Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed from outer space. What actually happened to the cities and how will this affect our future?
The biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are still a vivid example of how God punishes people for their unbelief and immoral ways of life. Even Pompeii, which believers consider paying for the same sins, fade before the image of two cities, none of whose inhabitants could survive - except Lot, familiar to anyone who read the Bible. Moreover, the scientific certainty of the existence of these two cities is supported by an absolute majority of modern scientists. What really happened in Sodom and Gomorrah?
The Biblical Story of Sodom and Gomorrah
Clarification of the causes of the disappearance of two cities from the face of the Earth should begin with the study of the biblical version of events, especially as it strikes with its detail and accuracy. They were located in the territory of modern Palestine, but then these settlements were part of Phenicia. In ancient times Sodom separated from Phenicia and became an independent state, consisting of five cities, ruled by King Ber. In the Sodom five-gorge also included Gomorrah: after the catastrophe only the cities of Adma, Seboyim and Sigor were alive.
In Sodom, located near the southern shore of the Dead Sea, Lot lived with his family. He was the nephew of Abraham and the true believer, so God decided to save his life. In response to Lot's entreaties to save the city, God said that he would fulfill his request if there were at least ten righteous people in Sodom. About further events you can learn from the Bible:
"And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, when Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. Lot saw, and rose to meet them, and bowed his face to the ground and said: "My sovereign!" go into your servant's house and spend the night, and wash your feet, and get up in the morning and go your way. But they said: no, we spend the night on the street. He strongly asked them; and they went to him and came to his house. He made them food and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.
They did not go to sleep yet, as city dwellers, Sodomites, from young to old, all the people from all corners of the city, surrounded the house and called Lot and told him: where are the people who came to you for the night? bring them to us; we will know them. Lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door behind him, and said: My brethren, do not do evil; I have two daughters who have not known my husband; I better bring them to you, do with them whatsoever you want, only do not do this to these people, for they came under the roof of my house.
Then the men stretched out their hands and led Lot into his house, and the door was locked; and the people who were at the entrance to the house were struck blindly, from small to large, so that they exhausted themselves, searching for the entrance. The men said to Lot: "Who else do you have here?" the son-in-law, whether your sons are your daughters, and whoever you have in the city, take everyone out of this place, for we will destroy this place, because the cry of his inhabitants to the Lord is great, and the Lord sent us to destroy him. And Lot went out, and talked with his sons-in-law, who took for themselves daughters, and said, "Get up, get out of this place, for the Lord will destroy this city." But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. "
Lot managed to take his wife and daughters out of town. He was warned that his family should go to the mountain, without turning back under any circumstances. Lot's wife disobeyed God and immediately turned into a pillar of salt. Sam Lot and his daughters settled in Sigora. The girls wanted to continue the race, but their husbands were killed in Sodom, so they gave their father wine and mated with him until they became pregnant. The eldest daughter became the mother of Moab (ancestor of the Moabites), and the younger daughter gave birth to Ben-Ammi (the ancestor of the Ammonites).
What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah after Lot left town, according to the Bible? The city was flooded with sulfuric acid and fire, which could not be saved from. From the greater part of it, there is no stone left on the stone. This incident fell into many historical books of those times. For example, the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus described events in the cities of sinners as follows:
"The plains unfold, which ... were once fertile and covered with crowded cities, and after being burned with heavenly fire ... the remains of cities are still visible, the earth has since ... been charred and can not bear fruit. Every plant planted by the hand of a man, or the one that has broken through ... withers, blackens and crumbles to dust. As to the death of once glorious and great cities, I am ready to believe that they were burned by heavenly fire. The region of Sodom, once rich in its fertility and the well-being of cities, is now completely scorched ... because of the sinfulness of its inhabitants it was destroyed by lightning. Bragging of their wealth and the abundance of property, the Sodomites at this time began to treat people downhill ... ceased to be hospitable and began unceremoniously treating all people. "
Why can the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah repeat in 2029 anywhere in the world?
Searching for the remains of the dead cities, scientists studied the bottom of the Dead Sea and discovered under water miraculously preserved clay disk. It placed the location of stars and planets in the sky and some unusual phenomenon, which the creator of the disc called the death of the Sodom cities. In 2008, the staff of the British University of Astronomy were able to decipher the disc and explain that it recorded a meteor shower that hit the shore of the Dead Sea and then moved to Europe. Even the exact date of the incident was clarified: stones from heaven arrived in 3123 BC.
A huge meteorite flew half a continent and landed in the Austrian Alps. It is not known whether he was a symbol of God's providence, but the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah were covered with red-hot stones and burned alive an amazing heavenly body known to the ancient Sumerian astrologers. They also predicted the repetition of the tragedy after a millennium - at the turn of 2030.
Turning to scientific facts, one can understand that the ancient Sumerians were right - at the end of 2029, a meteorite, whose diameter is more than 300 m, will fly dangerously close to the Earth. It was called Apophis - this was the name of the ancient Egyptian god-destroyer, who wanted to destroy the sun-god Ra . The force of collision with Apophis will exceed the impact power with the Tunguska meteorite by 50 times!
Undoubtedly, scientists argue that the probability of such a catastrophe is negligible. But do not underestimate the dangerous "guest from space". Despite assurances of his innocence, the US NASA Committee and the US Congress created a special program to change the course of the meteorite. An attempt was already made to shoot a celestial body, and in 2021 the Orion spacecraft will try to tow the meteorite away from the Earth's orbit. It's terrible even to imagine what will happen to humanity if the attempt fails.