Lot as a pillar – Lech L’cha
Abraham & Lot divide the land, by Charles Foster, 1897
The fact that Lot “sat in the gate of Sodom” tells us more than merely where Lot was living. In Biblical culture (e.g. Prov. 31), sitting in the gate of a place meant being an eminent citizen who was trusted to judge what was going on. In Lot’s case he not only judged the local way of life; he approved of it.
The bad reputation which Sodom bears throughout history was not only supported but encouraged by Lot. If Mrs. Lot turned into a pillar of salt, Lot himself turned into a pillar of corruption and crime.
