Manhunter analysis - part 77: Dollarhyde represents the biblical giant, Nimrod

CATEGORY: MOVIES

Nimrod is a Mesopotamian monarch mentioned in the biblical book of Genesis, who also figures in many legends and folktales. He is depicted in the bible as a mighty ruler and nation builder who founded many cities, including the great Babel or Babylon.

Mention of Nimrod in the bible is rather limited. He is described as the son of Cush, grandson of Ham, great-grandson of Noah; and as "a mighty one on the earth" and "a mighty hunter before the Lord." He also appears in the first book of Chronicles and in the book of Micah. In City of God Book 16, chapter 3, St. Augustine describes Nimrod as "a giant hunter against the Lord God"; Dollarhyde's tallness and strength are suggestive of the characteristics of a giant, and thus, he represents Nimrod.

Though not clearly stated in the bible, Nimrod has since ancient times traditionally been considered the creator of the Tower of Babel.

One tradition says that Shem killed Nimrod because he had led the people into the worship of Baal.

The evil Nimrod vs. the righteous Abraham
The bible does not mention any meeting between Nimrod and Abraham. In fact, there is a gap of seven generations between them, Nimrod being Noah's great grandson while Abraham was ten generations removed from Noah. Nevertheless, later Jewish tradition brings the two of them together in a cataclysmic collision, a potent symbol of the cosmic confrontation between Good and Evil, and specifically of monotheism against paganism and idolatry.

This tradition is first attested in the writings of Pseudo-Philo, continues in the Talmud, and goes through later rabbinical writings in the Middle Ages. In some versions (as in Josephus), Nimrod is a man who sets his will against that of God. In others, he proclaims himself a god and is worshiped as such by his subjects, sometimes with his consort Semiramis worshiped as a goddess at his side. (See also Ninus).

A portent in the stars tells Nimrod and his astrologers of the impending birth of Abraham, who would put an end to idolatry. Nimrod therefore orders the killing of all newborn babies. However, Abraham's mother escapes into the fields and gives birth secretly (in some accounts, the baby Abraham is placed in a manger). At a young age Abraham recognizes God and starts worshiping Him. He confronts Nimrod and tells him face-to-face to cease his idolatry.[a]

We see that the confrontation between Graham and Dollarhyde represents the confrontation between monotheism and paganism; for recall that Graham represents Abraham, due to the final 'raham' in their names.

In part 63 of the analysis, we observed that on the night Dollarhyde had Reba in his house, there was a harvest moon, and that the harvest moon is often mistaken for the hunter's moon, which occurs one month later. As indicated above, Nimrod was described as a mighty hunter before the Lord. The indication is that Dollarhyde 'mistook' the harvest moon for the hunter's moon, and thus, on the night he confronted Graham, he imagined that he was, in fact, a personification of Nimrod.


a. Wikipedia, 'Nimrod'. Web, n.d. URL = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod.