1 Samuel 5:6, Golden Mice and Hemorrhoids

And the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he laid them waste, and smote them with hemorrhoids. (Darby translation)

//One day, the hated Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and brought it home to the temple of their god, Dagan. The next morning, they awoke to find their god face down, bowing before the Ark. So, they set the statue back up. Again, the next morning, Dagon is prostrate on the ground, this time with his head and arms chopped off.

But the Ark isn’t done toying with the Philistines. It smites all the people of the city, Ashdod, with hemorrhoids. So, the Philistines move the ark to Gath. Now all the Gathites develop hemorrhoids.

Finally, the Philistines come to their senses, and send the Ark home. But not empty. As an apology, they prepare gifts of golden images to send with the Ark. Images that have puzzled scholars for some time.

Then [the Philistines] said, What is the trespass-offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden hemorrhoids, and five golden mice, the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague is upon them all, and upon your lords. And ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids, and images of your mice that destroy the land, and give glory to the God of Israel: perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Today’s puzzle: What does a golden hemorrhoid look like?

1 Comment

  1. It’s always a very cruiser time. Everyone should take a lot of care about that.

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