Abraham and Lot

Historical Records

Henslowe's Diary

Res at abrame & lotte the 9 of Jenewarye 1595	……….	lij^s
Res at abram & lotte the 17 of Jenewarye 1595	……….	xxx^s
Res at abrame & lotte the 31 of Jenewarye 1595	……….	xij^s

Theatrical Provenance

Abraham and Lot was one of twelve plays performed by the earl of Sussex's players at the Rose playhouse in mid-winter, 1594. Ten of the twelve plays, including Abraham and Lot, were not marked with Henslowe's enigmatic "ne"; thus it and the other nine plays similarly unmarked were likely to have been in Sussex's repertory prior to their appearance at the Rose (hence the date assignment of 1593). Abraham and Lot disappears from theatrical records in England following its performance at the Rose on 31 January 1594.

Probable Genre(s)

Biblical History (Harbage)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

The narratives of Abraham and Lot are linked from the beginning in that the men were kin (StudyLight). Their intertwined narrative is told in Genesis 11:27-19:29. It begins with the family connection to Tarah, who had three sons: one was Abraham; another was Haron, Lot's father (Lot was thus Abraham's nephew).

"These are the generations of Tarah: Tarah begat Abram, Nachor, and Haran: Haron begat Lot" (Genesis 11:27).

Lot's story ends rather sordidly in the aftermath of Sodom and Gomorrah, with the bed tricks played on Lot by his two daughters (Genesis 19:30-38). Abraham's story continues with a child-bearing theme also: Sarah barren, yet Isaac born. It culminates in the test of faith made famous in the Corpus Christi plays of the sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19).

Plausibly dramatic episodes in which Abraham and Lot are linked:

• Canaan and Sichem: When Tarah took Abraham and his wife, Sarah, from Ur to Haran in Canaan, he took Lot also: "And Tarah toke Abram his sonne, and Lot the sonne of Haran his sonnes sonne, and Sarai his daughter in lawe his sonne Abrams wyfe, and they departed together from Ur of the Chaldees, that they myght go into the land of Chanaan: and they came vnto Haran, and dwelt there" (Genesis 11:31). After some time (Abraham was by now seventy-five), God told Abraham to leave Haran to establish a great nation in a new land; he took not only Sarah and their household but also Lot and their collective following (Genesis 12:5). In this new place (Sichem), Abraham built an altar where God had appeared to him: "And the Lorde appearyng vnto Abram, sayd, Unto thy seede wyl I geue this lande: And there buylded he an aulter vnto the Lorde whiche appeared vnto hym" (Genesis 12:7). However, famine came. To find relief, Abraham traveled to Egypt with Sarah and perhaps also Lot (the biblical narrator isn't clear on this): " … therfore went Abram downe into Egypt, that he myght soiourne there, for there was a greeuons famine in the lande" (Genesis 12:10).

• Egypt: In Egypt, Abraham, to avoid being killed, deceived the Pharaoh by presenting Sarah as his sister, not his wife. Uncovering the deceit, the Pharaoh threw Abraham and Sarah out of the kingdom.

• The Return to Canaan: Abraham and Sarah went southward from Egypt to the site where Abraham had built the altar, and Lot is with them then (Genesis 13:1). Without explaining exactly how, the biblical narrator says that now Abraham and Lot were very rich with livestock silver, gold, and tents: "And Abram was very ryche in cattell, in siluer, and in gold" (Genesis 13:2); "Lot also whiche went with Abram, had sheepe, cattell, and tents" (Genesis 12:5).

• Sodom and Gomorrah

• Abraham and Lot go their separate ways:

And it came to passe, that when God destroyed the cities of that region, he thought vpon Abraham, and sent Lot out from the middest of the ouerthrow, when he ouerthrewe the cities, in one of the whiche Lot dwelled.

References to the Play

Critical Commentary

For What It's Worth

Works Cited

The Bishops' Bible, 1568. (StudyLight)

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