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‘Hospitality’, Hostiles and Hostages: On the Legal Background to Genesis 19.1-9

Rowan University, Department of History, 3rd Floor Robinson, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028-1701, USA

Opinion has been divided over Gen. 19.1-9: whether the inhabitants of Sodom are condemned for immorality, or for their violation of ‘hospitality’. Moreover, Lot’s offering of his daughters to the crowd has been viewed as the worst sort of abuse. Both events must be evaluated against ancient juridical practices. The Sodomites’ request ‘to know’ ((dy) the patriarch’s guests is non-sexual in nature: they want to ascertain why the men have come to the city. Lot objects to the proposal: he, as an official, has pledged legal protection to the travelers, vouching for their character. To ensure that the envoys pose no danger to the town, he formally offers his daughters as ‘hostages’ in their stead. They are to be held in protective custody until the detainees leave the next morning. The rejection of Lot’s plan represents Sodom’s abandonment of the rule of law, providing justification for its divine punishment.

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