Nintendao Posted December 6, 2023 When Abraham's grandson Jacob is employed by the shepherd Laban, he is allowed to take and keep for his own family any sheep that have dark or spotted wool. So he invents a peculiar way of getting more and better sheep, described in chapter 30 of Genesis. Quote 37 Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. 38 Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated. 39 And when they mated in front of the white-streaked branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob separated those lambs from Laban’s flock. And at mating time he turned the flock to face Laban’s animals that were streaked or black. This is how he built his own flock instead of increasing Laban’s. 41 Whenever the stronger females were ready to mate, Jacob would place the peeled branches in the watering troughs in front of them. Then they would mate in front of the branches. 42 But he didn’t do this with the weaker ones, so the weaker lambs belonged to Laban, and the stronger ones were Jacob’s. The placement of striped sticks appears to be a rudimentary form of one of the uses of fu talismans, where strips of paper with specific inscriptions are placed in strategic locations to cause luck or other desired result. Another popular example, the Urim and Thummim, though mentioned several times, are not explicitly described, but understood to be a system of yes/no divination, similar to jiaobei. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sanity Check Posted December 6, 2023 The white streaks may have been a type of mold, fungus or mushroom. Decomposing wood is broken down primarily by white mold. (At least that is what I've seen in youtube videos of gardeners digging up buried tree branches 2 years after burying them in raised beds.) Maybe there is a type of mold that triggers pigmentation genes in animals. There is legendary plant life like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium that was said to have been lost in ancient times. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Posted December 7, 2023 Elisha and the oil... vessels... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nintendao Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/6/2023 at 6:01 PM, Nintendao said: placement of striped sticks appears to be a rudimentary form of one of the uses of fu talismans On 12/6/2023 at 6:01 PM, Nintendao said: Urim and Thummim ... similar to jiaobei 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nintendao Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/6/2023 at 6:59 PM, Sanity Check said: The white streaks may have been a type of mold, fungus or mushroom.. That's pretty cool. I did run into some botanical interpretations for the story, but none taking into account the power of mycelium. That reminds me of the manna loaves that Moses ate while wandering the desert, that are often thought to have actually been some kind of mushroom. Small, white, round things, in the dew around the camp (Exodus 16:14). Maybe they had some moldy canvas tents that were harboring spores. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nintendao Posted December 8, 2023 On 12/6/2023 at 7:54 PM, Daniel said: Elisha and the oil... vessels... Hey i'm just playing with sticks and stones here! didn't expect a fully miraculous materialization. Your use of the word vessels there though.. really got me to thinking about it on a few other levels. If not the qi filling the eight extraordinary vessels in the greater orbit, or even the prized exudate of jade liquid, the tears of a widow could sometimes be even more precious. Now not trying to interpret a precise meaning of such a scripture, as Spirit continues to reveal in different ways to different people at different times, the oil seemed most analogous to the de (as in daodejing) whos translation as simply virtue, hides what sages come to know as an almost tangible substance of its own, that is multiplied and shared amongst the hearts of the humble. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nungali Posted December 8, 2023 Anyone into 'crystal magic' ? Just wear this over your breast . Make sure all the wires are connected right to the harness and the metal on the robe hem 'earths' the current . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priestly_breastplate I suppose my favourite magic in OT is where they admit that the Egyptians could do magic . Early 'Jewish' ritual , regalia, temple 'accoutrements' , etc could not have been an adaptation of the similar stuff in Egypt .... could it ? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubis_Shrine The 'Ark' had 'angels' on it whose wings met at the middle . Tutankhamun's canopic shrine . Pharaoh's 'rod' ; Aaron's rod ( and we all know what 'magic' a nice bunch of flowers can invoke ) 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Posted December 9, 2023 (edited) On 12/7/2023 at 5:38 PM, Nintendao said: Here is a detailed description of the Urim v'Thummim. All the priestly garments are required. In some cases "consulting" the urim v'thummim resulted in a sort of prophecy where the priest spoke in the name of "The Lord". In other cases, the letters inscribed on it produced the answer. The commentators agree that there is, in addition to the priestly garments, a parchment with the divine name written on it tucked behind the breast plate. https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.73a.16?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en Edited December 9, 2023 by Daniel 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
