New Atlantis

Held up as a utopia, Bensalem exists to offer implicit and explicit rebukes to contemporary Europe, in areas related to the spiritual, the social, and the scientific. This is seen early in the text when officials repeat the mantra “twice paid!” (6) in response to the Europeans’ efforts to reward them for their help. While bribery may be customary for European delegates merely engaging in official duties, the Bensalemite delegates firmly reject this practice. When Joabin describes the island’s customs surrounding chastity and modesty, he does so to draw a stark distinction between the chaste Bensalemites and the lustful Europeans. Moreover, the island’s political structure, which suggests a power-sharing dynamic between the church, the state, and academia, serves as a model for how Bacon would like to see European societies structured.

Finally, the word “Bensalem” recalls the holy city of Jerusalem, with the prefix “ben” meaning “son.” This suggests that Bensalem is a successor to Jerusalem and therefore the new seat of the kingdom of heaven on Earth.

The earliest Christian symbol shown in New Atlantis are the cherubim found on a scroll given to the narrator. In the Bible, cherubim are agents of God assigned to various earthly and unearthly tasks, including guarding the entrance to the Garden of Eden.