S is for Sisera

S is Sisera, killed by Heber's wife.
A peg in his skull cost him his life.
Portia: Sisera was the commander of the army of the Canaanite King Jabin. After Siser's army was destroyed, Sisera "fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite.  Jael came out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear." So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.  Then he said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty." So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him.  He said to her, "Stand at the entrance of the tent, and if anybody comes and asks you, 'Is anyone here?' say, 'No.'"  But Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground — he was lying fast asleep from weariness — and he died.  Then, as Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, "Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking." So he went into her tent; and there was Sisera lying dead, with the tent peg in his temple" (Judges 4:17-22).

 Thomas: The illustration for this story was one of the first completed and one of the most "Gorey-esque."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

E is for Eglon

Image
E is for Eglon, a massive man, he. Struck with a sword in his giant belly. Portia: This story is so full of detail, I am going to ask you to read it in its entirety. Here is Judges 3:12-25 from the New Revised Standard Version: The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD.   In alliance with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, he went and defeated Israel; and they took possession of the city of palms.   So the Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years. But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left- handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to King Eglon of Moab.   Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes.   Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. No
Read more

U is for Uzzah

U's for Uzzah, who manhandled the Ark. When the Lord smote him, oh boy, did he spark! Portia: When the Ark of the Covenant was being transported, the unfortunate Uzzah "reached out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it. The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there because he reached out his hand to the ark; and he died there beside the ark of God" (2 Samuel 6:3). In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and Sallah lift the Ark with long poles to avoid touching it, hoping to avoid the fate that Uzzah faced. Thomas: The painting in Gruesome and Gorey Bible Stories is a self-portrait. I photographed myself in costume with a model Ark of the Covenant found in the church basement. I used the photograph as reference for the painting. Uzzah's melting face is a nod to the aforementioned Raiders.
Read more

K is for Korah

K. The earth opened and swallowed Korah . His tragic story is found in Torah. Portia: Because they rebelled against God's servant Moses, Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were punished. " The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their households--everyone who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they with all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol; the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly." The story is in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, in Numbers 16:31-33. Thomas: In this "Where's Waldo" tribute, can you find Moses, Korah, a vulture, a palm tree, a lost sheep, a rock, another rock, and rock, paper, scissors?
Read more