larshaukeland

The cities of the plain (Genesis 13)

Genesis 13
Sodom, where Lot chose to live, was one of five cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, Zoar, Admah and zeboiim) refered to in the Old Testament as the “Cities of the Plain” (see Gen. 13:12, 14:12). These cities were not mythological places but historical sites, and there is evidence of their destruction precisely as described in the Bible.
Zoar was the city which Lot fled to at the time of the annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah (19:18-22). We know it’s location from the Medeba map, a mosaic map on the floor of a church in Madeba, Jordan, depcting the Holy Land (only much later called Palestine) during the 6th century A.D. Ancient Zoar was on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea, just south of the Zered River (Wadi Hesa) near modern Safi. Zoar has a long history. It is mentioned a number of times in the Bible (e.g. Isiah 15:5, Jeremiah 48:34) and was the site of the prosperous, Arab-controlled city of Zugar during thr Middle Ages.
Approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Safi lies the archelological site of Numeira, which was also occupied during the days of Lot. The consonants in the Arabic name Numeira are similar to those of the Hebrew name Gomorrah. Quite possibly the ancient Hebrew name is preserved in this modern Arabic name.
The archeological site of Bab edh-Dhra, 10 miles (16 km) north of Numeira, also was occupied during the days of Lot. This location had a significant settlement during the Early Broze period. Since Bab edh-Dhra is the largest ancient run in the region, it stands to reason that should be identified as Sodom, the most famous of the Cities of the Plain where Lot “piched his tents” (Gen. 13:12).