Samson’s birth, and the requirement that his hair should not be cut, was announced to his parents by an angel. He grew up in the area between Eshtaol and Zorah, near the modern city of Beit Shemesh (Judges 13). His life’s mission was to wage a one-man war against the Philistines, who had been oppressing the Israeli tribes. On his way to marry a Philistine woman, he ripped a lion apart (Judges 14). He later burned Philistine fields using 300 foxes and torches and killed 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15). He got involved with a woman named Delilah, who eventually discovered the secret of his strength – his hair. This led to his haircut, capture, and being blinded by the Philistines. Eventually, Samson got his revenge while a prisoner in Gaza. After his hair grew back he took down the Philistine temple, killing thousands of people and dying in the process. His grave is visited to this day. (Judges 16)
