LOST TRIBES, See BABYLONISII CAPTIVITY.
LOT (ancient 0/tis), a river of southern France, one of the largest tributaries of the Garonne, rises at 3It. Lozere, in the Cevennes. It flows in a generally western direction through the department of Lozere, Aveyron, Lot, and Lot-et-Garonne, joining the Garonne from the right at Aiguillon, after a course of 270 miles. It is navigable for about 170 miles.
LOT, a department in the s. of France, formed out of the province of Guienne, and comprising., the arrondissements of Cahors, Gourdon, and Figeac, is watered by the Dordogne and the Lot, with its tributary, the Sell& Area, 2,005 sq.m.; pop. '76, 276,512. A range of hills, broad, but not very high, and containing some iron, runs through 6e eenter of the department from e. to w., in the form of a semicircle. The valleys yield corn, hemp, tobacco, and fruits, and the hillsides are clothed with vines. Flax-mills are numerous. Capital, Cahors (q.v.).
LOT, properly that which falls to one as his portion, and then a die or anything used in determining events by chance. The custom of deciding doubtful questions by lot is of high antiquity and of great extent. Among the Hebrews, the land of Canaan was divided by lot among the tribes, and the cities distributed among the priests and Levites. The choice of men for an invading force, the apportionment of possessions, spoil or prisoners Co captors or foreigners, the detection of a criminal Achan, the selection of the scapegoat on the day of atonement, and the appointment of persons to office as in the choice of an apostle,—in all these cases the lot was used, but always with solemn reference to the interposition of God. We have no information as to the precise manner of casting lots; several modes may have been practiced. Among the ancients, with whom the use of the lot was very general, it was considered as a sort of appeal to the Almighty, free from all influence of passion or bias. Among the heathen, the choice
of a champion in combat, the decision of fate in battle, the appointment of magistrates, priests, or other functionaries, the division of conquered or colonized land, was done by lot. There was a mode of divination with pagans by means of arrows, two inscribed and one without mark; and among the Germans the practice of deciding by marks on twigs, as mentioned by Tacitus. The Greeks and Romans were accustomed to divine events by marking various lots with a prophetic verse. Also, on opening the works of the poets, they considered the passage which they first saw as an oracle. The Bible has been used in the same way, the use of words or passages chosen at random from Scrip ture being received as a token of the divine will. Soles Biblie.% prevailed among Jews and among Christians, though denounced by several councils. Election by lot prevailed in the Chnstian church as late as the 7th century.
LOT, a biblical character, son of Harau, the brother of Abraham, and the grandson of Terah. The events of his life will be found in Gen. xi.–xix. After the death of Tenth, Abra.harn and Lot journeyed from Haran to Canaan, and thence into Egypt; and again returned to Bethel, where they accumulated great wealth, until, quarrels arising between their servants, separation was agreed upon. Lot crossed the Jordan and dwelt near the wicked city of Sodom, which afterwards was destroyed on account of its fearful depravity. Lot, warned of the Lord, fled to Zoar. From Zoar, Lot retreated to a eaVe in the mountains, and became the father of Moab and Ben-ammi, from whom descended the Moabites and Ammonites. This nephew of Abraham is set forth in Scripture as a man of low moral tone—falling into evil through self-seeking.