Oct 16, 2015 09:10 AM EDT
Sodom: Biblical 'City of Sin Destroyed By God' Discovered! [PHOTOS]

Reports have recently surfaced claiming that the ruins of the biblical city of Sodom may have been found in Jordan.

According to Unilad:

"Archaeologists, who have been excavating the region of Tall el-Hammam in Jordan for decades, have unearthed the remains of a 'monstrous' Bronze Age city, which they believe matches the Biblical description of Sodom perfectly."

The story that tells the city of Sodom is found in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. It was written that God destroyed Sodom, along with its neighboring city of Gomorrah, because its residents were consumed by sin and corruption and angels weren't able to find any righteous men within the cities.

The site of Tall el-Hammam is located on the east side of the River Jordan, which dates back somewhere between 3500 and 1540 BC.

Apparently, it was the largest city that would have lived in its region, spanning five to ten times the size of other cities within the area. Not only that, it seems to have been abandoned - which fits the story behind Sodom.

Project leader Steve Collins told Popular Archaeology:

 "I concluded that if one wanted to find Sodom, then one should look for the largest city on the eastern Kikkar that existed during the Middle Bronze Age, the time of Abraham and Lot. When we explored the area, the choice of Tall el-Hammam as the site of Sodom was virtually a no-brainer since it was at least five to 10 times larger than all the other Bronze Age sites in the entire region." 

The site - in southern Jordan Valley and eight miles northeast of the Dead Sea - includes a large mound, which seems to have had a lower city, and an upper city where the rich people lived.

Furthermore, researchers have also found evidence of defensive walls as high as 10 meters, in addition to a 5-meter thickness. It also had gates, towers and plazas, and a 'Red Palace' in the upper city.

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