Names from the Bible: Jeremiah

Jeremiah:(6th century BC) in the Jewish and Christian religions, a Hebrew prophet who said that Jerusalem would be defeated and that God would become angry with the Jews and would punish them. The Book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament of the Bible contains its prophecies.
A pessimistic person who always says that bad things are going to happen is sometimes called a Jeremiah.

Phrases from the Bible: Kill the Fatted Calf

A calf is the young of the domestic cow or other bovine animal. The phrase kill the fatted calf means to to prepare an elaborate banquet (in someone's honour) or prepare for a joyful occasion or a warm welcome.
When Bill comes home from his trip to Korea we're going to kill the fatted calf.

This expression alludes to the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), whose father welcomed him by serving the choicest calf after his return.
Here is the text in the Gospel According to Luke:
There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate." So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. "Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound." The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!" "My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." (Luke 15:11-32)

Phrases from the Bible: Road to Damascus

Saint Paul (?3AD-?68AD) was a Christian apostle (= someone chosen by Jesus to teach and spread the Christian religion) whose original name was Saul of Tarsus. As a young man, he refused to accept Christian beliefs and treated Christians very cruelly. He was sent to Damascus to punish the Christians who lived there, but on his way there a very bright light suddenly appeared and he heard Jesus ask "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?". He then became a Christian, changed his name to Paul, and spent the rest of of his life teaching people about Jesus. He wrote many of the epistles in the New Testament of the Bible.
From this Biblical story comes the phrase "the road to Damascus" which refers to an experience that completely changes the way that you think about something.

Colours in the Bible: Joseph's Coat

The biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colours, described in the Old Testament, illustrates how destructive jealousy and envy can be.
Jacob had a large family with many children. His favourite son was Joseph. Jacob made Joseph a special coat of many colours which was very beautiful. His brothers were very jealous.
Joseph’s brothers hated him. They knew that he was their father’s favourite son. One day when they were all working in the fields some of the brothers made a plot to kill Joseph, who was then 17 years old. Reuben did not want him killed. He said to throw him into a well instead.
Some traders came past. The brothers stopped the traders and sold Joseph to them. They took him away and the brothers did not know what became of him.
The brothers killed a goat and drenched Joseph’s beautiful coat in the blood. They took it back home to Jacob. Jacob thought that his favourite son had been killed by a wild animal.
Joseph was sold as a slave. He worked hard at all times and became well known. Soon the Pharaoh got to hear about his work. The Pharaoh sent for Joseph to work for him. He worked hard for the Pharaoh. Eventually he was put in charge of all of the food stores. There was a time of famine when everyone had to go to Joseph to get food. Joseph’s brothers went to him to get some food, they were starving.
Joseph gave them food, in fact he invited them to live with him. He told the brothers that it was God who had planned for him to be in Egypt looking after the food so that they would not starve.

* The story in popular culture

The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat popularized the story and the "coat of many colours". In 1971, Dolly Parton referred to the story in the song Coat of Many Colours.