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A Tunguska size burst destroyed Tall el-Hammam, Bronze Age city in Jordan Valley (nature.com)

653 points by olvy0 · 1827 days ago · 344 comments on HN

Article summary

A study suggests that a cosmic airburst, similar to the Tunguska event, destroyed the ancient city of Tall el-Hammam in the Jordan Valley around 1650 BCE. The airburst is believed to have caused widespread destruction, including the demolition of a 4-to-5-story palace complex and a massive mudbrick rampart. The event may have also led to a 300-600 year abandonment of the region due to hypersalinity. The study's findings are based on evidence of high-temperature materials and shocked quartz at the site.

Main themes

  • Cosmic airburst
  • Ancient city destruction
  • Biblical connections
  • Historical basis of biblical accounts
  • Natural disasters
  • Archaeological findings
  • Motivated reasoning
  • Peer review process

What commenters say

  • The destruction of Tall el-Hammam may be connected to the biblical story of Sodom, with some speculating that the event could have been the inspiration for the story.
  • The study's findings could be seen as evidence for the historical basis of biblical accounts, but others argue that it undermines the idea of divine intervention.
  • The connection between the airburst and the biblical story is speculative and may be the result of motivated reasoning by the researchers.
  • The discovery of the airburst's effects on the region could provide a natural explanation for the destruction of Sodom, rather than a divine one.
  • The study's methodology and conclusions have been questioned, with some arguing that the peer review process was not rigorous enough.
  • The idea that the airburst could have been the inspiration for the story of Sodom is plausible, but it is also possible that the story was exaggerated or distorted over time through oral tradition.
  • The study's findings have implications for our understanding of the historical basis of biblical accounts and the role of natural disasters in shaping human history.
  • The connection between the airburst and the biblical story is not necessarily a strengthening of the biblical account, but rather a possible explanation for the events described.
  • The study's findings could be seen as a challenge to the idea of biblical inerrancy, as they suggest that the story of Sodom may have been inspired by a natural event rather than a divine one.