nthal says of Samson:

"His hair is a figure of increase and luxuriant fullness. In
Winter, when nature appears to have lost all strength, the god
of growing young life has lost his hair. In the Spring the
hair grows again, and nature returns to life again. Of this
original conception the Bible story still preserves a trace.
Samson's hair, after being cut off, grows again, and his
strength comes back with it."[72:4]

Towards the end of his career, Samson's eyes are put out. Even here, the
Hebrew writes with a singular fidelity to the old mythical speech. The
tender light of evening is blotted out by the dark vapors; the light of
the _Sun_ is quenched in gloom. _Samson's eyes are put out._

OEdipus, whose history resembles that of Samson and Hercules in many
respects, tears out his eyes, towards the end of his career. In other
words, the _Sun_ has blinded himself. Clouds and darkness have closed in
about him, and the clear light is blotted out of the heaven.[72:5]

The final act, Samson's death, reminds us clearly and decisively of the
Phenician Hercules, as Sun-god, who died at the Winter Solstice in the
furthest West, where his _two pillars_ are set up to mark the end of his
wanderings.

Samson also died at the _two pillars_, but in his case they are not the
Pillars of the World, but are only set up in the middle of a great
banqueting-hall. A feast was being held in honor of Dagon, the
Fish-god; the Sun was in the sign of the Waterman, _Samson, the Sun-god,
died_.[73:1]

The ethnology of the _name_ of Samson, as well as his adventures, are
very closely connected with the _Solar_ Hercules. _"Samson" was the name
of the Sun._[73:2] In Arabic, "_Shams-on_" means the _Sun_.[73:3] Samson
had _seven_ locks of hair, the number of the planetary bodies.[73:4]

The author of "The Religion of Israel," speaking of Samson, says:

"The story of Samson and his deeds originated in a _Solar
myth_, which was afterwards transformed by the narrator into a
_saga_ about a mighty hero and deliverer of Israel. The very
_name_ 'Samson,' is derived from the Hebrew word, and means
'Sun.' The hero's flowing locks were originally the _rays of
the sun_, and other traces of the old myth have been
preserved."[73:5]

Prof. Oort says:

"The story of Samson is simply a solar myth. In some of the
features of the story the original meaning may be traced quite