.

The etymology of the names Sodom and Gomorrah is unclear. Probably the name Sodom came from early Semitic languages, and is related to the root sadama with the meaning “accelerate”, “strengthen”, “strengthen”. The name Gomorrah may be based on the root ghmr, which means "deep".

Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah

The biblical account of the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah is recorded in chapters 18 and 19. The Lord and two angels came to talk with. The Lord told Abraham that

...the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very heavy.

Abraham begged the Lord to spare Sodom and Gomorrah because Abraham's nephew and his family lived in Sodom. The Lord promised to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if there were at least ten righteous people there. However, as it turned out, the only righteous person in Sodom and Gomorrah was Lot.

Chapter 19 of Genesis tells of two angels masquerading as humans visiting Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham's nephew Lot was sitting at the gates of Sodom. He bowed to the travelers to the ground and invited them into the house. Soon the inhabitants of Sodom surrounded Lot's house and demanded that the travelers be given to them. Lot asked them not to do evil and was ready to give his daughters to the crowd to be torn to pieces. The angels struck the crowd with blindness and ordered Lot to take his family and leave the city. The angels took Lot out of the city and told him to escape to the mountain.

And the Lord rained down upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven,

and he overthrew these cities, and all the surrounding countryside, and all the inhabitants of these cities, and [all] the growth of the earth.

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?

The Lord punished Sodom and Gomorrah, but for what sins? There are several versions.

Homosexuality. Today, the term "sodomy" is often used to refer to sexual relations between two men, whether voluntary or forced. Obviously, homosexuality was one of the sins for which God destroyed cities. The Epistle of Jude says:

Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, like them, they committed fornication and went after other flesh, and were subjected to the punishment of eternal fire...

The men of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to commit homosexual violence against two angels (who were dressed as men). At the same time, the Bible does not directly indicate that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah precisely because of the sin of homosexuality.

In we find:

This was the iniquity of Sodom, your sister and her daughters: pride, satiety and idleness, and she did not support the hands of the poor and needy.

And they became proud and did abominable things before Me, and when I saw this, I rejected them.

According to these lines of the Bible, homosexuality was not the only sin due to which the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, but it was probably one of the reasons, among others, greed And inhospitality.

Sodom and Gomorrah - scientific reading.

The greatest rift on land is called the Great Rift or the Great African Rift. This is a rupture in the earth's crust running from Syria in Asia to the cape at the tip of Africa, stretching over 5,000 kilometers. Tourists travel to the Great Rift Valley to enjoy the amazing scenery - vertical cliffs among huge valleys. Scientists believe that ordinary earthquakes could not provoke the appearance of such a huge split in the earth's crust. The cause was probably a meteorite fall.

The formation of the Great Rift is the probable cause of the death of Sodom and Gomorrah

Perhaps it was this event that was reflected in the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord rained brimstone and fire from heaven. The next morning Abraham looked toward the city on the plain and saw smoke rising from the place where the cities had been, like smoke from a furnace. However, it was this smoke that led researchers to another point of view, to explain which we need to clarify the location of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Where were Sodom and Gomorrah?

The only indication of the location of Sodom and Gomorrah is given in the Bible:

They went to war against Berah king of Sodom, against Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemever king of Zeboim, and against the king Bela, which is Zoar.

All these united in the valley of Siddim, where is now the Salt Sea. (Book of Genesis, chapter 14)

Early studies regarding the location of these two cities remained inconclusive. The scientist F. Albright concluded that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were swallowed up by the Dead Sea, which rose much above its natural level. This theory was supported by Ralph E. Barney, who examined fossils in the southern Dead Sea basin.

However, researchers soon discovered near the Dead Sea the ruins of the great fortress Babe dh-Dhra, built of stone and towering over the ravines of Wadi Karak. Seven more buildings were soon found east of the first fortress. From the remains of the buildings it was clear that the place had been destroyed by fire. Researchers claim that the Babe dh-Dhra fortress was located in Sodom. Annual festivals were held here, attended by residents of the five towns of the Sidim Plain.

A place nearby called Numeira considered Gomorrah. Both places were simultaneously destroyed by fire, and, as researchers testify, the fire started from above - from the roofs of the buildings. The only possible explanation for this unique discovery in biblical archeology is that burning debris fell onto the buildings from above. But how could this happen? There is ample evidence of underground deposits of natural bitumen, similar to asphalt, in the region south of the Dead Sea. This material usually contains a high percentage of sulfur. Geologist Frederick Clapp says the earthquake may have caused bitumen deposits to come out of the ground through fault lines. The bitumen could fall to the ground like a burning flaming mass. The cities found south of the Dead Sea are located right on the fault line. The thick smoke that Abraham saw confirms this version, because thick smoke is characteristic of the combustion of petroleum products, which include bitumen.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH, two cities, the mention of which in the Bible is associated primarily with the exceptional depravity of their inhabitants. The Book of Genesis describes them as “cities of the plain” that God destroyed with “fire and brimstone.” Two other cities, Admah and Zeboim, were also destroyed, and God spared the fifth, Zoar, so that Abraham's nephew Lot and his two daughters could take refuge there. Having disobeyed 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 strangers. According to one of the legends, the guest here was offered a bed, the length of which he had to correspond to: those who were too tall were cut off, and those who were short 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), lying approximately 400 m below sea level. Lot, who chose the fertile Jordan Valley as his residence, pitched his tents near Sodom itself. The Bible tells about the battle of four kings against five kings (Genesis 14) in the “Valley of Siddim”, where there were many asphalt lakes (in old translations - “tar 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.

Near the southwestern tip of the Dead Sea rises a rock composed mainly of crystalline salt; the Arabs call it Jebel Usdum, i.e. "Mount of Sodom" This block of salt (about 30 m high) as a result of erosion and weathering has turned into a rock resembling a human figure. Biblical and Muslim traditions, as well as travelers of ancient and modern times, identify her with Lot's wife.

Archaeological finds also confirm the location of Sodom and other "cities of the plain" in this region. Bab Ed-Dra, a pilgrimage site, was discovered by archaeologists in the mountains east of the southern shore of the Dead Sea; judging by the pottery found there, it was particularly frequented between 2300 and 1900 BC. Scientists did not find any settlements where participants in the religious festivals held in Bab-ed-Dra could be 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 waters of what is now the southern bay of the Dead Sea. There, south of the El Lisan ("Language") 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 risen (it is now rising by 6–9 cm per year).

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by the Lord occurred after Abraham failed to find even ten righteous people in Sodom. According to Genesis (19:24-28), the Lord rained “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 the ancient authors, rose from the Dead Sea and caused metals to tarnish, can be explained by the action of some kind of natural gas, the origin of which was, of course, unknown to the ancients. Then the disaster occurred because the oil and accompanying gases were ignited either by a lightning strike or by an earthquake (not uncommon in this region), which could destroy household fires and cause a large fire. It is noteworthy that Abraham, who was near Hebron, could see smoke rising from 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-Dra ca. 1900 BC may indicate the time of the death of Sodom and Gomorrah at the end of the 20th century. BC.

The biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah looks like science fiction. In fact, the story of two cities being destroyed by “fire and brimstone” for the sinful behavior of their inhabitants seems far-fetched. However, they confirm the existence of these cities and their terrible death.

The story 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 neighbors, they moved from one region of the Middle East to another in search of new pastures for livestock. Their leader during the time of Sodom and Gomorrah was the patriarch Abraham, revered as the founding father through his son Isaac by all the Jews, and through his other son Ishmael by all the Arabs. Abraham plays a prominent role in both the Old Testament and the Qur'an, where his life story is told essentially the same way. If we interpret biblical chronology literally, the events described took place around 2100 BC. e.

Abraham was born in "Ur of the Chaldeans", which is generally considered to be 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 this time, as Genesis 12:1–5 states, that God revealed to Abraham his destiny. Abraham was to leave Mesopotamia and settle in Canaan (modern-day Palestine): “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will magnify your name.” Taking his wife and relative 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 raising livestock.

There was a conflict between the shepherds of Abraham and Lot over the right to use pastures, so Abraham proposed to separate. 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 an oppressively hot climate and extremely scarce water resources. But in the time of Lot, there were 5 prosperous cities on the plain: Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, Admah and Zoar. They were ruled by 5 kings and were powerful and wealthy enough to attack and defeat the coalition of Mesopotamian rulers.

According to the Book of Genesis, all this was to change in one day. The Bible constantly refers to the “wickedness” of the inhabitants of the five cities, especially Sodom and Gomorrah. The nature of this depravity, which is usually mistaken for a tendency to sexual perversion, remains not entirely clear. But among the sins of the Sodomites, inhospitality was high on the list, and their downfall was only hastened by the rough treatment of the two angels whom Lot invited into his home as honored guests. The residents of Sodom began to demand that Lot take them outside and began to break down 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 leaving under no circumstances looked back.

Lot, taking his wife and daughters, left the city, which soon turned into smoking ruins. His wife, as you know, violated 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 follows one of the colorful, but not entirely decent passages that often appear 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 - Jordanian tribes who over time turned into sworn enemies of the Israelites.

After this we hear no more 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, he “...saw smoke rising from the earth like smoke from a furnace.” All the cities on the plain were destroyed by an angry God.

No matter how you look at this story, it is replete with colorful details. The episode about Lot and his daughters is clearly a Hebrew “moral story,” invented for an almost comical purpose: to explain how “wicked” the Moabite and Ammonite enemies of the Israelites were, literally and figuratively. It is not difficult to guess the origin of the idea of ​​​​turning Lot's wife into a pillar of salt.

The Dead Sea is so rich in salt that fish cannot live in it, and its coast is dotted with columns of crystalline salt of various shapes. The chance resemblance between one of these columns and a human figure could well give 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 sulfur (fire) rain down 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 Underworld; she looked back, and Orpheus lost her forever.

The story of the visit of two angels is very similar to another story from an ancient myth as retold 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 their mistreatment by the gods, an entire city was destroyed, sparing only a couple of elderly poor people who welcomed them into their home and offered them food.

In fact, the story of a city being razed to the ground for the sins of its inhabitants was quite popular. You don't have to look far for examples, so there is a temptation to interpret the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in a purely folklore sense.

The best description of the surroundings of the Dead Sea in the 1st century. n. e. belongs to the Jewish historian Josephus, who retold the history of his people for Greco-Roman readers. Apparently, Joseph witnessed what he wrote about: “Adjacent to it (the Dead Sea) is the region of Sodom, once rich in its fertility and the prosperity of its cities, but now completely scorched. It is said that due to the sinfulness of its inhabitants it was destroyed by lightning. Even now there are traces of the fire sent by God, and even now you can see the shadows of the five cities. Each time, ash appears again in the form of unknown fruits, which by color seem edible, but as soon as they are touched with the hand, they turn into dust and ashes. Thus, the ancient legends about the land of Sodom are clearly confirmed.”

Bible scholars themselves had little to say in support of the Sodom and Gomorrah hypothesis. The Reverend T. Chain, Professor of Oriental Studies and Scripture Interpretation at Oxford University, in an article published in the Encyclopedia of the Bible in 1903, interpreted the story of Sodom and Gomorrah as a variant of the familiar myth of a catastrophic flood, where the sins of the people are punished by a 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 el-Dakhra. After collecting a few clay shards, the name “Bab el-Dakhra” was applied to archaeological maps of the Jordan.

But only in the 70s. In the 20th century, archaeologists began to realize the true significance of the discovery. Beneath the desert sands and dust lay a large settlement dating back to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3100–2300 BC).

Bab el-Dakhra is now known as one of the oldest Palestinian cities. Archaeologists excavated a temple there, other cultural centers and the remains of a powerful protective wall, 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, approximately half a million people are buried there (about three million pots with funeral gifts were also discovered there).

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

This is not the only Palestinian settlement to suffer such a fate. Soon after excavations began in 1975, archaeologists Walter Rest and Thomas Schaub found Numeria, another Early Bronze Age site 11 km to the south, also strewn with spongy charcoal that could be collected by the handful from the surface of the ground. Destroyed by fire around the same time as Bab el-Dakhra, Numeria also remained abandoned for 2,000 years.

So, a certain pattern emerged in the excavations. By 1980, Rest and Schaub presented preliminary findings: the settlements they found were the five "cities of the plain" mentioned in the Book of Genesis (Sodom, Gomorrah, Zeboim, Admah and Zoar).

There was murmur in scientific circles. One academic immediately threatened to withdraw financial support from Rest and Schaub's expedition if they actually intended to identify their excavation sites with the biblical "cities of the plain." Fortunately, this hysteria did not affect the continuation of work, and after about 20 years, experts stopped arguing about Sodom and Gomorrah.

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

The Bible says that God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and neighboring cities. Lightning strikes are often accompanied by a sulfurous odor, and some ancient authors, including Tacitus, believed that lightning was the cause of the destruction of cities. Josephus mentions “thunderbolts,” or simply “lightning.”

As geologist Dorothy Vitaliano noted, “it is unlikely that a lightning strike on its own could have caused a fire that could have destroyed 4 cities.” (It is said about 4 cities, because some claimed that the city of Zoar survived the disaster.)

However, let's consider one more factor. It has been known since ancient times that the Dead Sea area is rich in oil. The Book of Genesis speaks of “tar pits” in the valley of Siddim near Sodom, and in the time of Josephus the Dead Sea was generally called the Lake of Asphalt because of the pieces of bitumen floating in it. Their numbers increased sharply after the earthquakes; some reports report clumps the size of houses.

Sodom and Gomorrah were essentially on a powder keg. Moreover, they were built on a major fault in the earth's crust - the Jordan River and Dead Sea valleys are 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 approximately 2000 BC. e. It was accompanied by emissions of natural flammable gases and bitumen, which were ignited by fire in household fires. If certain rocks with 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 Rest and Schaub's 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, devoted an entire book to the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. According to them, from a geological point of view, it is quite possible that in the story of the lost cities there are echoes of the folk memory of a powerful seismic cataclysm at the end of the Early Bronze Age. Negev and Amery believe that the main fuel for the fire was hydrocarbons leaking from faults in the soil. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that the bitumen in this area is very rich in sulfur. Streams of hot salt water released as a result of earthquakes could lead to the formation of a deadly mixture of flammable gases rich in sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.

So, can the mystery 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, sharp climate changes occurred in the area located southeast of the Dead Sea. Lands that were once abundantly moist and quite fertile suddenly became drier and hotter. That is why, after the destruction of the cities, these places were not inhabited for so long. The severe drought lasted for approximately 300 years, during which time barren wastelands formed.

It is now increasingly clear that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is only one small piece of a larger puzzle. Simultaneously with the sharp deterioration of climatic conditions, virtually all of the great urban centers of the Levant were destroyed, many as a result of earthquakes. In all of Turkey, at least 300 cities were burned or abandoned; Among them was Troy, which Schliemann considered Homer's Troy. At the same time, the Greek civilization of the early Bronze Age declined. In Egypt, the era of the Old Kingdom and the great pyramid builders came to an end: the country slipped into the abyss of anarchy. The level of the Nile fell sharply, and in the west the Sahara Desert reclaimed vast areas that were once fertile and well-watered.

Today, many facts show that a natural disaster in the Middle East at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. was part of a global cataclysm. Moreover, some evidence forces scientists to look beyond Earth for an explanation. 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 material 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 falling 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 description of events. What was the nature of the “fire from heaven” that, according to the Book of Genesis, destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? The “lightning” in the chronicles of Josephus is not ordinary lightning, as it might seem at first glance. Of the two Greek words he used to describe this event, keraunos ("lightning") and bolos ("projectile"), neither is used in the context of a normal 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 "sky stones" were preserved and revered for centuries after their fall.

It may seem like a big stretch that Sodom and Gomorrah, located on a fault line in the earth’s crust, and even above deposits of flammable hydrocarbons, were also hit by a meteorite. But if the disaster, according to contemporaries, occurred during a heavy meteor shower, causes and consequences could well have changed places in people’s minds. A meteorite or fragment of cometary material falling elsewhere could cause seismic tremors, while smaller fragments burning up in the atmosphere lit up the night sky...

Thus, the much-ridiculed story of Sodom and Gomorrah, which was destroyed by “heavenly fire,” may be an interesting example of the human reaction in one small corner of the world to a catastrophe on a global scale.

N. Nepomnyashchiy