SODOM

AND
GOMORRAH
PART 1
CLYDE E. BILLINGTON, JR.
 THE LENGTH OF THE
PATRIARCHAL PERIOD IN CANAAN
• GENESIS 12:4 - ABRAHAM WAS 75 YEARS OLD WHEN HE
ENTERED CANAAN
• GENESIS 21:5 - ABRAHAM WAS 100 WHEN ISAAC WAS
BORN
• GENESIS 25:26 – ISAAC WAS 60 YEARS OLD WHEN JACOB
WAS BORN
• GENESIS 47:19 – JACOB WAS 130 WHEN HE ENTERED
EGYPT
TOTAL YEARS OF THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD 215
 DATING ABRAHAM
• THE PATRIARCHAL PERIOD LASTED 215 YEARS
• THE SOJOURN OF THE ISRAELITES IN EGYPT
LASTED 430 YEARS (EXODUS 12:40)
• AS WILL BE SEEN, THE EXODUS TOOK PLACE
IN 1446 BC.

1446+215+430= 2091 BC
WHEN ABRAHAM ENTERED CANAAN.
 DATING THE DESTRUCTION
OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH
• ABRAHAM WAS 75 YEARS OLD WHEN HE ENTERED
CANAAN
• 2091+75 = 2166 BC WHICH WAS WHEN ABRAHAM
WAS BORN IN THE CITY OF UR
• 2166 BC IS DURING THE UR III PERIOD.
• THE DESTRUCTION OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH
TOOK PLACE JUST BEFORE THE BIRTH OF ISAAC
WHEN ABRAHAM WAS 100.
• SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE DESTOYED IN
CA. 2067 BC.
 THE ATTACK OF THE
ELAMITE
KING KEDORLAOMER ON
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
THUS TOOK PLACE IN
CA. 2090 BC
 GENESIS 14:1
AT THAT TIME AMRAPHEL KING OF SHINAR (SUMER),
ARIOCH KING OF ELLASAR, KEDORLAOMER KING OF
ELAM, AND TIDAL KING OF NATIONS WENT TO WAR
AGAINST BERA KING OF SODOM, BIRSHA KING OF
GOMORRAH, SHINAB KING ADMAH, SHEMEBER OF THE
ZEBOIIM PEOPLE, AND BELA, WHICH IS THE SAME AS
THE CITY OF ZOAR. ALL OF THESE LATTER KINGS
JOINED FORCES IN THE VALLEY OF SIDDIM (WHICH IS IN
THE AREA OF THE DEAD SEA). FOR 12 YEARS THEY HAD
BEEN SUBJECT TO KEDORLAOMER. BUT IN THE 13TH
YEAR THEY REVOLTED.
 KEDOR-LAOMER
IS AN ELAMITE NAME
• WHILE THE NAME KEDOR-LAOMER IS NOT
FOUND IN THE VERY SPARCE HISTORICAL
RECORDS OF THE KINGDOM OF ELAM,
KEDORLAOMER IS UNQUESTIONABLY AN
ANCIENT ELAMITE NAME.
• THE ELAMITE KING KUDUR-NAHHUNTE IS
KNOWN TO HAVE ENDED THE THIRD
DYNASTY OF UR IN CA. 2005 BC.
THERE ARE FIVE SMALL CITIES LOCATED IN THE
MOUNTAINS ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN SHORE
OF THE DEAD SEA WHICH WERE ALL DESTROYED
AT THE SAME TIME BY A “FIREY
CONFLAGRATION.” EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT
BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THESE FIVE ANCIENT
CITIES WERE SODOM OR GOMORRAH, I DO
BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE SMALL, PERIPHERAL
CITIES WHICH WERE DESTROYED AT THE SAME
TIME AS SODOM AND GOMORRAH. ONE OF
THESE CITIES, BAB EDH-DHRA, PROVIDES
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF
KEDORLAOMER’S ATTACK ON
SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
 GENESIS 14:8-9 STATES THAT
KEDORLAOMER’S ARMY
FOUGHT AGAINST THE ARMIES
OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH IN
“THE VALLEY OF SIDDIM,” AND
SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE
DEFEATED.
 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FOUND BY
ARCHAEOLOGISTS RAST AND SCHAUBIN THE
1980’S PROVES THAT DURING “THE LAST 100
YEARS OF OCCUPATION,” IN OTHER WORDS
BEFORE BAB EDH-DHRA’S FINAL FIERY
DESTRUCTION, ITS WESTERN WALL AND
WESTERN GATE AREA “UNDERWENT A
MAJOR DESTRUCTION.” THIS DESTRUCTION
MATCHES THE ATTACK OF KEDORLAOMER
MENTIONED IN GENESIS 14 WHICH THE
BIBLE INDICATES TOOK PLACE ABOUT 20-25
YEARS BEFORE THE FINAL FIREY
DESTRUCTION OF
SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
 GENESIS 14:10
NOW THE VALLEY OF SIDDIM WAS FULL OF TAR
PITS, AND WHEN THE KINGS OF SODOM AND
GOMORRAH FLED, SOME OF THEIR MEN FELL
INTO THE TAR PITS AND THE REST FLED TO
THE HILLS. THE FOUR KINGS SEIZED ALL THE
GOODS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH AND TOOK
ALL OF THEIR FOOD, THEN THEY WENT AWAY.
THEY ALSO CARRIED OFF ABRAM’S NEPHEW
LOT AND HIS POSSESSIONS, BECAUSE HE WAS
LIVING IN SODOM.
 TWO IMPORTANT POINTS
FROM GENESIS 14:10. FIRST,
THIS BATTLE WAS FOUGHT
ON THE PLAIN, SINCE
REFUGEES FLED TO THE
HILLS. SECOND, THERE WERE
TAR PITS, AND THESE DO NOT
OCCUR ON HILLS AND
MOUNTAINS.
 TAR/ BITUMEN FROM
THE DEAD SEA
• ACCORDING TO JOSEPHUS, LARGE GLOBS OF TAR/ BITUMEN/ ASPHALT
WOULD REGULARLY FLOAT TO THE TOP OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE FIRST
CENTURY AD.
• THE ANCIENT ROMANS CALLED THE DEAD SEA, “ASPHALTITES LACUS,” I.E.
“THE ASPHALT LAKE.”
• THESE GLOBS OF TAR WERE COLLECTED AND SOLD FOR VARIOUS USES
INCLUDING WATERPROOFING WOODEN BOATS.
• ANOTHER USE IN ANCIENT EGYPT WAS TO COAT MUMMIES IN ORDER TO
PRESERVE THEM. HOWEVER, PINE TAR WAS MAINLY USED.
• THE FIRST USE OF BITUMEN TO SEAL MUMMIES AND THEIR COFFINS
APPEARS IN THE NEW KINGDOM PERIOD CA. 1570-1085 BC.
• IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE TAR/ BITUMEN USED BY MOSES’ MOTHER TO
SEAL HIS LITTLE PAPYRUS BASKET CAME FROM THE DEAD SEA.
• THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE (LESS THAN 50%) OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES
SEALED WITH BITUMEN DATES TO THE PTOLEMAIC AND EARLY ROMAN
PERIODS.
• EVEN YET TODAY, GLOBS OF BITUMEN OCCASIONALLY FLOAT TO THE
SURFACE OF THE DEAD SEA.
LARGE CHUNK
OF BITUMEN
FOUND
FLOATING IN
THE
DEAD SEA IN
1969
 THE LOCATION OF
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
FIVE SMALL ANCIENT CITIES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINS ALONG
THE SOUTHEASTERN SHORE OF THE DEAD SEA: BAB EDH-DHRA, NUMEIRA,
SAFI, FEIFA, AND KHANAZIER, ALL OF WHICH WERE DESTROYED AT THE
SAME TIME IN A “FIREY CONFLAGRATION.”
SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT THE TWO LARGEST CITIES, BAB EDH-DHRA
AND NUMEIRA, WERE SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE COMBINED
POPULATION OF BAB EDH-DHRA AND NUMEIRA WAS FAR LESS THAN 2000.
THERE ARE BETWEEN 1 AND 1½ MILLION PEOPLE BURIED IN THE ANCIENT
CEMETERIES NEAR BAB EDH-DHRA, NUMEIRA, AND FEIFA.
THESE MASSIVE CEMETERIES INDICATE THAT THERE WERE ONCE MUCH
LARGER POPULATION CENTERS LOCATED NEARBY.
WILLIAM FOXWELL ALBRIGHT BELIEVED THAT SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE
LOCATED UNDER THE SHALLOW WATERS AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
DEAD SEA, AND I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS CORRECT.
 SITE OF
BAB
EDH-DHRA
TODAY
RUINS AT
THE SITE
OF
BAB
EDH-DHRA
TODAY
 THE LARGEST OF THESE FIVE SMALL CITIES WAS
BAB EDH-DHRA WHICH ARCHAEOLOGISTS ESTMATE ONLY
HAD A POPULATION OF 600-1000 PEOPLE.

ASSUME THAT THERE WERE 6000 PEOPLE LIVING IN ALL

FIVE OF THE SMALL CITIES IN THE MOUNTAINS AT THE
SOUTHEASTERN END OF THE DEAD SEA.

ASSUME THAT 10% OF THE POPULATION IN THESE CITIES

DIED EVERY YEAR, IN OTHER WORDS ASSUME THAT
600 PEOPLE FROM THESE FIVE CITIES DIED EACH YEAR.

THE HUGE ANCIENT CEMETERIES ALONG THE

SOUTHEASTERN SHORE OF THE DEAD SEA WERE IN USE
FOR ABOUT A 1000 YEARS.

600x1000=600,000.
 THE COALITION ARMY WHICH
KING KEDORLAOMER USED TO ATTACK
SODOM AND GOMORRAH INCLUDED NOT
ONLY HIS OWN LARGE KINGDOM OF ELAM,
BUT ALSO THREE OTHER KINGS FROM
SOUTHERN SUMER/ SHINAR. WHY WAS
SUCH A LARGE ARMY USED TO ATTACK
FIVE MOUNTAIN CITIES WITH A COMBINED
TOTAL POPULATION WHICH COULD NOT
HAVE EXCEEDED 10,000 AND WHICH
COULD NOT HAVE FIELDED AN ARMY OF
MORE THAN ABOUT 4000 TROOPS?
 KEDORLAOMER AND HIS ALLIED
ARMY WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE
TRAVELED 700-800 MILES TO
REACH THE SOUTHERN END OF THE
DEAD SEA. WHY DID HE AND HIS
LARGE ARMY TRAVEL SUCH A
ALONG DISTANCE JUST TO ATTACK
FIVE SMALL CITIES IN THE
MOUNTAINS ALONG THE
SOUTHEASTERN SHORE OF THE
DEAD SEA?
 THE LOCATION OF
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
• MY FRIEND STEVE COLLINS BELIEVES THAT SODOM AND
GOMORRAH WERE LOCATED AT THE NORTHERN END OF
THE DEAD SEA.
• THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND BIBLICAL EVIDENCE
STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THEY WERE LOCATED AT THE
SOUTHERN END OF THE DEAD SEA, WHICH WAS NOT
ORIGINALLY UNDERWATER.
• THE FIVE SMALL CITIES LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS
ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN SHORE OF THE DEAD SEA
WERE ALL DESTROYED AT THE SAME TIME IN WHAT
ARCHAEOLOGISTS RAST AND SCHAUB HAVE CALLED “A
FIERY CONFLAGRATION.”
• ARCHAEOLOGISTS RAST AND SCHAUB HAVE DATED THIS
FIERY DESTRUCTION TO CA. 2350-2300 BC, WHICH I
BELIEVE IS ABOUT 250 YEARS TOO EARLY.
I BELIEVE THAT TAL EL-HAMMAN
IS THE SITE OF BRONZE AGE
HESHBON WHICH WAS TAKEN
BY MOSES IN CA. 1406 BC
 THE LOCATION OF
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
• THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE FOUR KINGS FROM ELAM AND
MESOPOTAMIA AGAINST THE FIVE CANAANITE KINGS WAS FOUGHT
ON “THE PLAIN OF SIDDIM.”
• GENESIS 14:10 STATES THAT SOME OF THE DEFEATED CANAANITES
FELL INTO TAR PITS AND THE REST “FLED TO THE HILLS.”
• GENESIS 14:8-12 STATES THAT SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE
LOCATED IN THE VALLEY/ PLAIN OF SIDDIM, AND NOT IN THE
SURROUNDING HILLS / MOUNTAINS.
• BAB EDH-DHRA AND NUMEIRA ARE LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAINS
• THE ANCIENT PATTERN FOR CITIES WAS TO BE ENCIRCLED BY
SMALLER CITIES AND VILLAGES. I BELIEVE THAT THE FIVE SMALL
CITIES/ VILLAGES FOUND BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS WERE PERIPHERAL
CITIES AND VILLAGES OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH.
 THE LOCATION OF
SODOM AND GOMORRAH
• IN GENESIS 19:17 THE ANGELS TELL LOT AND HIS
FAMILY: “FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES! DON’T LOOK BACK!
DON’T STOP ANYWHERE ON THE PLAIN! FLEE TO THE
MOUNTAINS OR YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!”
• LOT REPLIES: “I CAN’T FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS; THIS
DISASTER WILL OVERTAKE ME, AND I’LL DIE. LOOK,
THERE IS A TOWN NEARBY TO WHICH I CAN FLEE, AND
IT IS SMALL.” THE TOWN WAS ZOAR.
• IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SODOM WAS CLEARLY ON
THE PLAIN AND NOT IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND THIS
WAS ALSO TRUE OF THE CITY OF ZOAR TO WHICH LOT
FLED.
 SODOM
AND
GOMORRAH
END OF PART 1
CLYDE E. BILLINGTON, JR.