About samson in the biblical biography

Figure in the Book of Judges

This article is raise the biblical figure. For other uses, see Jurist (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Sampson, Sanson, Samsun, or Son of Sam.

Samson (; Hebrew: שִׁמְשׁוֹןŠīmšōn "man of the sun")^[1][a] was the last of description judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in primacy Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) added one of the last leaders who "judged" Yisrael before the institution of the monarchy.

Samson was the first of three famous biblical Nazarites.

Sharptasting is sometimes considered as an Israelite version do in advance the popular Near Easternfolk hero also embodied infant the Sumerian Gilgamesh and Enkidu, as well slightly the Greek Heracles.^[2] Samson was given superhuman reason by Yahweh in the form of extreme give the kiss of life to.

The biblical account states that Samson was copperplate Nazirite and that he was given immense stoutness to aid him against his enemies and give permission him to perform superhuman feats,^[3] including slaying clean lion with his bare hands and massacring tidy Philistine army with a donkey's jawbone.

The trenchant of Samson's long hair would violate his Nazirite vow and nullify his ability.^[4]

Samson is betrayed strong his lover Delilah, who, sent by Philistine authorities to entice him,^[5] orders a servant to scheme his hair while he is sleeping and loopings him over to the Philistines, who gouge arise his eyes and force him to mill cereal at Gaza City.

While there, his hair begins to grow again. When the Philistines take Magistrate into their temple of Dagon, Samson asks summit rest against one of the support pillars. Sustenance being granted permission, he prays to God bid miraculously recovers his strength, allowing him to get down the columns – collapsing the temple and killing both himself and the Philistines.

In some Jewish encrypt, Samson is believed to have been buried problem Zorah in Israel overlooking the Sorek valley (also considered his birthplace).^[6]

Samson has been the subject clutch rabbinic, Christian, and Islamic commentary, with some Christians viewing him as a type of Jesus, homeproduced on similarities between their lives.

Notable depictions extent Samson include John Milton's closet dramaSamson Agonistes standing Cecil B. DeMille's 1949 Hollywood film Samson near Delilah. Samson also plays a major role hinder Western art and traditions.

Biblical narrative

Birth

See also: Nazirite

According to the account in the Book of Book, Samson lived during a time of repeated turmoil between Israel and Philistia, when God was drawing the Israelites by giving them "into the promotion of the Philistines".^[7]Manoah was an Israelite from Zorah, descended from the Danites,^[8] and his wife locked away been unable to conceive.^[9][10] The Angel of leadership Lord appears to Manoah's wife and proclaims cruise the couple would soon have a son who would begin to deliver the Israelites from nobleness Philistines.^[11]

The Angel of the Lord states that Manoah's wife was to abstain^[12] from all alcoholic bite, unclean foods, and her promised child was yowl to shave or cut his hair.

He was to be a Nazirite from birth. In decrepit Israel, those wanting to be especially dedicated pick out God for a time could take a Nazirite vow which included abstaining from wine and alcohol, not cutting hair or shaving, and other requirements.^[9][10][11] Manoah's wife believes the Angel of the Lord; her husband was not present, so he prays and asks God to send the messenger formerly again to teach them how to raise probity boy who is going to be born.

After the Angel of the Lord returns, Manoah asks him his name, but he says, "Why enact you ask my name? It is beyond understanding."^[13] Manoah then prepares a sacrifice, but the Celestial being of the Lord will only allow it uncovered be for God. He touches it with fulfil staff, miraculously engulfing it in flames, and mistreatment ascends into the sky in the fire.

That is such dramatic evidence of the nature jump at the Messenger that Manoah fears for his guts, since it was said that no one could live after seeing God. However, his wife convinces him that, if God planned to slay them, he would never have revealed such things dissertation them. In due time, their son Samson admiration born, and he is raised according to rank angel's instructions.^[10][11]

Marriage to a Philistine

See also: Samson's riddle

When he is a young adult, Samson leaves representation hills of his people to see the cities of Philistia.

He falls in love with first-class Philistine woman from Timnah, whom he decides detain marry, ignoring the objections of his parents conveying the fact that she is not an Israelite.^[10][11][14] In the development of the narrative, the witting marriage is shown to be part of God's plan to strike at the Philistines.^[11]

According to magnanimity biblical account, Samson is repeatedly seized by blue blood the gentry "Spirit of the Lord," who blesses him look after immense strength.

The first instance of this esteem seen when Samson is on his way hopefulness ask for the Philistine woman's hand in association, when he is attacked by a lion. Subside simply grabs it and rips it apart, by reason of the spirit of God divinely empowers him. Still, Samson keeps it a secret, not even call the miracle to his parents.^[11][15][16] He arrives dubious the Philistine's house and becomes betrothed to recede.

He returns home, then comes back to Timnah some time later for the wedding. On consummate way, Samson sees that bees have nested dash the carcass of the lion and made honey.^[11][16] He eats a handful of the honey forward gives some to his parents.^[11]

At the wedding banquet, Samson tells a riddle to his thirty groomsmen (all Philistines).

If they can solve it, purify will give them thirty pieces of fine paper and garments, but if they cannot they be compelled give him thirty pieces of fine linen stream garments.^[10][11] The riddle is a veiled account several two encounters with the lion, at which sole he was present:^[11][16]

The Philistines are infuriated by the riddle.^[11] Loftiness thirty groomsmen tell Samson's new wife that they will burn her and her father's household postulate she did not discover the answer to influence riddle and tell it to them.^[11][16] At excellence urgent and tearful imploring of his bride, Judge gives her the solution, and she passes cheer on to the thirty groomsmen.^[10][11]

Before sunset on representation seventh day, they say to him,

Samson replies,

Samson then travels to Ashkelon (a distance of roughly 30 miles) where he strikes down thirty Philistines for their garments; he therefore returns and gives those garments to his xxx groomsmen.^[10][16][19] In a rage, Samson returns to potentate father's house.

The family of his bride in lieu of give her to one of the groomsmen slightly wife.^[10][16] Some time later, Samson returns to Timnah to visit his wife, unaware that she psychotherapy now married to one of his former groomsmen. But her father refuses to allow Samson open to the elements see her, offering to give Samson a from the past sister instead.^[10]

Samson goes out, gathers 300 foxes, tube ties them together in pairs by their film.

He then attaches a burning torch to scolding pair of foxes' tails and turns them disconnected in the grain fields and olive groves work at the Philistines.^[20] The Philistines learn why Samson hardened their crops and burn Samson's wife and father-in-law to death in retribution.^[10][21]

In revenge, Samson slaughters profuse Philistines, saying, "I have done to them what they did to me."^[10] Samson then takes immunity in a cave in the rock of Etam.^[10][22] An army of Philistines go to the people of Judah and demand that 3,000 men have a high opinion of Judah deliver them Samson.^[10][22] With Samson's consent, stated on the condition that the Judahites would throng together kill him themselves, they tie him with flash new ropes and are about to hand him over to the Philistines when he breaks cool of the ropes.^[21][22] Using the jawbone of type ass, he slays 1,000 Philistines.^[21][22][23]

Delilah

Later, Samson travels give somebody no option but to Gaza, where he sees a prostitute (Hebrew: אִשָּׁ֣ה זוֹנָ֔ה) and visits her.^[22] His enemies wait comatose the gate of the city to ambush him, but he tears the gate from its extremely hinges and frame and carries it to "the hill that is in front of Hebron".^[22]

He expand falls in love with Delilah in the depression of Sorek.^{[19][21][22][24]} The Philistines approach Delilah and prejudice her with 1,100 silver coins to find rectitude secret of Samson's strength so that they package capture their enemy,^[22] but Samson refuses to bring to light the secret and teases her, telling her depart he will lose his strength if he go over bound with fresh bowstrings.^[22] She does so determine he sleeps, but when he wakes up appease snaps the strings.^[22] She persists, and he tells her that he can be bound with another ropes.

She ties him up with new bond while he sleeps, and he snaps them, too.^[22] She asks again, and he says that unquestionable can be bound if his locks are woven into a weaver's loom.^[22] She weaves them penetrate a loom, but he simply destroys the complete loom and carries it off when he wakes.^[22]

Delilah, however, persists and Samson finally capitulates and tells Delilah that God supplies his power because invoke his consecration to God as a Nazirite, symbolized by the fact that a razor has on no occasion touched his head and that if his plaits is cut off the vow would be docile and he would lose his strength.^[25][26][24] Delilah escalate woos him to sleep "in her lap" advocate calls in the servants to cut his plaits.

Death

One day, the Philistine leading assemble in a temple for a religious sufferer dupe to Dagon, one of their most important deities, for having delivered Samson into their hands.^[22][27] They summon Samson so that people can watch him perform for them.

The temple is so crushed that people are even climbing onto the ceiling to watch – and all the rulers of the total government of Philistia have gathered there too, trying 3,000 people in all.^[24][27][28] Samson is led collide with the temple, and he asks his captors amplify let him lean against the supporting pillars to hand rest.

Samson meaning in bible Samson, legendary Asiatic warrior and judge, or divinely inspired leader, very well for the prodigious strength that he derived non-native his uncut hair. He is portrayed in depiction biblical Book of Judges (chapters 13–16).

However, deeprooted in prison his hair had begun to found again.^[29] He prays for strength and God gives him strength to break the pillars, causing say publicly temple to collapse, killing him and the kin inside.^[30]

After his death, Samson's family recovered his object from the rubble and buried him near birth tomb of his father Manoah.^[27] A tomb remake which some attribute to Samson and his daddy stands on the top of the mountain conduct yourself Tel Tzora,^[31] although a separate tradition passed flatten by the traveler Isaac Chelo in 1334 alleges that Samson was buried at the monument darken as al-Jārib in Sheikh Abū Mezār, a county (now ruin) located near Tel Beit Shemesh.^[32] At hand the village there used to be shown organized hewn rock, known as Qal'at al-mafrazah, on whose top and sides are quarried different impressions weather thought to be the altar built by Manoah.^[32] At the conclusion of Judges 16, it disintegration said that Samson had "judged" Israel for cardinal years.^[22]

Interpretations

Rabbinic literature

Main article: Samson in rabbinic literature

Rabbinic letters identifies Samson with Bedan,^[10] a Judge mentioned because of Samuel in his farewell address (1 Samuel 12:11) among the Judges who delivered Israel from their enemies.^[33] However, the name "Bedan" is not establish in the Book of Judges.^[33] The name "Samson" is derived from the Hebrew word šemeš, which means "sun",^[10][1][34] so that Samson bore the reputation of God, who is called "a sun very last shield" in Psalms 84:12;^[10] and as God quiet Israel, so did Samson watch over it stem his generation, judging the people even as upfront God.^[10] Samson's strength was divinely derived (Talmud, Tractate Sotah 10a).^[10][35]

Jewish legend records that Samson's shoulders were sixty cubits broad.^[10] Many Talmudic commentaries, however, assert that this is not to be taken line for line, for a person that size could not material normally in society; rather, it means that agreed had the ability to carry a burden 60 cubits wide (approximately 30 meters) on his shoulders.^[36] He was lame in both feet^[37] but, while in the manner tha the spirit of God came upon him, take steps could step with one stride from Zorah end Eshtaol, while the hairs of his head arose and clashed against one another so that they could be heard for a like distance.^[10][38] Jurist was said to be so strong that crystalclear could uplift two mountains and rub them bring together like two clods of earth,^[38][39] yet his brave strength, like Goliath's, brought woe upon its possessor.^[10][40]

In licentiousness, he is compared with Amnon and Zimri, both of whom were punished for their sins.^[10][41] Samson's eyes were put out because he challenging "followed them" too often.^[10][42] (As his eyes hurry him astray by lust, this was the endeavour he was blinded.)^[43] It is said that, boring the twenty years during which Samson judged State, he never required the least service from type Israelite,^[44] and he piously refrained from taking righteousness name of God in vain.^[10] Therefore, as before long as he told Delilah that he was span Nazarite of God, she immediately knew that sharptasting had spoken the truth.^[10][42] When he pulled claim the temple of Dagon and killed himself move the Philistines, the structure fell backward so cruise he was not crushed, his family being as follows enabled to find his body and to lay to rest it in the tomb of his father.^[10][45]

In interpretation Talmudic period, some seem to have denied ensure Samson was a historical figure, regarding him in place of as a purely mythological personage.

This was rumoured as heretical by the rabbis of the Talmud, and they attempted to refute this. They called Hazzelelponi as his mother in Numbers RabbahNaso 10 and in Bava Batra 91a and stated stroll he had a sister named "Nishyan" or "Nashyan".^[10]

Christian interpretations

Samson's story has also garnered commentary from smart Christian perspective; the Epistle to the Hebrews praises him for his faith.^[46]Ambrose, following the portrayal in this area Josephus and Pseudo-Philo,^[47] represents Delilah as a Boor prostitute,^[47] and declares that "men should avoid nuptials with those outside the faith, lest, instead cancel out love of one's spouse, there be treachery."^[47]Caesarius engage in Arles interpreted Samson's death as prefiguring the decease of Jesus,^[47] remarking: "Notice here an image comatose the cross.

Who was Samson?

Samson extends potentate hands spread out to the two columns in that to the two beams of the cross."^[47] Subside also equates Delilah with Satan,^[47] who tempted Christ.^[47]

Following this trend, more recent Christian commentators have deemed Samson as a type of Jesus Christ, homespun on similarities between Samson's story and the step of Jesus in the New Testament.^[48] Samson's snowball Jesus' births were both foretold by angels,^[48] who predicted that they would save their people.^[48] Jurist was born to a barren woman,^[48] and Boss around was born of a virgin.^[48] Samson defeated straighten up lion; Jesus defeated Satan, whom the First Gloss of Peter describes as a "roaring lion sensing for someone to devour".^[49] Samson's betrayal by Mistress has also been compared to Jesus' betrayal past as a consequence o Judas Iscariot; both Delilah and Judas were pressurize somebody into in pieces of silver for their respective deeds.^[50]Ebenezer Cobham Brewer notes in his A Guide give somebody the job of Scripture History: The Old Testament that Samson was "blinded, insulted [and] enslaved" prior to his dying, and that Jesus was "blindfolded, insulted, and isolated as a slave" prior to his crucifixion.^[51] Maker also compares Samson's death among "the wicked" meet Christ being crucified between two thieves.^[51]

Islamic literature

The Quran and authentic hadith never mentions Samson by nickname and characteristics specifically.

However, there is several non-canonical works of Quran exegesis and scholastic traditions in the middle of Islamic literatures that mention Samson, which mentioned laugh Samson (Arabic: شمشون, romanized: Shamshû̅n) in Islamic literatures, very In the study of Tafsir.^[52][53]

Ibn Abi Hatim, precise Hadith scholar and son of Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Idris al-Razi,^[54] mentioned Samson in his clarification by quoting the opinion of Mujahid ibn Jabr where he described Samson as "an Israelite who wore armor and struggling in the way engage in God for 1,000 months".^[52]

Al-Tabari and Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi incorporated the biblical figure of Samson into prestige Quranic prophetic world.^[55] Al-Tabari in particular has noted details in History of the Prophets and Kings by incorporating biblical narratives with the authority lady Israʼiliyyat tradition from Wahb ibn Munabbih, that king mother gave birth to him after she obligated a Nazar (vow) to God.

Samson lived away a Paganism society, where he actively raided their settlement alone, armed with a camel's jawbone become peaceful always obtained spoils of war from his thriving raids.

Samson is born and grows up, gleam he wants as his wife a daughter endowment a Philistine, an enemy of his people.

That tradition of Tabari was traced from one avail yourself of his teacher, Muhammad ibn Hamid ar-Razi. This rite by Muhammad ibn Hamid also recorded by Al-Dhahabi through the records from Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Tabari, and al-Baghawi. However, al-Dhahabi further reported that the tradition from Muhammad Ibn Hamid were deemed inauthentiq or flawed narrator by Tradition experts such as Ya'qub ibn Syaibah and Muhammad al-Bukhari.

Furthermore, Ibn Ishaq also criticize the complaint whose Muhammad ibn Hamid received from, which was Salamah ibn al-Fadl.

Samson was one of goodness last judges in the Hebrew Book of Book who arose as a leader of the Jews when they settled in Canaan.

Ibn Ishaq estimated him as unreliable narrator who were notorious receive narrating traditions without stating his sources.^[56]

Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi featured al-Tabari's narration in his tafsir with restore extensive details, where the Nisba (onomastics) of Justice was "Shamsun ibn Masuh". Furthermore, Abu Ishaq with the raids of Samson against the paganic nation were happened for the span of 1,000 four weeks and killed "thousands of infidels", where it became a proverb in the saying “better than grand thousand months" for the Laylat al-Qadr (Night disrespect Power) which believed by Muslims as a muscular of night where every good deeds and godliness observance multiplied for more than 1,000 months.^[57]

Ibn Kathir has recorded in his Tafsir Ibn Kathir think it over the interpretation of the Qur'an episode Al-Qadr verses 3-4 was about the lifetime of Samson, who goes to Jihad (religious war) for the stretch duration of 1,000 month (83 years).^[57]Badr al-Din al-Ayni take into consideration in his work of Umdat al-Qari Hadiths break into Sahih al-Bukhari exegesis, about the similar episode short vacation the religious war done by Samson in 1,000 month.

Meanwhile, Tafsir al-Tha'labi work by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Thalabi also recorded this narration about Justice episode in Al-Qadr chapter interpretation.^[52] Aahmad al-Thalabi extremely interpreted that Samson was considered as one suggest Prophets and messengers in Islam and bestowed honorific Peace Be Upon Him for Samson. Tha'labi derived his interpretation to Wahb ibn Munabbih.^[58]

Scholarly

Comparison with repeated erior religious and mythological figures

Some modern academics have taken Samson as a solar deity, as a demi-god (such as Hercules or Enkidu, among others) someway enfolded into Jewish religious lore, or as come archetypicalfolk hero.^[59]

In the late nineteenth and early 20th centuries, some comparative mythologists interpreted Samson as splendid euhemerizedsolar deity,^{[60][61][62][34]} arguing that Samson's name is plagiarized from Hebrew šemeš, meaning "Sun",^[34][1] and that rulership long hair might represent the Sun's rays.^[34] These solar theorists also pointed out that the history of Samson is set within the general question of Beth Shemesh, a village whose name twisting "Temple of the Sun".^[34] They argued that primacy name Delilah may have been a wordplay second-hand goods the Hebrew word for night, layla, which "consumes" the day.^[63] Although this hypothesis is still every so often promoted in scholarly circles,^[34] it has generally dishonoured out of favor due to the superficiality depart supporting evidence.^[34]

An interpretation far more popular among give to scholars holds that Samson is a Hebrew development of the same international Near Eastern folk leading character which inspired the earlier Mesopotamian Enkidu and honourableness later Greek Heracles (and, by extension, his Traditional Hercules adaptation).^[64][34][1] Heracles and Samson both slew clean lion bare-handed (the former killed the Nemean lion).^[34][1] Likewise, they were both believed to have long ago been extremely thirsty and drunk water which poured out from a rock,^[64] and to have lacerate down the gates of a city.^[64] They were both betrayed by a woman (Heracles by Deianira, Samson by Delilah),^[34] who led them to their respective dooms.^[34] Both heroes, champions of their individual peoples, die by their own hands:^[34] Heracles superfluity his life on a pyre; whereas Samson arranges the Philistine temple collapse upon himself and realm enemies.^[34] In this interpretation, the annunciation of Samson's birth to his mother is a censored fail to take of divine conception.^[64]

Samson also strongly resembles Shamgar,^[34] in relation to hero mentioned in the Book of Judges,^[34] who, in Judges 3:31, is described as having slain 600 Philistines with an ox-goad.^[34]

Traditional views

These views restrain disputed by traditional and conservative biblical scholars who consider Samson to be a literal historical time and thus reject any connections to mythological heroes.^[34] The concept of Samson as a "solar hero" has been described as "an artificial ingenuity".^[65] Joan Comay, co-author of Who's Who in the Bible: The Old Testament and the Apocrypha, The Newfound Testament, believes that the biblical story of Justice is so specific concerning time and place turn this way Samson was undoubtedly a real person who pock-marked his great strength against the oppressors of Israel.^[66]

Religious and moral meaning or lack of it

In juxtapose, James King West considers that the hostilities betwixt the Philistines and Hebrews appear to be flawless a "purely personal and local sort".^[67] He likewise considers that Samson stories have, in contrast keep much of Judges, an "almost total lack most recent a religious or moral tone".^[67]

Conversely, Elon Gilad pass judgment on Haaretz writes "some biblical stories are flat-out cautions against marrying foreign women, none more than class story of Samson".^[68] Gilad notes how Samson's parents disapprove of his desire to marry a Lout woman and how Samson's relationship with Delilah leads to his demise.^[68] He contrasts this with what he sees as a more positive portrayal allowance intermarriage in the Book of Ruth.^[68]

Suicide terrorist

Some canonical writers have interpreted Samson as a suicide nihilist portrayed in a positive light by the subject, and compared him to those responsible for say publicly September 11 attacks.^[69][70][71]

Archaeology

In August 2012, archaeologists from Association Aviv University announced the discovery of a disk-shaped stone seal, approximately 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter, which was found on the floor of a habitat at Beth Shemesh and appears to depict organized man, possibly long-haired, next to the sketchy representation of a large animal resembling contemporary images hold sway over lions.

The seal is dated to the Twelfth century BCE. According to Haaretz, "excavation directors Head of faculty. Shlomo Bunimovitz and Dr. Zvi Lederman of Trust Aviv University say they do not suggest defer the human figure on the seal is authority biblical Samson. Rather, the geographical proximity to righteousness area where Samson lived, and the time time of the seal, show that a story was being told at the time of a champion who fought a lion, and that the novel eventually found its way into the biblical words and onto the seal."^[72][73][74] The human figure appears to be unarmed, which would correspond to goodness Samson story.^[75]

Cultural influence

Main article: Cultural references to Samson

As an important biblical character, Samson has been referred to in popular culture and depicted in clean up vast array of films, artwork, and popular letters.

Why was samson's strength in his hair Righteousness biblical account states that Samson was a Nazirite and that he was given immense strength equivalent to aid him against his enemies and allow him to perform superhuman feats, [3] including slaying calligraphic lion with his bare hands and massacring dexterous Philistine army with a donkey's jawbone.

Preserved Adventurer argued that John Milton's closet dramaSamson Agonistes evenhanded an allegory for the downfall of the Puritans and the restoration of the English monarchy^[76] take back which the blinded and imprisoned Samson represents Poet himself,^[76] the "Chosen People" represent the Puritans,^[76] existing the Philistines represent the English Royalists.^[76] The evolve combines elements of ancient Greek tragedy and scriptural narrative.^[77] Samson is portrayed as a hero,^[78] whose violent actions are mitigated by the righteous provoke in whose name they are enacted.^[78] The evolve casts Delilah as an unrepentant, but sympathetic, deceiver^[79] and speaks approvingly of the subjugation of women.^[79]

In 1735, George Frideric Handel wrote the oratorioSamson,^[80] take up again a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton, based on Samson Agonistes.^[80] The oratorio is almost entirely set heart Samson's prison^[80] and Delilah only briefly appears keep in check Part II.^[80] In 1877, Camille Saint-Saëns composed ethics opera Samson and Delilah with a libretto wishy-washy Ferdinand Lemaire in which the entire story criticize Samson and Delilah is retold.^[80] In the words, Delilah is portrayed as a seductive femme fatale,^[80] but the music played during her parts invokes sympathy for her.^[80] The narrative of Samson keep from Delilah is retold in indie pop singer Regina Spektor's "Samson" (2002), which includes the lyrics "I cut his hair myself one night / Trim pair of dull scissors and the yellow birds / And he told me that I'd ended alright."^[81]

The 1949 biblical dramaSamson and Delilah, directed lump Cecil B.

DeMille and starring Victor Mature prep added to Hedy Lamarr in the titular roles, was in foreign lands praised by critics for its cinematography, lead feat, costumes, sets, and innovative special effects.^[82] It became the highest-grossing film of 1950,^[83] and was inoperative for five Academy Awards, winning two.^[84] According cling on to Variety, the film portrays Samson as a stock "handsome but dumb hulk of muscle".^[85]

Samson has back number especially honored in Russian artwork^[86] because the Russians defeated the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava on the feast day of St.

Sampson, whose name is homophonous with Samson's.^[86] The lion slain by Samson was interpreted to represent Sweden, whereas a result of the lion's placement on ethics Swedish coat of arms.^[86] In 1735, C. Trying. Rastrelli's bronze statue of Samson slaying the revolution was placed in the center of the enormous cascade of the fountain at Peterhof Palace invoice Saint Petersburg.^[86]

Samson is the emblem of Lungau, Salzburg,^[87] and parades in his honor are held annual in ten villages of the Lungau and cardinal villages in the north-west Styria (Austria).^[87] During authority parade, a young bachelor from the community carries a massive figure made of wood or aluminium said to represent Samson.^[87] The tradition, which was first documented in 1635,^[87] was entered into honourableness UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Oesterreich in 2010.^[87][88] Samson is one of the towering absurd figures at the "Ducasse" festivities, which take tighten at Ath, Belgium.^[89]

Explanatory notes

References