In the days of Abraham and his nephew Lot, the area of Sodom was apparently the richest pastureland of all, for Lot chose that above anything else (Genesis 13: 8-11). But Sodom was also a very wicked city so the Lord made plans to destroy it by fire. When three heavenly visitors came to Abraham at Mamre, Abraham tried to negotiate for Sodom and Lot, but the Lord destroyed it with fire anyway. Where is Sodom today? Many think it is under about ten feet of thick, salty water at the southern end of the Dead Sea, making it extremely difficult to find and excavate. The surrounding area is now bleak and salty. Very little can grow here today. The formation in this picture is often called Lot's wife, a reminder of the woman who turned into salt when she longingly looked back at Sodom.