The eye of the needle

[snopes]

Comment: In Matt 19:24, Mark 10:25 & Luke 18:25, it talks about a camel
going through the eye of a needle. I've heard that "eye of the needle"
was a special gate in Jerusalem that allowed a camel to go through only if
it went through on it's knees with no packs on. I've also been told this
is a myth and there is no such gate.

[Singing in the Drizzle]

Jesus was talking to the lower class, the poor and uneducated. I would guess that most of these people would not know about some gate for camels or even care if there was one. What these people would understand is a camel is a very large animal and a needle has a very small hole and unless god intervenes and make the impossible happen it ain't going to work.

[diddy]

Originally Posted by Singing in the Drizzle

Jesus was talking to the lower class, the poor and uneducated. I would guess that most of these people would not know about some gate for camels or even care if there was one. What these people would understand is a camel is a very large animal and a needle has a very small hole and unless god intervenes and make the impossible happen it ain't going to work.

I agree. The biblical Jesus quite frequently uses parables and analogies in his sermons so that the people can relate and understand what he was saying. Even if there was a "needle" it doesn't mean that Jesus was referring to it at all.

[James G]

Yep, according to QI, there is absolutely no evidence of there being a gate called 'the eye of the needle,' nor is there any support to suggest that camel is a mis-translation of 'rope' (another defense by guilty feeling rich folk.)

[Silas Sparkhammer]

I've also heard people claim that the "needle" was a monument, such as "Cleopatra's Needles," the well-known obelisks. While these don't ordinarily have doors, at least the concept is possible.

Silas

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by James G

Yep, according to QI, there is absolutely no evidence of there being a gate called 'the eye of the needle,' nor is there any support to suggest that camel is a mis-translation of 'rope' (another defense by guilty feeling rich folk.)

I remember them saying that there was an expression also at use at the time with a different animal - elephant?

[amorrison50]

This reminds me of the Saturday Night Live skit in which a company is trying to produce miniature camels to pass through a needle's eye. Funny stuff.

[Broken Sword]

Originally Posted by James G

Yep, according to QI, there is absolutely no evidence of there being a gate called 'the eye of the needle,' nor is there any support to suggest that camel is a mis-translation of 'rope' (another defense by guilty feeling rich folk.)

I'm with you. It always really pissed me off that they would make up such a clear cop-out.