Jules Verne - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

VarTalman · 10-05-2012, 09:46 AM

Like "Vernians" who believe that Jules Verne actually wrote about true experiences and not science fiction in some of his works, many students see very close parallels between Bible images and the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. While some study Tolkien the man and his beliefs, much more in the spirit of the “Vernians” Bible students study the two texts side-by-side. Given that these students see the world through certain “rose-colored glasses” attempting to see parallels, the imagery that emerges side-by-side does seem very familiar.
The discussions here and other places have beaten the “allegory” drum to death over WW2 and political imagery. Yet there is a definite room for argument that Tolkien’s Middle Earth and the Biblical narrative share a familiarity. This is not merely a sense that both narratives are very religious. There are distinctive points that come very close in both stories.
One of these images can be seen clearly when reading LOTR about the Path of the Dead and then simply reading the scripture below:

Ezekiel 37: The Valley of Dry Bones (NIV84)
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

Pay attention to verse 12 if you think this is not closely familiar to the LOTR text. There is much more a parallel than all the argumentation on “allegory v. myth” and “Catholicism and Middle Earth” give credit. Much more in the spirit of those who believe Jules Verne was there in the midst of his stories, so too here the texts parallel closely side-by-side. Perhaps if we were all better students of the Bible, we could know the LOTR more richly than ever before thought.

10-05-2012, 09:46 AM	#1
VarTalman Newly Deceased Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 10	Jules Verne Like "Vernians" who believe that Jules Verne actually wrote about true experiences and not science fiction in some of his works, many students see very close parallels between Bible images and the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. While some study Tolkien the man and his beliefs, much more in the spirit of the “Vernians” Bible students study the two texts side-by-side. Given that these students see the world through certain “rose-colored glasses” attempting to see parallels, the imagery that emerges side-by-side does seem very familiar. The discussions here and other places have beaten the “allegory” drum to death over WW2 and political imagery. Yet there is a definite room for argument that Tolkien’s Middle Earth and the Biblical narrative share a familiarity. This is not merely a sense that both narratives are very religious. There are distinctive points that come very close in both stories. One of these images can be seen clearly when reading LOTR about the Path of the Dead and then simply reading the scripture below: Ezekiel 37: The Valley of Dry Bones (NIV84) 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. 11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” Pay attention to verse 12 if you think this is not closely familiar to the LOTR text. There is much more a parallel than all the argumentation on “allegory v. myth” and “Catholicism and Middle Earth” give credit. Much more in the spirit of those who believe Jules Verne was there in the midst of his stories, so too here the texts parallel closely side-by-side. Perhaps if we were all better students of the Bible, we could know the LOTR more richly than ever before thought.