Mouse

This is something interesting I found on another forum - I'm putting it under "Speculative History" because the whether or not it is in fact Sodom & Gomorrah is the question I want answered. I'm not good at this, and the original poster in the other forum was also wondering about the credibility of the ruins, and I thought maybe users here might have an opinion on it's validity.

Link:
http://www.arkdiscovery.com/sodom_&_gomorrah.htm

crossroadclarence

Why do you say "it is low"? I mean, if you have read it, and want us to read it, why give your verdict first? Wouldn't that be prejudicing our interests?

Loved Losses

mm........ very interesting to read.

Mouse

But isn't that a fact? : o. Any new discovery should be approached with speculation right? If you first approach a topic and question it in every way possible, and it is still true, then it must be true, because it has been questioned to it's fullest. In other words, assuming that the chances are low, you look for either every possible reason that it's what it claims to be in order to prove it worng. Or do the opposite. Both will eventually cause you to reach the same answer.

I didn't think I would influence the reaction people would have to it with that, but I suppose I can change the post so that there is no debate over that.

tjadams

There are several 'experts' in the field of deciphering in the location and even they can't agree. I'd add this discovery to the catalog of sites, that's all.

crossroadclarence

I investigate in a different manner, Mouse: I attempt to be neutral and let the facts speak for themselves. Therefore when I ask others for opinions, I do not ask them to go in with any attitude, especially mine, and hopefully facts win the day, not skepticism or naivety.

Mouse

Hmm.. but wouldn't the facts have to lean one way or the other? And even if they lean one way, is that necessarily the truth?

Ronald L. Hughes

I certainy can make no conclusions after looking at the so called evidence. It is certain that when certain materials are exposed to wind and or water, and abrasion or disolution takes place, there can be exposed some very strange looking items or structures that can look man-made, etc.

Just look at the so called "face on Mars" and see it from another angle with differing light! It is certainly no face!

So, without first hand knowledge, or at least a view by some archaeologist or rock expert, etc., that is not a part of this group, I would suspect it is mostly "bunk!"

But, of course I could be wrong?

Ron

AAS

It definitely is thought provoking, I'll give it that

Zarin

I have seen several programs on the History Channel and Discovery concerning the discovery of the possible ruins of Sodom and Gommorah. Obviously there is something in the Biblical mythology that ascribes causality to the destruction of not only these two infamous cities, but also three other unmentioned ones as well.
Quite often, any mythos surrounding a catastrophic event in the ancient world is explained in terms of the cultures and times in which the event occurs. The "fire and brimstone" quoted in the Bible can only be associated with a volcanic event. Something not uncommon at that time in this region. However, I have recently seen a program which assigns the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah to a meteor strike in the Alps that additionally sent hot meteor ejecta out to fall upon the 5 cities thus destroyed. A very narrow spray of ejecta if you ask me, but I wasn't there.
Of course a moral implication has to be apllied to what to these ancient peoples considered was an "act of God." Most likely an after effect explanation for what happened and why. From what I have seen of the ruins so far discovered and applied directly to Sodom and Gommorah, none of these cities was very sophisticated or large, Actually quite common and boring.
The five cities alll seem to be very crude Stone Age communities. Nothing remotely as sophisticated as those shown in any film about this subject.
Most likely these were 5 cities in the wrong place at the wrong time and after this catastrophe happened a "morality play" was later constructed around why this destruction occurred. The exact same thing that occurred to Pompeii and Herculaneum but without Lot, his family and the moral judgement of any deity. Moreover, Pompeii and Herculaneum were far larger, far more sinful and infinitely more sophisticated than Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet no angels deigned to seek out ten just men. And apparently many of the people of Pompeii and Herculaneum actually escaped to live another day. Not a very thorough "smiting."
One always questions why very innocuous and insignificant cities located along a dying Sea became the focal point for a morality lesson from some deity. One that has been applied to the detriment of many lives since. Especially, when there have been far worse communities existing in many other places and times around the globe.
One wonders why the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan wasn't similarly destroyed on the day 50,000 captive human beings were slaughtered merely to dedicate a new temple? Now that is a very good reason to smite a city. But one cannot explain the fickle behavior of deities.