Biblical Allusions
101
The beginning of what
you should know to
become a competent
student of literature.
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Abraham
Archetypal patriarch.
One of the most important figures of
the Old Testament
Considered the father of the Hebrew
people and the ancestor of all Jews is
referred to as “the father of many
nations” in Genesis 17:5 (Manser 3)
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Abraham
His name is often invoked as a image of
patriarchal values or wisdom or as a
sign of fertility as in Thomas Hardy’s
1886 The Mayor of Casterbridge:
“ In the latter quarter of each year cattle
were at once the mainstay and the
terror of families about Casterbridge
and its neighbourhood, where breeding
was carried on with Abrahamic
success.”
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Abraham
“Genesis tells how God made a covenant,
or agreement, with Abraham. God
promised Abraham that He would be
faithful to the people of Israel, who must
serve Him and obey His laws.
In turn, Abraham would become the father
of a great nation, and God promised
Abraham a land “flowing with milk and
honey.”
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Abraham
“Abraham left his homeland in
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and
traveled to the “Promised Land” of
Canaan.
For many years, Abraham had no
children, and wondered how God’s
promise could be fulfilled.
But when Abraham was 100 years old,
his wife Sarah gave birth to their son
Isaac.” (Wilkinson 76)
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Abraham’s bosom
The Christian’s paradise; heaven as a restful
abode of the blessed dead.
The phrase comes from Luke 16:19-31, in
which Jesus relates the parable of Lazarus and
the rich man: “The beggar Lazarus died, and
was carried by angels into Abraham’s bosom.”
It has been suggested that the image of
leaning on the bosom of a friend may related
to the classical custom of reclining on a
friend’s chest when dining (hence the
expression “bosom buddy”)
In Shakespeare’s Richard III, “The sons of
Edward sleep in Abraham’s bosom” (Manser 3)
A Abraham’s Supreme Test
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An ultimate challenge or sacrifice
The reference is to God’s command to Abraham to
sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burned offering on
Mount Moriah.
Abraham readily agreed to comply and was about to
kill Isaac with his knife when God, satisfied that
Abraham’s faith was genuine, intervened by providing a
ram caught in a thicket to take Isaac’s place (Genesis
21:1-19; see also Romans 4; Hebrews 11:8-19; James
2:20-26) (qtd. in Manser 3)
Example: The president faces his own version of
Abraham’s supreme test, being forced to choose
between instinctive loyalty to his vice president or to
his own political principles.
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Adam and Eve
Adam is described as the first man in Genesis
Eve was created from a rib taken from Adam as
he slept
When Adam, led astray by Eve, led astray by a
serpent/Satan, ate from the forbidden Tree of
Knowledge Adam’s curse from God was that he
must earn his bread “in the sweat of thy face,”
Eve’s curse was that she must bear children in
sorrow
They were both banished from Eden in this fall
from innocence, or original sin.
As their descendants, we all inherit these curses.
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Absalom
Archetype of a rebellious son, especially one who
meets a tragic end.
Absalom is identified in 2 Samuel 12-18 as the third
son of King David, remarkable for his great beauty and
adored by both his father and his people.
Unfortunately, he sided with Ahithophel in rebellion
against David and was consequently slain by Joab after
getting his long hair entangled in the branches of a
tree while trying to escape.
David’s grief over his slain son was overwhelming and
gave rise to the famous lament, “O my son Absalom,
my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for
thee!” (2 Samuel 18:33.)
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Absalom
From Anne Bronte’s 1848, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall:
“Sometimes, the worthy gentleman would reprove my
mother for being over-indulgent to her sons, with a
reference to old Eli, or David and Absalom, which was
particularly galling to her feelings.”
 Title of William Faulkner’s novel, Absalom, Absalom!
Which attempts to expose the moral crises which led
to the destruction of the South. It is the story of a
man determined to build a dynasty and a story of
love and hatred between races and families, it is also
explores how people relate to the past.
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Adam’s Rib
Genesis 2:21-23
“And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon
Adam and he slept: and He took one of his
ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib which the Lord God had taken
from the man, made He a woman, and
brought her unto the man
And Adam said, “This is now the bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be
called Woman, because she was taken out of
man.”
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Adam’s Rib
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Hebrew:
ishshah=woman,
ish=man
This story is the
origin of the false
notion that men
have one fewer rib
than women
It is a lightly
sarcastic term for
woman
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The first season of the
Christian year
The four weeks before
Christmas are known as
Advent, the festival of the
coming of Jesus.
In many churches, a special
candle is lit on each Sunday
until the four form a circle.
Children have advent
calendars, which mark the
days from the first day of
December until Christmas
Day. (Wilkinson 94)
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The Apocrypha
The Apocrypha is a collection of uninspired,
spurious books written by various
individuals. The Catholic religion considers
these books as scripture just like a Biblebeliever believes that our 66 books are the
word of God, i.e., Genesis to Revelation. We
are going to examine some verses from the
Apocrypha later in our discussion.
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The Apocrypha
At the Council of Trent (1546) the Roman Catholic
religion pronounced the following apocryphal books
sacred. They asserted that the apocryphal books
together with unwritten tradition are of God and are to
be received and venerated as the Word of God. So now
you have the Bible, the Apocrypha and Catholic Tradition
as co-equal sources of truth for the Catholic. In reality,
the Bible is the last source of truth for Catholics.
Catholic doctrine comes primarily from tradition stuck
together with a few Bible names. In my reading of
Catholic materials, I find notes like this: "You have to
keep the Bible in perspective." Catholics do not believe
that the Bible is God's complete revelation for man.
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The Apocrypha
The Roman Catholic Apocrypha Tobit
Judith
Wisdom
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
First and Second Maccabees
Additions to Esther and Daniel
Apocryphal Books rejected by the Catholic
Religion:
First and Second Esdras
Prayer of Manasses
Susanna*
Source: (“Why the Apocrypha Isn't in the Bible”)
A Apostles/
Disciples
It was common practice in the ancient
world to chose a gathering of students,
disciples, to follow an instructor around,
listen to his teachings, and then pass the
sayings and words on to others
 The endurance of Jesus’ teachings is a
great testament to his choice of
followers
 There were twelve: symbolically
significant—traditional number of tribes
in Ancient Israel
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Apostles: Fishermen
When Jesus first calls the fishermen, he
simply says, “Come, follow me, and I will
make you fishers of men” (Mark 1:17)
This phrase resulted in the symbol of the fish
being used as a symbol of Christianity and as
a secret code during times of persecution
The Greek letters for the word “fish” became
an acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Savior.”
If changing the world is frustrating
business…what better choice than fishermen?
A Apostles: Fishermen
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1st: Peter, sometimes called Simon or
Cephas (both Peter and Cephas mean
“rock” in Greek and Aramaic; Jesus
gave him this name)
2nd: Andrew, Peter’s brother
3rd and 4th: James and John, brothers
whom Jesus affectionately calls “the
sons of thunder,” in recognition of
their temperaments.
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Apostles: Tax Collector
5th: Levi, also called Matthew (reputed
author of the gospel by that name)
Odd choice maybe, few professions
were more despised than tax
collectors
To impugn Jesus’ character, people
would say that he consorted with “taxgathers and sinners”
Jesus’ retort, “It is not those who are
well who need a physician, but those
who are sick” (Luke 5:31)
A Apostles: The Zealot
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Many of Jesus’ followers were zealous about
Israel’s ancestral traditions, and by
implication, the removal of foreign rule and
religion from Israel.
For many, only the overthrow of Rome would
do
Thus, Jesus’ choice of the Zealot Simon (6th)
demonstrates that no one is excluded from
God’s kingdom because of ideological
orientation
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Apostles
7th Phillip: Perhaps brother of Bartholomew,
if his alternate name is Nathanael
8th Bartholomew: Seemingly the same
person as Nathanael in John’s gospel
9th Thomas: Best known as Doubting
Thomas, for doubting Jesus’ resurrection—
depicted in the following Caravaggio
painting, The Incredulity of St. Thomas.
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Apostles: St. Thomas
Also known as Saint Thomas Putting his
Finger on Christ's Wound. Thomas is one of
Jesus' twelve apostles. When Jesus shows
himself to his followers after his resurrection,
Thomas refuses to believe that this man
really is his master. He demands evidence.
Jesus shows him the wound caused by a
Roman soldier's lance before his crucifixion.
He invites Thomas to put his finger on it.
Caravaggio shows that Thomas soon casts
aside all doubt.
Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of St.
Thomas.
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Apostles
10th James: Different from James the
brother of John
11th Thaddaeus: Also called Judas,
though not the same person as Judas
Iscariot
12th Judas Iscariot: the disciple who
betrays Jesus
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Apostles /Women
Though his “Apostles” were all men, women
played a significant role in Jesus’ ministry
Women supported them financially
Women were present at the crucifixion
when the men had fled for their lives
Women were the first to testify to the
resurrection
Jesus’ honor and respect for women is
evident in many acts.
This was in direct opposition to Hebrew
attitudes of the time
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Ark of the Covenant
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Ark of the Covenant
“A box carried by poles and containing the
tablets of the law given by God to Moses. It
accompanied the Israelites in their
wanderings and was regarded as a
palladium for protection against their
enemies (I Samuel 5).
It was so charged with numinous power that
to touch it, even accidentally, brought
instant death; the walls of Jericho fell down
before it (Joshua 6:4-12).
A Ark of the Covenant
Solomon placed it in the temple at
Jerusalem, where it remained until
the Babylonian captivity;
 Thereafter nothing more is heard of
it, and the Holy of Holies of the
Second Temple was empty.
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Ark of the Covenant
modern synagogues, the Ark is
a chest or closet facing the
congregation and containing the
Torah.
 In proverbial usage, “to lay hands
on the Ark” is to treat sacred
things irreverently. (Lass,
Kiremidjian, and Goldstein 16-17)
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Ash Wednesday
The first day of Lent is called Ash
Wednesday
It gets its name from a ritual in which the
priest uses ashes to make the sign of the
cross on worshipers’ forehead as an
indication that they have repented for their
sins
The use of ash is a reminder that people
are no more than ash compared with God
And that Christians depend on God’s grace
for their salvation
The ash used in this ritual traditionally
came from burning the previous year’s
palm crosses
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Baal
“The male consort of
Ashtoreth (or Astarte) and
the god of fertility of the
Canaanites and Phoenicians,
Baal has come to represent
the false pagan worship to
which the Israelites fell
prey.” (Lass, Kiremidjian,
and Goldstein 22)
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Babel/ Tower of Babel
The story of the tower of Babel in the land
of Babylonia preserves confused memories
of the Babylonian ziggurats, great towers in
the shape of stepped pyramids, used for
ancient sanctuaries.
Here the tower is a symbol of man’s
aspiring arrogance, rebuked by God
The name Babel (literally “the gate of God”)
is a Hebrew rendering of the name Babylon
In modern English, Babel simply means a
noisy confusion
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Babel/Tower of Babel
“And the whole earth was of one language,
and they said, “Go to, let us build us a city
and a tower whose top may reach
heaven…And the Lord said, Behold, the
people is one, and have all one language;
and this they begin to do…let us go down
and there confound their language that
they may not understand one another’s
speech…Therefore is the name of it called
Babel” (Genesis II: 1-9)
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The grand luxurious
and wicked city on
the Euphrates River,
the place to which
the Jews were exiled.
References to it occur
throughout The Bible
Refers today to
grandeur, wickedness
and wealth.
Babylon
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Babylon, Scarlet Whore of
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The whore who sits upon a scarlet-colored
beast with seven heads and ten horns, a
cup of admonitions in her hand, and written
on her forehead the words, “Mystery,
Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots
and Admonitions of the Earth” (Revelation
12:1-7)
In John’s allegory she represented the
Roman Empire
Some Protestant exegesis interprets her as
the Roman Church
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Beatitudes
Jesus offered these words of wisdom in
Matthew 5:3-12. This list is known as the
Beatitudes, and is intended to suggest the
righteous life and the qualities valued by
God.
The message of Jesus was one of
humility, charity, and brotherly love.
He taught transformation of the inner
person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a
positive sense, virtues in life which will
ultimately lead to reward.
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Beatitudes
Love becomes the motivation for the
Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an
eschatological meaning, that is, they
promise us salvation - not in this world,
but in the next.
The Beatitudes initiate one of the main
themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the
Kingdom so long awaited in the Old
Testament is not of this world, but of the
next, the Kingdom of Heaven.
(The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus)
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Matthew 5:
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Beatitudes
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
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Beatitudes
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your
reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before
you.
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Beelzebub
Beelzebub in the Gospels
Ba'al-zebub, also called Beelzebub or Beelzebul is
known as the 'prince of demons'. In the Synoptic
Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), it's who the
Pharisees accused Jesus of being because he could
cast out demons. For instance:
"The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,
'He is possessed by Beelzebul,' and 'By the prince
of demons he drives out demons.' - Mk 3:22
"This man drives out demons only by the power of
Beelzebul, the prince of demons." - Mt 12:24
"Some of them said 'By the power of Beelzebul,
the prince of demons, he drives out demons." - Lk
11:15
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Beelzebub
Beelzebub in the Testament of
Solomon
In the Testament of Solomon (1st-3rd
centuries CE), Solomon learns that
Beelzeboul is one of the fallen angels who
destroys by means of tyrants, causes
demons to be worshiped, arouses desires in
priests, brings about jealousies and
murders, and instigates wars. The other
demon he refers to as being imprisoned in
the Red Sea is the one-winged demon,
Abezethibou, Moses' adversary in Egypt.
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Beelzebub
Beelzebub as in The Lord of the
Flies
Ba'alzebub's name derives from the
Canaanite "Baal" meaning "lord," and
he is known as the Lord of the Flies.
(“Beelzebub” Part I)
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Blood and Body
Blood and Body of Christ, see
Eucharist
B
Blood Symbolism
In terms of this usage blood becomes a
symbol of sacrifice, purification, and
redemption.
• It is important to note, however, that in
The Bible, blood has other symbolic
meanings; the meaning that it
represents depends upon what sort of
blood it is, where it is, who touches it,
and how it is utilized.
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Blood Symbolism
Blood symbolizes the moral order in
terms of cult (purity and pollution;
Lev 16:18-19; 1 John 1:7)
Law (culpability, Exod 22:2-3; Acts
5:28)
Covenant/contract-making
(participation, Exod 24:8; Matt
26:28)
Power (God's possession; Gen 9:6;
Ezek 44:7)
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Blood Symbolism
Its physical properties are manifested in
terms of its liquid quality (Deut 12:16; Rev
16:3-4)
– its ability to stain (Isa 63:2-3)
– its color (2 Kgs 3:22; Rev 6:12)
– and its symbolism of life-force (Lev 17:11;
Matt 16:17)
– birth (Sir 14:18; Heb 2:14)
– menstruation (Lev 20:18, Mark 5:25)
– wine (Deut 32:14; Mark 14:23-24)
– cosmic food (Ezek 44:7)
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Burning Bush
Instrument
through which
God called
Moses for
service, see
Moses.
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Cain & Abel
The first fratricide
Reference to “The
Curse of Cain” are
sometimes to that
killing,
But mostly the curse
of wandering
friendless without
hope of reentering of
paradise.
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Cain & Abel
It also can be a reference to the
physical mark placed on Cain—read
physical corruption symbolizing moral
corruption.
Jealousy is obviously the catalyst for
the murder, and the story can be seen
as cautionary.
Additionally the land of “nod” should
be interpreted as “wandering.”
The text of “Genesis” 4 follows.
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Cain & Abel
Genesis 4:
1 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she
became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.
She said, "With the help of the LORD I
have brought forth a man."
2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the
soil.
3 In the course of time Cain brought some
of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the
LORD.
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Cain and Abel
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4 But Abel brought fat portions from
some of the firstborn of his flock.
The LORD looked with favor on
Abel and his offering,
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5 but on Cain and his offering he did
not look with favor. So Cain was
very angry, and his face was
downcast.
6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are
you angry? Why is your face downcast?
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Cain & Abel
7 If you do what is right, will you not be
accepted? But if you do not do what is
right, sin is crouching at your door; it
desires to have you, but you must master
it."
8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's
go out to the field." And while they were in
the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel
and killed him.
C
Cain & Abel
• 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your
brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my
brother's keeper?"
•10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen!
Your brother's blood cries out to me from the
ground.
•11 Now you are under a curse and driven from
the ground, which opened its mouth to receive
your brother's blood from your hand.
•12 When you work the ground, it will no longer
yield its crops for you. You will be a restless
wanderer on the earth."
C
Cain & Abel
• 13 Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment
is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are
driving me from the land, and I will be hidden
from your presence; I will be a restless
wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me
will kill me."
• 15 But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if
anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance
seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark
on Cain so that no one who found him would
kill him. 16 So Cain went out from the LORD's
presence and lived in the land of Nod, east
of Eden. (New International Version, Gen. 4:1-15)
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Calvary
The hill of Calvary, or Golgotha, where
Christ was crucified. From the Latin
Calvaria, “skull.” Symbolic of a place of
agony. (Lass, Kiremidjian, Goldstein 38)
Luke 23:33 (New International
Version)
When they came to the place called the
Skull, there they crucified him, along with
the criminals—one on his right, the other
on his left.
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“Camel through the eye of a needle”
See “Eye of a Needle”
C
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Christ
Land of Canaan
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Coat of Many Colors
Otherwise known as the
“Technicolor Dream Coat” in
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim
Rice’s 1968 musical
Given to Joseph by his father Jacob
He was Rachel’s first-born
The coat was a symbol of affection
and preference
The jealousy aroused in his older
brothers (they had to wear plainold sheepskin) led them to sell
Joseph into slavery
They stained his coat with blood,
brought it to Jacob and told him
Joseph had been eaten by a wild
animal.
C
Communion
C
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Covenant
In Exodus 21-24 “The Book of the
Covenant” is described.
After the Ten Commandments, this
was the first installment of laws for
the Hebrew Nation.
They were written in a book.
Then the Covenant to Obey was
sealed with blood.
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Covenant
Mobs. Justice. Consideration for
animals.
Bribes. Strangers. Sabbath. Sabbatical
Year. Passover. Feast of Harvest.
Feast of Ingathering.
A kid not to be boiled in its mother’s
milk
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Covenant
No covenant with Canaanites
Obedience will be rewarded.
Laws about: Slavery, Death for
Murder, Kidnapping, or Cursing
Parents.
Eye for Eye Compensation
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Covenant
Stealing, Damage to crops, restitution
Seduction. Sorcery. Cohabitation with
an animal.
Idolatry. Kindness to Widows and
orphans.
Lending. Pledges. Curse not a ruler.
First-fruits and First-borns. False
Reports.
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David
A person noted for his wisdom, courage, chastity,
or skill as a musician.
He was a hero, born the son of Jesse, who slew
the giant Goliath and eventually became king of
Judah and Israel.
According to the Gospel of Luke, he was also an
ancestor of Christ.
The link between David and chastity alludes to the
story of aged David sharing his bed with a young
woman named Abishag so that she might chastely
warm his body with hers: “The damsel was very
fair and cherished the king, and ministered to
him: but the king knew her not” (I Kings 1:4)
D
David
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His musicianship, as related in 1 Samuel
16:23 “…when the evil spirit from God was
upon Saul, that David took an harp and
played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed,
and was well, and the evil spirit departed
from him.”
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In Charlotte Bronte’s 1847, Jane Eyre, “You
make me feel as I have not felt these twelve
months. If Saul could have had you for his
David, the evil spirit would have been
exorcised without the aid of the harp”
D
David and Bathsheba
D
David
D
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Delilah
The seductress responsible for
discovering the secret that Samson’s
great strength lay in his long hair.
While he slept, she cut his hair and
betrayed him to the Philistines, who
blinded and imprisoned him (Judges
16:1-21)
By extension, any treacherous woman
D
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Den of Thieves
When Jesus threw the money
changers out of the temple, he
accused them of making the house of
prayer into a den of thieves (Matthew
21:12-23; Mark 11:15-17; Luke
19:45-46)
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Devil
Symbolic “devils”
and the human
flaws that they
represent are a
long standing part
of human culture
and therefore
frequently appear
(knowingly or
unknowingly) in
our literature and
elsewhere.
D


Devil “Archetype”
In literature, film, poetry,
etc., the devil archetype
may be a conscious or
unconscious need to
define the origin of evil
and place that
originating point outside
ourselves.
By personifying evil, we
seek to limit and define it
in manageable terms.
We can also define
human frailty, courage or
faith.
“Pandemonium” from
Dante’s Inferno
D





Devil
Also known as The Fallen Angel, Lucifer, Belial, the evil
one, the ruler of demons, the enemy, the ruler of this
world, Beelzebub, Old Scratch, Mephistopheles, the
prince of darkness, the serpent, and Satan.
Was one of the greatest of the angels.
He rebelled against God and was hurled from heaven
down to hell where he became Satan, the Devil and
incarnation of evil
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 23, Babylonian and Phoenician
kings are condemned for pride, as descriptions about
Satan
The name Lucifer comes from a Latin translation of
Isaiah 14:12, in which the Babylonian king is linked to a
fallen Morning Star call in Latin Lucer ferre “bearer of
light”
D
Devil
Milton elaborated the story of Satan in
Paradise Lost
 In the following quote, Satan laments his
loss and attempts to sooth himself in
rationale:
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can
make a heav’n of hell, a hell of heav’n.”
 His bitterness is obvious in a later quote:
“Better to reign in hell, than serve in
heav’n.”
D





Devil
The Hebrew name Satan actually means
adversary, as does the Greek word “diabolos” from
which we get “Devil”
In the earlier writings of the Hebrew Bible Satan is
less an individual character than a symbol of the
adversarial position occupied by both humans and
angels:
The word satan is used for a human potential
adversary in the Philistine army (I Samuel 29:4)
And two kings God raises to be Solomon’s
adversaries (I Kings 11:14, 23)
An angel of the Lord is called satan when he
blocks the path of Balaam (Numbers 22:22,32)
D
Devil / References
From The Crucible, Reverend Hale
"Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell,
God thought him beautiful in Heaven." Rev. Hale
referencing The Fallen Angel.
"She sometimes made a compact with Lucifer, and
wrote her name in his black book..." Mary Warren
speaking of Lucifer, making Faustian deals
 From “The Most Dangerous Game”
"Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to
the devil himself and ask him for a light.” Allusion
demonstrates the hyperbolic bravery of the captain.
 Basis for: Faust, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” “The Devil
and Daniel Webster,” “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,”
“The Life You Save May Be Your Own”

D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil


In the 15th century
(1587?) the real-life
story of Georgius of
Helmstadt or Dr. Johann
Georg Faust took place.
His story was circulated
as an autobiography and
indicated that he had
made a deal with the
Devil in return for his
success and knowledge
prior to death.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

Christopher Marlowe
was a contemporary
of William
Shakespeare.
Reportedly inspired
by the story of Dr.
Johann Georg Faust,
he wrote a morality
play titled Dr.
Faustus.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

In Marlowe’s story,
Faustus sells his soul
to a demon named
Mephistopheles who
grants him rare and
forbidden knowledge
as well as serving
him and granting
him vast magical
abilities.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

After selling his soul,
Faustus is granted
24 years before
Lucifer (the Devil)
will come for his
soul. Ultimately he
finds his bargain to
be an empty one,
but he does not
repent in time.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

In the end, Faust
loses in his “Faustian
bargain” with the
devil and his soul is
forced to suffer an
eternity in Hell.
Despite this, he is a
sympathetic figure
who was striving for
answers to life’s
greatest questions.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

Modern versions of the
“Faustian bargain”
might result in either a
win for the Devil and
eternal damnation for
the person who makes
the bargain, or the
devil is outsmarted,
usually on a technicality
(and often by a
“country bumpkin” or
simple-minded peasant
who is smarter than he
looks.
D Devil / References
“Faustian” Bargain with the Devil

The “Faustian bargain” often includes:
 A fulfillment of desires, not only that, but a QUICK AND
EASY fulfillment.
 Surrendering a part of yourself: Your soul or sacrificing
something that has an effect on a soul such as the fate ofa
loved one.
 The pact leads to material power / benefits in the short
term.
 The bargain alienates, lessens, corrupts and eventually
destroys the individual.
 The effects of this have dire consequences on the whole
community.
 Things are never the same once the pact takes place and
the “victim” rarely is happy with the terms of the bargain in
the long run.
 The pact emphasizes the Biblical concept of free will, where
a person is free to choose his or her own destiny… even if it
is a bad decision.
D Devil:

Other Modern Translations
The film “Star Wars”
is a metaphorical
deal with the devil
as Darth Vader
experiences a fall
from grace in return
for power. He is
redeemed at the
last moment before
his death by his
son.
D

Devil: Other Modern Translations
In a Halloween
episode of “The
Simpsons,” Homer
sells his soul for a
donut, and the story
closely parallels that
of “The Devil and
Daniel Webster”.
Flanders as the Devil
D


Diaspora
For Many centuries, but especially
since the deconstruction of the Second
Temple in CE 70, Jews have been
dispersed around the world.
This Diaspora has occurred as a result
of war and exile, but also through
travel and commerce.
D

Dove
In modern usage
the dove and the
olive branch are
signs of peace and
non-aggression—
the dove is an
advocate for nonbelligerent foreign
policy
D





Dove
In Genesis, Noah sent forth a dove from the
ark.
The dove returned with an olive branch in her
mouth
This, because olives don’t grow in low
altitudes, was a sign that the flood waters had
receded.
This, in turn, was a sign of God’s abating
wrath.
So, the dove was a sign of the reconciliation
and peace between God and man
E
•
•
•
•
Easter
Easter is the festival of Christ’s
arrest, trial, crucifixion, and
resurrection.
It takes place in the spring
Since Christians believe that
Jesus’ death will bring eternal
life to all believers, Easter is
the most important of all
Christian festivals.
Peeps and the Easter bunny are
post-Christian inventions.
E



Ecstasy
Certain saints, and some prophets, are said
to have experienced ecstasy.
This religiously inspired feeling can include
states of frenzy, inspiration, and a state of
bliss where a person feels he or she is
transcending the body.
In such mystical states, prophets claim to
receive message from God or the saints,
and temporarily achieve union with the
divine
E





Eden
As in the Garden of Eden is described as an
earthly paradise in the Book of Genesis
The locale of the brief life of innocence and
grace of Adam and Eve before Satan
tempted them to taste the forbidden fruit of
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
causing their fall into sin.
After they ate of this fruit, they were
banished from the garden of paradise to a
land “east of Eden”
Today the term signifies any blissful and
perfectly innocent place or state of being.
See Tree of Life
E




Eucharist
Otherwise known as “Holy Communion”
It is the practice of taking in unleavened
bread=body of Christ and wine=blood of
Christ
This practice was begun at the Last Supper,
which was a Passover or Pesach meal
Christ announced that his death was
coming soon and offered the bread (after
he had blessed it) and wine to his apostles
with the preceding associations explained
E




Exile
During the seventh century BCE the
Babylonians conquered much of the Middle
East.
The Jewish state was destroyed and its
leaders lived in exile in Babylon.
But the Jews clung to their faith and,
eventually, when the Persians defeated
Babylonia, they were allowed to return to
their homeland and rebuild their temple in
Jerusalem. (Wilkinson 84)
See Diaspora
E


“Eye for an Eye”
Lex Talionis “principle of retaliation,”
from Mosaic Law (Exodus 21:23-24;
Leviticus 24: 19-20; Deuteronomy
19:21)
In its original context, the lex talionis
was not an expression of
vindictiveness so much as an attempt
to set limits of vengeance.
E


“Eye for an Eye”
Jesus’ sermon on the mount
injunction to “turn the other cheek,”
does not deny the law but extends it
Today the expression is used to refer
to any harsh and primitive system of
justice that requires retribution to be
exactly equal to the crime.
E
“Eye of the Needle”
E
“Eye of the Needle”
F

The Fall
The Fall has become a metaphor for
any fall from a favorable place. It is
the Biblical explanation for why life
can never be perfect for humanity. It
refers specifically to Adam and Eve’s
(original humans and representatives
of humanity) fall from God’s grace as
a response to their disobedience of
God’s strict orders to avoid the fruit of
the “tree of knowledge.”
F
The Fall
The two, and the rest of us, were then
knowledgeable and so death, pain,
shame, and suffering were introduced into
the world. The message of the story is
very similar to that of the Greek story of
Pandora.
Be aware of the characters who receive
blame, and what punishments are
assigned—put together the symbolic value
of those things.

F
The Fall

It’s origin is Genesis 3:

1 Now the serpent was more
crafty than any of the wild animals
the LORD God had made. He said to
the woman, "Did God really say, 'You
must not eat from any tree in the
garden'?"
F




The Fall
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We
may eat fruit from the trees in the
garden,
3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit
from the tree that is in the, and you
must not touch it, or you will.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent
said to the woman.
5 "For God knows that when you eat of
it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil."
F



The Fall
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also
desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate
it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with
her, and he ate it.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and
they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig
leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the
LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God
among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God
called to the man, "Where are you?"
F




The Fall
10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden,
and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
11 And he said, "Who told you that you were
naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I
commanded you not to eat from?"
12 The man said, "The woman you put here with
me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and
I ate it."
13 Then the LORD God said to the woman,
"What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me,
and I ate."
F


The Fall
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent,
"Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity between you and
the woman, and between your offspring [a]
and hers; he will crush [b] your head, and
you will strike his heel."
F


The Fall
16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in
childbearing; with pain you will give birth
to children. Your desire will be for your
husband, and he will rule over you."
17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened
to your wife and ate from the tree about
which I commanded you, 'You must not eat
of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
F



The Fall
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for
you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat
your food until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are and to dust you will
return."
20 Adam [c] named his wife Eve, [d]
because she would become the mother of
all the living.
F

The Fall
21 The LORD God made garments of skin
for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22
And the LORD God said, "The man has now
become like one of us, knowing good and
evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his
hand and take also from the tree of life and
eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God
banished him from the Garden of Eden to
work the ground from which he had been
taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he
placed on the east side [e] of the Garden of
Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing
back and forth to guard the way to the tree
of life. (New International Version, Gen. 3:1-24)
F
Fires Within Fires

"There are wheels within wheels in this
village, and fires within fires!" –

In Act I of The Crucible, Goody Putnam
There are many levels of witchcraft that
are at work--referencing Ezekiel
Characterize the vision
Irony of Putnam’s certainty vs. E’s lack of
clarity in the passage


F
The Great Flood
F

•
•
Forty
Symbolism
According to the Bible, it is the number of
the waiting, the preparation, the test or the
punishment. Also the Bible often resorts to
the number 40 when starts a new chapter
of the history of the salvation. On the other
hand, forty would indicate the duration of a
generation or a long period, whose we
ignore the exact length.
Symbolize the death with oneself and the
spiritual rebirth.
F
•
•
Forty
According to R. Allendy, "it is the achievement of
a cycle in the world, or rather the rhythm of the
cyclic repetitions in the Universe".
According to saint Augustin, forty expresses the
perfection "because the Law was given in ten
commandments, then it is through the whole
world that the Law has been preached, and the
whole world is composed of four parts, Orient
and Occident, South and North; therefore, by
multiplying ten by four, we obtain forty. Or well,
it is by the four books of the Gospel that the Law
is accomplished."
F
•
•
•
•
Forty
The number 40 is used 98 times in the
Bible.
The number 1 under its cardinal form is
used 40 times in the Gospel of saint John.
The number 40 is used 5 times in the
Koran. (Koran II,48, V,29, VII,137, X,17
and XLVI,14)
The term "city of David", designating
Jerusalem, appears 40 times in the OT.
(Properties of the number 40)
F
•
•
•
•
Forty
Forty days and nights of the great flood.
Forty days of Jesus’ sojourn into the
wilderness during which fasted and was
tempted by Satan. And he sojourned 40
days after the resurrection
It is 40 years after the crucifixion of the
Jesus Christ that Jerusalem was taken by
the Romans and that the Temple was
destroyed.
The body of Jesus remained 40 hours in the
sepulcher.
F
•
•
•
•
•
•
Forty
Jesus received 40 blows of whip during his
whipping, according to visions of Maria Valtorta.
Forty days of Lent.
Moses fled at 40; was in Midian 40 years, was in
the mount 40 days
Israel wandered 40 years
The spies were 40 days in Canaan
Elijah walked 40 days and 40 nights before to
reach the Horeb mount. He fasted during 40
days before to begin his public ministry and he
remained 40 days on the Carmel mount.
F
•
•
•
•
•
•
Forty
40 days respite was given to Nineveh
Othniel, Deborah and Barak, and Gideon
are said to have judged Israel 40 years
Ehud ruled Israel twice 40; Later Eli
judged 40 years
Saul, David and Solomon each reigned 40
years
During 40 day Goliath defied David.
The reign of Joash lasted 40 years in
Jerusalem. (2 Ch 24,1)
F
•
•
•
•
•
Forty
The 40 emissaries of Canaan.
The 40 years of repentance of Adam after
his corrupt practice.
Forty is the number of chapters of the book
of the Exodus of the Old Testament.
Jesus preached for 40 months.
Saint John takes care 40 hours near to the
body of the Very Holy Virgin Mary before
her Assumption to the Sky.
F
•
•
•
Fire and Brimstone
Reference is to hell, from St. John
the Divine in Revelations 21:8.
It is often an allusion to sermons,
and or mindsets that reflect a belief
that fear of eternal damnation is a
motivator for avoiding sin.
Typically associated with the God of
the Old Testament.
G

Galilee
Jesus grew up in the area called
Galilee, in Northern Palestine. He was
probably educated in the synagogue
school and learned Joseph’s trade of
carpentry. When he was around 30,
he began to preach and teach in the
Galilee area. (Wilkinson 88)
G
•
•
Golden Calf
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, the
Israelites had made an idol of a golden calf from
jewelry by Aaron, and were worshiping it.
Angered by these actions, Moses broke the Ten
Commandment tablets. The words had to be
written again on new tablets.
Is referenced to represent money and
materialism today.
G
•
•
•
Good Friday
The most solemn day of the Christian year,
Good Friday, commemorates Jesus’
crucifixion.
Christians perform rituals, such as
processions, pilgrimages, and bowing to the
cross.
The fast of Lent may be broken with special
foods; in the UK, hot cross buns are popular.
(Wilkinson 95)
G

Grace in Theology
Through the blood of Christ, man is
given grace. Grace refers to:
•
The freely given, unmerited favor and love
of God.
•
The influence or spirit of God operating in
humans to regenerate or strengthen them.
•
Also called state of grace. It refers to the
condition of being in God's favor or one of
the elect.
G
Prevenient Grace
•
Prevenient grace is grace that “comes
before” something.
•
It is normally defined as a work that God
does for everybody. He gives all people
enough grace to respond to Jesus.
–
That is, it is enough grace to make it possible
for people to choose Christ. Those who
cooperate with and assent to this grace are
“elect.” Those who refuse to cooperate with
this grace are lost.
G
Prevenient Grace
•
The strength of this view is that it
recognizes that fallen man’s spiritual
condition is severe enough that it requires
God’s grace to save him.
•
The weakness of the position may be seen
in two ways. If this prevenient grace is
merely external to man, then it fails in the
same manner that the medicine and the
life preserver analogies fail. What good is
prevenient grace if offered outwardly to
spiritually dead creatures?
G
•
Prevenient Grace
On the other hand, if prevenient
grace refers to something that God
does within the heart of fallen man,
then we must ask why it is not always
effectual. Why is it that some fallen
creatures choose to cooperate with
prevenient grace and others choose
not to? Doesn’t everyone get the
same amount?
Hanukkah


Taking place in December, Hanukkah,
meaning “the festival of lights,”
celebrates the rededication of the
Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BCE, after
Judas Maccabeus defeated the Syrians.
Because a single cruse (earthenware
container) of oil lasted for eight days in
the Temple after the victory, Hanukkah
is celebrated for eight days
H
•
•
•
•
Herod
The Herodian dynasty was a royal Edomite
family that ruled parts of ancient Palestine,
Judea, during the Roman period.
Herod the Great ruled at the time of
Jesus’ birth and is considered an
archetypal tyrant.
Jesus of Nazareth compared him to a fox,
an animal that was ritually unclean.
He is famed for gaining and keeping his
throne by crimes of unspeakable brutality,
murdering even two sons.
H
Herod
He was cruel cunning, cold-blooded. He
ordered the Massacre of the Innocents,
hoping by killing all male children under two
years of age to destroy the “Prince,” Jesus,
who was prophesied to take his throne from
him.
• He suspected his wife Mariamne of adultery
and ordered her killing.
• Allusions such as the one from Hamlet Act
III, Scene II “Out-Herods, Herod.” and Poe in
The Masque of the Red Death, “The figure in
question has out-Heroded Herod,” Imply that
Herod was without a peer in his cruelty.
•
H
•
•
Herod Part II
Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas
reigned in Galilee 33 years later at the
time of the Crucifixion, and questioned
Jesus at Pilate’s request.
Jesus’ refusal to placate his questions
and request prompted Herod to join
forces with Pilate and mock Jesus.
H
•
•
•
•
Herod Part II
According to Mark 6:14-29, John the Baptist
criticized the king’s marriage to brother’s wife and
his niece.
This greatly distressed his wife Herodias who
wanted him killed. Herod feared John as a Holy
man and wouldn’t concede. Herodias sent her
daughter Salome to dance for Herod and his
guests at his birthday.
They were greatly pleased and Herod offered a gift
in return for her dancing. The girl asked her
mother for advice, and Herodias advised her to
ask for the head of John the Baptist.
Horrified, but unable to decline, Herod had the
deed done and his head was presented to her on a
platter.
I
•
•
Isaac
To test his obedience, God asked
Abraham to sacrifice his only son,
Isaac. Abraham obeyed, but at the
moment when he was about to kill
Isaac, God intervened and told him to
sacrifice a ram instead.
Isaac later had a son, Jacob—Israel.
I





Israel
Currently, the name of the Jewish state
established in Palestine in 1948
The name means “God fights” and, according
to Genesis 32:28, was bestowed upon Jacob
after he wrestled with an angel.
Jacob was the father of 12 sons, each of
whom became the founder of one of the 12
tribes of Israel.
The word Israel thus came to be applied to
the Hebrew nation and subsequently the
Jews and their state.
He is revered today as one of the patriarchs
of Israel. (Manser 188)
I
Israel
J
•
•
•
•
•
•
Jacob
Jacob is the patriarch of the book of Genesis whose
twelve sons became the founders of the twelve tribes of
Israel.
As a young man he purchased the birthright of his
brother Esau “for a mess of pottage,”
And then with the help of his mother Rebekah he
impersonated Esau and obtained the blessing from his
aged blind father, Isaac.
Another well-known story of Jacob tells of how, when he
was returning home one evening he wrestled with a
man until the break of day, not releasing him until he
blessed Jacob.
The man was an angel of God, who then changed
Jacob’s name to Israel. His
His later life centers on his two sons by his wife Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin (Genesis 24:51)
J



Jacob’s Ladder
When traveling to Padan-Aram to escape
Esau’s anger, Jacob dreamed of the ladder
“set up on earth and the top of it reached
to heaven: and behold the angels of God
ascending and descending on it.”
When he awoke, he said, “Surely the Lord
is in this place and I knew it not…and he
called the name of that place Bethel”
(Genesis 28:10-19)
This story explains the origin of the shrine
at Bethel (Hebrew for house of God) which
remained an important cult center until its
destruction by King Josiah
J



Jacob’s Ladder
Modern scholarship suggests that the place
was already an established shrine where
visitors who slept in the sacred precincts
could consult the oracle in dreams
Jacob’s exclamation, “This is the house of
God,” would then indicate the fusion of the
local cult with the worship of Jacob’s god,
Yahweh.
In modern allusion the ladder from heaven
to earth symbolizes the communion of man
with the divine.
J
Jesus Christ
J


Jezebel
“And it came to pass, when Joram (Jehoram,
son of Ahab) saw Jehu, that he said, Is it
peace, Jezu? And he answered, What peace,
so long as the whoredoms of thy mother
Jezebel and her witchcraft are so many.” (II
Kings 9:22)
Jezebel, the queen of Ahab, king of Israel,
was an abomination to Elijah and other
worshippers of Yahweh because she
imported the worship of Baal into the
kingdom of the Israelites.
J


The Jezebel of
Revelations (2:20) was a
false prophetess in the
church of Thyatira who
incited the faithful to
immorality and to eat
food offered to idols.
Today Jezebel means any
loose woman, often in
the combination “painted
Jezebel,” since cosmetics
were at one time
regarded as virtually the
sign of a prostitute.
Jezebel
J



Job
“She has the patience of Job!” Heard
that one?
Job was an upright, God-fearing,
wealthy, powerful Christian King who is
famous for his patience and faith in the
face of extreme suffering.
He was tested by Satan with God’s
permission. He passed the test and
refused to deny God. He was rewarded
with more riches than he had before.
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Job
Job can be seen, then, as a
metaphor of the suffering Christian.
How Job reacts to God’s test says
something about how we should
react to trials.
 Some of the tests Job suffered
through were…
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Job
Job’s herds and property are either
carried off by raiders or destroyed by
natural disasters.
All of his servants are killed, but one.
All of his children and their spouses
are killed.
The devil immediately strikes poor Job
with putrid sores over his entire body.
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A minor Jewish prophet
who refused to preach
to the Ninevites,
embarking instead on a
ship for Tarshish.
 A storm arose and the
sailors threw Jonah
overboard because
they knew he had
angered God.
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Jonah
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Jonah
He was swallowed by a large fish
(traditionally believed to be a whale) and
spent three days in its belly.
It vomited Jonah out, and he went to
preach to the Ninevites, although dismayed
that God had granted them mercy. Jonah is
often represented as a bearer of bad luck.
AND his story is often seen as a cautionary
tale about faithlessness and arrogance—
trusting one’s own wisdom instead of
following orders.
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Joseph
Favored son of Jacob and first-born son
of Rachel
Was given the famed coat of many
colors by his father as a symbol of his
preferential position in the family
His older brothers were crazy with
jealousy and planned to kill Joseph
Lucky for Joseph a band of
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Joseph
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Joshua
In The Crucible, Danforth says, "God
have not empowered me like Joshua
to stop this sun from rising," implying
that, unlike Joshua, he cannot stop
the sun in the sky.
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•
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Judas Iscariot
Disciple who betrayed Jesus to the
Romans, for an unknown reason.
He was awarded 30 pieces of silver. This
is alluded to frequently. The implication
is that someone is giving up something
precious for a small payoff.
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•
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Judas Iscariot
Judas led the Roman soldiers to the
garden of Gethsemene, where Jesus
was praying.
Judas told the soldiers that they
would know whom to arrest when he
kissed Jesus.
The kiss is also alluded to, as in the
song Pride by U2, “One man betrayed
by a kiss…”
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Judas Iscariot / Remorse
Matthew 27:3-5
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus
was condemned, he was seized with remorse and
returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests
and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have
betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they
replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw
the money into the temple and left. Then he went
away and hanged himself.
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Last Supper
See Eucharist.
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Lazarus
A brother of Mary and Martha, and also a friend of
Jesus
He died and lay in the grave four days
When Jesus came he “cried with a loud voice,
Lazarus, come forth”
And Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11:144)
One of the most important miracles performed by
Christ.
The name in allusion signifies the miracle of
resurrection
In “The Most Dangerous Game,” one of Zaroff’s
hunting dogs dies because he sinks in quicksand, he
his name is Lazarus…get the irony and hence the
humor?
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•
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Lent
The 40-day period before
Easter
A time of fasting or
giving up luxuries to
remember the 40 days
Jesus spent in the
wilderness, when he was
tempted by the devil and
ate only simple foods.
(Wilkinson 94)
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•
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Lent
The period begins on
Ash Wednesday and
ends on Maundy, or
Holy, Thursday.
Lent is a time of
penance observed with
fasting and abstinence.
A suitable devotion for
Lent is praying the
Stations of the Cross.
(Liturgy)
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“Let My People Go”
Words used in Exodus 5 by Moses to
the convince Pharaoh, who held the
Israelites in captivity, to free the
slaves.
Transformed into the spiritual that
follows this slide.
See Moses.
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“Let My People Go”/ lyrics
When Israel was in Egypt’s land, let my people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go!
Refrain:
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt’s land;
Tell old Pharaoh to let my people go!
No more shall they in bondage toil, let my people go!
Let them come out with Egypt’s spoil, let my people go!
Oh, let us all from bondage flee, let my people go!
And let us all in Christ be free, let my people go!
You need not always weep and mourn, let my people go!
And wear these slav’ry chains forlorn, let my people go!
Your foes shall not before you stand, let my people go!
And you’ll possess fair Canaan’s land, let my people go!
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“Let the Dead Bury Their Dead”
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Heck Tate
uses the expression, “Let the dead
bury the dead” when he recalls the
events surrounding Jem’s assault.
This is a quotation from the Gospel of
Matthew in the New Testament of The
Bible:
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“Let the Dead Bury Their Dead”
One of the scribes then came up and
said to {Jesus}, “Master, I will
follow you wherever you
go.”…Another man, one of his
disciples, said to him, “Sir, let me
go and bury my father first.” But
Jesus replied, “Follow me, and leave
the dead to bury their dead.”
(Matthew 8:19, 21-22)
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•
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Lot was instructed to
take his family and flee
Sodom and Gomorrah,
but not to look back
His wife disobeyed,
maybe because she
didn’t want to leave the
depravity behind. Her
punishment was
monumental and
allusion-worthy
Lot
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Lot
She was turned into a pillar of salt.
In a creepy turn of events, his two
daughters later seduced him since
there were no other men around,
and they wanted to preserve their
family line.
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One of the Miracles
Jesus Performed
When a multitude of
5,000 followed Jesus
into the desert and it
came time to eat, Jesus
took “five loaves and
two fishes,” blessed the
food and gave it out to
be eaten
L Loaves and Fishes
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Miraculously all were filled and 12
baskets-full of broken loaves were left
over (Matthew 14:15-21; John 6:5-14)
The story implies that with strong enough
faith, there will be enough nourishment
for all. Implications of the sanctity of
communion are also present.
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Many don’t understand the context in which
The Lord’s Prayer” was introduced in The
Bible. Jesus was advising his followers about
avoiding hypocritical behaviors. Ironically
this “sample” prayer intended to instruct
individuals to respect the private,
meaningful, and intimate nature of prayer is
often used as a public prayer:
Matthew 6:5-15
"And when you pray, do not be like the
hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and on the street corners to
be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they
have received their reward in full.
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The Lord’s Prayer
6 But when you pray, go into your room,
close the door and pray to your Father, who
is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what
is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on
babbling like pagans, for they think they
will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father
knows what you need before you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
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The Lord’s Prayer
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our
debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’
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The Lord’s Prayer
This prayer is used as a test of
righteousness in the time of the Salem
witch trials
It was assumed that witches could not
complete the prayer
In the film, The Crucible, John Proctor,
Rebecca Nurse, and Martha Corey all are
hanged while in the process of reciting the
prayer to demonstrate their innocence
But in reality, the only person executed
who recited the Lord's Prayer on the
gallows was Rev. George Burroughs
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Love Your Enemies
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do good to them
that hate you, and pray for them that
despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father
which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun
rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain of the just and the unjust:
(Matthew 5:44-45)
From the Sermon of the Mount; Jesus is
contrasting the old morality of retaliation
with the new morality of forgiveness
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The Magi
• The Magi brought gifts for
baby Jesus at his birth
• Are from the East;
possibly: from Persia
(modern day Iran) or
Mesopotamia (included
Turkey, parts of Iraq,
Iran, and Syria)
• It would have taken
them a year to get to
Bethlehem
Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337),
Adoration of the Magi
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The Magi
They were informed of his birth by
the appearance of the Star of
Bethlehem
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Stars were thought to herald the birth of a
new king
It is assumed that the star the magi saw
was a supernova or a supernatural event
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The Magi
• The gifts the magi
give Jesus at his
birth are
considered to
prophetic. They
recognized his
various roles.
Rembrandt: The Adoration of the Magi
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The Gifts…
 Gold = his role as king on Earth
 Frankincense (incense) = role as a
priest
 Myrrh (was used as an embalming
agent) = Jesus’ death on the cross.
Started the tradition of giving gifts at
Christmas (Drum).
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The Magi
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The Magi
Mathew 2.1-2.12
1After
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi
from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked,
"Where is the one who has been born king of
the Jews? We saw his star in the east and
have come to worship him.“
3When King Herod heard this he was
disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When
he had called together all the people's chief
priests and teachers of the law, he asked
them where the Christ was to be born.
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The Magi
5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they
replied, "for this is what the prophet
has written:
 6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; for out of
you will come a ruler who will be the
shepherd of my people Israel."
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The Magi
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and
found out from them the exact time the star
had appeared.
8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go
and make a careful search for the child. As
soon as you find him, report to me, so that
I too may go and worship him."
9After they had heard the king, they
went on their way, and the star they had
seen in the east went ahead of them until it
stopped over the place where the child
was.
7
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 10When
The Magi
they saw the star, they were
overjoyed. 11On coming to the house,
they saw the child with his mother Mary,
and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and
presented him with gifts of gold and of
incense and of myrrh. 12And having been
warned in a dream not to go back to
Herod, they returned to their country by
another route.
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Manna from Heaven
“And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon
the face of the wilderness there law a small round
thing, as small as the hoar frost upon the ground.
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one
another, it is manna: for they wist not what it was”
(Exodus 16:14-15).
The food with which the Israelites were nourished in
their wanderings has been identified with the secretion
of the tamarisk tree
In the New Testament it becomes a symbol of divine
blessing
Today any unexpected and welcome gift or find may be
described as manna
See Moses/hunger
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Man of Sorrow
Refers to the prophecy of the Suffering
Servant in Isaiah
It was not written by the eighth century
prophet of that name, but by an anonymous
author, probably living in Babylonia in the
sixth century
It is understood by Jews to refer to Israel,
and by Christians as a prophecy of the
coming of Christ, who suffered for the sins of
all mankind
These words are used in the liturgy for Good
Friday
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Man of Sorrow
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it
were our faces from him;
He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are
healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on
him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he
opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:3-7)
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Martyrs
People who die for their religious or
humanitarian beliefs are known as martyrs
During the early years of Christianity, when
believers were persecuted, there were
many martyrs who were given the status of
saints
There were also many martyrs in later
periods of persecution
The term “martyr” comes from a Greek
word meaning “witness”
Jesus 12 Apostles/Disciples who were
literally witnesses to his life and ministry
were also originally known as martyrs
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Martyrs
In common vernacular, phrases like, “Don’t be a
martyr,” are hyperbolic and ironic in their
reference.
Some important martyrs are:
 St. Joan of Arc
 Christ
 John the Baptist
 Martin Luther King, Jr
 Medgar Evers
 Jacques Demolay
 William Wallace
 Emily Wilding Davison
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Mary Magdalene
Luke tells us that Mary of Magdala had seven
demons cast out of her (Luke 8:2), but Mary
should be better known as the first to see the
empty tomb, the first to carry the good news to
the disciples. Graham writes:
Mary is almost always mentioned first in a list of
the female disciples of Jesus Christ. She may
have been one of the leaders of that group of
women who followed Jesus from the outset of his
ministry in Galilee to his death and afterward.
The risen Jesus appeared to her first. It’s ironic
that in a time when women could not be legal
witnesses, Jesus Christ chose women as the first
witnesses of his resurrection.[37]
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Mary Magdalene
Although the men fled for their lives, the women
faithfully followed Jesus to the cross (Matt. 27:55-56),
and Mary sat nearby while Joseph of Arimathea put
Jesus’ body in the tomb (v. 61). Mary led the women
who came to anoint Jesus early on Sunday morning
(Mark 16:2), and an angel told them that Jesus had
been raised (v. 6). They then told the news to the 11
disciples (Luke 24:10). Jesus appeared first to Mary
(John 20:14), and told her to tell the disciples, which
she did (vv. 17-18).
Schreiner writes, “Even though the testimony of
women was not received by courts…Jesus appeared to
women first, showing again their significance and
value as human beings.[38] Borland, another
conservative, comments on the significance:
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Mary Magdalene
Why were the women chosen as witnesses of the
resurrection? Was God bestowing a special honor on
these women? Was God trying to indicate larger roles
for women in His new community of believers? I
believe both were intended. All four Gospel writers
bestow a great honor on the women who lovingly and
with servant hearts came early to the tomb to anoint
Jesus’ body, thus paying their last respects…. These
women led the way in proclaiming the gospel…. The
duty and high privilege of witnessing for Christ is still
open to every believer, without distinction as to
gender.[39]
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Mary Magdalene
Some scholars have noted that the women
were told to bear witness to the fact that
Jesus had risen—and this is one of the
criteria for an apostle (Acts 1:22). But there
is no evidence that any of these women ever
functioned as witnesses of the resurrection in
the public preaching of the church. Although
their role in the resurrection was an
important precedent for women speaking
with authority, it was a restricted role for a
specific need within the church.
Source for information on Mary Magdalene
(“Women in the Ministry of Jesus Part 2.”)
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Methuselah
Ever heard anyone
say, “He’s as old as
Methuselah!”
(Well, now you have.)
• Methuselah was the
son of Enoch, and he
lived longer than
anyone else in The
Bible.
• He lived 969 years!
•
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Milk and Honey
Words used to describe the land
promised to Abraham as a reward for
leaving his homeland and serving as a
patriarch for the chosen people.
The use this phrase implies comfort,
luxury, satisfaction, and fulfillment
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Moses/ Bio
When Pharaoh ordered all the Jewish male
children to be killed, Moses’ mother placed
him in a basket of rushes beside the river
(hero journey?)
The Pharaoh’s daughter found and adopted
him
As a grown man, he killed an Egyptian
overseer for beating a Hebrew and was
obliged to flee to Midian where he married
the daughter of Jethro, a local priest.
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Moses / Mission
The Book of Exodus explains how the Jews
spent years in exile as slaves in Egypt
Moses was the prophet who, when
prompted by a conversation with God in the
form of a burning bush, led them to
freedom
On the journey God gave Moses the Torah
and the Ten Commandments
Moses is frequently alluded to in conjunction
with the phrase, “Let my people go.”
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Moses/ Miracles
Moses performed many miracles in his journeys
The first of which was to prove God’s power to
Pharaoh by turning his rod to a serpent
He then imprecated the ten plagues on Egypt
Once the people were freed and on their way,
Pharaoh changed his mind and sent 600 chariots
after them
In an effort to give the Israelites a tactical
advantage, God instructed Moses to lift his rod
and part the Red Sea so his people could walk on
dry land
Once they crossed over, Moses raised his hand
and the sea closed over the Egyptian pursuers
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Moses/ Hunger
On the way through the desert to the
promised land, the Israelites complained of
hunger to Moses and Aaron—they moaned
that at least in captivity, they were fed
God’s response was to send manna from
heaven, each morning there was manna, (It
was white like coriander seed and tasted like
wafers made with honey) and each evening
there was meat—quail
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Moses/ Hunger
More instructions on manna:
They were to gather only what they
needed for that day, with the exception
of the sixth day—they were to take two
days worth, for on the seventh day,
Sabbath, they were to rest
Eventually, after some rotten, maggot
infested trial runs at hording, they got
with the program and ate manna for
forty years until they reached Canaan
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Moses / Water
In Exodus 17 we find the Israelites, again
disgruntled, this time because of thirst
God instructs Moses to strike a rock, and
water pours forth
In Exodus 20, the people are again thirsty,
but this time Moses is instructed to speak to
a rock for the water
Moses strikes the rock instead, and for his
faithlessness, Moses was forbidden from
entering the promised land once he
delivered his people
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Noah
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Olive Branch
In modern usage the dove and the olive branch
are signs of peace and non-aggression—the
dove is an advocate for non-belligerent foreign
policy
In Genesis, Noah sent forth a dove from the
ark.
The dove returned with an olive branch in her
mouth
This, because olives don’t grow in low
altitudes, was a sign that the flood waters had
receded.
This, in turn, was a sign of God’s abating
wrath.
So, the dove was a sign of the reconciliation
and peace between God and man
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Parting the Red Sea
In an effort to escape the 600 chariots
Pharaoh sent to recover the freed
Hebrew slaves, Moses was instructed
by God to raise his rod and part the Red
Sea
This he does, and His people are able to
cross safely
Not so for the pursuing Egyptians who
were covered by the sea when Moses
raised his rod again.
See Moses.
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Parting the Red Sea
From The Crucible:
“She speak of Abigail, and I thought
she were a saint, to hear her. Abigain
brings the other girls into the court,
and where she walks the crowd will
part like the sea for Israel." - Goody
Putnam, referring to Abigail and
comparing her power to that of Moses
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Passover
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Passover
Passover is the spring feast of Pesach which
celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt
The name Passover derives from the tenth
plague of Egypt when the first-born sons of
Egypt died
The angel of death “passed-over” the homes
of the Israelites (marked with lamb’s blood)
There are special songs and prayers, and the
story of Exodus, as set out in a special service
book called a Haggadah, is recounted.
A place is set at the table for the prophet
Elijah who will usher in the Messiah
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Matzah or
unleavened bread is
eaten to show the
haste when
Israelites fled Egypt
It is the first thing
eaten as sandwich
with bitter herbs
Salt water is served as
a reminder of the tears
of slavery—the egg is
usually dipped in the
salt water and eaten as
an appetizer
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Passover
meal: Seder
P Passover meal: Seder
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The egg symbolizes
sacrifice
Fresh lettuce for
frugal meals eaten
in slavery
Shank bone of
lamb recalls lambs
killed at the first
Pesach (blood on
doors)
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Nut and Fruit paste
represent bricks and
mortar used to build
cities in Egypt
Bitter herbs
represent the
bitterness of slavery
Vegetables represent
the spring and all of
its symbolism
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Pentecost
•
•
•
•
Held on the seventh Sunday
after Easter.
Celebrates the point at
which Jesus’ disciples were
given the Holy Spirit.
Marked the start of the holy
church.
Traditionally, Pentecost was
a time for baptism and,
since people wore white, it
became known as White
Sunday, or Whitsunday.
(Wilkinson 95)
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Pharisees
An ancient Jewish sect composed of
students, teachers and scholars who
advocated strict observance of the forms of
religion, and who were accused by Christ of
emphasizing outer forms over the true and
inner religious reality.
Hence they are associated with hidebound
traditionalism, hypocrisy and selfrighteousness
They were opposed by the Sadducee sect.
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Philistine
An uncultured, narrow person capable only
of hackneyed ideas and materialistic values
Usually associated with the bourgeois of
the 19th century.
Matthew Arnold established this
connotation of the term, adapting it from
the Biblical context in which the Philistines
were the traditional enemies of the Jews
against whom, David, Samson and other
Jewish heroes waged war (Genesis 21,34;
Judges 16)
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Plagues of Egypt
In Exodus 7-12, the ten plagues
brought to the Egyptians by Moses
are detailed.
They were acts in a mighty struggle
between God and Pharaoh,
culminating in the Passover, the
Exodus of the Jews from Egypt, and
the destruction of Pharaoh’s army
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Plagues of Egypt
The plagues were:
The turning of the Nile to blood
Frogs
Lice
Flies
Death of Cattle
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Plagues of Egypt
The plagues
were:
6. Boils
7. Hail
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. The Death of the
Egyptian First
Born
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Plagues of Egypt
So what happened?
Pharaoh, whose heart had been
hardened and who refused to release
his Jewish slaves, freed the Israelites
from bondage.
You may note that Harriet Tubman
who delivered over 300 African slaves
into Northern freedom was known as
the “Moses” of her people—get it?
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Pontius Pilot
Governor of the Roman province of Judaea from CE
26 to 36
Had control of the local Roman justice system and
of the occupying forces stationed in the region
When Jesus was taken for trial before Pilate, the
governor ordered him to death at the request of
the Jewish authorities after he was questioned by
Herod
In The Crucible, Proctor reprimands Hale, "Pontius
Pilate! God will not let you wash your hands of
this!“ In this allusion, he is drawing a comparison
between the immorality and guilt of Hale’s role in
sentencing witches to the sentencing of Jesus
Christ. Also see: Washing your hands of…
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Poor are always with us
There will always by those who live in
poverty and in need of assistance.
 The expression appears in Matthew
12:11, Mark 14:7, and John 12:8,
which recount an incident in which a
woman used expensive ointment to
anoint Christ.
The disciples rebuke the woman for her
extravagance, but Christ protests. The
scripture follows:
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P
Poor are always with us
Matthew 26: 7-11
There came unto him a woman having an
alabaster box of very precious ointment, and
poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
But when his disciples saw it, they had
indignation, saying, To what purpose is this
waste?
For this ointment might have been sold for
much, and given to the poor. When Jesus
understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble
ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good
work upon me. For ye have the poor always
with you; but me ye have not always.
P
Poor are always with us
In H.W. Longfellow’s 1849,
Evangeline:
“Still, with [the almshouse’s] gateway
and wicket Meek, in the midst of
splendour, its humble walls seem to
echo Softly the words of the Lord:—
’The poor ye always have with you’”
(qtd. in Manser)
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P
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Potiphar’s Wife
A woman who gets revenge on a man who has
rejected her advances by falsely accusing him of
rape.
Potiphar is described in Genesis 37:36 as one of
Pharaoh’s officers who bought Joseph as a slave and
made him overseer of his household.
Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, but he refused
her, so in a rage she snatched some of his clothing
and went to her husband to complain that Joseph had
raped her, offering his clothing as corroborating
evidence.
Potiphar be
P
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Promised Land
Based on God’s promise to Abram and later to
Abraham as Canaan, the promised land, later
extended, included everything between the
Nile and the Euphrates
It was renewed when Joshua reconquered the
land
And again in the restoration after the
Babylonian captivity
It is one of the most persistent motifs in the
Old Testament
Is alluded to in hymns/spirituals in symbolic
terms as heaven
R
Raising the Dead
R
“Render Unto Caesar What is Caesar’s”
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“Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar
the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things
that are God’s (Matthew 22:15-20; Mark 12:17; Luke
20:21-25)
A group of Pharisees, attempting to trap Jesus in a
damaging statement, ask him if it is lawful to pay tribute
money to Rome
If Jesus says it is lawful, he will offend the Roman rulers,
and if he answers to the contrary, he will offend the Jewish
patriots.
He evades the dilemma by point out that the money bears
Caesar’s likeness and superscription, and that it is not
wrong to pay the state in its own coin.
The answer thus distinguishes between the claims of the
sacred and the secular spheres, and is still quoted in the
discussion of the relation of church and state
R
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Raphael
In The Crucible John Proctor encourages Mary
Warren to tell the truth:
"Mary, remember the angel Raphael - do that
which is good and-"
He is referencing a part of "The Book of Tobit"
that is meant to illustrate the keeping of faith in
times of great trial. (Text follows on next slide.)
The value of the reference may be in the portion
of the quote which is cut off: the suggestion that
evil will not find it’s way to you…Ironic?
Considering that evil does find its way to most
of the good and honest characters in the play.
R
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Raphael
From Tobit 12:
“Thank God!
Give him the praise and the glory.
Before all the living,
acknowledge the many good things he has done for
you,
by blessing and extolling his name in song.
Before all people, honor and proclaim God’s deeds,
and do not be slack in praising him.
A king’s secret it is prudent to keep,
but the works of God are to be declared and made
known.
Praise them with due honor.
Do good, and evil will not find its way to you.”
S
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Sabbath
Shabbat/Sabbath is the only religious
observance named in the ten
commandments
The commandments, originally offered by
God, through Moses as a code to live by
during the journey out of slavery and toward
the promised land
The preceding day was the one day of the
week when Hebrews were expected to take
twice their daily ration of manna so that they
could rest on the Sabbath—the seventh day
of the week in celebration of God’s seven
day creation.
S
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Shabbat Today
In the Jewish tradition, Shabbat is still celebrated
starting at sundown each Friday.
It is a revered tradition
“To those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift
from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited
throughout the week, a time when we can set aside
all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves
to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and
music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as
in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat
Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath]
bride). It is said "more than Israel has kept
Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel." (Shabbat)
S
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Sabbath Today
Christians keep Sunday as the
Sabbath, the day on which God rested
after creating the world.
In Christian countries Sunday is kept
special.
Some people go to church.
Many have the day off work, schools
and stores close, and families eat
special meals.
S
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Saints
People who suffer or die for their faith
Or whose lives were particularly
religious in some other way
Some Christians believe that saints in
heaven have the power to intercede
on behalf of people on earth
This belief is strong in the Roman
Catholic and Orthodox Churches,
where there is a tradition of
venerating saints.
S
Saints
Some notable saints are:
 St. Jude: patron of lost causes
 St. Francis of Assisi, patron of
animals and the environment
 St. Luke: patron of artists
 St. Nicholas: patron of children
 St. Joseph: patron of families
 St. Anne: patron of housewives
S
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Samson
“And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray
thee, wherein they great strength lieth, and
wherewith though mightest be bound to
afflict thee” (Judges 16:6).
Samson, a judge of Ancient Israel
renowned for his great stretch, was the
Hebrew counterpart of Hercules or Achilles
As a common noun a Samson now means
any strong man
Delilah, who robs Samson of his strength
by cutting his hair, has come to typify any
seductress who brings ruin upon her lovers.
S
Saul
S
Sermon on the Mount
S
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Seven Deadly Sins
“The Seven Deadly Sins never occur
as a formal list in the Bible. Some
people say they can all be found in
Matthew 5-7, but they are not in a
simple list there. Others submit , but
this is a different list, covering pride,
lies, murder, evil plans, swiftness in
sin, lies again, causing conflict.
Clearly not the same.” (“Seven Deadly
Sins”)
S
Seven Deadly Sins
Anger/Wrath
Greed/Covetousness/Avarice
 Pride/Vanity
 Lust
 Gluttony
 Envy
 Sloth
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S
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Seven Deadly Sins
Otherwise known as the capital sins
“They provide keys to understanding our
faults and the actions that result, and a
framework for self knowledge. If we
understood how they factor into who we
have become, we would understand much
more about ourselves and our effect on
others. The Seven Deadly Sins never
occur as a list in the Bible, but occur
many times individually.” (“Seven Deadly
Sins”)
S
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Seven Deadly Sins
"Sin creates [an inclination] to sin; it
engenders vice by repetition of the same
acts. This results in perverse inclinations
which cloud conscience and corrupt the
concrete judgment of good and evil. Thus
sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce
itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense
at its root.“ Para. 1865, Catechism of the
Catholic Church, 1994 (“Seven Deadly
Sins”)
S
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Seven Seals
In Revelation 411, John’s vision
is of God holding
up a scroll upon
which is written
the Apocalyptic
events that will
soon unfold on
earth.
S
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Seven Seals
Seals were dabs of clay placed upon strings
around a scroll. The class would be
impressed with an individual’s stamp, which
informed the recipient who was sending the
letter and which guaranteed that no one
else had opened it.
No one is worthy to open the scroll and
break its seals until a symbolic slain lamb
comes along. (Geoghegan and Homan 346)
S
Seven Seals

First Seal—releases a rider armed with
a bow and seated upon a white horse
(symbolizing war). The rider is given a
crown and sets out to conquer.

Second Seal—brings forth the second
horseman, mounted on a bright red
horse (symbolizing bloodshed). This
rider wields a giant sword, and
removes peace from the earth so that
people begin to kill each other.
S
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Seven Seals
Third Seal—ushers in the third
horseman, who carries a scale to judge
people. This rider’s horse is black
(symbolizing famine) representing the
lack of food and intense hunger that
inevitably followed war in the ancient
Near East. The extent of the people’s
hunger can be seen in the exorbitant
prices for wheat and barley.
S

Seven Seals
Fourth Seal—releases the fourth
horseman: “Death.” He rides a pale
green horse (symbolizing the color
of death), and he is given power
over a quarter of the earth to kill
with a variety of weapons: sword,
famine, pestilence, and wild beasts.
S

Seven Seals
Fifth Seal—reveals the souls of the
martyrs, who ask Jesus, “How long
before you judge and avenge our
blood on those who dwell on the
earth?” They are told it won’t be long
until they receive their desired
justice. (Read: Judgment day is near)
S

Seven Seals
Sixth Seal—brings with it the “great day
of God’s wrath,” a day foretold by the
prophets of the Hebrew Bible. In
preparation for God’s judgment, the earth
quakes, the sun turns black, the moon
turns blood red, the stars fall, and the
islands and mountains disappear.
S
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Seven Seals
Intermission: Between the opening of the
sixth and seventh seals, four angels are
placed at the four corners of the world,
poised to destroy the earth and all its
inhabitants. However, one angel is given a
seal of protection to be placed upon the
foreheads of 144,000 people, 12,000 from
each of the twelve tribes of Israel. This
symbolic number represents Jewish
Christians who will escape God’s final
judgment.
S
Seven Seals

The opening of the seventh seal
ushers in a period of silence lasting
half an hour. Then, breaking the
silence, seven angels sound seven
trumpets. A disaster strikes the
earth with each blast.
For example:
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S
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Seven Seals
Hail and fire mixes with blood
destroying one-third of the earth’s
vegetation.
A fiery rock the size of a mountain falls
from the sky into the sea, destroying
one-third of the marine life and ships in
the sea.
S
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Seven Seals
A star named wormwood (a bitter plant) falls
into the earth’s rivers and springs,
contaminating the water and killing many
people
The sun turns dark
Locusts are released on the earth
200 million mounted troops kill one-third of
the earth’s population.
The sounding of the seventh trumpet
signifies that is time for God to judge the
earth.
S
Queen of Sheba
Solomon with the Queen of Sheba
by Piero della Francesca
• Ruled the country of
Sheba
• Modern day: Eritrea,
Ethiopia, and Yemen
• She had heard of how
wise King Solomon and
went to test him
• After he proved how
wise he was she gifted
him spices, gold, and
precious stones.
• She also blessed his
God.
S
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Queen of Sheba
He in return gave her “everything she
desired”.
Within Biblical reference there is no
romantic love, but the there is a belief
in Ethiopia that the queen returned
pregnant and that all their rulers are
from that lineage.
S
Kings 10
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon in I
Kings 1:
• 1 When the queen of Sheba heard
about the fame of Solomon and his
relation to the name of the LORD, she
came to test him with hard questions.
•2 Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great
caravan—with camels carrying spices,
large quantities of gold, and precious
stones—she came to Solomon and talked
with him about all that she had on her
mind.
S
Queen of Sheba
• 3 Solomon answered all her questions;
nothing was too hard for the king to
explain to her.
• 4 When the queen of Sheba saw all the
wisdom of Solomon and the palace he
had built,
• 5 the food on his table, the seating of his
officials, the attending servants in their
robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt
offerings he made at [a] the temple of
the LORD, she was overwhelmed.
S
Queen of Sheba
She said to the king, "The report I
heard in my own country about your
achievements and your wisdom is
true.
 7 But I did not believe these things
until I came and saw with my own
eyes. Indeed, not even half was told
me; in wisdom and wealth you have
far exceeded the report I heard.
6
S
How happy your men must be! How happy your
officials, who continually stand before you and hear
your wisdom!
9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted
in you and placed you on the throne of Israel.
Because of the LORD's eternal love for Israel, he has
made you king, to maintain justice and
righteousness.“
10 And she gave the king 120 talents [b] of gold,
large quantities of spices, and precious stones.
Never again were so many spices brought in as
those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.
 8
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Queen of Sheba
S
(Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and
from there they brought great cargoes of
almugwood [c] and precious stones. 12 The king
used the almugwood to make supports for the
temple of the LORD and for the royal palace,
and to make harps and lyres for the musicians.
So much almugwood has never been imported
or seen since that day.)
13 King Solomon gave the Queen of Sheba all
she desired and asked for, besides what he had
given her out of his royal bounty. Then she left
and returned with her retinue to her own
country.
 11
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Queen of Sheba
S
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Sin
An offense against God and his laws is
known as sin
Christian teaching holds that humanity has
been permanently flawed, or in a state of
“original sin,” ever since Adam and Eve were
expelled from the Garden of Eden for
disobeying God.
Christians repent for their own sins and pray
to God for forgiveness
They believe that the death of Jesus makes
this forgiveness possible
See Seven Deadly Sins
S
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Skull Cap
When a Jewish man prays at home or
in the synagogue, he normally covers
his head with a hat or a skull cap,
called a yarmulke or kippah, as a
mark of respect for God
S Sodom and Gomorrah
•
•
•
•
These were cities, traditionally located
near the south end of the Dead Sea.
God destroyed them for their
wickedness.
Modern references to Sodom and
Gomorrah typically imply carnal
sinning and depravity.
Lot and his family, save his wife, were
the only people spared of God’s
wrath.
S
King Solomon
• Ever heard the phrase, “He has
the wisdom of Solomon!” or
“He’s no Solomon!” Read
further to gain context for
those allusions.
 The builder of the First Temple
in Jerusalem.
 Extremely wealthy.
 Was king because his older
brother was persuaded to
declare him king by Solomon’s
mother.
S
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King Solomon
Was gifted with wisdom from God after
prayer
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One account, had two mothers come to him both
laying claim to a child because one of the mother’s
child had died that night. And Solomon was to
figure out which was the true mother. So, he
suggested dividing the child in half with a sword.
The real mother is revealed because she offers the
baby to the lying woman rather than have it killed.
Solomon rewarded the compassionate mother with
the baby.
Had over 700 wives and 300 concubines
His sin, idolatry, was supposed to have
come from his wives, and it lead to his
country being torn in two. (tragic flaw?)
S

King Solomon
Was gifted with wisdom from God after
prayer

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One account, had two mothers come to him both
laying claim to a child because one of the mother’s
child had died that night. And Solomon was to
figure out which was the true mother. So, he
suggested dividing the child in half with a sword.
The real mother is revealed because she offers the
baby to the lying woman rather than have it killed.
Solomon rewarded the compassionate mother with
the baby.
Had over 700 wives and 300 concubines
His sin, idolatry, supposed to have lead
there by his wives, lead to his country
being torn in two.
Solomon’s Fall Passage:
1 Kings 11
Solomon's Wives
• 1 King Solomon, however, loved many
foreign women besides Pharaoh's
daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites,
Sidonians and Hittites.
•2 They were from nations about which the
LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not
intermarry with them, because they will
surely turn your hearts after their gods."
Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in
love.
S Solomon’s Fall Passage:
3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth
and three hundred concubines, and his
wives led him astray.
4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his
heart after other gods, and his heart was
not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as
the heart of David his father had been.
5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the
Sidonians, and Molech [a] the detestable
god of the Ammonites.
6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the
LORD; he did not follow the LORD
completely, as David his father had done.
S
King Solomon
7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a
high place for Chemosh the detestable god of
Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of
the Ammonites.
8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who
burned incense and offered sacrifices to their
gods.
9 The LORD became angry with Solomon
because his heart had turned away from the
LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to
him twice.
10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow
other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's
command.
S
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King Solomon
So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since
this is your attitude and you have not kept
my covenant and my decrees, which I
commanded you, I will most certainly tear
the kingdom away from you and give it to
one of your subordinates.
12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your
father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I
will tear it out of the hand of your son.
13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom
from him, but will give him one tribe for the
sake of David my servant and for the sake
of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."
11
S
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Stigmata
Miraculous marks on the body, like the
wounds of Jesus when he was crucified, are
called stigmata.
They may appear on a person who has
experienced ecstasy, and may be
permanent.
They are said to indicate an especially close
relationship with God
S
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Synagogue
The center for worship and study, and the
main meeting place in the Jewish
community.
It is usually rectangular, with seats on
three sides; the fourth faces toward
Jerusalem.
The building contains the Ark (cupboards
for the Torah scrolls) and also has rooms
for meetings, study, and offices.
Orthodox Synagogues contain a separate
women’s gallery. (Wilkinson 83)
S
Synagogue
T Temptations of Christ
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Matthew 4: 1-11
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be
tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty
nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and
said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to
become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man
does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him
stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are
the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it
is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you, and
they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not
strike your foot against a stone.'"
T Temptations of Christ
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Matthew 4:7-11
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put
the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and
their splendor.
"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow
down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is
written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him
only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and
attended him.
T Temptations of Christ

In The Crucible, Hale, comparing his
time of soul-searching about the
witchtrials with the testing of Jesus by
Satan, "I have gone this three month
like our Lord into the wilderness."
T
Ten Commandments
•
When the Israelites camped in Sinai,
God gave Moses the Commandments
by which Jews must live, and all the
Torah.
To keep the tablets safe, the Israelites
made a wooden chest, called the Ark
of the Covenant.
•
T
Ten Commandments
T
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Ten Commandments
The commandments, or knowing them, often
appears in literature as a test of an
individual’s righteousness
As in The Crucible when John Proctor is called
on to name them all to prove that he is a
good Christian man to Mr. Hale
Of course the coincidence is that Proctor, an
adulterer, remembers them all EXCEPT…Thou
Shall Not Commit Adultery
T
•
•
•
Torah
The first five books of the Bible are
known as the Torah, which Jews
believe god first revealed to Moses.
Torah means “guidance” and
“teaching,” but it also translates as
“law.”
As well as history, the Torah
contains 613 commandments on
which Jewish life is based.
T
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Three
Three: symbolic of the unity of mind,
body, and spirit. When we turn to the
Scriptures, this completion becomes
Divine, and marks Divine
completeness or perfection.
God's attributes are three:
omniscience, omnipresence, and
omnipotence.
T
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Three
Hence the number three points us to what is real,
essential, perfect, substantial, complete, and
Divine. There is nothing real in man or of man.
Everything "under the sun" and apart from God is
"vanity." "Every man at his best estate is
altogether vanity" (Psa 139:5,11, 62:9, 144:4;
Eccl 1:2,4, 2:11,17,26, 3:19, 4:4, 11:8, 12:8;
Rom 8:20).
Three is the number associated with the Godhead,
for there are "three persons in one God." Three
times the Seraphim cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy"--one for
each of the three persons in the Trinity (Isa 6:3).
The living creatures also in Revelation 4:8.
T
Three
Three times is the blessing given in Numbers
6:23, 24:- "The LORD bless thee and keep thee (the
Father);
 The LORD make His face shine upon thee;
and be gracious unto thee (the Son);
 The LORD lift up His countenance upon
thee, and give thee peace" (the Holy
Spirit).
T

Three
Each of these three blessings is twofold, so that there are two members in
each, while the name Jehovah occurs
three times. This marks the blessing as
Divine in its source. No merit drew it
forth; grace was its origin and peace
was its result.
T
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Three
In Genesis 18:2, the same three persons
appear to Abraham. Abraham "looked, and,
lo, THREE men stood by him." But verse 1
declares that it was "Jehovah appeared
unto him." It is remarkable that Abraham
addresses them both as one and as three.
We read first that "they said," then "he
said," and finally, in verses 13 and 17, 20,
etc., "And the LORD said." The whole
narrative, which begins with the
appearance of the LORD, ends (v 33), "And
the LORD went His way."
T
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Three
This is why Abraham brought "three measures of
meal" for his heavenly guest. This is why "three
measures of meal" formed the great meal offering;
because it set forth the perfection of Christ's
perfect and Divine nature. In Leviticus no
particular quantity of meal was prescribed, but in
Numbers 15:9, we read,
"Then shall he bring with the bullock a meal
offering of THREE tenth deals of flour." This was
the measure for the whole burnt offering, and also
for great special occasions such as the New Moon
and the New Year, etc. It was also the special
measure for the cleansing of the leper (Lev 14:10).
T
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Three
Hence it is that the third Book in the Bible is
Leviticus, the book in which we learn what
true worship is.
While we are speaking of the Divine
perfections of Christ, let us note the many
marks and seals of this completeness.
"The Spirit, the water, and the blood," are the
divinely perfect witness to the grace of God
on earth (1 John 5:7).
T
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Three
The three years of His seeking fruit
testifies to the completeness of Israel's
failure (Luke 13:7).
His three-fold "it is written" shows that
the Word of God is the perfection of all
ministry (Matt 4).
The Divine testimony concerning Him was
complete in the threefold voice from
Heaven (Matt 3:17, 17:5; John 12:28).
T
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Three
He raised three persons from the dead.
The inscriptions on the Cross in three
languages show the completeness of His
rejection by Man.
The perfection of His offices are shown in
His being Prophet, Priest, and King, raised
up from among His brethren (Deut
177:15, 18:3-5, and 18:15).
T
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Three
The complete separation of Israel is
shown in "the three days' journey into
the wilderness" (Exo 5:3)
Jordan was three times divided, the
perfection of the Divine miracle (Josh
4; 2 Kings 2:8,14).
The three days’ search for Elijah was
conclusive testimony that he could
not be found (2 Kings 2:17).
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Book of Tobit
Although the Book of Tobit is usually listed
with the historical books, it more correctly
stands midway between them and the
wisdom literature.
It contains numerous maxims like those
found in the wisdom books (cf Tobit 4:3-19,
21; 12:6-10; 14:7, 9) as well as the
customary sapiential themes: fidelity to the
law, the intercessory function of angels,
piety toward parents, the purity of marriage,
reverence for the dead, and the value of
almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The book
makes Tobit a relative of Ahiqar, a hero of
ancient Near Eastern folklore.
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Book of Tobit
Though not an actual book of the Protestant
Bible, it is in the Catholic Apocrypha
Written in Aramaic, the original of the book
was lost for centuries. The Greek translation,
existing in three different recensions, is our
primary source. In 1955, fragments of the
book in Aramaic and in Hebrew were
recovered from Cave IV at Qumran. These
texts are in substantial agreement with the
Greek recension that has served as the basis
for the present translation.
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Book of Tobit
The divisions of the Book of Tobit are:
I. Tobit's Ordeals (Tobit 1:3-3:6)
II. Sarah's Plight (Tobit 3:7-17)
III. Tobiah's Journey and Marriage to Sarah
(Tobit 4:1-9:6)
IV. Tobiah's Return; Cure of Tobit's
Blindness (Tobit 10:1-11:18)
V. Raphael Reveals His Identity (Tobit 12:122)
VI. Tobit's Song of Praise (Tobit 13:1-18)
VII. Epilogue (Tobit 14:1-15)
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Tree of Knowledge
Otherwise known as The Tree of Life
Genesis 2:9
“And out of the ground made the Lord God,
to grow every tree that is pleasant to the
sight, and good for food; the tree of life also
in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
knowledge of good and evil…”
The tree was believed to confer immortality,
and the tree knowledge, wisdom
Modern allusion to eating from the tree
usually carry the implication that knowledge
can be acquired only at the cost of a tragic
loss of innocence.
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Tree of Knowledge
“The apple cannot be
stuck back on the
Tree of Knowledge;
once we begin to see,
we are doomed and
challenged to seek
the strength to see
more, not less.”
-Arthur Miller
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Holy Trinity
Christians believe in
one God who exists
in three persons—
Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit
The Holy Spirit is
often invoked as an
inspirational
presence for
prophets
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Turn the Other Cheek
“Ye have heard that it hath been said,
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth: But I say unto you, That ye
resist not evil: but whosoever shall
smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also” (Matthew 5:38-39)
This is in response to the lex talionis,
“principle of retaliation” in Mosaic Law.
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Unleavened bread
The Feast of Unleavened
Bread (Exodus 23:15;
Deuteronomy 16:16) is often
called Passover because only
unleavened bread was eaten
during these seven days
immediately following
Passover (Exodus 12:15-20;
13:6-8; Deuteronomy 16:38).
Unleavened bread reflected
the fact that the Israelites had
no time to put leaven in their
bread before their hasty
departure from Egypt;).
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The Virgin Mary
Associations: Holy Mother, Mother of
Jesus, Immaculate Conception
Born in Jerusalem or Sepphoris
Mary was brought up in Nazareth
At the time of Jesus’ birth she was
betrothed to the carpenter Joseph who
was descended from King David
The Gospels say that she was a virgin
As the mother of Jesus she is the most
revered of all the Christian saints
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The Virgin Mary
The following was taken from an online article,
“Women in the Ministry of Jesus Part 2”
 The mother of Jesus set a marvelous
example with her words, “I am the Lord’s
servant…. May it be to me as you have said”
(v. 38). Mary was also inspired to say a
poem of praise that is now part of Scripture
(vv. 46-55). She again set a good example
when she “treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart” (2:19, 51).
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The Virgin Mary
She was instrumental in Jesus’ first
public miracle (John 2:1-11). She
may have been among the “family”
who thought that Jesus had lost his
sanity (Mark 3:21). At the cross,
Jesus assigned John to take care of
his mother, and Mary was counted
among the disciples after his
resurrection (Acts 1:14).
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The Virgin Mary
Borland writes, “The woman whom God
chose to have the most extensive association
with Jesus was His mother, Mary....
Mary’s life was significant for at least three
reasons. (1) She was a first-hand witness of
Jesus’ divine origin and true humanity. (2)
She was a tremendous model of godliness,
faith, dedication, and patience, among other
good qualities. (3) She, along with other
women, was incorporated into the new life of
the church at Pentecost.”[23]
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Washing Your Hands of…
In modern idiomatic phrasing, if you “wash your
hands of something,” you disassociate yourself and
accept no responsibility for what will happen.
It comes from Pontius Pilate’s words in Matthew
27:22-25
"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called
Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify
him!" "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked
Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but
that instead an uproar was starting, he took water
and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am
innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your
responsibility!"
Duccio di Buoninsegna. Pontius Pilate Washing his Hands.
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Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth
“Many shall come from the east and the west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, in the kingdom of heave. But the children
of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer
darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth.” (Matthew 8:11-12)
This was a prophecy of the Last judgment
In this passage Jesus contrasts the faith of a
Roman centurion with the disbelief of his own
countrymen.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth” is used today in
any general reference to frustration or grief
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Yahweh
A name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew
by the tetragrammaton ("four letters") ‫( יהוה‬Yod Heh
Vav Heh), transliterated into Roman script Y H W H.
Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the
name of God it was only written and never spoken.
This resulted in the original pronunciation being lost.
The name may have originally been derived from
the old Semitic root ‫( הוה‬hawah) meaning "to be" or
"to become".
Modern incarnations of Yahweh include Stephen
Colbert’s skit called, “Yahweh or no way!” in which
the comedian “tests” issues as to whether they are
righteous or not.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-reportvideos/215452/january-08-2009/yahweh-or-no-way---roland-burris
Works Cited
“Beelzebub (Part 1).”
DeliriumsRealm.com. http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/articleview.asp?Post=106
Drum, Walter. "Magi." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 8 Nov.
2009<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09527a.htm>.
“The Eight Beatitudes of Jesus.” 11 Nov. 2009 <http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html.>
"Magi: Biblical Figures." Enclyopedia Britannica. Chicago, IL: Web. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/356642/Magi
Halley, Henry H. Halley’s Bible Handbook. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Regency Reference Library, 1965.
Lass, Abraham H., Kiremidjian,David, and Goldstein, Ruth M.. The Facts of File Dictionary of Classical, Biblical, & Literary Allusions. New York; Facts on File
Publications, 1987.
“Liturgy” St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church. 11 Nov. 2009 <smvparish.org/liturgy/index.htm>.
Manser, Martin H., David H. Pickering, eds. The Facts on File Dictionary of Classical and Biblical Allusions. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2003.
New International Version®. Holy Bible. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. BibleGateway.com. 5
Nov. 2009 http://www.biblegateway.com/.
“Properties of the number 40.” Riding the Beast. 11 Nov. 2009 http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu40.php.
“Shabbat.” The Jewish Virtual Library. The American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. Copyright 2009. 8 Dec. 2009.
“The Seven Deadly Sins.” The Whitestone Journal (2009). 5 Nov. 2009 <http://whitestonejournal.com/index.php/seven-deadly-sins>.
“Why the Apocrypha Isn't in the Bible.” 9 Dec. 2009 http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/apocryph.htm.
Wilkinson, Philip. DK Illustrated Dictionary of Religions: Figures, Festivals, and Beliefs of the World’s Religion.New York; DK Publishing, 1999.
“Women in the Ministry of Jesus Part 2.” 9 Dec. 2009. <http://www.wcg.org/lit/church/ministry/women6b.htm>