Lot's wife... A pillar of salt?

Genesis 19 speaks of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot was warned by two angels to take his family out of the city (Genesis 19:12).

Genesis 19:15

Genesis 19:15 KJV

"And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed."

Genesis 19:23

Genesis 19:23 KJV

"The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. (24)Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; (25) And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. (26) But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."

How did Lot's wife become a pillar of salt?

"This remarkable happening is stated matter-of-factly, with no suggestion that it was a special miracle or divine judgment. Lot’s wife "looked back" (the phrase might even be rendered "returned back" or "lagged back") seeking to cling to her luxurious life in Sodom (note Christ’s reference to this in Luke 17:32,33) and was destroyed in the "overthrow" (Genesis 19:25,29) of the city. There are many great deposits of rock salt in the region, probably formed by massive precipitation from thermal brines upwelling from the earth’s deep mantle during the great Flood. Possibly the overthrow buried her in a shower of these salt deposits blown skyward by the explosions. There is also the possibility that she was buried in a shower of volcanic ash, with her body gradually being converted into "salt" over the years following through the process of petrifaction, in a manner similar to that experienced by the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum in the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
- Henry Morris (taken from: "The Defenders Study Bible")

Genesis 19:28 KJV "And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."

Why haven't we found Lot's wife?

The place that Lots wife killed was never meant to be a memorial - she perished as the result of God's judgment. Her body was reduced to ash and salt - That whole area is now salt - its not just one tiny pillar somewhere so we wouldn't expect to find one human shaped mound or anything. The bible warned that they would "be consumed." Genesis 19:17 KJV

What was the name of Lot's wife?

Question:"A colleague asked me for the name of Lot's wife. I have searched through all of my resources but with no success; she is simply called "Lot's wife." Do you know her name?"
Beverly (8/7/01)

AnswerNo where in scripture is Lot's wife mentioned by name. There may be some (extra-biblical) historical account somewhere that names her specifically.

A reader emailed me to tell me that: "There was a question (answer) on Jeopardy referring to Lot's wife and as a salty character and said her name was Ildeth. This particular show aired on March 24, 2004"

This may be her name, but the bible doesn't tell us for sure.

Luke 17 gives us an important message about the coming return of Christ

Luke 17:28-33

Luke 17:28-33 KJV

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; (29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. (30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (31) In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. (32) Remember Lot's wife. (33)Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it."

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