Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions Part 17

The valley of Nemea was infested by a terrible lion; Eurystheus ordered Hercules to bring him the skin of this monster. After using in vain his club and arrows against the lion, Hercules strangled the animal with his hands. He returned, carrying the dead lion on his shoulders; but Eurystheus was so frightened at the sight of it, and at this proof of the prodigious strength of the hero, that he ordered him to deliver the accounts of his exploits in the future outside the town.[67:1]

To show the courage of Hercules, it is said that he entered the cave where the lion's lair was, closed the entrance behind him, and at once grappled with the monster.[67:2]

Samson is said to have torn asunder the _jaws_ of the lion, and we find him generally represented slaying the beast in that manner. So likewise, was this the manner in which Hercules disposed of the Nemean lion.[67:3]

The skin of the lion, Hercules tore off with his fingers, and knowing it to be impenetrable, resolved to wear it henceforth.[67:4] The statues and paintings of Hercules either represent him carrying the lion's skin over his arm, or wearing it hanging down his back, the skin of its head fitting to his crown like a cap, and the fore-legs knotted under his chin.[67:5]

Samson's second exploit was when he went down to Ashkelon and slew thirty men.

Hercules, when returning to Thebes from the lion-hunt, and wearing its skin hanging from his shoulders, as a sign of his success, met the heralds of the King of the Minyae, coming from Orchomenos to claim the annual tribute of a hundred cattle, levied on Thebes. Hercules cut off the ears and noses of the heralds, bound their hands, and sent them home.[67:6]

Samson's third exploit was when he caught three hundred foxes, and took fire-brands, and turned them tail to tail, and put a fire-brand in the midst between two tails, and let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines.

There is no such feature as this in the legends of Hercules, the nearest to it in resemblance is when he encounters and kills the Learnean Hydra.[67:7] During this encounter a _fire-brand_ figures conspicuously, and _the neighboring wood is set on fire_.[67:8]

We have, however, an explanation of this portion of the legend, in the following from Prof. Steinthal:

At the festival of Ceres, held at Rome, in the month of April, a fox-hunt through the circus was indulged in, _in which burning torches were bound to the foxes' tails_.

This was intended to be a symbolical reminder of the damage done to the fields by mildew, called the "_red fox_," which was exorcised in various ways at this momentous season (the last third of April). It is the time of the _Dog-Star_, at which the mildew was most to be feared; if at that time great solar heat follows too close upon the h.o.a.r-frost or dew of the cold nights, this mischief rages like a burning fox through the corn-fields.[68:1]

He also says that:

"This is the sense of the story of the foxes, which Samson caught and sent into the Philistines' fields, with fire-brands fastened to their tails, to burn the crops. Like the lion, the fox is an animal that indicated the solar heat, being well suited for this both by its color and by its long-haired tail."[68:2]

Bouchart, in his "Hierozoicon," observes that:

"At this period (_i. e._, the last third of April) they cut the corn in Palestine and Lower Egypt, and a few days after the setting of the Hyads arose the _Fox_, in whose train or tail comes the fires or torches of the dog-days, represented among the Egyptians by red marks painted on the backs of their animals."[68:3]

Count de Volney also tells us that:

"The inhabitants of Ca.r.s.eoles, an ancient city of Latium, every year, in a religious festival, burned a number of foxes _with torches tied to their tails_. They gave, as the reason for this whimsical ceremony, that their corn had been formerly burnt by a fox to whose tail a young man had fastened a bundle of lighted straw."[68:4]

He concludes his account of this peculiar "religious festival," by saying:

"This is exactly the story of Samson with the Philistines, but it is a Phenician tale. _Car-Seol_ is a compound word in that tongue, signifying _town of foxes_. The Philistines, originally from Egypt, do not appear to have had any colonies.

The Phenicians had a great many; and it can scarcely be admitted that they borrowed this story from the Hebrews, as obscure as the Druses are in our own times, or that a simple adventure gave rise to a religious ceremony; _it evidently can only be a mythological and allegorical narration_."[68:4]

So much, then, for the foxes and fire-brands.

Samson's fourth exploit was when he smote the Philistines "hip and thigh," "with great slaughter."

It is related of Hercules that he had a combat with an _army_ of Centaurs, who were armed with pine sticks, rocks, axes, &c. They flocked in wild confusion, and surrounded the _cave_ of Pholos, where Hercules was, when a violent fight ensued. Hercules was obliged to contend against this large armed force single-handed, but he came off victorious, and slew a great number of them.[69:1] Hercules also encountered and fought against _an army of giants_, at the Phlegraean fields, near c.u.mae.[69:2]

Samson's next wonderful exploit was when "three thousand men of Judah"

bound him with _cords_ and brought him up into Lehi, when the Philistines were about to take his life. The cords with which he was bound immediately became as flax, and loosened from off his hands. He then, with the jaw-bone of an a.s.s, slew one thousand Philistines.[69:3]

A very similar feature to this is found in the history of Hercules. He is made prisoner by the Egyptians, who wish to take his life, but while they are preparing to slay him, he breaks loose his bonds--having been tied with _cords_--and kills Buseris, the leader of the band, _and the whole retinue_.[69:4]

On another occasion, being refused shelter from a storm at Kos, he was enraged at the inhabitants, and accordingly _destroyed the whole town_.[69:5]

Samson, after he had slain a thousand Philistines, was "sore athirst,"

and called upon _Jehovah_, his father in heaven, to succor him, whereupon, water immediately gushed forth from "a hollow place that was in the jaw-bone."

Hercules, departing from the Indies (or rather Ethiopia), and conducting his army through the desert of Lybia, feels a burning thirst, and conjures _Ihou_, his father, to succor him in his danger.

Instantly the (celestial) Ram appears. Hercules follows him and arrives at a place where the Ram sc.r.a.pes with his foot, _and there instantly comes forth a spring of water_.[70:1]

Samson's sixth exploit happened when he went to Gaza to visit a harlot.

The Gazites, who wished to take his life, laid wait for him all night, but Samson left the town at midnight, and took with him the gates of the city, and the _two posts_, on his shoulders. He carried them to the top of a hill, some fifty miles away, and left them there.

This story very much resembles that of the "Pillars of Hercules," called the "_Gates of Cadiz_."[70:2]

Count de Volney tells us that:

"Hercules was represented naked, carrying on his shoulders _two columns_ called the Gates of Cadiz."[70:3]

"The _Pillars_ of Hercules" was the name given by the ancients to the two rocks forming the entrance or _gate_ to the Mediterranean at the Strait of Gibraltar.[70:4] Their erection was ascribed by the Greeks to Hercules, on the occasion of his journey to the kingdom of Geryon.

According to one version of the story, they had been united, but Hercules tore them asunder.[70:5]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. No. 3.]

Fig. No. 3 is a representation of Hercules with the two posts or pillars on his shoulders, as alluded to by Count de Volney. We have taken it from Montfaucon's "L'Antiquite Expliquee."[70:6]

J. P. Lundy says of this:

"Hercules carrying his two columns to erect at the Straits of Gibraltar, may have some reference to the Hebrew story."[71:1]

We think there is no doubt of it. By changing the name Hercules into Samson, the legend is complete.

Sir William Drummond tells us, in his "dipus Judaicus," that:

"_Gaza_ signifies a Goat, and was the type of the Sun in Capricorn. The _Gates of the Sun_ were feigned by the ancient Astronomers to be in Capricorn and Cancer (that is, in _Gaza_), from which signs the tropics are named. Samson carried away the gates from Gaza to Hebron, the city of conjunction. Now, Count Gebelin tells us that at Cadiz, where Hercules was anciently wors.h.i.+ped, there was a representation of him, _with a gate on his shoulders_."[71:2]

The stories of the amours of Samson with Delilah and other females, are simply counterparts of those of Hercules with Omphale and Iole.

Montfaucon, speaking of this, says:

"Nothing is better known in the fables (related of Hercules) than his amours with Omphale and Iole."[71:3]

Prof. Steinthal says:

"The circ.u.mstance that Samson is so addicted to s.e.xual pleasure, has its origin in the remembrance that the _Solar G.o.d_ is the G.o.d of fruitfulness and procreation. We have as examples, the amours of Hercules and Omphale; Ninyas, in a.s.syria, with Semiramis; Samson, in Philistia, with Delila, whilst among the Phenicians, Melkart pursues Dido-Anna."[71:4]

Samson is said to have had long hair. "There hath not come a razor upon my head," says he, "for I have been a Nazarite unto G.o.d from my mother's womb."

Now, strange as it may appear, Hercules is said to have had long hair also, and he was often represented that way. In Montfaucon's "L'Antiquite Expliquee"[71:5] may be seen a representation of Hercules _with hair reaching almost to his waist_. Almost all _Sun_-G.o.ds are represented thus.[71:6]

Prof. Goldzhier says: