Biblical archaeology: Remember Lot’s wife? Here are photos claimed to be her
Dr. Robert Thiel
"Whether or not that location (and a photo of that pillar is shown at the beginning of this post) is it or not, Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of some type of salt."
Wikipedia, which after discrediting the biblical account, does mention two locations have been pointed to:
Mount Sodom Pillar, made of Halite, a rock salt (photo by )
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On the other hand...
Getting Sodom Straight
The Biblical story of Sodom is not the story of a town that happened to be 100% gay, men and boys, for this is a ludicrous assumption. This would have to be the conclusion if God, vowing to save it for ten righteous men, did not. It would also mean that "righteous" meant heterosexual, while unrighteous meant homosexual and, well, I doubt that alone qualifies men to be righteous.
The story that unfolds in Genesis 19 is a hospitality story and not a story based on homosexuality. Sodom's problems as remembered by Ezekiel were that the people were prideful, had too much food, too much time, neglected the poor, were haughty and committed abominations (Ez. 16:49-50). Not ANY mention of mass homosexuality.
The story that unfolds in Genesis 19 is a hospitality story and not a story based on homosexuality. Sodom's problems as remembered by Ezekiel were that the people were prideful, had too much food, too much time, neglected the poor, were haughty and committed abominations (Ez. 16:49-50). Not ANY mention of mass homosexuality.
Abominations can be just about anything not in tune with the law and in this case was a reference to idol worship. Another common Israelite trait all through their history. Why would papa Lot offer his virgin daughters to a crowd of homosexuals, in place of his guests? What interest would homosexuals have in virgin women? ZERO, unless the girls were being offered as an appeasing virgin sacrifice ("for they have not known a man.") This would qualify as an abomination to be sure, and also idolatry. Human sacrifice was still an option it appears with Abram and Lot.
Jude 1:7 AKJV Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
ReplyDeleteAh, but then others will respond with questions regarding the Epistle of Jude, its relationship with the Book of Enoch, and why Jude made the canon, and Enoch did not.
ReplyDeleteIf the story's detail about Lot's wife being miraculously turned into a pillar of salt is true, there is no specific reason to ascribe to it any great size or to assume that said pillar would be recognizable as a human shape much less after thousands of years of erosion.
ReplyDeleteAs a tidbit, a very similar story occurs in Judges - even using some of the same attributed language - but no one seems to ever reference that one.
ReplyDeleteBack when I read the entire works of Flavius Josephus, one of the surprises I received was that Josephus reported that the pillar of salt still existed during his times. This is just one of those FWIW. thingies. Even if it existed today, salt cannot be radio-carbon dated or dna-tested as can living things.
ReplyDeleteThe episode of original Star Trek in which a shape-shifting salt monster was draining the salt from non-regular cast members on the show, killing them, seemed like Lot's wife in reverse when I first saw it.
Wow! So much unfounded speculation in the original post. Do you really get away with that here?
ReplyDeleteI once saw a Chick tract about that story that had Sodom's men running around dressed like women and raping helpless children - but those details are not in the Biblical account. Genesis 18 doesn't even specify exactly what's so bad about Sodom and Gomorrah. All we're told is that two men who were with "the Lord" when he spoke with Abraham go try to spend the night in Sodom, the men of the city gather and demand to rape them.
ReplyDeleteGary Hart was the front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988. Then appeared a photograph of him with his arms around two attractive bikini glad women next to a large motorized boat. The public believed that this married man had fornicated on this boat. His ratings literally halved the next day. People back then believed the saying that if a man can't be faithful to his wife, how can he be faithful to the U.S. constitution. That is, sex and morality are connected.
ReplyDeleteIt's no coincidence that king Solomon morality fell away, and had one thousand "wives." Likewise, King David, who had a three hundred strong harem, morally stumbled when he murdered Uriah the Hittite.
Wow 'Dennis C Dhiel' if that's really you ! How off basic scripture you've gone... Genesis 19:4 is clear the men of Sodom sexually desired angels sent to get Lot out of the town.
ReplyDeleteHomosexuality is at the root cause of alot of apostasy that goes on from within the church. Alot. Far more than the members ever realised.
Someone here posted that there was a wife swapping ring among some top WWCG ministers.
ReplyDeleteConsidering the lawlessnes in the church, it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be true.
IIRC, Dean Blackwell was usually the one most rumored to be connected with that. I have no idea if theres any truth to it.
DeleteNobody is asking the hard questions, like if you really believe that the account of Sodom and Gomorrah is simply a hospitality tale, if your travel agent "accidentally" booked your family into accommodations in a known gay hotspot, like the Castro district of San Francisco, would you offer the locals some of that Sodomite "hospitality" on your vacation?
ReplyDeleteLot and his daughters seemed to be very sexually naive, considering the alleged environment in which they lived and worked. There is no escaping the fact that Lot was trying to prevent some nonconsensual gay sex from happening to the visiting men/angels. I always found it odd that these implied angels did not utilize their supernatural powers in this situation, as it would have been a much more sensible solution. The only supernatural aspects of the story seem to be the destruction of the city, and the punishing of Lot's wife!
Lot's daughters later birthed the patriarchs of two nations who were frequently the enemies of Israel. There's not a heck of a lot that is inspiring about Lot's escapades. His story, to me, is in the same category as the decimation of the tribe of Benjamin because of what was done to the young lady.
Its probably vanished in the modern world, but it used to be tradition in the Middle East that when a traveller stayed within your gates and ate or drank, the village was honor-bound to protect them as if they were a resident.
DeleteThat certainly did not happen in the story.
I do not know if that custom was what Ezekiel (writing 1500 -ish years after the event) referred to.
Gird up your loins said “I always found it odd that these implied angels did not utilize their supernatural powers in this situation, as it would have been a much more sensible solution. The only supernatural aspects of the story seem to be the destruction of the city, and the punishing of Lot's wife!”
DeleteUh the angels did use their supernatural powers by blinding the raging mob outside Lot’s door. And the whole purpose for their mission was to observe and confirm whether the outcry against Sodom that had been reported to God was true. When it was confirmed its destruction was inevitable.
It was Lowell that got into wife swapping in the Dayton church.
ReplyDeleteI think it was on another blog, but a post claimed that Blackwell was caught in bed with another minister's wife. An elder complained to headquarters about the matter, and they responded by humiliating the elder by forcing him to get baptized again. This certainly sounds like church "justice."
ReplyDeleteRumor also had it that a predatory higher up was responsible for Joe Sr's wife's mental condition.
ReplyDeleteThere was an article in the old Good News magazine condemning wife swapping. Why did the article appear unless this sin existed in the church?
ReplyDeleteThe has always been a contradictory theme running throughout WCG. Discernment and wisdom is a key attribute to ask God for.
DeleteThey taught extreme punishment of children back in the day but as the years have gone on, I've heard 'elites' let slip how they always used 'the carrot and stick' rather than the paddle.
Since Jude explodes the hospitality theory we have to find a way to get rid of it. I know, let's make it one of the "clobber" scriptures that can't be quoted anymore. That will do the job!
ReplyDeleteAlso, isn't it funny how those who don't believe in God or the Bible think they are expert on both?
Granted, a few chapters earlier in Genesis, the king of Sodom had taken large spoils in a revolt against his Elamite overlord. I suppose its possible that Ezekiel is imagining a city that has gone decadent through riches. But I'm only throwing that out there, Ezekiel (again) was writing so far after the fact that I dont know if theres any point in trying to discern anything in his commentary.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how age simply brings more questions. These days, I find myself frequently asking, "Who is the controller of the narrative? And, what is their motive?"
ReplyDeleteThose are questions which we should always ask with regard to our politicians and religious leaders.