• feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    A rope through the eye of a needle, I think they realised it was a mistranslation.

    Edit: Biblical Greek “kámēlos” (camel) written in place of Biblical Greek “kámilos” (anchor rope/mooring cable). Neither are going to thread a needle, so I’m not sure what’s bothering everybody.

    • Gabu@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      It is an actual camel through the actual eye of a needle. The “rope” interpretation is a lie made in the past few hundred years to protect rich fucks.

      • feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        A thick rope does not fit through a needle any more than a camel. If I’d said it was a mistranslation of “silk thread” or something, you might have a point, but nobody is trying to defend the rich here.

      • TooManyFoods@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        No, the lie was that the eye of the needle was the name of a gate that was only a little squeeze for a camel. That was around a thousand years later too. The rope was because the Greek word for camel back then was closer to the word for rope, but due to the euphemism being used in other Jewish texts, we knew they ment camel. A big rope also doesn’t fit, but it’s thematic. A camel isn’t, but it’s ridiculous, and that’s the point. The rope isn’t really thought to be intentional, but if someone claims it’s a gate, it is, and I think we know the name of the italian merchant who made it up.

    • Fester@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      I think there was a common saying “it’d be easier for an elephant to pass through the eye of a needle” to describe something really difficult. Camel was substituted in regions where they had camels but not elephants. Jesus was memeing irl for his local audience.

    • Fedizen@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      did you not read the context? He said to enter heaven rich people must sell their riches. Its obvious he’s saying you can’t be rich and faithful.

      • melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Okay but what if I’m, like, really good at exploiting child prison labor?

        I can get to heaven then, right? Maybe if I have my child slave prisoners build me a big enough monument?

        • Spendrill@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Child prison labour? You mean you’re providing shelter for orphans and creating jobs for them too? You’re practically a saint according to supply-side Jesus.

    • chuckleslord@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I mean, in the context of the passage it’s pretty fucking clear that it isn’t an easy thing to do. It doesn’t matter if the saying was slightly off, the message is “give away all your possessions in order to follow Christ”.

      • bitwaba@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        No, it’s right there in the text. “Sell”, not “give”. You can be rich, you just can’t have stuff.

        Checkmate camels