Lot (biblical person)
According to the Bible, Lot (Hebrew: לוֹט, Modern: Lowt ("veil"), Tiberian: Loṭ; Arabic: لوط, Lūṭ; "Hidden, covered"[1]) was the nephew of the patriarch Abraham, or Abram. He was the son of Abraham's brother Haran. (Gen. 11:27) Abraham's brother Nahor became Lot's brother in law by the marriage of Nahor (Abraham's brother) to Milcah (Lot's sister).
Religious literature
The Bible
Genesis
The story of Lot is told in the Book of Genesis. Lot is mentioned in chapters 11-14 and 19.
Lot was the son of Abraham's brother Haran.[2] Lot and his family went with Abraham and his family from Ur of the Chaldees to Egypt. When Abraham traveled to the Land of Canaan at the command of God, Lot accompanied him. (Gen 12:1-5). Abraham had always a great affection for him, and when they could not continue longer together in Canaan because they both had large flocks and their shepherds sometimes quarrelled (Gen 13:6,7) he gave Lot the choice of his abode. Lot went southeast to plains near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, since the land there was well watered. (Gen. 13:10-12).
About eight years after this separation, Chedorlaomer and his allies attacked the kings of Sodom and the neighbouring cities, pillaged Sodom, and took many captives, including Lot. Abraham armed his servants, pursued the confederate kings, and overtook them near the springs of Jordan. He recovered the spoils they had taken and brought back Lot with the other captives. Abraham was offered a reward by the King of Sodom, but refused even a shoelace.
In Gen. 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 people of Sodom surround Lots house with intent to meet (in some translations, rape) the angels (19:5). Lot offers the men his daughters instead, whom he says are virgins (19:8), but the men were not interested. Consequently, an Arabic expression for homosexuals is derived from the name for the people of Lot or Lut (in Arabic).i.e., Luti.
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 took Lot, his wife Irit, and his daughters by hand and drew 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 entreated the angels, who consented that he might retire to Zoar, which was one of the five doomed cities. His wife, looking back on Sodom, was turned into a pillar of salt.
Lot left Zoar and retired with his two daughters to a cave in an adjacent mountain. In Gen. 19:30-38, Lot's daughters incorrectly believed they were the only people to have survived the devastation[citation needed]. They assumed it was their responsibility to bear children and enable the continuation of the human race [see Gen 19:33–36]. The family had just left Zoar, and the daughters surely would have seen men there [see Hertz, J.H.,"The Pentateuch and Haftorahs" 2 ed. Soncino Press, London, 1972,page 69.] On two subsequent nights, according to the plan of the older daughter, they got their father drunk enough to have sexual intercourse with them. By him each became 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[3], to remembering Lot's wife. In 2 Peter 2:7–8 Lot is described as a righteous man surrounded by wickedness.
Quran
Jews and Christians do not consider Lot a prophet, but Muslims do. The story of Lot impregnating his daughters while drunk (Genesis 19:30–36) is not mentioned in the Qur'an and is considered a lie. The Qur'an does say that the people of Lot insisted on their wickedness of homosexuality, murder and robbery while also refusing to stay lawful to their wives.
And his people came to him, (as if) rushed on towards him, and already they did evil deeds. He said: O my people! these are my daughters-- they are purer for you, so guard against (the punishment of) God and do not disgrace me with regard to my guests; is there not among you one right-minded man?
They said: Certainly you know that we have no claim on your daughters, and most surely you know what we desire.
He said: Ah! that I had power to suppress you, rather I shall have recourse to a strong support.
They said: O Lut! we are the messengers of your Lord; they shall by no means reach you; so remove your followers in a part of the night-- and let none of you turn back-- except your wife, for surely whatsoever befalls them shall befall her; surely their appointed time is the morning; is not the morning nigh?
So when Our decree came to pass, We turned them upside down and rained down upon them stones, of what had been decreed, one after another.[Quran 11:78]
And (We sent) Lut when he said to his people: What! do you commit an indecency which any one in the world has not done before you?
Most surely you come to males in lust besides females; nay you are an extravagant people.
And the answer of his people was no other than that they said: Turn them out of your town, surely they are a people who seek to purify (themselves).
So We delivered him and his followers, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind.
And We rained upon them a rain; consider then what was the end of the guilty.[Quran 7:80].
Midrash
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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.
Geography
There currently stands a geological formation overlooking the Dead Sea which is called "Lot's Wife" because of the shape and location of the feature.
Critical viewpoints
Scholarship
The Biblical Book of Judges 19-21 seems to offer a story very similar to Lot's ordeal in Sodom and Gomorrah. This may suggest a common origin [4].
Science fiction
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.[citation needed]
Popular culture
- Comic book artist Brad Neely depicts Lot's story in his short titled "Bible History #1".
- The band Coldplay incorporated the image of Lot's wife into their 2008 song "Viva la Vida" (from the album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends) when the song states that the king's castle was built on "pillars of salt and pillars of sand".[5]
- The band The Thermals used imagery from this story in their 2006 song "A Pillar of Salt".
- The novel, Beyond Suspicion written by James Grippando, mentioned Lot's story in chapter 45.
- The movie, MaClintock's Peach, released as Nobody Knows Anything has a scene where Lot (played by Mitch Rouse) watches his wife (played by David Pasquesi ) turn into salt.
See also
References
- ^ Strong's Hebrew Bible Dictionary - SpeedBible by johnhurt.com
- ^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ http://www.gracegems.org/Ryle/h10.htm
- ^ 101 Myths of the Bible, Greenberg, 2000
- ^ http://www.metrolyrics.com/viva-la-vida-lyrics-coldplay.html
- 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
- Holiness - Remember Lot's Wife
