Published on April 16, 2010 by Brian A. Kinnaird, Ph.D. in
Bruce Feiler has a great new book out called "America's Prophet." In it, he explains how Moses has promoted American ideals for centuries. From Herman Melville to Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt, and Brigham Young, Moses provided a narrative for escaping oppression.
He explains an influential use of Moses in pro-American propaganda through the comic book hero Superman. Siegel and Schuster, submitting Action Comics #1 under the pseudonym of Bernard J. Kenton, were Jewish kids channeling their religious anxieties through comic books. Borrowing from Greek mythology, Arthurian legend, science fiction, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, principal themes are drawn from the Old Testament with a backstory almost point by point:
1.) Moses born into a world where people faced annihilation; Krypton faced extinction;
2.) Baby Moses is put into a small basket and floated down the Nile by his mother; Kal-El is put into a rocket ship and sent to Earth;
3.) Moses is rescued by a daughter of the pharaoh; Kal-El is rescued by Martha and Jonathan Kent;
4.) Like Moses, Superman is raised in an alien environment where he must conceal his true identity;
5.) Moses receives a calling from God to use his powers to liberate his people from tyranny; young Clark discovers the green crystal in the shed in Smallville, it "calls" to him and his trek north. The crystal creates his home where he learns who he is and receives direction/wisdom from Jor-El where "the son becomes the father; the father the son". He uses his powers to assist humanity.
Feiler goes on to report that Superman's name reflects his creators' biblical knowledge. Moses is the leader of Israel or Yisra-el in Hebrew---translated as "one who strives with God." El was a common name for God in ancient Near East and appears in the Bible like Elohim, El Shaddai. Kal-El, in the Superman comic book means "swift God" in Hebrew.
In the YouTube clip above from Superman: The Movie, young Clark Kent finds the green crystal which "calls" to him and an unknown journey to the north where the crystal creates The Fortress of Solitude. He finds his identity, his purpose, and forges a new relationship with his father as his guide. I thought this was an interesting comparison with both biblical and pop culture heroes. Thoughts?
Feiler, B. (2009). America's Prophet. William Marrow, (1 ed.).
