Publisher's Synopsis
When Dr. Steven Collins started excavating at Tall el-Hammam--the site he had identified as Sodom based on geographical details embedded in the biblical text--in late 2005 he and his team were very sensitive about observing anything that might have to do with the Middle Bronze Age destruction layer. The glass jars and vials of dark ash began to mount up, as did the pieces of pottery with melted outer surfaces. Early laboratory analyses demonstrated that, in each case, the glass was the vitrified surface of the clay body itself (glazes were still two millennia in the future!). And the temperature thresholds necessary to create not only the glass but other associated phenomena were far, far beyond anything that might obtain terrestrially. Volcanic magma was 'cool' by comparison.
In the words of Dr. Collins: "A few years into the Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project, Phillip Silvia walked through my office door. Based on mutual interests, the conversation turned to cosmic destruction events. Because of his science background as an electrical engineer, his language describing physical phenomena was certainly more sophisticated than mine. But he also had a Bible background, with a master's degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Thus, the subject of Sodom's annihilation wasn't a foreign concept to him. Within a few weeks, Phil launched into a Ph.D. program in archaeology and biblical history. In the field, he was like a duck in water. And with his interest in cosmic impact phenomena, he was the obvious choice as the point-man for solving the enigmatic, terminal destruction of the ancient Middle Ghor civilization.
"Phil also had the rare quality of not guarding his investigation from 'outside' eyes, as so often occurs in the archaeological arena. He welcomed into the research those with relevant expertise and let them ply their specialties in the process (which remains ongoing). He also spent extended time in Jordan beyond our long field seasons doing research on the occupational history of the region. It has been a long road.
"Now, several years later, Dr. Phillip J. Silvia presents, for the first time, a summary of the research that has resulted in what I consider to be a compelling explanation of the correspondence between the physical evidence from the Middle Ghor and the narrative description of Sodom's destruction found in Genesis (not to mention numerous later descriptions of the event found in the Qur'an that provides its 'take' on the biblical language).
"This research is far from over. In fact, there is already more material to add to the subject than is found in this book. The Tall el-Hammam Excavation Project is now entering its fourteenth season. Several members of the analysis team from universities and research institutions across the US have visited the site to get a firsthand look at this enormous Bronze Age city, and take additional samples for the purpose of furthering their research into what, at this juncture, appears to be a cosmic airburst, or impact event of some character, that snuffed out civilization in the Middle Ghor toward the end of MB2, ca. 1700 BCE..
"Dr. Silvia has given us much to think about, and he is to be applauded for the rigor of his research, the clarity of his presentation, and the logic of his conclusions."
