Post by Malcolm on Jul 17, 2013 16:55:20 GMT -5
It really is amazing how a simple folklore was so often enlarged upon by Scribes into a complicated story. According to Ahmed Osman Jewish traditions say that Joseph's brothers fearing the evil eye, entered the city at ten different gates.
In the Koran we find:
"And he said, 'O my sons! enter not by one gate, but enter by several gates;"
So Joseph is telling his brother to enter by different gates. How on earth would that avert the evil eye?...Unless there was more to the gates than openings in the City Walls. There again what city would have had 10 gates or more in ancient times?
There was only one, that which today is known as Karnak at Luxor.
We then find that some Jewish writings have turned what was a simple suggestion by Joseph into a very complex story. The following is taken from Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg - www.hope-of-israel.org/josepheg.htm:
Joseph: "If it be true that ye came hither to buy corn, why is it that each one of you entered the city by a separate gate?"
The brethren: "We are ALL the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and he bade us not enter a city together by the same gate, that we attract not the attention of the people of the place."
Unconsciously they had spoken as seers, for the word ALL included Joseph as one of their number.
One version has it that by entering by different gates they would be seen as spies.
Waset, the Greek Thebes of Egypt and modern Luxor/Karnak was famed for its many gates. They were not openings in the City wall.
They were ceremonial Pylon Gates through which religious processions took place - no doubt to ward off any evil.
The picture will give you a very good idea of how King David's City really looked. However it is only a small section, about one third, of the whole that lies in ruins today.
In the Koran we find:
"And he said, 'O my sons! enter not by one gate, but enter by several gates;"
So Joseph is telling his brother to enter by different gates. How on earth would that avert the evil eye?...Unless there was more to the gates than openings in the City Walls. There again what city would have had 10 gates or more in ancient times?
There was only one, that which today is known as Karnak at Luxor.
We then find that some Jewish writings have turned what was a simple suggestion by Joseph into a very complex story. The following is taken from Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg - www.hope-of-israel.org/josepheg.htm:
Joseph: "If it be true that ye came hither to buy corn, why is it that each one of you entered the city by a separate gate?"
The brethren: "We are ALL the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and he bade us not enter a city together by the same gate, that we attract not the attention of the people of the place."
Unconsciously they had spoken as seers, for the word ALL included Joseph as one of their number.
One version has it that by entering by different gates they would be seen as spies.
Waset, the Greek Thebes of Egypt and modern Luxor/Karnak was famed for its many gates. They were not openings in the City wall.
They were ceremonial Pylon Gates through which religious processions took place - no doubt to ward off any evil.
The picture will give you a very good idea of how King David's City really looked. However it is only a small section, about one third, of the whole that lies in ruins today.
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