The Location of Sodom

The location of the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah has long been debated amongst archaeologists. The full wrath of God having been poured out onto the “Cities of the Plain” has made it difficult to exactly pinpoint where they once were, and this difficulty is coupled with other factors such as time, erosion, looting, etc. Two of the main location theories that are put forth place the cities on opposite ends of the Dead Sea, and two of the archaeologists who disagree on the location of the cities are Bryant Wood and Steven Collins. By examining a portion of their arguments an informed opinion on the location of these ancient cities can then be made.

Several key facts must be noted before continuing. Both Collins and Wood believe the existence of these cities, and both have looked to the Bible to help find their answer.1 Also, it is important to note their neither the northern location nor the southern location are new theories that have been put forth.2 It is also important to note that both cites are located in the Great Rift Valley3, so the location for the northern and southern sites are in the same region. The argument between Collins and Wood is whether the cities are located at the northern or southern end of this valley. The first argument presented will be Collins argument, followed by Wood's, then a response by Collins.

William M. Thomson, a 19th century scholar, was influential on Collin's understanding of the location of the cities. Thomson recognized that when looking at the Biblical text in Genesis 13:1-13, that “at the time of the separation of Abraham and Lot they were at or near Bethel, some twelve or fifteen miles north of Jerusalem, and sixty or seventy miles from the south end of the Dead Sea. Lot, therefore, without a miracle, could not have seen that region at all, however high he 'lifted up his eyes.' The distance is too great, there is a haze over the sea which obscures the view, and, finally, high mountains on the western shore entirely intercept the prospect.”4 Thomson wholly believed that it was “evident that the region at the south end of the sea cannot be called the 'plain of Jordan' in any admissible sense; that plain stops at the north end.”5

Steven Collins believes that the location of Sodom and Gomorrah is at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Collins points to the text in Genesis 13, and believes it can be “solidly demonstrated that (1) the writer of the Sodom saga actually does locate the Cities of the Plain north of the Dead Sea in an area that was verdant and well populated with cities and villages during the Iron Age, and (2) the eastern Kikkar does in fact possess a string of Middle Bronze Age cities and towns matching the biblical description of the Cities of the Plain.”6 Collins puts forth several arguments using the text available, with five main points for his argument: “1) Abraham and Lot had traveled to the area of Bethel/Ai, on the central highlands, about 12 miles north of Jerusalem, WNW from Jericho (v. 3). 2) While in the region of Bethel/Ai, Abraham and Lot decided to part ways, and "Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the whole Kikkar of the Jordan..." (v.10). The Semitic term kikkar is not a geographical term at all, but refers either to a circular, flat disk of gold or silver (usually translated as a "talent") or a disk-like loaf of bread (a pita or tortilla). The term was applied to the southern Jordan Valley north of the Dead Sea because in that area the valley widens into a disk-shaped alluvial plain about 25km in diameter. 3) The Kikkar was watered like "the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt" (v. 10). 4) Lot chose the well-watered Jordan Disk, and from Bethel/Ai "journeyed eastward" (v. 11) and "settled amongst the cities of the Kikkar" (v. 12). This is a precise and unequivocal description of exactly what obtains when one travels eastward from Bethel/Ai—you wind up crossing the Jordan River, and land on the verdant eastern edge of the Kikkar where several cities were built just beyond the reach of the annual overflowing of the Jordan. 5) Lot "moved his tents as far as Sodom" (v. 12). The Hebrew preposition translated "as far as" suggests that Sodom was located about as far you could go eastward on the Kikkar without mounting the Transjordan Plateau. The Cities of the Plain hugged the eastern edge of the Jordan Disk.”7 For these reasons, and others, Collins believes that the location of Sodom is at Tall el-Hamman, residing on “the eastern Jordan Disk.”8 Keeping the scriptures in mind “on a careful examination of the scriptural account of 'the cities of the plain,' that they must have been situated in the "ciccar," or "ghor," of Jordan, at the north end of the Dead Sea.”9

Bryant Wood believes that the city of Sodom is located in the southern region of the plains at a location called Bab edh-Dhra. He also believes that Gomorrah is located at Numeira. He argues that “Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira are the only known inhabited towns in the region of the Dead Sea between ca. 3300 and 900 BC. Moreover, Bab edh-Dhra is the largest site from the pre-Hellenistic period in the area. The conclusion that these sites are associated with the Cities of the Plain is inescapable.”10 Wood also points to the text of Genesis 14:10, and the reference of bitumen pits in the Valley of Siddim. He believes that this reference “tips the scale in favor of a southern location. Bitumen (a natural petroleum product similar to asphalt) was commonly found in the shallow southern basin of the Dead Sea in antiquity.”11

Wood points to the destruction of this site at the close of EB III, and even “though the site is badly eroded, enough evidence remained in several areas to show the severity of the disaster. The northeast gate was destroyed by fire as indicated by charcoal, broken and fallen bricks, and areas of ash. There was a massive pile-up of mudbrick in the west end suggesting heavy destruction in this part of the city. At this time the city wall fell and the mudbrick superstructure of the sanctuary collapsed, apparently after burning. The many stone and boulder fields within the city came from walls that were disrupted and transported downslope.”12

Wood also looks to a cemetery that was located outside of Bab edh-Dhra for further evidences that this is the location of Sodom. Some of the charnel houses that were excavated showed burning that had started from the roof, as opposed to the inside, where fires would typically start. Wood explains that the answer to this question is found in the Biblical text: “The roofs of these buildings caught fire, collapsed, and caused the interior of the building to be burned. In the city, we did not have this kind of evidence because there had been so much erosion. We have evidence of the burning of ash, but no collapsed roofs were found there. So in the cemetery, we have evidence that supports exactly the biblical account.”13

Collins, in response to Wood's argument concerning the bitumen located at the southern location states that its finding proves very little. This is due to the fact that bitumen “was found on both ends of the Dead Sea, so the location of such cannot be determinative for the location of the Genesis 14 battle which, in itself, has no bearing on the location of Sodom.”14 They also differ on their understanding of the “kikkar of Jordan”, and Collins argues that Wood “fails to ascertain that “the Jordan” (hayarden) never refers to anything other than the fresh water system of the Jordan River proper, north of the Dead Sea.”15

Collins also refutes the correlation concerning the destruction damage found at Bab edh-Drha as being in the wrong time frame. He asserts that “Bab edh-Dhra was destroyed in 2350 BCE (2300 BCE for a few scholars). Wood’s date for Sodom’s demise is 2067 BCE (the actual date is two or three centuries later).”16 Collins argues that if the destruction of Sodom is found with the end of the Early Bronze Age, as Wood ascertains, then Tall el-Hammam is a more qualified location for at least three reasons: “(a) biblically, it is in the correct location; (b) it is surrounded by several EB sites—all within 9 kilometers—that could qualify as the other Cities of the Plain; and (c) it is the largest EB site in the entire Rift Valley, which is how the biblical text represents Sodom.”17

The dating of both of these sites is extremely important, especially in light of the dating of the lives of the Patriarchs. While Collins agrees with Wood on the approximate of the Exodus, he points out “that both the early and late dates for Abraham place him in the Middle Bronze Age, as recognized by virtually every conservative scholar from W. F. Albright to K. A. Kitchen”18 and that “Wood is also using period dates that are somewhat out of sync with the most-used chronologies for the Transjordan based on the latest ceramic typologies and resultant stratigraphic sequences.” 19 Because of this “no matter which 'literal' biblical chronology one chooses for Abraham—2166-1991 BCE or 1951-1776 BCE—his lifespan falls entirely within the Middle Bronze Age of the old chronology, and backs somewhat into the Intermediate Bronze Age in the new chronology using the earliest imaginable Abrahamic date.”20

Weighing the evidence presented by both Wood and Collins it is clear that both present a clear and concise argument for their perspective site for the ancient city of Sodom. Despite the destruction damage that is present at Bab edh-Dhra it would appear that Tall el-Hammam would be the better location for several reasons. First is that the dating evidence presented matches closer with that of a northern site than a southern one. Secondly, a northern site seems to fit more closely with the location described in Genesis than the southern site. The terminology used as well to describe the area coincides more closely with a description of Tall el-Hammam. Although Collins summary of the arguments might seem harsh, it is accurate: “Anyone who suggests that this is not the definitive passage for the location of Sodom, purposefully written to direct the reader to the location of the Cities of the Plain, is obviously driven by an agenda that overrides plain grammar, syntax, and the most important hermeneutical ingredient of all common sense.” 21

While the location of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah continue to be debated within the archaeological world, it is important to recognize that wherever they are, they did exist. Biblical archaeologists must be careful to not bend the Bible to their findings, but to use their findings in light of the text. It is also extremely important to remember why God destroyed these cities, and the lasting damage to the region that was done due to their wickedness.




BIBLIOGRAPHY

Collins, Steven, “A Response to Bryant G. Wood's Critique of Collin' Northern Sodom Theory,” Biblical Research Bulletin 7, no. 7, 2007.




Collins, Steven. “If You Thought You Knew the Location of Sodom and Gomorrah...think Again.”

Biblical Research Bulletin 7, no. 4, 2007.




Graves, Dr. David Elton. Key Facts for the Location of Sodom Student Edition: Navigating the Maze of Arguments. New Brunswick, Canada: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.




Price, Randall. The Stones Cry Out. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 1997.




Thomson, William M., “A Late Nineteenth-Century Missionary-Scholar's Position on the Location of Sodom and Gomorrah: Excerpts from The Land and the Book.” Biblical Research Bulletin 5, no. 5, 2005.




Tristram, Henry Baker, “Excerpts from: The Land of Moab: Travels and Discoveries on the East Side of the Dead Sea and the Jordan.” Biblical Research Bulletin 9, no. 2, 2009.




Wood, Bryant G. “The Discovery of the Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” Bible and Spade 12, no. 3,1999 http://biblearchaelogy.org


1 Dr. David Elton Graves, Key Facts for the Location of Sodom Student Edition: Navigating the Maze of Arguments. New Brunswick, Canada: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2014) 56.


2 Ibid., 57-58.


3 Ibid., 83.


4 William M. Thomson, “A Late Nineteenth-Century Missionary-Scholar's Position on the Location of Sodom and Gomorrah: Excerpts from The Land and the Book.” Biblical Research Bulletin 5, no. 5, (2005) 2.


5 Ibid., 2-3.


6 Steven Collins, “If You Thought You Knew the Location of Sodom and Gomorrah...think Again.”

Biblical Research Bulletin 7, no. 4 (2007), 3.


7 Ibid., 3-4.


8 Ibid., 3.


9 Henry Baker Tristram, “Excerpts from: The Land of Moab: Travels and Discoveries on the East Side of the Dead Sea and the Jordan.” Biblical Research Bulletin 9, no. 2 (2009) 2.


10 Bryant G. Wood, “The Discovery of the Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.” Bible and Spade 12, no. 3, (1999) http://biblearchaelogy.org


11Ibid.


12Ibid.


13 Randall Price, The Stones Cry Out. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, (1997) 118.


14 Steven Collins, “A Response to Bryant G. Wood's Critique of Collin' Northern Sodom Theory,” Biblical Research Bulletin 7, no. 7 (2007) 21.


15Ibid., 18.


16Ibid., 29.


17Ibid., 27.


18Ibid., 26.


19Ibid., 25.


20Ibid., 26.




21Ibid., 15.