Artifacts may identify biblical Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
Pastor Dale Morgan
Artifacts may identify biblical Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah*
Updated: Saturday, 16 May 2009, 12:26 AM MDT
Published : Friday, 15 May 2009, 5:02 PM MDT
* Reporter: Kim Vallez
* Web Producer: Bill Diven
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An Albuquerque archeologist and his team have
returned with artifacts from a dig site near the Dead Sea which they
believe reveals the lost city of Sodom.
Dr. Steven Collins and a team of about 70 have spent the last four years
digging in Jordan. They have recovered thousands of artifacts, most of
it pottery.
They have also discovered human and animal bones, jewelry and weapons.
"We have some Roman from the Iron Age, say from about 600-700 BC, going
all the way back to Bronze Age, even very early in the bronze age going
back to about 3000, even back as early as 4000 BC," Collins said.
Collins and his team have brought all the pieces back to Albuquerque for
further study.
"Human beings are very prone to fads, and in pottery the pottery forms
are changing constantly over time," Collins said. "No one uses them for
more than 35 years or so.
"By identifying the forms that are tied to certain periods we can date
the layers of dirt that we are digging."
Collins said based on the location of the site and the age of the
pottery they believe they have in fact found the lost city.
"The prescribed profile from Bible is that we would have a Middle Bronze
Age city that was destroyed and not reoccupied for some time," Collins
said. "That's exactly what we've got
According to the writings in the Bible the holy cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah were so filled with sinners "the Lord rained down burning
sulfur" on them.
Collins and his team have brought in two scholars who they hope will
help them determine if these pieces really are from the lost city of Sodom.
A leading Jordanian scholar is lending his expertise as is Dr. Bob
Mullins from Azusa Pacific University in California.
"It's the location, based on the biblical text, where Sodom and Gomorrah
should be," Mullins said. "I do agree with Steve on that.
"The period fits, Middle Bronze Age."
It will likely be years before scholars can determine if the artifacts
are from Sodom as believed. Dr. Collins said this process usually take
10 to 15 years or more.
Right now they are in the fourth year of their dig. The group will
return to the site to dig some more this summer.