Lot mythology. Righteous Lot. Answered by Rav Meir Muchnik

After the mixing of languages ​​\u200b\u200bof God in V-vi-lon, people, dividing into many nations, for-whether true-tin but th God and began to worship idols. Then the Lord said to Av-ra-mu: “Get out of your land. I pro-from-ve-du from you to a ve-li-kiy people, bless-go-words-lu-you and raise-ve-li-chu your name. With a faith and in a way, having received the faith of God, Av-ram left Ur from Khal-dei-sko-go and with his wife Sa -swarm and ple-myan-no-comm Lo-tom in-se-li-sya in the land of Ha-on-an-sky. Soon Lot from-de-lis-sya from Av-ra-ma, but the city where he se-lis-sya was captured by enemies, and Lot fell in captivity. Av-ram in-arms-lived his slaves, smashed the un-I-te-lei and freed Lo-ta. When Av-ram returned with a trouble, the kings came out to meet him. Mel-khi-se-dek, the king of Sa-lim-sky, the priest-nick of God All-above-no, you carried bread and vi-no and b-go-slo-vil Av-ra -ma. The Lord himself was with Ab-ra-m and made a covenant with him, saying: “Look at the sky and honor the stars, if only I - you eat, you will have so-so-to-tom-kov. ” (Under the name of his under-ra-zu-me-va-et-sya Church of the Lord). When Av-ra-mu was half-elk 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said: “I am God Almighty; walk before the Face of Mo-im and be un-ro-chen: and I will put My covenant with that battle and will give you many-number-of offspring . Now you will not call yourself Av-ra-mom, but yes, you will be called Av-ra-am; for I will make you the father of many nations. (The name Av-ra-am means “father of a multitude”). Let your wife be named Sar-ra. And he will give birth to you son, and his name will be Isa-ak.

At the oak-ra-you Ma-m-re, where Av-ra-am poured, the Lord appeared to him under the guise of three countries-no-kov (pro-image Pre -Holy Troy). Having accepted with honor and generously treated the guests, Av-ra-am found the blessings of God. One of the guests said: “Next year, when I will be with you again at this time, your wife will have a son” . It was open to Av-ra-amu and about na-me-re-nii Gos-po-yes-gu-beat the inhabitants of the cities of So-do-ma and Go- mor-ry, dirty-shih in sin-heh. Av-ra-am is-pro-strength from-adding-le-niya from the ka-ry of his-th tribe-myan-ni-ka Lo-ta, someone lived a good life new in So-do-me. Two An-ge-la came to the house of Lo-ta in the form of countries-ni-kov. So-dom-liane began to demand you-da-chi them. Then An-ge-ly in-ra-zi-li so-dom-liang sle-po-that, and Lo-tu and his relatives-no-kam in-ve-le-whether to leave go-ro-yes in the mountains. “Save your soul and don’t look back,” they said. After their departure, yes, So-dom and Go-mor-ra would be like-ra-we-we-fallen from the sky with fire and gray, and the whole country is that kind of -ti-lass in the so-le-noe lake-ro (now the Dead Sea). Zhe-na Lo-ta did not use-half-ni-la in-ve-le-niya An-ge-la. Turning back, she turned into a so-la-pillar.

When Av-ra-amu was half a hundred years old, Sar-ra gave birth to his son Isa-a-ka. Then Av-ra-am told his servant Hagar, from whom he had a son, Is-ma-il, to leave the house. Lo-bya Av-ra-ama, the Lord brought from Is-ma-i-la many-number-numbers of Arabian peoples. And now, after many years of life, the Lord in-sy-la-et Av-ra-amu after her is-py-ta-nie, pre-eminently -ly usually-but-ven-no-go-lo-ve-ka. Is-py-you-vaya faith Av-ra-am, God called to him: “Take my sons on your-e-th-only-th-no-go, someone-ro-go you love, Isa-a-ka, go to the land of Mo-ria and there bring him to all-with-burning on one of the mountains, someone I am I’ll tell you.” Despite the great sorrow, Av-ra-am in-vi-no-val-sya in the Lord-under-her. Having come with his son to Mount Mo-ria (in the center of the now-nesh-not-go Ieru-sa-li-ma), he de-lo-lived a co-ster. And Isa-ak said to Av-ra-am: “My father! Here is fire and firewood, where is the lamb for all-burning? Av-ra-am answered: “God will provide for Se-be the lamb, my son.” Having tied up Isa-a-ka, Av-ra-am put him on a victim-vein-nick and, taking a knife, stretched out his hand to stab him. But at that moment he heard the voice of God: “Av-ra-am! Do not raise your hand to yours, for now I know that you are afraid of God and did not take pity on your son the only one for Me.” Av-ra-am once-vya-hall Isa-a-ka and, having seen the ov-na, for-pu-tav-she-yu-sya in the bushes, brought him to all-so-burning -tion. And the Lord said: “I swear by me that since you did this de-lo and didn’t take pity on your son-only-th-one-for Me- nya, then I bless you, and bless the word in your se-me-or all the peoples of the earth because you listened to the voice of Mo-e-go.

A few years later, Sar-ra died, and Av-ra-am entered into a new marriage with Het-tu-swarm, from whom he had six more sons. Having lived for a hundred and seven-de-siat five years, Av-ra-am peace-but gave his spirit to the Lord in the way of God. From him, like ro-to-na-chal-ni-ka na-ro-yes of the Jews, Christ Himself came through the flesh, and everything is true-tin-but ve-ru -y-shchy in Christ-a-hundred na-zy-va-yut-sy-na-mi Av-ra-ama.

See also: "" in from-lo-same-nii svt. Di-mit-ria Rostov-sko-go.

Lot and his daughters. Goltzius Hendrik, 1616

It may seem surprising, but the plot of such ambiguous works of art is taken from ancient parts Christian Bible - Old Testament.

The book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) tells the following story:

Once, two angels came to the righteous old man Lot to check whether such great sins and lewdness were really happening in the city of Sodom, as they say.

The angels wanted to stay on the street, but the elder invited them to his home and very hospitably begged them to spend the night under the roof, and not under the open sky. But as soon as the guests were about to go to rest, the inhabitants of the infamous Sodom gathered at the house of Lot and began to demand that the guests be handed over so that the Sodomites could “know” them.

To the great displeasure of the inhabitants, the elder refused their request and did not allow them to do indecency with the guests, but instead offered two of his innocent daughters so that the townspeople could satisfy their lust and do whatever they please with them.

Of course, in the modern world, such “courtesy” looks extremely strange and even disgusting, but we should not forget that in Old Testament times people had somewhat different views.

However, the inhabitants of Sodom did not like the idea with their daughters and they began to threaten the elder himself. But the angels blinded the angry inhabitants, and Lot was ordered to urgently flee the city with his family.

The fate of Sodom itself was already sealed.

As a result, the elder, his wife and two daughters were able to escape from the sinful city. The angels told them to run up the mountain and not look back. But Lot's wife disobeyed the angels, turned around and immediately turned into a pillar of salt.

Some time after the miraculous salvation, Lot, along with his daughters, settled in a cave under the mountain.

And perhaps this story would have ended quite happily if his daughters had not decided that all the rest of the people in the world had died.

Having accepted this delusion as a great mission, they planned to make their father drunk with wine, seduce, go to incest and produce descendants from him in order to save the human race.

The plan succeeded. The eldest gave birth to the son of Moab, who is considered the ancestor of all the Moabites, and the youngest - Ben-Ammi, the progenitor of the Ammonites.

It is noteworthy that the act of Lot and his daughters is not considered so sinful.

As a rule, the Church interpreted this event as a “delusion in good intentions” (which is, to put it mildly, strange from a modern point of view) and the story itself was especially popular among both the clergy and ordinary believers.

It is not surprising that since the Renaissance, the exciting story of Lot and his daughters has become one of the most popular themes in painting, as it made it possible to create completely charitable frank works based on biblical motives.

It is noteworthy that the customers of world-famous masterpieces were often prominent religious figures.

During which Lot's wife became a pillar of salt, and Lot's seduction by his daughters.

History of Lot.

Lot, as well as his father Aran, were born and raised in Ur of the Chaldees in Sumeria on the Euphrates River in lower Mesopotamia, about four thousand years ago. Lot's father died early. Lot's grandfather, Terah, took the whole family and went

... from Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they stopped there (Genesis, chapter 11).

During their wanderings, both Lot and Abraham acquired a significant number of livestock. Both families did not have enough pastures, which led to constant conflicts between the shepherds of Lot and Abraham. Then Abraham suggested to Lot that they disperse and settle in different places so that there are no conflicts between them.

Lot went to live in the Jordanian plain, which, in those days, was beautiful and irrigated with water. He settled near Sodom. Abraham began to live in the land of Canaan. The green Jordanian plain was located between five cities. The rulers of these cities waged internecine wars. During one of these conflicts, Lot was taken prisoner and his property was plundered.

When Abraham found out what had happened to his nephew, he armed a rescue party of 318 slaves. Abraham attacked the enemy at night and saved Lot and all his property. Lot settled back in Sodom.

Soon Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by the wrath of the Lord. How and why this happened can be read in the article. The only righteous Sodom was Lot, and therefore the Lord gave him time to leave the city with his family - his wife and two daughters.

Lot's wife.

The name of Lot's wife is not mentioned in the Bible. Departure, or rather flight from Sodom, was most difficult for Lot's wife. The whole previous day was filled with worries and worries, and now, at night, she has to leave everything and run in an unknown direction. She is no longer young, and such events for her are associated not only with psychological stress, it is also not easy for her physically.

The Lord, having shown Lot and his family the way to salvation, forbade them to look back. Lot's wife thinks about whether she can start all over again ... She is indecisive and looks around. Looking back, she turns into a pillar of salt. And today you can see this pillar on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Why did the Lord turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt? Many believe that this is a punishment for curiosity, however, this is hardly true. Most likely, the heart and soul of Lot's wife remained in Sodom, and she had to die, like everyone else. God requires a resolute renunciation of sin.

IN , in the Gospel of Luke we find a Christian interpretation of the story of Lot's wife:

Just as it was in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all;

so it will be on the day when the Son of Man appears.

On that day, whoever is on the roof, and his things are in the house, do not go down to take them; and whoever is on the field, also do not turn back.

Remember Lot's wife.

Thus, Lot's wife perished, because she cared more about material things than about the salvation of the soul.

The city of Segor, where Lot lived.

Lot and his two daughters went to one of the cities in the valley, which the Lord spared. This was the city of Sigor. The name of the city Sigor is translated as “small”, “insignificant”. Sigor is also known as Zoar or Bella. There is still debate about where the city of Sigor was located - in the north or south of Dead Sea. Sigor is the only city in the Sodomite pentacity that was spared by God. Lot settled in Segor, but soon left it.

Lot and his daughters.

The story of Lot and his daughters is described in Genesis 19:30-38. Lot, afraid to live in Segor, lived in a cave in the mountains with his daughters. Lot's daughters, believing that there was nothing left more men, got their father drunk and entered into a relationship with him, in order to prolong the race. Both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.

The eldest had a son Moab (the name in translation means "from the father"). The youngest also had a son, Ben-Ami (translated as “son of my people”). Moab became the progenitor of the Moabites, and Ben-Ami became the progenitor of the Ammonites.

The story of Lot's daughters reflects the idea of Israel's superiority over the Moabites and Ammonites, since these peoples appeared as a result of a sinful incestuous relationship. The tribes of Moabites and Ammonites became the basis of the ancient Arab people.

The alleged incest between Lot and his daughters still raises many questions, disputes and theories today as to what the real motives of the daughters were, and who was really to blame for what happened. And was anyone to blame? Incestuous marriages are not uncommon among biblical patriarchs. Abraham married his half-sister Sarah; Abraham's brother, Nahor, married his niece Milka; Isaac married his relative Rebekah and many more examples. On the other hand, the book has an entire chapter devoted to this topic (Chapter 18), where it says:

No one should approach any relative in the flesh in order to reveal nakedness.

Many researchers justify incestuous marriages by the fact that the Levitical laws appeared later, and they were created by the patriarchs of the nation, including the righteous Lot (together with Abraham, Jacob, Judas, Moses, David). The Levitical laws, including those against incest, were created to separate the way of life of the Jews from the way of life of the people of Canaan, in spite of all the incestuous manifestations that the patriarchs had in the past. Levitical laws - new step in the development of society, part of the progressive ideas of humanity on the way to modern civilization.

Reflection of history in painting.

The story of Lot and his daughters formed the basis of many paintings. The paintings for this story, as a rule, depict Lot and his daughters in a mountain refuge. Often in the background you can see the small figure of Lot's wife, and the burning city in the distance.

The character of Lot in different religions.

In Judaism.

The figure of Lot in Judaism is debatable. He is considered a righteous man, whose righteousness is constantly challenged. It is believed that in his life Lot deviated from the truths of the Jewish path, and therefore his descendants did not become part of the Jewish people. Lot is mentioned in the Torah,

In Christianity

In the New Testament we find a sympathetic attitude towards Lot. In the Second Epistle of Peter, Lot is called a righteous man, weary of life among violently depraved people.

Islamic view

Lut in the Qur'an is considered the messenger of God and the prophet of God. His story is almost consonant with the biblical one. IN Islamic tradition, Lut lived in Ur and was the nephew of Ibrahim (Abraham). He migrated with Ibrahim to Canaan and was appointed as a prophet in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He was ordered by Allah to go to the land of Sodom and Gomorrah to preach monotheism and stop lustful and cruel deeds local residents. Lut's sermons were ignored, leading to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot left the city, his wife looked back and died.

, Amon

Dear rabbi, I really liked how Orthodox Jews understand the purpose of a woman and her role in the family. Explain to me, please, why did the righteous Lot offer his daughters for reproach to a crowd of lechers? What is the deep meaning in this? I believe in one Creator, I admire what He created, but I do not adhere to any of the religions. Because of this, it is difficult for me to understand the texts of the Old Testament. Hope

Answered by Rav Meir Muchnik

Hello Hope!

It's great that you were able to appreciate the attitude of Orthodox Jewry towards a woman and her destiny.

As for Lot, one really needs to understand who the people described by the Tanakh were. Yes, Lot was a member of the family of Abraham, the great righteous man and the founder of the Jewish people. And he himself was also righteous, especially in comparison with the inhabitants of Sodom. In the story, the episode of which you mention, it is clearly seen how Lot cordially receives guests, contrary to the cruel customs of Sodom, putting himself in danger.

But, nevertheless, Lot was not as righteous as Abraham. This also showed up in the episode mentioned above. Thus writes the Ramban, one of the leading commentators on the Torah: selfless hospitality was a noble deed, but the sentence “Now I have two daughters who have not known a husband, I will bring them out to you, and do with them as you please” (Genesis 19, 8 ) just demonstrated an unworthy attitude towards a woman.

What's the matter? Why was Lot righteous in one and not in another?

At that stage of history, the Jewish people were just being created, and not all members of the family of the forefathers were automatically included in its composition. For the Jewish way is not just righteousness. This is the development of certain character traits and the achievement of their correct balance. The forefathers were engaged in this work on themselves.

Namely: on the one hand, kindness and love are necessary. These qualities were developed by Abraham, the embodiment of mercy and hospitality. On the other hand, discipline is necessary. This quality was developed by Abraham's son Yitzhak. And then it was necessary to correctly combine these seemingly contradictory properties and thus achieve a balance - the golden mean. This was done by Yitzhak's son Yaakov.

But not all the people who surrounded the forefathers managed to complete this task completely. hard work over your character. So, in Yitzhak's family, his other son, Esau, also learned strictness from his father, but, unlike Yaakov, he could not balance it with kindness and love. As a result, his severity took extreme forms and turned into cruelty and a penchant for one of gravest sins- murder. After all, as you know, disadvantages are a continuation of advantages. And in the family of Abraham, his other son, Ishmael, also learned love and hospitality from his father, but, unlike Yitzhak, did not balance them with discipline. As a result, anarchy, savagery, unbridledness and a tendency to another grave sin - adultery, turned out to be beyond limits.

Therefore, neither Esav nor Ishmael could become part of the Jewish people - they failed to come to the golden mean prescribed for the Jews, each fell into his own extreme. Among them there may be the most worthy people, but they do not have the balance prescribed for the Jews. The Christian and Islamic (today) civilizations, which originated from them, respectively, adopted laws, following which people can be pious, but also go to extremes.

Now, perhaps, we will be able to understand Lot. He was originally a member of Abraham's family, and it is evident from the episode in question that he, too, learned hospitality from him. But, on the other hand, he failed to properly balance kindness and love with severity, as a result of which softness turned into shapelessness: the boundaries of morality were blurred, the correct approach to love and intimate relationships was lost. Understanding what upholds a woman's dignity and what undermines it.

This was further shown: in the same chapter (verses 30-38) it is described how, after the destruction of Sodom, Lot allowed his daughters to drink, after which they entered into intimate relationship already with him. It was from this connection that his descendants were born - Moab and Ben-Ami, who became the founders of the peoples - Moab and Amon. The daughters' motivation was noble - they thought that not only Sdom, but the whole world was destroyed, and there was no other way to continue the human race. But Lot, at least after the episode with the first daughter, should have remembered at least something and be more careful. However, he allowed history to repeat itself, showing that he did not consider this sin to be particularly serious.

It really wasn't Jewish. Therefore, the descendants of Lot, the peoples of Amon and Moab, did not become part of the Jewish people. Moreover, they have deviated so much from the Jewish path that they cannot even be accepted into Jewish society if they decide to convert to Judaism (unlike people from almost all other nations, who even committed numerous crimes and caused us suffering). The Torah explains the prohibition by the fact that these peoples did not show hospitality to the Jews during their wanderings in the wilderness. Unfriendly then were not only they. But then they still took part in the seduction of the Jewish people, inducing to adultery (see Bemidbar 25, 1). And this means that they deviated so much from the golden mean that even the softness that was originally natural for them was preserved not in the correct and moderate form of hospitality, but in the extreme and perverted form of depravity. This has no place in the Jewish people. Lot, on the other hand, still retained hospitality, the “correct” gentleness, but its perverted forms had already begun to appear. Hence the inconsistent behavior.

Only Abraham's son Yitzhak managed not to fall into extreme softness and develop the necessary discipline. And his son Yaakov managed to properly balance these qualities and direct his entire family, all his descendants along the Jewish path.

“And two angels came to Sodom in the evening. Lot saw them and stood up to meet them” (Genesis 19:1)

This is how the story begins innocuously. The guests came to the prophet. The Prophet, as a decent person, invites them to enter the house, but “they said: no, we sleep on the street”. Strange habit for an angel, but oh well. As a result, Lot nevertheless begs them and they enter the house, have dinner and are already going to sleep, when suddenly:

“City dwellers, Sodomites, from young to old, surrounded the house. And they called Lot, and they said to him: Where are the people who came to you at night? Bring them out to us; we shall know them” (Genesis 19:4-5)

The word they chose was: we know. It is curious what kind of perverts lived in Sodom and how did Lot himself escape violence, because he, too, was once new in Sodom? Or did you avoid it? We can only guess from the answer he gave, which was just delightfully cynical:

“Here I have two daughters who have not known a husband; I'd rather bring them out to you, do with them what you please; only do nothing to this people, for they have come under the roof of my house” (Genesis 19:8)

That's how it is! He would sacrifice his daughters for some strangers who were used to sleeping on the street and whom he had just met. Hospitality, of course, is good, but not to the same extent. Although, perhaps, at that time it was considered quite decent behavior.

But Lot's daughters didn't have to be known. The angels blinded the townspeople and saved the day. In a similar story in the Book of Judges, things did not turn out so well. But more on that below.

A little later, the angels told Lot to gather all his relatives and leave the city. The composition of the relatives is quite curious: “And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who took his daughters for themselves” (Genesis 19:14)

What are "sons-in-law"? But what about Lot's recent statement about the innocence of his daughters who did not know a husband, if they are both married? It is possible that they did not have sexual intercourse, although, given the mores of this town, this is unlikely. It turns out that Lot was cunning, which is very much in the spirit of a “true-believing” person. On the other hand, disposing of the fate of daughters without asking the opinion of their husbands also causes slight bewilderment.

The sons-in-law thought that Lot was joking and did not listen to him. Considering the above-described prank of dad, I don’t really want to listen to him. The angels, meanwhile, hurried Lot, and he, taking his wife and two daughters, left the city. And although the angels told him to go to the mountains, Lot nevertheless went to a nearby small town. Justified by the fact that it is safer there. The old man did not trust the angels. The fugitives were ordered to run without looking back or stopping.

“And Lot’s wife looked around and became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26)

What is the meaning of this? Why such a small offense should be punished so severely? Perhaps this is a hint of disobedience. And still, even if so, the punishment does not correspond to the crime. The same Sodomites who came to Lot's house demanding to give them guests for "knowledge" were only blinded. And Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, just because she looked back to look at these fireworks that the Almighty arranged. Or maybe she saw how the angels had fun, chopping the people of Sodom into minced meat? Extra witness. Like it or not, but this is inexplicable cruelty, without any visible reasons. Which is very much in the spirit of the Old Testament God. An incomprehensible cruelty permeates the entire Bible, and Old Testament especially.

Here is the explanation given by the theologians: “By the fact that Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom, she showed that she regretted leaving her sinful life - she looked back, lingered, - and immediately turned into a pillar of salt. This is a strict lesson for us: when the Lord saves us from sin, we must run away from it, do not look back at it, that is, do not linger and do not regret it.

In general, all these explanations of the clergy are very funny, and below we will consider some. But how do you like it? Nice trick to say the least. If she looked back, then she regretted the sinful life. And where, may I ask, is it said that she led a sinful life? She seems to be the wife of a righteous man. And why shouldn't she look back, just because something rumbled there? Why not accept such a simple option?

Meanwhile, Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, and Lot, afraid to live in Segor, goes to live in the mountains, taking his two daughters with him. Why he was afraid to go to Sigora, only Lot himself knows. They live in a cave. Oh, and these prophets love to live in caves. What happened next is more suitable for an erotic movie script:

“And the older (sister) said to the younger: our father is old; and there is no man on earth who has come in to us according to the custom of the whole earth. So let us make our father drink wine, and sleep with him, and raise (conceive) from the father of our tribe. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the eldest went in and slept with her father: but he did not know when she lay down and when she got up. The next day the elder said to the younger: behold, yesterday I slept with my father; Let us give him wine to drink this night also, and you go in, sleep with him, and we will raise (conceive) from the father of our tribe. And they made their father drink wine that night; and the youngest went in and slept with him: and he did not know when she lay down and when she got up” (Genesis 19:31-35)

The plot "Lot and his daughters" was popular in Renaissance painting. If you look closely at the image below, you can see the burning city, and the pillar-wife decorating the neighborhood of Sodom, and the fox, who seems to guess more than Lot about the immorality of the whole picture, and some couple relaxing a little far from Lot.

in big expansion

I wonder how the Church itself explains this story? There are so many sins here that it is not clear how the earth bears them after that. By the way, one of the reasons for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was constant incest. And here Lot himself does the same with his daughters. So why is he righteous? Maybe because he is Abraham's nephew?

As a result, both daughters became pregnant. The eldest gave birth to a son, Moab. The youngest is the son of Ben-Ammi. Both became the progenitors of entire nations: the Moabites and the Ammonites, respectively. Apparently, Lot himself was deeply violet - where the children came from and who the father was. His mind was filled with fear and worship.

A similar story happened with the inhabitants of Gibe. And the morality of this story goes off scale far beyond the immorality of the previous one.

The plot almost completely repeats the story of Lot and his daughters in Sodom. A Levite and his concubine decided to spend the night in Gibeah with some old man - a resident of this city. The Bible then speaks for itself:

While they cheered their hearts, behold, the inhabitants of the city, depraved people, surrounded the house, knocked on the door, and said to the old man, the owner of the house: Bring out the man who entered your house, we will know him.The owner of the house went out to them and said to them: No, my brothers, do not do evil, when this man entered my house, do not do this foolishness. Here I have a daughter, a maiden, and he has a concubine, I will bring them out, humble them, and do with them what you please; and with this man, don't do this madness. But they didn't want to listen to him. Then the husband took his concubine and brought him outside. They recognized her and cursed her all night until morning. And they let her go at dawn. And the woman came before the dawn, and fell at the door of the house of the man who had her master, and lay down until the light. The master found her in the morning, opened the door of the house, and went out to go on his way: and behold, his concubine was lying at the door of the house, and her hands were on the threshold. He told her: get up, let's go. But there was no answer, because she died. He put her on the donkey, got up and went to his place.(Judges 19:22-28)

With such plots and the content of these stories, it seems extremely strange to try to veil the unambiguous desires of these characters with words like “know”. Although thanks to medieval censorship for this. Who knows how these stories were told to each other in the original.

It is noteworthy that this very "husband" Levite went for the "concubine" to her father's house, where he was received with joy and stayed for a long time. And then, after a couple of days, he exchanged it like a coin. What is this if not another one good example"respect for women" scriptures? Again, what lesson can be learned from this story?

Now back to the explanations of the clergy.

Here is how Jewish experts explain these simple stories:

"The people of Sodom were evil and very criminal before Hashem" (Bereshit, 13:13). The same was the case with four neighboring cities - Amoroi, Adma, Tzvaim and Zoar, which were part of a kind of coalition, the capital of which was Sodom. The inhabitants of all five cities were murderers and adulterers who deliberately rebelled against Hashem because they did the same deeds as the generation before the Flood.

Further, it is described in detail how rich these people are, but not good and greedy. Branches on trees were broken so that the birds would not eat fruits, onions and bricks were stolen from each other, and - what a horror - they trusted not in God, but in themselves. Somewhere between these descriptions, the Midrash tells a story about one of Lot's daughters named Plotis. It turns out he had four of them. Such inconsistencies in the scriptures are not uncommon, so I will not pay special attention to them. So, the girl secretly gave to the beggar, and since the inhabitants of Sodom were greedy, they were greedy even for someone else's and they did not like that the beggar still did not die of hunger. For this, they either burned the girl, or smeared it with honey and tied it, and she died from bee stings - here the Midrash and Torah somehow did not decide.

Before her death, the girl turned to God, saying - to hell with me, but at least punish them, and he promised that he would definitely come down and punish. The fate of the beggar is silent.

And here God, as if to justify himself, declares that he did not destroy Sodom immediately, but 25 years before that “He sent an earthquake to that region to encourage the inhabitants to correct, but then they did not pay any attention to the Divine warning.”

I must say that when representatives of the clergy come to the rescue to explain what is written in the sacred texts and try to make up for these uncomfortable moments, it looks pretty fun. It is understandable. Where to go with such instructive stories?

Take, for example, the Hebrew version described above, which, as an exculpatory speech, describes the inhabitants as follows:

“The inhabitants of all five cities were murderers and adulterers who deliberately rebelled against Hashem, because they did the same deeds as the generation before the Flood”

Murderers and adulterers. Is it all over the place? And children and old grandparents? They are all murderers and adulterers. Only Lot is handsome. Or was it such a resort area where only young people lived? Such a medieval Kazantip with Ibiza.

Why was this warning needed at all if the trick with the Flood did not work and people just continued to sin as before? And what kind of God is this, who was offended by rich people because they counted not on Him, but on themselves? Since when is this considered criminal and deserving of punishment? The remaining descriptions of the actions of the inhabitants of Sodom clearly do not pretend to be the degree of mortal sins. So, petty hooliganism compared to what the Lord himself did. Wow, 25 years ago he arranged an earthquake so that they would understand that it was He who was warning them. It must be said that with a clear and direct communication of his thoughts to mankind, God clearly did not differ. All the time he communicated with some hints and parables. In 2004, 250,000 people died in the Asian tsunami. Was it again that God played pranks and warned?

The explanation of the Jewish interpreters does not end there. For example, this is how the whole motive that prompted God to put Lot in this ridiculous situation is explained in this way: “Eh it was part of the heavenly plan. Hashem wanted Lot to persevere, so that he would have certain merits for which he should be saved.

Lot, it turns out, did not have enough merit, and it was necessary to show one more small merit in the form of perseverance in order for him to deserve salvation. And how did it turn out? Listen! I have two unmarried daughters. I will bring them out to you, and do with them what you will. I only ask you a favor, leave my guests alone, for they have come to my house!

And this is righteous. The most decent person in town. It must be said that although the Jewish sources promise that their history differs from the biblical one, there are no significant differences in them. Perhaps a little thriller with the blind, who feel the doors in order to get to know everyone who moves and some details.

No matter how many such explanations there are, to notice how much the morality of that time differs from the morality of modern world not difficult. And no matter how the believers insist that God's actions are justified, modern morality tells us that everyone is not punished for the sins of some, and no fairy tales can cover such theses. God would be God Almighty if instead of Flood and the destruction of cities would carry out pinpoint strikes and not with such cruelty. Let's say heart attack the offender would have gotten away. But no, God does not like trifles. If we punish, then with all the divine scope. Is he God or is he not God, after all?