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Show j Short Stories From The Bible BY C. V. HANSEN THE CITY OF SODOM Sodom was one of the most ancient an-cient cities of Syria. It is commonly com-monly mentioned In connection with Gomorah, but also with Adman Ad-man and Zeboim, and on one occasion oc-casion Gen. 14 with Bella or Zoar. Sodom was evidentally the chief town in the settlement. The four are first named in the ethnological ethno-logical records of Gen. 10:19 as belonging to the Canaanites. Abram and Lot stood together between be-tween Bethel and Ai, taking a survey of the land around and below them. The whole circle was one of the great oasis "A garden of Jehovah." In the subsequent account of the destruction, Gen. 19, the topographical terms are employed with all the precision winch 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 ex-istence south of that point. Sodom and three neighboring cities were destroyed because of their wickedness. The plain of Sodom, in which they stood was pleasant and fruitful like an earthly paradise, but it was first burned and ' afterwards mostly overflowed by the waters of the Dead Sea, or Lake of Sodom Modern writers on sacred topography, topog-raphy, however, are not agreed as to the precise site to be assigned as-signed to those cities, no trace of wnich now remains; the majority holding that they stood on the south shore of the Dead Sea, near salt hill of Usdum; while others, again, maintain the cities of the plains stood in the circle or plain of the Jordan, east from Bethel and Ai, near where the river Jordan Jor-dan discharges into the sea. From reading the passages, though much is obscure, two things seem clear: 1st. The Sodom and the rest of the cities of the plains of Jordan stood on the north of the Dead Sea; 2nd, 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 modern views, we discover a remarkable variance from these conclusions. The opinion long current cur-rent is that the four cities submerged sub-merged in the lake, and that there remains walls, columns and capitals capi-tals can still be seen below the surface of the water of the lake. Next, the Destruction. |