In old times. Or at the "vav" page I linked. ;)
location: Bethlehem ("house of bread")
to gather bit by bit, either literally or figuratively. You might glean leftover grain from a recently harvested field or glean information about new vocabulary words by hearing them used in context.
When you glean information, you sort through ideas and take what you need. Seeing a word in context lets you glean information about how it's used, for example. If you want to find treasures at a thrift shop, youll have to glean the good stuff out of the piles of junk. To glean a field means to walk along and see whats left on the ground. It takes patience to glean.
And even to glean from the NT:
Matthew 15
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Bethlehem is famous for its star. So is this verse, which is in the context of Balak King of Moab's hiring of Bilaam to curse Israel:
Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Same "corners" word here:
Leviticus 19:9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field*, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
*The phrase "country of Moab" occurs 9x in 8 verses in the KJV. In every case, the word country is the same as the word "field".
Here is the verse where it occurs twice:
Ruth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
I reason that sincere, whole-hearted people would not want to live in a place where "cutting corners" was the national ethos, but Y is the "country" of Moab actually the "field" of Moab? The Messiah descends from Ruth who is from the field of Moab, and
I just figure that a little country charm goes a long long way:
Add in Aaron's rod that budded, and
Best to keep an eye out for a place like that, because not only is bread the staff (scepter) of life,
"The story of Ruth and its theme of loving kindness and connecting events and people will provide that direction."
Say, here's more "random": The 2448 mile-long Mother Road (Route Ben David) runs across the contiguous states aka the "Lower 48", and a star is a kokav [כוכב], which = 48.
Historic. Iconic. Who *isn't* familiar with the 66 shield?
"Ish Vavim", now that's not a name that's out there but if the shoe fits...
Okay ya gotta laugh (nervously, if nothing else), because Red was the man who knew how to get things. When he described Andy's escape, he remarked,
"I mean seriously, how often do you really look at a man's shoes?"
That book (movie) was by Stephen King, so Maine is a big inspiration for his settings. Shawshank prison was inspired by the old prison in Thomas-town. Since then it was torn down after a new facility was built a few miles away.
But there's a remaining business at the location of the old prison, where items made by the prisoners are still sold:
Maine State Prison Showroom
358 Main St, Thomaston, ME 04861
Oh and look, right across the street a new bakery is opening in May: Laurel's Dolce Vita at 350. That cannoli sure is calling!