The Samson Story: Love, Seduction, Betrayal, Violence, Riddles, Myth

by Shaul Bar

Overview

Love, seduction, betrayal, violence, riddles, and myth all find their place in the biblical story of Samson. Samson is the last of the judges, with 20 percent of the book devoted to him--more than any other judge. From the beginning, Samson is unlike any other judge, which the author suggests when narrating Samson's birth. Samson is destined, even before his birth, to deliver Israel. He doesn't lead his people into battle, he acts alone; his battles are personal vendettas. Samson fights with a lion, defeats the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, captures foxes, sets Philistine fields on fire, and carries the Gates of Gaza on his shoulders. So what stands behind these stories? Was Samson a mythological hero like Hercules and Gilgamesh? Like other men in the Hebrew Bible, Samson can't resist foreign women. Time after time, he follows Philistine women who eventually betray him. Samson is defeated not by physical strength, but by the powers of seduction, making this story a tragedy. Who were these women and how did they defeat Samson? Readers of this volume will rediscover Samson and better understand his achievements and failures. This study will afford a provocative and useful insight into the character of Samson.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532646515
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	06/15/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	164
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dr. Shaul Bar, Director of the Bornblum Judaic Studies Program at the University of Memphis. He is the author of A Letter Has Not Been Read: Dreams in the Hebrew Bible (2001), I Deal Death and Give Life: Biblical Perspectives on Death (2010), God’s First King: The Story of Saul (2013), Daily Life of the Patriarchs: The Way It Was (2014), and A Nation Is Born: The Jacob Story (2016).
Shaul Bar is Professor of Judaic Studies in the Bornblum Judaic Studies program at the University of Memphis. He is the author of A Letter That Has Not Been Read (2001), as well as I Deal Death and Give Life (2010).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Abbreviations x

Introduction xv

1 The Birth of Samson 1

Samsoh's Parents 2

Manoah's Wife and the Messenger 5

Manoah's Wife Report 6

The Angels Second Appearance 9

The Purpose of the Story 15

2 Nazirite 19

Law of the Nazirite 20

Samson in Light of the Biblical Law 24

Samuel in Light of the Biblical Law 26

Samson's Mother 28

Hannah, Samuel's mother 28

Nazir in the Bible 30

Origin of Nazirite Law 32

3 Literary Structure 35

The Birth of Samson 36

A Broken Vow 40

Chapters 14-15 42

The Downfall 46

Samson and the Book of Samuel 49

4 Women in the Samson Story 52

The Timnite Woman 53

Pressuring Samson's Wife 58

The Harlot from Gaza 62

Samson and Delilah 64

5 Samsons Riddle 71

Riddles in the Hebrew Bible 71

Samson's Riddle 74

The Philistines' Riddle 79

Samson's Reply 81

6 Mythical Elements in the Samson Story 84

Samson Kills a Lion 85

Jawbone of an Ass 88

The Gates of Gaza 89

Samson and the Foxes 90

Solar Myth 92

Sun Worship 95

7 Philistines 97

The People and their Origin 97

Philistines and the Tribe of Dan 99

The First Clashes with the Philistines 100

The Philistines during the Reign of David and Salomon 101

The Culture of the Philistines 103

8 The Death of Samson 112

The Philistines' Jubilation 113

Samsons Revenge 117

The Burial of Samson 120

Conclusion 123

Bibliography 129

Index 135

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Both a superhuman and sinner, Samson will continue to captivate the imagination of generations to come. With his careful attention to biblical nuance, Dr. Bar has managed to bring to life the intriguing story of the most controversial and eccentric judge of the Old Testament. This book untangles both the multifaceted narrative and the complex character of its hero. Bible lovers will much appreciate this detailed study.”

—DR. SHMUEL SHEPKARU, Professor of Jewish Intellectual and Religious History at the University of Oklahoma and author of Jewish Martyrs in the Pagan and Christian Worlds

Editorial Reviews

Both a superhuman and sinner, Samson will continue to captivate the imagination of generations to come. With his careful attention to biblical nuance, Dr. Bar has managed to bring to life the intriguing story of the most controversial and eccentric judge of the Old Testament. This book untangles both the multifaceted narrative and the complex character of its hero. Bible lovers will much appreciate this detailed study.”

—DR. SHMUEL SHEPKARU, Professor of Jewish Intellectual and Religious History at the University of Oklahoma and author of Jewish Martyrs in the Pagan and Christian Worlds

From the Publisher