The Samson Saga, and its Place in Comparative
By A. Smythe Palmer, D.D. (Isaac Pitman and Sons. 5s. net.)—Dr. Palmer's object is to show that the Scriptural story of Samson is in part composed of a much more ancient Babylonian legend dealing with the sun-hero Gilgamesh,. which has, by a well-known process, attached itself to the• real historical figure of the Israelitish judge. Dr. Palmer points out how out of place the Samson story seems in the chronicle of Israel's deliverers—as out of place, he says,. as the reference to Robin Hood in Coke upon Littleton --4and .he emphasizes fuither . the kinship between Samson., with his enormous strength, boisterous humour, and easy morality,-and suet popular heroes as Thor, Gargantaa,Gil Blas, and Munchausen. Into the details of his argument we bare no space to enter. Samson, he says, is in Hebrew "13111meg:ton," -derived from Shemetth, "the sun." Samson's hair typifies the sun's rays (a common simile), while the lion and the foxes are -solar emblems. The gates of Gaza are the portals of dawn. Delilah is night. Even the mill is commonly need in metaphor to typify the mocheMieal daily circle of the sun. AU these propositions Dr. Palmer supports with a remarkable abundant* of learning, an interesting feature of his method being the use which he makes of the figurative language of modern poetry as throwing light on the way in which a popular hero:may come by his symbolical attributes.
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