Everyone has heard of Sodom and Gomorrah. Was it an actual event or just a metaphor? Was it about the sin of homosexuality or the absence of hospitality? Everyone has an opinion about what it is all about. You can read the story without interruption in Genesis. But here, we’ll break down the elements of what is happening and throw in some archeological evidence.
Continue readingAfter telling Abraham and Sarah that they would be parents in one year, God turns to leave and contemplates whether to tell Abraham what He is about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah. Other than the fact that Lot lives in Sodom, why should God inform Abraham about the judgment to come? It may have more to do than just with Abraham’s nephew Lot.
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Posted in Torah Portion
Tagged angels, Dead Sea, destruction, God, Gomorrah, Hebron, Lot, Mamre, Sodom
This Torah Portion is filled with some well-known stories. It begins with Abraham negotiating with God to spare Sodom for the sake of the righteous. Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed anyway, and Lot and his daughters escape to the mountains. This portion also contains the story of the second time Abraham tells Sarah to say she is his sister and the birth of Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael are sent away from Abraham’s house and the portion ends with the story of the sacrifice of Isaac. That’s a lot crammed in five chapters.
Most of these stories are so recognizable that there is no need to summarize them here. Let’s just jump into each section.
Abram again settled in the region of Bethel. His livestock had increased since last he was there. Lot also saw an increase in his livestock. The land was no longer able to sustain them both. Abram told Lot to choose a region to settle, and he would choose the opposite direction. Lot desired the land on the other side of the Jordan near Sodom and established himself there. Abram stayed in the land of Canaan.
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Posted in Torah Portion
Tagged Bethel, blessing, bread and wine, Lot, Mamre, Melchizedek, Mesopotamia, Sodom, spoils, war