Lot (biblical person)

Lot flees from Sodom

Lot (Hebrew: לוֹט, Modern: Lot, Tiberian: Lôṭ, "veil"; "hidden, covered") is a character from the Book of Genesis chapters 11-14 and 19, in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism and Christianity, Lot is known for traveling abroad with his uncle Abram (Abraham, the Patriarch of Israel). Lot is also known for fleeing the Kingdom of Sodom with his family, however, he lost his wife who turned to a pillar of salt. The subject of Lot being seduced by two of his daughters has also spurred controversy in some religious circles.

Lot's Travels

Lot was born and raised in the land of Ur. Gen. 11:27–32 gives the "account of Terah", Lot's grandfather, who arranged for their large family to set a course for Canaan where they could reestablish a new home. Among the family members that Lot travelled with, was his uncle Abram, who would later be known as Abraham, the Patriarch of Israel.

Haran Settlement

In route to Canaan, the Family stopped in a region suitable for tending to their herd. Thus, they established a settlement to rest and dwell for a while. They named this waypoint after Lot’s father’s name, Haran, who had died some time ago in the Chaldean city of Ur. Lot’s grandfather, Terah lived the rest of his days at the Haran settlement until he was 205 years old when he died.

Land of Canaan

After Abram had an encounter with God, at the age of 75, he gathered his own family together so that they could continue their journey to Canaan as originally intended. Though Abram’s father, Terah stayed behind, his nephew Lot opted to go with him.Gen. 12:1–5 By this time, Lot probably had his own family. So the families of Abram and Lot continued to travel eastward into the land of Caanan. Their first stop was Shechem, then the hills east of Bethel before settling down in the Negev of Canaan.

Land of Egypt

After dwelling in the land of Canaan for a little while, a severe famine was experienced that was so bad that Abram and Lot set out for Egypt. They occupied Egyptian territory near Zoar, where the land was so fertile they imagined it to be like the Garden of Eden. After having dwelt in Egypt for some time, their families acquired vast amounts of wealth and livestock.

Plains of Jordon

After the famine had past and the lands of Canaan became fertile again, Abram and Lot returned through the Negev back to the hills of Bethel. With their sizeable numbers of livestock and always on the move, both families occupying the same pastures became problematic for the herdsmen who were assigned to each family’s herd.Gen. 13:6,7 The conflicts between herdsmen had become so troublesome that Abram lovingly recommended to Lot that they should part their own ways, lest there be conflict amongst "brethren".

Therefore, Lot wanted to see what was beyond Canaan, further east. He found the plains of Jordan and saw that it was very fertile, even in comparison to the Egyptian territory of Zoar. Gen. 13:10–12Abram headed west to Hebron staying in the land of Canaan to the west.

Kingdom of Sodom

Lot encamped on the green plains, of the kingdom of Sodom, on the outskirts. He and his family was settled there for about eight years until the rebellion against Elam broke out. At that time, the King of Sodom, King Bera, was under subjection to the nation of Elam for twelve years, ruled by King Chedorlaomer. A year later, King Bera aligned with neighboring Kings to rebel against Kedorlaomer’s rule. For two years there were two major alliances in constant battles and wars that involved at least nine kings. Most of the battles took place in the valley of Siddim. King Bera of Sodom and King Birsha of Gomorrah, who were allies, took heavy losses and fled leaving behind their kingdoms for the taking.

All of the foods and goods of Sodom and Gomorrah were seized. Even Lot was held captive and all of his possessions were taken, since he was living in the district. When Abram received the news of what happened to Lot, he assembled 318 battle trained men and went in pursuit to the north, even past Damascus. Abram and his men caught up with King Chedorlaomer of Elam and defeated him, freeing Lot and recovering all of the possessions that were taken, even the goods and captives from Sodom. Abram returned everything to Sodom and even met King Bera who was much obliged by what he was able to retrieve. However, Abram did what he did only in behalf of his nephew, Lot and for no other reason. Nor did Abram want reward and refused such notions, other than the share that his allies were entitled to.

City of Sodom

In Genesis 19, when God plans to overturn and destroy the five cities of the plain, he sends angels to the city of Sodom where they meet Lot at the city gates. Lot seems greatly concerned that the angels should spend the night in his house but the angels insist they wish to spend the night in the city street. Lot puts a great deal of pressure on them and eventually convinces them. However all the men of Sodom surround Lot's house with intent to "know" (traditionally interpreted as carnal knowledge) the angels. Lot offers the men his daughters instead, whom he says are virgins, but the men were not interested.

The angels decide to forewarn Lot of the dreadful catastrophe about to happen. Lot, his wife, sons-in-law, and daughters are warned to leave. The sons-in-law do not take the warning seriously; also, Lot lingers. The angels take Lot, his wife, and his daughters by hand and draw them forcibly out of their house, saying, "Save yourselves with all haste. Look not behind you. Get as fast as you are able to the mountain, unless you be involved in the calamity of the city." Lot entreats the angels, who consent that he might retire to Zoar, which was one of the five doomed cities but was spared because Lot asked the angels to allow him to seek refuge there. His wife, looking back on Sodom, is turned into a pillar of salt.

Hendrik Goltzius' 1616 painting Lot and his daughters shows Lot being seduced by his two daughters. The fox behind the tree symbolizes female cunning. In the background in front of the burning city is the pilar of salt, Lot's wife.

Lot left Zoar and retired with his two daughters to a cave in an adjacent mountain. In Genesis 19:30-38, Lot's daughters who in their mind were taking responsibility to bear children to preserve Lot's family line, got their father drunk enough to have sexual intercourse with them on two consecutive nights, with each becoming pregnant. The first son was named Moab (Hebrew, lit., "from the father" [meh-Av]). He was the patriarch of the nation known as Moab. The second son was named Ammon or Ben-Ammi (Hebrew, lit., "Son of my people"). He became the patriarch of the nation of Ammon.

New Testament

In Luke 17:32 Jesus simply says "Remember Lot's Wife" using her as a warning to professing Christians to not turn back to their sin after leaving it. J.C. Ryle devotes a chapter in his work, Holiness',' to remembering Lot's wife. In 2 Peter 2:7-8 Lot is described as a righteous man surrounded by wickedness.

... [God] rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard )

Midrash

Jewish midrash records a number of additional stories about Lot, not present in the Tanakh. These include:

• Abraham took care of Lot after Haran was burned in a gigantic fire in which Nimrod, King of Babylon, tried to kill Abraham.
• While in Egypt, the midrash gives Lot much credit because, despite his desire for wealth, he did not inform Pharaoh of the secret of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

Contrasts with Islamic views

Main article: Islamic view of Lot

Muslims consider Lot a prophet. The Qur'an says that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah insisted on the wickedness of homosexuality, murder and robbery, and were unfaithful in marriage. The Biblical stories of Lot are not entirely accepted within Islam. In the Bible Lot's wife leaves the city with her husband, looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt; whereas in the Qur'an, Lot's wife stays behind in the city and is destroyed. The Qur'an says that Lot is a prophet and that all prophets were examples of moral and spiritual rectitude: in Islam the narrative of Lot's drunken incestuous relations with his daughters is therefore considered to be false.

Mount Sodom, Israel, showing the so-called "Lot's Wife" pillar composed, like the rest of the mountain, of halite.

Lot's Wife

Main article: Mount Sodom

A geological formation overlooking the Dead Sea is called 'Lot's Wife', because of the shape and location of the feature.

A fourth chalk prominence that once stood off the western coast of the Isle of Wight, from which The Needles take their name, was also called 'Lot's Wife'.

In Art

The seduction of Lot by his daughters was frequently represented in Renaissance Art:

• 
  Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1528
• 
  Albrecht Altdorfer, 1537
• 
  Bonifazio Veronese, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg, early-mid 16th century
• 
  Jan Massys, 1565
• 
  Joachim Antonisz Wtewael, circa 1595

The seduction of Lot became a popular topic in Baroque Art:

• 
  Jan Harmensz. Muller, Lot and His Daughters, 1600
• 
  Orazio Gentileschi, circa 1621
• 
  Lot and his daughters by Simon Vouet, 1633.
• 
  Artemisia Gentileschi, 1635-1638
• 
  Francesco Furini, circa 1640
• 
  Domenico Marolì, circa 1612-1676
• 
  Christopher Paudiß, 1649
• 
  Guercino, 1651
• 
  Andrea Vaccaro, 17th century
• 
  Adriaen van der Werff, 1711
• 
  Marcantonio Franceschini

In popular culture

• In the science fiction stories "Lot" (1953) and "Lot's Daughter" (1954) by Ward Moore, the Bibilical story of Lot and his daughters' survival from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is reinterpreted as the story of the survival of a modern American family in the aftermath of nuclear war.
• The movie, MaClintock's Peach, released as Nobody Knows Anything has a scene in which Lot (played by Mitch Rouse) watches his wife (played by David Pasquesi ) turn into salt.
• The story of Sodom and Gomorrah was told in a 1962 film starring Stewart Granger as Lot with Anouk Aimee and Pier Angeli and directed by Robert Aldrich.
• The song "Pillar of Salt" by the Thermals is a reference to the story of Sodom and Gomorrah.

See also

• Abraham
• Biblical narratives and the Qur'an

References

Bibliography

• Calmet, Augustin (1837). Calmet's Dictionary of the Holy Bible. Boston: Crocker & Brewster. LCC BS440.C3.

External links

• Our People: A History of the Jews - Abram and Lot
• A Pillar of Salt - A lesson from Lot's wife
• Bible History #1 by Brad Neely
•  Beach, Chandler B., ed. (1914). The New Student's Reference Work. Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)