Theos-Talk Archives (May 1997 Message tl00099)

In message <199705111129.2541100@microfone.net>, Jim Meier
<jmeier@microfone.net> writes
>The version I was taught: the "Eye of the Needle" was a colloquial
>expression, referring to the short archway door in the outer wall of the
>Temple.  The purpose of such a short entryway is that it forced every man to
>stoop over, or bow, before entering the holy place as a reminder of the
>proper place of man before his God.  According to this version, it would
>have been *just possible* for a camel to enter through that arch, but it
>would have been on its knees.
>
>So the point of the parable becomes, it IS possible for a rich man to join
>the brethren of the Kingdom of God, but the process isn't an easy one and it
>likely doesn't happen very often.    :)

This is the usual explanation offered, though I have been told that no
evidence of the alleged archway has ever been found, and that it is even
likely from archaeological research that its existence is impossible.
For the record, the [incorrect] translation occurs in the Greek, which
has the Greek word for camel.  The *Peshitta* Aramaic text is older, and
the probability is that a Greek scribe translating from an Aramaic
version has made the mistake that could just as easily be made by an
English-speaking translator.  This is slightly obscure and scholarly
stuff, but if you or anyone on the list is interested, I will post some
more info.

Alan
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