hospitable man, and one that had learned to imitate the goodness
of Abraham. Now when the Sodomites saw the young men to be of
beautiful countenances, and this to an extraordinary degree, and
that they took up their lodgings with Lot, they resolved
themselves to enjoy these beautiful boys by force and violence;
and when Lot exhorted them to sobriety, and not to offer any
thing immodest to the strangers, but to have regard to their
lodging in his house; and promised that if their inclinations
could not be governed, he would expose his daughters to their
lust, instead of these strangers; neither thus were they made
ashamed.

4. But God was much displeased at their impudent behavior, so
that he both smote those men with blindness, and condemned the
Sodomites to universal destruction. But Lot, upon God's informing
him of the future destruction of the Sodomites, went away, taking
with him his wife and daughters, who were two, and still virgins;
for those that were betrothed (21) to them were above the
thoughts of going, and deemed that Lot's words were trifling. God
then cast a thunderbolt upon the city, and set it on fire, with
its inhabitants; and laid waste the country with the like
burning, as I formerly said when I wrote the Jewish War. (22) But
Lot's wife continually turning back to view the city as she went
from it, and being too nicely inquisitive what would become of
it, although God had forbidden her so to do, was changed into a
pillar of salt;(23) for I have seen it, and it remains at this
day. Now he and his daughters fled to a certain small place,
encompassed with the fire, and settled in it: it is to this day
called Zoar, for that is the word which the Hebrews use for a
small thing. There it was that he lived a miserable life, on