Has Lot Lost the Plot? Detail Omission and a Reconsideration of Genesis 19

Abstract

This article argues for a new understanding of Lot's shocking offer of his daughters in Genesis 19 on the basis of “unknown detail omission.” The narrator exploits ambiguities in the narrative to fool the reader into condemning Lot's character. However, when the narrator reveals a key detail previously unmentioned, the reader is surprised and forced to re-evaluate the entire episode. This frames Lot's shocking offer in a new light, and the reader comes to a new conclusion about Lot's character.