Ishmael (Moby-Dick) Biblical in origin: in Genesis 16:1-16; 17:18-25; 21:6-21; 25:9-17, Ishmael was the son of Abraham by the servant Hagar. In 16:11-12, the most significant verses for Melville's allegory, Hagar was cast off after the birth of Isaac, who inherited the covenant of the Lord instead of his older half-brother. Melville shapes his allegory to the Biblical Ishmael as follows: And so the name points to a Biblical analogy that marks Ishmael as the prototype of "wanderer and outcast," the man set at odds with his fellows. Wright says that all Melville's heroes—with the exception of Benito Cereno and Billy Budd—are
Pharaoh (Book of Abraham) found in the biblical account (Book of Genesis. Chapter:11-12). The following list provides twelve of these elements and themes from the Book of Abraham verses noted in the comparison: 1.A famine struck Abraham's homeland (Abraham 2:1, 5). 2.Haran died in the famine (Abraham 2:1). 3.Terah, after repenting returned to his idols (Abraham 2:5). 4.Believers are the seed of Abraham and are blessed through him (Abraham 2:10-11). 5.Abraham held the priesthood (Abraham 2:9,11) 6.Abraham sought God earnestly (Abraham 2:12). 7.An angel came to rescue Abraham (Abraham 2:13). 8.Abraham was familiar with Egyptian idols (Abraham 2:13; 3:20). 9.Abraham was sixty-two years old