A Survey on Lot’s Episode in the Book of Genesis

Year 2007, Volume: 48 Issue: 1, 57 - 76, 01.04.2007

Mehmet Katar

https://doi.org/10.1501/Ilhfak_0000000929

Cited By: 5

Abstract

A Survey on Lot’s Episode in the Book of Genesis. This article examines the account ofLot in the Torah based on Jewish sources. According to the story of Lot in the Book of Genesis,when Abraham traveled to Canaan, his nephew Lot accompanied him. Soon after, because ofproblems regarding their flocks and shepherds they separated and Lot went to Sodom land. WhenGod decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters left the area and retiredto a cave in a mountain. Lot’s daughters considered they should bear children for the continuationof human race. On two subsequent nights, they got their father drunk to have sexual intercoursewith them. Each became pregnant by him without their father being aware that they had committedincest. The first son was named as Moab and became the father of the nation of Moab. The secondone was named as Ben-Ammi and he also became the father of the nation of Ammon. In thisarticle, the reasons of the presence of this unacceptable narration is investigated. In this context,the very article argues how the incestuous relations between Lot and his daughters included in theTorah. Consequently, two main reasons are proposed to surmount the problem. Firstly the compilersof the Torah wanted their people to keep away from the Moabs and Ammons because of religiousconcerns. Because these nations are known with idolatry. Secondly, it may be because of historicalrevenge. During the Exodus, these two nations did not entertain the Israelites. Because thecompilation of the Torah came true long after the Exodus, the compilers might add this storystems from revenge towards these two tribes which did not welcome Isralieties during the Exodus

Keywords

Lot, Lot’s daughters, Incest, Sodom and Gomorrah, Moab, Ammon

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Abstract