It's very ancient knowledge

[Globetrotter.uk]

I have just been listening on the pc to my daily bible reading and I was amazed to here this

"Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement."

Deuteronomy 23:12-13

I just wonder how much bushcraft knowledge is in the good book?

 

[harryhaller]

Without looking it up, I believe you are quoting from the part of of Deut. referring to preparing for war, who is exempt from service, what trees can be cutdown etc, - they are instructions how to carry out warfare and in your quote more specifically, the rules of the camp - especially when laying siege to a town etc.

Much in the OT is pretty much prosaic and good sense, eg laws of food, kindness to animals (knifes used in the slaughter of animals MUST be razor sharp so that the animal doesn't feel them, helpfulness in relations with your neighbour. etc.

Yes, it is a record of how a community can get on - luckily they put it down in a bokk which also covered their religion - a relgion which led to another religion which dominated western culture.

You will, no doubt find other such early good advice in other writings from other societies and cultures

 

[Wink]

I have that Deuteronomy ref. engraved on my folding stainless trowel! My wife had it done as a pressie. The engraver thought she was a bit strange in the head, I think... There's loads of interesting stuff in there when you start looking. I'm a surveyor by profession, and there is a great passage about dry rot treatment that would be good practice even now. Just strikes me as sad that so many people will look for "ancient wisdom" from all sorts of places, some of them complete nonsense, but dismiss the bible out of hand!

 

[British Red]

With the greatest of allowances for the desire for all to worship as they will, I would like to point out that I, and others, find references to that particuar book signally offensive - conatining as it does the exhaltation to murder believers of other faiths

Red

 

[Wayland]

Common sense goes back much further than Judaism.

Shame it's dying out these days.

 

[BorderReiver]

Maybe we can steer clear of specific "books of rules"; such discussions usually end in acrimony.

 

[Toddy]

I can see the relevance to bushcraft, but the moment that the comments start to be in anyway religious discussion or dispute, this type of thread becomes a problem.

I am closing it with the hopes that everyone understands my reasons for doing so without taking offence.

cheers,
Toddy