Following up on an earlier post, there is a theme in Jewish history, in which a Jew makes a prediction of great things ahead for a given person. Joseph did this from a prison cell for a Pharaoh, and it was not the last time it happened in history.
We tend to think of Joseph as a hero, but not according to the Bible. Joseph is the only one of his siblings that is not a patriarch of Israel. And excellent review of Genesis is The Beginning of Wisdom, by Leon Katz. This Joseph acculturated as a Egyptian, and bad things happened. Christians should let a Jew take them through the Bible, at least once.
Aesop followed Joseph in telling a good story and moving on up. Aesop was a consultant to kings around 600 BC, and some Jews will claim that Aesop is Greek for Joseph. A dead giveaway of his heritage is one story clearly attributed to him, The Frogs That Asked For a King, is a replay of 1 Samuel 8, a story unique to Judaism but not to humanity.
We do know that Joseph was amazed by his Son, and we can imagine at some point he said to Jesus, "Kiddo, I bet you'd be a great king..."
Another Joseph is Josephus, a Jewish commander who went over the Romans and predicted the Roman general Vespasian would become Emperor. Good call. Although Jerusalem was levelled, Josephus lived happily ever after, as a Roman.
There must be some stories out of Islam along these lines, but I have not heard.
In the early 1700s Joseph Oppenheimer predicted Karl Alexander would make Duke of Stuttgart, essentially a king, which he did, and Joseph rose to the top with him. He too went native, but he lost his life for his deeds. His story is gripping, and various movies and books have been made of him.
Benjamin d'Israeli is famous for having predicted Parnell would become Prime Minister, with d'Israeli along for the ride, but the young Parnell went down in scandal, and d'Israeli had converted to Christianity, so I guess that doesn't count.
When Nixon slinked off to New York to become just a lawyer after getting trounced in an election for governor of California in 1962, young lawyer Leonard Garment (finally, a Lenny!) listened to the sad Nixon tell his tale and bluntly told Nixon "you'll be president." Garment was the only person who thought so. When Nixon became president, Garment was everywhere that mattered.
Did you notice to whom it is addressed, how they addressed me? Sheeesh! (No, Siddons is Welsh.) In any event I have never heard of 2012 Magazine and have no idea how I and 99 others would lead it.
I am not bitter.
But more seriously, there is a fellow named Bill Kristol who hitched his cart to Dan Quayle, which should tell you all you need to know. But as Pat Buchanan tells it, this fellow is crowing over the NeoCon's program of beating congresspeople into submission. Two problems... elected officials are a notoriously venal and stupid group of people. When you abuse them, they become very bitter. And stupid people can really be cruel when they get the chance for some payback.
The NeoCons strongest genuine support in USA comes from hard-right Christians who expressly hope and pray for the deaths of 2/3rds of the Jews, immediately, in our lifetimes. These people expect to be rewarded for their support.
If you do not really have power, you are just a front for people wielding it, it can be very dangerous to get close to power and make enemies of stupid people, to provoke them. That is a constant theme in all of the stories above.
The orthodox Jews and Christians have the right idea... steer clear of public life. Both the Bible and history warn us. We have no business there.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
We tend to think of Joseph as a hero, but not according to the Bible. Joseph is the only one of his siblings that is not a patriarch of Israel. And excellent review of Genesis is The Beginning of Wisdom, by Leon Katz. This Joseph acculturated as a Egyptian, and bad things happened. Christians should let a Jew take them through the Bible, at least once.
Aesop followed Joseph in telling a good story and moving on up. Aesop was a consultant to kings around 600 BC, and some Jews will claim that Aesop is Greek for Joseph. A dead giveaway of his heritage is one story clearly attributed to him, The Frogs That Asked For a King, is a replay of 1 Samuel 8, a story unique to Judaism but not to humanity.
We do know that Joseph was amazed by his Son, and we can imagine at some point he said to Jesus, "Kiddo, I bet you'd be a great king..."
Another Joseph is Josephus, a Jewish commander who went over the Romans and predicted the Roman general Vespasian would become Emperor. Good call. Although Jerusalem was levelled, Josephus lived happily ever after, as a Roman.
There must be some stories out of Islam along these lines, but I have not heard.
In the early 1700s Joseph Oppenheimer predicted Karl Alexander would make Duke of Stuttgart, essentially a king, which he did, and Joseph rose to the top with him. He too went native, but he lost his life for his deeds. His story is gripping, and various movies and books have been made of him.
Benjamin d'Israeli is famous for having predicted Parnell would become Prime Minister, with d'Israeli along for the ride, but the young Parnell went down in scandal, and d'Israeli had converted to Christianity, so I guess that doesn't count.
When Nixon slinked off to New York to become just a lawyer after getting trounced in an election for governor of California in 1962, young lawyer Leonard Garment (finally, a Lenny!) listened to the sad Nixon tell his tale and bluntly told Nixon "you'll be president." Garment was the only person who thought so. When Nixon became president, Garment was everywhere that mattered.
David Geffen has the most awesome rolodex known to man and has backed just about every major music talent since the 1960s, from Cher to Kurt Cobain, and became a billionaire in the process. He told an astonished young Obama that he would be president. And so he is.
Following up on my earlier post of blaming Jews for problems, we might see a way in which Jews gain influence. They simply follow St. Paul in saying nice things to people, to build them up. That kind of thing may pay off, but it is not evil. Now as far as I recall, no Jew ever told me I'd become president, or anything for that matter... the closest anyone has ever come to that came in an email I received...
Following up on my earlier post of blaming Jews for problems, we might see a way in which Jews gain influence. They simply follow St. Paul in saying nice things to people, to build them up. That kind of thing may pay off, but it is not evil. Now as far as I recall, no Jew ever told me I'd become president, or anything for that matter... the closest anyone has ever come to that came in an email I received...
Dear null,
You were recently selected as a candidate for publication in the prestigious Top 100 Leaders of 2012 Magazine. ...... it is a pleasure to welcome you and to share and celebrate your many personal, professional and academic achievements.
Respectfully,
Ashley Siddons
Executive Director
Respectfully,
Ashley Siddons
Executive Director
Did you notice to whom it is addressed, how they addressed me? Sheeesh! (No, Siddons is Welsh.) In any event I have never heard of 2012 Magazine and have no idea how I and 99 others would lead it.
I am not bitter.
But more seriously, there is a fellow named Bill Kristol who hitched his cart to Dan Quayle, which should tell you all you need to know. But as Pat Buchanan tells it, this fellow is crowing over the NeoCon's program of beating congresspeople into submission. Two problems... elected officials are a notoriously venal and stupid group of people. When you abuse them, they become very bitter. And stupid people can really be cruel when they get the chance for some payback.
The NeoCons strongest genuine support in USA comes from hard-right Christians who expressly hope and pray for the deaths of 2/3rds of the Jews, immediately, in our lifetimes. These people expect to be rewarded for their support.
If you do not really have power, you are just a front for people wielding it, it can be very dangerous to get close to power and make enemies of stupid people, to provoke them. That is a constant theme in all of the stories above.
The orthodox Jews and Christians have the right idea... steer clear of public life. Both the Bible and history warn us. We have no business there.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
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