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Cities of the Plain -

Sodom and Gomorrah might get all the credit, but there were in fact three other cities along the Jordan River. These five cities were known as Cities of the Plain.

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Are these other cities mentioned in the Bible? -

Yes, they sure are. Admah and Zeboim are mentioned in Deuteronomy 29:22-23. And Genesis 19:23 identifies the third city as Zoar.

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So were these other cities destroyed by God as well? -

Admah and Zeboim were equally sinful, so they were destroyed. They probably just weren’t as popular as Sodom and Gomorrah.

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And how about the third city? -

Zoar, on the other hand, was spared the wrath of God because Lot (Abraham’s nephew) took refuge in it.

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Homosexuality might not be the culprit -

Homosexuality has been the scapegoat for the punishments of Sodom and Gomorrah for millennia. But there’s another version of the story: that the cities were destroyed because their inhabitants were unkind to strangers.

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Or maybe it was -

The homosexual theory points to Genesis 19:5, where some men of Sodom told Lot: “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

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And there's more... -

The idea is then emphasized in Jude 7, which reads: “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.”

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But then again, maybe it wasn’t -

Inhospitality was a big deal back then. Matthew 10:14-15 says: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

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What was the sin, after all? -

Well, it’s complicated. And the Bible doesn’t help clear things up either. Let’s go down the rabbit hole, shall we? Ezekiel 16:49 reads, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy." Sounds like a self-absorbed, sinful city, right?

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Throw in a dash of adultery into the mix -

Jeremiah 23:14 adds to the debate by saying, “And among the prophets of Jerusalem. I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. [...] They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.”

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These cities were pretty lawless...but a man was worthy of escape -

2 Peter 2:6-9 stresses how Lot was saved by God, who did so because he was a godly and righteous man. Lot and his daughters managed to escape safe and sound. Lot's wife didn't make it because she disobeyed God and looked back, so she was transformed into a pillar of salt.

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Family relations -

Ironic as it sounds, Lot committed a sin with his daughters when he escaped sin city. But why? The ancient Jewish book ‘Genesis Rabbah’ offers some insight.

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Family relations -

It turns out that the Messiah was prophesied to come from Lot's line, so Lot and his daughters were just, erm, doing God’s will...

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Lot’s kids -

Lot and his daughters had Moab and Ben-Ammi, who went on to start the dynasties known as the Moabites and the Ammonites.

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Lot’s kids -

But it turns out that the Moabites and the Ammonites were constantly at war with the Israelites, God’s people.

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The Romans had their own version of the story -

This is not the first story in the Bible that can be found elsewhere. Roman writer Ovid wrote a fable that mixes elements of Greek and Roman mythology, the story of Baucis and Philemon.

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Baucis and Philemon -

Gods Zeus and Hermes (or Jupiter and Mercury, respectively) travel to a city disguised as men, only to find that everyone is inhospitable, except Philemon and his wife, Baucis, who take them in and give them food.

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Baucis and Philemon -

The men eventually reveal themselves as gods and warn the couple to flee as they will destroy the city. Sound familiar?

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Islam’s version of the story -

Genesis 19:26 says that Lot’s wife looked back during the destruction of the city, disobeying God’s rule. As a result, she was turned into a pillar of salt. Pretty nasty, but Surah Hud 11:81 in the Quran is even more twisted.

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Islam’s version of the story -

It reads, “So travel with your family in the dark of night, and do not let any of you look back, except your wife. She will certainly suffer the fate of the others.” So, Lot knew his wife was going to be punished. But the question remains: why?

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The Cities of the Plain had a rough past -

Before the apocalyptic event took place, Sodom and Gomorrah were actually devastated by war. Kedorlaomer (or Chedorlaomer), the King of Elam, attacked the cities, massacred their residents, and stole all their riches and food.

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The Cities of the Plain had a rough past -

So, maybe these citizens had a reason to stop following God’s will and become a bit rude and hedonistic. They did pay for it in the worst possible way in the end though.

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The location of Sodom -

In 2005, archaeologists discovered a vast area in Jordan known as Tall el-Hammam. Could this be Sodom?

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Have we found Sodom? -

Well, the man who led the excavation, archaeologist Steven Collins, was an evangelical Christian on a mission to find it, and that alone made some people question his findings.

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Have we found Sodom? -

Regardless, the uncovered site is in the most probable location of the Cities of the Plain, and it turns out there is evidence that it has been devastated by fire.

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Have we found Sodom? -

So much so that pottery unearthed was found to have turned into glass after being exposed to extremely high temperatures. Could this have been the work of God, or are we missing something?

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God was throwing big stones -

In 2018, Collins came up with a theory that would explain the high temperatures that turned pottery into glass: a meteor.

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God was throwing big stones -

So, a meteor would have exploded over the Dead Sea and easily destroyed Tall el-Hammam. Plus, witnessing such an event would be easily interpreted as God being very, very angry.

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And how about the surviving city? -

Zoar? Oh yes, we found that one! It became known as Zoara, and it’s mentioned throughout history, from the Romans to Islam.

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Zoar -

Excavations took place in the area, mainly in the '80s and 90s, and several discoveries were made, such as the cave where reportedly Lot took refuge in.

Sources: (Grunge)

See also: Science confirms these parts of the Bible are true

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