Christianity

**Christianity** and the Bible are a prominent theme in *Dark*.

## Quotes from scripture

* Following the mysterious death of 33 sheep in 1986, farmer Hermann Albers quoted "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come," from The Gospel of Mark, 13:33. Though he was not a churchgoer, he said the parish had a new priest - a good man.
* In Ghosts (season 2 episode 3), Greta Doppler quotes the Letter to the Hebrew 4:13 when she says "Nothing is hidden in His sight." Later, Noah bids Helge to read a passage, and he reads from Psalm 119: "You are my hiding-place and my shield: I hope in Your word."

## Christian concepts

* ***The antichrist*** – Referenced several times. Jonas mentions to H.G. Tannhaus that the anti-christ begins his rule at the age of 33, and the scene cuts to Noah with ominous music.
* **33** – Jonas speaks to H.G. Tannhaus about the lunar-solar cycle, when the sun and moon align every 33 years. Tannhaus says there is more to the number 33, and they mention several occurrences of it in the bible; Jesus performed 33 miracles, there were 33 litanies of the angels, and Dante wrote 33 cantos in purgatory and 33 in paradise. Jonas adds that 33 is the age the anti-christ begins his rule. Jesus also lived to age 33, when he was crucified.

## Christian imagery

* **St. Christopher** - St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. Noah refers to his church as "St. Christopher's parish" (*St. Christophorus Gemeinde)*. Jonas is shown holding a St. Christopher medal at the beginning of season 2.
* ***The Fall of the Damned***, a painting by Peter Paul Rubens, or a copy thereof, is seen in Adam's study at the Sic Mundus lair. It depicts Michael the Archangel defeating the armies of Satan and casting of the fallen angels into the abyss.

## Biblical names

* Jonas (Jonah) - Jonah is a prophet who is called upon by God to warn the city of Nineveh of its destruction. Jonah tries to flee instead, and after his ship is caught in a mighty storm, he ends up being swallowed by a large fish. He repents, and after three days, he is vomited out, and proceeds to Nineveh. *Jonas* is the Greek variant of the name, *Jonah* is the Hebrew.
* Michael, Mikkel - The archangel Michael commands the armies of God against the armies of Satan in the Book of Revelation; he is a guardian against Satan and protector of the Church. In Catholic tradition, he is also the angel of death, visiting the departed to give them a final chance at redemption. *Mikkel* is a Scandinavian variant of *Michael*.
* Noah - in the Book of Genesis, God tells Noah that he intends to destroy all of humanity with a Great Flood, except for Noah's family, who survive on an ark he builds, as well as animals they bring with them.
* Adam - in the Book of Genesis, Adam is the first human to live on earth, with Eva. God forms him out of earth, but then curses him for disobedience, to toil the earth until he himself returns to earth. In Christian tradition, Adam's disobedience was the "original sin," which introduced death and tainted all of humanity, until humanity was redeemed by Christ.
* Eva - in the Book of Genesis, Eva is the first human to live on earth, with Adam. She's the one who gets Adam to eat the forbidden fruit which makes him lose his innocence. She's partly responsible for their banishment from the Eden's garden (the paradise).

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Dark* Season 1 Episode 8: "As You Sow, so You Shall Reap"
2. ↑ *Dark* Season 1 Episode 5: "Truths"