Bible fun part 2: fun with feet (using the NIV for simplicity)

[lord_atticus]

Exodus 4:24-26

One of my favorite stories from Bible school is the one where YHWH sneaks and tries to kill Moses for having a foreskin (or for his son's having a foreskin; it's unclear in the original text).

24 At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met {Moses} and was about to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's

Comments

[allforleyna]

We discussed that quote from Exodus in my Bible class--some scholars think that the "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me" quote is a remnant of an older circumcision ritual that took place at marriage, as a rite of passage. It's actually fun to look at some of the explanations for Israelite rituals given in the Bible (i.e. why don't we eat meat from the hip-socket? because Jacob wrestled with God and God wrenched his hip [Gen 32:32]) and speculate about the real reasons.

[lord_atticus]

I find it fascinatingly absurd to explore the origins of the origins of contemporary Western life. So much is based on the Bible, and the Bible is based on pre-Christian and even Pre-Jewish cultures. The real reasons are often as ridiculous as the fictional reasons. Also, humans are both stupid and disgusting. "Bridegroom of Blood" sounds like a gory B vampire movie, yet somewhere along the way, it somehow occurred to us that it was a good idea, even a holy action, for men to cut parts of their penises off. Yeah, that'll make for a great honeymoon.