Biblical Allusions AP Literature

Adam and Eve

the frst man and woman; she's created from a rib taken from him. They live in bliss in the Garden of Eden until Eve is persuaded by a Serpent into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, which she then ofers to Adam. After they eat, they realize they're naked and become ashamed. God (with some help from the Archangel Gabriel and his faming sword) expels them from Eden as punishment; often referred to as the "fall from grace," or "loss of innocence."

Anti-Christ

the Anti-Christ is the antagonist of Christ who will appear before the Second Coming, claiming to be Christ, and make serious trouble until Christ actually appears and defeats him, probably at the battle of Armaggedon, a great battle between the forces of good and evil that is to occur at the end of the world. Armaggedon now means any great and decisive battle

Cain and Abel

the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was older and a farmer; Abel was a shepherd. They made oferings to God, who liked Abel's lamb better than Cain's wheat. Cain was jealous and slew Abel, for which he was forced to roam as an outcast, with a horrible mark on his forehead that showed that he killed his brother. He said, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Daniel

a young Hebrew prophet who prayed even when the king had ordered that no one pray. For this, he was thrown into a lion's den, where he should have been killed. Instead, God saved him and he came out of the lion's den unhurt. A symbol of God's protection and the rewards of faith.

David

a young boy who had the courage to fght the huge enemy, Goliath, whom he killed with a slingshot. He became king and was quite good, except for lusting after a married woman (Bathsheba), whose husband he then sent to the front lines to get conveniently killed so David could marry her. They became the parents of Absalom and Solomon

Eden

earthly paradise for Adam and Eve

Goliath

a huge warrior of the Philistines who was killed by a boy (David) with a slingshot; a symbol of great power that can be overpowered.

Good Samaritan

a famous New Testament parable, that appears only in the Gospel of Luke (10:25-37). The parable is told by Jesus to illustrate the precepts that a person's fitness for eternal life is defined by his or her actions, that compassion should be for all people, and that fulfilling the spirit of the Law is more important than fulfilling the letter of the Law. Jesus tells a parable about a traveler who was attacked, robbed, stripped, and left for dead by the side of a road. Later, a priest saw the stricken figure and avoided him, presumably in order to maintain ritual purity. Similarly, a Levite saw the man and ignored him as well. Then a Samaritan passed by, and, despite the mutual antipathy between his and the Jewish populations, immediately rendered assistance by giving him first aid and taking him to an inn to recover while promising to cover the expenses. By extension, a Good Samaritan is a generous person who is ready to provide aid to people in distress without hesitation.

Herod

the king of the Hebrews who ordered John the Baptist beheaded for Salome's reward and who ordered all Jewish males under age two killed to prevent the "King of the Jews" from overthrowing him.

The Holy Grail

the dish, plate, cup or vessel used by Jesus at the Last Supper, said to possess miraculous powers. It has long been the object of fruitless quests. By extension, the object of an extended or difficult quest.

Jezebel

the wife of Ahab (a king of Israel), notorious for her evil and vicious actions.

Job

a symbol of loyalty and faith in God. God and Satan made a bet as to whether or not Job would curse God, no matter what bad things occurred. God gave Satan free rein to test Job; everything bad happened that could possibly and still Job didn't curse God. Eventually, god won the bet and gave Job back all the things he had lost.

John the Baptist

born before Jesus and announced his coming. Baptized Jesus and was one of his followers. After Jesus's death, he was captured by Herod for preaching Jesus's word. Salome danced for Herod, who offered her any gift in payment for her wonderful dancing. She requested the head of John the Baptist, which was delivered to her on a sliver platter

Jonah

a Hebrew whom God commanded to go to Nineveh to tell the people there to stop sinning. He didn't want to and tried to escape by boat, but God made a great storm. When the others on board realized that Jonah was the person God was mad at, they threw him overboard. He was then swallowed by a "great fish" (whale). He lived inside it for several days, repented, and was regurgitated on the beach. He then went quickly to Nineveh and followed God's orders. A symbol of learning the hard way.

Judas Iscariot

one of the twelve original disciples of Jesus. He sold out to the Romans for thirty pieces of silver. He kissed Jesus in public so the Romans would know which man was Jesus and could arrest him. The "kiss of Judas" is an act of betrayal, especially one that looks like a loving action

Lazarus

a man whom Jesus raised from the dead, even though he had been buried for three days. A symbol of Jesus's power and of possibilities.

Mary Magdalene

a prostitute who came to hear Jesus preach and was accepted by him and became a devout follower. Initially, his other followers were shocked, but he said, "Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone," so they shut up. She is a symbol of the absolute possibility of repentance and acceptance by God. She is referred to in the Bible as the "favorite" disciple.

Noah

After receiving a message from God, Noah built an ark, on which all the animals on the earth went, two by two, to escape drowning in the great food, which lasted 40 days and 40 nights.

Paradise Lost

(1167) an epic poem by the 17th century English poet John Milton. The poem concerns the Christian story of the rise of Man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden.

Prodigal Son

a wastrel who returns home and is welcomed with open arms. His brother, who had remained home to serve their father, is angry and jealous of the wastrel's warm reception. Symbolizes the benevolence and generosity of God's (or anyone's) forgiveness; unconditional love

Samson and Delilah

He had great strength because he had never cut his hair (he was a Nazarite, his life consecrated to the Lord). She was from the enemy tribe (the Philistines) and became his mistress and then betrayed him by cutting his hair while he slept. The Philistines captured and blinded him, but Samson eventually found enough strength to destroy his enemies by pulling down the pillars of the temple they were all in, even though doing so meant that he would die too

Sodom and Gomorrah

According to the Bible, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah — called as a group The Cities on the Plain - were destroyed by God for their sins. Before it was destroyed, a virtuous couple, Lot and his wife, were advised by God to leave the city immediately and not look back. Lot's wife submitted to temptation and, as she looked back on the city, she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Solomon

king of the Hebrews, known for his wisdom. When two women appeared before him, both claiming that the same baby belonged to both of them, he ordered it cut in half so that each woman could have half. The woman who screamed not to cut the baby was given it, since Solomon determined that she must really love it, since she did not want it to die.