Tar pits?

As a child I was mesmerized by the thought of big pits of tar or tar pits.  All sorts of animals seemed to have met their demise in these pits.  What’s interesting is that much of the time, these tar pits are putrefied animal and plant remains that have turned into oil and tar over time.

In reading through Genesis, I found it of interest that in ch. 14 vs. 10 it notes “the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits”!  It is archaeologically known that the area around the Dead Sea in Israel used to have lots of tar pits.  It is also archaeologically known that Israel was a lush, green and fertile temperate zone in the time of Abraham.  I find it interesting that if Noah’s flood did occur,  then the 30th parallel would have been much more moist and fertile until the earth cooled off.  With the earth cooled off, the air circulation between the poles and the equator make the 30th parallels dry and desert-like, as it is now.  These realizations thus allow for laying the ground work for the theory of why this area was once a lush tropical type zone (the global flood).  In addition, these wonderful tar pits could be theorized as a product of all the death that occurred during the flood.  Lots of dead animals, plants and bodies plus lots of pressure = oil and tar.

I also found this interesting link that talks about Israel in both a historical and archaeological point of view while referencing scripture throughout.  It also talks a bit about the changes in the temperate zone.  Enjoy!

http://www.totheends.com/sodom.html

~Jeff