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TEACHINGS
THE BIBLICAL ROOTS OF THE LEGEND OF ROBIN HOOD
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We are familiar with the story of Robin Hood. Robin of Locksley lost his estate via King John of England, after John usurped Richard's throne, while Richard was fighting for the Crusades. Robin then hides in Sherwood Forest and gathers a band of men and steals from the rich (the Sheriff of Nottingham and other evil nobility) to give to the poor, and gets into skirmishes with John and his evil men. This happens for a long period of time until Richard comes back, reclaims his throne, gives maiden Marion to Robin for a wife, and they lived happily ever after.
In history, the earliest story of Robin Hood goes back in Medieval times to the 1200's. You can go to the Wikipedia website and search about it there.
We know that story tellers borrow material and apply them to their stories.
Here are some accounts of this legend:
1. Robin and his men escaped to the forest, in hiding, from the King and his evil noble allies.
2. Robin Hood is considered an outlaw by King John.
3. Throughout time, men came to side with Robin Hood to become his "Merry Men".
4. One of his closest men was Little John.
5. Another one of Robin Hood's men was Alan-a-Dale, who was a minstrel and played the harp.
6. Another one of Robin Hood's men was Will Scarlet, who wore red.
7. King John sends an army to hunt for Robin Hood.
8. Robin Hood has a monk stay with him, who was Friar Tuck.
9. Robin Hood has a noble ally named Lady Marion.
10. Another of Robin Hood's enemies was the Sheriff of Nottingham.
11. King Richard, the Lionheart, returns to England from the Crusades and reigns again on the throne.
A question comes to me, "Are there biblical comparison similarities to this legend, and if so, were they the biblical events of David, son of Jesse"?
Compare the biblical accounts of David to the accounts from the story of Robin Hood, mentioned above:
1. David and his family escaped in exile to Moab, and hid in the terrain from King Saul.
1 Samuel 22:1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him. 2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men. 3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what Elohim will do for me. 4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold. 5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
1 Samuel 23:14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but Elohim delivered him not into his hand.
1 Samuel 24:1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
1 Samuel 25:1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. 2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, King of Gath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.
2. David was called an enemy by King Saul.
1 Samuel 18:29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became ta-David's enemy continually.
1 Samuel 19:17 And Saul said unto Michal, Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away ta-mine enemy, that he is escaped? And Michal answered Saul, He said unto me, Let me go; why should I kill thee?
3. Throughout time, men came to side with David throughout time, and became part of his army.
1 Samuel 22:2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
1 Samuel 23:13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
4. One of David's closest men was Jonathan.
1 Samuel 19:1 And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. 2 But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David:...
1 Samuel 20:1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh ta-my life? 2 And he said unto him, Let it not be; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will ta-shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as hwhy liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
1 Samuel 23:16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened ta-his hand in Elohim. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. 18 And they two made a covenant before hwhy: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
5. David was a minstrel for hwhy, and played the harp.
1 Samuel 16:15 And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from Elohim troubleth thee. 16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from Elohim is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and hwhy is with him. 19 Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 20 And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight. 23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from Elohim was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
6. David was ruddy, or red haired.
1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to....
7. King Saul and his army hunts for David.
1 Samuel 23:25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1 Samuel 26:2 Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
8. David had a survivor of a Levitical Priestly family, named Abiathar, to stay with him.
1 Samuel 22:11 Then the king sent to call ta-Ahimelech, the Priest, the son of Ahitub, and ta all his father's house, the Priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. 12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. 13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of Elohim for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house? 15 Did I then begin to enquire of Elohim for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. 16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. 17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of hwhy; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it ta to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth ta-their hand to fall upon the priests of hwhy. 18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the Priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. 19 And ta Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. 20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. 21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain ta-hwhy's priests. 22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house. 23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh ta-my life seeketh ta-thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
9. David had an ally named Abigail.
1 Samuel 25:2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing ta-his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear ta-his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast. 7 And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. 8 Ask ta-thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, ta whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. 9 And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. 10 And Nabal answered ta-David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. 11 Shall I then take my bread, and ta-my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? 12 So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man ta-his sword. And they girded on every man ta-his sword; and David also girded on ta-his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff. 14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute ta-our master; and he railed on them. 15 But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: 16 They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. 18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. 19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them. 21 Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept ta-all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good. 22 So and more also do Elohim unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 23 And when Abigail saw ta-David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, ta speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not ta-the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as hwhy liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing hwhy hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal. 27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. 28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for hwhy will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of hwhy, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek ta-thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with ta hwhy thy Elohim; and ta the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. 30 And it shall come to pass, when hwhy shall have done to my lord according to all ta-the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when hwhy shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember ta-thine handmaid. 32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be hwhy Elohim of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, ta which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34 For in very deed, as hwhy Elohim of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35 So David received of her hand ta that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. 36 And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. 37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that hwhy smote ta-Nabal, that he died. 39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be hwhy, that hath pleaded the cause of ta-my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept ta-his servant from evil: for hwhy hath returned ta-the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 40 And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife. 41 And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 42 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
10. Another of David's enemies was Doeg, the Edomite.
1 Samuel 21:5 And David answered ta-the Priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are Holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. 6 So the Priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before hwhy, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away. 7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before hwhy; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. 8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste. 9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that hre. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
This could also be applied to King Saul.
11. David returns from his life escaping from King Saul, and returns to the royal house to be King of Israel. One can also say the hwhy left King Saul from Saul's kingdom, and returned from his battles to the royal house to reign through King David.
This is a chart showing the comparison of the two stories together
| ACCOUNTS OF ROBIN HOOD | ACCOUNTS OF DAVID |
| Robin and his men escaped to the forest, in hiding, from the king and his evil noble allies | David and his family with men escaped in exile to Moab, and hid in the terrain from king Saul |
| Robin Hood is considered an outlaw by king John | David was called an enemy by king Saul |
| Throughout time, men came to side with Robin Hood to become his "Merry Men" | Throughout time, men came to side with David throughout time, and became part of his army |
| One of Robin Hood's closest men was Little John | One of David's closest ally was Jonathan |
| Another one of Robin Hood's men was Alan-a-Dale, who was a minstrel and played the harp | David was a minstrel for hwhy, and played the harp |
| Another one of Robin Hood's men was Will Scarlet, who wore red | David was ruddy, or red haired |
| King John sends an army to hunt for Robin Hood | King Saul and his army hunts for David |
| Robin Hood has a monk, named Friar Tuck, to stay with him | David had a survivor of a Levitical Priestly family, named Abiather, to stay with him |
| Robin Hood had a noble ally named Lady Marion | David had an ally named Abigail |
| Another of Robin Hood's enemies was the Sheriff of Nottingham | Another of David's enemies was Doeg, the Edomite [This could also be applied to king Saul] |
| King Richard, the Lionheart, returns to England from the Crusades and reigns again on the throne | David returns from his life escaping from king Saul, and returns to the royal house to be King of Israel. One can also say that hwhy left king Saul from Saul's kingdom, and returned from his battles to the royal house to reign through king David |
Note that the character, Robin Hood of Locksley, is mentioned in the story as an Anglo-Saxon. "Anglo-Saxon" are corrupted Hebrew words: Anglo comes from the Hebrew "Galut"- Gimel, Lamed, Tav (tlg), from "galah" (hlg) meaning "Exile", and Saxon comes from the name "Isaac" without the "I", which is the Hebrew "Yeets-khak"- Yod, Tsade, Khet, Kuph (qxuy). The descendants took their ancestors name and called themselves "Isaac Son", or "Son of Isaac".
Yair Davidiy of Brit Am and Hebrew Nations noted that the tribes in Britain are descendants of the lost ten Northern tribes of Israel. Could it be that they carried the story of David throughout the years of their exile and later wrote a legend of David in the story of Robin Hood without realizing they were doing it?
Yair Davidiy has published a book titled "The Tribes". You can get Yair Davidiy's book on his website. Just click on the image below
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DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed, are solely those of the personnel and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Aleph-Tav Project.
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In conclusion, this parallel comparisons provides evidence that some of the accounts of the story of Robin Hood could most likely be based on historical accounts of David's life prior to his kingship in Israel.
There are other legends with a similar premise: For example, Hercules could have been based on the biblical story of Samson.
I pray that this has been a blessing to you.
Any comments or questions you can contact me at
the.aleph-tav.project@msn.com
SHALOM
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