Gomorrah (Near East geography model)

Wicked City of the Old World

Gomorrah (Near East geography model)

Gomorrah, alongside its neighboring city Sodom, is emblematic of divine judgment against iniquity in scriptural accounts. Referred to in the Book of Mormon, it is cited as an example of a populous and prosperous civilization that fell due to gross wickedness. The prophet Isaiah’s reference to the downfall of Babylon is likened to the destruction of Gomorrah, emphasizing its total and irrecoverable desolation as a consequence of sin (2 Nephi 23:19). In the Book of Mormon narrative, the comparison serves as a potent warning against societal decadence and the turning away from divine commandments. Gomorrah’s fate was regarded not simply as a historical event but as a perpetual cautionary marker, illustrating the results of indulging in sensual and earthly vices, and becoming a didactic motif throughout the scriptures. Its ruins, though not discussed in detail in the Book of Mormon, are thought to lie submerged at the southern end of the Dead Sea, resonant with the broader Biblical theme of the cities of the plain that faced divine retribution.

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