Hercules

2 Macc. iv. 19, 20.HERCULES, the son of Jupiter and Alcmena, a famous Hero, to whom the Heathens paid divine Honours. He was born about the time when Gideon was Judge of Israel; about the year of the World 2757, before Jesus Christ 1243, before the Vulgar Æra 1247. There is mention made of Hercules in one place only of the Scripture: and here, upon the occasion of three hundred drachms of silver¹, which Jason, the pretended High-Priest of Jerusalem, sent to Tyre, to contribute to the Games and solemn Sacrifices, which were celebrated there every five years, and were to be celebrated there in the year of the World 3831, before Jesus Christ 169, before the Vulgar Æra 173, in the presence of Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria. Hercules was the tutelary Deity of Tyre. The Tyrians called him Melicartha, the King of the City².

Several circumstances of the life of Joshua, Sampson, and Moses, have been confounded with that of Hercules³: and the Heathens related much the same thing of this Hero, that we do of Jonah. Hercules, they said⁴, was three days in the belly of a Sea-dog, as Jonah was three days in a Whale’s belly, or in that of some other Jonah ii. 1, &c.Sea-monster.

They tell us, that Hercules making war with the sons of Neptune, prevailed with Jupiter to rain down flint-stones upon them, which crushed to pieces these formidable enemies. The sons of Neptune, that is to say, very naturally the Canaanites or Phœnicians, people much addicted to trade and navigation. In the Scripture-style, Son of the Sea, signifies one who carries on a trade by making voyages at sea. Hercules going to the war against Geryon, and being extremely incommoded with the violent heat of the sun, fell into a fit of rage against this Luminary, and drew his bow in order to shoot at it: but the Sun, admiring his great courage, made him a present of a cup, wherein he embarked, and after his return, restored it to the Sun. This may be a representation of Joshua, who being in full pursuit of his enemies, commanded the Sun to stand still, till he had taken vengeance on them: Ecclus. xlvi. 5.Iracundia ejus impeditus est Sol, says the Author of Ecclesiasticus. The Sun and Moon, says Habakkuk, stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.

Hercules was the tutelary God of slaves: Joshua was the Captain, Governour, and Protector of the Hebrews, who were delivered out of bondage in Egypt. He is represented with a Diadem, with a bow and arrows; he is called Invincible, &c. epithets which likewise suit Joshua very well. The Ancients acknowledged also a Hercules, the son of Nile; Joshua was born in Egypt. Hercules carried off the golden Apples of the Hesperides, he took Geryon’s oxen, and strangled the Dragons: all which may denote the conquests of Joshua over the Canaanites. Hercules fought with the Centaurs, and broke Diomedes’s wild horses: Joshua engaged the Canaanites in battle, and defeated them with their horses and chariots of war. There are farther many particulars in the history of the same Hercules, which shew some resemblance between him and Sampson. Hercules was of a very advantageous stature, and of an almost incredible strength. He gave himself up to the love of women; and we know what story tells us of his amours with Omphale, who domineered over him, and obliged him, as they say, even to take the distaff. All this agrees but too clearly with Sampson, who resigned himself intirely to Delilah, and was treated in so injurious a manner by her. Hercules fought for the Gods against the Giants; Sampson defended the people of God against the Philistins who oppressed them, and among whom there were men of a gigantick stature. To exaggerate the strength of Hercules, they tell us, that he fought against the Pygmies, and inclosed them in his lion’s skin: this may describe the easiness wherewith Sampson defeated the Philistins, who came to bind and take him. Hercules killed several lions, that of Cithera, that of Citheron, and another of Nemæa; one he strangled, and tore off his jaws: all which we find in the history of Sampson, who strangled a lion that fell upon him with dreadful roarings.

Macrob. Saturnal. l. i. c. 20Sampson delivered to the Philistins after discovering the secret of his strength to Delilah, and set to hard and mean labours, is a figure of Hercules abandoned to Eurystheus, by the hatred of Juno, and obliged to undergo the severest trials, in order to deliver himself from servitude. The two Pillars of Hercules are admirably represented by those which Sampson grasped and pulled down in the Temple of Gaza. Hercules is often taken for the Sun. Macrobius asserts, that his very name, according to the etymology of the Greeks, signifies, The Glory of the Air, or the Sun. The name of Sampson in Hebrew is derived from Schemesh, which signifies the Sun. Hercules never made use of a sword, nor of any compleat armour; nor do we read that Sampson fought with common weapons; his miraculous strength was to him arms of all sorts, defensive or offensive.

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