Lot was a nephew of Abram who lived in Sodom. In Genesis 14 Chedorlaomer and his allies capture him and take all his possessions, but Abram gathers his men together and rescues him. Then in Genesis 19 Lot protects his guests against the Sodomites (first picture at right), and in response God destroys the city, sparing only Lot and his daughters. Lot's wife is to be spared also, but she disobeys God's command by looking back at Sodom and is turned into a pillar of salt (second picture). Lot and the daughters take refuge in a cave in the hills above
Zoar,
"One of the five 'cities of the plain' – a pentapolis apparently located along the lower Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea plain" – Wikipedia (retrieved 2021-06-19).
where the daughters make him drunk and have relations with him so that they can have children (third picture). They thus become the ancestors of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
None of these episodes are common subjects in the art, but when they are pictured they are not hard to recognize.
Prepared in 2020 by Richard Stracke, Emeritus Professor of English, Augusta University. Revised 2020-06-19.
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Lot refuses the Sodomites' demand that Lot give up his two handsome visitors so they can have sex with them. (See the description page.)
Lot and his daughters walk away from Sodom. His wife has turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at the city. (See the description page.)
Il Lucchese, Lot and His Daughters. (See the description page.)
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