biblical allusions - aplit

Adam and Eve

Allusions to the Garden of Eden may include: fig-leaf, apple, Eden, serpent, humanity, sin, mortality because of sin. Eden is the perfect garden. The serpent is a symbol of a negative force, even evil. Adam and Eve are cast out once they eat the “forbidden fruit.” Giving into the serpent’s temptation, Eve takes the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, eats it, and then gives it to Adam.

Cain and Abel

Cain and Abel were sons of Adam and Eve. After God accepted Abel’s offering and had no regard for Cain’s, Cain killed his brother Abel. God cursed Cain to be a “wanderer of the earth,” and marked Cain so that no one who comes upon him may kill him.

Noah and the flood

God floods the world, symbolizing his intolerance for sin, and new beginning. Noah builds an ark and gathers two of every animal. Only those on the ark survive the flood (God’s love toward Noah and his family). The dove and the rainbow symbolize God’s promise that he will never flood the world again.

Tower of Babel

Symbolizes the Humbling of humanity; man’s futile attempt to work their way to heaven by building a tower is seen as too ambitious by God, hence he destroys the tower. Babel symbolizes God’s power over man, and the creation of the different languages by God.

Abraham

A story about faith - God commands Abraham to kill his oldest son, Isaac. Abraham begins to, then God saves Isaac since Abraham proved his faith and obedience. Abraham makes a covenant with God. This marks the beginning of the Jewish / Christian and Muslim faiths, father of the Jews and Muslims.

Lot and his Wife

Sodom and Gomorrah are cities of debauchery, and God destroys them.

God has mercy on Lot in saving his family from his wrath. They are not supposed to look back at the destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and when Lot’s wife does look back she is turned into a pillar of salt.

Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael

Sarah is Abraham’s wife. She is barren (she later gives birth to Isaac). Abraham has a child with Sarah’s handmaid, Hagar (the hierarchical structure of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale is based on this). Hagar gives birth to Ishmael. Sharah banishes Hagar and Ishmael into the desert. Mohammad (the Muslim prophet) is a descendant of Ishmael.

Isaac and Rebecca

They are the parents of Jacob and Esau.

Rachel and Leah and Jacob

They are sisters and both marry Jacob. He is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. He steals his brother’s (Esau) birthright (primogeniture) by tricking Esau into trading a bowl of porridge for his birthright. Jacob also wrestles tieh and angel and then changes his name to Israel. Jacob’s ladder is a ladder from Heaven that he climbs and hears the voice of God.

Joseph

coat of many colors, sold into Egypt, Potiphar’s wife, Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph is a visionary and tells the Pharaoh what his dreams mean. Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and the favorite of his father,

Jacob. He is the son of Isaac and Rebecca. He steals his brother’s (Esau) birthright (primogeniture) by tricking Esau into trading a bowl of porridge for his birthright. Jacob also wrestles tieh and angel and then changes his name to Israel. Jacob’s ladder is a ladder from Heaven that he climbs and hears the voice of God.

Moses

burning bush, Aaron’s rod (magically turns into a snake before the Pharaoh), Passover and the 10 plagues, crossing and parting of the Red Sea, 10 commandments, leader to the Promised Land, Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt to land of Milk and Honey.

Samson

jawbone of an ass. Samson fights with the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.

Ruth and Naomi

Naomi is Ruth’s mother-in-law. Naomi’s sons die and she returns to Bethlehem. Ruth is loyal to Naomi and goes with her. Ruth meets a man named Boaz.

David, Goliath, Jonathan, Bathsheba, Absalom, King of Israel.

The messiah is descended from this line (the kingly line). (According to Matthew who appears in the New Testament Jesus is this messiah). David is the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel. He is also considered the author of The Book of Psalms. According to the Muslim tradition he was a prophet. He fights Goliath a giant and wins. Jonathan is Saul’s son and he and David are friends. Jonathan helps David escape from the Philistines. Absalom is David’s son who betrays his and begins a war against David. Bathsheba (a married woman) is seduced by David and gives birth to Solomon -- she is often alluded to as a woman who emasculates men.

Solomon

Wise man - when two women were fighting over custody of a baby, he suggested that the baby be cut in half. One woman said, “okay” while the other did not want to hurt the baby. This is how Solomon determined that the woman who did not want to harm the baby would be a better mother and she got custody. Solomon is the son of David and some of the psalms are attributed to Solomon.

Ahab and Jezebel

Ahab built a pagan temple, under Jezebel’s guidance and Elijah warned Ahab that this was a bad idea. Ahab did it anyway and was seen as a bad or even evil king.

Elijah

a prophet

Job

a devout and faithful man. Satan wants to make Job suffer to prove to God that when Job suffers he will curse and denounce God. God allows Satan to make Job suffer. Job remains faithful and instead of cursing God, Job curses the day he was born. The book of Job is considered to be the poetic masterpiece of the Bible.

Daniel

allusions include- writing on the wall, lion’s den...the lion whisper. Daniel was a faithful man who prayed three times a day. He had enemies. His enemies saw to it that a law was passed against prayer. Daniel was arrested and thrown into the lion’s den where he made friends with them and survived.  The men who accused Daniel were thrown into the lion’s den along with every member of their family and were torn apart before they even hit the ground.  David interprets dreams for the pharaoh and becomes his favorite.

Mary and Joseph

Mary is the mother of Jesus; her symbolic color is blue. God is the father. Joseph is Mary’s husband. They have to go to Bethlehem for the Roman census of Quirinus (which was a census of Judea) and cannot find a place to spend the night. They sleep in a manger where Jesus is born. Three wise men follow a bright star to the manger and give gifts to the baby. Angels appear to shepherds and declare the birth of a Savior in Bethlehem, and the shepherds go to see the baby.

Marriage in Cana

Jesus turns water into wine at this wedding. The exact location of Cana is in dispute.

Sermon on the mount and the Beatitudes

Beatitudes are the blessings given by Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the persecuted for the righteousness’ sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5

Miracles

Jesus performs miracles

Mary and Martha

Lazarus is their brother. They are the first to greet Jesus when he arrives to help Lazarus. But he is too late, Lazarus is already dead. Martha blames Jesus for Lazarus’ death, and then Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Raising of Lazarus

Lazarus dies. Jesus is on his way to heal Lazarus but arrives too late. He then resurrects him.

Prodigal son

A man has two sons. The younger son, after wasting his fortune (the word prodigal means ‘wastefully extravagant’), repents and returns home, where the father holds a feast to celebrate his return. The older son refuses to participate, stating that in all the time the son has worked for the father, he didn't even give him a goat to celebrate with his friends. His father reminds the older son that everything the father has is the older son’s (the law of primogeniture), but that they should still celebrate the return of the younger son as he has come back to them. It is the third and final part of a cycle on redemption, following the Parable of the lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin.

Feeding of 5,000 or five loaves and two fish

A miracle Jesus feeds 5,000 people from five loaves and two fish.

Walking on Water

an archetypal miracle appearing in many cultures. Jesus, too, walks on water. Men are fishing in a storm and Jesus walks on water to show them not to be afraid. The men get lots and lots of fish. This phrase comes to mean overcoming or facing an impossible task.

Parable of talents

The parable in Matthew 25 : 14-30 tells of a master who was leaving his home to travel and before going entrusted his property to his servants (property worth 8 talents, where a talent was a large unit of money). One servant receives five talents, the second two talents, and the third one talent, according to their respective abilities. Returning after a long absence, the master asks his servants for an accounting. The first two servants explain that they have each put their money to work and doubled the value of the property they were entrusted with, and so they are each rewarded. His lord said to him, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” The third servant however, has merely hidden his talent in a hole in the ground, and is punished for being lazy.

Judas and Kiss

39 pieces of silver hanged- Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss, and Jesus knows he will do this. Judas is paid 39 pieces from the Romans. He tries to give the money but the Romans will not take it. Judas hangs himself because he feels so guilty.  

Good Samaritan

A man (who may or may not be Jewish) walking along the road is beaten up and left for dead. A priest walks by as do other prestigious people. No one helps him. Then a Samaritan finds him and instead of leaving him, he helps him. This is significant because the Samaritans and the Jews did not get along, yet the Samaritan helps him anyway.

Last Supper, Bread and Wine

It is Passover. Jesus and the Apostles are having Passover dinner when Jesus informs his disciples that he will die and that this is the last time that he will taste the fruit of the vine until he is in heaven. Jesus compares his body to bread and his blood to wine, giving bread and wine to his disciples and saying ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Garden of Gethsemane

Where Jesus prays to God expressing his apprehension then takes a cup and says, “Thy will be done.” He accepts his upcoming death. This is where the Romans arrest him before the crucifixion.

Pontius Pilate

Allusions include what is truth and handwashing. Pontius Pilate does not want to deal with Jesus’ case. Pontius Pilate asks the people who they want to release and they say Barabbas. Pilate also questions Jesus about truth and does not find him guilty, but other false witnesses testify against him and they find him guilty.

Barabbas

Is the criminal who is released.

Golgotha

Translates to hill of skulls. Golgotha receives its name because it is the hill where the Romans crucified people and it is littered with skulls. Jesus, too, was crucified on Golgotha in between two criminals.

Calvary, last words

Jesus’ last words on the cross include, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Calvary is another name for Golgotha.

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ most celebrated disciples and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. He cleansed her of ‘seven demons,’ conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses. She became Jesus’ close friend and most prominent during his last days, being present at the cross after the male disciples (exempting John the Beloved) had fled, and at his burial. She was the first person to see Jesus after Resurrection, according to both John 20 and Mark 16

Doubting Thomas

Thomas the apostle doubted Jesus’ resurrection and demanded to feel his wounds. This phrase has come to mean someone who will refuse to believe something without direct, physical, personal evidence.

Peter

Holds the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. He also denies having known Jesus when he was alive (three times).

Pentecost

Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Twelve apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-31). For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as the “Birthday of the Church.”

Stephen

First Christian Martyr

Hagiographies

saints legends

Saul

Witnesses Stephen’s martyrdom. He changes his name to Paul after having a vision on the road to Damascus. Paul the Apostle (c. AD -c AD 67 variously referred to as the Apostle Paul or Saint Paul) also known as Saul of Tarsus is perhaps the most influential early Christian missionary. The writings ascribed to him by the church from a considerable portion of the New Testament. The influence on Christian thinking of the epistles ascribed to him has been significant due in part to his association as a prominent apostle of Christianity during the spreading of the gospel through early Christian communities across the Roman Empire.

Armageddon

the site of a battle during the end times variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the word scenario.

Second coming

In Christianity the second coming of Christ (Jesus) the second advent, sometimes the parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven where he sits at the right hand of God.

New Jerusalem

Literally. In the book of Ezekiel, the Prophecy of New Jerusalem (or city where God is there (Jehovah - shammah) also titled Heavenly Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation as well as Zion in other books of the Bible is Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of a city to be established to the south of the Temple Mount that will be inhabited by the twelve tribes of Israel in the Messianic era. The prophecy is recorded by Ezekiel as taking place on Yom Kippur of the year 3372 of the Hebrew calendar. There are various metaphorical interpretations. One is that New Jerusalem is a place in heaven where people are fused with the Divine. Crime and Punishment refers to New Jerusalem and the future utopia here on earth.