Samson was a folk hero of ancient Israel, famed for his great strength. His story is told in the Old Testament, Judges 13-16. The story reflects the beginnings of Israel’s struggle with the Philistines in the 1000’s B.C.
Consecrated before his birth by his mother’s vow, Samson was forbidden to drink wine, eat impure food, or cut his hair. He fell in love with a Philistine woman who was unfaithful to him. So he set fire to the fields of her people. When the Israelites handed him over for punishment, he broke loose and killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Later, the Philistines tried to capture him in Gaza by locking the city gates. But he tore out the gates and carried them away.
Samson’s downfall came when he fell in love with a second Philistine woman, Delilah. She learned that the secret of his strength lay in his hair, and she had his head shaved while he slept. Samson was easily taken, blinded, and made to work as a slave. At the festival of the god Dagon, when the temple was filled with people, the Philistines led Samson in so the crowd could make fun of him. But his hair had grown back, and he was strong again. He seized the pillars that supported the roof and pulled the building down, killing himself and thousands of his enemies.
