I have often stated that myth can very well be based on real historical events. Here is another example:
Science explains the destruction of ancient cities that became the bases for Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho.
Yes, I agree that myths are ways to try to explain the unexplainable, or to understand events in a metaphorical way, when the truth as we know it simply doesn't make sense to us without more knowledge of how or why things happened or are the way they are.
New scientific knowledge simply helps us to understand the real causes of various events, while legends and myths still hold some purpose or warning for moral or ethical behavior for the intended audience, the society of the place at that time in history.
Problem with a myth, legend or story when it becomes folded into a religion where people are taught these things literally happened, instead of taking them into mind in a literary or metaphorical sense, is that it becomes "blasphemous" to tell what we know to be the truth, or possible alternative scenarios, with new scientific evidence.
I found this very interesting. Similar events such as Noah's ark and the great flood may have been the over-topping of the Bosporus strait by the Mediterranean sea.
If this occurrence was happening now, it could be explained, but prior to the scientific method events such as these would usually be explained by what people knew. Leading to the replacement of old gods by newer stronger bigger ones.
While the people that love the bible and want to give it as much credibility as they can are gaga about this, the identification of Tall el Hammam as Sodom is sketchy at best. Still, interesting research, certainly looking more likely that it was destroyed by an air burst.
@Gwendolyn2018 Basically that, yes. A certain type of Xtian will grasp any straw of real science to try to "prove" that it lines up with their Bible.
I commented a while ago on a story about a fossil being found that looked like a classical dragon (a pterosaur), saying that doubtless the Creationists would try to claim it proved humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time; after all, where would people dream up a dragon if they hadn't seen one first? (To which I reply, "Where would humans dream up a Wookie if they hadn't seen one first?" )
@Gwendolyn2018 Because anything they can twist into proof for biblical literalancy and inerrancy is mana from heaven to them.