LOSS, LOSSES (16s, los'es). Under the law of NIoses, the following were the regulations respect ing /osscs: If two men strove together, and as a result one should be disabled from work, the other must pay for the lost time (Exod. xxi: 19) ;claims for losses from trespass,or forany lost thing, were to be brought before the judges, and adverse judgment was followed by the payment of double to the other (Exod. xxii :9) ; a man find ing any lost thing, and denying it, was obliged, when he wished to present a trespass offering, to restore the lost thing with an added fifth to the one to whom it belonged (Lev. vi :4, 5). The gen eral principle upon which these enactments were based was that an Israelite's fellow-countrymen were his brothers ; and he was always to act the brotherly part. Therefore, whenever he found anything that was lost he was commanded to care for it, and to make diligent search for its owner with a view of restoration (Dent. xxii :3). (Barnes' Bib..Dict.) (See Law OF MOSES.) LOT (Heb. go-rawl' , a pebble; z%..":171, kheh' bel, measuring tine, portion; Gr. lan.e khan'o, to cast lots, Luke i:9; KX,,pos, ros, peb ble, bit of wood, to cast lots with (Acts i:26).
The use of lots among the ancients was very general. It was supposed to be employed by the gods themselves (Hom. //. xxii. 2o9 ; Cic. De Div., i. 34; ii. 41). The Israelites sometimes had recourse to lots as a means of ascertaining the Divine will. The religious estimate of them may be gathered front Prov. xvi :33. The following are historical or ritual instances: (1) In the division of the Promised Land among the tribes of Isreal the use of the lot was expressly commanded by God himself, it being understood that the extent of territory should be proportioned to the population of each tribe (Num. xxvi :55).
(2) Choice of men for an invading force (Judg. i :1-3 ; xx :9).
(3) So the selection of the scapegoat on the day of atonement was to be determined by lot (Lev. xvi :8).
(4) Property was divided in the same way (Ps. xxii :18; Matt. xxvii :35).
(5) The orders of the priests and their daily service were also assigned by lot (1 Chron. xxiv 5)• (6) The lot was used in the detection of a criminal (Josh. vii 18).
(7) In the choice of the Apostle Matthias (Acts i :26) and in the eases of Saul and Jonathan, and Jonah and his companions, to determine who had offended God (I Sam. XiV:41, 42; Jonah i :7). (See URIN1 and TIIUMMIN1.) (8) That which falls to one by lot, as a por tion or inheritance (Dent. xxxii :9; Josh. xv
1 ; Chron. xvi :18; Ps. ev ; cxxv :3 ; Is. xvii: 14 ; lvii :6 ; Acts viii ; comp. Acts xiii :19).
As to the manner of casting lots we have no certain information. It is supposed by some that the stones or marks which were used in de termining the lot were thrown together into the lap or fold of a garment, or into an urn or vase, and that the person holding them shook them violently, so that there should be a perfect mingling of the whole contents, to prevent all preference by the hand of him who should draw ; so that the passage (Prov. xvi :33) is paraphrased thus : "In a lot-vase the lots are shaken in all directions: nevertheless, from the Lord is the whole decision or judgment." LOT (160, (Heb. tn1,, lote, a covering).
/. Lot was the son of Harman and nephew of Abraham, W110 by the early death of his father had already come into possession of his property when Abraham went into the land of Canaan (Gen. xi :31). Their united substance, consisting chiefly in cattle, was not then too large to prevent them from living together in one encampment.
(1) Parting of Abraham and Lot. Event ually, however, their possessions were so greatly increased that they were obliged to separate; arid Abraham with raregenerosity conceded the choice of pasture-grounds to his nephew. Lot availed himself of this liberality of his uncle, as he deemed most for his own advantage, by fixing his abode at Sodom, that his flocks might pasture in and around that fertile and well-watered neigh borhood (Gen. 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 sin ners before the Lord exceedingly. There 'he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with the filthy conversation of the wicked' (2 Pet. ii: 7)• (2) Prisoner. About eight years after his separation from Abraham, Lot was carried away prisoner by Chedorlaomer, along with the other inhabitants of Sodom, and was rescued and brought back by Abraham (Gen. xiv.), as related under other heads (see AMA HAM ; CHEDOR LAO M ER) . This exploit procured for Abraham much celebrity in Canaan; and it ought to have procured for Lot respect and gratitude from the people of Sodom, who had been delivered from hard slavery and restored to their homes on his account. But this does not appear to have been the result.