Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Wasn't some compound of sulphur the usual that was considered to be 'fire
that cannot be put out'?

James Christian

2010/1/28 Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>

> Dear All,
>
> Karl's question is only tangentially related to the Hebrew language, but
> I'll allow the discussion of fuel in ancient Israel as long as it remains
> focused on the evidence (archaeological, geological, written etc.). This
> will NOT turn into a debate on the historicity of Genesis 18-19!
>
> Thank y'all,
>
> Yigal Levin
> Co-moderator, B-Hebrew
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
> [mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of K Randolph
> Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 9:27 AM
> To: B-Hebrew
> Subject: [b-hebrew] Fuel for smelting furnaces
>
> As I was thinking about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and that
> they
> apparently were destroyed by a rain of bitumen forced out by an earthquake.
> Then the smoke rose up like the smoke of a smelting furnace. That sentence
> got me thinking.
>
> In Northern Europe, where my ancestors came from, there were plenty of
> trees
> to burn, first into charcoal, then in the forge. While charcoal produces
> some smoke, anyone who has used it for picnics knows it's not that bad.
> Coal
> also isn't very smoky, not in a forge. Therefore, ancient smelting furnaces
> in southern Judea and down into the Negev probably used a different fuel.
> What was it? Was it bitumen? Another petroleum product? Is there evidence
> from other languages or archaeology? Other than that one statement that
> sounds like the burning of crude oil, I know of nothing in Hebrew that can
> answer that question.
>
> Just curious. I wouldn't be surprised if no one knows.
>
> Karl W. Randolph.
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