In one of the more striking passages in the Old Testament we are told that David bought his wife with a dowry of 200 Philistine foreskins. His prospective father-in-law Saul gave him the challenge, fully expecting David would be killed by the owners of the said foreskins.I don't believe that passage was ever cited as the Lesson for the day in our Lutheran church.
The King James version of the story says: “And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.”
David and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines. He presented their foreskins to the king, who duly gave him his daughter Michal in marriage (1 Samuel 18:26).
Found in the QI blog at the Telegraph.
Have you seen the 'Brick testament' rendition of this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bricktestament.com/david_vs_saul/david_mutilates_200_gets_married/1s18_27a.html
http://www.bricktestament.com/david_vs_saul/david_mutilates_200_gets_married/1s18_27b.html
I've read about this in Leo Taxil's "The Amusing Bible" as a child. It's funny, easy-reading and full of such kind of "historical facts" from Bible.
ReplyDeleteBTW, hope you liked Silverberg's story ;).
Yes, thank you. I was reading some of the other stories in the compilation last night.
ReplyDeleteNo one ever said that being a mohel was easy work, but at least you get to keep the tips.
ReplyDeletedont be gay but murder 200 people through vengeance and hack away at their penises so that I might have a foreskin necklace!
ReplyDeleteEpiscopalians don't hear that story in church either. However, last Sunday we read about Laban giving his older daughter to Jacob in exchange for seven years labor, but Jacob wanted the younger daughter, so he worked seven more years and got both of them.
ReplyDeleteCharles Wells
No hand that even TOUCHED 200 foreskins, much less cut them off would be touching the hand of MY daughter!!!
ReplyDelete