tall el hammam

No responsible scholar goes out with a trowel in one hand and a Bible in the other.-Dr. William Dever, Wall St. Journal

is the bible geographically credible?

No responsible scholar goes digging in the Holy Land goes out without a trowel in one hand and a Bible in the other!

Dr. Steven Collins

4

Searching For Sodom

Right PLace

Right Time

Right Stuff

three Criteria:

“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev…and Lot went with him…From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai…Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar…So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east…Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.”

Genesis 13:1-12

RIGHT PLAce

“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev…and Lot went with him…From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai…Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar…So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east…Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.”

Genesis 13:1-12

RIGHT PLAce

What we translate as “the plain” of the Jordan should actually read “The Kikkar” (or “Disk”) of the Jordan

hakikkar“The Disk”

What we translate as “the plain” of the Jordan should actually read “The Kikkar” (or “Disk”) of the Jordan

The kikkar of the Jordan was well-watered like the garden of Yahweh (single river, springs), and like Egypt (annual river inundations depositing

new layers of water-laden silt).

8

here is a photo i took showing how, in the middle east, a very fertile, green plain would be ideal to build a civilization around

Bethel/Ai

NumeiraBab edh-Dhra

The Kikkar

Lot viewed the entire Jordan Disk from the area east of Bethel/Ai.

Bethel/Ai

Bab edh-Dhra Numeira

Lot traveled eastward from Bethel/Ai, pitching his tent toward Sodom.

Bethel/Ai

EAST

Bab edh-Dhra Numeira

Lot traveled eastward from Bethel/Ai, pitching his tent toward Sodom.

Bethel/Ai

EAST

Bab edh-Dhra Numeira

Lot traveled eastward from Bethel/Ai, pitching his tent toward Sodom.

Bethel/Ai

EAST

Bab edh-Dhra Numeira

Lot traveled eastward from Bethel/Ai, pitching his tent toward Sodom.

Tall el-Hammam

Start Digging Here

largest Bronze Age city on the eastern Jordan Disk

Tall el-Hammam

Start Digging Here

1000 BC

1500 BC

2000 BCRIGHT time

1000 BC

1500 BC

2000 BC

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE

IRON AGE I

RIGHT time

1000 BC

1500 BC

2000 BC

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE

IRON AGE I

Abram and Lot

LIKELY (BIBLICAL DATE)

RIGHT time

1000 BC

1500 BC

2000 BC

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE

IRON AGE I

Abram and Lot

LIKELY (BIBLICAL DATE)

NOT LIKELY

RIGHT time

16

Archaeologically and geographically, the biggest fortified Bronze Age city on the eastern Jordan Disk would be the “most likely” candidate for biblical Sodom.

4300-3300 BCE CHALCOLITHIC

3300-2350 BCE EARLY BRONZE 1, 2, & 3

2350-2000 BCE INTERMEDIATE BRONZE 1 & 2

2000-1550 BCE MIDDLE BRONZE 1 & 2

1000-332 BCE IRON AGE 2 & 3332 BCE-636 CE HELLENISTIC/ROMAN/BYZANTINE PERIOD

Tall el-Hammam Occupational Profile(periods with architectural presence)

4300-3300 BCE CHALCOLITHIC

3300-2350 BCE EARLY BRONZE 1, 2, & 3

2350-2000 BCE INTERMEDIATE BRONZE 1 & 2

2000-1550 BCE MIDDLE BRONZE 1 & 2

1000-332 BCE IRON AGE 2 & 3332 BCE-636 CE HELLENISTIC/ROMAN/BYZANTINE PERIOD

Tall el-Hammam Occupational Profile(periods with architectural presence)

5 TO 7 CENTURY OCCUPATIONAL GAP

MIDDLE BRONZE 2

MIDDLE BRONZE 2

IRON AGE 2

IRON AGE 2

IRON AGE 2

MIDDLE BRONZE 2

IRON AGE 2

IRON AGE 2

IRON AGE 2

GAP OF500-700

YEARS

RIGHT stuff

Tal El Hammam Stratum MB2

RIGHT stuff

a full meter of ash and destruction debris

Tal El Hammam Stratum MB2

RIGHT stuff

mudbrick, hard-firedby conflagration, MBA

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL ASH LAYER

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL ASH LAYER

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL ASH LAYER

HUMAN BONE SCATTER

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL ASH LAYER

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL DESTRUCTION

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL DESTRUCTION

HYPER-FLEXED TOES

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL DESTRUCTION

HYPER-FLEXED TOES BROKEN & CHARRED FEMURS

MIDDLE BRONZE AGE DOMESTIC PLAZA,

SKELETAL REMAINS, TERMINAL DESTRUCTION

HYPER-FLEXED TOES

HUMAN BONE

SCATTER

BROKEN & CHARRED FEMURS

is TAll El Hammam Sodom?

Right PLaceRight Time

Right Stuff

is TAll El Hammam Sodom?

Right PLaceRight Time

Right Stuff

Works for me

www.tallelhammam.com

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