People hear various theories all of the time. Told by a "local tour guide", or whomever.
Here's a page about someone trying to track that one down, or at least the similar gate camel eye needle story:
https://classictheology.org/2021/10/12/through-the-eye-of-an-actual-needle-the-fake-gate-theory/
Meanwhile, there are different Talmudic references, with their specific words and meanings. I check them out. Even the standard explanation that the [letter] kuf is Aramaic for an eye *of a needle* is suspect. Not that the word doesn't mean an eye/hole, but if the intrinsic meaning of קוֹפָא involved a needle specifically, why the added descriptive "of a needle" -- דְמַחְטָא:
וְלָא פִּילָא דְּעָיֵיל בְּקוֹפָא דְמַחְטָא
"nor an elephant [going through] the eye of a needle"
https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.55b.20?lang=bi
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Here's another reference, from Mivchar Hapeninim:
ואמר אין נקב המחט צר לשני אוהבים. ואין רוחב העולם די לשני שונאים:
281. He used to say, The space of a needle's eye [נקב המחט] suffices for two friends, whilst the universe itself can scarcely contain two enemies.
https://www.sefaria.org/Mivchar_HaPeninim.25.4?lang=bi
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נֶֽקֶב m.n. hole, perforation
https://www.sefaria.org/Klein_Dictionary%2C_%D7%A0%D6%B6%D6%BD%D7%A7%D6%B6%D7%91.1?lang=bi
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לִנְקוֹב
Verb to stipulate, to quote (price); to puncture, to pierce:
https://www.pealim.com/dict/1250-linkov/
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Again with The Point of the needle piercing a hole. Plenty of room, or not, depending on the personal space requirements.
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holepunch -- מנקב, same root:
https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%A7%D7%91
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The hole for the thread or the hole made by the sharp point at the other end...
There's an interesting heads or tails analog in the Cygnus constellation. The swan's tail (Deneb = "tail") is at the top which is also the head of the Northern Cross asterism within.
It was shaped similar to the eye of a needle and would easily let a human pass through but a camel could not.
It didn’t have to be opened or closed all the time. The protection was in it’s design.
Join the Navi See the World:
In Navy (and broader military) context, "make a hole" is a command or phrase used to tell a group of people to get out of the way to allow someone or something to pass. It's a way of creating space for a priority movement or task. (AI summary)
Contextually it's a simple meaning as well, because the eyehole for the thread is a fixed size in the needle's construction, whereas the hole made by the needle suits the analogy of a hole that opens wider, if only. Even the descriptive phrasing for "קוֹפָא" indicates that the "kuf" word has a *wider* meaning than taught and assumed. Paradoxically though, it's all one in the end.
The thought process then sparked the connection right back to a camel:
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My children, open for Me one [tiny] opening of repentance like the tip of the needle [makes], and I will open for you [huge] openings that wagons and carriages enter through it.
As in,
The camel's nose is a metaphor for a situation where the permitting of a small, seemingly innocuous act will open the door for larger, clearly undesirable actions.
>>>
There are a number of other metaphors and expressions which refer to small changes leading to chains of events with undesirable or unexpected consequences, differing in nuances.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel's_nose
And then the analogy in the NT is not such a mystery after all. A man can't imagine something that he can't even envision as possible in the first place. Good thing Jacob's son Joseph didn't have that problem, but until everyone caught up with his dreams, good riddance. History repeats with history's visionaries.
You'd think people would learn to pay attention to detail finally.
Yeah, it's a passage from the NT, which in some circles is enemy territory, but it is what it is..
This wealthy man was materially rich but curiosity and ingenuity poor. No vision beyond his limited conclusion-jumping assumptions. Perhaps he never had to think for himself for a second because he could just pay somebody to do that for him.
The disciples weren't much better in the comprehension department, but the difference is that they were open to learning something that they had not previously considered. Like say, an "eye" as the opening made *by* a needle, because those "eye" words have meanings that were lost or ignored in their translation and teachings.. (eyeronically, all as one "eye").
The gap under a tent may be just enough to... stick a nose through, but then sure enough, the entire camel manages to get inside. Who doesn't know that since ancient times, but if the focus is directed toward the fixed eye in the needle, then nobody moves forward.
🤔
Matthew 19
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, *he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions*.
23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, *Who then can be saved*?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
(The Spirit of Elohim back in Genesis 1:2 got an idea. 💡)
larger, clearly undesirable actions
Repentance for starters, because if people got ideas and started making a few simple independent observations in search of correct answers, there go the Establishments.
You ever notice how the Establishment status quos defend themselves with a wall of consensus? They act like anyone outside their respective systems is "obviously" up to no good -- flakey and stupid at best, but dangerously lawless if they manage to get a... foot in the door.
Of course, the reality on the ground is that drones following orders find ways to make excuses for why they can't solve a problem. Not in the union contract, nobody around with the authority to make a command decision, and so forth.
The other reality on the ground is that Can-DO man is minded to assess a situation, then roll up his sleeves to get a job done right. Then he can move on to something else. It's not complicated.
No wonder he's hated by the Can't-DO People and denigrated for having a problem with authority and discipline -- he has much higher standards for how he conducts his business, and for what/who qualifies as legitimate authority.
Malingering is a vice:
To feign illness, injury, or incapacitation in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.
(For example, the "hopeless sinner" learned paralysis schtick is going to come back to poke people in the eye.)
Hope I didn't miss skewering any sacred cows. 😉
Physicists Develop Novel Quantum Theory of Gravity
Obey gravity -- It's the Law.