The first, quoted in Genesis 19 in the Old Testament is "Yadha" (Hebrew) meaning "to know" or "to become acquainted with" and which is mentioned 913 times, but only in the myth of the destruction of Sodom is it given the spin of defining homosexual sex as being "to have homosexual relationships with". Its meaning for the other 912 uses reverts to its traditional meaning "to become acquainted with". When its use implied sexual knowledge or activity in colloquial usage, this was always in a heterosexual context, although some biblical scholars allege its appearance in Genesis 19 and Judges 19:20 imply homosexual knowledge or activity. Most importantly, nowhere in Genesis 19 is there any specific reference to homosexual sex and no support whatsoever in the raw data for homosexual sex as being the "sin" which destroyed Sodom. No text in Genesis 19 unequivocally supports an interpretation on the 'Sodom story' of a prohibition of homosexual behaviour, a testimony to its just punishment or a declaration that the actions of the sodomites were sexually unnatural. Therefore the historical and current usage of "Sodomy" to define homosexual sex is not founded in the scriptures it is supposedly originating from and betrays a lack of scholastic rigour, textual mistranslation and and unfamiliarity with Hebraic translation amongst so-called biblical scholars, even today. The various biblical citations follow:

Confirmation for our research appears in Lamentations 4:6 (Jerusalem Bible) which suggests that Jerusalem's sin is even greater than Sodom's but nowhere does it state that the sin is homosexuality and states instead, along with all the Old Testament text citing Sodom, that the sins of Jerusalem (and Sodom) were extreme wickedness of pride, arrogance, idolatry and inhospitality.

Ezekiel 16:44-52 (New English Bible) quotes Jehovah as categorically listing the sins of Sodom as being "pride of wealth and food in plenty, comfort and ease and yet Sodom never helped the poor and wretched. They grew haughty and did deeds abominable in my sight and I made away with them."

Amos 4:11 warns the Israelites that Jehovah will destroy them, just as he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah if they persisted in idolatry.

Zephaniah 2:9-10 (New English Bible) warns of the destruction of Moab which will become as desolate as Sodom as a "retribution for their pride".

None of the prophets quoted above where the biblical references to Sodom appear cite homosexuality as being the sin that destroyed Sodom.