Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Lot (biblical person)


Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Lot (biblical person)

⭐ Core Definition: Sodom and Gomorrah

In the Abrahamic religions, Sodom and Gomorrah (/ˈsɒdəm ...ɡəˈmɒrə/) were two cities destroyed by God for their wickedness. Their story parallels the Genesis flood narrative in its theme of God's anger provoked by man's sin (see Genesis 19:1–28). They are mentioned frequently in the Nevi'im section of the Hebrew Bible as well as in the New Testament as symbols of human wickedness and divine retribution, and the Quran contains a version of the story about the two cities.

The origins and meaning of the names Sodom and Gomorrah are uncertain, though some scholars suggest they derive from Hebrew and Semitic roots, with Gomorrah linked to the idea of deep or copious water. The Hebrew Bible refers to the cities as סְדֹם (Səḏôm) and עֲמֹרָה (ʿĂmôrā), which were transliterated into Greek as Σόδομα and Γόμορρᾰ in the Septuagint. These cities are depicted as two of the "cities of the plain" involved in Abraham and Lot's story, including rebellion against Chedorlaomer and their eventual rescue by Abraham. Sodom and Gomorrah are later destroyed by God after their pervasive wickedness, with Lot and his daughters spared while Lot's wife is turned into a pillar of salt for looking back.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Lot in Islam

Lut ibn Haran (Arabic: لوط, romanizedLūṭ, [luːtˁ]) is a prophet and messenger of God who was mentioned in the Qur'an. According to Islamic tradition, Lut was born to Haran and spent his younger years in Ur, later migrating to Canaan with his uncle Abraham. He was sent to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as a prophet, and was commanded to preach to their inhabitants on monotheism.

Though Lut was not born among the people he'd been sent to preach to, the people of Sodom are still regarded as his "brethren" (Arabic: إِخْوَٰن, romanizedikhwān) in the Qur'an. Like the Biblical narrative, the Qur'an states that Lut's messages were ignored by the inhabitants of the cities, and Sodom and Gomorrah were subsequently destroyed. The destruction of the cities is traditionally presented as a warning against homosexuality in Islam as well as other things.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Hereford Mappa Mundi

The Hereford Mappa Mundi (Latin: mappa mundi, map of the world) is the largest medieval map still known to exist, depicting the known world. It is a religious rather than literal depiction, featuring heaven, hell and the path to salvation. Dating from c. 1300 AD, the map is drawn in a form deriving from the T and O pattern. It is displayed at Hereford Cathedral in Hereford, England. The map was created as an intricate work of art rather than as a navigational tool. Sources for the information presented on the map include the Alexander tradition, medieval bestiaries and legends of monstrous races, as well as the Bible.

Although the evidence is circumstantial, recent work links the map with the promotion of the cult of Thomas de Cantilupe. Others link the map to a justification of the expulsion of Jewry from England. Potentially antisemitic images include a horned Moses and a depiction of Jews worshipping the Golden Calf in the form of a Saracen devil. The map may also reflect very patriarchal views of women as inherently sinful, including figures such as the wife of Lot being turned into a pillar of salt for gazing at the city of Sodom. Cantilupe was known for his dislike of Jews; in historian Debra Strickland's opinion he was regarded as misogynistic even by the standards of his own time.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Arioch

Arioch (Hebrew: אַרְיוֹךְ, romanized’Aryōḵ) appears in Genesis 14 as the name of the King of Ellasar (Hebrew: אֶלָּסָר) who participated in the Battle of Siddim. Led by Chedorlaomer, the four kings Amraphel, Arioch, Chedorlaomer, and Tidal engaged in a punitive expedition against five kings of Canaan who rebelled against Chedorlaomer, Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboim, and Zoar of Bela. The same story is also mentioned in the Book of Jubilees, where Arioch is called "king of Sellasar". According to Genesis Apocryphon (col. 21), Arioch was king of Cappadocia.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Genesis 18

Vayeira, Vayera, or Va-yera (וַיֵּרָא‎—Hebrew for "and He appeared," the first word in the parashah) is the fourth weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה‎, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 18:1–22:24. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham's three visitors, Abraham's bargaining with God over Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's two visitors, Lot's bargaining with the Sodomites, Lot's flight, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, how Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father, how Abraham once again passed off his wife Sarah as his sister, the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar, disputes over wells, and the binding of Isaac (הָעֲקֵידָה‎, the Akedah).

The parashah has the most words (but not the most letters or verses) of any of the weekly Torah portions in the Book of Genesis, and its word-count is second only to Parashat Naso in the entire Torah. It is made up of 7,862 Hebrew letters, 2,085 Hebrew words, 147 verses, and 252 lines in a Torah Scroll (Sefer Torah). (In the Book of Genesis, Parashat Miketz has the most letters, and Parashiyot Noach and Vayishlach have the most verses.)

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Sodomy

Sodomy (/ˈsɒdəmi/), also called buggery in British English, principally refers to either anal sex (but occasionally also oral sex) between people, or any sexual activity between a human and another animal (bestiality). It may also mean any non-procreative sexual activity (including manual sex). Originally the term sodomy, which is derived from the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis, was commonly restricted to homosexual anal sex. Sodomy laws in many countries criminalized the behavior. In the Western world, many of these laws have been overturned or are routinely not enforced. A person who practices sodomy is sometimes referred to as a sodomite, a pejorative term.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Amraphel

In the Hebrew Bible, Amraphel /ˈæmrəˌfɛl/ (Hebrew: אַמְרָפֶל, romanized’Amrāp̄el; Greek: Ἀμαρφάλ, romanizedAmarphál; Latin: Amraphel) was a king of Shinar (Hebrew for Sumer) in Book of Genesis Chapter 14, who invaded Canaan along with other kings under the leadership of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam. Chedorlaomer's coalition defeated Sodom and the other cities in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim.

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Sodom and Gomorrah in the context of Lot's wife

In the Bible, Lot's wife is a figure first mentioned in Genesis 19. The Book of Genesis describes how she became a pillar of salt after she looked back at Sodom during its destruction by God. She is not named in the Bible, but is called Ado or Edith in some Jewish traditions. She is also referred to in the deuterocanonical books at the Book of Wisdom (Wisdom 10:7) and the New Testament at Luke 17:32.

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