Samson

Occom or Occum, Samson, 1723-92, Native American clergyman, b. near Norwich, Conn. He became one of the first pupils of Eleazer Wheelock, and in 1749 he went to Long Island, N.Y., to serve the Montauk as pastor and schoolmaster. Occom was ordained in 1759, and later he went (1766) to England to help raise the funds used to establish Dartmouth College.

Samson, in the Bible, judge of Israel. His long hair was a symbol of his vows to God, and because of this covenant Samson was strong. The enemies of his people, the Philistines, accomplished his destruction through the woman Delilah. By cutting his hair she forced him to break his vow and thus destroyed his might. Captured and blinded and chained in the temple of the Philistines, he regained his strength as his hair grew long again, and with his bare hands he pulled down the temple, destroying himself along with his enemies. The Samson cycle was probably drawn from popular oral folk tales and may be a myth connected with the cult of sun worship. Milton's Samson Agonistes is a celebrated English poem on the blinded Samson.

(born June 20, 1808, Hamburg—died Dec. 31, 1888, Frankfurt-on-Main, Ger.) German Jewish scholar. He served as rabbi in Oldenburg, Emden, Nikolsburg, and Frankfurt am Main. In his Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel (1836), he expounded his system of Neo-Orthodoxy, which helped make Orthodox Judaism viable in 19th-century Germany. He advocated blending strict schooling in the Torah with modern secular education, and he argued that Orthodox Jews should separate from the larger Jewish community in defense of their traditions. His many works include commentaries on the Pentateuch and an Orthodox textbook on Judaism.

Learn more about Hirsch, Samson Raphael with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Israelite warrior hero of the Old Testament Book of Judges. His mother had been told by an angel that she would bear a son whose life would be dedicated to God and whose hair must never be cut. Samson performed many powerful acts, including slaying a lion and moving the gates of Gaza. When he revealed to a Philistine woman, Delilah, that his hair was the source of his strength, she shaved his head while he was sleeping, leaving him powerless. He was blinded and enslaved by the Philistines, but later his strength was restored and he pulled down the pillars of a temple where 3,000 Philistines had gathered, killing them and himself.

Learn more about Samson with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born June 20, 1808, Hamburg—died Dec. 31, 1888, Frankfurt-on-Main, Ger.) German Jewish scholar. He served as rabbi in Oldenburg, Emden, Nikolsburg, and Frankfurt am Main. In his Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel (1836), he expounded his system of Neo-Orthodoxy, which helped make Orthodox Judaism viable in 19th-century Germany. He advocated blending strict schooling in the Torah with modern secular education, and he argued that Orthodox Jews should separate from the larger Jewish community in defense of their traditions. His many works include commentaries on the Pentateuch and an Orthodox textbook on Judaism.

Learn more about Hirsch, Samson Raphael with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Samson is a city in Geneva County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 2,071.

Geography

Samson is located at (31.112574, -86.047865). Its nickname is 'Snufftown', due to a railroad shipment of snuff derailing near the city.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.4 km²), of which, 3.6 square miles (9.4 km²) of it is land and 0.28% is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,071 people, 894 households, and 575 families residing in the city. The population density was 572.1 people per square mile (220.9/km²). There were 1,016 housing units at an average density of 280.7/sq mi (108.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.11% White, 20.42% Black or African American, 0.97% Native American, 0.63% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. 2.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 894 households out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $18,594, and the median income for a family was $25,188. Males had a median income of $25,767 versus $16,719 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,834. About 29.2% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 51.1% of those under age 18 and 32.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Samson was home to guitarist Roy Brooks from 1971 to 1983.
• Bill Yates, cartoonist, was born in Samson.

References

External links