This fascinates me, Michael. And it raises a question about the translation of Matthew 19:24 that I don't recall you addressing in BE GOOD BANKERS. The Lord says, "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." I read somewhere that in both Hebrew and Aramaic the words for "camel" and "rope" are similar. If so, wouldn't it make sense that Jesus would have said to his Galilean listeners that it's "easier for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle . . ." The image of a fisherman trying to shove a nautical rope into a needle would, it seems to me, have been funnier and more immediate than the odd (albeit arresting) image of a camel squeezing through. (I understand there were entrance gates to some ancient cities called Needle's Eyes, guarded but left open at night for late entry, that all but necessitated a camel to stoop down to its knees, thus to slow the entry for security purposes.) I first read about this in an interview Anthony Burgess gave about his contribution to the teleplay for Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth." -Brad
Brad, you are right that I did not address it. I had some thoughts, but one has to make the word limit.
I wasn’t persuaded by alternative interpretations. My view is that the image of a camel passing through the eye of a needle has proved its brilliance over time. Everyone remembers it. So, I think that’s what he said.
But also, he apparently liked to use camels to stand for very large, uncooperative beings to hand. “You strain at a gnat but swallow a camel.”
This fascinates me, Michael. And it raises a question about the translation of Matthew 19:24 that I don't recall you addressing in BE GOOD BANKERS. The Lord says, "Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." I read somewhere that in both Hebrew and Aramaic the words for "camel" and "rope" are similar. If so, wouldn't it make sense that Jesus would have said to his Galilean listeners that it's "easier for a rope to pass through the eye of a needle . . ." The image of a fisherman trying to shove a nautical rope into a needle would, it seems to me, have been funnier and more immediate than the odd (albeit arresting) image of a camel squeezing through. (I understand there were entrance gates to some ancient cities called Needle's Eyes, guarded but left open at night for late entry, that all but necessitated a camel to stoop down to its knees, thus to slow the entry for security purposes.) I first read about this in an interview Anthony Burgess gave about his contribution to the teleplay for Zeffirelli's "Jesus of Nazareth." -Brad
Brad, you are right that I did not address it. I had some thoughts, but one has to make the word limit.
I wasn’t persuaded by alternative interpretations. My view is that the image of a camel passing through the eye of a needle has proved its brilliance over time. Everyone remembers it. So, I think that’s what he said.
But also, he apparently liked to use camels to stand for very large, uncooperative beings to hand. “You strain at a gnat but swallow a camel.”