[ View of Tall el-Hammam. The mound is the most prominent feature on the landscape for miles around. ]
[ Dr. Collins (left) and Gary Byers atop excavated EB (Early Bronze) city wall foundation.]
An archaeological team from New Mexico’s Trinity Southwest University has reportedly discovered the ruins of the biblical city of Sodom, and it appears that it was not destroyed as previously believed, according to Popular Archaeology.
The Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project, led by Steve Collins, discovered the ruins in southern Jordon, and the team’s excavations reveal that the city came to a sudden end during the Middle Bronze Age, from 2000-1540 BC.
Initial tests show that no life existed in that area for about 700 years after it ended.
The discovery seems to supports the biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah, which the Book of Genesis describes as having been destroyed because of their sinfulness, including homosexuality.
Collins and his team have been working in this area for 10 years and have made major advancements in their understanding of the civilizations that existed during this age.
Because Collins and his team are so familiar with the area and other sites in the area, he is reasonably certain the area his team recently discovered is Sodom.
Collins has studied accounts of Sodom extensively and said, “Tall el-Hammam seemed to match every Sodom criterion demanded by the text.”
“Even most of the archaeological maps of the area were blank, or mostly so. What we’ve got on our hands is a major city-state that was, for all practical purposes, unknown to scholars before we started our project,” Collins said.
While Christians believe the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to be true, others — namely atheists — see this and other Bible stories as nothing but myths. This discovery and others like it are creating a panic among atheists, who will no doubt work tirelessly to dispute this story.
But at the end of the day, the evidence is difficult to dispute.
H/T Lifezette
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