Research: Lot and his Daughters - Abraham Bloemaert

 In Genesis 19, Lot shows hospitality to two angels who arrive in Sodom, and invites them to stay the night at his house. However, the men of the city gather around the house and demand that Lot hand over his guests so they can "know them". Lot admonishes them for their wickedness, and offers the mob his two virgin daughters instead. When the mob refuses Lot's offer, the angels strike them with blindness, and then warn Lot to leave the city before it is destroyed.

Verse 14 states that Lot has sons-in-law, "which married his daughters". This seems to contradict the earlier statement that his daughters were virgins. According to the NIV translation, these men were only "pledged to marry" his daughters. Robert Alter suggests that the reference in verse 15 to "your two daughters who remain with you" indicates that Lot's two virgin daughters left the city with him, but that he had other, married daughters who stayed behind with the sons-in-law.

During the escape from Sodom, Lot's wife turns into a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters take shelter in Zoar, but afterwards go up into the mountains to live in a cave. One evening, Lot's eldest daughter gets Lot drunk and has sex with him without his knowledge. The following night, the younger daughter does the same. They both become pregnant; the older daughter gives birth to Moab, while the younger daughter gives birth to Ammon.

According to Jewish tradition, Lot's daughters believed that the entire world had been destroyed, and that they were the only survivors. They therefore resorted to incest in order to preserve the human race. This was also the general opinion of the Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine, Chrysostom and Irenaeus. The basis of this idea is the comment of the elder daughter that "there is not a man in the earth" to give them children. However, commentators such as John Calvin have pointed out that the family had only recently dwelt in Zoar, so they must have known they were not the only people left alive. Calvin therefore concludes that the elder daughter's remark refers not to the whole earth, but only to the region in which they were living.

- Can see Sodom burning in the background

- Lot's wife, turned into salt, can be seen in the top right hand corner

- Aphrodisiacs on the table, such as the oysters and wine, implying the sexual act that is about to happen

- Daughters are placed suggestively, Lot looks intoxiated and helpless

Lot dwelt in Egypt for some time, generating vast amounts of wealth. This is shown by the pyramids which were a symbol of power in Egypt.

Lot's uncle Abraham is the common patriach of the abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He is the founder of Judaism and Jesus was jewish.

Lot's uncle Abraham is closely linked with the idea of creation, shown here by the tree. This also shown in the 2 tattoos below which represent Eve and the creation of Adam.