AP Lit Biblical Allusions -- Old Testament

Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden

may include: fig-leaf, apple, serpent, humanity, sin, mortality because of sin. The perfect garden. The serpent is a symbol of a negative force, even evil. __________ are cast out once they eat the "forbidden fruit." Giving into the serpent's temptation, ____ takes the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, eats it, and then gives it to _____

Cain and Abel

Sons of Adam and Eve. God accepted one's offering and had no regard for the other. Killed his brother. God cursed him to then be a "wanderer of the earth," and marked him 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. ____ builds an ark and gathers two of every animal. Only those on the ark survive the flood (God's love toward _____ 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. Symbolizes God's power over man, and the creation of the different languages by God.

Abraham

A story about faith and sacrifice - God commands him to kill his oldest son, Isaac. He begins to, then God saves Isaac since he proved his faith and obedience. He 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 ___ in saving his family from his wrath. They are not supposed to look back at the destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and when ____'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

the parents of Jacob and Esau.

Rachel and Leah

are sisters and both marry Jacob. He is the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Joseph

Coat of many colors, sold into Egypt, Potiphar's wife, Pharaoh's dream, was a visionary and tells the Pharaoh what his dreams mean. Ssold into slavery by his brothers and the favorite of his father, Jacob. He is the son of Jacob and Rachel.

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. Also wrestles tieh and angel and then changes his name to Israel.

____ 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

Fights with the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.

Ruth and Naomi

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

This is the first book in The Bible where women are the main characters and have a positive image.

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

The messiah is descended from the line of David (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" the other did not want to hurt the baby. This is how he determined that the woman who did not want to harm the baby would be a better mother and she got custody. Son of David and some of the psalms are attributed to him

Elijah

a prophet: challenged Ahab and his pagan priests on Mount Carmel. God sent down fire to ignite a sacrifice, but the priests of Baal could not summon Baal to do the same. Then the people realized that God was the only true God (1 Kings 18:18-39). Then rains came and ended the drought.

Job

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

Ahab and Jezebel

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

Daniel

writing on the wall, lion's den...the lion whisper. He 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. He was arrested and thrown into the lion's den where he made friends with them and survived. The men who accused him were thrown into the lion's den along with every member of their family and were torn apart before they even hit the ground. Interprets dreams for the pharaoh and becomes his favorite.