Regular readers of Sixoh6 know that I’m reading through Judges right now. I think it’s the book for our time, and I encourage others to read it carefully now to see how it speaks to our culture of violence, especially against women, tribalism, and nationalism. While conservative Christians have been looking to Trump as a King Cyrus and, in Trump’s delusions, Jews are looking at him as the Messiah, I think the comparison to Samson might be more apt: a man persuaded in any moment by his appetites and anger, somehow who is vengeful but wants to be remembered as a hero. (I’m open to other readings of Samson, but I think it’s unlikely that my assessment of Trump is going to change.)
Anyway, that has taken on my a review of art inspired by the stories there. I share some of them below. If you have other pieces that address the Samson story, I would love to see them!
Samson Slays a Thousand Men with the Jawbone of a Donkey by James Tissot
Samson and Delilah by Jose Echengusia Errazquin, above, and below, by Peter Paul Rubens
Samson and the Philistine by Danish painter Carl Bloch
Samson by British painter Solomon Joseph Solomon
Above, The Blinding of Samson, by Rembrandt.
