Introduction
Ben-Ammi is the son of Lot and his younger, unnamed daughter, born after the destruction of Sodom, explicitly identified in Genesis 19:38 as "the ancestor of the Ammonites of today". The Ammonites, tracing their origin to this episode, occupied territory east of the Jordan and appear repeatedly throughout the rest of the Hebrew Bible, generally in a relationship of rivalry or conflict with Israel.
Family
- Mother: Younger daughter of Lot
Origin and name
Ben-Ammi's name is directly explained in the text as meaning "son of my people" or "son of my kinsman", and his conception, following his elder sister's example, is recorded as part of the same brief episode in Genesis 19 explaining the origins of both the Moabites and Ammonites from Lot's line.
Later significance
The Ammonites, descended from Ben-Ammi, feature in later biblical narratives including conflicts recorded in the books of Judges and Samuel, and are generally portrayed as among Israel's more persistent regional adversaries, in contrast to the more mixed portrayal given to their related people, the Moabites.