It should definitely been seen as an historical book. And every time you see a weird rule like this, you have to remind yourself that it was being instituted to improve the situation.

In this case, it’s likely that the extant rule was that girls who had been raped were to be banished from the community, or worse. This rule guaranteed she would still have a home and protector. Not a great one, but still an improvement.

A similar thing happens in the story where Abram is told to sacrifice Isaac, but is given a reprieve at the last moment.

You can see this as evidence that God is sadistic. Read through our eyes, it looks that way. It’s likely that child sacrifice was common in that time and place, so this story tells something else: it’s telling people to start sacrificing animals instead of children, and putting a divine stamp on the instruction.

Again, not great, but a huge improvement.

Apes are a lineage of Old World monkey.

Chimpanzees are monkeys, and so are we.

That term is rather ironic: Samson’s final act was in Gaza.

Once you pay the Danegeld, you’ll never be rid of the Dane.

You can say goodbye to your gold though.

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Well, it can also radiate away in the form of EM radiation, typically infrared. That takes time though.

Ukraine does have oil, although they’re largely in areas affected by the war.

All three were heroes.

What’s often missed is that Peter Norman, the white guy on podium, encouraged Carlos and Smith to take a stand, and he was the one who had the idea to wear a glove each, since they only had one pair.

Norman’s role in the protest led to him never being selected to represent Australia again, even though he was at the peak of a brilliant career in running. He qualified for the 1972 Olympics, yet was mysteriously not picked to go.

The three men remained close friends, Carlos and Smith were pallbearers at Norman’s funeral in 2006.

(I hate to be the one making the Black rights protest about the white guy. He paid dearly for his role, and I also hate to think he’s remembered as the third wheel on that podium.)