Lot

Who was Lot? Abraham's nephew who lived in Sodom and was rescued by angels before the city was destroyed. His age, his tomb and where he was born.

Age at death
Not stated in the Bible (Not stated in the Bible: Genesis 12:4, Genesis 19:31)
Burial place
Tradition: Bani Na'im, near Hebron (Tradition: Genesis 19:30)
Manner of death
Not recorded in the Bible (Not stated in the Bible: Genesis 19:30-38, Luke 17:28-32, 2 Peter 2:7)
Era
Est. c. 2000–1700 BC (age of Abraham) (Historical estimate)
Birthplace
Most likely Ur of the Chaldeans (The Bible: Genesis 11:27-28, Genesis 11:31)

Lot was the son of Abraham's brother Haran, making him Abraham's nephew. His father died in Ur while Terah was still alive, and Lot travelled with his grandfather and uncle from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran and on to Canaan. When their flocks grew too large, he parted from Abraham, chose the well-watered Jordan plain and settled in Sodom. Before the city was destroyed, two angels led Lot, his wife and daughters out; his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Lot fled to Zoar, then to a cave in the hills. The New Testament calls him a righteous man distressed by the evil around him.

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How old was Lot when he died?

The Bible does not say how old Lot was when he died; it gives no age for him at all. When he and his uncle Abraham set out from Haran, Abraham was 75 (Genesis 12:4), but Lot's age is not recorded. After Sodom's destruction his daughters say their father has grown old, which shows he was elderly while living in the cave (Genesis 19:31).

Where is Lot buried?

The Bible says nothing about Lot's grave. In Islamic tradition, his tomb is shown inside the Nabi Lut Mosque in Bani Na'im, a town east of Hebron in the West Bank. This comes from later tradition rather than the Bible, which last describes Lot living in a cave in the hill country after leaving Zoar (Genesis 19:30).

How did Lot die?

The Bible does not describe Lot's death. The last account of him comes after Sodom's destruction: he leaves Zoar, lives in a cave in the hills with his two daughters, and their sons become the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites (Genesis 19:30-38). After that he appears only in passages that look back on his story (Luke 17:28-32; 2 Peter 2:7).

When did Lot live?

Lot lived in the same era as his uncle Abraham; many scholars place this age of the patriarchs roughly between 2000 and 1700 BC. The Bible gives no calendar dates, so this is an estimate based on comparing details of the story with the Middle Bronze Age. Scholars do not agree on it: some suggest an earlier period, others a later one.

Where was Lot born?

Lot was most likely born in Ur of the Chaldeans, though the Bible does not name his birthplace. It says his father Haran was born and died in Ur, and that his grandfather Terah took Lot with him when he set out from Ur (Genesis 11:27-28, 31). The ruins of Ur lie in today's Iraq, near Nasiriyah.

Where did Lot's people live?

According to the Bible, Lot lived among the cities of the Jordan plain and pitched his tent as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:10-12). Sodom and Gomorrah are usually sought around the Dead Sea, which Turkish also calls Lake Lot, but their exact location is still debated and has not been firmly identified.

What happened to Lot's wife?

Although the angels told them not to look back, Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:17, 26). Speaking of the day the Son of Man is revealed, Jesus tells his listeners to remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:32).

Was Lot a prophet?

The Bible does not call Lot a prophet; Peter describes him as a righteous man distressed by the wicked around him (2 Peter 2:7). In Islamic tradition, however, Lot is regarded as a prophet, which is why he is often searched for in Türkiye as the Prophet Lot.