allusions

joseph and his brothers

In Genesis, Joseph was the eleventh of Jacob’s sons. His brothers became jealous of him and sold him into slavery He accurately interpreted the pharaoh’s dream of seven lean cattle swallowing up seven fat cattle to mean that famine would follow years of plenty. The pharaoh heeded his warning, grain, was stored, and Egypt was saved. Joseph ultimately forgave his brothers and shared grain with their tribes.

joseph and Potiphars wife

In Genesis, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph. When he refused, she accused him of attempted rape, and he was imprisoned. He was released by the pharaoh in order to interpret his dream.

joseph in Egypt 

Joseph was made governor of all the lands of Egypt, shared grain with his brothers’ tribes, and brought about the migration of Jacob and his family to Egypt.

jovial 

good humored; from the word Jove, used to express surprise or agreement (Jupiter)

judas iscariot

One of the original twelve Apostles, he betrayed Jesus by selling him out for thirty pieces of silver and identifying him with a kiss. Later he committed suicide. Regarded as the prototype of the ultimate betrayer.

judgement of paris

In Greek mythology, a beauty contest was held to determine the fairest of the goddesses. Paris, the handsomest man in the world, was the judge; the contestants were Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite (representative of greatness, prowess in battle, and love, respectively). Angered at not being invited to Thetis’ wedding, Eris, the goddess

of discord, threw an apple marked “To the Fairest” into the gathering, provoking the goddesses to fight over it. Paris ultimately chose Aphrodite and was promised the love of Helen in return. This sparked the events that lead to the Trojan War. Consider similar events in “Snow White” (“Mirror. Mirror, who is the fairest?”); the apple as fruit of discord; the disastrous choice of love and beauty over less ephemeral attributes. Consider also the following similarities between Paris and Oedipus: both were exposed on a hillside as infants to protect their fathers; both were rescued by shepherds; both were cursed by fate.

junoesque

marked by stately beauty; comes from the word Juno, the wife of Jupiter, the Goddess of light, birth, women, and marriage

labors of hercules

In Greek mythology, Hercules had to perform 12 fabulous tasks of enormous difficulty becoming immortal: killing the Nemean lion; killing the hydra; capturing the hind of Artemis; killing the man-eating Stymphalian birds; capturing the oxen of Geryon; cleaning the Sugean stables; capturing the Cretan bull; capturing the horses of Diomedes; capturing the girdle of Hippolyta (queen of the Amazons); killing the monster of Gorgon; capturing Cerberus;and taking the golden apples of Hesperides.

laius

 In Greek mythology, Laius was the father of Oedipus and the original husband of Jocasta. Killed by Oedipus in fulfillment of the oracle, Laius is a major figure in the Laius-Jocasta-Oedipus myth in which the son kills his father and takes his place as both king and husband. The tale is symbolic of the inevitable usurpation of father by son, a familiar theme in folklore.

lamb to the slaughter

Originally, in Isaiah’s prophecy, this was the servant of the Lord who took the sins of his people on himself and sacrificed himself for their expiation, much as actual goats or lambs were sacrificed. In the New Testament, Christ is frequently referred to as the sacrificial lamb. The Christian belief is that he atoned fro the sins of all men by taking them upon himself and sacrificing his life in fulfillment of Isaiah’s very specific prophecy.

land of milk and honey

The original expression, "a land flowing with milk and honey", is a Biblical reference to the agricultural abundance of the Land of Israel. The first reference appears in Exodus 3:8 during Moses's vision of the burning bush: "And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites." (KJV)

last supper

The Last Supper was Jesus’ last meal with his disciples before his crucifixion. Virtually every aspect of the story has both literal and symbolic associations. During this dinner, Christ instituted a number of sacraments, especially Communion, in which bread and wine after transubstantiation become the “body and blood” of Christ. In consuming the bread and wine, followers of Christ accept him as their savior.

lazarus

 In the New Testament, he is the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, whom Jesus raised from the dead after four days, prefiguring the resurrection. Lazarus is symbolic of one who lives after a declared death.

leda

 In Greek mythology, Zeus is said to have come to Leda in the shape of a swan to father four legendary children: Castor, Clytemnestra, Pollux, and Helen. The story of Leda and the swan is a favorite theme of artistsfrom Michaelangeloto Dali.

lethargy

 n., abnormal drowsiness or inertia; from the word Lethe, a river in Hades that caused drinkers to forget their past

Lilies of the field:

lion lies down with the lamb

In Isaiah, this is the classic image of the idyllic harmony and universal peace of the earthly paradise that will come into being when the Messiah arrives.

loaves and fishes

In Matthew, Christ multiplied five loaves of bread and two fishes into a sufficient amount to feed a crowd of 5,000 (not counting women and children). When all had eaten their fill, there were still 12 baskets of scraps left over.

lot/lots wife

In Genesis, Lot was a moral inhabitant of the sinful city of Sodom. A nephew of Abraham, Lot escaped the destruction of the city by the angels of the Lord. Abraham had argued with the Lord over his intended destruction of the innocent along with the guilty. Lot and his family were warned of their impending doom, but his sons-in-law “thought he were joking.” Lot took his wife and daughters and fled. God warned them not to look back, but Lot’s wife

could not resist, and was turned to a pillar of salt. The tale of Lot’s wife is illustrative of the idea that God punishes those who are disobedient.

know them by their fruits:

In Matthew, Christ warns against wolves in sheep’s clothing. He instructs his followers to

know them by their fruits: “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”

This injunction entreats us to judge others by their actions, rather than appearances.

lilies of the field

In Matthew, this is used as an example of the way God cares for the faithful. If he “dresses” the lilies so beautifully, surely he will provide raiment for his children.