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Population of the Biblical city of Sodom

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Salty

Salty

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I know the Bible does not tell us the population of Sodom,
But does anyone have an educational guess?

This link states between 600 and 1200.

If 600 was correct - then when Abraham asked God to save the city (Gen 18:24)
for 50 righteousness people - that would have been about 8% of the city.
Then in verse, God was willing to save the city for just 10, (Gen 18:32)
- which would have been 1.6% of the population.

Open for discussion
 
kyredneck

kyredneck

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Salty said:
Open for discussion
Click to expand...

According to this....:

1 At that time Chedorlaomer king of Elam sent to all the neighboring kings, to Nimrod, king of Shinar who was then under his power, and to Tidal, king of Goyim, and to Arioch, king of Elasar, with whom he made a covenant, saying, Come up to me and assist me, that we may smite all the towns of Sodom and its inhabitants, for they have rebelled against me these thirteen years.
2 And these four kings went up with all their camps, about eight hundred thousand men, and they went as they were, and smote every man they found in their road.
3 And the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, Bera king of Sodom, Bersha king of Gomorrah, and Bela king of Zoar, went out to meet them, and they all joined together in the valley of Siddim.

...Chedorlaomer attacked the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah with an army of 800,000. If so, a population of 600 or 1200 could hardly field an army to match them.
 
agedman

agedman

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Going from memory, the cities of the plain in which Gomarrah was one, we’re both well watered and on cross road trade routes. Those cities would have grand areas of agricultural and industrial setting. They were also well known to folks who were business and hospitality engaged.

These were not typical Bronze Age villages run primarily by the strongest family, but were cities of great wealth and all that goes with that setting.

The population is not given, but each city probably held about 150,000 people, which would give a total of 750,000 men, women and children. So given children weren’t that plentiful in a population given to a lifestyle that doesn’t particularly procreate, then it is possible that in Gamorrah the men numbered close to 75,000.

All this is speculation, because it remains unknown.
 
HankD

HankD

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Salty said:
I know the Bible does not tell us the population of Sodom,
But does anyone have an educational guess?

This link states between 600 and 1200.

If 600 was correct - then when Abraham asked God to save the city (Gen 18:24)
for 50 righteousness people - that would have been about 8% of the city.
Then in verse, God was willing to save the city for just 10, (Gen 18:32)
- which would have been 1.6% of the population.

Open for discussion
Click to expand...
Well then that adds one more element to "as it was the days of Lot"

A lack of "righteous" folk.
 
M

Martin Marprelate

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kyredneck said:
According to this....:

1 At that time Chedorlaomer king of Elam sent to all the neighboring kings, to Nimrod, king of Shinar who was then under his power, and to Tidal, king of Goyim, and to Arioch, king of Elasar, with whom he made a covenant, saying, Come up to me and assist me, that we may smite all the towns of Sodom and its inhabitants, for they have rebelled against me these thirteen years.
2 And these four kings went up with all their camps, about eight hundred thousand men, and they went as they were, and smote every man they found in their road.
3 And the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, Bera king of Sodom, Bersha king of Gomorrah, and Bela king of Zoar, went out to meet them, and they all joined together in the valley of Siddim.

...Chedorlaomer attacked the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah with an army of 800,000. If so, a population of 600 or 1200 could hardly field an army to match them.
Click to expand...
I don't think that can be right. We are talking about a time just 700 years or so after the Flood; the populations will have been relatively low. An army of 800,000 is fantasy IMO.
 
HankD

HankD

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David Kent said:
Yes. Just after I pasted that, I remembered that the 300 Spartans held off about 1,000,000 of the Persian forces of Xerxes. But that was in a pass and the Spartans all died.
Click to expand...
Don't for get Joshua at Jericho.
 
D

David Kent

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HankD said:
Agreed my French Press Coffee is more like mud.
Click to expand...
I have never heard of French Press coffee. We buy our coffee in France when we go there. It is the Auchan Hypermarket's own brand of pure Arabica, It is done in two strengths, Douce (mild) and Dégustation (Flavoursome) We used to buy the former for us and church, but when I couldn't get it once, and bought the latter, the people at church said they preferred the new one so we stuck to that one for us as well. A bonus of the was the price was only few Euro cents difference, but the douce went up in price and the Dégustation went down and there is now over a Euro difference in price.
 
D

DarrenFixit

New Member
kyredneck said:
According to this....:

1 At that time Chedorlaomer king of Elam sent to all the neighboring kings, to Nimrod, king of Shinar who was then under his power, and to Tidal, king of Goyim, and to Arioch, king of Elasar, with whom he made a covenant, saying, Come up to me and assist me, that we may smite all the towns of Sodom and its inhabitants, for they have rebelled against me these thirteen years.
2 And these four kings went up with all their camps, about eight hundred thousand men, and they went as they were, and smote every man they found in their road.
3 And the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, Bera king of Sodom, Bersha king of Gomorrah, and Bela king of Zoar, went out to meet them, and they all joined together in the valley of Siddim.

...Chedorlaomer attacked the five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah with an army of 800,000. If so, a population of 600 or 1200 could hardly field an army to match them.
Click to expand...
May I ask where the information of the "about eight hundred thousand men" came from? I have researched the Bible and quite a few commentaries and I cannot seem to find this information. Thank you
 
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