Bible Geography · The Cities of the Plain (Dead Sea region) · c. 2100 BC
Sodom and Gomorrah
Description
Sodom and Gomorrah were two of the five 'Cities of the Plain' located in the Jordan Valley or the region south of the Dead Sea. They are described as prosperous cities in a well-watered region before their catastrophic destruction. Their exact locations remain archaeologically disputed.
Significance
Sodom and Gomorrah serve as the Bible's defining example of divine judgment on human wickedness, referenced throughout Scripture as a warning. Jesus used them as benchmarks of judgment, and Peter and Jude cite them as examples of God's ability to rescue the righteous while judging the wicked.
Key Events
Lot's choice of the well-watered Jordan plain (Genesis 13); Abraham's intercession for the cities asking if God would spare them for ten righteous (Genesis 18); the angels rescuing Lot and his family; the destruction by fire and sulfur and Lot's wife turning to a pillar of salt (Genesis 19).
Modern Context
The exact locations of Sodom and Gomorrah remain debated. Proposed sites include Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira on the southeastern plain of the Dead Sea, where evidence of destruction by fire has been found. The Dead Sea region itself shows geological signs of catastrophic ancient events.