As legends of The Bible go... Samson is amongst my favorite & used to AMAAAZE  me as a kid.  Here was this man brought forth by God to lead & judge the Israelites to dominion over the Philistines.  This was during a time when God was disciplining the Israelites for their disobedience, by giving them into the hand of the enemy.  

 

Samson tore a roaring lion apart.. and gathered honey (amongst a swarm of CLEARLY angry bees that he NO DOUBT - laughed in the faces of) that had,, (prolly,) fell onto the lions carcass.  {Clearly the bee's were kinda po'd already... Just a touch.. For their home had just fallen into a dead lion's carcass!!  Now Samson is stealing their honey, no doubt, whilst laughing in their faces!?...Just sayin'!} 

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After his new father in law, renounced him as being his son.. ((And to add insult to injury.. Gives his daughter to his (Samson's) BEST friend!))  So, to take his revenge.. & since jackals were rampant in Palestine.. He caught 200 jackals ~ put them tail to tail, & burnt the Philistine wheat fields olive groves, & vineyards.. MORAL?? DON'T po Samson!

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If ever there was a definition of AWESOME??  Samson was the IT!  Hands down!! 

 

The story of Samson is pretty cool in itself!!  Riggghht about from the moment the angel of The Lord appears to announce his birth...

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Manoah was soon to be  Samson's father and an Israelite.. Now he (Manoah), had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth.  The angel of The Lord appeared to Manoah's wife & said “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean.  You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazerite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”  Manoah's wife IMMEDIATELY went away, to tell her hubby what the angel had said..

 

“A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel of God, very awesome. I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name.  But he said to me, ‘You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean, because the boy will be a Nazirite of God from the womb until the day of his death.’”  Dumbfounded (naturally), Manoah called to The Lord -“Pardon your servant, Lord. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” And so - God did...  The angel of The Lord re-appeared to Manoah's wife.  She implored the angel to wait as she went to get her hubby.  Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?”  “I am,” said he.  So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule that governs the boy’s life and work?”  The angel proceeded to tell Manoah the same thing he'd told his wife.  And so it was..

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Samson was born in Zorah, Israel.  As he grew - The Lord blessed him. 

 

Samson went down to Timnah...  As he approached the vineyards of Timnah, a lion came roaring toward them.. & Samson tore it apart.  While there - he saw a young Philistine woman (Delilah).  When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”  His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”  But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

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The land where Samson slew one thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass in the Valley of Lehi... and the spring God opened up for him there, in Beit Lehi.  And the well!!  The exact site of Lehi is unknown, but was within the territory of Judah, presumably here..  

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We all (hopefully), know of how Samson was double-crossed by Delilah... Some men can relate (I'm just sayin') - How she 'wore him down & eventually out,' asking about the secret of his strength.  When he was 'dead tired,' of her asking he told her and whilst he was sleeping.. as Philistine men waited in the wings - his hair was cut.. They took him into custody, & gouged his eyeballs out.  Then?  Just as they thought they had him?  Ahh- God came thru, as He always does!!  He asked God for one more bout of glory with His strength, and standing between 2 pillars.. & brought the Philistine temple down on them.  Here are the remnants of that temple.. what's left of the pillars.  Another angle...

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Samson is buried in this tomb, beside his father.  Here is a wide shot.  Here is the sign that points you there.  Another grave shot.. aannd sign on his grave.  From YouTube??

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FUN FACTS

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Not far from Samson's spring, is the opening to what ancient Pagans believed to be the gate to hell.  Supposedly their god's lived in there..  No doubt!  If indeedy it IS a gate to hell - their god's DID live there!!  Satan & ALL his demons!

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Ohh Ohhh... LEGO done went & did it!!  They showw did!! 

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