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Samson: from a comparative mythology perspective

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
Since I am neither Jew nor Christian, and this is unsolicited, I'll keep this short: Samson is like Hercules.

(If you want a more detailed analysis, please ask. Otherwise, feel free to ignore. It can be a rather disturbing rabbit hole to go down.)
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Since I am neither Jew nor Christian, and this is unsolicited, I'll keep this short: Samson is like Hercules.

(If you want a more detailed analysis, please ask. Otherwise, feel free to ignore. It can be a rather disturbing rabbit hole to go down.)
As opposed to Atlas? What about Atlas?
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
As opposed to Atlas? What about Atlas?
Have you noticed that when the angel Gabriel shows up, noteworthy people (heroes of old) are born, including Samson. Hercules was a son of Zeus, and also struggled with his strength and violence.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Have you noticed that when the angel Gabriel shows up, noteworthy people (heroes of old) are born, including Samson. Hercules was a son of Zeus, and also struggled with his strength and violence.
Where in Samson's story is Gabriel mentioned?
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
Have you noticed that when the angel Gabriel shows up, noteworthy people (heroes of old) are born, including Samson. Hercules was a son of Zeus, and also struggled with his strength and violence.
Are you thinking of the angel that wrestles with Jacob, too? (Genesis 32) Jacob wrestles with the angel, and then Jacob's name is changed to Israel. The same angel appears in chapter 35 just before Benjamin is born to Rachel (who dies in the process). The angel reconfirms his name is now Israel, and then Rachel gives birth to his twelfth son.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
Since I am neither Jew nor Christian, and this is unsolicited, I'll keep this short: Samson is like Hercules.

Well there is Fenrir and Loki, that were bound, and I'm sure other gods were as well, probably in the Roman or Greek pantheon. Probably many other stories, broadly, describe the capture of gods when magically some their power is stripped, the world over
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
Are you thinking of the angel that wrestles with Jacob, too? (Genesis 32) Jacob wrestles with the angel, and then Jacob's name is changed to Israel. The same angel appears in chapter 35 just before Benjamin is born to Rachel (who dies in the process). The angel reconfirms his name is now Israel, and then Rachel gives birth to his twelfth son.
I never made that connection. Thanks. (Actually, wasn't she pregnant when they left Laban's? Jacob did say let the person who stole the household gods die.)
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
I never made that connection. Thanks. (Actually, wasn't she pregnant when they left Laban's? Jacob did say let the person who stole the household gods die.)
She was not pregnant but menstruating, and that was how she hid valuables beneath her own body.

These may have been gods, but someone suggested to me that they may have been contracts. Possibly land contracts. It is a tenuous argument, however why would she steal these things if they had no value. Why would Laban come looking for them if they did not?

One of the answers on the hermaneutics section on stack exchange says that these gods are what give the daughter's husband claim to her father's land.
What are the teraphim (household gods) Rachel stole from Laban?
 

crossfire

LHP Mercuræn Feminist Heretic ☿
Premium Member
Are you thinking of the angel that wrestles with Jacob, too? (Genesis 32) Jacob wrestles with the angel, and then Jacob's name is changed to Israel. The same angel appears in chapter 35 just before Benjamin is born to Rachel (who dies in the process). The angel reconfirms his name is now Israel, and then Rachel gives birth to his twelfth son.
Hmm. Later on, the Tribe of Benjamin was nearly wiped out due to their "Sodom & Gomorrah" type of behavior.
 

Wandering Monk

Well-Known Member
Since I am neither Jew nor Christian, and this is unsolicited, I'll keep this short: Samson is like Hercules.

(If you want a more detailed analysis, please ask. Otherwise, feel free to ignore. It can be a rather disturbing rabbit hole to go down.)

The story of Samson and the lion seems to connect with Hercules.
 
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