Was it a whale or a fish that swallowed Jonah?

So I hear people talk occasionally about whether the creature that swallowed Jonah whole was a whale or a fish. People will argue over specifics, saying that in Matthew12:40 it says “whale” in some translations while in Jonah it says “great fish.” Some say that a man would not fit down a whale's/fish's throat while others argue that the creature's stomach acids would have started digesting him. Well, I'm gonna take the simplest look at this possible.

First, let's address the wording. Forget, for a second, the fact that the writers of the Old Testament (or New Testament for that matter) were not marine biologists and there was no way for them to know the difference between a giant fish and a whale...the Hebrew word used in the book of Jonah was “dahg” meaning “fish” and the Greek word used in Matthew was “ketos” meaning “large sea creature.” The word “whale” is only ever thrown out as one of the possible meanings of the word “ketos.” But wait, a whale is not a fish, it's a mammal! That second we forgot about the lack of science is over and “Hebrew linguistic experts note no such distinction in the terms used in the Old Testament. The ordinary term for “fish” (dahg) would not necessarily exclude the whale in its application” because back then they would have no way of knowing the taxonomic distinction between a whale and a fish (Dave Miller).

On to the physical discrepancies! Of course whales can get huge, but what about fish? When we think of fish, we think of something we catch in a lake or pond, or the little things swimming around the aquarium at the dentist office, but some fish can get huge. Catfish and Carp grow to their surroundings, meaning the more space they have, the bigger they get. Also, catfish can live in fresh or salt water and the largest largest ever recorded, caught in Thailand, weighed 646 pounds (National GeographicNews). Oh yeah, sharks are fish too, and thanks to the movie Jaws, and possibly a few museums here and there, we know sharks can definitely swallow a man whole.

Well, stomach acids would surely kill the man after three days. Here we have to go back to the book of Jonah and look at the wording in verse 17. Here it says “the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.” The original word used “manhah” could mean appointed, prepared, constituted, or made-ready. A conclusion could be reached that Yahweh supernaturally manipulated this animal so it would keep Jonah alive in the tumultuous sea. There have also been stories of men in more recent years that were swallowed by whales and lived to tell about it. Dr. Harry Rimmer recounts a story of a young sailor he met that fell overboard and was swallowed by a gigantic whale shark. After the fleet hunted it down for 48 hours and killed it, they dragged it to shore to properly bury their comrade. When they sliced it open, he man was found unconscious but alive. He was rushed to hospital, where he was found to be suffering from shock alone, and was later discharged” and even later advertised in a museum as “The Jonah of the Twentieth Century” (Harry Rimmer, The Harmony of Science and Scripture).

Looking at these facts, one could see how this scenario could have likely happened. Whether or not it was a fish, or a whale, or some other giant sea creature is not what is important in the story any way. In all likelihood, Jonah would have died at sea if he hadn't been swallowed, so even when he felt at his lowest he was being showed mercy by God.

Allusion #3: Batllestar Galactica

For this allusion project I am going to take a step away from my passion for metal music and into another one of my favorite forms of media...science-fiction!  The nerd in me could not hold this one in any longer.  The most beautifully written science-fiction television series EVER, and possibly one of the greatest shows of all time (behind the X-Files) is Battlestar Galactica.  The series aired from 2004-2009 and was a remake of a 1970's series.  The background of the story is this:  Humans made cylons (artificially intelligent robots), after a while those robots rebelled, there was a war that ended in an armistice, then in the first episode the cylons return and nearly wipe out the entire human race with the help of humanoid second generation models.  The remaining humans eventually come together in a fleet of space ships and flee together, all the while being chased across the universe by the cylons.  Watch a couple of the show intros to get a general idea of the beginning story line.  

The series is just riddled with allusions, from Greek/Roman mythology, Buddhism and Hinduism, Judaism, and several specific sects of Christianity including Catholicism, Gnosticism, some mysticism, and even Mormonism.  There are so many Biblical allusions that I will not be able to fit them all into this project, but I will hit the most important ones.

The first and most prevalent one is that humanity, as it exists in this story, consists of twelve tribes living on twelve different planets with one central government.  The obvious reference here is to the twelve tribes of Israel.  The twelve tribes of Israel leave Egypt in attempt to regain land that was promised to them by Yahweh.  The humans in BSG refer to their ancient scrolls to try and guide them to Kobol, the place the twelve tribes lived with the gods.  Also of note here is that the human beings in this series are polytheistic, which is one of the reasons the cylons, who have become monotheistic, justify their destruction...much like the Israelites justification for the genocide of other nations in the Old Testament.

The second allusion is to Moses.  Laura Roslin, who was originally the Secretary of Education, ends up becoming president of the colonies after finding out she was the highest ranking government official to survive the attacks.  Roslin consults the scriptures and becomes a primarily faith based leader when she learns she is dying of breast cancer.  Their scriptures tell of a leader who will lead them to Earth (a mythical promised land) but will not live to see it.  Much like the story of Moses, who was charged by God to lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land, but would not be allowed to enter himself. 

Throughout the entire series a character named Dr. Gaius Baltar is "haunted" by his connection to the cylon model number six (appearing in the red dress as the Jesus figure in the parody of "The Last Supper").  She appears to Baltar, but no one else.  Six influences his decision making and bends his will to serve her purpose.  At several points this drives the doctor to question why he sees her.  At first she tells him that she implanted a chip in his brain during their relationship on Caprica (he had no idea she was a cylon, nor did humans know human-looking cylons existed).  Another time he convinces himself that he is a cylon, and at other times he starts to believe in the possibility of a one, true god that is communicating to him through her.  This is a solid allusion to the idea of the Holy Spirit in the canonical gospels of the New Testament.  In John 14:17, Jesus talks of coming back as a spirit "whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you."

The last allusions I would like to address are the use of Biblical names in the series.  Here are the character names that have Biblical connotation:

-Colonel Saul Tigh:  originally persecuted the cylons bitterly much like Saul of Tarsus.  In various chapters of Acts in the New Testament, Saul persecuted Christians until Jesus appeared to him, which temporarily blinded him.  Colonel Tigh, in the series, had an eye gouged out by a cylon during his incarceration and interrogation on New Caprica (you'd just have to watch the show to get it).  His mood changed after he found out that he himself was a cylon, again paralleling the story of Saul, who converted to Christianity and changed his name to Paul.

-Dr. Gaius Baltar:  a narcissistic genius in BSG who shares his name with one (or several depending on how you look at it) of Paul's conversions and/or traveling companions in the New Testament.  One is said to be from Derbe, the other from Corinth, and there could still possibly be others.  All of these have one thing in common and that is they were believers who had contact with Paul.  The character in Battlestar Galactica is hardly a representation of this as he is seen as a selfish coward throughout most of the series.  Interestingly enough, there was also a Gaius Julius Caesar, and in the series Gaius's father's name is Julius.



-"Apollo" callsign for Lee Adama:  son of the commanding Admiral of the fleet and eventually Commander of the Air Group for Battlestar Galactica.  Although the name Apollo brings to mind Greco-Roman Neopaganism, there is a Jewish man named Apollo in Acts 18:24-28.  This man spoke boldly about God without complete knowledge before Aquila and Priscilla teach him.  It may be evident that this character more closely resembles the pagan deity in concept, but "Apollo" does end up falling in love with, and subsequently learning from two women throughout the series.  Of special note is his last name Adama, which I will address next.

-William Adama:  commanding officer of the Battlestar Galactica and veteran of the cylon wars.  This one is easy...this name is taken from Adam, who was the first man created in the Bible.  Admiral Adama is the first character the audience is fully introduced to.  He is the father of the CAG Lee Adama and is seen as a father figure for his crew and eventually the entire fleet of the surviving human race.  In these ways he is very similar to the Adam in Genesis.

All of these, and the various other allusions, give this series a sense of mysticism.  "Science fiction is often notorious for focusing on hard, technical environments and characters while leaving little room for interpretations of religious ideologies or any sort of examinations of faith," but this particular show is a brilliant exception (Adaptation).  It allows for a broader scope of interpretation of the series.  Is it allegorical?  Most likely not.  In the end, the thing I love most about it is every character on both sides of the battle has to reevaluate his or her belief system.  Humans and cylons both, all find out that everything they had ever known to be true was false and they have to find a way to deal with that and work together before they destroy each other completely.  I STRONGLY recommend that you watch this television series!

What is Abaddon?

“Sheol is naked before God,
and Abaddon has no covering.”

-Job 26:6

Well, I, and other students, have already answered the question concerning Sheol...but what is Abaddon? In this verse, as well as Proverbs 15:11, it is referred to in conjunction with Sheol, which would lead us to think that it is a place. The word Abaddon in Hebrew actually means “destruction” or “ruin” (New Advent). If it is a place, then it would have to be a place of destruction, much like our perception of Hell. It is also considered to be a compartment of Gehenna (AskDefine). The name Gehenna is derived from The Valley of the Son of Hinnom, a place outside ancient Jerusalem where children were sacrificed by fire to gods like Moloch (Jeremiah 19:2-6). Gehenna in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic tradition has become the destination of the wicked after death. Even if Abaddon is just a compartment of Gehenna, then it is still a place devoted to destruction of the damned. From this I think it is pretty safe to say that Abaddon refers to Hell. 

Abaddon has also been personified by scripture. In Revelation 9:1-11, Abaddon is the “Angel of the Abyss” and leader of an army of mutant locusts that torture the unbelievers after the sounding of the fifth trumpet. This is the only mention of Abaddon by name in the New Testament. Some believe this makes Abaddon a demon, or even the Devil himself. Jehovah's Witnesses argue that it can not be either of these considering Revelation 20:1-3, which states the angel with the key to the abyss overthrows Satan. They believe Abaddon is the resurrected Jesus Christ. 

I am more inclined to think it is just a word synonymous with destruction. The six times it is mentioned in the Old Testament, Abaddon can be replaced with “destruction” just as “the grave” can be substituted for Sheol.

What's with the Dung Gate?

While reading through Nehemiah, I started to see Mrs. Foster's favorite topic of discussion for class being brought up once again. Once when Nehemiah explains the damage done to the walls of Jerusalem upon their return from the Babylonian exile (Nehemiah 2:13), and again when he is reporting the repairs to the wall (Nehemiah 3:14).  That's right, for the "I've lost count"-th time we have dung mentioned in the Old Testament.  Why don't I remember so much poop being discussed in Sunday school?  I guess they figured it would probably distract me the lessons they were trying to teach.  Oh well, guess what, I get to ask the questions now...why the crap (heheh) was it called the Dung Gate? 

First let's see the modern definition of the word "dung."  In noun form it can mean either "the feces of an animal" or "something repulsive" (Merriam-Webster).  The original name of the gate in Hebrew,
Sha'ar Ashpoth, literally translates to "gate of the garbage," so at least in this instance we can rest assured we are not talking about excrement, but rather the latter meaning of the word, mentioned above (Bible Walks).  During the time of the First Temple, this was the gate through which all the garbage and ash from the temple was removed.  So that is how it got its name.  

Nehemiah was allowed to repair the walls during Persian rule around 445 BC, but the present Dung Gate was built during the construction of the walls by Suleiman "the Magnificent" during the Ottoman occupation in 1558.  When Jordanians controlled the city in 1948, following Israel's independence war, they widened the gate to allow for vehicle passage (Bible Walks).  This is the form visitors can see today while traveling to the Holy Land.

Now the Dung Gate, though it has been called by different names since its creation, is the closest gate to the Temple Mount.  If you were to walk through it today, you would "walk up directly through the security outpost to the Western (“Wailing”) Wall plaza"and would be able to see the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque up close and personal (Pilgrimage Panorama).  You would also be entering directly into the Jewish Quarter.

What once was the gate that only refuse exited the city is now the busiest entrance into the old city of Jerusalem.  Named for its original intent and located closest to the Temple Mount, the Dung Gate has its own story to tell in history, from the time of Nehemiah's rebuilding to being used as an entry point by the Israelis during the 6 Day War in 1967 (Bible Walks). 

Allusion #2: Otep - T.R.I.C.

For my second allusion I will continue using references to the Old Testament in heavy metal. The artist I am going to take a look at for this one is Otep Shamaya, namesake and front-woman of the alternative metal band Otep. Her politically charged lyrics use many allusions to not only the Bible, but Hinduism, Egyptian and Greek mythology, and many other forms of religion and antique literature. The song T.R.I.C. is on their first album, Sevas Tra, which is “Art Saves” backwards. The abbreviation stands for “The Revolution Is Coming.” The song is an aggressive proclamation of her unique ability to melt your face, so to speak, and simultaneously stimulate your mind. There are five Biblical allusions I will address from this song

The first allusion is in the line “Destroy like Revelations! Styles be liquid and flow like irrigation,” in the first verse. This is an obvious reference to the prophecy of destruction in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. With so much of it going on in the book it's hard to pick just one passage to refer to, just read the whole book, but I wouldn't recommend doing so right before bed time! One particularly destructive passage deals with the breaking of the Sixth Seal and the destruction of nature (Revelation 6:12-17).  Anyway, this line fits into the song at a time where she is comparing her lyrical styling to a battle in which she will bring about total annihilation of weaker, less meaningful lyricists. This can be seen with the next line “So make the preparation, defeat is bittersweet, it's all you'll be tastin'.”

The second and third allusion are in the same line of the song, “Words burn with passion, mentally enhancin', I'm David to Goliath or Delilah to your Samson.” This appears in the second verse, and once again makes her lyrics synonymous with destruction. In 1 Samuel 17 we can read the story of how David killed the giant, Goliath in battle. Likewise, Judges 16 tells how Delilah brought about Samson's demise. I believe here she is making a statement about going up against popular music. Her music was relatively unheard of at the time, but she is saying even though you are bigger and/or more powerful than me, I am still the better musician; I can still bring you down.

The fourth and fifth allusions in the song are also in the second verse:

“I'm callin' your bluff -- is it freedom or death?
we're gettin' it on in Babylon, chokin' on god's breath
the infinite connects true soldiers alive
the tribe will survive when Armageddon arrives!”

God's breath is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, part of the idea of the Trinity in Christianity, as seen in verses like John 20:21-22. Another way to look at this is the idea of the Bible being the breath of God, which can be seen in 2Timothy 3:16.  Either way I feel like she is saying she is being “choked” by living under the rule of Christian leadership when she herself does not believe that way.  Lastly, Armageddon is once again referred to. Armageddon is said to be the site of the last battle on earth (Revelation 16:12-16).  In today's culture, any "end of the world" scenario is referred to as Armageddon.  She is saying that she and her tribe will still be standing when it's all said and done. Once again I take this to be another proclamation of her belief that her lyrical style is superior to most others and will survive the test of time.

All of these allusions fit together to show that she feels her words are superior to her peers in the music industry. She also believes destruction breeds creation, which is why she, being a creative type, uses allusions that talk about destruction, not as something negative, but as a catalyst for creating something better.

PS: I had a chance to interview this artist at the beginning of this semester, which was not easy considering I've been a fan for 10 years and it was my first interview with a major artist.  Regardless, you can watch my mind get blown in the interview:

part one:

 

and part two:

What are the cords of Sheol?

After returning to the throne in Israel, and defeating the Philistines yet again in the story, David sings a song of deliverance to the Lord. When referring to his iniquities, David sings:

“For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.”

-2 Samuel 22:5-6

What or who or where is Sheol? What does it mean to be entangled by its cords? As we have learned of the Hebrew poetry, it uses parallelism to express that ideas “are nearly synonymous in meaning and are of equal force” (Parallelism in Poetry). From this we can assume that Sheol is associated with a feeling of dread, like death and destruction. It is used this same way at least twice, in Psalms 18:5 and 116:3. Here it is seen as something that could ensnare you. 

The King James Version of the Bible translates Sheol to Hell in some instances, but not in all. There is evidence that Sheol could be a place like we think of as Hell, or Hades, or wherever bad people go when they die because “They don't go to heaven where the angels fly” like Meat Puppets put it.

Here are some ways it is similar to our perception of Hell:

1. It is a pit, possibly even underneath the surface of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:22, Job 11:7-8, Psalm 88:3-6, Isaiah 14:4-15).
2. Only the dead go there, especially the wicked (Genesis 44:29-31, Job 7:9, Job 21:7-16, Psalm 31:17, Proverbs 9:17-18, Isaiah 57:8-9).
3. It is like an unyielding fire (Song of Solomon 8:6).
4. It is synonymous with death and darkness (Isaiah 28:15-18, Job 17:13, Habakkuk 2:5).

Anyone not of Israel was doomed to this horrible place. In the New Testament, we can see the effects of this same thought process from when the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek and the word “Hades” is used as a substitute for Sheol. In this sense, Hades is not only the underworld, place of the dead, but also the personification of the evil it represents (The Westminster Theological Wordbook of the Bible). 

In some sense, though, it is believed to be the resting place of the dead, whether righteous or wicked (Ecclesiastes 9:2-10). This excerpt from the book of Ecclesiastes seems to me to have a certain sense of “carpe diem” to it. Like Robert Herrick's “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time” and Andrew Marvell's “To His Coy Mistress,” it even stresses the importance of sharing love with someone. The verses advise in this manner because, according to the writer, no matter what you do, you are going to Sheol.

I personally think that Sheol was at once an actual place, possibly like a graveyard; and that over time, as an afterlife in the absence of the protagonist, God, was constantly compared to death (continually) that the meaning of the name of the place became synonymous with the resting place of a nonbeliever.

To what books does the Bible refer or allude?

     Seeing as how we just finished presenting our allusion assignments in class on how modern works allude to the Bible, and then noticing that another book is mentioned in Joshua that is not part of the Bible, I was curious as to what that book was and how many other books (not of the Bible) are mentioned throughout the text.

“And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day.” 

-Joshua 10:13

      The Book of Jasher? I don't remember that one from Sunday school. I checked, it's not in the Bible. So what is the Book Of Jasher? Unfortunately there is no way of knowing beyond doubt what the original text contained because it was most likely lost. However, there are several books with this title that are presumably reverse engineered as a result of its reference in Joshua and 2 Samuel. Most believe the book to have been a “collection or compilation of ancient Hebrew songs and poems praising the heroes of Israel and their exploits in battle” (What is the Book of Jasher and Should It Be in the Bible?). It appears to be recalled by David in some poetic form in the verses of 2 Samuel 1:17-27. Whether you choose to believe one of the three versions of the Book of Jasher currently in print are the actual text referred to in the Old Testament is up to you, but note that it is never mentioned in the Bible after the time of David.

      So just how many non-canonical books are referred to in the Bible? In the Tanakh, or Old Testament alone there are 23. For the sake of brevity I will only mention a few:

1. The Book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14)
   
2. The Book of Samuel the Seer, the Book of Nathan the Prophet, and the Book of Gad the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29)
   
3. The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (1 Kings 14:29)
   

In the New Testament, pagan authors are even alluded to besides other non-canonical Hebrew writings. Paul quotes the Cretin poet Epimenides in Titus 1:12 and Aratus in Acts 17:28.

      These instances may lead some to doubt the divine inspiration attributed to the Bible. Others may see it as the author using materials from many different sources to make a point.  The people of the Bible were not excluded from the rest of the world during its writing, they were in constant contact with other cultures.