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Archeological Expedition
"Search for Sodom"
Pastor David received a rare opportunity to participate as
a volunteer
worker on the Tell al-Hammam Excavation Project under the
direction of
Dr. Steven Collins, acting Pres. of
Trinity
Southwest University
and Executive Dean, College of Archaeology & Biblical History.
David accompanied Scott Stripling, who is a doctoral candidate
in Biblical Archaeology.
(NOTE: The
official report with pictures of this excavation is being prepared by Dr. Steven Collins) |
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"This site is located at
the mouth of the Wadi al-Kuffrein,
which is the road to 'Iraq al-Amir. This huge tell was occupied
...
in the Early Bronze Age and again in the Iron Ages."
(from "Biblical Sites, Jordan Land of Prophets," Bonechi)
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"And
Lot lifted his eyes and saw all
the
plain of Jordan, that it was
well watered everywhere (before the Lord
destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah)
like the
garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt
as you go toward
Zoar.
Then Lot
chose for himself all the plain of Jordan,
and Lot journeyed east."
(Genesis 13:10-11a)
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The word translated "plain" here
in Gen. 13:10 is the
Hebrew word "kikar."
3603
כִּכָּר
[kikkar
/kik·kawr/]
n f. From 3769; Gr. 3971; 68
occurrences; AV translates as "talent"
48 times, "plain" 12 times, "loaf" 4
times, "piece" twice, "country" once,
and "morsel" once.
1
- ROUND
(1a)
a
round district (environs of the Jordan
valley).
(1b) a
round loaf (of bread).
(1c)
a round weight, talent
(of gold, silver, bronze, iron). |
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(Excerpt from Smith, W. 1997.
Smith's Bible dictionary. Thomas Nelson:
Nashville)
Sod´om
(burning), one of the most ancient cities of
Syria. It is commonly mentioned in
connection with Gomorrah, but also with
Admah and Zeboim, and on one occasion—Gen.
14—with Bela or Zoar. Sodom was evidently
the chief town in the settlement. The four
are first named in the ethnological records
of Gen. 10:19 as belonging to the
Canaanites. The next mention of the name of
Sodom, Gen. 13:10–13, gives more certain
indication of the position of the city.
Abram and Lot are standing together between
Bethel and Ai, ver. 3, taking a survey of
the land around and below them. Eastward of
them, and absolutely at their feet, lay the
“circle of Jordan” [ed. the 'kikar'].
The whole circle was one great oasis—“a
garden of Jehovah.” ver. 10. In the midst of
the garden the four cities of Sodom,
Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim appear to have
been situated. It is necessary to notice how
absolutely the cities are identified with
the district. In the subsequent account of
their destruction, Gen. 19, the
topographical terms are employed with all
the precision which is characteristic of
such early times. The mention of the Jordan
is conclusive as to the situation of the
district, for the Jordan ceases where it
enters the Dead Sea, and can have no
existence south of that point.
From
all these passages, though much is obscure,
two things seem clear:
1. That Sodom and the rest of
the cities of the plain of Jordan stood on
the north of the Dead Sea;
2. That neither the cities nor the district
were submerged by the lake, but that the
cities were overthrown and the land spoiled,
and that it may still be seen in its
desolate condition. When, however, we turn
to more modern views, we discover a
remarkable variance from these conclusions.
The Kikar of the Jordan
There is no Jordan River or kikar (plain) of
the Jordan at the south end of the Dead Sea.
You cannot even see the south end of the
Dead Sea from where Abraham and Lot stood
(between Bethel and Ai),
before parting company. Genesis 13:10 says
that Lot "saw" the well-watered "kikar,"
and therefore then journeyed
EAST from
there, NOT south of the Dead Sea to areas,
assumed in the 20th Century to be possible
locations for Sodom. |
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Click here
to see the
Jordanian government's own brochure on "Biblical Jordan"
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Shots of David & Scott around Jordan -
Click on
Thumbnails to see larger Photos
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Videos |
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If you need one of these
video players, you can download them free by clicking on:
 Windows Media Player -
Real Player -
QuickTime Player
(MAC) |
*
Tour
of sites of John the Baptist & Moses
(Bethany Beyond Jordan,
where John the Baptist baptized Jesus, and
Machaerus, where John the
Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas;
and
Mt. Nebo,
where God let Moses to view the "Promised Land" before he died there -
Deut. 32:48 )
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*
City of Petra
(Biblical name is "Sela" -
2
Kings 14:7) ... David rides
a camel here
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* Jerusalem,
Israel
("The Old
City")
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(NOTE: "Dial-up" access
may take a minute or two to download)
Note: These videos are
amateurish (Carter wasn't with us!) and will be edited further with titles |
Designed by David Kirschke
& eDesign Publishing.net |
