Psalm 59

Monastery of St. Lot at Deir 'Ain Abata in Jordan Lot's Cave The bulk of the material finds date to the early Byzantine period (ca.5th-7th centuries A.D.)and are associated to the church and monastery. The presence of Nabataean pottery ( 1st century B.C.- 1st century A.D.) account for the earliest occupation and may relate to the foundation of the settlement. Furthermore, Early Bronze Age I (ca.3000 B.C.)and Middle Bronze Age II (ca.2000-1500 B.C.) burials in the cave and around the monastery allude to the area of ‘Ain ‘Abata as being a sacred place even in pre-Christian times. The final occupation of the site was during the early Abbasid Caliphate (late 8th to early 9th centuries A.D.)which could indicate a continued veneration of Lot in the vicinity by Christians and Muslims alike.

When the monastery was built, the entrance to the cave was set at the far end of the north aisle. The fine mosaic was still perfectly preserved, together with an inscription telling us that the church was dedicated in April 605 AD.


Psalm 59
1 Rescue me from my enemies, O God.
Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
2 Rescue me from these criminals;
save me from these murderers.
3 They have set an ambush for me.
Fierce enemies are out there waiting, LORD,
though I have not sinned or offended them.
4 I have done nothing wrong,
yet they prepare to attack me.
Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
5 O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
wake up and punish those hostile nations.
Show no mercy to wicked traitors.

6 They come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
7 Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;
their words cut like swords.
“After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
8 But LORD, you laugh at them.
You scoff at all the hostile nations.
9 You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.
11 Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;
stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,
O Lord our shield.
12 Because of the sinful things they say,
because of the evil that is on their lips,
let them be captured by their pride,
their curses, and their lies.
13 Destroy them in your anger!
Wipe them out completely!
Then the whole world will know
that God reigns in Israel.
14 My enemies come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
15 They scavenge for food
but go to sleep unsatisfied.
16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
for you, O God, are my refuge,
the God who shows me unfailing love.

In the 6th century AD, a monastery was built around the area traditionally known as Lot's cave . This Monastery has now been re-discovered, and here we see a view from the door into the cave, looking out over the plains that once sheltered Sodom and Gomorrah.

The excavations were directed by Dino Politis, with support from the British Museum, the Jordanian and Greek governments, and private sources.

Recent discoveries in the area include: 5 cities. 2 are believed to be Sodom and Gomorrah. It was actually found from the large number of graves discovered in the area, unrelated to the sudden disaster which destroyed the area. The destruction debris was about three feet thick. There are bodies left in the remains. The area was destroyed suddenly and no one attempted to resettle the area after the destruction. There is a gate tower believed to be the gate where Lot sat. The steep sides of the hills have rings from the ages similar to trees, there is a ring that instead of the traditional centimeter ring is a 3 or 4" ring showing evidence of disaster.

There is ample evidence of suberranean deposits of petroleum-based substance called bitumen in the region south of the Dead Sea. Such material normally contains a high percentage of sulfur & burns upon immediate contact with flame. It has been postulated by geologist Frederick Clapp that pressure from an earthquake could have caused the bitumen deposits to be forced out of the earth through a fault line. Today bitumen is readily available just by picking it up. As it gushed out of the earth it could have been ignited by a spark or surface fire. It would then fall to earth as a burning, fiery mass. This is about the only area on earth were this substance is found. Unlike cities like Pompeii, this area was never settled again to this day.

This area was shown recently on a television program on the History channel called Digging for the Truth. Originally aired April 17, 2006. The Real Sin City: Sodom & Gomorrah