Thursday, January 10, 2008

Probably Not What Isaiah Meant

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6

As I watch today's news coverage of President Bush in Israel and the West Bank, it seems an opportune time for an old joke.

Jerusalem is home to The Biblical Zoo (full name: The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem - The Biblical Zoo). See their website here. It's famous for a collection of indigenous animals with special emphasis on those species mentioned in the Bible.

An American visitor was astounded by the zoo's exhibit of a lion and lamb peacefully co-existing in the same enclosure. Day after day he came to the zoo to marvel at this phenomenon, this hopeful display, this miracle so full of promise. If only he could learn the secret of this exhibit, he might help to bring peace to the Middle East.

Finally, one day he went to the zoo director's office and demanded to know how he achieved this astonishing feat. "Simple," the director said, "each night I get a new lamb."