h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And the Ark of the Covenant was to be made of Shittim Wood, which was basically Senna, which nowadays people use as laxatives. I've used Senna myself.

re 19:

Even Luther was no saint when it came to witch burnings:

"Not only did Martin Luther share the common superstitions of his age, believing in the widespread use of sorcery and black magic, he also perceived the devil to be an active force."

"Luther's aggressive approach toward witches intensifies from the late 1530s. But his attitudes do vacillate. Occasionally he demands that they be burned at the stake, while other times he insists on their admonition and conversion. Luther's thoughts and writings reflect the evolving view of his times, thus remaining ambiguous"

https://www.worms.de/en/web/luther/Lutherkritik/Luther_Hexen.php

It's fun to look up some of the terms that are used in the Bible as I go along. I this w3ay I came across the Storack Tree, a sort of oriental sweetgum tree that oozes a sap that's used to make Myrrh.

And now I've come across od's reference to Moses' people as "a stiffnecked people." A dictionary entry defines the term this way: "The meaning since then has involved antagonism, stubbornness, argumentative, and going into minute detail in order to distinguish our point of view from others." oh, dear, I fit some of that definition. I'm probably not alone.

In Afrikaans the term is 'hardnekkige volk' ... 'hard-necked people'.

Which happens to be very appropriate to us Afrikaners.

In Danish it is "stivnakket" and means stubborn. I'm guessing the Vikings introduced it into the English language, but of course I can't be sure. The term is usually derogative

My grandmother loved to get together with her brother in old age so they could argue passionately.

Alas, Google has more or less killed that joy. A few clicks and many discussions are ended