The Godfather seems straight out of the Bible, only it wasn't

The Godfather and the Bible

The 1972 blockbuster film The Godfather was based on Mario Puzo's book of the same name. Recently, while watching, I was reading I Kings 1 in the Bible and noted several similarities. Puzo said he wrote the book because he needed money to care for his family.

He emphasized that his inspiration came from his own life and denied using scripture references. Online, the similarities have been noted for years, In The Godfather, Don Vito Corleone chose his third and youngest son, Michael, to take over his mob business after his firstborn Sonny, was murdered.

Fredo, the second son, was angry that he was overlooked. He later set up a situation where Michael could have died when his home was shot at. Later, Michael had his older brother assassinated.

In the Bible, David's firstborn, Amnon, was murdered by his second son, Absalom, who was later killed in battle. Historians say the third-born son, Chileab, may have died young because he is only mentioned as being the son of Abigail. There is nothing in scripture about his being an adult.

Solomon and Michael Corleone

Adonijah, the fourth son, attempted to take over the kingdom while his father was still alive, even though he knew the king had promised that his younger brother Solomon would rule his throne. Like Michael Corleone, Solomon had his older brother executed.

While some consider the actions in The Godfather to be graphic and brutal, they mirror what has happened down through history when kingdoms and siblings are involved.

King David and Don Vito Corleone were both men of war and violence, and their sons initially did not want to be a part of their kingdoms. During David's final years, he and Solomon eliminated traitors the same way Vito stratagized with Michael Corleone.

After his father's death, Michael settled his father's accounts by murdering the heads of the five families who had come against the Corleones and killed Sonny. He solidified his position and earned respect as the new Don.

An offer not to be refused

Don Vito and Michael often used the phrase that they would make someone an offer they could not refuse. When Adonijah asked Bathsheba to speak to the King on his behalf, he said something similar.

He asked Solomon's mother to speak to his sibling on his behalf. Adonijah wanted Solomon to allow him to have their father's Concubine, Abishag. This was the young woman who slept in the bed with David to keep him warm but they did not have sexual relations.

By asking for his father's concubine, Adonijah was again trying to assert himself as the rightful ruler. The King James Bible says he told Bathsheba not to deny him. The New International Version says Bathsheba said the following to Solomon.

“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”

The Corleones made offers to others, and Adonijah and Bathsheba asked not to be refused. Although the circumstances are different, the irony of the wording is not lost on those who saw the movie and or read the book.

Nothing new under the sun

Both Vito Corleone and King David went against the tradition of the oldest son ruling their empires. Each bestowed a blessing on a younger son and made certain that everyone was aware of their choice. Each man gave final instructions to their successor before they died.

Michael and Solomon made names for themselves and became wealthy, powerful men. Of course, there were some vast differences between the men. Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines, while Michael had only two wives at separate times.

David admonished Solomon to trust in the God of their fathers. While Michael was becoming godfather to his sister's child, he renounced Satan and said he believed in the Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Ghost. Solomon's foreign wives led him to idol worship, while Michael was having men murdered at the time he took his oath.

Although Mario Puzo denied using the Bible as an inspiration, the parallels with The Godfather cannot be denied. Perhaps this can be summed up by what Solomon said. There is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9). All of these similarities can be chalked up to cycles of history repeating.