The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is an example of how God reacted to humans' sins. These two names refer to two cities with a loathsome reputation: their inhabitants were continuously victims of depraved habits, yielded to vices and engaged in debauchery. God communicates to Abraham His plan to destroy the cities, which worries the latter because in Sodom lived one of his nephews, Lot. Lot, unlike many of Sodom's locals, was a decent fellow and had a fair conduct. This is why Abraham asks God to spare him and his family. God sends some angels to warn Lot and, while in the city, these divine messengers become the source of a riot because local men were disrespectful to them.

After warning Lot to evacuate his dwelling from the cursed city, the angels leave. The second day, the entire family escapes. Sodom and Gomorrah are assailed by a rain of fire and brimstone. Lot's family was told to walk away without looking back. Lot's wife couldn't resist the temptation and took a look. This cost her her life as she turned into a pillar of salt.

Archaeologically speaking, the sites of these two cities are located at the southern end of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli- Jordanian border. From a geological point of view, the area is known to have a high concentration of salts and other chemicals. A nearby rock formation is called "Lot's wife".

Some geologists have put forward the theory according to which Sodom and Gomorrah were swallowed by an earthquake as the shaking land liquefied. Other specialists in the same field claim that volcanic and geothermal activity accounted for the hail of fire and brimstone that brought about the destruction of the cities. Hence, some may speculate that God's punishment can be interpreted as a simple natural outburst, that occurred coincidentally and not as a result of God's anger.