Samson was a character in the Biblical

Book of Judges The Book of Judges (, ') is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom i ...

. He is said to have been raised up by God to deliver the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

from the

Philistines The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...

. In the story, God grants him unusual strength, which is facilitated by a Nazirite vow prohibiting him from cutting his hair. His strength and violent temper are illustrated in several colorful stories portraying him as dominant over man and nature. He also succeeds in his charge to battle the Philistines, more through acts of personal vengeance than by any formal military strategy. Eventually the Philistines defeat him by bribing his new love interest, Delilah, into extracting from him the secret to his strength. Once learned, the Philistines cut his hair while he sleeps, at which point he is easily defeated. The stories of Samson have inspired numerous cultural references, serving as a symbol of brute strength, heroism, self-destruction, and romantic betrayal. This article surveys these references in religion and mythology, art and literature, film and music, and folklore.

Religion and mythology

Israeli culture

"The figure of "Samson the hero" played a role in the construction of Zionist collective memory, and in building the identity of the 'new Jew' who leaves behind exilic helplessness for Israeli self-determination," Benjamin Balint, a writer in Jerusalem, has written.

Vladimir Jabotinsky Ze'ev Jabotinsky ( he, זְאֵב זַ׳בּוֹטִינְסְקִי, ''Ze'ev Zhabotinski'';, ''Wolf Zhabotinski'' 17 October 1880 – 3 August 1940), born Vladimir Yevgenyevich Zhabotinsky, was a Russian Jewish Revisionist Zionist leade ...

(1880–1940), the founder of

Revisionist Zionism Revisionist Zionism is an ideology developed by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, who advocated a "revision" of the "practical Zionism" of David Ben-Gurion and Chaim Weizmann which was focused on the settling of ''Eretz Yisrael'' (Land of Israel) by independent ...

wrote a 1926 novel in Russian (English translation in 1930), '' Samson'' in which the author makes Samson an assimilated Jew attracted by the surrounding, more sophisticated (and un-

philistine The Philistines ( he, פְּלִשְׁתִּים, Pəlīštīm; Koine Greek (LXX): Φυλιστιείμ, romanized: ''Phulistieím'') were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC, when ...

) Philistine culture. Considered a basic text of

, Jabotinsky's followers found in it numerous hints of contemporary Zionist and Israeli politics. Among other things, the family name of present day Israeli politician

Dan Meridor Dan Meridor ( he, דן מרידור, born 23 April 1947) is an Israeli politician and minister. A longtime member of the Likud party, in the late 1990s he became one of the founders of the Centre Party. He rejoined Likud a decade later, and re ...

is derived from this book. "Meridor" (literally "Generation of Rebellion") is the name given by Samson to a child in the book. Some important Twentieth century

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

poems have also been written about the Bible hero. More recently, elite Israeli combat units have been named "Samson", and the

Israeli nuclear program The State of Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. Estimates of Israel's stockpile range between 80 and 400 nuclear warheads, and the country is believed to possess the ability to deliver them in several methods, including b ...

was called the "

Samson Option The Samson Option ( he, ברירת שמשון, ''b'rerat shimshon'') is the name that some military analysts and authors have given to Israel's deterrence strategy of massive retaliation with nuclear weapons as a "last resort" against a country ...

".Balint, Benjamin, "Eyeless in Israel: Biblical metaphor and the Jewish state," review of ''Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson,'' by Benji Segal, ''

The Weekly Standard ''The Weekly Standard'' was an American neoconservative political magazine of news, analysis and commentary, published 48 times per year. Originally edited by founders Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, the ''Standard'' had been described as a "red ...

'', October 30, 2006, pages 35–36

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

and others have said Israel suffers from a "Samson complex" which could lead to the destruction of itself as well as its Arab enemies.

Basque mythology

There is an elaboration of the biblical character in Basque mythology which differs in its features from the original. Quite paradoxically, the Basque Samson does not stand for Christian values, but is represented as a giant living in the mountains far from other inhabitants of the villages and the valley; he is a

jentil The jentil (or jentilak with the Basque plural), are a race of giants in the Basque mythology. This word meaning ''gentile'', from Latin ''gentilis'', was used to refer to pre-Christian civilizations and in particular to the builders of megalith ...

or Basque pagan of the forest. As told in many folk accounts, endowed with might as he is, he launches rocks that lie at the origin of different prominences and hills all over the

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

, especially in the west, while in the east the preferred character to account for similar phenomena is the medieval hero

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, ''Errolan'' in Basque.

Art

Anton van Dyck - Samson and Delilah - Google Art Project

Lovis Corinth - Der geblendete Simson - Google Art Project

Samson has been a popular subject for painting and sculpture: *

Alexander Anderson Alexander Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Alexander Anderson (illustrator) (1775–1870), American illustrator * Alexander Anderson (poet) (1845–1909), Scottish poet * Alexander Anderson (cartoonist) (1920–2010), American car ...

, ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1800

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. The permanent collection of the ...

Jean Audran Jean Audran (1667-1756) was a French engraver and printmaker. The brother of Benoit, and the third son of Germain Audran, he was born at Lyons in 1667. After learning the rudiments of the art under his father, he was placed under the care of his un ...

, after F. Verdier, ''The Burial of Samson'', ca. 1700

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as Guercino, or il Guercino , was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia-Romagna, Emilia region, who was active in Rome and ...

(Guercino)
''Samson and the Honeycomb''
ca. 1657

* Niccolu Boldrini, after

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italians, Italian (Republic of Venice, Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school (art), ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1540–1545,

Boucicaut Master The Boucicaut Master or Master of the Hours for Marshal Boucicaut was an anonymous French or Flemish miniaturist and illuminator active between 1400 and 1430 in Paris. He worked in the International Gothic style. He is named after his illustrat ...

, ''Samson and the Lion'', 1415,

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and fe ...

Hans Burgkmair the Elder Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German painter and woodcut printmaker. Background Hans Burgkmair was born in Augsburg, the son of painter Thomas Burgkmair. His own son, Hans the Younger, later became a painter as well. From 1488, Bu ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500

* Lovis Corinth, ''Samson Blinded'', 1912 * Giuseppe Caletti ( Il Cremonese), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1625

Lucas Cranach the Elder Lucas Cranach the Elder (german: Lucas Cranach der Ältere ; – 16 October 1553) was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving. He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony for most of his career, and is know ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1529 **''Samson's Fight with the Lion'', 1520–25 * Salomon de Bray, ''Samson with the Jawbone'', 1636

Gerard de Jode Gerard de Jode (also known as Petrus de Jode; – 5 February 1591) was a Netherlandish cartographer, engraver, and publisher who lived and worked in Antwerp. In 1547, De Jode was admitted to the Guild of St. Luke, and began his work as a ...

, ''Samson Tying the Firebrands to the Foxes' Tails'', ca. 1550

* Etienne Delaune, ''Samson Setting Fire to the Wheat of the Philistines'', ca. 1575

* H.B. ( John Doyle), ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1800

* Gustave Doré, ''Death of Samson'', 1865 **''Samson and Delilah'', 1865 **''Samson Carrying Away the Gates of Gaza'', 1865 **''Samson Destroying the Philistines'', 1865 **''Samson Destroys the Temple'', 1866 **''Samson Fighting with the Lion'', ca. 1496 **''Samson Slaying a Lion'', 1865 *

Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...

, ''Delilah Cuts Samson's Hair'', 1493 * Josephus Farmer, ''Samson'', 1982,

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

Philip Galle Philip (or Philips) Galle (1537 – March 1612) was a Dutch publisher, best known for publishing old master prints, which he also produced as designer and engraver. He is especially known for his reproductive engravings of paintings. Life Galle ...

, ''Samson Fighting the Lion'', ca. 1600 Lutheran Brotherhood's Collection of Religious Art *

Giambologna Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...

, Samson Slaying a Philistine, c. 1562. * Luca Giordano, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1675

Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as Guercino, or il Guercino , was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vig ...

, ''Samson Captured by the Philistines'' **'' Samson and Delilah'', 1654 ( Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg) * Reinhold Hoberg, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1900

Lord Frederic Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classical subjec ...

, Illustrations for Dalziel's Bible Gallery, 1881,

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

: **''Samson and the Lion'' **''Samson Carrying the Gates'' **''Samson at the Mill'' * Andrea Mantegna, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1500 * Jacob Matham after

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1613 * Matthaeus Merian the Elder, 1625–30, ''Samson and Delilah'' **''Samson and the Gates'' **''Samson's Strange Weapon'' **''Samson Slays a Lion'' *

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...

, ''Samson and Two Philistines'', ca. 1530–50 * Aureliano Milani, ''Samson Slaying the Philistines'', 1720

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...

, Canada * Thomas Nast, The Modern Samson, 1868 *

Erasmus Quellinus II Erasmus Quellinus the Younger or Erasmus Quellinus II (1607–1678) was a Flemish painter, engraver, draughtsman and tapestry designer who worked in various genres including history, portrait, allegorical, battle and animal paintings. He was a ...

, ''Samson Killing the Lion'', ca. 1650

Archie Rand Archie Rand (born 1949) is an American artist from Brooklyn, New York, United States. Education and career Born in Brooklyn, Rand received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in cinegraphics from the Pratt Institute, having studied previously at the Art St ...

, ''Samson'', contemporary Bernice Steinbaum Gallery *

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

, ''The Triumph of Samson'', 1611–12 *

Rembrandt van Rijn Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consid ...

, '' The Blinding of Samson'', 1636 **''Delilah Calls the Philistines'', ca. 1655 **''The Sacrifice of Menoah'', 1641 **''Samson Accusing His Father-In-Law'', 1635 **''Samson Betrayed by Delilah'', 1629–30 **''Samson Putting Forth His Riddles at the Wedding Feast'', 1638 * Kirk Richards, ''Delilah'', 1997 * Paul Roorda, ''Samson'', contemporary *

, ''The Death of Samson'', ca. 1605

**''Samson is Seized'', 1609–10 * Jacob Savery I, ''Samson Wrestling with the Lion'', (after), ca. 1595

* Hans Leonhard Schaufelein, ''Samson Destroying the Temple'', Fifteenth to Sixteenth centuries

Solomon Joseph Solomon Solomon Joseph Solomon (16 September 1860 – 27 July 1927) was a British painter, a founding member of the New English Art Club and member of the Royal Academy. Solomon's family was Jewish, and his sister, Lily Delissa Joseph (née ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1887

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Life ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1667–70 * Matthias Stom, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1630s * James Tissot, 1896–1900.

Christian Theological Seminary Christian Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary related to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It provides five degree-level education courses, three dual-degree programs, a Doctor of Ministry ...

, Indianapolis, ''Samson Breaks His Cords'' **''Samson Kills a Young Lion'' **''Samson Puts Down the Pillars'' **''Samson Slays a Thousand Men'' *

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (26 March 1794 – 24 May 1872) () was a German painter, chiefly of Biblical subjects. As a young man he associated with the painters of the Nazarene movement who revived the florid Renaissance style in religious ar ...

, 1851–60' World Mission Collection, ''The Death of Samson'' **''Samson Kills the Lion'' **''Samson Kills the Philistines'' **''Samson is Seized'' *

Christiaen van Couwenbergh Christiaen van Couwenbergh, (8 July 1604 – 4 July 1667)Couwenbergh, Christiaen Gillisz. van< ...

, ''The Capture of Samson'', 1630 *Sir

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh c ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', 1620. *

Gerrit van Honthorst Gerard van Honthorst (Dutch: ''Gerrit van Honthorst''; 4 November 1592 – 27 April 1656) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who became known for his depiction of artificially lit scenes, eventually receiving the nickname ''Gherardo delle Notti' ...

, ''Samson and Delilah'', ca. 1615. * Israhel van Meckenem the Younger, ''Samson and the Lion'', ca. 1475

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

Frans van den Wyngaerde Frans van den Wyngaerde or Frans van den WijngaerdeHis name is sometimes also spelled Francis vanden Wyngaert ( Antwerp, 8 July 1614Antwerp 17 March 1679) was a Flemish printmaker, draughtsman and publisher.Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. The permanent collection of the ...

* Claes Jansz Visscher the Elder, ''Delilah Cutting Samson's Hair'', ca. 1610.

* Les Drysdale, ''Samson'', contemporary *

Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...

, ''Obnoxious Liberals'', 1982. L. Broad Collection, Los Angeles (A painting mixing a depiction of the shorn Samson in chains with a slave auction and a contemporary art collector). *''Samson and the lion'' in Peterhof, Russia. A fountain celebrating the victory over Sweden in the battle of Poltava (occurred on 27 June, St Sampson's Day). Anonymous: *''Samson Destroying the Pillars of the Philistine Temple'', ca. 1600.

*Display Cabinet (with figure of Delilah cutting Samson's Hair), 1620s.

. * ''The Women at the Tomb'' (with scene from Samson and the Lion), Unknown German, c. 1170s.

*''Samson Destroys the Temple'', Unknown German

Literature

*In the 14th century in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", in the Monk's tale, Samson is described. His name is also used to describe the sound of a drunkard's snoring in the Pardoner's tale. *In 1656, the Spanish crypto-Jew,

Antonio Enríquez Gómez Antonio Enríquez Gómez (c. 1601c. 1661), Spanish dramatist, poet and novelist of Spanish-Jewish origin, was known in the early part of his career as Enríque Enríquez de Paz. Furthermore, certain of his works feature the alternate spelling Anto ...

, published ''Sansón Nazareno: Poema heróico,'' a Spanish-language heroic epic version of the Samson story. *In 1671,

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

made him the sympathetic hero of his blank verse tragedy '' Samson Agonistes''. *In 1724,

Moshe Chaim Luzzatto Moshe Chaim Luzzatto ( he, משה חיים לוצאטו, also ''Moses Chaim'', ''Moses Hayyim'', also ''Luzzato'') (1707 – 16 May 1746 (26 ''Iyar'' 5506)), also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL (or RaMHaL, ), was a prominent Italia ...

wrote the first

play ever written on the subject of Samson. *

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...

is credited with the witty quatrain: "Jack, eating rotten cheese, did say, / Like Samson I my thousands slay: / I vow, quoth Roger, so you do, / And with the self-same weapon too." * In 1842,

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

published his poem "The Warning", included in his ''

Poems on Slavery ''Poems on Slavery'' is a collection of poems by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in support of the United States anti-slavery efforts. With one exception, the collection of poems were written at sea by Longfellow in October 1842. The p ...

'' - in which the poet warned Americans of a coming violent outbreak because of

Slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and compared the Black slaves with the chained Samson who pulled down the Gaza Temple. *In 1847, Charlotte Brontë compared Rochester to Samson in ''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The first ...

'': "The caged eagle, whose gold-ringed eyes cruelty has extinguished, might look as looked that sightless Samson." *In William Makepeace Thackeray's 1848 novel '' Vanity Fair'', the characters

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate a ...

and Rawdon Crawley are compared to Samson and Delilah. *In 1926,

published his historical novel, '' Samson'' (see "Israeli culture" above for details). The Biblical setting served Jabotinsky as a metaphor for contemporary Zionist politics and the current situation in

Mandatory Palestine Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 ...

. The book earned Jabotinsky a credit on the 1949 Hollywood movie '' Samson and Delilah''. 2 *In 1952,

Ralph Ellison Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1, 1913 – April 16, 1994) was an American writer, literary critic, and scholar best known for his novel ''Invisible Man'', which won the National Book Award in 1953. He also wrote ''Shadow and Act'' (1964), a collecti ...

made reference to Samson in his novel ''

Invisible Man ''Invisible Man'' is a novel by Ralph Ellison, published by Random House in 1952. It addresses many of the social and intellectual issues faced by African Americans in the early twentieth century, including black nationalism, the relationship b ...

'' saying, "Whoever else I was, I was no Samson. I had no desire to destroy myself even if it destroyed the machine; I wanted freedom, not destruction." *In 1971 the

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

character Doc Samson debuted in '' The Incredible Hulk''. He is a psychiatrist who is exposed to gamma radiation that causes his hair to grow long and green. Also, like the real Samson, his strength depends on the length of his hair. *In 2006, David Grossman's novel ''Lion's Honey: The Myth of Samson'' was published. *In 2006,

David Maine David Maine (born November 28, 1963) is an American novelist. Personal life David Maine was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and grew up in Farmington, Connecticut. He attended Oberlin College (1981–1985) and the University of Arizona (1988–1 ...

published his novel ''The Book of Samson'', the third of his Biblical series of novels which also includes ''Fallen'' and ''The Preservationist''. * Carol Ann Duffy's poetry anthology '' The World's Wife'' contains a poem entitled "Delilah", which sympathetically follows the eponymous character in the Biblical story. *In the

Image comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

series '' Invincible'' an African-American character with great strength is named

Black Samson ''Black Samson'' is a 1974 American blaxploitation film, starring Rockne Tarkington, Carol Speed, William Smith and Connie Strickland. The film was written by Daniel B. Cady (who also produced) and Warren Hamilton Jr., directed by Charles Bail ...

. *In 2002, Mario Ruiz and Jerry Novick published a graphic novel version called ''Samson: Judge of Israel'' through the American Bible Society. *In 2011, Ginger Garrett published her novel, ''Desired: The Untold Story of Samson and Delilah,'' which tells the story of Samson from the perspective of the three main women in his life: his mother, his wife, and Delilah. *In 2012, Justin Reed published a graphic novel, "Samson: Blessed Savior of Israel," which draws from a wide range of resources in previous scholarship and literature on Samson to create a fresh perspective on the Samson story.

Film

The most detailed film version of the Biblical Samson was the 1949

Cecil B. deMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

film '' Samson and Delilah'', starring

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include ''One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darlin ...

as Samson. Two made-for-TV films, in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

and

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, retold the story of Samson and Delilah. Another film, '' Samson'', was made in 2018. The Samson character was featured in a series of five sword-and-sandal adventure films made in Italy in the 1960s, as follows: *'' Samson'' (Italian title ''Sansone'') (1961) portrayed by Brad Harris *''Samson vs. The Pirates'' (1963) a/k/a ''Samson and the Sea Beast'' *''Samson Challenges Hercules'' (1963) a/k/a ''Hercules, Samson and Ulysses'' *''Samson vs. the Black Pirate'' (1963) a/k/a ''Hercules and the Black Pirate'' *''

Samson and His Mighty Challenge ''Samson and His Mighty Challenge'' is a 1964 Italian sword-and-sandal film, released in 1965 at the very tail end of the peplum craze. Its original title was ''Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili'' (''Hercules, Samson, Maciste, and ...

'' (1965) a semi comedy/satire co-starring Hercules, Ursus & Maciste Other films based on the story of Samson and Delilah include: *'' Aurat'' (1953), Indian film adaptation of the Biblical tale by B. Verma, starring Premnath and

Bina Rai Bina Rai (13 July 1931 – 6 December 2009), sometimes referred to as Beena Rai, was an Indian actress, primarily of the black and white era of Hindi cinema. She is most known for her roles in classics such as ''Anarkali'' (1953), '' Ghunghat' ...

in the lead roles. *''Samson'' (1964), Indian action-adventure film by

Nanabhai Bhatt Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi and Gujarati cinema. He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including ''Mr. X'' (1957), ''Zimbo Comes t ...

where the hero is portrayed by

Dara Singh Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, director and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sab ...

. *'' Aaj Ka Samson'' (1991), adaptation of the story set in modern-day India, starring

Hemant Birje Hemant Birje (born 19 August 1965) is an Indian actor who works primarily in Hindi language films. In 1985, he debuted as Tarzan in Babbar Subhash's ''Adventures of Tarzan'', also starring Kimi Katkar. He has had mixed success in later films. ...

as Samson.

Music

Classical

* '' Samson'' was an opera by

Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of Fr ...

with a libretto by

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

. It was never staged for censorship reasons and the music is now lost. * '' Samson'', an oratorio by

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

premiered in 1743. * '' Samson et Dalila'', an opera by

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

premiered in 1877. * In 1977, Joseph Horovitz wrote ''Samson'' for

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

mixed choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

and brass band

Other

Blind Willie Johnson Blind Willie Johnson (January 25, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was an American gospel blues singer, guitarist and evangelist. His landmark recordings completed between 1927 and 1930—thirty songs in total—display a combination of powerful "ch ...

– "If I Had My Way / I'd Tear the Building Down" (recorded 1927), the lyrics relate to Samson's marriage to Delilah and his slaying of the lion, often covered as "Samson and Delilah"

Louis Jordan Louis Thomas Jordan (July 8, 1908 – February 4, 1975) was an American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and bandleader who was popular from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as " the King of the Jukebox", he earned his high ...

– Ain't That Just Like a Woman (1946): "Samson thought Delilah was on the square, Till one night she clipped him all his hair" In 1965,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

wrote "Tombstone Blues" in which he makes a reference to Samson in the lines "I wish I could give Brother Bill his great thrill/and set him in chains on top of the hill/Then send out for some pillars and

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

." The second and third lines are references to Samson's death, while Cecil B. Demille is the director who made the movie depicting the Samson story. Michael Hurd's pop cantata "Swingin' Samson" (1973) is a toned-down children's musical version of the story. British rock band Procol Harum has a song called "As Strong as Samson" on their album "Exotic Birds and Fruits" from 1974. Samson (referred to as 'Sam' and 'Sammy') and Delilah are among the couples mentioned in

B.A. Robertson Brian Alexander Robertson (born 12 September 1956) is a Scottish musician, composer and songwriter. He had a string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s characterised by catchy pop tunes and jaunty humorous lyrics, including " Knocked It ...

's 1979 song on the pitfalls of love, ''

Bang Bang Bang Bang or Bang Bang Bang or similar may refer to: Food * Bang bang chicken, a Chinese dish *Bang bang shrimp, a Chinese dish People * Abdul Razzaq (cricketer) (born 1979), nicknamed Bang Bang Razzaq * Bang Bang (Dubliner) (1906–1981), ...

''.

Bad Manners Bad Manners are an English two-tone and ska band led by frontman Buster Bloodvessel. Early appearances included ''Top of the Pops'' and the live film documentary, ''Dance Craze'' (1981). They were at their most popular during the early 1980 ...

have a song called "Samson And Delilah" that is available in a single version and in a longer "Biblical Version" on the album " Forging Ahead" from 1982.

Mark Alburger Mark Alburger (born April 2, 1957 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania) is a San Francisco Bay area composer and conductor. He is the founder and music director of the San Francisco Composers Chamber Orchestra, as well as the music director of Goat Ha ...

's opera-oratorio, ''Samson and Delilah (The Frank Judges)'', dates from 1998, with an updated short version, "Sex and Delilah" written for and performed by San Francisco Cabaret opera in May 2009. Drone/Experimental band Earth (American band) released an album in 2008 entitled ''

The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull ''The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull'' is the fifth full-length studio album by the American musical group Earth. The album continues bandleader Dylan Carlson's creative evolution away from the experimental drone-grunge-metal output of t ...

'', a reference to

Samson's riddle 250px, '' The Wedding Feast of Samson'', Rembrandt, 1638 Samson's riddle is found in the biblical Book of Judges, where it is incorporated into a larger narrative about Samson, the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites. The riddle, with wh ...

. Although instrumental, the album explores the theme of beauty arising from rot and decay. Heads Held High, (a melodic hardcore band from Cleveland, Ohio), has a song titled "Samson Gets a Haircut" on their 2008 release, ''So Say We All''. Samson's interactions with Delilah are referenced in the

Moses Hogan Moses George Hogan (March 13, 1957 – February 11, 2003) was an American composer and arranger of choral music. He was best known for his settings of spirituals. Hogan was a pianist, conductor, and arranger of international renown. His works ...

piece "Witness," at which point Hogan describes Delilah's cutting of Samson's hair and Samson's reaction towards the Philistines

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...

, the former lead singer and pianist of

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

, wrote a song called "My Fairy King" (from their debut album) that has the lyric "dragons fly like sparrows through the air/and baby lambs where Samson dares". The song "Rastaman Live Up" on Bob Marley's posthumously released album ''

Confrontation Confrontation is an element of conflict wherein parties confront one another, directly engaging one another in the course of a dispute between them. A confrontation can be at any scale, between any number of people, between entire nations or cult ...

'', contains the lyrics "Samson slew the Philistines, with a donkey jawbone". The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

played the song "Samson & Delilah" from the mid-1970s and throughout their career. The song is a traditional song, cataloged by

Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...

in his encyclopedic "Folk Songs of North America" which

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

learned from

Reverend Gary Davis Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis (born Gary D. Davis, April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina and blind since infancy ...

Dave Van Ronk David Kenneth Ritz Van Ronk (June 30, 1936 – February 10, 2002) was an American folk singer. An important figure in the American folk music revival and New York City's Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, he was nicknamed the "Mayor of Mac ...

also sings the song on his "Folksinger" album. The lyrics cover some parts of Samson's history, notably his fight with the lion.

Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...

Garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...

fame recently recorded a cover of "Samson & Delilah" for the TV show " Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Season Two premiere episode which is also called "Samson & Delilah". Indie-rock artist Boy in a Jar has a song called "Six Thieves" that heavily references the story of Samson. The album '' Birds of Prey'' by

Godley and Creme Godley & Creme were an English rock duo formally established in Manchester in 1977 by Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The pair began releasing music as a duo after their departure from the rock band 10cc. In 1979, they directed their first music vi ...

features a song "Samson" with references to Delilah. The song " My Defenses Are Down" from the musical '' Annie Get Your Gun'' contains the line, "Like Samson, without his hair". The Pixies' song "Gouge Away" is based on Samson's story. Leonard Cohen wrote the song "Hallelujah" which makes references to Samson and Delilah. A later album, Popular Problems contains the song 'Samson in New Orleans', which contains the lines "Stand me by those pillars/Let me take this temple down". The Cranberries have a song called "Delilah" written from the perspective of a woman fighting off a conniving temptress. Mandy Moore and Jonathon Foreman (from Switchfoot) have a song called "Someday We'll Know" for the movie '' A Walk To Remember'' with references to Samson and Delilah in the chorus. Bishop Allen released a song called "Empire City" that references Samson with the lines: "Samson suffered the same fame fate, powerless and losing his hair." New Radicals made a song called "Someday We'll Know" which referenced Samson and Delilah.

Eric "Monty" Morris Eric "Monty" Morris (born c.1942)Campbell, Howard (2016)Eric 'Monty' Morris to perform at Grace Jerk Festival, ''Jamaica Observer'', 12 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016 is a Jamaican ska singer, known for his work with the Skatalites an ...

, vocalist of The Skatalites, made a song called "Strongman Samson" with clear references to the biblical story. Samson is hereby portrayed as "the strongest of men" hero, although all his strength is taken from a woman. Saying that "it's so clear to understand", Morris suggests that women always had such a power over men. Regina Spektor has a song called "Samson". The song is told from the point of view of his first wife, telling an alternate version of Samson's story in which she cuts his hair and he never kills any Philistine, therefore ending up not being mentioned by the Bible. Indie-rock band mewithoutYou references the story of Samson twice in the song "In a Market Dimly Lit" from the album ''Brother, Sister''. In the first chorus, the lyrics read, "I'm a donkey's jaw," referencing the weapon used by Samson to slay a thousand Philistines. In the second chorus, singer Aaron Weiss proclaims, "If I was Samson, I'd have found that harlot's blade and cut my own hair short." "Enter Samson", a parody by Apologetix is about Samson. The song is a parody of "Enter Sandman" by

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...

references Samson in his song "Ain't No Half Steeppin'." Deathwish Of Samson is a new metalcore band hailing from the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. The song "En Hakkore" by Christian thrash metal band Tourniquet (band) is about the story of Sampson, En Hakkore being the name of the spring that burst forth in answer to his final prayer. Neil Sedaka recorded the song "Run, Samson, Run" which is based upon the Biblical account. He refers to Delilah as "a cheatin' gal who brought him tragedy" and advises Samson to run from her. At the end of the song, he advises all guys that "there's a little of Delilah in each and every gal." Alternative singer

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

mentions the story of Samson and Delilah in her song "Hair." The Arctic Monkeys music video Black Treacle is a take on the story of Samson and the lion. Christian comedian Tim Hawkins wrote a parody of the Plain White-T's song "

Hey There, Delilah "Hey There Delilah" is a song by American pop rock band Plain White T's. It was released on May 9, 2006 as an EP from their third studio album, ''All That We Needed'' (2005). The song was later released in 2007 as a single from their fourth stud ...

" based on the story of Samson and Delilah. Bruce Springsteen wrote a song called "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

" which makes reference to Samson and Delilah. R&B singer-songwriter

Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...

refers to Samson in his song "

Pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

," with the line "I found you laying down with Samson and his full head of hair." Florence Welch refers to the biblical story of Samson and Delilah in the Florence + The Machine's song "Delilah", with lines like "As I pull the pillars down" or "why can't you let me know?" referring to Delilah asking Samson for the secret of his strength. In the music video of the song, an empowered Welch is seen cutting the hair off to an unknown lover.

Commerce

Lyle's Golden Syrup has a picture of bees in the lion which Samson had killed, with

''Out of the strong came forth sweetness''.

Architecture

The famous Harland & Wolff cranes in Belfast are known as Samson and Goliath (cranes) respectively.

Samson parades

Annual parades of Samson figure in 10 different villages in the

Lungau Bezirk Tamsweg is an administrative district (''Bezirk'') in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria. It is congruent with the Lungau region (). The administrative centre of the district is Tamsweg. Geography The area of the Lungau plateau is 1,0 ...

, Salzburg (state) and two villages in the north-west

Steiermark Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

(Austria). For more information see Wikipedia in German :de:Samsonfigur or French :fr:Samson (géant processionnel). Samson is also one of the giant figures at the "Ducasse" festivities, which takes place at

Ath Ath (; nl, Aat, ; pcd, Ât; wa, Ate) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. The municipality consists of the following districts: Arbre, Ath, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, Irc ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Television

In a 1967 ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'' episode, " Collision of Planets," Dr. Smith gains Samson-like strength dependent on his new head of green hair. The story of Samson is parodied in the animated television series '' Pinky and the Brain'', in the episode "A Little Off the Top." In this story, the Brain attempts to learn the source of Samson's strength, so that he may acquire it and use it to take over the world. The version of Samson that appears here is based on

's performance in the film '' Samson and Delilah.'' Inexplicably, the Delilah character speaks only

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

. One of the main characters of the animated series ''

The Venture Bros. ''The Venture Bros.'' is an American adult animation, adult animated action comedy TV series created by Chris McCulloch (also known as "Jackson Publick") for Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. Following a pilot episode on ...

'' is named Brock Samson. Like the Biblical hero, he has long flowing hair and incredible strength, as well a short, violent temper. He also is capable of unarmed combat with wild animals (gavials and polar bears, among others), like the Biblical Samson who fought a lion. He also engages in romantic relationships with morally ambiguous women. However, his strength seems to have no relation to his hair; indeed, he cuts it off himself at one point to lay a trap for his rival, with no ill effects. In the proposed '' Gargoyles'' spin-off series, '' Gargoyles 2198'', the lead character was named Samson. Like his ancestor,

Goliath Goliath ( ) ''Goləyāṯ''; ar, جُليات ''Ǧulyāt'' (Christian term) or (Quranic term). is a character in the Book of Samuel, described as a Philistine giant In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) a ...

, he was strong and chosen for a leadership role at a young age. He leads a small group of gargoyles and humans in a resistance against an alien threat that has invaded the Earth. Little else is known of his character or similarities to his Biblical counterpart, as the series never came to fruition. In the Donkey Kong Country animated television series, the first episode of the first season, titled "Bad Hair Day", contains explicit references to the Samson story. In the show, Donkey Kong is the protector of the Crystal Coconut, a powerful magical artifact, and the antagonist of King K. Rool curses Donkey Kong to remove his strength to allow him to gather the power he so craves. The curse is set through a verbal incantation and the cutting of the target's hair, the latter of which connects to Samson, and Donkey Kong's strength is only restored when his hair grows back through the usage of Diddy Kong's "Banana bulls-eye".

Other

Within the Marvel franchise, there is a character known as ' Doc Samson' (born Leonard "Leo" Samson), who was exposed to gamma radiation and gained incredible strength. As with most comic book heroes there are multiple versions of this, however, a common trait seems to be that after the radiation exposure, Samson's hair grows at least a foot and takes on a green colouring. Samson is a playable character in the video game series The Binding of Isaac, first being introduced in the ''Wrath of the Lamb'' expansion of the original game. He becomes more powerful the more damage he takes thanks to his ''Bloody Lust'' item. The same game also features an item named ''Samson's Lock'', referring to a lock of cut hair, which acts in a similar way to its namesake character.

References

{{Samson Biblical topics in popular culture

Cultural References To Samson Samson was a character in the Biblical Book of Judges. He is said to have been raised up by God to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. In the story, God grants him unusual strength, which is facilitated by a Nazirite vow prohibiting him f ...