Biblical Parallels Index – Bereshit 13
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Avraham and Lot
There are several points of contact between the stories of Avraham and Lot, perhaps most evident in the comparison of the stories of each figure's encounters with the angels in Bereshit 18 and 19. However, the contrasts between the two figures might already be seen in their actions and interactions in Bereshit 13.
Tools
- Tanakh Lab1 indicates that Bereshit 18 is the second most linguistically similar chapter to Bereshit 19. See here to compare the two texts. This might form the basis for a comparison between all the stories regarding the two figures.
Articles
- See R. Raymond Harari's article, Avraham's Nephew Lot: A Biblical Portrait, for a comparison of the two figures. R. Harari concludes that though Lot did not reject Avraham's values outright, he made them subservient to his own materialistic goals. Ultimately his inability to fully commit to Avraham's vision led to his defeat.
- R. Chezi Cohen's פרדת אברהם מלוט analyzes the story of Lot's separation from Avraham, comparing the two figures, and concluding that the separation was not due to competition over scarce resources but rather over differing values.
Avraham, Lot, and Rut
There are close parallels between the story of Avraham and Lot, and that of Rut. On the most basic level, Ruth is a descendant of Lot (through Moav), and is a spiritual descendant of Avraham, as a righteous convert.
Articles
- See The Roots of Megillat Ruth: Lot and Avraham by Dr. Yael Ziegler for an analysis of Megillat Rut as an outgrowth of the story of Avraham and Lot. She suggests that, while Lot initially tries to emulate Avraham’s legacy, his descendants ultimately adopt the stingy, sexually immoral ways of the culture of Sedom in which he situated himself. Ruth ultimately reunites the lines of Avraham and Lot by behaving as a paradigm of kindness and modesty. See here for the Hebrew version of the article.