Puritanism is a form of Protestantism that developed in the 16th century, and it was the dominant religion in England since 1536 when King Henry VIII founded the Protestant Church of England. The early Puritans were discontented with the state of religious affairs in England and the direction in which the Church of England seemed to be headed. They strongly disapproved of London life, with all of its plays, theatre, art, and literature (remember the Renaissance was in full effect) because they believe all of these activities led to spiritual corruption and moral decay. The Puritans truly believed their interpretation of the word of God as being the moral guideline that will lead to the salvation of man. To them, the fact that England was ruled by a monarchy, or a king, was upsetting because a king, or any political leader in charge of the state, was too often influenced by politics, corruption, or state affairs instead of adhering strictly to the moral guidelines set out in the New Testament. Without a proper spiritual and moral authority, the people would retrogress into a natural state of sin and disorder in a sort of spiritual recidivism. A more suitable form of government for a Puritan would be a Theocracy, in which a Puritan authority would establish, rule, and enforce the laws. As exploration of the New World in North America advanced, the Puritans saw a way to separate from the Church of England and the English monarchy and establish themselves in a new land. Because of what they considered to be persecutions and tribulations, the Puritans quickly identified themselves with the Israelites, who were the chosen people of God in the Old Testament, and they began to look at the New World as the future center of Christianity where they would build a new "City on a Hill." The allusion is a Biblical reference to the reconstruction of Jerusalem by the Israelites from a wasteland into the spiritual center of the Benei Israel, the descendants of Israel; the Puritans felt a divine mission to reconstruct Christianity from its European "wasteland" in the New World.
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The first pilgrims to America were the Puritans, who believed that by escaping England's overwhelming Protestan population, they would escape the ensuing ridicule for their extremist views. This may have been a mistake on their part, as the system which they sought to establish in America was almost identical in its English counter-part. They set up a city hall and appointed one person as leader to govern their laws and likely lead their church. In this way, their system mirrored the British monarchy, in which the king governed and led the church. The only substantial difference between the two is the way in which their leaders governed. Had the Puritan system become more popular, America would be the next monarchy.
During the exploration and colonization era, many leaders relied on God and the Bible to prove the relevance of their actions and new discoveries. For example, many Puritans used the Old Testament as an explanation or prophecy of what they would endure. There is no doubt that there are many similarities in character, plot, and dialogue in the biblical Book of Nehemiah and Puritan leader William Bradford’s document “Of Plymouth Plantation”. In these accounts, the main characters Nehemiah and William both express their unwavering devotion to God and their need to connect with this divine force. They believed that daily events could be traced back to holy meaning and therefore centered their lives on finding connections to God. Though Nehemiah was a Jew and William a Puritan, their morals were extremely alike. When Nehemiah faces the cruel opposition of the other tribes in Jerusalem while rebuilding the wall, his faith in God causes him to cry out, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads…Don’t forgive the evil they do and don’t forget their sins…” (Nehemiah: 4, 4-5). The Puritans also deal with the scorn of those in England who doubt their beliefs. More specifically, though, on Bradford’s journey, he writes of a strong and arrogant young man who curses and scoffs at ill passengers daily. Ironically, (or perhaps not so following Puritan principles), this man is soon struck with a deadly illness. Remarkably similar to Nehemiah’s dialogue, Bradford points out, “Thus his curses light on his own head, and…[we] noted it to be the just hand of God upon him”(Bradford 24). There is little chance that the similarity of wording in these two quotes is merely coincidental. Bradford, who studied the Bible much since his youth, surely desired to transform his own experience into one of divine significance by viewing the Old Testament as the prediction of his own spiritual worth.
William Bradford's "Of Their Voyage, and How They passed the Sea; and of Their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod" describes a journey on a ship passing through several violent storms that make hope for reaching land safely vanish. References to God are made throughout the passage. As the crew finally arrives in Cape Cod on land, they thank the "God of Heaven" who they believe has brought them out of the dangerous sea to safety. The journey is similar to one from "The Storm at Sea" in which a group sailing is put into extreme danger during a harsh storm. All hope for surviving is gone again, similar to Bradford's writing. "We finally gave up all hope of being saved" (Paul 27:20). Because the crew has given up hope "Paul stood before them and said, "You should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete; then we would have avoided all this damage and loss. But now I beg you, take courage! Not one of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost. For last night an angel to whom I belong and worship came to me and said 'Don't be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the Emperor. And god in his goodness to you has spared the lives of all those who are sailing with you.' So take courage, men! For I trust in god that it will be just as i was told" (Paul 27:21-25). The sailors had given up hope in surviving but their deep within belief and trust in god saved them in two similar situations.
During the sea-fairing journey of the Puritans to America, religion and God were the driving forces that pushed the voyage's success. In times of hardship, nothing else was relied on except the help and the glory of God. William Bradford's account, "Of Plymouth Plantation," describes in detail the dangers of the voyage and the sailors' dependence on God. The Puritans came from England and sailed to America in hopes of finding religious freedom. However, they did not expect the problems of the rough seas and harsh winds. After quite some time traveling through many a fierce storm, the ship mariners consulted with the Master and other officers as to whether it would be wiser to return. For the ship was continually and severely shaken, and continuation of the voyage would mean risking their lives. After serious consideration, repairs were made to the ships parts, and "they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed," (Bradford 26). The seamen put their faith solely in God to safely continue their journey. After a long beating at sea, they came upon Cape Cod. The sailors were overjoyed, and "they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all perils and miseries" (Bradford 26). All of their success they attributed to the help of God, whom they depended with their lives upon; just as the sailors do in "the Storm at Sea," in the Book of Paul. "'God in His goodness to you has spared the lives of all those who are sailing with you,'" (Paul 27:24). The fearful men put all of their trust in God to see them through the storm on their voyage. When they do arrive ashore, they all arive safely, and know they were saved by God's grace, just as the Puritans were.
Many seeking land in the New World or refuge from religious persecution in Europe, turned to the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, to justify their actions in the symbolic stories and messages the Old Testament consists of. The Puritans, for example, saw themselves as the Israelites struggling to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, in the same way the Puritans tried to save the collapsed religion. William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” deals with his first-hand account of his voyage to Plymouth and life in the colony. Through his first-hand account and the many references Bradford makes to God and the Bible, many connections can be made between Bradford’s journey and the symbolic stories in the Old Testament. The Puritans set up a Theocracy in the New World, in which Puritan officials enforced God’s laws. This was foreshadowed in Deuteronomy, which states, “Today the Lord your God commands you to obey all his laws…Today you have acknowledged the Lord as your God; you have promised to obey him, to keep all his laws, and to do all that he commands” (Deuteronomy 26: 16-17). In the Puritans Theocracy, there is no separation between church and state, as God is the highest power, and his laws are the laws of the people. It is in this way that the Puritans become “…the people of the Lord your God…so [they must] obey him and keep all his laws that [are being given today]…” (Deuteronomy 27: 9-10). Bradford and other Puritan leaders saw themselves as the ones to implement God’s laws, thus creating a theocratic government that is hinted to in Deuteronomy. The Puritans unwavering faith in God was ultimately what led to the formation of a Theocracy in Puritan society, which Bradford and others saw illustrated in the Old Testament.
In the texts, Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford and The Book of Nehemiah from the Old Testament, symbolism is used to show the importance of religious inspiration in a perishing society. William Bradford becomes an inspiring symbol in the Puritan society, and Nehemiah becomes the sign of inspiration for his people to rebuild the land of Judah. Bradford acts as a source of knowledge and guidance for the Puritans fleeing religious persecution in England, and venturing to the New World, in hopes of finding religious freedom. Nehemiah becomes an important symbol of encouragement in his desire to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. When Bradford and the Puritans were crossing the ocean, facing seasickness, storms, and the possibility of an unseaworthy ship, they looked to their belief in God, for comfort and direction. “What could now sustain them but the Spirit of God and His grace?... He is good: and His mercies endure forever” (Bradford 27). Bradford and the Puritans undertook a perilous journey secure in their religious convictions that they could survive any difficulties under the watchful eyes of their God. Similarly, the struggles one must overcome when confronting the obstacles of pain and sorrow due to lost loved ones is so great, that many cannot bear it. Nehemiah expresses his sadness with the situation, “how can I keep from looking sad when the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (Nehemiah: 2-3) When someone is so determined to do something, even the most difficult situations cannot stop them from letting their beliefs lead them. Both men were inspired to help others find a better place based on their devotion to their belief in God. They each sought freedom from oppression in different lands based on their deep religious principles, ideals, and convictions.
When people in this decade look at the way settlers came and took over the Native Americans' land, the first thing that pops into their minds is how terrible, how disgusting even, their actions were. It is quite possible that these settlers did not care how many they killed, how much land they stole. It is also quite possible, however, that they were looking towards the Bible to lead them. In the Book of Nehemiah, the Israelites are looking to rebuild Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been previously destroyed. Though Sanballat, Tobah, and the people of Arabia tried to deter Nehemiah's group, Nehemiah and the Israelites prevailed. William Bradford and the Puritans approximate themselves with the Israelites. What if the Puritans felt that they could create a new Christian center on this land? What if they believed they could rebuild their religion, but only through running Natives off the land? If the Puritans did indeed consider that they were as the Israelites were, God's chosen people, then they believed that their sins of murder would be overlooked by God in the long run because they were recreating their own little "Jerusalem", almost. Also, how many times in history have repulsive acts of genocide or torture been looked over because the murderers were only following the Bible, or doing it because that's what their god wanted them to do? Religion seems to be the most time worn excuse. Why were those people murdered? Oh, the Bible said it was okay, never mind. If populations can look past other countless misdeeds, than why not this one? Or rather, as a population, should people re-examine the rest of history and take a closer, more honest look at the way humans have acted towards one another?
During the time of the Puritans, religion was a huge part of daily life for everyone. Everything that happened was thought to be brought about because of God. William Bradford, Puritan author of “Of Plymouth Plantation”, displays this belief while documenting his grueling journey overseas to the new world. The first obstacle William and his crew face is the dangerous ocean. Many men are lost along the way due to being thrown overboard yet those who believed in God’s power lived. When first reaching shore the men “fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean” (Bradford 26) and look to him in their times of need while developing their new home. Similarly, The Book of Nehemiah depicts the struggle prophet Nehemiah went through to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem; he looks to God every step of the way, as Bradford did, and also comes out successful. From start Nehemiah is not alone while he asks his superiors for permission to travel from his home to Jerusalem and was given “all [he] asked for because God was with [him]” (Nehemiah 2:8). Later while building the wall with the people of Jerusalem, Nehemiah is protected from enemies seeking to ruin the wall when “God defeated their plans” by allowing the workers to learn of the attack prior to their arrival (Nehemiah 4:15). It is clear that in both the times of the Old Testament and the Puritans that God played a significant part in both the decisions and actions made by his followers; both Nehemiah and William Bradford persevered through their difficult tasks with the help of God and his guiding light.
Faith in God, and religion helped guide the Puritans to America. They believed the Old Testament held their prophecy of what was to come. It is evident that The Book of Nehemiah shares numerous similarities with William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation." In The Book Of Nehemiah, the Israelites were looking to rebuild Jerusalem like Bradford was looking to build a religion. Bradford may have used Nehemiah's story to persuade other Puritans that the arduous journey to America was worth it. The Israelites "went on rebuilding the wall, and soon it was half its full height, (Nehemiah:4, 6). This line alone proved that eventually the Puritans would get to safety and could overcome the storm. The attacks on the wall endured by the Israelites mirrors the storm that the Puritans face on their journey to America. It is no coincident that Bradford's journey is parallel to Nehemiah's. Bradford, a man with great knowledge, hoped the Old Testament foreshadowed his own experiences to prove his religious significance.
William Bradford used interpretations from the Bible as propaganda to convince the other Puritans that they were on the right path and that fleeing to the Americas was God's vision. These interpretations caused the Puritans to work harder because they believed their journey would save Christianity. On the journey to America Bradford’s ship was hit by a storm. Instead of fearing, he convinced the other Separatists that they were the men in the story of Paul and would survive the storm. The Pilgrims began to feel chosen and now believed in their journey because it was written in the Bible and spoken by God. When they reached land they suffered through many hardships. To describe the situation Bradford wrote, “Our Fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity” (Bradford 27). That quote alludes to the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt and again shows Bradford trying to link the Puritans to the chosen. Throughout the course of his journal Bradford uses the Bible as propaganda to convince those to follow him.
During the exploration and colonization time period, people thought that God would help them through their obstacles if they kept their faith in “the almighty”. In the journal “Of Plymouth Plantation”, William Bradford exhibits that as long as the Puritans aboard the ship kept their faith in God, God would help them overcome their obstacles through the literary element of imagery. Many Puritans believe as well, that God’s will is the reason for the obstacles they encounter and that everything is by intentional means. On some of the Puritan’s voyages to the new colonies in America they experience furious storms, disease and situations that could have resulted in death. But the Puritans thought that if they kept their belief and faith in God, they would survive anything. The Puritans on the ship in Bradford’s journal had all of their trust in God, which they believed was why they were alive at the end of their voyage. A man named John Howland was not part of the Puritan church in the beginning of his voyage, but a situation that could have killed him made him think otherwise. Bradford writes, “...but it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards which hung overboard and ran out at length…”(Bradford 26) as John Howland was thrown overboard during a storm as they were crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Howland later became a member of the church because he believed that God intentionally helped him through his situation that could have resulted in his death by making him grab onto the ropes on the side of the vessel. “By his great power and strength he rescued [people]…He worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen,” (Deuteronomy, 26:19-21). Even when things got tough for those aboard the vessel, they still had faith in God and believed that he would save them. When the Puritans reached the new land, “…they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who [had] brought them over the vast and furious ocean…” (Bradford 26). They thanked God for saving them through their dangerous journey and kept their belief and faith strong, to help them overcome whatever they encountered next.
People riducule others out of spite and jealousy, often resulting in success for people who overcome this mockery, and failure for those who act so immaturly. The elements of tone and mood portray the difficulties and hardships that both Nehemiah from "The Book of Nehemiah" and the Puritans from "Of Plymouth Plantation" faced. Both Nehemiah and the Puritans overcame the feeling of ridicule or mockery by trusting God. For example, Nehemiah prayed and worshiped to God that the Jewish people could again live together in Jerusalem. His prayers would be answered if he simply rebuilt the gates and wall around Jerusalem, to regain God's trust and unite the people. However, as the reconstruction of the walls began, Sanballat and the Samaritan troops "became furious and began to ridicule us." Nehemiah and the Jewish people did not let this mockery hold them back, instead they prayed, "Hear how they make fun of us O God! Let their ridicule fall on their heads" (4:2). Like Nehemiah, the Puritans faced ridicule as well. Aboard the ship was a young man, strong and arrogant. He mocked and cursed the ship, including the people upon it. He wished hardships upon them, "contemning the poor people in thier sickness and cursing them daily with grievous execrations" (page 24). Finally it pleased both the Puritans and God, when the man himself was taken by disease and the first one to be thrown off of the ship. Thus, Nehemiah and the Puritans both faced and overcame the tone and mood of ridicule with their everlasting trust in God.
In our past, there have been men that claim they can speak to God. These men include Nehemiah, Moses, and William Bradford. Many similarities have been recognized between the Old Testament and Bradford's account, Of Plymouth Plantation. One major connection between the two shows to obey God and all he says. Nehemiah hears of the broken walls and decides that it is his duty (when God tells him) to fix them. His request to go to Jerusalem was granted by the emporer and his letters to the governors were all followed "because God was with me" (Nehemiah 2:8). Moses also told others of God's Laws and instructed them to be followed. "Obey all the instructions that I am giving you today...you are to set up some large stones, cover them with plaster, and write on them all these laws and teachings" (Deuteronomy 27:1-3). Hundreds of years later, a man named William Bradford was making similar movements. Bradford used the Old Testament and the influence of God to purify the religion. He made his movements look as if they were pre-determined by the Bible. It is possible that Bradford twisted the truth to get the followers he needed and for them to believe in him, God, and God's Laws.
Throughout William Bradford's "From Of Plymouth Plantation" one is able to connect many instances in his journal to things quoted throughout the Bible. For example in William Bradford's journal he discusses how he and his crew members were ridiculed and made fun of by others for taking this journey to the New World. In the book of Nehemiah, he and his crew were made fun of for trying to rebuild Jerusalem. " 'What do these miserable Jews think they're doing? Do they intend to rebuild the city? Do they think that by offering sacrifices they can finish the work in one day? Can they make bulding stones out of heaps of burnt rubble?' " (Nehemiah 4:2) Also, one can connect part of the story in Paul to that of Bradford and his crew. At one point in their journey, Bradford and his crew went through a patch of a bad storm. When the crew began to affirm their faith, the waters began to calm and they decided to continue on their journey. Like Bradford and his crew, in the book of Paul, Paul and his crew witness a bad storm too. "But now I beg you, take courage! Not one of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship came to me and said, ' Don't be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the Emperor. And God in his goodness to you has spared the lives of all those who are sailing with you.' So take courage, men! For I trust in God that it will be just as I was told." (Acts 27:22-25) Paul told this to his crew, and eventually they made it to sure. Finally, one can make a connection to the six agreement points between the Puritans and Native Americans to the Ten Commandments in the Christian faith. The Ten Commandments were an agreement for Christians with the original inhabitant of the earth (God) to the new inhabitants (humans and animals). In this journal entry the original inhabitants are the Native Americans and the new ones are the Puritans.
William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” contains similarities with the Book of Nehemiah. One apparent similarity is that if you believe in God he will save you. In both stories, the people encountered many struggles that ended up killing or hurting the people that were not strong believers of God. However, the strong believers were able to push though and survive solely by depending on God. The Puritans, on their way to the New World, encountered many obstacles with their boat, at one point they almost decide to stop the voyage but” they omitted themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed” (Bradford 26). The Israelites also experienced troubles while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia, Ammon, and Ashdod did not like the fact that the Israelites were making progress on the wall and decided to join forces and plot against the Israelites. Hearing about this, the Israelites prayed for God to protect them and put guards out day and night. As time went on, Jews living among the enemy would tell Nehemiah about the enemies’ plans. After the enemies heard the Jews knew of their plans, they came to the realization that “God had defeated their plans,” (Nehemiah 4:15). By believing, depending and praying to God, both the Israelites and the Puritans were saved from their struggles.
As the exploration era progressed, many explorers used their God's meaning to connect their voyage and the Bible. In the texts, "Of Plymouth Plantation" and "The Book of Nehemiah" both use the literary element of symbolism to depict their God's meaning. The Puritans believed their God wanted everything to be pure and simple, so nothing can distract the true meaning of their faith. In "The Book of Nehemiah" Moses tells his people to, "Build an altar there made of stones that have had no iron tools used on them, because any altar you build for the Lord of God must be made of uncut stones...On the stones covered with plaster write clearly every word of God's laws" (Deuteronomy 27: 5,6,8). Here, Moses is telling his people to not distract the true meaning of God by using stones that have not be cut or no iron tools, so God's message can be straightforward. Also, Moses tells them to write God's laws clearly, so his message of Christianity can be pure and simple, so the laws do not get misinterpreted. The stones and the clear writing become symbols for the Puritans to get across their God's meaning of being pure and simple. Hundreds of years later, a man name William Bradford used these symbols on his journey, as he tried to get God's message across. In the text, "Of Plymouth Plantation" Bradford says "And truly there was a great distraction and difference of opinion amongst the mariners themselves...but in examining of all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be strong and firm under water" (Bradford 24). Bradford knows that their are many different ways on how to build the ship, creating distraction from its true message, but to make it pure and simple, he knows it will be best under water, just like God thinks.
The Puritans, one of the first European groups in the Americas, lived their lives around the church and made sure that every aspect of their lives was holy. Almost everything that they did was vindicated by the Bible and their interpretations of it. The Puritans constantly referenced to the Bible and they knew that many others around the world and generations to come will too. Therefore, to assure their place in history as heroes and prophecies at Biblical proportions, the Puritans used passeges from the Bible and either used it for their benefit or described Puritan people or situations like those in the Bible. For example, the Puritans wanted to rebuild and have a secure place for their religion, just like when Nehemiah built up Jerusalem after it had been destroyed. Also, The Book of Deuteronomy repeatedly acknowledges that the land they had occupied or wanted to occupy was given to them by God, extremely similar to how the Puritans killed many Native Americans for land because "God meant for that land to be theirs". William Bradford was one of the most impotant Puritans and prophecized himself and his journey to America in his "Of Plymouth Plantation" by making the story of the boat ride and himself seem very similar to the story of Paul, a great hero in the Bible. Like Paul, Bradford describes a journey that was feuled by God at every step and eventually the ship hits a huge storm. Although this could have happened to Bradbury, it is obviously a way to show that his voyage was holy and that he had become the new Paul. The Puritans did all of this because they knew that, while the Renaissance had people all over the world questioning cultures, a foundation as strong as Biblical prophecy was essential to Puritan survival.
Religion and the will of God drove the exploration, conquest, and settlement of the Americas hundreds of years ago. In the beginning, Columbus explained to the rulers of Spain that his voyage west was God's will. And, the further colonization was believed by settlers also to be God's will. Immensely religious men led the voyages and colonization of the Americas, all the while believing that they were prophets carrying out God's will. Through his journal entries, William Bradford, a Puritan leader, appears to indirectly compare his experiences to those of the men in "The Book of Nehemiah" and of Paul of the Old Testament. Like Nehemiah, Bradford and his men used faith in God to overcome the ridicule they encountered. Bradford also describes an immense storm at sea that he and his men survived only under the watchful eye of God. This compares to the immense storm that Paul and his men encounter in the Old Testament. Perhaps through the stories that Bradford tells in his journal, he is trying to say that he is, in fact, the new Paul.
There are many similarities between William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation” and the “The Book of Nehemiah” from the Old Testament. Bradford may have believed that he was fulfilling the prophecy of “The Book of Nehemiah”. In other words, Bradford may have believed he was the present-day Nehemiah because of the many similar experiences of both people. First, Nehemiah got permission to rebuild Jerusalem from God and the emperor, as Bradford got permission from the King and Queen for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Second, both Nehemiah and the Jews and Bradford and the Puritans were mocked. For example, on the Puritan ship, a young man “did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journeys end…” (Bradford 24). In the story of Nehemiah, when Sanballat heard that the Jews started rebuilding the wall he ridiculed, “What do these miserable Jews think they are doing? …Can they make building stones out of rubble?”(Nehemiah 4:2). Third, in Nehemiah’s story, Sanballat, Tobiah, and the people of Arabia planned to attack Jerusalem because of the progress being made by the Jews. Similarly, The Natives that the Puritans encountered “were readier to fill their side full of arrows than otherwise” (Bradford 26). Lastly, as the Jews were ready to help Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem, the healthy Puritans were happy to help the sick during the starving time. Both religions showed “true love unto their friends and brethren” (Bradford 28)
In the journal entry “Of Plymouth Plantation,” William Bradford uses symbols to depict how the strong yet arrogant are the first to fall. Consumed by their own self importance and superiority, they mock and demean others, lose sight of important things and perish. In a more spiritual sense, this is karma. On the Mayflower there is a “proud and very profane” (1 Bradford) sailor who made it his business to harass the passengers. The sailor represents a presence of doubt on the pilgrim’s journey from the old world to the new one, in search of religious freedom. From the beginning of the voyage he taunts the colonists, using their insecurity against them. The sailor despises the passengers for their weakness. He is of a “lusty, able body” (1 Bradford), unlike many of the colonists and uses this to his advantage. Also, he often tells the pilgrims that he will “cast half of them overboard before they [come] to their journey’s end” (1 Bradford). He attempts to convince the pilgrims that they will not succeed in their expedition, and will all die trying to make a better life for themselves. However, they ignore him and “let [his] ridicule fall on [his] own [head]” (Nehemiah 4:4). After weeks of this harassment, the sailor falls victim to disease and is the first on the ship to die. It is as if the sailor's haughty demeanor hastens his demise. Although the sailor appeared to be strong and indestructible, his lack of religious and spiritual conviction made him susceptible to this “grievous disease” (1 Bradford).
William Bradford wrote about the travel to America in his journal, which shared many similarities with the story of Paul and his ship in the New Testament. The Puritans felt like they were fulfilling some type of duty by going to America, which may lead on to think that Bradford's stories may not have been entirely true. Bradford could have stretched the truth to make it seem like he was Paul, and this was supposed to happen. The Puritans felt as if they were sent to America by God, which may be why Bradford could have fit their story to Paul's. Bradford knew his journal would be read, and he wanted it to show those who ridiculed the Puritans that they were doing something God intended them too. William Bradford knew that if he matched his story to the one in the New Testament, that people would think that it was a voyage God wanted to take place. Maybe some of the things he wrote about took place, but they may have been over-exaggerated to fit into the story. One cannot deny the many similarities between the two stories, but it is uncertain whether Bradford changed the story to justify what the Puritans were doing.
After reading both “The Book of Nehemiah” and “Of Plymouth Plantation,” one may notice that these works of literature are eerily similar. This is no coincidence, as William Bradford intentionally wrote “Of Plymouth Plantation” to resemble “The Book of Nehemiah.” The similarities between the two include a storm at sea, being ridiculed, looking to God for aid, and the punishment of those who disobey God. To begin with, Bradford’s encounter of a raging storm that was similar to the one Paul faced, could inspire readers to believe that William Bradford was one of God’s messengers, since he shared the same experiences as the Apostle Paul. Secondly, Bradford and those who traveled with him to Cape Cod were bullied by a conceited young man during their voyage. Similarly, the Jews were ridiculed by Sanballat, Tobiah, and their companions for trying to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Thirdly, characters in “Of Plymouth Plantation” and in “The Book of Nehemiah” alike prayed to God, and looked to Him, when they needed help. Fourthly, those who disobeyed the Lord’s orders, became unfaithful to Him, or who disappointed Him were punished, and sometimes even killed. For example, the man who bullied Bradford and his crew by laughing at the ill and by wishing to throw them overboard fell ill and died, as punishment by God. Moreover, in “The Book of Nehemiah,” God threatened the Jews by saying, “If you people of Israel are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the other nations. But then if you turn back to me and do what I have commanded you, I will bring you back to the place where I have chosen to be worshipped,” (Nehemiah 1: 8-9). William Bradford used these and other similarities so that he would seem as a prophet and would therefore gain more followers.
William Bradford, like many others including Columbus, found that he was influenced by God to travel to new land. Both Bradford and Columbus drew parallels from their stories to stories in the bible. Bradford's eye for similarities between the world he lived in and the Bible served as fuel for the struggling religion. The Puritans were ridiculed in their homeland and even on the ship they sailed on to escape the poor treatment. This is similar to the story of Nehemiah. "When Sanballat, Tobiah, and an Arab named Geshem heard what we were planning to do, they laughed at us and said, 'What do you think you are doing? Are you going to rebel against the emperor?'" (Nehemiah: 2, 19). Comparisons such as this gave a reason for the jorney to continue. While at sea, a storm hit Bradford's ship. This occured in another story in the Bible and served as more fuel for the religion. In Bradford's story, the passengers put themselves into the hands of God. This is what happened in the book of Paul. Without the ability to draw connections between th Bible and the world William Bradford lived in, there would have been no way for him to spread his faith to the new world.
William Bradford mirrored his exploration and settlement in Plymouth to the experience of Nehemiah in Jerusalem. Bradford was a devoted Puritan and used scripture and the element of foreshadow to justify his actions. The parallels between Bradford and Nehemiah are not just a coincidence. It is evident that Bradford saw himself as modern day Nehemiah and was simply carrying out God's plan. His unwavering trust in God causes William Bradford to center his life around the teachings of Puritanism. Similarly, Nehemiah based every aspect of his life around God and his wish for the Israelites of have a place of their own. When others ridiculed Nehemiah for his actions, his faith and trust in God led him to say, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads…Don’t forgive the evil they do and don’t forget their sins…” (Nehemiah: 4, 4-5). Puritans also had to deal with English who did not believe in their faith. For example, in "Of Plymouth Plantation," Bradford tells of the arrogant young man who ridiculed the poor people on the Mayflower and told them how he wished they would fall sick and had to be cast overboard. Bradford goes on to say that God came before them and struck this arrogant young man with disease. The man died and was the first man who had to be thrown overboard. Bradford tells how it "...was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him" (Bradford 24). The similarity between Nehemiah and Bradford's words affirm the relationship between the two men. Nehemiah's experiences foreshadow Bradford's journey, while Bradford used the Old Testament as a guideline for his own exploration and settlement in God's will.
During the era of Colonization and Exploration many people left the European countries to seek a new life America. These journeys were often driven by religion. The Puritans, a group of people who wanted to purify the English church, were driven by just that. In the accounts “Of Plymouth Plantation” William Bradford uses the literary element of symbolism to show that through manipulating interpretations of religion a person can be in a place of power. This was true in Bradford’s case. During Bradford’s relocation at sea he describes a man who often harassed the sick and unfortunate. Later the man gets thrown overboard because of “a grievous disease”. (Bradford 24) Bradford said that “it pleased God” and thus caused “an astonishment to his fellows… noted to be the just hand of God upon him)”. (Bradford 24) In the book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament the Jews are ridiculed just as the man did to the poor on the boat. One of the Jews Nehemiah says “…don’t forgive the evil they do and don’t forget their sins…” (Nehemiah 4; 5) Bradford could allude to the similarities in the situation thus placing him in line with God. The man on the boat is symbol of Bradford’s power. Being close to god was significant in that time to having power. Even the King was thought to be a symbol of divinity. In conclusion, during that time period religion could be used to gain power.
Advocates of the Puritan faith often found a motivation for future actions and justification for past actions in the Old Testament. William Bradford was in the forefront of the Separatist movement and many similarities can be drawn between his journal and the Old Testament. The Book of Deuteronomy states, “My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live, they were few in numbers when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation.” (Deuteronomy: 26:5). Before the Separatist expansion to the Americas many apostles of the Puritan faith “wandered” through out areas of Europe. Bradford, being a separatist, moved to the Netherlands in order to attempt to escape religious persecution. However, when persecution pursued him to Amsterdam, he spawned an agreement to sail to the Americas under the British flag fueled by hope to remain an Englishman and to simultaneously create a society with a “Pure” Church. It is no coincidence that similarities appear between Bradford’s movement about Europe and eventually to the Americas and the biblical figure’s wayfaring. It is feasible that Bradford and his supporters exercise the positive aspects in this quote of scripture to incite their faith in the success of their colony and pursuits. Bradford’s journey across the ocean was not free of problems and the Pilgrims faced many terrifying storms and deadly diseases which threatened to sweep their faith and determination from right under their feet. Bradford expresses how he believes these ill omens were tests given unto them from God. When the storms grow so extreme that they consider turning back, it is very likely that Bradford finds reason in scripture to continue to their destination, physically and spiritually. A verse appears in The Book of Deuteronomy, referring to God, which Bradford in all likelihood utilizes to rejuvenate his faith and his supporters faith in their mission. It states, “He worked miracles and wonders and caused terrifying things to happen. He brought us here and gave us this rich and fertile land.”(Deuteronomy: 26:8). After reading this, Bradford presumably relates the storms and diseases that his followers endure in their voyage with the “miracles, wonders, and terrifying things” Deuteronomy refers to in this excerpt. He discerns that this Aramean endured terrifying things, but through faith in God, the Aramean’s new establishment grew to be prosperous, which provides Bradford with trust in God to bring success to his settlements. One can assume that Bradford relates his experiences on his voyage to numerous sections of the Old Testament, and the similarities between his journal and the ancient writing are far from coincidence.
The theme that is prevalent in both the Book of Nehemiah and “Of Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford is the conviction of having been chosen by God to conquer new lands and spread faith throughout the world. Both Nehemiah and the Puritans credit their success to God and blame their failures on their inability to follow God’s lead. Nehemiah felt that he was chosen by God to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and the puritans of New England sincerely believed that they were selected by God to pursue the new world. When Nehemiah goes to his employer asking for means to go to Judah he “gave [him] all that [he] asked for, because God was with [him].” (Nehemiah 2:8) Similarly, the Puritans aboard the Mayflower gave tribute to God for their survival of a fierce storm; when they reached land they “fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean.”(Bradford 26) William Bradford uses this theme to gather support and so does Nehemiah. Nehemiah looks for support from the people of Judah to help him rebuild and tells them how “God had been with [him] and helped [him], and what the [his employer] had said [to him]… they responded “Let’s start rebuilding!” And they got ready to start the work.” (Nehemiah 2:18) In both narratives the protagonist uses his conviction that he has been chosen by God as justification for his plans.
As the new Puritans from England strived across the vast ocean to America seeking freedom from the English Church affairs, they relied heavily on religion and their faith in God to bring them to their fate. Some were so dependent on religion that they related almost all aspects of their lives to their beliefs. Puritan leaders such as William Bradford, even went as far as believing they were “chosen by God” according to the scriptures and symbolism within the readings they studied. William Bradford and other Puritan travelers described all of their encounters and parallels to the old testament through Bradford’s document, “Of Plymouth Plantation”. In the piece of Literature, Bradford describes the hardships and struggles the Puritans face on their journeys. In almost every dangerous encounter however, the Puritans turn to God and make it past their obstacles. “Being thus arrived in good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean” (Bradford 26). Similar to this experience the Puritans faced, a story in the book of Nehemiah also displays the sense of religion prevailing in the desperate times people faced. “For in God I trust that it will be just as I was told. We will be driven ashore on some island” (Deuteronomy 27: 25-26). The parallels that can be drawn from these two scenarios are obvious and clear, causing the Puritans to believe they were actually selected by God and these two events were not coincidental. Because of their strong beliefs on these ideas, they relied so much on religion and true faith to get them through the worst, which is what seemed to happen. As the Puritans settled, they related the stories of their journeys to biblical readings, causing them to take great pride and trust in their religion that they became so dependent on.
William Bradford led a group of Puritans to America in 1620, using sections of the Old Testament as a voice of reason for his actions. Bradford's accounts in Of Plymouth Plantation tell the reader he feels he is on a quest of biblical proportion. Bradford portrays himself as a new and improved Nehemiah, journeying to the new world. Along the way he overcomes many perilous events but by God's will is saved and able to continue. Once in the new world Bradford sets up a community based on the no nonsense, plain and simple, version of Christianity they named Puritanism.The quote "...Because any altar you build for the Lord your God must be made of uncut stones..."(God's Laws Written on Stones 27:14)expresses Bradofords views for his new religion. Bradford wanted to purify the tainted Christian beliefs and bring back what he believed God had truly intended to be religion. In doing so Bradford had elevated himself from a simple Puritan seeking religious freedom, to a Prophet carrying out God's will. To add merit to his beliefs he held up the story of Nehemiah, and his followers ate it up without question. Bradford knew that no one would dare question the Old Testament, so he provided a plausible set of coincidences and was believed to be a savior. Bradford may have had every intention of doing good, and in the end did indeed do a good act, but to do so he preyed on the Bible's power to be unquestionable.
During the time of early exploration, the Bible and God played very important parts in guiding one to wealth and land. Many explorers relied on the bible to gain the provisions and materials needed from the country they represented. Though most ships set off for riches; some sailed to find religious freedom in this new world. One of these groups was the Puritans, a branch of the Catholic faith. In William Bradford’s, “Of Plymouth Plantation”, he extracts what he believes are the most important parts of the journey. But what he also does is chooses specifics scenes and stories and shifts them into what he can relate to the bible. In the Bible, Nehemiah is ridiculed by the people of Arabia for re-building Jerusalem. But since he has such strong faith in God, he prays, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God!, let their ridicule fall on their own heads…” (Nehemiah 4: 4). In Bradford’s excerpt from his story, a young man ridiculed and harassed the waving spirits of the Puritans because of their beliefs. He curses them and always tries to bring them down. “…[He] did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them over-board before they came to the journey’s end” (Bradford 24). Just like in the book of Nehemiah, the Protestants pray to God to get rid of this devilish man. Bradford also connects the Puritans with the Israelites in the way that he associated the Puritans as the chosen people; which the Israelites are in the Hebrew Bible. No matter which situation you place Bradford in; one may associate it with a specific bible passage.
A community, whether fashioned off the roots of location, common interest, or belief systems, must derive and can only survive from one common factor, that being the communication from founding-member and member-member. A chess community could not be established without interaction with the game of chess and the players that allow one to pursue this interaction. William Bradford, author of Of Plymouth Plantation, dug deep into a community founded upon religion, and uses point of view to express how the Puritans could communicate in order for their organization to thrive. Bradford in his story rarely individually points out members of the Puritan community. The entire story revolves around a third-person collective viewpoint; how they together survive the tragedies of the boating trip, how they are grateful to surface on land, how they help and harm each other for their last breaths of life, how they make peace laws with he, the Sachem Massasoit, who is not included in the ‘they’ of Puritans. This ‘shared suffering’ philosophy of communicate originates from Deuteronomy, a book that focuses on God, Moses, and the people. The ancient Puritans “cried out for help to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and miseries” (Deuteronomy 26: 7-8). To prove loyalty to God and gain liberation from endured affliction in Egypt, they as a team have to sacrifice offerings such as crops and set up large stones with writing of his laws. These exercises are intended to not only strengthen the bond between man-man through hard shared work for a common goal, but demonstrated the main lines of communication between man-God, which exists as symbolism (and in this case, the rocks with God’s teachings are the transition between him and his people). God in today’s world cannot correspond with his followers directly through the five senses, partly due to the fear that he would lose his superiority. So Bradford illustrates God’s influence on Puritan society through symbols, clues, and messengers. God smiting a selfish captain to disease and death, his convenient weather patterns that help the Puritans survive the boat trip, his jolly spirits that uplift the healthy Puritans enough to aid the sickly in survival, and sending Squanto with the settlers for direction through nature survival and profitable land are all examples of indirect deeds in Bradford’s story that depict God’s positive communication with those who put faith in him. The New Testament’s book on Paul portrays that this truth in God reaps rewards unmatched. Throughout the story, many sailors want to surrender to the brutality of the boat ride (another story of a stormy ship voyage), but Paul instructs them to have courage, patch up the fort (despite knowing the vessel will break into many pieces), and take the risk to eat the food that could be preserved for emergency because God will rescue them. They comply, but it is not God who sweeps them under his wings. “[The army officer] ordered everyone who could swim to jump overboard first and swim ashore; the rest were to follow, holding on to the planks or to some broken pieces of the ship. And this was how we all got safely ashore” (Paul 27: 43-44). Though the army officer appears to have the same capability as the rest of the passengers, the story implies that God places people in the right places at the right time with his own special symbolic items to go through doubt and hardship for eternal security and reward. Though religion may all be conspiracy, this idea of belief within each other and a higher power has exponentially spread throughout the world as efficient means of self-preservation and discovery.
In both William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" and the book of Nehemiah in the Bible, followers of God are suppressed by non-believers, making them have to work extremely hard to stay faithful and follow the word of God. To execute God's wishes in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, "half of [God's followers] worked and half stood guard" (Nehemiah, 4:16). Many tried to destroy the work of the Jews, forcing them to rise above such attacks to carry out God's will. This same sense of having to overcome oppressors who try to bring down God's followers is shown throughout history. The Puritans such as Bradford, travelled to America to escape religious persecution. Throughout their journey expressed in Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation", Puritans had to overcome those who mocked and attempted to destroy them and their work. For example the pilgrims stayed strong throughout the scorning they received from non-believers before their arrival to the new world, the hardships during the starving time, and countless other struggles hindering their goal of creating a new land of worship to God. They believed that faith in God would get them through just as it did for the Jews in Nehemiah centuries earlier.
Religion has been a huge obstacle for countless people ever since mankind’s first years. During the time of the Puritans, many left English to escape religious persecution and to ensue and to ensue religious freedom in America. However, when they arrived, they soon discovered that religious liberty was not something that would come easily to them. In ancient times, going back all the way to 445 B.C, in times of Nehemiah, religious discrimination was a huge part of society. This carry’s on throughout many cultures and even continues in some ways presently. Soon after their arrival, they set up there own government eerily close to the way it was in England. There was still no absolute democracy and the right to have faith in whatever one desired did not exist. Strangely, it was similar to the British monarchy, with the one leader that chose and decided everything. The Puritan people made America very close to becoming a monarchy, had there ideas been developed a little more.
Faith drove strong believers over mysterious waters to a new land where they could form a society based on their Puritan views. For example, William Bradford uses the literary element point of view to describe in his account, Of Plymouth Plantation, how, thanks to God’s grace, he and his colony survived. He described the colony’s experiences and his own as they relate to Paul’s experiences in the Old Testament. Bradford even stated in his document, “It is recorded in Scripture as a mercy to the Apostle and his shipwrecked company, that the barbarians, when they met with them (as after will appear), were readier to fill their sides full of arrows than otherwise” (Bradford 26). Bradford had started writing this document ten years after landing on the Cape and he finished writing seventeen years later. This document, therefore, is a recollection of his journey and so he frames his point of view through the lens of time. Bradford’s point of view being that by having faith and trust in God he and the Plymouth Colony survived. Likewise, both Paul and Bradford believed that those that had no faith in God would be susceptible to punishment, most likely death. During Bradford’s journey, a “proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen of a lusty, able body…” mocked the Puritan religion but then he became ill and died, being the first body to have been thrown overboard. He had previously relished in the idea of throwing one of the Puritans overboard. Bradford “noted it [his death] to be the just hand of God upon him.” Just the same in the Old Testament, Paul described the soldiers as trying to escape. “ ‘If the sailors don’t stay on board, you have no hope of being saved ‘” (Nehemiah: 27, 31) Bradford was both a civil and spiritual leader and he used this chronicle as a testament, almost a proof of the importance of their faith in God with the ultimate survival of the Plymouth Colony.
Comparing oneself to a greater being has been a part of human nature since the dawn of civilization; it causes one to indentify with a personality of stronger and possibly heroic characteristics. William Bradford in his journal, “Of Plymouth Plantation”, alludes to how the Puritans are very similar to the Israelites and how he is just as great as Moses. Bradford writes about his religious driven journey across the perilous Atlantic Ocean. Facing many problems back in the homeland of Europe, they were oppressed and ridiculed, very similar to how the Jews were treated in Egypt. Leading the Puritans out of Europe, Bradford easily recognizes himself as a modern day Moses. Just as Moses liberated the Jews from slavery, Bradford liberated the Puritans from the corrupt Anglican Church. Crossing the Atlantic was symbolic of Moses crossing the Sea of Reeds, “[separating] them from all the civil parts of the world” (Bradford 27). Again, Bradford alludes to the crossing of the Sea of Reeds when he explains the tale of the arrogant man aboard the ship. Because the man was disrespectful to the Puritans on board, he symbolizes the fate the Egyptians experienced for mocking Moses when he asked for the Jewish people’s freedom. Similar to the punishment to the Pharaoh, God strikes the men with “grievous diseases”, and both drown in the roaring seas (Bradford 24). The Egyptians are crushed by the tidal waves of the Sea of Reeds, while the ignorant man is thrown overboard by the God shielded Puritans. According to Bradford, the Puritan story is not only similar to the exodus of Israelites out of Egypt, but coincides with the entire Israelite’s struggles for a homeland.
In 1620, Puritan separatists left Europe to escape religious persecution and found their own colony based on the “uncut” laws of God. Among them was William Bradford, an educated man with extreme knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Bradford was able to use his wisdom while writing his journal, “Of Plymouth Plantation,” to illustrate what he believed to be the symbolic connection between his Puritan journey to establish a colony in America and biblical stories. He then used this symbolism to give inspiration to his fellow Puritans. “The Book of Deuteronomy” explains God’s rescue of the Israelites from their danger in Egypt, “He heard us and saw our suffering, hardship, and misery. By his great power and strength he rescued us…” (Deuteronomy 26:8). Likewise, Bradford discusses God’s rescue of the Puritans during their journey overseas in his description of their thanks, “… they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all perils and miseries thereof…” (Bradford 26). Perhaps the Puritans strong faith, seeing that God had saved the Israelites, allowed them to survive the deadly passage to America. Later in his journal, Bradford alludes to “The Book of Deuteronomy” as he expresses his desire for later generations to say, “Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried to the Lord, and he heard their voice and looked on their adversity…” (Bradford 27). He feels that the children of the Puritans can faithfully say this when the new colony is a success because of God, just as the Israelites were instructed to in the Bible: “My ancestor was a wandering Aramean, who took his family to Egypt to live, they were few in numbers when they went there, but they became a large and powerful nation.” (Deuteronomy: 26:5). Bradford’s biblical knowledge allowed him to inspire the Puritans in their struggle to create a colony in a new land. Had it not been for their belief that the Israelite’s journey was symbolic of their journey, the Puritans may not have had enough faith and assurance to persevere in the new world.
The Puritans were a group of Protestants who wanted to “purify” the Church of England by removing all practices they associated with the Catholic Church. The Puritans founded Plymouth Colony in modern-day Massachusetts in 1620. William Bradford’s journal (published as Of Plymouth Plantation) tells the early history of these Puritan settlers. In the Christian faith, it is believed that the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) is a symbolic depiction of what is to come, and the Puritans identified themselves as the modern day Israelites. In the Old Testament Isaiah the prophet tells the Israelites that “the lord has shone upon [them]…and nations shall walk by [their] light,” (Isaiah 60:1,3). Similarly, the Puritans thought that they were a “City upon a Hill” and the “eyes of all people [were] upon [them]”. This mindset is exceptionally clear in Bradford’s journal when he says, “our fathers were Englishmen…and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity,” (Bradford 27). This is a comparison of the plight of English settlers during the Starving Time to that of the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt. Obviously Bradford believed that by helping to create this “model society” in North America he was doing the work of God. Bradford was a leader among the first Puritan settlers, and he was elected governor of the colony thirty times. So therefore, if the Puritans believed they were the Israelites of scripture, then Bradford must have believed that he was the prophet, Nehemiah. When Nehemiah receives permission from the Emperor of Persia to rebuild Jerusalem, he attributes his success in receiving permission to the fact that “God was with [him],” (Nehemiah 2:8). In a similar fashion Bradford attributes many of the Puritan successes to “God’s good providence,” (Bradford 26). In the book of Nehemiah, the prophet leads the Israelites in the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Bradford probably would have said that Jerusalem is symbolic for Christianity and he is leading the modern Israelites (Puritans) in its reconstruction by propagating the idea of the “City upon a Hill.” In addition to this, while he is attempting to rebuild Jerusalem, other people who live in the area mock Nehemiah and his followers. Nehemiah asks God to “let their ridicule fall on their own heads,” (Nehemiah 4:4), and God obliges. Similarly, while the Puritans are journeying across the ocean, there were those who mocked their religious practices. There was one specific case where one who mocked and cursed the Puritans became grievously ill and died from his disease. Bradford notes how the young man’s “curses light on his own head,” (Bradford 24). The final piece of evidence supporting the idea that Bradford thought he was Nehemiah the prophet is the fact that Bradford was writing the whole story down. The Old Testament is split into three parts, The Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim. Many of the books in Nevi’im (which means the prophets) were supposedly written by the prophets they were named after. An example is the book of Nehemiah, written by the prophet Nehemiah. Bradford was writing down his story because he thought that, like Nehemiah’s book, his “prophetic” words would one day become part of Holy Scripture.
During the age of exploration and imperialism, the puritans experienced the positives and negatives of exploration and religion. Trying to escape the tolls they paid for their beliefs in england, they wanted to start fresh and rebuild their religion in a new colony. While they were in england, the Puritans lived under daily mockery and this is what caused them to decide to leave. Their religious beliefs are what helped them through the difficulties and complications on their way to the new world. In William Bradford's journal from "Of Plymouth Plantation", he tells of a story in which the puritans looked to God for help and He answered. The journal shows that many obstacles can be overcome if one looks to God for hope. When the colonists fins themselves in the middle of a storm in William's journal, they let it guide the ship. In the new testament, there is a story called the storm at sea which also symbolizes trusting God. When they experienced a northeaster that hit the ship, "they let the ship be carried by the wind" (Paul 27:17). They knew they were saved and their prayers were answered when "they noticed a bay with a beach and decided that, if possible, they would run the ship aground there" (Paul 27:39). these two experiences link together and illustrate how religion can help in difficult situations. Next, when the puritans settled in the new world, there were native Americans who had already been living there. When the puritan colonists came on behalf of obeying the lord and their religion, disease struck the natives and began to kill them. The settlers viewed this as God's way of giving them the land. They escaped mockery of their religion and when they settled in new territory, they thought they were rewarded. Also, in Bradford's journal, he wrote of a man who was traveling on the ship, but was not a Puritan settler. He was a mean man and mocked the Puritans for their faith. When the Puritans looked to God, their prayers were answered, and the man was the first and only one on the ship to die and be thrown overboard; they escaped persecution once again. Similar to the puritans staying faithful to the lord, the book of Nehemiah shows the struggle to be released from mockery, and the reward after overcoming. When Nehemiah works to rebuild the wall and city of Jerusalem, Sanballat makes fun of them because he thinks the wall will be weak. However, Nehemiah prays and says, "hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads" (Nehemiah 4:4). Soon enough, they make great progress on the wall. To stop their wonderful progress, the enemies begin to plot against them. However, Nehemiah and the others hear of the plan. Then, the "enemies heard that [they] had found out what they were plotting, and they realized that God had defeated their plans" (Nehemiah 4:15). Nehemiah was able to finish the wall and escaped persecution with the help of the Lord. These connected stories show how turning to God, obeying the Lord, and maintaining faith help in escaping persecution and being rewarded.
William Bradford states, "Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blesses the God of Heaven who had brought the over the vast and furious ocean" (Bradford 26), in his document "Of Plymouth Plantation". As displayed throughout his writings, Bradford strongly feels as though the Puritans journey across the Atlantic to the New World and the journey of the Israelites is in many ways connected. He often alludes to "The Book of Deuteronomy" which states, "'I now acknowledge to the Lord my God that I have entered the land that he promised our ancestors to give us'" (Deuteronomy 26:3). The Puritans, whom fled England because of they wanted to pursue their religions in a land that they felt God destined for them, compared themselves to the Isrealites who found their "promise land" with the help of God himself. Both religious groups have similarities in the arduous trips they experienced and the land that they found where they could in fact practice the religion they wanted to and pursue the lives that they wanted to live. The Old Testament in many ways was a guideline for William Bradford and the Puritans who found aptitude in the New World.
When Columbus sailed across the ocean to land in the New World, the King and Queen of Spain sponsored his trip only because of his reasoning: the Bible. Columbus showed the King and Queen passages of the Bible, relating it to his own life, then claiming that the Bible was prophesizing his voyage. Later, William Bradford and the Puritans came to America in hopes of a new life. Bradford took what Columbus did with the Bible and used this technique of comparing modern occurrences with Bible stories in order to explain his choices and actions on the voyage. His trip to modern-day Massachusetts is most closely related to the Book of Nehemiah, though it does relate with other books in the Bible. For example, in the Book of Nehemiah, he claims, “those who had survived were in great difficulty” and “the foreigners who lived nearby looked down on them.” Bradford and the Puritans experienced similar difficulties, as the Anglican Church in England had similar feelings toward the Puritans as the foreigners did Nehemiah and the people of Judah. Not to mention, Bradford’s telling of a cruel young man on his ship who was not Puritan and hoped for the settlers to fall ill and be thrown overboard relates to Sanballat, Tobiah, and the Arabs who insulted and plotted against Nehemiah. The young man in Bradford’s recount and the group of Nehemiah’s story both suffered for their actions. The young man was the only one to fall sick, die, and be thrown from the ship, and Sanballat and Tobiah’s plans against the Jews failed. Both Nehemiah and Bradford underwent ridicule for their beliefs (as did Columbus). Also, Nehemiah is distraught because the wall around Jerusalem has yet to be rebuilt, and he intends to fix it, because it is a place he holds sacred. The Puritan settlers believed that the Americas were a sacred place, and that it was planned that they come. Some believed that this was a holy land that God intended to bring them to, as Jerusalem had once been for the Jews. Third, Nehemiah goes to the emperor, asking that he let him travel to Judah to rebuild the city wall. “[Nehemiah] asked [the emperor] to grant [him] the favor of giving [him] letters to the governors of West-of-Euphrates-Province… The emperor gave [him] all [he] asked for because god was with [him]. The emperor sent some army officers and a troop of cavalry with [Nehemiah], and [he] made the journey to West –of–Euphrates.” Bradford made connections between this and his experiences with the actual journey across the Atlantic. Both want to travel to their holy land, and both travel west across bodies of water in order to get there. This may not be an important fact in the formation of either story, but it is a link that makes the similarity between the two stories more prevalent so that more people would see the closeness and believe in a prophecy of the voyage. Finally, Nehemiah gained the support of the other Jews by telling them, “See what trouble we are in because Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates are destroyed! Let’s rebuild the city walls and put an end to our disgrace.” Then Nehemiah tells them that God had been with him the whole time, to which they were excited to rebuild. William Bradford also claimed that God had been with him and the settlers throughout their trip. For example, the ship was in need of repair, and the people weren’t sure whether or not to continue (similarly, the Jews did not know whether or not to go through with rebuilding) Bradford told them that it was God’s will that they proceed (as did Nehemiah) and so the people continued. The Book of Nehemiah in the Bible and the writings of William Bradford share many similarities, none of which are coincidental. Bradford particularly extracted happenings from his trip to the Americas that best fit the plot of Nehemiah. He knew that this would give the settlers hope and more reason to continue on through hardships. He knew this would push himself and the settlers to follow through on the colonization of the New World. It worked.
William Bradford often included the Puritans in England in his speaking as when he said, “Taken and clapped up in prison” (William Bradford 1590-1657, pg. 23). They were held back from believing in their own religion therefore being persecuted for that reason back in England. The Puritans did go to Plymouth and throughout this journey there were hardships, but no matter what happened on the Mayflower, they overcame it. So this “Flee” of the Puritans to New England was a step that allowed them to improve their religion, and to be able to finally practice their beliefs freely. Their fleeing was all planned by God. It was His Providence. Bradford’s view on the Puritans starting a life in New England changed. The “Disappointment” of the “Promise that the land had falling short” (William Bradford 1590-1657, pg. 23) shows his change of view. Maybe that was too part of God’s Destiny. Was Bradford being completely truthful? This whole time the Puritans thought that the creation of New England was probably to some extent a message from God. The message may have been not at all that clear, but nevertheless that was one step, the creation of the New World. They should have kept belief and faith in that, because if God had not given a sign yet, that is what they as Puritans should do at all time. Have faith in the Lord. Just as in the book of Nehemiah, were Nehemiah heard the voice of god telling him to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. That not being his only reason but because of it also being the land of his ancestors, created by God. Many of his own people mocked him for his ideal, but he said to God “Don’t forget the evil they do, and don’t forget their sins, for they have insulted us who are building. “ (Nehemiah overcomes opposition to his work)(4:5). Nehemiah accomplished his goal of rebuilding the wall, all because he kept his faith and proved to god that he would do anything for the Lord.
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