In the sacred ritual of the Hebrews we find the use of lots but once prescribed, namely, in the selection of the scape-goat (Lev. xvi, 8 sq.). The two inscribed tablets of boxwood, afterwards of gold, were put into an urn, which was shaken, and the lots drawn out (Joma, iii, 9; iv, 1). See Atonejiknt, Day of. Eventually lots came into frequent usage (comp. the IMishna, Shaabb. xxiii, 2). In later times they even degenerated into a game of hazard, of which human life was the stakes (Josephus, War, iii, 8, 7). Dice appear to have been usually em- ployed for the lot (b'nij Ti'^biijri, to "tkroiv the die," Josh, xviii, 8; so rt"iiri, to cast, Josh, xviii, 6 ; Sidujfiij to give. Acts i, 20 ; 753, tti—tw, to fall, .Jonah i, 7 ; E2ek. xxiv, 7 ; Acts i, 26), and were sometimes drawn from a vessel (b"i15il NU"'," the lot came forth," Numb, xxxii.
LOT
520
LOT
5-1 ; so lis", to '• come ?//>," Lev. vi, 9; comp. the Mishna, Joma, iv, 1). A different kind of lot is elsewhere indi- cated in the Mishna {Joma, ii, 1 ; comp. Lightfoot, Hoi: Jlebr. p. 714). A sacred species of lot was by means of the Ukiji and Thummim (q. v.) of the high-priest (Numb, xxvii, 21 ; 1 Sam. xxviii, G), which appears to have had some connection with the divination by means of the sacerdotal Epiiod (1 Sam. xxiii, G, 9). Stones were occasionally employed in prophetical or emblemat- ical lots (Numb, xvii, G sq. ; Zech. xi, 10, 14). See also PfRiM. Election by lot appears to have prevailed in the Christian Church as late as the 7th century (Bing- ham, Eccles. A ntiq. iv, 1, 1, vol. i, p. 42G ; Bruns, Cone, ii, 66). Here also we may notice the use of words heard, or passages chosen at random from Scripture. Sortcs Bihlicce, like the Soi-tes Virgiliano', prevailed among Jews, as they have also among Christians, though de- nounced by several councils (Johnson, "Mfe of Cowley," Works, ix, 8 ; Bingham, Eccl. Antiq. xvi, 5, 3 ; id., vi, 53 sq. ; Bruns, Cone, ii, 145-154, 166 ; Mauritius, c. 15 ; Hof- mann. Lex. s. v. Sortes).
On the subject generally, see Mauritius, De So7-titione ap. vet. Ilehrceos (Basil, 1692) ; Chrj'sander, De Sortibus (HaUe, 1740) ; Benzel, De Sortibus vet. in his Syntagma dissertat. i, 297-318 ; Winckler, Gedanken iiber d. Spureii (/ottl, Providenz in Loose (Hildesheim, 1750) ; Palaophili,
Teeaji
I
Abhandl. v. Gehrauchs d. Looses in d. heil. Schr. in Sem- ler's Ilall. Samml. i, 2, 79 sq. ; Junius, De Sorte, remedio ditbias caussas dirimendi (Lips. 1746) ; Eenberg, De Sor- tilegiis (Upsal. 1705) ; Hanovius, De electione j7er sortem (Gedan. 1743; m German by Tramhold, Hamb. 1751); Bauer, Vormitze Kunst, etc. (Hildesh. 1750).
The term "fo<" is also used ibr that which falls to one by lot, especially a portion or inheritance (Josh, xv, 1 ; J udg. i, 3 ; Psa. cxxv, 3 ; Isa. xvii, 14 ; Ivii, 6 ; Acts viii, 21). Lot is also used metaphorically for jwiiion, or des- tiny, as assigned to men from God (Psa. xvi, 5) : " And arise to thy lot in the end of days" in the Messiah's kingdom (Dan. xii, 13 ; comp. Kev. xx, 6). See Her- itage.
Lot. See Myrrh.
Lot (Heb. id., I31P, a covering, as in Isa. xxv, 7; Sept. and N. T. Aoir, Josephus Awtoq ; occurs Gen. xi, 27, 31 ; xii, 4, 5; xiii, 1-14; xiv. 12, IG; xix, 1-15, 18, 23, 29, 30, 36; Deut. ii, 9, 19; Psa. Ixxxiii, 8; Luke xvii, 28, 29, 32; 2 Pet. ii, 7), the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham (Gen. xi, 27). His sisters w-ere Milcah, the wife of Nahor, and Iscah, by some identified with Sarah. \\\\ our treatment of the history, wc freely avail our- selves of the articles in Kitto and Smith.] The follow- ing genealogy exhibits the family relations :
Hagar to Abram to Sarai
Ishmael. Isaac
I Nahor to Milcah
Bethuel
Hai-au
I
Lot to wife
!Milcah to Nahor. Iscah.
Esau. Jacob.
Eebekah. Laban.
Daughter Daughter
Leah. Eachel.
Moab.
Beu-Ammi.
By the early death of his father (Gen. xi, 28), he was left in charge of his grandfather Terah, with ^vhom he migrated to Haran, B.C. 2089 (Gen. xi, 31), and the lat- ter dying there, he had already come into possession of his property when he accompanied Abraham into the land of Canaan, B.C. 2088 (Gen. xii, 5), and thence into Eg}'pt, B.C. 2087 (Gen. xii, 10), and back again, by the way of the Philistines, B.C. 2086 (Gen. xx, 1), to the southern part of Canaan again, B.C. 2085 (Gen. xiii, 1). Their united substance, consisting chiefly in cattle, was not then too large to prevent them from living together in one encampment. Eventually, however, their pos- sessions were so greatly increased that they were obliged to separate, and Abraham, with rare generosity, conceded the choice of pasture-grounds to his nephew. Lot avail- ed himself of this liberality of his uncle, as he deemed most for his own advantage, by fixing his abode at Sod- om, that his flocks might pasture in and around that fertile and well-watered neighborhood ((ien. xiii, 5-13). He had soon very great reason to regret this choice ; for, although his flocks fed well, his soul was starved in that vile place, the inhabitants of which were sinners before the Lord exceeding!}'. There " he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2 I'et. ii, 7).