{"id":3540,"date":"2015-09-29T12:55:38","date_gmt":"2015-09-29T16:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?p=3540"},"modified":"2021-11-22T16:06:28","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T20:06:28","slug":"sodom-gomorrah-archaeology-north-of-the-dead-sea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/2015\/09\/sodom-gomorrah-archaeology-north-of-the-dead-sea.html","title":{"rendered":"Sodom and Gomorrah & Archaeology: North of the Dead Sea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
\"Sodom\"<\/a><\/div>\n
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah<\/em> (1852), by John Martin (1789-1854)<\/span> [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>]<\/div>\n
\u00a0***<\/div>\n
(10-9-14)<\/div>\n
\u00a0***<\/div>\n
[portion of a chapter in my book,\u00a0Footsteps that Echo Forever: My Holy Land Pilgrimage<\/a><\/i>]<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Prior to the last ten years or so, the leading\u00a0archaeological\u00a0theory\u00a0(for those who believe that these cities existed)\u00a0placed the location of Sodom and Gomorrah on the south end of the Dead Sea, on the eastern shore; although there\u00a0were several prominent\u00a0archaeological\u00a0advocates for a northeastern shore location as far back as the 19th<\/sup>century,\u00a0and this was, in fact, the consensus location from the 4th<\/sup>century until the early 1900s.<\/div>\n
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\n

The \u201cbuzz\u201d and fun discussion currently taking place is\u00a0largely the\u00a0result of the Tall el-Hammam excavations in Jordan, led\u00a0(beginning in 2006)\u00a0by archaeologist\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Steven Collins, Dean and Professor at Trinity Southwest University.\u00a0He has written voluminously and passionately about his positions.<\/p>\n

Dr. Collins is\u00a0also\u00a0an evangelical Protestant\u00a0who takes Scripture very seriously as historically accurate and inspired;but apparently not a conservative enough one in the eyes of some of his critics,\u00a0who dispute not only his proposed location, but the chronological scheme that he holds.\u00a0Dating in particular always involves some speculation and subjectivity, so it shouldn\u2019t surprise anyone that vigorous debates occur along those lines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

*<\/div>\n
These differences have\u00a0led to some\u00a0very\u00a0lively\u00a0public\u00a0exchanges, with\u00a0at least one of his detractors\u00a0in the field even\u00a0questioning his academic credentials (which appear to be quite impressive\u00a01<\/sup><\/a>), and his counter-charge that\u00a0the same\u00a0critic accepts a young earth chronology that skewers their biblical interpretation\u00a0(in turn denied).<\/div>\n
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In other words, it\u2019s the usual academic wrangling: generally entertaining, but sometimes boorish and tedious to observe.\u00a0Scholars\u00a0(despite some of their own \u201cpress reports\u201d)\u00a0are not\u00a0completely\u00a0objective machines. They have strong opinions and vigorously react to criticisms: especially those thought to be unjust and unfair. And they have biases\u00a0and emotions, just as we all do.<\/div>\n
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The\u00a0Popular Archaeology\u00a0<\/i>site provides a helpful introductory overview of these developments\u00a02<\/sup><\/a>:<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
The team, led by Dr. Steven Collins of Trinity Southwest University and Hussein el- Jarrah of the Department of Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, will be excavating a large mound (\u201cTall\u201d or \u201cTel\u201d) called Tall el-Hammam, located amidst agricultural fields northeast of the Dead Sea in the southern Jordan River Valley. . . .<\/div>\n
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One curious, puzzling mystery relates to the layer that shows no human occupation for 500 to 700 years. . . .<\/div>\n
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Another curiosity relates to an extraordinary pottery sherd (or fragment), found within the ash \u201cdestruction\u201d layer, which features a striking and unusual glazed appearance (see video below). Pottery glazing has not been found on pottery until more than 1,000 years later than the date of the sherd. Laboratory testing and analysis of the fragment shows that it was apparently exposed to extremely high temperatures, a level that far exceeds that normally used to fire and treat pottery, ancient or modern, and that also far exceeds temperatures typically reached during fires. Such temperatures could be produced, for example, by the effects of a thermonuclear explosion, or a cataclysm of cosmic origin.<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
Catholic professor of theology John Bergsma wrote on\u00a0The Sacred Page\u00a0<\/i>(a wonderful Catholic website) about\u00a0his enthusiasm over\u00a0stumbling into a\u00a0fascinating\u00a0lecture about these excavations\u00a0at an academic conference:<\/div>\n
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The sites fit the geographical and temporal context into which Sodom and Gomorrah are placed in the biblical texts. The cities at the site were suddenly and completely wiped out in the Late Bronze Age, which makes a reasonably good fit with the biblical accounts of Abraham and Lot. The entire presentation was very convincing, but never once did they deal with the \u201celephant in the room\u201d: what caused the sites to be suddenly abandoned? As soon as the session was over, I was the first to raise my hand. \u201cDid you find any arrow heads? Signs of invasion? What happened to them?\u201d The lead archeologist paused for a moment. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go there,\u201d he said. Another pause. \u201cI\u2019m preparing material for publication.\u201d Pause. \u201cAll I want to say \u2018on camera\u2019 is, they appear to have been wiped out in a \u2018heat event\u2019.\u201d\u00a03<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
Dr. Collins showed up in the comments for the article. After greatly emphasizing the need for as objective and scientific as possible analysis, and his desire for triple-blind studies by three or more parties, he was willing to comment further on the \u201cheat event\u201d (and all students of the Bible know where that might potentially lead):<\/div>\n
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On our terminal MB2 event, what I can say is that multiple lines of evidence continue to confirm that not only massive Tall el-Hammam, but also its many satellite towns and villages on the eastern Kikkar, suffered some sort of fiery, civilization-ending cataclysm toward the end of the Middle Bronze Age, with the selfsame, well-watered-in-abundance area remaining devoid of settlements for the next 600 years or so . . . The entirety of Tall el-Hammam\u2019s MB2 footprint is covered in heavy ash (from .5m-1m thick), ash filled destruction debris, and other conflagratory indicators that will be published in appropriate venues. . . .<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
Is Tall el-Hammam biblical Sodom? Well, if it isn\u2019t (and I say this with complete confidence in what I know to be the facts of the case), there are going to be a lot of people with a lot of \u2018splainin\u2019 to do, Lucy! In the meantime, I welcome rational discourse pro and con (emphasis on rational!).<\/div>\n
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Brian Nixon, of\u00a0Assist News Service<\/i>, wrote about the same subject matter, a day after the article above\u00a04<\/sup><\/a>:<\/div>\n
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In my article \u201cSodom Found?\u201d I wrote, \u201cAccording to Collins, \u2018The traditional \u201cSouthern Theory\u201d site of Sodom does not have the geographical parallels described in the [biblical] text. Namely: 1. One can see the whole area from the hills above Jericho (Bethel\/Ai), 2. It must be a well-watered place (described \u201clike Egypt\u201d), 3. It has a river running through it (the Jordan), and 4. It must follow the travel route of Lot\u201d (who went to the other side of the Jordan, eastward, away from Jericho.)\u2019\u201d<\/div>\n
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What does all this mean? Simple: The traditional sites attributed as Sodom may be incorrect.<\/div>\n
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He cited Dr. Collins, summarizing some of the findings of the dig in the year 2010:<\/div>\n
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\u201cTo start with, the Tall el-Hammam site has twenty-five geographical indicators that align with the description in Genesis. Compare this with something well known\u2014like Jerusalem\u2014that has only sixteen. Other sites have only five or six. So this site has a greater number of indicators than any other Old Testament site. That is truly amazing.<\/div>\n
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\u201cSecond, our findings\u2014pottery, architecture, and destruction layers\u2014fit the timeframe profile. Meaning we should expect to find items like what we are finding from the Middle Bronze Age. This is exactly what we are uncovering.<\/div>\n
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\u201cThough . . . much research still needs to be conducted, I feel that the evidence for this being the ancient city of Sodom is increasing by the day.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Collins then went on to describe interesting skeletal finds from the dig in early 2011: indicating some sort of sudden and city-wide catastrophe:<\/div>\n
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\u201c[T]he real big news is that we found skeletal remains that demonstrate a quick, violent death. . . . In short, the bodies were extremely traumatized in their death. . . . skeletal remains were found throughout the area, following the same patterns.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Bob Haynes, writing on the\u00a0Fundamentally Reformed<\/i>\u00a0website\u00a05<\/sup><\/a>, offers readers another helpful overview of these matters, in the course of his review of Dr. Collins\u2019 book,\u00a0Discovering the City of Sodom\u00a0<\/i>(co-author Latayne C. Scott; New York: Howard Books \/ Simon & Schuster: 2013):<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
Collins explains why others have not looked for Sodom in this locale. It is chiefly due to theories that Sodom was under the Dead Sea or to be found on its southern shores. Ultimately these theories were based less on evidence than on unsubstantiated educated guesses from earlier and still renowned biblical archeologists. Further data has contradicted the assumption that Sodom was in the barren wasteland of the southern Dead Sea \u2013 which was never (during the time of the Biblical Sodom) an Edenic paradise that was to woo Lot to pitch his tent there. . . .<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
The book ends with the most exciting find of all: pottery shards that are superheated to glass on one side, yet are perfectly normal pottery on the other. The conclusion of experts is that the shards were super heated and then cooled far too rapidly than would be expected by any typical human furnace or heating method known in ancient times. Extensive, independent research compares this to molten sand left over after nuclear experiments and the green glass found in the desert at times due to meteoric events. The best physical explanation is a meteor that burned up in the atmosphere leaving no crater, but still sending a fireball to earth (as in a documented case in Siberia in the early 1900s). This may very well be concrete proof that the story of Sodom\u2019s fiery demise as recounted in the Bible is true.<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
. . . Along the way he presents an excellent example of how to hold true to Scripture and yet still seek to pursue a path of valid scientific inquiry.<\/div>\n
*<\/div>\n
This book is garnering many rave reviews from others in the field, as we see\u00a0from these two\u00a0on its Amazon web page:<\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins is a meticulous archaeologist with an extraordinary team of specialized scholars who are not afraid to challenge the traditional assumptions about the location and fate of the Bible\u2019s most mysterious city\u2014Sodom. His findings are scholarly, fascinating, educational, and extremely convincing to anyone who needs hard facts to support their conclusions regarding this famous city. The massive accumulation of the archaeological and geographical data from Tall el-Hammam, and its surrounding territory, leaves little doubt in my mind that Dr. Collins has emerged as the authority on the identification of Sodom. This riveting account of Dr. Collins\u2019 fascinating journey and discovery has contributed a unique body of knowledge that surpasses anything published on the subject. I don\u2019t know of a more convincing case for Sodom\u2019s long-awaited identification.\u00a0(Joseph M. Holden, Ph.D., President of Veritas Evangelical Seminary and co-author\u00a0The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible<\/i>)<\/div>\n
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In this book, Collins provides the most complete discussion to date of all of the relevant biblical texts. The most compelling part of the book is Dr. Collins\u2019 argument for locating Sodom northeast of the Dead Sea, rather than further to the south as many have assumed. This book will engender a great deal of interest among the general public, but it is likely to be received with less enthusiasm by many specialists in the field. Even so, it is clear that Dr. Collins has thought very deeply about the relationship between his site and the biblical narrative. Much of the skepticism about the historicity of Sodom over the years has been conducted in an archaeological vacuum. (Robert A. Mullins, Ph.D., Professor of Archaeology and Old Testament, Azusa Pacific University)<\/div>\n
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As early as 26 March 2007, Dr. Collins was confident enough in his findings to assert:<\/div>\n
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At this point, I am willing to say that if Tall el-Hammam\u2019s identification as biblical Sodom is still denied after an examination of the growing body of evidence to that effect, then the identification of every single biblical site not confirmed by specific epigraphic evidence must me called into question.\u00a06<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
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Phil Silvia, Field supervisor for the Tall el-Hammam excavations, provides a more specific conjecture as to the cause of the city\u2019s demise at the end of the Middle Bronze Age (c. 1700 B. C.):<\/div>\n
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We are convinced, but not yet ready to discuss the details (this will be the subject of my doctoral dissertation), that this civilization \u2010 ending catastrophic event was the result of an air burst explosion, probably from a comet or comet fragment since there is no crater anywhere in the area to suggest a meteor. The archaeological evidence that we are finding strongly points to this type of a destructive event.\u00a07<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
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The Bible describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as follows:<\/div>\n
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Genesis 19:24-25\u00a0<\/b>Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomor\u2019rah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;\u00a0[25] and he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.<\/div>\n
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Silvia had noted in his paper that at least five surrounding cities and also Jericho, a little ways across the river, had been destroyed at the same time. This is consistent with the biblical account, as anyone can plainly see.<\/div>\n
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Bible History Daily<\/i>: the website of the Biblical Archaeology Society, took note of the extraordinary nature of the destruction of this ancient city in a similar fashion:<\/div>\n
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Across Tall el-Hammam, archaeologists found widespread evidence of an intense conflagration that left the Middle Bronze Age city in ruins. They found scorched foundations and floors buried under nearly 3 feet of dark grey ash, as well as dozens of pottery sherds covered with a frothy, \u201cmelted\u201d surface; the glassy appearance indicates that they were briefly exposed to temperatures well in excess of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the approximate heat of volcanic magma. Such evidence suggests the city and its environs were catastrophically destroyed in a sudden and extreme conflagration.\u00a08<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
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Prominent biblical anthropologist Alice C. Linsley noted on her blog,\u00a0Just Genesis<\/i>, the earlier\u00a0scholarly\u00a0advocates of a similar location for Sodom:<\/div>\n
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Collins has received much attention by claiming that Tall el-Hammam is the true Sodom, or what scholars call the \u201cSodom of the north.\u201d However, he was not the first to suggest this possibility. In the late 19th century\u00a0[Henry B.]\u00a0Tristram,\u00a0[Claude R.]\u00a0Conder,\u00a0[Selah]\u00a0Merrill and\u00a0[William M.]\u00a0Thomson made a case for a location north of the Dead Sea in the southern Jordan Valley.\u00a09<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins has noted that in the 19th<\/sup>century most \u201cexplorer-scholars\u201d held this view. In addition to the above, he cites Charles W. Wilson, H. H. Kitchener, George Grove, and Henry S. Osborn.<\/div>\n
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The real fun begins with the interaction of Dr. Collins and his critics, who favor the \u201csouthern theory\u201d of the location of Sodom. He has engaged in quite a bit of back-and-forth with Dr. Todd Bolen, professor of archaeology at The Master\u2019s College. Dr. Bolen\u2019s\u00a0BiblePlaces Blog\u00a0<\/i>has run a number of articles on the topic, and Dr. Collins is usually very prominent and verbose in the comments section.<\/div>\n
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We shall survey some of this, but nowhere near comprehensively. Space considerations don\u2019t permit a full description of competing theories, so I will mainly highlight Dr. Collins\u2019 replies to other points of view and criticisms of his thesis. I urge readers to consult the referenced articles to read much more of both perspectives. Dr. Bolen proclaimed in an article dated 13 May 2006:<\/div>\n
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I know from previous study that of the three possible regions for the location of Sodom and Gomorrah based on all of the Scriptural evidence (northeast, southeast, under the Dead Sea), the least likely is the northern theory.\u00a010<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins fired back in a comment on 21 June 2006:<\/div>\n
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Every argument for a southern Sodom is ludicrous. . . .\u00a0I guarantee that the southern location for Sodom will die in time, as painful as it might be for some people who\u2019ve married themselves to an untenable, traditional theory. I\u2019m sorry, but there is simply zero evidence of any kind to support it!<\/div>\n
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Again, on 10 August 2009, Dr. Bolen provides a dissenting opinion on his blog:<\/p>\n

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Finding ancient sites that have Middle Bronze occupation and then a gap until Iron Age is not difficult. That\u2019s what Collins has found. This and the others in the area are no doubt important sites, but it does not fit the biblical data about Sodom.<\/p>\n

. . .\u00a0With regard to the Middle Bronze occupation, . . . you must\u00a0revise the biblical dates\u00a0<\/i>in order for Collins\u2019 identification to match the archaeology. He lowers the date of Abraham in order to create a match with his excavation results. The traditional biblical dating of the destruction of Sodom is approximately 2100 BC,\u00a0. . .11<\/sup><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Dr. Collins replied in comments on 18 August:<\/div>\n
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As for the chronology, Albright, Kitchen, and a host of other scholars would place Abraham much later in the MB. That\u2019s because they realized the formulaic nature of the patriarchal life-numbers, and took a late date for the Exodus.<\/div>\n
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And again in another comment on the same day:<\/div>\n
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The later date for Abraham is preferred by a majority of chronographers, including Finegan. The early date for Abraham can be supported ONLY by the Masoretic reading of Ex 12:40 . . . I came to this conclusion long before I ever thought about the Sodom issue. I have never \u201ccooked\u201d any set of data to accommodate my Sodom theory. I always go with the reasonable facts, whether biblical, geographical, or archaeological. To this point, all the factually-based data are in leaning in our direction. All the counter arguments are simply non sequiturious, like the \u201ccan\u2019t be anyone living on the Kikkar during the Iron Age\u201d one.<\/div>\n
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By 19 December 2011, Dr. Bolen appears to be frustrated with Dr. Collins and his arguments, and decides to question his academic credentials (\u201cCollins appears to be a professor of archaeology who has never earned a degree from a school with an archaeology program,\u201d\u00a0etc.).12<\/sup><\/a><\/div>\n
*\u00a0<\/sup><\/div>\n
He\u00a0then\u00a0reiterates his basic objections based on what he sees as seriously erroneous chronology and dating of Abraham, Lot, and Sodom\u2019s destruction (400-500 years later than his own).<\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins defended his credentials in a reply dated 8 March 2012:<\/div>\n
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Indeed, my doctorates are in biblical hermeneutics and religion. But it is a fact that many of us who have enjoyed long careers as field archaeologists do not hold PhDs in archaeology per se. Much excellent work in archaeology has been accomplished by men with doctorates in theology, religion, biblical studies, Old Testament, history, and other branches of the social sciences. I could cite quite a long list. . . . let\u2019s keep this discussion intelligent and academic, shall we?<\/div>\n
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Dr. Bolen\u00a0claimed\u00a0that Dr. Collins was twisting the chronology of the Bible\u00a0like a wax nose, in order\u00a0to fit into his theories, and (in a comment on 11 March 2012) even strongly insinuating that the quick identification of Tall el-Hammam as Sodom was a ploy \u201cto bring millions of dollars and hundreds of volunteers to the site.\u201d\u00a0At length he\u00a0decided (in comments on 12 March 2012) to pull out all the stops and\u00a0lob\u00a0outright character attacks:<\/div>\n
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I have detected for as many years as I\u2019ve been reading what you\u2019ve written about Sodom that the issue is not the evidence but your authority. You ask other people to believe you in spite of the evidence.<\/div>\n
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. . . You are a dishonest man. You twist the truth in order to deceive.<\/div>\n
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. . . That\u2019s nine factually inaccurate statements in one paragraph. . . . If you were my student, I\u2019d send you back to the library to open up a few books. You, however, know the facts but are purposefully distorting them to support your own agenda. I am unhappy with myself for spending my time in responding to you.<\/div>\n
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. . . A better approach is to trust the Bible.<\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins (in a comment on 13 March 2012) remained quite calm after this onslaught, asserting only that his words were being twisted and ignored. He ended by saying, \u201cI do respect the views you hold regarding chronology. I used to have the same views. . . .\u00a0I suppose that we will just have to agree to disagree on many points.\u201d Dr. Bolen ended (on the same day) the now tedious and soiled discussion by tossing more insults:<\/div>\n
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What you really mean is \u201cI\u2019m humiliated by the exposure of my false statements before, but I am unwilling to admit it, so I will pretend there is another reason.\u201d . . . I don\u2019t think you can act unethically, refuse to repent, and then assume that we can just \u201cagree to disagree.\u201d . . . when one distorts the truth, twists the words of others, and is very calculated in his efforts to deceive, I am not going to pretend otherwise or continue the conversation.<\/div>\n
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And so it often goes, even in academia (though this is a pretty striking instance). I\u2019m very familiar with this sort of \u201cdiscussion downgrading into a mud fight\u201d from my own countless dialogues in my apologetics work. In my opinion, Dr. Bolen lost\u00a0the combox debate\u00a0by default,\u00a0in resorting to personal attack.\u00a0This unsavory behavior indicates\u00a0to me\u00a0that his case is\u00a0quite likely\u00a0weak; otherwise he could have confidently stuck to assertion of his theories rather than\u00a0ad hominem\u00a0<\/i>attacks.<\/div>\n
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Also, I\u2019ve long observed that when one Christian thinks (rightly or wrongly) that another is more \u201cliberal\u201d than they are on some matters (in this instance, biblical dates and chronology), often they assume that it is because of dishonesty or lack of faith in biblical inspiration. That seems to be what lies behind Dr. Bolen\u2019s personal contempt.<\/div>\n
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In any event, the vigorous scholarly debate about the location of Sodom and Gomorrah looks to be one of the more interesting ones in archaeology, over the next several years. Other archaeologists who claimed to have found things that seem to be primarily supported by the Bible have found themselves outcasts in their own field. Secular and anti-Christian strains still run strong in Ancient Near Eastern (\u201cbiblical\u201d) archaeology.<\/div>\n
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Dr. Collins,\u00a0however, seems like the type of person who won\u2019t let such empty threats and negative possibilities daunt him in his quest for both biblical and archaeological truth: in harmony with each other. Whether one agrees with his conclusions or not, he is to be praised for his dual respect for scientific method and for the inspired revelation of Holy Scripture.<\/div>\n
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FOOTNOTES<\/b><\/div>\n
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1<\/a>\u00a0See his\u00a0Curriculum Vitae<\/a>\u00a0on his university description page.<\/div>\n
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2<\/a>\u00a0\u201cArchaeologists Return to Excavate Possible Site of Biblical Sodom,\u201d\u00a0<\/a>Vol. 7, 6 June 2012.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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3<\/a>\u00a0\u201cSodom and Gomorrah Excavated,\u201d<\/a>\u00a07 December 2011.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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4<\/a>\u00a0\u201cArchaeological Evidence for Sodom: Recent Findings Shed Light on Discoveries of \u2018Biblical Proportions\u2019,\u201d<\/a>\u00a08 December 2011.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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5\u00a0<\/a>\u201cDiscovering the City of Sodom by Steven Collins and Latayne Scott,\u201d\u00a0<\/a>2 July 2013. See also the\u00a0Amazon page<\/a>\u00a0for the book.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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6<\/a>\u00a0Comment under the article,\u00a0\u201cWhy believe Sodom is located North of the Dead Sea?,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0Cadre Comments<\/i>, 4 June 2006.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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7\u00a0<\/a>\u201cIs Tall el-Hammam Biblical Sodom?,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0uploaded at academia.edu sometime after February 2014.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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8<\/a>\u00a0\u201cWhere Is Sodom?: Genesis 13, archaeology and Biblical geography provide new answers,\u201d<\/a>\u00a020 February 2013.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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9\u00a0<\/a>\u201cFinding Sodom,\u201d\u00a0<\/a>24 February 2014.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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10<\/a>\u00a0\u201cSodom Identified?,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0BiblePlaces Blog<\/i>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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11\u00a0<\/a>\u201cVideo: Search for Sodom and Gomorrah,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0BiblePlaces Blog<\/i>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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12\u00a0<\/a>\u201cExcavator Finds Evidence of Destruction at \u2018Sodom\u2019,\u201d\u00a0<\/a>BiblePlaces Blog<\/i>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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*****<\/div>\n
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Practical Matters<\/em><\/strong>: Perhaps some of my 3,900+ free online articles (the most comprehensive \u201cone-stop\u201d Catholic apologetics site) or<\/span>\u00a0fifty books<\/a>\u00a0have helped you (by God\u2019s grace) to decide to<\/span>\u00a0become Catholic<\/a>\u00a0or to<\/span>\u00a0return to the Church<\/a>, or better understand some doctrines and<\/span>\u00a0why<\/em>\u00a0we believe them<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general.\u00a0If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I\u2019m always in need of more funds: especially\u00a0monthly<\/em>\u00a0support. \u201cThe laborer is worthy of his wages\u201d (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a<\/span>\u00a0full-time Catholic apologist<\/a>, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.<\/span><\/div>\n
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PayPal donations<\/a>\u00a0are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. You\u2019ll see the term \u201cCatholic Used Book Service\u201d, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page:\u00a0<\/span>About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong \/ Donation Information<\/a>.\u00a0Thanks a million<\/em><\/strong> from the bottom of my heart!<\/span><\/div>\n
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The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (1852), by John Martin (1789-1854) [public domain \/ Wikimedia Commons] \u00a0*** (10-9-14) \u00a0*** [portion of a chapter in my book,\u00a0Footsteps that Echo Forever: My Holy Land Pilgrimage] Prior to the last ten years or so, the leading\u00a0archaeological\u00a0theory\u00a0(for those who believe that these cities existed)\u00a0placed the location of Sodom and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":3541,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,448],"tags":[805,802,638,803,435,450,449,224,804,801],"class_list":["post-3540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-and-tradition","category-jews-judaism-old-testament","tag-abraham","tag-ancient-near-east","tag-biblical-archaeology","tag-dead-sea","tag-genesis","tag-holy-land","tag-israel","tag-judgment","tag-lot","tag-sodom-and-gomorrah"],"yoast_head":"\nSodom and Gomorrah & Archaeology: North of the Dead Sea?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The scholarly debate about the location of Sodom and Gomorrah looks to be one of the more interesting ones in archaeology, over the next several years.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \\\"Catholic Answers Live\\\" (twice), \\\"Faith and Family Live\\\" (Steve Wood), \\\"Kresta in the Afternoon,\\\" \\\"Son Rise Morning Show,\\\" \\\"Catholic Connection\\\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \\\"The Catholics Next Door.\\\" His large and popular website, \\\"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\\\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \\\"Envoy Magazine.\\\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \\\"index\\\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \\\"Surprised by Truth\\\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \\\"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\\\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \\\"The Catholic Verses\\\" (2004), \\\"The One-Minute Apologist\\\" (2007), \\\"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\\\" (2009), \\\"The Quotable Newman\\\" (editor: 2012), and \\\"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\\\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \\\"The New Catholic Answer Bible\\\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \\\"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\\\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \\\"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\\\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \\\"Quotable Wesley\\\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. 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Formerly a campus missionary, as a Protestant, Dave was received into the Catholic Church in February 1991, by the late, well-known catechist and theologian, Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave\u2019s articles have appeared in many influential Catholic periodicals, including \"This Rock\" (now called \"Catholic Answers Magazine\"), \"Envoy Magazine\" (Patrick Madrid), \"The Catholic Answer,\" \"The Coming Home Journal,\" \"Gilbert Magazine\" (American Chesterton Society), and \"The Latin Mass.\" He also writes a featured column for every issue of \"The Michigan Catholic\": published by the archdiocese of Detroit, and was editor for most of the apologetics tracts published by the St. Paul Street Evangelization apostolate. Dave\u2019s apologetics and writing apostolate was the subject of a feature article in the May 2002 issue of \"Envoy Magazine.\" He served as the staff moderator at the Internet discussion forum for The Coming Home Network, from 2007-2010. Dave has been interviewed on many nationally syndicated Catholic radio shows, including \"Catholic Answers Live\" (twice), \"Faith and Family Live\" (Steve Wood), \"Kresta in the Afternoon,\" \"Son Rise Morning Show,\" \"Catholic Connection\" (Teresa Tomeo), and \"The Catholics Next Door.\" His large and popular website, \"Biblical Evidence for Catholicism,\" was online from March 1997 to March 2007, and received the 1998 Catholic Website of the Year award from \"Envoy Magazine.\" His blog of the same name (now transferred to Patheos), begun in February 2004, contains more than 1,500 papers, at least 500 debates or dialogues, and over 50 distinct \"index\" web pages. Unsolicited correspondence has indicated many hundreds of conversions (or returns) to the Catholic faith as a result, by God's grace, of these writings. Dave's conversion story was published in the bestselling book \"Surprised by Truth\" (edited by Patrick Madrid; San Diego: Basilica Press, 1994). Sophia Institute Press has published six of his books: \"A Biblical Defense of Catholicism\" (Foreword by Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J., 1996 \/ 2003), \"The Catholic Verses\" (2004), \"The One-Minute Apologist\" (2007), \"Bible Proofs for Catholic Truths\" (2009), \"The Quotable Newman\" (editor: 2012), and \"Proving the Catholic Faith is Biblical\" (2015). He is co-author (with Dr. Paul Thigpen) of the inserts for \"The New Catholic Answer Bible\" (Our Sunday Visitor: 2005), and editor for \"The Wisdom of Mr. Chesterton: The Very Best Quotes, Quips, and Cracks from the Pen of G. K. Chesterton\" (Saint Benedict Press \/ TAN Books: 2009). \"100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura\" was published by Catholic Answers in May 2012. His \"Quotable Wesley\" compilation was published by (Protestant \/ Wesleyan publisher) Beacon Hill Press in April 2014. Several of his 49 books are bestsellers in their field. Dave maintains a popular personal Facebook page, a Facebook author page, and has a Twitter account as well. He offers almost all of his books in e-book form on his own Biblical Catholicism site (http:\/\/biblicalcatholicism.com\/), at a permanent deep discount: only $2.99 for ePub, mobi, and AZW, and $1.99 for PDF. His writing has been enthusiastically endorsed or recommended by many leading Catholic apologists, authors, and priests, including Dr. Scott Hahn, Fr. Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Marcus Grodi, Patrick Madrid, Steve Ray, Tim Staples, Devin Rose, Mike Aquilina, Al Kresta, Karl Keating, Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Brandon Vogt, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, and Fr. John A. Hardon, S. J. Dave has been happily married to his wife Judy since October 1984. 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