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one thing that modern readers of the story could certainly believe was true, considering the widespread use of microwave ovens today. Who had heard of them in 1947? plate movement caused the Great Rift Valley—of which the Dead Sea is a part—to shift, and the area at the southern end of the Dead Sea to subside. In the great earthquake there were probably explosions, natural gases issuing forth and brimstone falling like rain. This is likely to have happened about 2000 BC, the time of Abraham and Lot, thinks Keller, though geologists place the event many thousands of years before this. Says Keller: The Jordan Valley is only part of a huge fracture in the Earth's crust. The path of this crack has meantime been accurately traced. It begins far north, several hundred miles beyond the borders of Palestine, at the foot of the Taurus mountains in Asia Minor. In the south it runs from the south shore of the Dead Sea through the Wadi el-Arabah to the Gulf of Aqabah and only comes to an end beyond the Red Sea in Africa. At many points in this vast depression, signs of intense volcanic activity are obvious. In the Galilean moun - tains, in the highlands of Transjordan, on the banks of the Jabbok, a tributary of the Jordan, and on the Gulf of Agabah are black basalt and lava... The subsidence released volcanic forces that had been lying dormant, deep down along the whole length of the fracture. In the upper valley of the lom and Jordan near Bashan there are still the sink when towering craters of extinct volcanoes; great stretches of lava and deep layers a part of of basalt have been deposited on the H limestone surface. From time immemo - f this huge rial the area around this depression has ll been subject to earthquakes. There is 0 apsed repeated evidence of them and the Bible er to the | itself records them... Sodom and Gomorrah meet Hiroshima and Nagasaki likely to have happened about 2000 BC, the time of Probably the most famous of all ancient "nuke ‘em" stories is Abraham and Lot, thinks Keller, though geologists place the event the well-known biblical tale of Sodom and Gomorrah: many thousands of years before this. Says Keller: And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah The Jordan Valley is only part of a huge fracture in the is great, and because their sin is very grievous... Then the Earth's crust. The path of this crack has meantime been Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah, brimstone and accurately traced. It begins far north, several hundred miles fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those beyond the borders of Palestine, at the foot of the Taurus cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, mountains in Asia Minor. In the south it runs from the south and that which grew upon the ground. But his [Lot's] wife shore of the Dead Sea through the Wadi el-Arabah to the looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of Gulf of Aqabah and only comes to an end beyond the Red Sea salt... And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke in Africa. At many points in this vast depression, signs of of a furnace. (Genesis 18:20; 19:24-26,28) intense volcanic activity are obvious. In the Galilean moun - This biblical passage has come to epitomise the destructive tains, in the highlands of Transjordan, on the banks of the power of God's wrath visited on those places Jabbok, a tributary of the Jordan, and which sin. The Bible is very specific about on the Gulf of Agabah are black basalt the site of Sodom and Gomorrah plus several and lava... other towns; they were in the Vale of Siddim, The subsidence released volcanic which was located at the southern end of the forces that had been lying dormant, Salt Sea (now called the Dead Sea). Other deep down along the whole length of towns in the area, according to the Bible, H the fracture. In the upper valley of the were Zoar, Admah and Zeboiim (Genesis Did Sodom and Jordan near Bashan there are still the 14:2). As late as the Middle Ages, a town Gomorrah sink when towering craters of extinct volcanoes; called Zoar existed in the area. great stretches of lava and deep layers The Dead Sea is 1,293 feet [394 metres] perhaps a part of of basalt have been deposited on the below sea level and at least 1,200 feet [365 the base of this huge limestone surface. From time immemo - m] deep. The bottom of the sea is therefore rial the area around this depression has about 2,500 feet [762 m] below the level of fissure collapsed been subject to earthquakes. There is the Mediterranean. Approximately 25 per . repeated evidence of them and the Bible still further to the cent of the water of the Dead Sea con- itself records them... im chloride. Nosmal ocean water is accompaniment of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? Did Sodom and Gomorrah sink when perhaps a part of the base of this huge fissure collapsed still further to the accompaniment of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? As for the pillars of salt, Keller says: To the west of the southern shore and in the direction of the Biblical "Land of the South", the Negeb, stretches a ridge of hills about 150 feet high and 10 miles from north to south. Their slopes around 4.6 per cent salt. The Jordan and many smaller rivers empty them- selves into this basin, which has no solitary outlet. What its tributaries bring to it in the way of chemical sub- stances remain deposited in the Dead Sea's 500 square miles. Evaporation under the broiling sun takes place on the surface of the sea at a rate of over 230 million cubic feet per day. Arab tradition has it that so many poisonous gases come out of the lake that birds could not fly across it, as sparkle and glitter in the sunshine like diamonds. It is an odd they would die before reaching the other side. phenomenon of nature. For the most part this little range of The Dead Sea was first explored in modern times in 1848 when hills consists of pure rock salt. The Arabs call it Jebel W. F. Lynch, an American geologist, led an expedition. He Usdum, an ancient name, which preserves in it the word brought ashore from his government research ship two metal "Sodom". Many blocks of salt have been worn away by the boats which he fastened onto large-wheeled carts. Pulled by a rain and have crashed downhill. They have odd shapes and long team of horses, his expedition reached the Dead Sea some some of them stand on end, looking like statues. It is easy to months later. Lynch and his team discovered that the traditions imagine them suddenly seeming to come to life. were correct in that a man could not sink in the sea. They also These strange statues in salt remind us vividly of the surveyed the lake, noting its unusual depth and the shallow area or Biblical description of Lot's wife who was turned into a pillar "tongue" at the southern end of the lake. This area is thought to of salt... And everything in the neighbourhood of the Salt Sea be where the Vale of Siddim was located and the five cities exist- is even to this day quickly covered with a crust of salt. ed. It is possible to see entire forests of trees encrusted with salt beneath the water in this southern part of the lake. However, Keller himself admits that there is a very serious Standard historical theory on the destruction of Sodom and problem with this theory of a cataclysm sending the Vale of Gomorrah, such as in The Bible As History by Werner Keller," Siddim to the bottom of the Dead Sea: it must have happened holds that the cities of the Vale of Siddim were destroyed when a many hundreds of thousands, even millions, of years ago—at least perhaps a part of the base of this huge fissure collapsed still further to the accompaniment of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? However, Keller himself admits that there is a very serious problem with this theory of a cataclysm sending the Vale of Siddim to the bottom of the Dead Sea: it must have happened many hundreds of thousands, even millions, of years ago—at least 54 ¢ NEXUS Did Sodom and OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2000