Sodom Destroyed
- Dates
- 1850 BC
Sodom and sister city Gomorrah are destroyed by fire from heaven because of the wickedness of their inhabitants. Lot's wife and two daughters barely escape, but Lot's wife looks back and becomes a pillar of salt. The Bible often alludes to Sodom.
In detail
Sodom. Burning the walled, a city in the vale of Siddim (Gen. 13:10 14:1—16). The wickedness of its inhabitants brought down upon it fire from heaven, by which it was destroyed (18:16—33 19:1—29 Deut. 23:17). This city and its awful destruction are frequently alluded to in Scripture (Deut. 29:23 32:32 Isa. 1:9, 10 3:9 13:19 Jer. 23:14 Ezek. 16:46—56 Zeph. 2:9 Matt. 10:15 Rom. 9:29 2 Pet. 2:6, etc.).
No trace of it or of the other cities of the plain has been discovered, so complete was their destruction. Just opposite the site of Zoar, on the south—west coast of the Dead Sea, is a range of low hills, forming a mass of mineral salt called Jebel Usdum, "the hill of Sodom." It has been concluded, from this and from other considerations, that the cities of the plain stood at the southern end of the Dead Sea. Others, however, with much greater probability, contend that they stood at the northern end of the sea. [in 1897].
Bible passages
- Genesis 19:1-29
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. …
Text of the King James Version.
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