Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Cohen, Izzy" <Izzy_Cohen AT bmc.com>]

Walter R. Mattfeld --

The symptoms you described at
http://www.bibleorigins.net/ExodusQuailmiracleKibrothhattaav.html
are quite similar to those associated with ricin poisoning
(from the castor bean). For details, see
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/ricin/ricin.html
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/healthtips/BCD/Ricin.htm

The castor bean plant *does* grow in the Negev and Sinai.
I've seen it there. Perhaps these quail are immune to this 
toxin? That is, the quantity they can absorb without ill 
effect is more than enough to poison humans who eat them. 

If this be true, some one should be investigating how/why 
these quail are (relatively) immune to ricin, a potential
WMD (weapon of mass destruction).

[Ricin may be related to Talmudic aleph-resh-samekh ?eReS 
 = poison. Compare arsenic ~ Syriac zarniqa = arsenic.]

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Scenario 1. Location: near El Arish, Sinai

While on guard duty (miluim) at Bakha 5 (near El Arish), 
I found a homonid skull in the allegedly mined area between 
the outer and inner fences near the east entrance to the base.

I had seen this object from a distance every day since my arrival, 
but based on it's appearance, I presumed it was styrofoam packing 
material. One day a small goat belonging to the local Bedouin got
into a (said to be) mined area on our side of the fence. When I 
entered the area to chase out the goat, I discovered the object was, 
indeed, a human skull. Carrying a broom stick, I reentered the 
area and walked gingerly on tank tracks in the sand until I could 
retrieve the skull and the trapizoidal Arab building block which 
lay on the ground near it. The block had several crudely drawn 
mogen davids. The skull was of relatively recent origin, since 
some tissue was still evident on its inside.

The military rabbinate was asked for advice. They recommended 
burying the skull near where it was found. Without examining the 
skull or the "tombstone", they decided:
(1) it was not a Jewish head and
(2) it had been tossed over our fence from the outside.

One of the miluimniks wanted to take the skull home, but we 
convinced him that his wife would not like that. The skull was 
buried, near where I found it.
- - - - - - - -
Scenario 2. Same location. Same goatherd. 
Barefoot boy, about age 5, comes to collect our dinner scraps. 
He will feed them to his goats. He is smoking a cigarette. 
Somehow I make him understand that if he continues smoking, he 
won't get anything; but if he stops, I will give him all the 
leftovers that he sees on the 5 or 6 trays that contained our 
dinners a short while ago.
Little boy nods head, removes cigarette from mouth, carefully 
extinguishes it on the bottom of his bare foot, puts remainder 
of cigarette in his shirt pocket. Big smile. No pain. He has 
thick soles from walking on the hot sand.
- - - - - - -
Scenario 3. Same location. Same goatherd. 
Chubby, snaggle-toothed girl, about age 9, comes to investigate me, 
the new (to her) miluimnik guarding the east gate of Bakha 5. I give 
her 10 or 12 Netherlands dimes, very small silver coins, shiny new. 
She easily understands that I expect her to make a head band with them. 
Next day. Entire goatherd arrives under the guidance of snaggle-tooth 
+ 4 lithe, nubile, teen-age girls. Unfortunately, I have no more dimes 
to distribute. Prettiest girl brings me the smallest newborn goat in 
the flock. Very cute animal. Completely black. Has diarrhea. Brown goo 
drops on pretty girl's black djellabah. She is embarrassed. So am I. 
The girls and goats go home.
Snaggle-tooth throws pebbles and yells khi-khi at the goats which start 
to stray. Sometimes she just yells khi-khi without throwing a pebble. 
These bedouin used Pavlovian psychology before Pavlov was born.

izzy_cohen AT bmc.com