Lot and his Daughters. Painting, Rijksmuseum

According to the Bible, Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities in the ancient land of Canaan that were destroyed by God because of their inhabitants' wickedness and lack of hospitality. The exact location of these cities is unknown, but they are traditionally believed to have been located near the Dead Sea in modern-day Israel. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is told in the book of Genesis. It is said that the cities were filled with immoral and sinful people, who were unkind to travelers and refused to show hospitality. God decided to destroy the cities and sent two angels to warn Lot, a righteous man who lived in Sodom, to flee with his family. The angels also struck the men of the city with blindness, so that they could not harm Lot and his family. After Lot and his family escaped, God caused a rain of fire and sulfur to fall from the sky, destroying Sodom and Gomorrah and all their inhabitants. The cities were never rebuilt, and the area remains desolate to this day. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a warning against wickedness and lack of hospitality.