Much of the Old Testament describes the work of
the prophets, men who had a special relationship with God
and who preached the word of God. Prophets also predicted
the future, especially when the Isrealites had strayed
from the word of God. One of the great prophets of the
Old Testament was Elijah who was often in conflict with
Ahab, a king of Israel. Ahab had been persuaded by
Jezebel, his Caananite wife, to reject God and worship
Baal, a Caananite god. When Ahab would not repent and
acknowledge God, Israel suffered years of drought and
famine that demonstrated the power of God and the
impotence of Baal. Finally, Elijah pronounced God's death
sentence on Ahab.
Jonah was a prophet who had been instructed by
God to go to the gentile city of Ninevah to preach the
word of God and to cry out against its sins. But Jonah
was unwilling to go. He took a ship bound for another
city to flee from the presence of God. A great storm
arose and the ship was in danger. The sailors cast lots
to ascertain on whose account the storm had been sent.
The lot fell to Jonah who confessed that he was a
worshiper of God and that he had disobeyed God. He told
the sailors to cast him into the water and the storm
would end. They reluctantly agreed, the prophet
disappeared into the waters, and the sea became quiet.
But Jonah didn't drown. He was immediately swallowed by a
great fish sent by God. Amazed to be alive and greatful
for God's mercy, Jonah repented his disobediance and
after several days the fish vomited him up onto the land.
Asked by God to go to Ninevah a second time, Jonah
obeyed. The gentiles in Ninevah repented their evil ways
and God spared the city.
In Moby Dick
Captain Ahab has turned away from his true vocation, that
of killing whales for oil and other products. Like King
Ahab in the Bible he is seduced by a false god, in this
case the god of vengeance. His disobedience causes him,
like Jonah, to be swallowed by the supernatural fish. But
whereas Jonah always acknowledged God, Ahab does not, and
he is not forgiven. The fish does not vomit him out.
Instead, Ahab dies.
Whales are mammals. They breath air and they are
warm blooded. Their bodies are hairless and streamlined
for fast swimming. They have a large layer of fat which
also streamlines their bodies and keeps them warm in cold
ocean water.
Moby Dick is the whaler's nightmare. Thousands
upon thousands of these giant animals have been killed
without turning on the boats, the ships and the sailors
who were killing them. What if one of these gigantic and
powerful animals turned on his puny pursuers in their
little row boats? What if he tried to attack the ship
itself? Melville used these fears in his novel.
Saint Elmo's Fire is a glow from electrical
charges seen in stormy weather at the tip of a tall
pointed object such as the mast of a ship. The negative
electrical charge in the storm clouds induces a positive
electrical charge on the mast.
When Quequeg was rolling bones he was practicing
"divination," the art of telling the future or
describing the unknown by occult means such as oracles,
omens or signs. Examples of divination are: reading the
lines on a person's hand (palmistry); interpreting the
configuration of the stars and planets (astrology);
analyzing the cries of birds and animals;the
investigation of the entrails of dead animals (
interpreting cards dealt to a person from a special deck
(tarot); and looking through crystal balls (see, The
Wizard of Oz). Some form of
divination has been practiced in all cultures. For
example, palmistry is at least 4,000 years old and it is
still popular today. In most cities you can see the
advertisements of palm readers. Astrology is also popular
today and has been practiced for centuries.
