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Convincing evidence for Sodom & Gomorrah's destruction?

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cyberjosh

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I watched the following two videos just now and I was intrigued by the lengths to which the videos went to investigate the source and composition of the sulfur (many such videos like this don't even try, they just make claims to support the Bible) and I found myself amazed. It certainly could take some more looking into but I don't know how you can argue with the presence of extreme heat when you have 96-98% pure sulfur balls pock-marking the ashen remains of the region if the claims are correct. See around time 15:00 in the second video for clear marks of sulfur embedded in ash (although I encourage you to watch all of it). It was also interesting about the possibility of the remains of sphinxes in the area.

*Note: Both videos have higher-res versions on youtube, so it may be worth actually watching it on youtube rather than in the embedded ones here.

This one explains the initial discovery and analysis of the sulfur:

[video=youtube;FwTVFk1HK3Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwTVFk1HK3Y[/video]
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwTVFk1HK3Y

This is a longer (and more interesting) video which is supplementary to the first video, well worth watching to the end. It shows many more examples of the sulfur balls and gypsum crystals in the region. It also shows some more of the laboratory results from the chemical analysis:

[video=youtube;oG3QsisQrkc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG3QsisQrkc[/video]

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG3QsisQrkc

Check it out. Leave your thoughts.

~Josh
 
Re: Convincing evidence for Sodom & Gomorrah's destruction

Actually, the magazine Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR) recently investigated some of the geological formations around the Dead Sea. Below is the cover for the May/June 2009 issue:

Lot%27s%2BWife.jpg


A very short stub of the article for that is here. I guess it's just a teaser to make you buy the real magazine (to which I am a subscriber). I recommend it. But I don't want to get off topic.

~Josh
 
Re: Convincing evidence for Sodom & Gomorrah's destruction

A further article is here detailing some of the chemical analysis from someone who went on the earlier expedition in the region with Wyatt: Sulfur and Ash from Gomorrah. Wyatt was known to be controversial but it doesn't mean he was always wrong. What was found should speak for itself. An excerpted portion of that article is below:

Ash Test

There have been reports which say that the ash is mostly calcium sulfate (gypsum) which is chemically inactive. I added dilute hydrochloric acid to the ash, and it foamed immediately, but no specific smell was noticed. This gives the indication that the ash has carbonate, and since limestone (calcium carbonate) is found as rock in many parts including the Gomorrah area, the ash could be mostly limestone; in addition there were some acid insoluble residues which could be silicates. Some researchers have thought the ash is mostly calcium sulfate but this is based on elemental analysis of calcium and sulfur. These researchers failed to recognize that the majority of the ash is calcium carbonate (limestone); the sulfur in the ash is from the powdered sulfur balls, not from sulfate. Apparently the destruction either did not decompose the limestone we see in the ash, or if did, the lime (calcium oxide), recombined with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form the carbonate again. The ash also contained iron compounds (perhaps iron oxide) which gave the solution after treatment with the acid a yellow color (due to ferric chloride).

I burned the ash in a Bunsen flame, and nothing much visibly happened. However, calcium carbonate would decompose upon heating to calcium oxide (lime), giving off carbon dioxide. The other material would be unaffected by the heat.

Sulfur

The presence of sulfur in the ash is unmistakable. It occurs as small granules as well as large chunks, sometimes round, as large as an egg (often encased). These 'sulfur balls' are pale yellow, unlike normal sulfur which is clear yellow. Also, these balls are light and are easily crushed into powder when pressed.

Interestingly, my Ph. D. thesis (1970) at the University of Washington, Seattle was on elemental sulfur and its reactions. So testing the sulfur balls was like going back to the old days. However, I had only used orthorhombic sulfur which are yellow crystals. The sulfur allotropes I have seen (monoclinic, amorphous etc.) did not look like the sulfur balls. The sulfur samples I tested were all orthorhombic, but not in crystalline form.

The sulfur ball I tested floated in water, and had a specific gravity of 0.9 (water: 1.0); common sulfur has a specific gravity of 2.0.

A small piece cut from the ball was burned in an open flame. As typical of sulfur, it melted to a dark reddish viscous liquid. Then it caught fire and burned with a bluish flame. The pungent gas, sulfur dioxide (smell of burnt matches) was released. There was a red-orange residue left on the porcelain spatula. This could be red iron oxide either left in the sample or formed by oxidation of some iron containing material left in the sulfur during the heating. Another sample I cut from the interior was almost pure sulfur, and it did not give the reddish residue; only some grayish ash was left.

Another sample was heated in a crucible avoiding flame, and the reddish liquid could be seen more easily.

How Were the Sulfur Balls Created?

Sulfur balls of the type I described are very rare. Sulfur deposits found near volcano mouths are in a deposited form. I have visited some regions in Italy with such formations. The ash found in the Sodom-Gomorrah sites is peculiar too. In most places the ash consists of silicate material (I have some Mt. St. Helens ash sample).

What I speculate is the following: Sodom and Gomorrah (and three other cities) were destroyed by massive ground eruptions in the valley of Siddim (present Dead Sea). The Dead Sea area had tar pits according to Gen. 14:10, when it was called the valley of Siddim. Since the Dead Sea itself is believed to have been formed during the catastrophe, it is possible that like Pompeii, the surrounding cities were overwhelmed by the fire and brimstone and ash from the explosions. The actual explosions would be in the region of the Dead Sea which is a deep pit (its northern bank is 1300 ft below sea level, and the bottom of the Sea is another 1300 ft further below at the northern end). During biblical times there have been minor eruptions under the Dead Sea with sulfurous fumes, (hence a miniature Lake of Fire), but for the last 200 years it has been quiet. There is indication, however, according to biblical prophecy that it may become active again towards end times when God judges the earth. The Dead Sea would finally be filled with 'living water' (Zech. 14:8).
 
Re: Convincing evidence for Sodom & Gomorrah's destruction

I may consider moving this to the Biblical History & Archaeology subforum, but I wanted to get some thoughts on this here first.
 
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