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So God sent two angels to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, to see if there were just ten good people there.
Once on a time, Jupiter, in human shape, visited this country, and with him his son Mercury (he of the caduceus), without his wings.
Lot bowed to the ground. “Please come to my house and have dinner with us and stay the night.”
At last a humble mansion received them, a small thatched cottage, where Baucis, a pious old dame, and her husband Philemon, united when young, had grown old together.
“Lot! We want to meet your guests,” they shouted from outside the door. “Send them out so we can say hello.” But they were lying. They really wanted to have fun doing terrible things to Lot’s guests.
They presented themselves at many a door as weary travellers, seeking rest and shelter, but found all closed, for it was late, and the inhospitable inhabitants would not rouse themselves to open for their reception.
Early the next morning, in the pale light before the sun had risen, the angels said to Lot, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters and leave this place, or you will die with everyone else!”
This inhospitable village shall pay the penalty of its impiety; you alone shall go free from the chastisement. Quit your house, and come with us to the top of yonder hill."
And then God rained fire onto the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Thick, black smoke filled the air like smoke from a fiery furnace.
they beheld all the country sunk in a lake, only their own house left standing. While they gazed with wonder at the sight, and lamented the fate of their neighbors, that old house of theirs was changed into a TEMPLE.
. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32Remember Lot's wife. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
Originally posted by tinfoilman
It's common for authors, even today, to take old Bible stories and retell them in their own way, or try to reshape their religion to be more similar to the Bible. For example it was very common after Jesus for other religions to take on new stories that made them more like Christianity. You find many stories about older gods being crucified, but that were written after Christianity started to take off. Some religions went back and changed their religion in newer writings so they could say, my god was crucified too in other words!
Also, some Bible stories seem to be the retelling of even older myths so some people can get confused about which came first. Such as the Sumerian flood story is probably the original version of Noah's Ark for example. But it's hard to say. Could be two different stories. But 99 percent of the time an author is just rewriting an older story regardless of what book it is in.
When Ovid wrote and completed Baucis and Philemon in roughly 8 AD they probably took some inspiration from the Bible myth. So, your heading is most likely backwards, but no big deal I guess.
Originally posted by tinfoilman
reply to post by IAMIAM
When Ovid wrote and completed Baucis and Philemon in roughly 8 AD they probably took some inspiration from the Bible myth. So, your heading is most likely backwards, but no big deal I guess.
Sodom and Gomorrah may have never existed. As Sodom is a Hebrew word for scorched and Gomorrah is a Hebrew word for a ruined heap, it is most likely an allegory of some sort. If not, the cities would have most likely taken on their current names after they were destroyed and hence that's why we can't find evidence as to where they were or when they existed. Before the event they most likely had different unknown names. Because who would name their cities the cities of scorched and ruined heap? You would only name them that after they had been destroyed.