by Joe Murray

Created on: January 09, 2009

In the aftermath of last month's Mumbai hotel rampage and the current slaughter in Hamas' outmatched Gaza, the Israeli and Palestinian must regard their desperate struggle with a greater sense of imperative. But they won't.

True. The causes of terrorism weary explanation. One wishes the Middle East could be any other way. But it would be perhaps more instructive (if not more comforting) to realize the place has not BEEN any other way. Think Midwest rainfall/SoCal climate, and you'll kinda get the picture.

So for those who haven't read the Holy Book in a long time, here is another "Bible" bedtime story:

After the death of Moses, the Lord appeared to Joshua and told him to go over Jordan. For there, every place Joshua set his feet was given him by the Lord.

So Joshua sent two spies into Jordan to see what was good. He told his spies to especially check out Jericho, Jordan's greatest city, to see what was there.

The spies went there and stayed with a harlot named Rahab for a couple of days. Each night she let a scarlet cord out her window so the spies could climb the wall into their rooms. In payment for her discretion, they told her how to escape the catastrophe that was about to befall her city. "Tie the scarlet cord in your window," they said, "and the people of your house will be spared." This she did.

Meanwhile, Joshua prepared his people for the expedition. About 20,000 people. At that time, the Lord said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the people of Israel again a second time." This he did, but had a hard time explaining why.

When the circumcising of all the nation was done, they remained in their places in their camp till they were healed. Then Joshua went to Jericho.

On the road there Joshua met an otherworldly being, a Darth Vader type with a drawn sword in His hand. He must have been formidable looking indeed for even mighty Joshua could only ask, "Are You for us, or against us?" And the Apparition said,

"No. But as Commander of the Army of the Lord, I have now come." And He told Joshua how, by passing the Ark of the Covenant around the city once a day each day for seven days and seven times on the seventh day, when seven priests blow on seven rams horns, one of Jericho's walls would fall over, so that Joshua's people might take the hint and do the rest.

Joshua followed the Lord's instructions to the letter and utterly destroyed the city and all of the things devoted to the Lord for destruction. They smote every one - every man and woman, young

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