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| A religion of India that emphasizes freedom from the material world through purification of desires and elimination of personal identity. Traditionally linked to the Caste system. Beliefs include reincarnation. Sacred writings include the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita. |
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| The highest of the four major castes of Hinduism. Followers of Brahma and were originally all priests. |
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| Being reborn in another body. Several religions, including Hinduism, believe that the human spirit returns to earth in different forms againa and again as it strives for perfection. |
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| A ceremony in Judaism marking the beginning of religious responsibility for Jewish boys of thirteen. Hebrew for "son of the commandment". An important social event in Jewish families. |
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| The descriptive term in Judaism for food and other objects that are clean according to its laws. These laws are contained in the Torah and forbid, for example, the eating of pork and of shellfish, the mixing of dairy products and meat and certian methods of slaughtering animals. |
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| A holy month in the calendar of Islam. Moslems fast between sunrise and sunset during each day of this month. |
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| In Islam, a holy war; a war ordained by God. The Koran teaches that soldiers who die in jihad go to Heaven immediately. |
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| The sacred book of Islam. Moslems believe that the teachings of this book were revealed by God to the prophet Mohammed. |
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| Widely known in the Middle Ages as sins that lead to damnation. They are: pride, greed, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. |
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Someone who is not a Jew.
Figuratively, any non-believer. |
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| A religion, founded by the Buddha, that emphasizes physical and spiritual discipline as a means of liberation from the physical world. The goal is to attain Nirvana, a state of complete peace. Found in the greatest numbers in eastern Asia. |
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An approach to religion, arising from Buddhism, that seeks religious enlightenment by meditation in which there is no consciousness of self.
Deliberately irrational statements are sometimes used to jar persons into realizing the limits of the common uses of the intellect. "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" |
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| In Buddhism, the highest state of consciousness in which the soul is freed from all desires and attachments. Nirvana is sometimes inaccurately used as a synonym for Heaven or Paradise. |
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| The name for God, the Supreme Being, in the Arabic language; the common name for God in Islam. |
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| A teaching or set of teachings laid down by a religious group, usually as part of the essential beliefs of the group. |
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| A religion, founded by Mohammed, whose members worship the one God and follow the teachings of the Koran. Means "submission to the will of God". The fundamental beliefs of the religion is "there is only one God and Mohammed is his prophet." The dominant religion in the Arab nations and in a number of countries in central Asia |
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The birthplace of Mohammed, and thus the holiest city for Moslems. Moslems face the direction of this city when they pray, and they are expected to go on a pilgrimage there at least once in their lives. Located in present-day Saudi Arabia.
Figuratively, any place that attracts a great many people. |
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| A large collection of written scorlls, containing nearly all of the Old Testament, found in a cave near the Dead Sea in the late 1940's. The scrolls are highly valued for the information they give about the Bible and about Judaism in the period. |
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| In Hinduism, a god made visibly present, especially in human form. |
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| A religion that originated in the United States in the 19th century, with teachings based on the Bible and the Book of _____________. Followers believe an angel revealed the book to the founder of the church, Joseph Smith. Many followers move to the western territories under the leardership of Brigham Young. |
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| Two forces in the universe according to a Chinese theory: one is the passive, negative force, and the other is the active positive force. According to this theory, wise people will detect these forces in the seasons, in their food, and so on, and will regulate thier lives accordingly. |
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| A Chinese philosopher of the 6th century before the birth of Jesus. His teachings, which place a high value on learning and stress following traditional ways, have come down to us as a collection of short sayings. |
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| A religious denomination that expects the millennium to begin within a very few years. Insist on the use of Jehovah as a name for God. They deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and consider Jesus to be the greatest of the witnesses of Jehovah. Expected to carry on vigorous missionary work, often door to door. |
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| The law on which Judaism is founded. This law is contained in the first five books of the Bible. Can also refer to the entire body of Jewish law and wisdom, including what is contained in oral tradition. |
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| Collections of commentaries on biblical texts that form, with the Torah, the foundation for the religious laws of Judaism. |
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| A portion of the sacred books of Hinduism; the name means "the song of God". It contains a discussion between the deity Krishna and the Indian hero Arjuna on human nature and human purpose. |
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| A break within a church, such as the division between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. |
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| One who challenges the doctrines of an established church. One who holds to a belief or teaching considered unacceptable by a religious group. |
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Religious writings that have been accepted as books of the Bible by some groups but not by others. Roman Catholics, for example, include seven books in the Old Testament that Jews and Protestants do not consider part of the Bible.
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| In Judaism, the Day of Atonement, the most important religious holiday; a day of fasting to atone for sins. It comes in autumn. |
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| The festival of the New Year in Judaism, falling in September or October. With Yom Kippur and the eight days in between it makes up a series of special days of penitence. |
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| A religion native to China. Its adherents attempt to live according to the Tao- "The Way"- which they believe governs the universe. |
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A legendary king in England in the Middle Ages. Became king by drawing the sword in the stone and gathered the greatest warriors in Europe to him at Camelot. Betrayed by his wife, Guinevere, and best friend, Lancelot, and slain by his son, Mordred.
The ideal of kingship in both war and peace. Legend tells that he will someday return.
"The Once and Future King" |
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| The wife of King Arthur. In some versions of the legends of Arthur, she has a love affair with Sir Lancelot that leads to the end of the reign of Arthur and the fellowship of the Round Table. |
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The sword fo King Arthur. In one version of the tale he pulls the sword from a stone. In another it is given to him by the Lady of the Lake to whom he returned it at the end of his life. Wounds received by one wearing the scabbard of Excalibur would not bleed.
Excalibur translates as "cut-steel" |
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| In legends of King Arthur, a magician who acts as Arthur's principal advisor and mentor. |
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| Known in Arthurian legend as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann where he and Arthur slew each other. Most legends hold him to be Arthur's son by his half-sister, Morgause. |
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A legendary island somewhere in the British Isles famous for its beautiful apples. Said to be the place where the body of King Arthur rests supposedly to awaken at some future time. Also said to have been visited by Jesus and to be the site of the first church in Britain.
Thought by many to be located at present day Glastenbury. |
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| The capitol of King Arthur's kingdom. The city represented a utopia where truth, goodness, and beauty reigned. |
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| A young knight in the tales of King Arthur, Galahad's exceptional purity and virtue enabled him to see the Holy Grail in all its splendor, while many other knights who sought it could not see it at all. Son of Launcelot. |
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| One of the knights of the Round Table; the greatest and most trusted of Arthur's knights. He betrays Arthur and the knights by becoming Lady Guinevere's love. This sin prevents Lancelot from seeing the Holy Grail and eventually destroys Camelot. |
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| Knight in British and Irish myth. Tristram was the greatest knight of his time rivaling even Lancelot. He brought the maiden Iseult from to Britan to be the bride of his uncle, King Mark. He fell in love with her and was banished by his uncle. Tristram sent for Iseult as he was dying but she arrived his death, and died herself beside his corpse. |
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In the legends of King Arthur one of the Knights of the Round Table. Gawain was a kinsman of Arthur, and was known for his integrity and decency as well as his red hair and beard.
Protagonist of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" |
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| In English legend the beloved of Tristan. |
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| Located in the Temple of Apollo. A priestess went into a trance, supposedly breathed vapors from a cleft in the rocks, and delievered a message from Apollo to persons who sought her advice. These messages were often very difficult to interpret. |
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Evil creatures who lived on a rocky island, singing in beautiful voices in an effect to lure sailors to shipwreck and death. Odysseus ordered his crew to plug their ears in order to escape the siren's song.
Figuratively, any beautiful or tempting woman |
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Female spirits of classical mythology who lived in forests, bodies of water, and other places outdoors.
Any beautiful or seductive woman. |
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| The best known of the monster Gorgons; people who looked at her wuold turn to stone. Perseus was able to kill her by aiming his sword by looking at her reflection in a mirrored shield. |
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| Nine goddesses who presided over learning and the arts. They were especially associated with poetry. Greek or Roman writers would often begin their poems by asking for the aid of these goddesses in their composition. |
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| A hero of the city of Athens. Kills the Minotaur and escapes the Labyrinth by unwinding a ball of string as he passed through then retracing his steps by following the string backwards. |
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| The subject of a stroy about the rape of the queen of Sparta, by Zeus, who had taken the form of a swan. Helen of Troy was conceived in rape of Leda. |
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| The blind prophet who revealed the truth of the crimes of Oedipus. He spent part of his life as a man and part of his life as a man and part of it as a woman, so he knew the act of love from both points of view. When asked by Zeus and Hera who enjoyed sex more he answered that woman did. Hera was so enraged that she blinded Tiresias. |
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| A beautiful youth who fell in love with his own reflection in a pool. Because he was unable to tear himself from the image, he wasted away and died. |
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| A winged monster with the head of a woman and the body of a lion. It waylaid traverlers on the roads near the city of Thebes, and would kill any of them who could not answer its riddle. |
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A monster who had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon.
Figuatively, any wild creation of the imagination. |
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| A sorceress who fell in love with Jason and helped him obtain the Golden Fleece. When Jason abandoned her to marry another woman, she took revenge by brutally murdering his young bride as well as the children she herself had borne him. |
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| Daughter of Agamemnon. To avenge his death, she helped her brother, Orestes, kill their mother and her lover. |
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| A mythical bird that periodically burned itself to death and emerged from the ashes as a new bird. This rebirth happened every 500 years. Only one bird lived at a time. |
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| A king who, as punishment for having offended the gods, was tortured with everlasting thirst and hunger in Hades. He stood up to his chin in water, but each time he bent to quench his thrist the water receded. Boughs of fruit hung over his head but moved when he tried to reach them. |
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| A hero who killed the Gorgon Medusa. The god Hermes and goddess Athena helped him by giving him winged shoes, a magical sword, and polished shield. |
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| One of the rivers of Hades, across which Charon ferried the souls of the dead. The gods occasionally swore by this river and when they did so their oath was unbreakable. |
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| The wife of Odysseus. She remained true to her husband for the ten years he spent fighting in the Trojan War and for the ten years it took him to return, even though she was harassed by men who wanted to marry her. The image of fidelity and devotion. |
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| A sculptor who at first hated women, but then fell in love with a statue he made of a woman. He prayed to Venus that she find him a woman like the statue. Instead, she made the statue come to life. |
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| A box that Zeus gave to the first woman with strict instructions that she not open it. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the box. All of the evils and miseries of the world flew out to afflict mankind. |
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| A nation of warrior women. Figuratively, any large, strong, aggressive woman. |
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| The greatest warrior on the Greek side of the Trojan War. When he was an infant, his mother tried to make him immortal by bathing him in a magical river, but the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable. |
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| The most beautiful woman in the world, a daughter of Zeus by Leda. Her abduction by Paris led to the Trojan War. |
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| Son of Daedalus. He died tragically while using artificial wings, invented by his father to escape from the Labyrinth. When he flew too close to the sun, it melted the wax that held the wings together and he fell to earth. |
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| An ingenious inventor, designer of the Labyrinth and one of the few to escape from it. Father of Icarus. |
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| A monster, half man, half bull. Born to the Queen of Crete after she mated with a sacred bull. To hid his shame the kind hid the monster in the Labyrinth. Eventually killed by Theseus. |
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| A Greek hero in the Trojan War. Helped bring about the fall of Troy by conceiving the ruse of the Trojan Horse. After Troy was ruined, he wandered fro ten years trying to return home. |
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| One-eyed giants. One imprisoned Odysseus and his men during their voyage back to Greece. |
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| In Roman mythology, a beautiful girl who was visited each night in the dark by Cupid, who told her she must not try to see him. When she did try, while he was asleep, she accidentally dropped oil from her lamp on him, and he awoke and fled. After she had performed many harsh tasks set by Venus, Jupiter made her immortal, and she and Cupid were married. |
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| The king who led the Greeks against Troy in the Trojan War. When he returns home victorious he is murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra and her lover, Aegisthus. |
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| A powerful sorceress who turned people who looked at her into swine. On the way home Troy the crew of Odysseus fell prey to her spells. |
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| A prince of Troy, and the bravest of the Trojan warriors. At the end of the Trojan War, Achilles killed him and then dragged his body around the walls of Troy. |
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| A knot tied by a Greek king. According to legend, whoever loosed it would rule all Asia. Alexander the Great undid the knot by cutting through it wil his sword. |
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| Pure golden, fleece of a miraculous flying ram. Jason and the Argonauts made their voyage in quest of it. Kept in a kingdom on the Black Sea. |
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| Heir to a kingdom in Greece, but his cousin seized the throne. The cousin insisted that the gods would not allow him to become king until he brought back the Golden Fleece. He assembled the Argonauts, gains the Fleece, marries Medea, and becomes king. |
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| Strongest man on earth. Renowned for completing twelve seemingly impossible tasks. |
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| The boatman who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx and into the underworld. |
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| A kingdom in classical mythology. According to legend, it was once an island in the Atlantic Ocean was swallowed up by an earthquake, and is now covered by the sea. |
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| The three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to Hades. |
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| The legendary home of the Greek and Roman gods. An actual mountain in Greece, the highest in the country. |
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| A king who was granted on wish by Dionysus. Greedy for riches he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. |
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| An extremely beautiful boy who was loved by Aphrodite. Any handsome young man. |
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| A king who offened Zeus and was punished by being forced to roll an enormous boulder to the top of a steep hill. Every time the boulder neared the top, it would roll back down, and he would have to start over. |
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| In Norse mythology, the solemn ruler of the gods. He was the god of wisdom, poetry, farming and war. |
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| In Norse mythology, the one armed god of single combat and heroic glory. |
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| God of mischief in Norse mythology. Not really evil, but a sort of celestial con man. Son of Giants but the foster brother of Odin. |
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| Red-haired, red-bearded god of nature and thunder in Norse mythology. Wields the war hammer "Mjolnir". |
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| In Norse mythology, the god of innocence, beauty, joy, purity, and peace. Loki tricked his blind brother into throwing a mistletoe dart at him and signaling the beginning of Ragnarok. He will ultimately be reborn in the new world. |
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| A charater in Norse mythology. A valkyrie who love the hero Siegfried. After she found out that he had decieved her, she had him killed and committed suicide. |
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| A legendary hero of Norse mythology. He is the central figure of the Saga of the Volsungs. With his father's reforged sword, Gram, he slays the dragon Fafnir gaining wealth and knowledge. He frees the valkyrie Brunnhilde while disguised as another. |
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| In Norse myth, a race with superhuman strength, described as standing in opposition to the gods. |
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| In Norse mythology, a monstrous wolf, the son of Loki. Bound by the gods he eventually grows too large for his bonds and devours Odin during Ragnarok. |
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| In Norse mythology, a dwelling in Asgard, the Norse heaven, reserved for the souls of those who died heroic deaths. |
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| In Norse mythology, the "World Tree", a gigantic ash thought to connect all nine worlds of Norse cosmology. During Ragnarok the two surviving humans find protection in the braches of this tree. |
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| In Norse mythology, the battle at the end of the world. Waged between the gods (lead by Odin) and the giants and monsters (lead by Loki). Many participants will perish and almost everything in the universe will be destroyed. This carnage makes way for a rebirth. |
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| Minor female deities who serve Odin. Their purpose was to choose the most heroic of those who had died in battle and to carry them off to Valhalla. Odin sent them to every battle where they allot death to men and govern victory. |
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| A movement in 20th century literature and philosophy, with some forerunners in earlier centuries. Stresses that people are entirely free and therefore responsible for what they make of themselves. With this responsibility comes a profound anguish or dread. Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Sartre, Heidegger, and Camus were writers of this niche. |
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| A movement promoting cooperation and better understanding among different religious groups or denominations. |
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The belief that God has created the universe but remains apart from it and permits his creation to administer itself through natural laws. Rejects the supernatural aspects of religion, such as belief in revelation, and stresses the importance of ethical conduct.
"Clockwork Universe" |
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| An approach to philosophy that regards external objects as the most fundamentally real things, and perceptions or ideas as secondary. Also used to describe a literary movement that attempts to portray life as it is. |
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| An approach to philosophy that holds that human life is meaningless and that all religions, laws, moral codes, and political systems are thoroughly empty and false. The term is from the Latin word meaning "nothing" |
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| Denial that there is a God. |
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| A denial of knowledge about whether there is or is not a God. Insists that it is impossible to prove that there is no God, and impossible to prove that there is one. |
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| A literal belief in the biblical account of creation as it appears in the Book of Genesis. Creationists believe that the creation of the world and all its creatures took place in six calendar days; they therefore deny the Theory of Evolution. |
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| The doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good in life. Some hedonists have insisted that pleasure of the entire mind, not just pleasure of the senses, is this highest good. |
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| In theology, the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others. |
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| A conservative movement in theology among 19th century and 20th century Christians. Believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true. |
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| The view that human actions are entirely controlled by previous conditions operating under laws of nature. Often understood as ruling out free will. |
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| A system of ethics according to which the rightness or wrongness of an action should be judged by its consequences. The goal is to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. |
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| An approach to philosophy, primarily held by American philosophers, which holds that the truth or meaning of a statement is to be measured by its practical consequences. |
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| The ability to choose, think, and act voluntarily. For many philosophers, to believe in this is to believe that human beings can be the authors of their own actions and to reject the idea that human actions are determined by external conditions or fate. |
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| The belief that natural objects such as rivers and rocks possess a soul or spirit. Derives from the Latin word for "soul" or "spirit". |
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| The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and origin of knowledge. Asks the question, "How do we know what we know?" |
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A philosophy that florished in ancient Greece and Rome. Believed that people should strictly restrain their emotions in order to attain happiness and wisdom; hence, they refused to demonstrate either joy or sorrow.
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| The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of art and with judgements concerning beauty. "What is art?" and "What do we mean when we say something is beautiful?" are two questions often asked in this philosophy. |
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| God of the underworld and ruler of the dead. Also the name of the underworld itself. |
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| The Roman and Greek goddess of the hearth and home. Roman and Greek cities were supposed to have a public hearth dedicated to this goddess at which the fire was kept constantly burning. |
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| The messenger god. He traveled with great swiftness, aided by the wings he wore on his sandals and his cap. Son of Zeus and father of Pan. |
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| God of the sea. Frequently portrayed as a bearded giant with a fish's scaly tail holding a large trident. |
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| God of war, brutal and bloodthirsty. Son of Zeus and Hera and the father of the Amazons. |
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| God of metalworking and fire. The only malformed, ugly god. |
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| Virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon. Daughter of Zeus and twin sister of Apollo. Also called Cynthia. |
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| Goddess of wisdom. She had an unusual birth springing fully grown out of the forehead of her father, Zeus. Helped the Greeks in the Trojan War. Became the protector of Odysseus on his journey home. Guardian of the city of Athens. |
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| God of wine and revelry. His followers, after overindulging in wine, would often dance wildly, tearing animals and sometimes people, to pieces. |
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| The god of love. A magnificently handsome young man and the son of Venus. Often depicted as a chubby, winged infant who shoots arrows at people to make them fall in love. |
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| Goddess of love and beauty. Paris awarded her the Apple of Discord, choosing her over Hera and Athena as the most beautiful goddess. She was thought to have been born out of the foam of the sea, and is thus often pictured rising from the water. |
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| Wife of Zeus, protector of marriage. Best known for her jealousy and for her animostiy toward the many mortal women with whom her husband fell in love. |
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| Chief of the Greek and Roman gods, who defeated the Titans to assume leadership of the universe. He lived atop Mt. Olympus, from which he hurled thunderbolts to announce his anger. Despite his awesome power, he had a weakness for mortal women. |
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| Greek goddess of vengence |
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| God of poetry, prophesy, medicine, and light. Represents all aspects of civilization and order. |
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| The Greek god of flocks, forests, meadows and shepherds. He had the horns and feet of a goat. He frolicked about the landscape, playing delightful tunes. |
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| The Greek and Roman god of the west wind, considered the most pleasant of the winds. |
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| A god who served Poseidon. Known for being able to change his shape at will. |
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| A Titan famous for his strength. After the defeat of the Titans by Zeus, he was condemned to support the Earth and sky on his shoulders for eternity. |
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| The gods who ruled the universe until they were overthrown by Zeus. |
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| The Titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans. As punishment, Zeus ordered him chained to a rock and sent a great eagle to gnaw at his liver. Was eventually rescued by Hercules. He became a symbol of lonely and valient resistance to authority. |
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| Roman god of sleep and dreams |
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| The oldest man mentioned in the Bible; according to the Book of Genesis, he was the grandfather of Noah and lived to be 969 years old. |
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| In the Old Testament, a man whose faith was severly tested by Sata, with God's permission. In order to get him to curse God, Satan destroyed all that this man owned, killed his children, and struck him with sores. He would not curse God, however, and as reward was given twice as much as he'd had before. |
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| In the Old Testament, an immoral, cruel queen of Isreal who attempted to kill Elijah and other prophets of God. Her name is used today to describe a scheming and shamelessly evil woman. |
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| The disciple who betrayed Jesus to the authorities for 30 pieces of silver. When soldiers came to arrest Jesus, this disciple identified their victim by kissing him. The next day, driven by guilt, he hanged himself. |
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| A man brought back to life by Jesus after being in the tomb for four days. The raising of Lazarus is considered the crowning miracle or sign revealing Jesus as the giver of liffe. Also the act that caused the enemies of Jesus to begin the plan to put him to death. |
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| The governor of the Jews at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus; he was an offical of the Roman Empire. According to the Gospels, he did not consider Jesus guilty, and wanted to release him. Under pressure from the crowds in Jerusalem however, he sentenced Jesus to death on the cross, having first washed his hands as a symbol of getting rid of his responsibility for Jesus' fate. |
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| Four figures in the Book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world. The figures representing conquest rides a white horse; war, a red horse; famine, a black horse; and plague; a pale horse. |
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| The tower that the descendants of Noah built. They intended that the tower would reach up to Heaven itself, increase their reputation, and make them like God. God prevented them from completing the tower by confusing their language so that they could no longer understand one another's speech. |
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| In the Book of Exodus, the mountain that Moses ascended to receive the Ten Commandments from God. God shrouded the mountain in a cloud, and made thunder, lightning, and trumpt blasts come forth from it. |
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| The mountain upon which Noah's Ark came to rest as the waters of the great flood receded. |
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| The special coat that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; the coat made his other sons jealous and resentful. |
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| The set of disasters that God inflicted on Egypt before the Pharaoh let Moses lead the Isrealites out of Egypt to the promised land. Plagues included: swarms of locusts, hordes of frogs, water to blood, and a plague of boils. After the tenth plague (death of all first born children) the Pharaoh released the Isrealites. |
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An ancient city in Syria. When on his way to this city to arrest Christians the Apostle Paul (Saul) underwent a dramatic conversion.
The "road to ________" is an image for a sudden turning point in a person's life |
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Eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The word is from the Latin meaning "blessed" and each saying begins this way. Jesus promises rewards for good living, difficult though it may be.
"Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."
"Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God." |
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CAST NOT PEARLS BEFORE SWINE |
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| An adaptation of a saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Generally, this means to share something of value with those who will not appreciate it. |
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| The hill near Jerusalem on which Jesus was crucified. The name is Latin for "Place of the Skull"; it is also called Golgotha. |
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A character in a parable Jesus told to illustrate how generous God is in forgiving sinners who repent.
Figuratively, any person who leaves then returns as a last resort. |
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| The disobedience of Adam and Eve and their consequent loss of God's grace and the peace and happiness of the Garden of Eden. God punished them by driving them out of the garden and into the world, where they would be subject to sickness, pain, and eventual death. |
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| The eating of the Forbidden Fruit by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which led to their expulsion from Eden by God. |
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| The branch brought by a dove to Noah's Ark signifying that the Flood was receding. This branch is now regarded as a sign of peace, as is the dove. |
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The money Judas received for betraying Jesus to the authorities. He later threw the money into the Temple of Jerusalem, and the chief priests bought the "potter's field" with it to be used as a cemetery for foreigners.
Used proverbially to refer to anything paid or given for a treacherous act.
"Blood money" |
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A sea monster mentioned in the Book of Job where it is associated with the forces of chaos and evil.
Any enormous beast. |
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THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL |
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In the Old Testament story of Daniel, a Babylonian king hold the Israelites captive witnesses a mysterious hand writing on the wall of his palace. The king called upon Daniel who interpreted it to mean that God intended the king and his kingdom to fall. The king was slain that night.
Figuratively, the expression means that some misfortune is impending. |
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