casting lots
Fate by chance
Casting lots is an ancient method of making decisions or settling disputes by random selection—drawing marked objects, throwing dice, or similar means.
The practice appears throughout religious and historical texts as a way to determine divine will or allocate property fairly: They cast lots to divide the inheritance.
The phrase survives mainly in biblical and literary contexts.
- dice rollingCasting numbered cubes
- roll of the diceRandom chance outcome
- auguryOmen interpretation practice
- random selectionChoosing without systematic bias
- random chanceUncontrolled probability
luck of the draw · divination · Urim and Thummim · divine will · prophecy · lots · drawing straws · oracle · ritual · providence · fate · geomancy · coin toss · gambling · wheel of fortune · Matthias · casting stones · straws
- random selection methodsraffle, coin flip, coin toss, dice roll, ticket draw
- divinationdivination, fortune telling, fortune-telling, fortune teller, tarot
- Passion playspassion plays, crucifixion, crucifixion scene, Stations of the Cross, crown of thorns
- PurimPurim, Esther, Mordecai, Haman, hamantaschen
- Biblical Supernaturalsorcery, witchcraft, magic, demons, exorcism
- JonahJonah, whale, Nineveh, swallowed, three days
casting lotsdeliberate choice
Decision made on purpose
weighing options · strategic planning · cost-benefit analysis · informed decision · rational choice