What If
SODOM Has Been Found?
Fifteen seasons of excavation at an enormous archaeological site in the Jordan River Valley have yielded remarkable evidence of an ancient city-destroying cataclysm. Could this be proof of the biblical story of Sodom? What does it mean for us today?
A
by Peter Eddington
story of “biblical proportions”—having huge ramifications—was recently announced and picked up by various news outlets across the country and around the world. For the last 16 years archaeologist Dr. Steven Collins, executive dean at Albuquerque’s Trinity Southwest University, and a team of staff and 4 Beyond Today
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volunteers have been excavating a site they believe to be biblical Sodom. The excavation site is on the east side of the Jordan Valley in the nation of Jordan, across the Jordan River from Jericho. The site is huge—easily four to five times the size of Jericho, which existed at the same time. Through the course of their excavations (digging in January and February, when the temperatures are mild
B Tm a g a z i n e . o r g
enough to make digging tolerable) some very exciting scientific discoveries have been made. In recent dig seasons Dr. Collins and his team have found evidence of overwhelming destruction at this place now called Tall el-Hammam. For years Dr. Collins has been presenting evidence for why he thinks this is the most probable site for the ancient city of Sodom (see “The
