Happy Labor Day! And yes, I know it’s traditionally the Labors of Hercules, but last week’s blog post about silent film versions of the Samson saga got me thinking. I decided to put together a brief look at the various deeds of Samson from different sources.
*** Covering the distance between Zorah and Eshtaol in a single leap.
*** Uprooting two “mighty” trees with his massive strength.
*** Moving two formerly separate mountains together to form one single “new” mountain.
*** Never abusing his power as a Judge to benefit himself in any way, unlike the other Judges.
*** Slaying a lion while on his way to visit his intended Philistine bride Zorah (like the city). In some versions his parents were with him to finally meet the woman they disapproved of for their son.
*** Using the tableau of the bees who made a honeycomb in the remains of the lion as the root of his wedding day riddle. None of the guests could guess the solution to the riddle until his new bride leaked it to them, angering Samson.
*** Slaying 30 men in Ashkelon to raise funds to pay his wedding guests after they solved the riddle.
*** While warring with the Philistines on behalf of his fellow Jews, Samson let loose 300 foxes with flaming tails among the crops of the Philistines in order to burn all those crops.
*** Obtaining the jawbone of the dead ass which Abraham rode to Mount Moriah.
*** Using that jawbone of an ass as a weapon in war. In Islamic sources Samson uses the jawbone of a camel. Esoteric sources depict Samson using the jawbone of a bull.
*** In addition to his many lesser battlefield victories over Philistine armies, slaying 1,000 to 1,100 Philistines with the ass’ jawbone in a single battle at Lehi.
*** Quenching his thirst after that battle by drinking water that God caused to spring forth from desert rocks. Other versions have God cause water to spring forth from Samson’s own teeth. Islamic sources have the water spring forth from the camel’s jawbone that Samson used as a weapon.
*** When the Philistines try trapping and killing Samson by barring the Gaza city gates while Samson is inside the city, he tears the gates off their hinges and carries them away with him to Hebron. In some sources he also uproots the posts and takes them with him. Other sources conflate the uprooting of the posts with the uprooting of two mighty trees in Samson’s youth.
*** After Delilah’s betrayal, pulling down the Temple of Dagon, crushing himself to death along with 3,000 of his Philistine captors.
*** Being brought back to life by Allah in the Islamic sources, having his eyesight restored and being sent forth to wander the world waging jihad for 1,000 months. In some versions the 1,000-month jihad is set during his life before Delilah betrays him into the hands of the Philistines.
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Logged, thank you sir!
Very well done, Balladman. Very well, indeed.
Thank you very much!
Great posts as always. I have never heard about Samson before but he definitely seems to be a fascinating character. The character’s strength, combined with his victories on the battlefield remind me a lot of heroes in comic books. For instance, Samson reminded me a lot of Superman. This may seem like a far-fetched comparison but the two characters share similarities. I am a fan of Superman and love the way he has been adapted in movies. For instance, I love the 1978 film introducing Superman on the big-screen. Christopher Reeves was phenomenal.
Here’s why I recommend it if you haven’t already seen the movie:
Thank you very much! Your Superman review is great!
Would like to be #62 but wordpress has disabled my ability to express *
That happens to more and more of us it seems!
WordPress still permits me to Like comments just on the original stories.
I understand.
Beautifully written ! Well shared on Labor day 😊
Thanks so much for the kind words!
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Ha ha 😂 flower 🌹 doesn’t make sense to you 😒! 🙄🙄😐😐🤕🤕🤕
You win!
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Ha!
An enjoyable post. Well published. I wish you good luck, happiness, and success, my dear brother
Thank you very much and the same to you!
🌹🙏🏼🥰Thanks
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