Story of Creation Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 1:1-2:3
· In the beginning, the Earth was formless and empty.
· 1st day: separation of day and night.
· 2nd day: separation of sky and water.
· 3rd day: creation of land and the vegetation it produced.
· 4th day: creation of stars, moon, and sun.
· 5th day: creation of living creatures in the sky and water.
· 6th day: creation of land animals and mankind.
· 7th day: holy day of rest.
Example: The Odyssey represents a story of chaos never being restored to order, while the story of Creation represents chaos and order in one.
“The Fall” Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 3:1-24
· The serpent was crafty and deceiving.
· The serpent tempts Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
· Eve shares the fruit with Adam.
· Adam and Eve felt ashamed and were aware of what they had done.
· The Lord confronted Adam.
· Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.
· God cursed Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and banished them from the Garden of Eden, placing a guardian to prevent their return.
Example: “The Fall” is referenced back to by several works of literature, especially the concept of the fall from innocence. An example of this is in the story of Araby when the young boy falls away from the teachings of his Christian school, turning his mind to Mangan’s sister instead.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the loss of innocence is also displayed through the execution of Tom Robinson who was an innocent man.
“The Flood” Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 6:1-8:22
· Men grew in number and so did the wickedness within them.
· Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
· The Lord found the world corrupt.
· God gave warning to Noah about upcoming destruction of mankind.
· God gave instruction to Noah to build an ark.
· God commanded Noah to store a pair of every species of animal and every kind of food that is to be eaten.
· Noah obeyed everything just as God had commanded.
· As God flooded the world, Noah and his family boarded the ark.
· Rain fell on the Earth for 40 days and 40 nights.
· Every living thing outside of the ark perished by the waters that came over the Earth.
· After 150 days, the water began to recede.
· God sent a wind over the Earth, causing the water to recede.
· Noah’s dove brings back an olive leaf, signaling dry land (or vegetation).
· After the water receded, Noah and his family as wells as all the living creatures exited the ark.
· Noah then built an altar for the Lord.
Example: God tested Noah when informing him of what would happen in the near future and Noah obeyed all that God commanded of him to do. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is tested whether or not he’ll stay loyal to his friend, and the raft also involves water just as The Flood did.
Cain and Abel Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 4:1-16, 25
· Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel.
· God found more favor in Abel than Cain.
· God questioned Cain about his anger.
· Cain tricked Abel into going out into a field.
· Cain kills Abel.
· God confronts Cain about Abel’s death.
· Cain denies killing Abel but is cursed by God for his sin.
· God protected Cain with a mark so that he would not be killed.
· God blessed Adam and Eve with another son named Seth.
Example: In Beowulf, the story of Cain and Abel is alluded about when Cain had killed Abel.
Abraham and Isaac Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 22:1-19
· God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering.
· Abraham took Isaac to Moriah region to do the sacrifice.
· Abraham bound his son Isaac to the altar to go through with the offering.
· As Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, an angel called out to him and told him not to lay a hand on Isaac.
· His willingness to sacrifice his only son showed his faith in God.
· Abraham saw a ram and went over to get him to sacrifice instead.
· The Lord said that he would surely bless Abraham because of his faith in God.
Example: Abraham trusted in God and was willing to sacrifice his only son without question. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck sacrifices himself to help out his friend instead of turning him in.
Moses Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 1:22-4:31
· Any boy born must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl can live.
· Moses was put in a basket into the Nile at 3 months old hoping that someone would find him.
· The Pharoah’s daughter found Moses and sent her slave to get a Hebrew woman to nurse him.
· Once old enough, the Hebrew woman gave Moses back to the Pharoah’s daughter.
· Moses killed the Egyptian who was beating the Hebrew.
· Pharoah found out and tried to kill Moses, Moses fled.
· In Midian, a few shepherds drove away a priest’s daughters from a well.
· Moses helped water the priest’s sheep.
· The priest then gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
· Zipporah gave birth to a son named Gershom.
· An angel in flames of fire from within a burning bush appeared to Moses.
· God told Moses that he was to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
· Moses’s staff became a snake when he threw it on the ground.
· Moses’s hand was leprous after putting it in his cloak, but was healed when put back in.
· Third sign was to be taking water from the Nile and pouring it on dry ground, watching it turn into blood.
· Zipporah circumcised her son, so Moses lived.
Example: Moses was tested by God in leading the Israelites out of Egypt and he encountered many obstacles along the way but with God’s help, he successfully led them out. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn parallels to this when Huck and Jim must escape from the bandits and Huck is tested many times as to whether he’ll remain loyal to his friend or not. (This is also the example for The Plagues and Exodus – all part of Moses’s journey)
The Plagues Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 7:14-11:10
· The Plague of Blood: blood was everywhere in Egypt because the Pharoah’s heart was hard.
· The Plague of Frogs: frogs covered all of Egypt because Pharoah would not let the people go.
· The Plague of Gnats: gnats covered everyone in Egypt.
· The Plague of Flies: swarms of flies invaded the houses of the Egyptians.
· The Plague on the Livestock: all the livestock of the Egyptians’ died but not one of the Israelites’ livestock were affected.
· The Plague of Boils: soot was tossed into the air and boils broke out on men and animals.
· The Plague of Hail: hail beat down everything in Egypt and everyone who did not listen to the word of God.
· The Plague of Locusts: a wind swept across the land and brought in the locusts which covered the ground until it was black and devoured everything.
· The Plague of Darkness: darkness covered all of Egypt for 3 days, yet all the Israelites’ places had light.
· The Plague of the Firstborn: every firstborn son and firstborn of the cattle in Egypt will be killed at midnight.
· Passover: The Israelites are to put the blood of the lamb on their doorframes and eat the lamb roasted with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. Any leftovers must be burned. The Lord will pass through Egypt and every firstborn son will be killed.
The Exodus Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 12:31-42
· The Pharoah requested that Moses and Aaron, along with their livestock and people leave.
· The Israelites asked the Egyptians for gold, silver, and clothes.
· There was about 6,000 men on foot besides women and children.
· The Israelites baked cakes with their unleavened bread.
· They now honor that day to give thanks to the Lord for bringing them out of Egypt.
The Ten Commandments Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 20:1-21
· 1st Commandment: you shall have no other gods.
· 2nd Commandment: you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
· 3rd Commandment: remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.
· 4th Commandment: honor your father and mother that they may live a long life on the Earth.
· 5th Commandment: you shall not murder.
· 6th Commandment: you shall not commit adultery.
· 7th Commandment: you shall not steal.
· 8th Commandment: you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
· 9th Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
· 10th Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Example: The Ten Commandments are referenced and used in many various works of literature, from songs to films to poems and more. Emily Dickinson wrote in poem 324 about keeping the Sabbath holy, using it as a contrast to her own situation – “I keep it, staying Home.”
The Book of Job Biblical Allusion Source: Job 1:1-42:17
· Job was a wealthy man with a large family and extensive flocks.
· Lived in the land of Uz.
· Job avoided doing anything evil.
· Satan wanted to torment Job to prove to God that he will curse against him.
· 1st offense from Satan: Job received news that his livestock, servants, and ten children have all died.
· Job still blesses God in his prayers.
· 2nd offense: Job is afflicted with awful skin sores, but he still blessed God.
· Job sat in silence for seven days with three friends by his side.
· He then cursed against God.
· He ignored his friends’ advice.
· God called from a whirlwind and demanded that Job be brave.
· God returned Job’s health and gave him twice as much property as he previously had, new children, and a very long life.
Example:
The Book of Ruth Biblical Allusion Source: Ruth 1:1-4:22
· Naomi’s family went to live in Moab while there was a famine.
· Naomi’s husband Elimelech died and she was left with her two sons.
· Later, her two sons died as well.
· She was very discourage and felt like God had taken everything from her.
· Naomi requested that her daughter in laws go back to their mothers’ homes, and Oprah did, but Ruth insisted on staying.
· Ruth went out to collect grains after her and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem.
· Boaz showed kindness toward Ruth when Naomi told him of what Ruth had done for her.
· Boaz told his men to leave extra stalks of grain out for Ruth to pick up, and she stayed out late gathering stalks.
· Boaz once again showed great generosity towards Naomi and Ruth by giving Ruth 6 measures of barley.
· After the kinsman-redeemer could not buy Naomi’s land, Boaz bought it and with it also married Ruth.
· Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed who would be the father of Jesse who would be the father of David.
Example: There are quite a few literary works that reference or allude to the story of Ruth, some explicitly and others a bit more vaguely. Pride and Prejudice tells the story of a women who could be partially compared to Ruth and her own pattern of events.
David and Goliath Biblical Allusion Source: I Samuel 17:1-58
· Goliath was a Philistine from Gath and over nine feet tall.
· Goliath shouted to Israel telling them to have a man come out and fight him. Whoever won would gain control of the other side.
· David was Jesse’s youngest son who usually tended to Saul’s sheep.
· Goliath came every morning and evening to take his stand for forty days.
· David requested that he be the one to fight Goliath.
· Saul agreed to let David be the one to fight the Philistine.
· All that David brought with him was his staff, five smooth stones, and a sling.
· David had the force of God with him and took down Goliath with only a sling and stone.
· Using Goliath’s sword, David beheaded him.
Example: David was very brave and had confidence that he could defeat Goliath even though he was much larger and stronger than himself. In the Life of Pi, Pi trains the tiger similar to how David defeated Goliath (with the same mindset).
The Nativity Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20
· The Virgin Mary was with child through the Holy Spirit and pledged to be married to Joseph.
· Joseph was righteous and didn’t want rumors spreading.
· An angel appeared to Joseph telling him not to be ashamed of taking Mary home as his wife.
· Mary’s son was to be named Jesus, because he would save his people.
· Joseph obeyed the angel and took Mary home as his wife.
· Mary gave birth to her son Jesus in Bethlehem the town of David.
· He was wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger due to there being no room in the inn.
· An angel appeared to shepherds in a field to bring them the good news.
· The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see their savior.
Example: This story is referenced and alluded to in many works of literature. The Oxen, by E.A. Robinson, uses the nativity story as a theme in his poem, describing the night of Jesus’s birth.
Lazarus Biblical Allusion Source: John 11:1-12:11
· A man named Lazarus from Bethany was sick.
· Jesus stayed for two additional days and then went back to Judea.
· Lazarus died.
· Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days when Jesus arrived.
· Jesus assured Martha that Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection.
· Jesus called for Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and so he did.
· The Pharisees were not pleased with what Jesus had done.
· Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover and had a meal with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
· Mary used expensive perfume to clean Jesus’s feet.
· Judas Iscariot questioned why she was using the perfume rather than selling it and giving the money to the poor.
· Jesus corrected Judas in saying the perfume was intended for him and to be used on his burial. Jesus said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Example: In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Lazarus coming back from the dead is referenced and used in a portion of the poem. An excerpt from it reads, “I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all.”
The Last Supper Biblical Allusion Source: Mark 14:12-31 and John 13:1-30
· First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
· The Last Supper was eaten in a large upper room.
· Jesus arrived with the Twelve Disciples when evening came.
· He declared that one of the Twelve would betray him.
· Jesus broke bread and gave it to his disciples as a representation of his body.
· Similarly, Jesus had them drink from the cup of wine to represent his blood.
· Afterwards, they went to the Mount of Olives.
· Jesus set the example by washing Simon Peter’s feet before supper.
· Judas Iscariot was given the dipped bread and would be the one to betray Jesus.
Example: In The Last Supper, unity is represented with Jesus and his Apostles as well as a “family unit.” In The Christmas Carol, Scrooge is taken by the ghost of Christmas to witness a meal at the Cratchit’s house, which brought the hardworking family in unity and significantly changed Scrooge’s mindset.
Judas and The Betrayal Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56
· Judas agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for thirty silver coins.
· Judas arranged a signal that when he would kiss Jesus, the chief priests would then arrest him.
· Judas kissed Jesus while in a large crowd.
· The chief priests arrested Jesus Christ.
· Jesus’s other disciples tried to defend him, but he told them to put down their swords.
Example: The poem At The Cross explicitly describes Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus and also goes into talking about when Judas hung himself.
The Denial Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 26:69-75
· Peter was sitting out in a courtyard.
· A servant girl asked if he was with Jesus, Peter denied it.
· Peter was at the gateway.
· Another girl asked if he was the one with Jesus, Peter again denied it.
· Others went up to Peter and asked again, but he once again denied it for the third time.
· A rooster crowed.
· Jesus had warned Peter that before the rooster crows, he would deny him three times.
Example: Baudelaire took a bit of a non-traditional approach when referencing Peter’s denial of Jesus in Le Reniement de Saint Pierre by congratulating Peter for denying Jesus.
The Crucifixion Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 27:32-56
· A man from Cyrene carried the cross.
· Jesus was offered wine to drink that was mixed with gall.
· His clothes were divided up by casting lots.
· Two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on his right, and the other on his left.
· Several people standing by mocked Him.
· Jesus was offered a sponge filled with wine vinegar to drink.
· Jesus died when he cried out in a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
· At the time of Jesus’s death, the temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook and the rocks split, the tombs opened up and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
· The risen people went to the holy city and appeared before many others.
Example: The Scarlet Letter displays Hester Prynne upon the scaffold in front of all the town being ostracized and made fun of just as Jesus was at the crucifixion.
The Resurrection Biblical Allusion Source: Luke 24:1-12 and John 20, 21:1-14
· Women found the stone rolled away from Jesus’s tomb on the third day (first day of the week) and it was empty.
· Two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood before the women.
· Most people did not believe what the women had seen, but Peter did.
· Mary Magdalene saw two angels in white.
· Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene.
· In the evening, Jesus appeared before his disciples.
· Thomas, one of the disciples, did not believe the others about Jesus’s resurrection.
· Jesus appeared before Thomas to show him that he really had risen.
· Jesus appeared again at the Sea of Tiberias.
· Jesus was on the shore and caused the disciples’ net to fill up with fish.
· They all had breakfast, eating fish and bread.
Example:
There are a variety of Easter poems that reference Jesus’s resurrection and also non-Easter poems that don’t reference it as directly. One that comes to mind is Easter Joy which is a poem regarding Jesus’s work and resurrection.
· In the beginning, the Earth was formless and empty.
· 1st day: separation of day and night.
· 2nd day: separation of sky and water.
· 3rd day: creation of land and the vegetation it produced.
· 4th day: creation of stars, moon, and sun.
· 5th day: creation of living creatures in the sky and water.
· 6th day: creation of land animals and mankind.
· 7th day: holy day of rest.
Example: The Odyssey represents a story of chaos never being restored to order, while the story of Creation represents chaos and order in one.
“The Fall” Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 3:1-24
· The serpent was crafty and deceiving.
· The serpent tempts Eve into eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
· Eve shares the fruit with Adam.
· Adam and Eve felt ashamed and were aware of what they had done.
· The Lord confronted Adam.
· Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent.
· God cursed Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and banished them from the Garden of Eden, placing a guardian to prevent their return.
Example: “The Fall” is referenced back to by several works of literature, especially the concept of the fall from innocence. An example of this is in the story of Araby when the young boy falls away from the teachings of his Christian school, turning his mind to Mangan’s sister instead.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, the loss of innocence is also displayed through the execution of Tom Robinson who was an innocent man.
“The Flood” Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 6:1-8:22
· Men grew in number and so did the wickedness within them.
· Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
· The Lord found the world corrupt.
· God gave warning to Noah about upcoming destruction of mankind.
· God gave instruction to Noah to build an ark.
· God commanded Noah to store a pair of every species of animal and every kind of food that is to be eaten.
· Noah obeyed everything just as God had commanded.
· As God flooded the world, Noah and his family boarded the ark.
· Rain fell on the Earth for 40 days and 40 nights.
· Every living thing outside of the ark perished by the waters that came over the Earth.
· After 150 days, the water began to recede.
· God sent a wind over the Earth, causing the water to recede.
· Noah’s dove brings back an olive leaf, signaling dry land (or vegetation).
· After the water receded, Noah and his family as wells as all the living creatures exited the ark.
· Noah then built an altar for the Lord.
Example: God tested Noah when informing him of what would happen in the near future and Noah obeyed all that God commanded of him to do. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck is tested whether or not he’ll stay loyal to his friend, and the raft also involves water just as The Flood did.
Cain and Abel Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 4:1-16, 25
· Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel.
· God found more favor in Abel than Cain.
· God questioned Cain about his anger.
· Cain tricked Abel into going out into a field.
· Cain kills Abel.
· God confronts Cain about Abel’s death.
· Cain denies killing Abel but is cursed by God for his sin.
· God protected Cain with a mark so that he would not be killed.
· God blessed Adam and Eve with another son named Seth.
Example: In Beowulf, the story of Cain and Abel is alluded about when Cain had killed Abel.
Abraham and Isaac Biblical Allusion Source: Genesis 22:1-19
· God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac as a burnt offering.
· Abraham took Isaac to Moriah region to do the sacrifice.
· Abraham bound his son Isaac to the altar to go through with the offering.
· As Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, an angel called out to him and told him not to lay a hand on Isaac.
· His willingness to sacrifice his only son showed his faith in God.
· Abraham saw a ram and went over to get him to sacrifice instead.
· The Lord said that he would surely bless Abraham because of his faith in God.
Example: Abraham trusted in God and was willing to sacrifice his only son without question. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck sacrifices himself to help out his friend instead of turning him in.
Moses Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 1:22-4:31
· Any boy born must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl can live.
· Moses was put in a basket into the Nile at 3 months old hoping that someone would find him.
· The Pharoah’s daughter found Moses and sent her slave to get a Hebrew woman to nurse him.
· Once old enough, the Hebrew woman gave Moses back to the Pharoah’s daughter.
· Moses killed the Egyptian who was beating the Hebrew.
· Pharoah found out and tried to kill Moses, Moses fled.
· In Midian, a few shepherds drove away a priest’s daughters from a well.
· Moses helped water the priest’s sheep.
· The priest then gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.
· Zipporah gave birth to a son named Gershom.
· An angel in flames of fire from within a burning bush appeared to Moses.
· God told Moses that he was to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
· Moses’s staff became a snake when he threw it on the ground.
· Moses’s hand was leprous after putting it in his cloak, but was healed when put back in.
· Third sign was to be taking water from the Nile and pouring it on dry ground, watching it turn into blood.
· Zipporah circumcised her son, so Moses lived.
Example: Moses was tested by God in leading the Israelites out of Egypt and he encountered many obstacles along the way but with God’s help, he successfully led them out. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn parallels to this when Huck and Jim must escape from the bandits and Huck is tested many times as to whether he’ll remain loyal to his friend or not. (This is also the example for The Plagues and Exodus – all part of Moses’s journey)
The Plagues Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 7:14-11:10
· The Plague of Blood: blood was everywhere in Egypt because the Pharoah’s heart was hard.
· The Plague of Frogs: frogs covered all of Egypt because Pharoah would not let the people go.
· The Plague of Gnats: gnats covered everyone in Egypt.
· The Plague of Flies: swarms of flies invaded the houses of the Egyptians.
· The Plague on the Livestock: all the livestock of the Egyptians’ died but not one of the Israelites’ livestock were affected.
· The Plague of Boils: soot was tossed into the air and boils broke out on men and animals.
· The Plague of Hail: hail beat down everything in Egypt and everyone who did not listen to the word of God.
· The Plague of Locusts: a wind swept across the land and brought in the locusts which covered the ground until it was black and devoured everything.
· The Plague of Darkness: darkness covered all of Egypt for 3 days, yet all the Israelites’ places had light.
· The Plague of the Firstborn: every firstborn son and firstborn of the cattle in Egypt will be killed at midnight.
· Passover: The Israelites are to put the blood of the lamb on their doorframes and eat the lamb roasted with bitter herbs and bread without yeast. Any leftovers must be burned. The Lord will pass through Egypt and every firstborn son will be killed.
The Exodus Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 12:31-42
· The Pharoah requested that Moses and Aaron, along with their livestock and people leave.
· The Israelites asked the Egyptians for gold, silver, and clothes.
· There was about 6,000 men on foot besides women and children.
· The Israelites baked cakes with their unleavened bread.
· They now honor that day to give thanks to the Lord for bringing them out of Egypt.
The Ten Commandments Biblical Allusion Source: Exodus 20:1-21
· 1st Commandment: you shall have no other gods.
· 2nd Commandment: you shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
· 3rd Commandment: remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it holy.
· 4th Commandment: honor your father and mother that they may live a long life on the Earth.
· 5th Commandment: you shall not murder.
· 6th Commandment: you shall not commit adultery.
· 7th Commandment: you shall not steal.
· 8th Commandment: you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
· 9th Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
· 10th Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Example: The Ten Commandments are referenced and used in many various works of literature, from songs to films to poems and more. Emily Dickinson wrote in poem 324 about keeping the Sabbath holy, using it as a contrast to her own situation – “I keep it, staying Home.”
The Book of Job Biblical Allusion Source: Job 1:1-42:17
· Job was a wealthy man with a large family and extensive flocks.
· Lived in the land of Uz.
· Job avoided doing anything evil.
· Satan wanted to torment Job to prove to God that he will curse against him.
· 1st offense from Satan: Job received news that his livestock, servants, and ten children have all died.
· Job still blesses God in his prayers.
· 2nd offense: Job is afflicted with awful skin sores, but he still blessed God.
· Job sat in silence for seven days with three friends by his side.
· He then cursed against God.
· He ignored his friends’ advice.
· God called from a whirlwind and demanded that Job be brave.
· God returned Job’s health and gave him twice as much property as he previously had, new children, and a very long life.
Example:
The Book of Ruth Biblical Allusion Source: Ruth 1:1-4:22
· Naomi’s family went to live in Moab while there was a famine.
· Naomi’s husband Elimelech died and she was left with her two sons.
· Later, her two sons died as well.
· She was very discourage and felt like God had taken everything from her.
· Naomi requested that her daughter in laws go back to their mothers’ homes, and Oprah did, but Ruth insisted on staying.
· Ruth went out to collect grains after her and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem.
· Boaz showed kindness toward Ruth when Naomi told him of what Ruth had done for her.
· Boaz told his men to leave extra stalks of grain out for Ruth to pick up, and she stayed out late gathering stalks.
· Boaz once again showed great generosity towards Naomi and Ruth by giving Ruth 6 measures of barley.
· After the kinsman-redeemer could not buy Naomi’s land, Boaz bought it and with it also married Ruth.
· Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed who would be the father of Jesse who would be the father of David.
Example: There are quite a few literary works that reference or allude to the story of Ruth, some explicitly and others a bit more vaguely. Pride and Prejudice tells the story of a women who could be partially compared to Ruth and her own pattern of events.
David and Goliath Biblical Allusion Source: I Samuel 17:1-58
· Goliath was a Philistine from Gath and over nine feet tall.
· Goliath shouted to Israel telling them to have a man come out and fight him. Whoever won would gain control of the other side.
· David was Jesse’s youngest son who usually tended to Saul’s sheep.
· Goliath came every morning and evening to take his stand for forty days.
· David requested that he be the one to fight Goliath.
· Saul agreed to let David be the one to fight the Philistine.
· All that David brought with him was his staff, five smooth stones, and a sling.
· David had the force of God with him and took down Goliath with only a sling and stone.
· Using Goliath’s sword, David beheaded him.
Example: David was very brave and had confidence that he could defeat Goliath even though he was much larger and stronger than himself. In the Life of Pi, Pi trains the tiger similar to how David defeated Goliath (with the same mindset).
The Nativity Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20
· The Virgin Mary was with child through the Holy Spirit and pledged to be married to Joseph.
· Joseph was righteous and didn’t want rumors spreading.
· An angel appeared to Joseph telling him not to be ashamed of taking Mary home as his wife.
· Mary’s son was to be named Jesus, because he would save his people.
· Joseph obeyed the angel and took Mary home as his wife.
· Mary gave birth to her son Jesus in Bethlehem the town of David.
· He was wrapped in cloths and placed in a manger due to there being no room in the inn.
· An angel appeared to shepherds in a field to bring them the good news.
· The shepherds went to Bethlehem to see their savior.
Example: This story is referenced and alluded to in many works of literature. The Oxen, by E.A. Robinson, uses the nativity story as a theme in his poem, describing the night of Jesus’s birth.
Lazarus Biblical Allusion Source: John 11:1-12:11
· A man named Lazarus from Bethany was sick.
· Jesus stayed for two additional days and then went back to Judea.
· Lazarus died.
· Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days when Jesus arrived.
· Jesus assured Martha that Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection.
· Jesus called for Lazarus to come out of the tomb, and so he did.
· The Pharisees were not pleased with what Jesus had done.
· Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover and had a meal with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
· Mary used expensive perfume to clean Jesus’s feet.
· Judas Iscariot questioned why she was using the perfume rather than selling it and giving the money to the poor.
· Jesus corrected Judas in saying the perfume was intended for him and to be used on his burial. Jesus said, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Example: In The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Lazarus coming back from the dead is referenced and used in a portion of the poem. An excerpt from it reads, “I am Lazarus, come from the dead, / Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all.”
The Last Supper Biblical Allusion Source: Mark 14:12-31 and John 13:1-30
· First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
· The Last Supper was eaten in a large upper room.
· Jesus arrived with the Twelve Disciples when evening came.
· He declared that one of the Twelve would betray him.
· Jesus broke bread and gave it to his disciples as a representation of his body.
· Similarly, Jesus had them drink from the cup of wine to represent his blood.
· Afterwards, they went to the Mount of Olives.
· Jesus set the example by washing Simon Peter’s feet before supper.
· Judas Iscariot was given the dipped bread and would be the one to betray Jesus.
Example: In The Last Supper, unity is represented with Jesus and his Apostles as well as a “family unit.” In The Christmas Carol, Scrooge is taken by the ghost of Christmas to witness a meal at the Cratchit’s house, which brought the hardworking family in unity and significantly changed Scrooge’s mindset.
Judas and The Betrayal Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56
· Judas agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for thirty silver coins.
· Judas arranged a signal that when he would kiss Jesus, the chief priests would then arrest him.
· Judas kissed Jesus while in a large crowd.
· The chief priests arrested Jesus Christ.
· Jesus’s other disciples tried to defend him, but he told them to put down their swords.
Example: The poem At The Cross explicitly describes Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus and also goes into talking about when Judas hung himself.
The Denial Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 26:69-75
· Peter was sitting out in a courtyard.
· A servant girl asked if he was with Jesus, Peter denied it.
· Peter was at the gateway.
· Another girl asked if he was the one with Jesus, Peter again denied it.
· Others went up to Peter and asked again, but he once again denied it for the third time.
· A rooster crowed.
· Jesus had warned Peter that before the rooster crows, he would deny him three times.
Example: Baudelaire took a bit of a non-traditional approach when referencing Peter’s denial of Jesus in Le Reniement de Saint Pierre by congratulating Peter for denying Jesus.
The Crucifixion Biblical Allusion Source: Matthew 27:32-56
· A man from Cyrene carried the cross.
· Jesus was offered wine to drink that was mixed with gall.
· His clothes were divided up by casting lots.
· Two robbers were crucified with Jesus, one on his right, and the other on his left.
· Several people standing by mocked Him.
· Jesus was offered a sponge filled with wine vinegar to drink.
· Jesus died when he cried out in a loud voice and gave up his spirit.
· At the time of Jesus’s death, the temple curtain was torn in two, the earth shook and the rocks split, the tombs opened up and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
· The risen people went to the holy city and appeared before many others.
Example: The Scarlet Letter displays Hester Prynne upon the scaffold in front of all the town being ostracized and made fun of just as Jesus was at the crucifixion.
The Resurrection Biblical Allusion Source: Luke 24:1-12 and John 20, 21:1-14
· Women found the stone rolled away from Jesus’s tomb on the third day (first day of the week) and it was empty.
· Two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood before the women.
· Most people did not believe what the women had seen, but Peter did.
· Mary Magdalene saw two angels in white.
· Jesus appeared before Mary Magdalene.
· In the evening, Jesus appeared before his disciples.
· Thomas, one of the disciples, did not believe the others about Jesus’s resurrection.
· Jesus appeared before Thomas to show him that he really had risen.
· Jesus appeared again at the Sea of Tiberias.
· Jesus was on the shore and caused the disciples’ net to fill up with fish.
· They all had breakfast, eating fish and bread.
Example:
There are a variety of Easter poems that reference Jesus’s resurrection and also non-Easter poems that don’t reference it as directly. One that comes to mind is Easter Joy which is a poem regarding Jesus’s work and resurrection.