The Infamous Citizens of Sodom.

Some of the rabbinical legends descriptive of the singular customs of the infamous citizens of Sodom are exceedingly amusing—­or amazing.  The judges of that city are represented as notorious liars and mockers of justice.  When a man had cut off the ear of his neighbour’s ass, the judge said to the owner:  “Let him have the ass till the ear is grown again, that it may be returned to thee as thou wishest.”  The hospitality shown by the citizens to strangers within their gates was of a very peculiar kind.  They had a particular bed for the weary traveller who entered their city and desired shelter for the night.  If he was found to be too long for the bed, they reduced him to the proper size by chopping off so much of his legs; and if he was shorter than the bed, he was stretched to the requisite length.[65] To preserve their reputation for hospitality, when a stranger arrived each citizen was required to give him a coin with his name written on it, after which the unfortunate traveller was refused food, and as soon as he had died of hunger every man took back his own money.  It was a capital offence for any one to supply the stranger with food, in proof of which it is recorded that a poor man, having arrived in Sodom, was presented with money and refused food by all to whom he made his wants known.  It chanced that, as he lay by the roadside almost starved to death, he was observed by one of Lot’s daughters, who had compassion on him, and supplied him with food for many days, as she went to draw water for her father’s household.  The citizens, marvelling at the man’s tenacity of life, set a person to watch him, and Lot’s daughter being discovered bringing him bread, she was condemned to death by burning.  Another kind-hearted maiden who had in like manner relieved the wants of a stranger, was punished in a still more dreadful manner, being smeared over with honey, and stung to death by bees.

   [65] Did the Talmudist borrow this story from the Greek
        legend of the famous robber of Attica, Procrustes, who
        is said to have treated unlucky travellers after the
        same barbarous fashion?

It may be naturally supposed that travellers who were acquainted with the peculiar ways of the citizens of Sodom would either pass by that city without entering its inhospitable gates, or, if compelled by business to go into the town, would previously provide themselves with food; but even this last precaution did not avail them against the wiles of those wicked people:  A man from Elam, journeying to a place beyond Sodom, reached the infamous city about sunset.  The stranger had with him an ass, bearing a valuable saddle to which was strapped a large bale of merchandise.  Being refused a lodging by each citizen of whom he asked the favour, our traveller made a virtue of necessity, and determined to pass the night, along with his animal and his goods, as best he might, in the streets.