The Bee as a Symbol

The bee was an early symbol of wisdom in the land of the ancient Hebrews. The wise and very busy Judge and Prophet Deborah’s name meant bee. Legends in those days portrayed the insect commuting back and forth as a resident of both the earth and of heaven where the bee learned the art of honey production. Honey must have been a heavenly flavored food item. The bee also symbolized the Holy Spirit because of its tireless work and Christ because its honey represented gentleness and compassion. The stinger of the bee, not surprisingly, was a judgment symbol. (Image from Our Christian Symbols, a PowerPoint presentation.) 

The Ark of the Covenant

The construction of the legendary Ark of the Covenant, one of several sacred furnishings contained by the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later by the Temple of Solomon, was credited to the building skills of the craftsman, Bezalel. The gold plated wooden box was the container for the tablets of the Ten Commandments and the subject of a number of mystical stories about various fantastic powers that emanated from this mercy seat of God. The Ark's most prominent features are the pair of cherubim positioned on the top of the lid. As to their actual appearance, cherubim are among the more mysterious celestial beings that are mentioned in the visions and dreams of the Hebrew storytellers. They are likely composite creatures that were familiar sights at the times of the writings; some variety of the form of a winged sphinx with the head of a human and the body of a lion or horse topped with eagle's wings, standard decorations of Babylonian and Egyptian gates and temples. The Hebrew Scriptures always place them in narratives that inspire fear or awe since they are celestial beings that have been in the very presence of the Divine. The King James Bible called them Cherubims, which is incorrect. "Cherubim" is the Hebrew plural of the singular form, "cherub." "Cherubs" later became well known as the chubby infants with tiny wings on Valentine's cards, not likely protectors of the golden Ark in the Holy of Holies. (Image from PowerPoint, Symbols of a Faith.)

Joseph and his Brothers

So many of the stories in the Ancestor Period of Genesis are ripe with family dysfunction, particularly concerning strife among brothers. Much of it can be traced back to the parenting skills of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs and the stories' motif of playing favorites. Sarah, primarily, and her husband Abraham favored Isaac over Ishmael; Isaac was partial to his son Esau while his wife Rebekah much preferred Esau's brother Jacob; and following the pattern, Jacob's favorite son was Joseph over his daughters and eleven other sons. The sons grew to hate Joseph, especially after their father gave him a fancy coat which had either long sleeves or many colors, depending on which translation you favor over the others. (There's that pattern again!) Joseph's brothers finally decided to solve the Joseph problem either by killing him, throwing him into a pit, or selling him as a slave to the Ishmaelites. They did throw him into a pit for a while, but thought better of it and finally opted to enslave him for a profit. An irony of the story is that he is sold to the descendants of Ishmael, the first rejected ancestral son to be tossed out into the desert. (Image from PowerPoint: Birth of a Nation; Joseph, Part 1)