Forensics Talk

"Archaeology: Searching for Sodom and Gomorrah"

Biblical Archaeology Review

by Joey Corbett

      " Sodom and Gomorrah. They are perhaps the most infamous cities of the Bible, inhabited by men and women so vile and wicked that only their utter annihilation could appease God’s wrath (Genesis 19).

    But where does the Bible locate these legendary dens of iniquity, and does any trace of them still exist?

    It is clear from various Biblical passages that Sodom and Gomorrah should be located in the Dead Sea region. When Abraham and his nephew Lot part ways (Genesis 13:8-13), Lot chooses to settle in the Jordan valley “in the direction of Zoar” and moves his tents to “the cities of the plain” as far as Sodom. According to Genesis 14, the “cities of the plain,” which include Sodom, Gomorrah, Zoar, Zeboiim and Admah, join forces to battle a coalition of Mesopotamian kings in the “Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea),” a clear reference to the Dead Sea region. Another clue is found in Genesis 10:19, which describes the southern border of Canaan as extending east from Gaza “in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim,” again placing the cities in the vicinity of the Dead Sea.

But Biblical scholars have long been divided about where exactly around the Dead Sea the cities were located. Most traditional theories place the cities at the southern end of the Dead Sea, in and around the well-watered and fertile plains and valleys south of the Lisan peninsula. At the southern end of this region, the Bible and other sources, including the first-century A.D. historian Josephus and the sixth-century A.D. Madaba Map, locate Zoar, one of the cities of the plain and the place to which Lot and his daughters fled following the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:22-23).* ..." Read More

"Octomom Above The Law - For Now"

Celebrity Justice

by Stacy Schneider, Esq.

     "It seems society can’t let go of the Nadia Suleman’s story and its desire to see the “Octomom” punished. With every move Suleman makes, including her latest “firing” of the free in-home child care services provided by a national charity, a question persists: Can she be charged with child abuse or neglect and stripped of her children for attempting to single-handedly mother 14 children, 8 of them premature infants? Well, she may have broken the taboos of parenting, but she hasn’t broken the law, yet.

Without reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect, the state of California can’t terminate her parental rights, remove her children, or charge her with a crime. Being a welfare recipient, lacking financial resources, and being “crazy” do not constitute child abuse.

Child welfare and parenting law strongly favors children remaining with biological parents unless there is inadequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision. The existence of any one of these conditions could constitute neglect. And if there is repeated neglect resulting in injury or harm to children, you would have a case of child abuse, punishable by jail and resulting in temporary or permanent removal of the children from the household..." Read More

    

"Criminal Justice Power Point Presentations"

Criminal Justice Online

   From Raymond E. Foster, LAPD:

    "Tech Criminal Justice has release over 30 PowerPoint presentations that cover a wide variety of criminal justice subjects. The presentations include subjects such as police tactics, public policy, hate crimes, criminal investigations and law enforcement technology. These presentations are available at no cost to law enforcement trainers, criminal justice instructors and students. Simply download and use!"

More Information
http://www.hitechcj.com/police-technology-instructor-resources/id42.html