Sodom, Gomorrah and Pompeii (genesis, myth, bible, God, Lord)

[Solon]

Originally Posted by michel

http://www.classics.cam.ac.uk/Everyo...i/pompeii.html
I think Aqualung has a point. a) who knows where to look ? b) how far below the present day surface could the ruins be ?; if sodom and gomorrah had been built on a fault line, and there had been a cataclysmic earthquake, would there be any trace ?

I do recall a TV special on the subject of Sodom and Gomorah, it was thought that they may be been located in the dead sea area, and perhaps suffered some disaster, and that they may lay under the bottom of the dead sea, but so far nothing has been found. Perhaps if anybody knows the date the dead sea was formed, it may have some relevance, I'm not sure, it's not really my subject.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by Deut. 10:19

Wyatt is a joke.

Helpful... as usual.

[nutshell]

It's entirely possible that God utterly destroyed these two cities leaving no trace behind. The ancient Israelites were sometimes commanded to destroy EVERYTHING when warring with a wicked city because if any trace of the evil remained it could tempt the Israelites.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by nutshell

It's entirely possible that God utterly destroyed these two cities leaving no trace behind. The ancient Israelites were sometimes commanded to destroy EVERYTHING when warring with a wicked city because if any trace of the evil remained it could tempt the Israelites.

It is inprobably and I would say impossible. Go back and read the scripture. God rained down sulpher like a volcano. That was the specific reason I brought up Pompeii. The cities haven't been found because they never existed. Furthermore it is academically dishonest to present them as fictional when the entire merit of the the actuality of their existance should rest on the discovery of them. Until they are discovered they are a myth and the story behind them a fairytale.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by robtex

Until they are discovered they are a myth and the story behind them a fairytale.

Forgetting the many people who do say they have "discovered" these ancient cities, I'm curious:

How much does it matter to you if they are myth or fairytale?

Should it to me (your opinion please)?

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by Scott1

...How much does it matter to you if they are myth or fairytale? ...

Really nothing to me. There can be great truths in myth. However, in this case there seems to be a myth about the myth.

[robtex]

Scott1 the implications of the city as accepted as a ficitonal account and non-fiction have two bearings on the theism debate in large:

1) As non-fiction the account is proof that God preforms mircles and divine interaction. If theists could do two things

1) discover the biblical cities of sodom and gomorrah
2) assess with strong validity that the act of sulphur raining down was a divine act (by either finding no volcano's near it or volcano not bury it in ash) a strong arguement for God as dipicted by the Jews, Christians Muslims and Bahi would exist



As non-fiction it could be used to positon why "bad things happen to cities" Many a christians like the baptist pastor F Phelps have used the story of sodom and gomorrah to explain the tsumanis that hit shri lanka and thailand the the destruction of new orleans.

The non fiction becomes a thing of pointless debate however evidence of god destroying a city for sinning would shed a new light on "natural distators" of today.

As far as your question "how much does it myth or fariytale " not a whole lot. I find it interesting as a topic of debate because of the similarity of the dimise of pompeii to the biblical cities and the contrast on both

1) how information is assessed as real for both
2) the direction of archologists vs theologican researchers in terms of gathering evidence.

In short as fiction it is an allegory and thus subjective, as non-fiction it would be more objectivve in interpretation which holds the most signifigance to me from a metaphysical point of view.

Last footnote, the cities have not been found. Read the links everyone has pitched in, including the ones I put in the opening post. Quite a group of interesting reads.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by robtex

1) As non-fiction the account is proof that God preforms mircles and divine interaction.

As always, I appreciate your opinon.... but even is S&G were "found" it would have no more bearing (positive or negative) on my faith. I don't need the supernatural (miracles) to believe in God.

The non fiction becomes a thing of pointless debate however evidence of god destroying a city for sinning would shed a new light on "natural distators" of today.

I do think it would be a "pointless debate" even if they were found... one would have nothing to do with the other.

I guess I'm still missing the relevance... oh well... thanks for the chat.