Christian Geology - Dead Sea

[Shadowkat]

Perhaps it’s a silly question; but could the Dead Sea be the crater left after the destruction of Sodom? I had read in Revelation that Babylon would be destroyed in like manner as Sodom. My understanding of the destruction of Babylon would be from an impact of a large extra-Earth object that decimates a third of the Earth. Further, out of the crater comes some sort of critter that can’t harm those with the Lord’s mark on them. If “in like manner” indicates an impact of some sort was involved in Sodom’s destruction there should be a dent somewhere in the area for us to find. Also salt was mentioned and the Dead Sea has salt. Finally, I am given to believe that the Dead Sea is drying up allowing for geological survey. Is there any data from the exposed areas to aid in proving any of biblical truths? If I’m totally off base here, I apologize.

 

[Torah Keeper]

You're actually not too far off base. The cities that were destroyed by fire and brimstone are probably at the bottom of the Dead Sea. It used to be a green garden. And the sea was more of a river. Crater isn't really accurate. But raining fire and brimstone on multiple cities probably did more than set buildings on fire. The Great African Rift includes the Dead Sea and it has been dropping in elevation.

I have seen shows with old ruins around the Dead Sea and they are covered in burnt sulfur and little sulfur balls. These buildings were probably the outer suburbs of Sodom or Gomorrah. The downtown areas probably had fortresses, towers, and tightly packed townhouses inside a high wall.

I am curious as to what may be on the bottom of the Dead Sea.

 

[Shadowkat]

Thanks, good to know I’m not out in left field.

 

[dqhall]

Perhaps it’s a silly question; but could the Dead Sea be the crater left after the destruction of Sodom? I had read in Revelation that Babylon would be destroyed in like manner as Sodom. My understanding of the destruction of Babylon would be from an impact of a large extra-Earth object that decimates a third of the Earth. Further, out of the crater comes some sort of critter that can’t harm those with the Lord’s mark on them. If “in like manner” indicates an impact of some sort was involved in Sodom’s destruction there should be a dent somewhere in the area for us to find. Also salt was mentioned and the Dead Sea has salt. Finally, I am given to believe that the Dead Sea is drying up allowing for geological survey. Is there any data from the exposed areas to aid in proving any of biblical truths? If I’m totally off base here, I apologize.

The Dead Sea is in a pull apart basin. The earth’s crust started to separate and dropped below sea level. In the Himalayas, the earth’s crust is rising an inch per year.

 

[Uriah S]

... I have seen shows with old ruins around the Dead Sea and they are covered in burnt sulfur and little sulfur balls. ...

I've seen similar, where they speculated about volcanism being the mechanism for the sulfur rain (which is quite plausible in a rift valley). Interesting though, the sulfur was incredibly pure, not like anything ever seen at any known volcano.

 

[Job 33:6]

The dead sea is located along a transform boundary. It doesn't appear to have any relation to any sort of crater. It's plate tectonics.

 

[dqhall]

The dead sea is located along a transform boundary. It doesn't appear to have any relation to any sort of crater. It's plate tectonics.

There are areas where the earth’s crust pulls apart and the part in the middle sinks. The Sea of Galilee along the boundary in c. 695 ft below sea level. The Dead Sea is c. 1410 ft below sea level, the lowest place on earth.

 

[Job 33:6]

There are areas where the earth’s crust pulls apart and the part in the middle sinks. The Sea of Galilee along the boundary in c. 695 ft below sea level. The Dead Sea is c. 1410 ft below sea level, the lowest place on earth.

Wonders if that meets the definition of crater*

I'd probably just call it a depression. Crater gives the impression of an explosive origin.

A transform boundary strike-slip pull apart basin is probably a better way to talk about it.

 

[dqhall]

Wonders if that meets the definition of crater*

I'd probably just call it a depression. Crater gives the impression of an explosive origin.

A transform boundary strike-slip pull apart basin is probably a better way to talk about it.

There is an erosion crater in the Negev above the Dead Sea:
The Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) | Tourist Israel

 

[Uriah S]

I'm not liking the word crater either.

As so often happens in Geology, what's happening at the Dead Sea is fairly complex.

"In the view of many geologists today, the Dead Sea lies in a rift which results from a leftward discontinuity in the left lateral-moving Dead Sea Transform fault." (Rift valley - Wikipedia)​

The Dead Sea Transform page is an interesting read.

 

[Job 33:6]

There is an erosion crater in the Negev above the Dead Sea:
The Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon) | Tourist Israel

That feature is 100km away from the dead sea. I don't think they're related. But that is informative none the less.

 

[dqhall]

That feature is 100km away from the dead sea. I don't think they're related. But that is informative none the less.

The Dead Sea is in a valley. The Jordan River flowed through this faulted valley from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. The sources of the Jordan River are from near the sides of Mt. Hermon at Caesarea Philippi and Tel Dan. I drove this route before.

 

[Shadowkat]

Thank you for the info. I’m not a geologist or an amateur geologist. I just know some rock heads. My interest is in finding the evidence of biblical history etched into the world in whatever form it may be. I’m also lazy and I won’t put the effort into a Ph.D. if I can get some other really smart people to do the work for me; so, thank you, smart people. In this case I am curious about the remains of Sodom because the destruction of such a large metropolitan society should have left a lasting imprint on the face of the planet. Sodom is important in my opinion because of the many references to it in the Bible and because of God’s displeasure with their behavior to the point of direct intervention. If Lot’s wife was changed by any physical process, that would be significant, if we can find her. At least, I think so.

 

[Job 33:6]

Thank you for the info. I’m not a geologist or an amateur geologist. I just know some rock heads. My interest is in finding the evidence of biblical history etched into the world in whatever form it may be. I’m also lazy and I won’t put the effort into a Ph.D. if I can get some other really smart people to do the work for me; so, thank you, smart people. In this case I am curious about the remains of Sodom because the destruction of such a large metropolitan society should have left a lasting imprint on the face of the planet. Sodom is important in my opinion because of the many references to it in the Bible and because of God’s displeasure with their behavior to the point of direct intervention. If Lot’s wife was changed by any physical process, that would be significant, if we can find her. At least, I think so.

Atlit Yam - Wikipedia

Here's an underwater city in Israel that may be of historical interest. It dates back 8000 years ago, and so is in the ballpark of history of the old testament.

Looks like a little village that got taken out by a tidal wave and sea level rise.

Israel: Submerged Prehistoric Sites and Settlements on the Mediterranean Coastline—the Current State of the Art

Looks like there are over 20 individual submerged sites in Israel of prehistoric villages similar to the one noted above.

 

[BeyondET]

in the bible talks about the cities in a plain, some think its northeast of the dead sea a fertile disk shape plain called ha-kikkar

 

[Believer000]

Perhaps it’s a silly question; but could the Dead Sea be the crater left after the destruction of Sodom? I had read in Revelation that Babylon would be destroyed in like manner as Sodom. My understanding of the destruction of Babylon would be from an impact of a large extra-Earth object that decimates a third of the Earth. Further, out of the crater comes some sort of critter that can’t harm those with the Lord’s mark on them. If “in like manner” indicates an impact of some sort was involved in Sodom’s destruction there should be a dent somewhere in the area for us to find. Also salt was mentioned and the Dead Sea has salt. Finally, I am given to believe that the Dead Sea is drying up allowing for geological survey. Is there any data from the exposed areas to aid in proving any of biblical truths? If I’m totally off base here, I apologize.

I think it is. It's interesting that Lot's (I believe) wife turned back to look and was turned into a pillar of salt, - the dead sea is made up of 30% salt.