• Aaron—First high priest of Hebrews. Older brother of Moses.
• Abaddon—Bottomless pit. Realm of angel Apollyon.
• Abigail—Wife of Nabal and then David.
• Abraham’s bosom—The paradise before Jesus opened the gates of heaven.
• Absalom, o my son—Son of David. Took revenge on brother Amnon and was banished. David said, "if only I had died instead of you after his armies killed him.
• Aceldama—Potter’s field bought by Judas with betrayal money.
• Adam’s rib—What God used to create Eve.
• Add a cubit to his stature—Parable that means who by worrying can go beyond natural limitations.
• Ahab—king of Israel who worshipped gods of his wife. Died and dogs drank and prostitutes bathed in his blood.
• Alpha and Omega—Beginning and end of Greek alphabet and John’s name for Christ.
• Ananias—Christian who lied about how much he had to give to apostles. Died for being a hypocrate.
• Anathema—Destruction and moral unworthiness.
• Antichrist—Said to precede the coming of Christ at the end of the world.
• Apocalypse—Prophecies of the end of time.
• Apochrypha—Writings from early Christians. Protestants don’t go by them.
• Apple of the Eye—Something precious to be protected.
• Ararat—Resting spot of Noah’s Ark. People fought Babylon and disappeared.
• Ark of the Covenant—Portable chest in tabernacle or temple. Meeting place of Lord. Inside was copy of Moses’ law.
• Armageddon—Place where kings will assemble for battle at end of time.
• Ashtoreth—Goddess of fertility and War. Samuel stopped it.
• Baal—God of sun. Israelites fell into worshipping him. Gideon stopped it.
• Babel—Explanation for many languages. Steps to go to heaven.
• Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings—Praises what lord created.
• Babylon—City of ancient world. Contained Tower of Babel and hanging gardens.
• Babylonian Captivity—Kingdom of Judah taken over. Destroyed temple and took prisoners.
• Balaam’s Ass—Only one who could see an angel.
• Balm in Gilead—Had healing properties. In "The Raven"
• Barabbas—Prisoner whom the Jews chose to let go.
• Bathsheba—Seduced David who later sent her husband to die. He married her and they had Solomom.
• Beatitudes—end of time blessings that provide encouragement in times of difficulty.
• Beelzebub—"Lord of the Flies." Leader of the forces of evil.
• Behemoth—Big beast. Great creative power. Celebrated for reproductive organs.
• Benjamin—Jacob and Rachel’s last son. Founder of 12 tribes.
• Bethel—"House of God." Where Jacob had vision of ladder.
• Bethesda—Hebrew name of pools. Jesus healed sick man.
• Book of Live—Magic and eternal salvation. To be erased is to die. Those united in heaven.
• Brimstone and fire—God’s wrath. Barrenness of land.
• Burning Bush—Story of Moses. Self revelation of God.
• By Bread Alone—Man can’t live by materialistic values, but God’s word.
• Caiaphas—Jewish high priest who presided at Jesus’s trial. Enemy of early church.
• Cain and Abel—Abel was shepherd and Cain was farmer. Cain killed brother. Mark of Cain.
• Golden Calf—Idol while Moses was gone. Symbol of blasphemy.
• Calvary—Golgotha. Place where Christ was crucified.
• Camel go through an eye of a needle—With men it is impossible, but for God, all things are.
• Cast the first stone—Don’t condemn people because you are not perfect yourself, there, buddy.
• Chariot of Fire—Elijah and Elisha saw chariot of fire and horses of fire. Elijah went up into heaven.
• Cloven Hoof—Split down the middle. Sign of the devil.
• Cherub—Sacred hybrid creatures in Bible.
• Cast money changers out of the temple—Jesus cleaned out commercialism in the temple.
• Coat of Many Colors—Joseph’s present from his father. His brothers were jealous, so they sold him.
• Crooked shall be made strait—Coming of Lord with right all wrongs.
• Crossing the Read Sea—Moses’ ability to part Red Sea with staff.
• Cross over the Jordan—Going to heaven. Black literature and songs.
• Crown of thorns—Wreath fashioned like the Roman crown of victory.
• Cup runneth over—God’s abundance.
• Damocles, sowrd of—Sword that hung over Damocles’s head. He couldn’t move. Impending danger.
• Daniel in the Lion’s Den—God saved him from the lions. Faith in sight of danger.
• David—"Beloved." Successor to Saul. Man after the Lord’s heart.
• Dead Bury Their Dead—Let us think about the present and not the past.
• Dead Sea Fruit—Something bitter and disappointing.
• Death Where Is They Sting—John Donne’s "Death be not proud." Death is swallowed up in victory.
• Den of Thieves—"The house of prayer will be made a den the thieves."
• Desert Shall Blossom—Like Rose of Sharon. Restoration of exiles to Zion.
• Dies Irae—Day of Wrath. Judgement day.
• Doubting Thomas—Doubts people when they should believe.
• East of Eden—Outside of paradise.
• Eat, Drink, and Be Merry—Selfish, Cavalier man.
• Eli Eli lema sabachtani—Human way for Jesus to die. "Why did you betray me?"
• Eccelesiastes—Book about speculative wisdom. Good vs. evil. Justice vs. injustice. Innocent people.
• Elijah—Prophet who warns people.
• Esau—Hunter. Tricked out of his birth right from Isaac by Jacob.
• Faith that moves mountains—Necessity of love in life.
• Fallen Angel—Satan’s helpers who fought against God.
• Fall of a Sparrow—Everyone is counted by God. (Even though sparrows are cheap, dad will still yell if you lose one.)
• Feet of Clay—Little things can be more important than valuable things. Feet were the only things standing.
• Fiery Furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abendago—Survived the furnace. Didn’t bow down to calf.
• Firstborn of Egypt—Tenth plague. Pharaoh ordered Moses to leave Egypt.
• Fishers of Men—Now apostles would catch men and not fish.
• Flaming Sword—On ruins of devastated city.
• Fly in Ointment— Wisdom and glory is more important than short-lived stuff.
• Forbidden Fruit—From tree of knowledge. Cause of downfall of man.
• Four Horsemen of Apocalypse—Breaking of four seals. Last horse is death.
• Gabriel—Second only to Michael. Announced birth of John and Jesus.
• Gethsemane—Betrayal. Site of Judas’ betrayal.
• Get thee behind me Satan—Peter tried to tell Jesus that he wouldn’t have to die when Jesus said this.
• Gideon—Ended up winning with only the few soldiers God told him to use. Gideon society puts free bibles in hotels.
• Gird up the Loins—Be vigilant for second coming of Christ.
• Gog and Magog—Forces that symbolize pagan nations.
• Good Samaritan—Help people even if they are not your friends.
• Grail, the Holy—Arthurian Legend said Jesus used this at Last Supper.
• Greater love hath no man—Last supper where Jesus gives is greatest commandment.
• Green Pastures—Funerals and hardship. Lord is shepherd; I shall not want.
• Herod Antipas—Son of Herod the great. Questioned Jesus. Wife wanted John the Baptist’s head.
• Herod the Great—Ordered killing of children.
• House divided—Lincoln’s speech. Importance of society being united.
• House of many mansions (rooms)—God has a place for all of us in heaven.
• I. H. S.—Stands for Jesus on church candles.
• Inherit the wind—To cause trouble, especially within one’s family.
• Isaac—Only son of Abraham and Sarah. Gave away birth rite.
• Isaiah—Prophecy that Israel will be delivered from captivity and sin.
• Ishmael—Father of Muslim. Sons became leaders of 12 tribes.
• Jacob—Tricked father for birthright.
• Jacob’s Ladder—Stairway to heaven with angels going up and down.
• Jeremiah/Jeremiad—Doom for lack of morals. Called for reform, but was unsuccessful and it fell to Babylon.
• Jericho/Joshua—Moses’ successor who captures Jericho after walking around for six days and yelling.
• Jezebel—Symbol of Bitchy woman. Wife of Ahab. Introdiced worship of Baal. Opposed Elijah.
• Job—Test Job by taking away wealth and give him boils. Repented for asking why God did this.
• Jonah—Minor prophet who was thrown overboard and eaten by fish. Brought luck.
• Joshua—Known for destruction of Jericho.
• Judah—Leader of tribe.
• Kyrie, eleison—"Lord have mercy."
• Lamb to the slaughter—Too trusting and can be lead astray. Said by Jeremiah.
• Land of mild and honey—Name of promised land. Place of abundance.
• Land of Goshen— Place of plenty and comfort. In Egypt where Israelites went to escape famine.
• Land of Nod—Land East of Eden, to which Cain was banished by after he murdered Abel. Nomadic existence necessary.
• Laxarus—Raised from dead by Jesus. Jesus weeped for him.
• Let my people go—Moses said to Pharaoh. Black American slaves in nineteenth century incorporated into spirituals.
• Leviathan—Creature supposed to cause eclipses by warping its coils around sun.
• Lilies of the field—Things of the spirit are superior to any material object.
• Lot—Abraham’s nephew who grabbed the best part of his land. Wife turned to salt.
• Lucifer/Satan—Middle ages made "Lucifer" the name for Satan.
• Mary Magdalene—Woman cured of seven demons. First to see risen Jesus.
• Manna from Heaven—Send bu God to feel Israelites during forty years in desert. Unexpected and appreciated gift.
• Mark of Cain—Forehead sign to protect him from avengers. Moby Dick.
• Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin—Handwriting on wall. Warning to Balshazzar.
• Mephistopheles—Name for devil in Faust.
• Methuseiah—Oldest man who ever lived. Grandfather of Noah.
• Moloch—God of Ammonites. Sacrificing children.
• Moses—Put in basket. Deliverer of Egyptians. Ten commandments. Let people go. Forbidden to enter promised land.
• Mount of Olives—Mountain that stands east of Jerusalem. Built pagan shrines there. Jesus talked of Second Coming.
• Mount Pisgah—Where Moses saw Promised Land because he couldn’t go there.
• My name is Legion—"My name is evil." Jesus cured guy who said this of many daemons.
• Nebuchadnezzar—Greatest Babylonian king. Allowed conquered people to keep their gods.
• New Jerusalem—Future dwelling of people of God. No death or bad stuff.
• Noah—Only follower left in his generation.
• Olive Branch—What was brought back to Noah to show flood was over. Sign of peace.
• Pearls before Swine—Valuable things thrown to swine. Don’t waste valuable stuff.
• Pearly Gates—Heaven.
• Pentateuch—First five books of bible. Law of Moses because he wrote them.
• Philistine—Uncultured, narrow, materialistic person. Goliath was from here.
• Pilate, Pontius—Roman who pronounced death sentence of Jesus.
• Plagues of Egypt—Disasters inflicted on Egypt before Pharaoh let Moses’ people go.
• Potter’s Field—Cemetery for poor bought by council after Judas gave money back. Tainted money.
• Powers that be—Powers of God or people in charge.
• Prode before a fall—Pride goes before a disaster.
• Prodigal Son—Disobeyed and took back by father. Jealous child.
• Quick and the Dead—Jesus is to be judge of quick and dead.
• Render unto Ceasar—Jesus says to pay taxes.
• Road to Damascus—Great changes for the better. Saul’s conversion.
• Ruth—Faithful to God.
• Sackcloth and Ashes—Sackcloth worn in mourning. Ashes sprinkled on the head during mourning.
• Salome—Wanted execution of John the Baptist. Hebrew for "peace."
• Samson and Deliah—She cut his hair and turned him into the Philistines.
• See through a glass darkly—Limitations of senses versus the higher spiritual truth of the sprit.
• Seven last words—The phrases muttered by Jesus on the cross.
• Solomon’s Judgement—Women fighting over a child. Threatened to cut it in half.
• Sprit is willing—Jesus warns against temptation. Apology for haring yielded to it.
• Swords into Plowshares—Prayers for peace.
• Theif in the night—Suddenness and surprise of Jesus’ coming.
• Thirty Pieces of Silver—Judas was paid this to betray Jesus.
• To Everything There is a Season—Talks about the harmonious order of human affairs.
• Tophet—Valley in southern Jerusalem. Children burnt as sacrifices. The gate of hell.
• Vials of Wrath—Revalation. Given to angels as plagues. To empty a vial of wrath means to discharge anger.
• Voices crying in the Wilderness—A profit who is not listened to. New Testament about the advent of Christ.
• The Wages of Sin—Moral of physical discomfort.
• Wailing Wall—Wall of Temple of Solomon.
• Weeping and gnashing of Teeth—Reference to frustration and grief.
• What hath God Wrought—First message sent by telegraph. Means "What deeds has got performed."
• Wormwood and Gall—Bitterness, sorrow, and punishment.
• Yahweh—Proper name for God.

© Jason Gallicchio 1997-2008       jason@physics.harvard.edu
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