Sarcophagus of Eshmunazar II, King of Sidon AO 4806 Sully room 17 a The Phoenician inscription which features on this Egyptian-crafted Sarcophagus is a priceless mine of information about the history of the Persian Empire. The text undoubtedly makes allusion to Xerxes I, the “king of kings”. The king recalls here that his mother was “priestess of Ashtart, our Lady” and that his dynasty has built temples dedicated to the “goddess Ashtart and to the god Baal of Sidon”.
Some of the foreign women that Solomon married were Sidonian and they led this king to go after Ashtoreth, the hideous goddess of fertility (1 Kings 11:1-6). Despite their corrupt worship, the Sidonians were not as reprehensible as rebellious Israel, which knew what the Law prescribed. Jesus declared that this “would be more bearable” for them, and for the country of Sodom, on Judgement Day than for the Jews who rejected him as the Messiah. - Matthew 11:20.
Lot Flees inv 1760 Richelieu 2nd floor room 21 One of the rare paintings that Rubens signed and dated. Lot’s wife, by disobeying a divine order and turning round to look, was to be changed into a pillar of salt - Genesis 19:26
The biblical subject is taken from Genesis (19:30-38): fearful of remaining alone on Earth without being able to perpetuate their people after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s daughters got their father drunk so that he might commit double incest. See also Lot and His Daughters Guercino inv 75 Denon 1st floor room 12
