July 3, 2024

THANK YOU! And – Camels Then and Now

Thank you for providing me with a nice vacation period which enabled me to visit my cousins in Arizona and California. I had a great time with them, and I am only sorry that I was not able to enjoy the big Fourth of July celebration they were planning. The Fourth of July is very important to them as they are direct descendants of the original immigrants who served with distinction in the U. S. Army Camel Corps formed in the Southwest in the mid-1800s as a logistic corps.

We would like to also take this opportunity to thank you for your time and patience in considering the Hump Day Messages (HDM) presented by Epiphany on behalf of the Camel. As a camel, I am delighted that America has acknowledged my importance by naming a day in my honor. This is of course Wednesday which is the middle of the work week when workers start to optimistically look forward to weekend activities. 

While Hump Day for Wednesday appears to have originated and became popular in the United States in the early 1980’s other English-speaking countries such as Australia and Canada seemed to have also adopted it. One reason for its popularity in the United States was a very popular Geico commercial (GEICO Hump Day Camel Commercial Happier than a Camel on Wednesday (youtube.com)) in which a camel visits office workers and asks, what day is it? The answer is, of course, Hump Day, and the commercial confirms that Wednesday is Hump Day. This commercial greatly increased the popularity of Wednesday as Hump Day in the United States.

The commercial may be confusing. The camel’s shoulders look a little like a second hump. There is only one Hump Day in the week, although sometimes it feels like there are more! 

There are, of course, camels with two humps. We are Dromedaries and are camels with only one hump. Bactrian camels, our dear cousins, have two humps. Do we want to suggest that two hump days in a week are the norm? We do not. So, don’t confuse a Dromedary with a Bactrian camel. All camels are welcome, of course, and may present comments in their own HDM, no exceptions!

Did you know?

The dromedary, also known as one-humped camel or Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), and the Bactrian camel or two-humped camel or simply camel (Camelus bactrianus) are two distinctive and recognizable livestock species commonly found in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The two species occupy disparate geographic areas, with the Dromedary found in the northern part of Africa, the Middle East, part of Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, while the Bactrian camel is found only in inner, central, and east Asia: China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, northern areas of Iran, India, Pakistan and up to eastern Turkey.  Dioli, M. Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) crossbreeding husbandry practices in Turkey and Kazakhstan: An in-depth review. Pastoralism 10, 6 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13570-020-0159-3

Since we inhabited Egypt, we had access to the store of knowledge in the great library of Alexandria, started by Alexandria the Great. The idea of a universal library, like that of Alexandria, arose only after the Greek mind had begun to envisage and encompass a larger worldview. The Greeks were impressed by the achievements of their neighbors, and many Greek intellectuals sought to explore the resources of their knowledge. There is literary evidence of Greek individuals visiting Egypt especially to acquire knowledge: e.g., Herodotus, Plato (particularly in Phaedrus and Timaeus), Theophrastus, and Eudoxus of Cnidus (as detailed by Diogenes Laërtius in the 3rd-century CE) (Britannica). 

It has been said that if this library had not been destroyed, western technology would have been two hundred years ahead of its time. 

The camel was very important to the economy of Israel and the surrounding area long before and at the time of Jesus. Due to the geography of its range, as noted, the camel referred to in the Bible was most certainly one of our forebearers, a dromedary with a single hump and not a Bactrian with two humps whose habitat was well outside this range and in the much colder climates. Because of this cold climate, the Bactrian camel has long hair and is even bred today for its hair, i.e. wool.  Bactrian camels are a small percentage of the camel population which is about ninety percent dromedaries.

Did You Know?

The Camel family (Camelidae) first evolved in North America approximately 44 million years ago during the Eocene period. Camelops first appeared in the fossil record during the Late Pliocene of North America between 4 to 3 million years ago. (B.O.B National Park Service) These camels migrated across the land bridge to become Bactrian camels in Asia and to South America before they became extinct in North America! 

Guess what!

The domesticated forms in South America are the llama and alpaca!

The camel is said to be mentioned in the Bible at least forty-five times, predominately in the Old Testament, as evidence of wealth and transportation, especially for carrying heavy burdens of goods over long distances. (This was the reason for the United States Army’s experiment with camels in the Southwest.) It also provided food and clothing.  It is said that at its best, camel meat tastes like lean beef. But certain cuts are said to be tough, and if the meat comes from an old camel, it can also taste gamey. Camel meat is available in the United States if you would like to try it. Jewish law prevented the consumption of camel meat since it was not kosher.

There are only a few references to a camel in the New Testament. One is in Matthew 3:4 where John the Baptist is said to have worn clothing made of camel’s hair. Was it a hardship to wear clothing made of camel hair when you consider that today, it is considered a luxury fiber made into expensive coats and jackets? How meanings change with time.

The most well-known and perplexing reference to a camel is most likely where Jesus tells the rich man that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples were perplexed by these words. See Mark 10:17-31 (Mark 10:17-31 NRSVUE – The Rich Man – As he was setting out on – Bible Gateway) which sequence is also in Matthew (Matthew 19:16-30 NRSVUE – The Rich Young Man – Then someone came – Bible Gateway) and Luke (Luke 18:18-30 NRSVUE – The Rich Ruler – A certain ruler asked – Bible Gateway). 

Was this the beginning of another HDM that enables one to look forward with optimism helping us just a little bit more to understand when Jesus responds to the question by the disciples; “Who will be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” The message is clear, even to a camel, put God first and even a rich person can enter heaven.

Thank you and blessings from the Camel.

Sunday Series for our children begins this Sunday. Join us for worship at 10am!

Guest Preacher The Reverend Beth Bingham Sunday. 7/7/2024

Blessed 4th of July!!