Tall el-Hammam Destruction

Overview

Excavations at Tall el-Hammam in the Jordan Valley, conducted since 2005 by a team led by archaeologist Steven Collins, have revealed a massive Middle Bronze Age destruction layer dating to approximately 1650 BCE that provides compelling archaeological parallels to the biblical narrative of Sodom's destruction in Genesis 19. The site, covering roughly 50 hectares, shows evidence of a catastrophic event involving an airburst or meteor strike, including melted quartz and trinitite-like materials, collapsed mudbrick walls, and a layer of ash and debris up to 1 meter thick. The destruction pattern is unique in the region, with a sudden and violent end to occupation that matches the suddenness described in the biblical account. The findings include burned grain stores, collapsed structures, and signs of intense heat that would have been lethal to the population. This discovery is particularly significant because it provides the first archaeological evidence of a city of this magnitude experiencing such a catastrophic destruction event at the right time to align with the biblical chronology for Sodom. The research team has published extensively on the site in peer-reviewed journals, demonstrating that the destruction was not gradual but rather sudden and violent, supporting the traditional interpretation of the Sodom narrative as referring to a real historical event. The site continues to be a focus of ongoing research, with new discoveries being made each season.

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