Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 15:18:39 -0500
From: James Jordan 
Subject: (urth) "Herod" etc.

Lots of theological discussion, and I was in Russia for a month and could 
not be involved!
         One thing briefly on the Satan-Herod business: There are four 
important Herods in the NT:
         Herod the Great, who tried to kill the baby Jesus.
         Herod who killed John the Forerunner (being tricked/seduced to it 
by his evil second wife -- a Wolfean touch!), and who mocked Jesus.
         The Herod who killed James the Apostle and imprisoned Peter, and 
who was killed by an angel (messenger) after posing as a god. (Acts 12 -- 
and this may be closest to the Severian material -- the murderous Typhon 
imprisoning Sev and then being slain by him).
         Herod Agrippa, who was "almost persuaded to become a Christian" by 
St. Paul.
         Since Wolfe's books are thematic and not strictly allegorical, any 
"Herodian" theme could easily see Herod as a stand-in or agent of Satan, in 
terms of Herods 1 & 3 above, and partly Herod 2 also. Typhon can be "like" 
Satan and "like" the Herods without being too closely identified with 
either, in some allegorical manner.

FWIW, at this late date.

Nutria


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