Biblical Parallels in the Work of Isaac Asimov
By: Hana G. Hamilton
Although Isaac Asimov was an atheist and science fiction writer, there are many Biblical parallels that can be found in his works. His short story, “Nightfall’’, written in 1941, is arguably Asimov’s greatest short story. Some of the Biblical parallels that can be noticed are, the inevitable ending of the world, the refusal to believe something not seen, and the relation of characters in Asimov’s stories to Biblical characters and stories such as Jeremiah, the nation of Israel, and the New Testament Romans. Recognizing and understanding these Biblical parallels and why Asimov included them in his works can give us insight into Asimov himself and the influence that religion had on him, and how the time period in which he wrote his stores influenced his writing and life.
To get a better understanding behind the works of Asimov, it is important to recognize and understand Isaac Asimov himself. Originally born to Jewish parents in Russia, Asimov grew up in America. Asimov’s parents practiced Orthodox Judaism, but never forced their beliefs on Asimov; Asimov became an atheist, humanist, and a rationalist, which he stated in an essay he entitled “The Way of Reason”. Asimov came to see the Jewish Torah and the Bible as a book recording Hebrew “mythology”, as other books record Greek mythology. Even so, Asimov published his own guide to the Bible entitled Asimov’s Guide to the Bible. He also recognized in the 15th edition of his magazine, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, that by birth he was Jewish although he was an atheist.
The first Biblical parallel that can be seen in Asimov’s work “Nightfall” is the relation between the citizens of Lagash and the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel had many prophets come and prophesy of things to come if they did not return from their sin; and yet Israel kept turning a deaf ear to the voice of God. Jeremiah was called to prophesy to Israel and its kings at a young age: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (6) Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” (Jeremiah 1:5-6 KJV). From the day he was called, Jeremiah prophesied to the nation of Israel for the rest of the days of his life. He is called the Weeping Prophet because all the days of his life he spoke the Word of the Lord, and not one person listened. This can be related to the citizens of Lagash. The Cult had the “Book of Revelations” which gave an account of the Darkness that came over Lagash every two thousand and forty nine years, but the people did not believe them even though it was there for all to see. Theremon says, “After all, this is not the century to preach “the end of the world is at hand” to Lagash” (Asimov 2). Even when the astronomers began to back up the “Book of Revelations” with fact, Lagash turned a deaf ear and refused to hear.
There has always been a tension between believing in things that cannot be seen and physical idols that can be seen and touched. This is another Biblical parallel that relates the people of Lagash in “Nightfall” to the nation of Israel and even the Romans of the New Testament. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God and the instructions to build the Ark of the Covenant, he resided with God in the mountain for forty days and nights. The Israelites soon grew tired of waiting, and told Aaron, Moses’ brother, to make them gods for them to worship (Exodus 32 KJV). Aaron fashioned a golden calf for them to worship out of their gold earrings and jewelry. The Israelites lost faith in the God who brought them out of Egypt and made a god out of something they could feel, touch, and see. The Romans in the New Testament were the same way. They worshipped idols that they could physically see and touch, and criticized the Jewish nation for worshipping a God that was unseen. The people of Lagash were the same way. Although in the text there was never mentioned a god that people worshipped, the people of Lagash criticized the Cult and the astronomers in the story for believing the Cult and the “Book of Revelations.” Lagash was continually bathed in light because it had six suns; the people had never seen or experienced darkness or stars before. So when Aton and the other Astronomers began telling them that yes, the Cult was right, darkness would soon cloak their world, they did not believe them because they simply had never seen it before, and criticized them: “You have to understand that people don’t believe the Book of Revelations anymore, and it annoys them to have scientists turn about-face and tell us the Cultists are right after all” (Asimov 2).
Another point I would like to make along the lines of the first and second Biblical parallels found in “Nightfall”, is that even when the astronomers of Lagash began to give evidence and state what the Cult said was indeed fact, the people still doubted. “Facts are facts, and the Cult’s so called mythology has certain facts…” (Asimov 2). The astronomers began to find that the Cult and the “Book of Revelations” was correct through their calculations and research. They came to the “Theory of Universal Gravitation” that confirmed the motions of the six suns of Lagash and, essentially, proved the prediction of total darkness of Lagash due to an eclipse of the sun Beta. Recent archaeological findings have provided evidence for some of the events described in Exodus 14 of Moses parting the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over. Although “Nightfall” was written in 1941, this parallels the recent findings of what seems to be remains of chariot wheels and other man-made equipment in the Red Sea that would provide evidence of what is related in Exodus 14.
All of these Biblical parallels raise a question. Why would Asimov, a man of science, a humanist, and atheist, include all of these Biblical references in his works? There are two logical reasons for this; the first is that he is doing it intentionally to mirror the way the United States and the rest of the world was changing views toward the Bible and religion. The second reason may be that he is doing it unintentionally, without realizing the influence that religion and the Bible really had on him. Asimov wrote “Nightfall” in 1941, at the beginning of World War 2, after the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. During the 1920’s, traditional ways were being thrown to the way-side, in exchange for new and radical practices. There was a huge religious shift in America and other parts of the world at that time. Many people were abandoning or compromising their beliefs in God and religion. Science became the alternative to religion; the need for hard evidence to prove a theory, instead of relying on faith to believe something. After the Great Depression, people doubted even more the existence of a God and if the Bible really held any truths at all. Asimov may have been trying to portray this shifting of attitude toward religion in the world at this time in “Nightfall” by including these Biblical parallels of how the people of Lagash no longer believed the Cultists or the “Book of Revelations” and how Israel kept turning away from their beliefs in God. Another reason that Asimov included these Biblical parallels is that he may have done it unintentionally without realizing what he was doing. Although he was an atheist, he did not announce it publicly until the 1980s. Raised by Jewish parents, and very well-versed in the Bible, Asimov was very influenced by religion and religious texts. These relations to the Bible that he included in “Nightfall” might have been just second nature to him.
There are many other Biblical parallels that can be seen in the works of Isaac Asimov. Recognizing these references and understanding why Asimov included them in his works can give us a deeper understanding of Asimov himself and his connection to religion and the influence that religion truly had on him. Whether he put these parallels in his works intentionally or unintentionally, they give us a chance to look into the life of Asimov and see the deep influence that religion and the Bible had on him whether he wanted them to influence him or not. Understanding the time period in which he wrote his stories can also give us insight into the psychology of Asimov and the influences on his life.
To get a better understanding behind the works of Asimov, it is important to recognize and understand Isaac Asimov himself. Originally born to Jewish parents in Russia, Asimov grew up in America. Asimov’s parents practiced Orthodox Judaism, but never forced their beliefs on Asimov; Asimov became an atheist, humanist, and a rationalist, which he stated in an essay he entitled “The Way of Reason”. Asimov came to see the Jewish Torah and the Bible as a book recording Hebrew “mythology”, as other books record Greek mythology. Even so, Asimov published his own guide to the Bible entitled Asimov’s Guide to the Bible. He also recognized in the 15th edition of his magazine, Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, that by birth he was Jewish although he was an atheist.
The first Biblical parallel that can be seen in Asimov’s work “Nightfall” is the relation between the citizens of Lagash and the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel had many prophets come and prophesy of things to come if they did not return from their sin; and yet Israel kept turning a deaf ear to the voice of God. Jeremiah was called to prophesy to Israel and its kings at a young age: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (6) Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.” (Jeremiah 1:5-6 KJV). From the day he was called, Jeremiah prophesied to the nation of Israel for the rest of the days of his life. He is called the Weeping Prophet because all the days of his life he spoke the Word of the Lord, and not one person listened. This can be related to the citizens of Lagash. The Cult had the “Book of Revelations” which gave an account of the Darkness that came over Lagash every two thousand and forty nine years, but the people did not believe them even though it was there for all to see. Theremon says, “After all, this is not the century to preach “the end of the world is at hand” to Lagash” (Asimov 2). Even when the astronomers began to back up the “Book of Revelations” with fact, Lagash turned a deaf ear and refused to hear.
There has always been a tension between believing in things that cannot be seen and physical idols that can be seen and touched. This is another Biblical parallel that relates the people of Lagash in “Nightfall” to the nation of Israel and even the Romans of the New Testament. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God and the instructions to build the Ark of the Covenant, he resided with God in the mountain for forty days and nights. The Israelites soon grew tired of waiting, and told Aaron, Moses’ brother, to make them gods for them to worship (Exodus 32 KJV). Aaron fashioned a golden calf for them to worship out of their gold earrings and jewelry. The Israelites lost faith in the God who brought them out of Egypt and made a god out of something they could feel, touch, and see. The Romans in the New Testament were the same way. They worshipped idols that they could physically see and touch, and criticized the Jewish nation for worshipping a God that was unseen. The people of Lagash were the same way. Although in the text there was never mentioned a god that people worshipped, the people of Lagash criticized the Cult and the astronomers in the story for believing the Cult and the “Book of Revelations.” Lagash was continually bathed in light because it had six suns; the people had never seen or experienced darkness or stars before. So when Aton and the other Astronomers began telling them that yes, the Cult was right, darkness would soon cloak their world, they did not believe them because they simply had never seen it before, and criticized them: “You have to understand that people don’t believe the Book of Revelations anymore, and it annoys them to have scientists turn about-face and tell us the Cultists are right after all” (Asimov 2).
Another point I would like to make along the lines of the first and second Biblical parallels found in “Nightfall”, is that even when the astronomers of Lagash began to give evidence and state what the Cult said was indeed fact, the people still doubted. “Facts are facts, and the Cult’s so called mythology has certain facts…” (Asimov 2). The astronomers began to find that the Cult and the “Book of Revelations” was correct through their calculations and research. They came to the “Theory of Universal Gravitation” that confirmed the motions of the six suns of Lagash and, essentially, proved the prediction of total darkness of Lagash due to an eclipse of the sun Beta. Recent archaeological findings have provided evidence for some of the events described in Exodus 14 of Moses parting the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross over. Although “Nightfall” was written in 1941, this parallels the recent findings of what seems to be remains of chariot wheels and other man-made equipment in the Red Sea that would provide evidence of what is related in Exodus 14.
All of these Biblical parallels raise a question. Why would Asimov, a man of science, a humanist, and atheist, include all of these Biblical references in his works? There are two logical reasons for this; the first is that he is doing it intentionally to mirror the way the United States and the rest of the world was changing views toward the Bible and religion. The second reason may be that he is doing it unintentionally, without realizing the influence that religion and the Bible really had on him. Asimov wrote “Nightfall” in 1941, at the beginning of World War 2, after the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. During the 1920’s, traditional ways were being thrown to the way-side, in exchange for new and radical practices. There was a huge religious shift in America and other parts of the world at that time. Many people were abandoning or compromising their beliefs in God and religion. Science became the alternative to religion; the need for hard evidence to prove a theory, instead of relying on faith to believe something. After the Great Depression, people doubted even more the existence of a God and if the Bible really held any truths at all. Asimov may have been trying to portray this shifting of attitude toward religion in the world at this time in “Nightfall” by including these Biblical parallels of how the people of Lagash no longer believed the Cultists or the “Book of Revelations” and how Israel kept turning away from their beliefs in God. Another reason that Asimov included these Biblical parallels is that he may have done it unintentionally without realizing what he was doing. Although he was an atheist, he did not announce it publicly until the 1980s. Raised by Jewish parents, and very well-versed in the Bible, Asimov was very influenced by religion and religious texts. These relations to the Bible that he included in “Nightfall” might have been just second nature to him.
There are many other Biblical parallels that can be seen in the works of Isaac Asimov. Recognizing these references and understanding why Asimov included them in his works can give us a deeper understanding of Asimov himself and his connection to religion and the influence that religion truly had on him. Whether he put these parallels in his works intentionally or unintentionally, they give us a chance to look into the life of Asimov and see the deep influence that religion and the Bible had on him whether he wanted them to influence him or not. Understanding the time period in which he wrote his stories can also give us insight into the psychology of Asimov and the influences on his life.