Places in the Bible Today:

Sodom

Data

Translated NamesSodom, Sodoma
Typesettlement
Geo Data KML (for Google Earth)
GeoJSON (for GIS applications)

5 Possible Identifications

  1. in the Valley of Siddim (ancient): 45% confidence

    1. panorama of hills in the region south of the Lisanin the region south of the Lisan

  2. Bab edh Dhra (modern): 15% confidence

    1. ruins at Bab edh DhraBab edh Dhra

  3. in the region north of the Dead Sea (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of a region north of the Dead Seain the region north of the Dead Sea

  4. Tall el Hammam (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. panorama of Tall el HammamTall el Hammam

  5. Numeira (modern): less than 10% confidence

    1. ruins at NumeiraNumeira

Verses (50)

Gen-Deut (22)
Gen 10:19, 13:10, 13:12, 13:13, 14:2, 14:8, 14:10, 14:11, 14:12, 14:17, 14:21, 14:22, 18:16, 18:20, 18:22, 18:26, 19:1, 19:4, 19:24, 19:28
Deut 29:23, 32:32
Job-Mal (17)
Isa 1:9, 1:10, 3:9, 13:19
Jer 23:14, 49:18, 50:40
Lam 4:6
Ezek 16:46, 16:48, 16:49, 16:53, 16:55, 16:56, 16:61
Amos 4:11
Zeph 2:9
Matt-John (6)
Matt 10:15, 11:23, 11:24
Mark 6:11
Luke 10:12, 17:29
Acts-Rev (5)
Rom 9:29
2Pet 2:6, 2:7
Jude 7
Rev 11:8

Linked Data Identifiers

SourceIdentifier
Biblemapper.com880
Logos FactbookSodom
OpenBible.info (2007)Sodom
OpenBible.infoa0aa664 (Sodom)
TIPNRSodom@Gen.10.19
UBS Names Databasent ID_1069, ot ID_2032
WikipediaSodom and Gomorrah (partial)

Sources

  1. Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (1992): Sodom and Gomorrah (places)
  2. Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land (1990): Sodom
  3. Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2013): Cities of the Plain
  4. Baly, Atlas of the Biblical World (1971): Sodom
  5. Baly, The Geography of the Bible (1974): pages 204, 205
  6. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (2008-2012): Gen 14:1-16
  7. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000): Sodom
  8. ESV Bible Atlas (2010)
  9. Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984): Deut 29:22-24
  10. Grollenberg, Atlas of the Bible (1957): Pentapolis
  11. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (2011): Sodom
  12. Hartley, Genesis (2000): 10:6-20
  13. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (2003)
  14. Holman Illustrated Guide to Bible Geography (2020): pages 183, 282
  15. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1979): Gomorrah; Sodom
  16. IVP Atlas of Bible History (2006): page 25
  17. IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (2000): Gen 13:10
  18. Lexham Bible Dictionary (2016): Sodom and the Cities of the Plain
  19. New Bible Atlas (1985): page 28
  20. New Bible Dictionary (1996): Admah
  21. New Interpreter’s Bible Dictionary (2009): Zeboiim
  22. New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (1988): Gomorrah
  23. Oxford Bible Atlas, Fourth Edition (2007)
  24. Reader’s Digest Atlas of the Bible (1981): Sodom
  25. Schlegel, Satellite Bible Atlas (2016): page 22
  26. Tyndale Bible Dictionary (2001): Cities of the Plain
  27. Wenham, Genesis (1987, 1994): 13:10; 14:2
  28. Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible (1956): Sodom
  29. Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (1975): Sodom
  30. Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (2010)
  31. Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (2010)
  32. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (2009): Gen 13:10
  33. Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas (1972): page 52

Confidence Trends over Time

This chart indicates how confidence in the identifications is changing over time. Each dot (connected by a dotted line) reflects the confidence of an identification over the preceding ten years (e.g., the 2009 dot reflects scholarship from 2000 to 2009), and the corresponding solid line reflects a best-fit line for the identification. Confidences that cluster near or below 0% indicate low confidence. Because of the small dataset, it's best to use this chart for general trends; if one identification is trending much higher than the others (in this case, in the Valley of Siddim), then you can probably have higher confidence in the identification. This chart only reflects the sources I consulted (listed above), not an exhaustive review of the literature.

Thumbnail Image Credits

Adeeb Atwan, Ana al’ain, Вячеслав Ребров, Deg777, MyOlmec

About

This page attempts to identify all the possible locations where this biblical place could be. The confidence levels add up to less than 100%, indicating that the modern location is uncertain. It's best to think about the confidences in relative rather than absolute terms. Often they reflect different schools of thought, each confident in their identifications.