Mules, donkeys, and such?

[2Timothy2]

I read this blurb today and it got me thinking of Jesus' ride into Jerusalem, being what yesterday was and all. If what this person says is true ("the common people rode donkeys"), what a wonderful picture of our Lord as the Servant/King, yes?

Anyways, I am wondering if what he says is accurate. I haven't had any time to look these things up, so I thought I'd toss it out for y'all to comment on. Here's the blurb:

Mules were traditionally reserved for the royal family (2 Sam 13:29; 18:9). Horses were not introduced into Jewish military life until Solomon's reign and then only for pulling chariots, not for riding. Mounted warriors were used in other cultures during this period of history, but not in Israel until much later. Since Hebraic law forbade crossbreeding (Lev 19:19), mules had to be imported and were therfore very expensive. So while the common people rode donkeys, the mule was reserved for royalty.

 

[Fat]

I have owned both and donkeys are much smarter than horses. Don't know about mules, I only worked for a few of them.

 

[MrJim]

Jesus is waiting to ride the horse into a different kind of party...

 

[Matthan]

Sounds logical to me....

Matthan <J><

 

[ZiSunka]

Horses were very expensive because they were imported from foreign lands. Camels were considered vulgar possessions of nomadic peoples. Donkeys were the beast of transport for the common people. I have never seen a reference in the Bible about mules. Is there one? I think that Christ coming into Jerusalem on a colt of an ass was to show that he was the king of the common sinner and not a political leader trying to usurp power from Herod or Pilate.

 

[2Timothy2]

The two 2 Samuel refs both mention mules, in my KJV at least. They are both about Absalom, I think.

 

[RED that's ME]

Interesting

 

[Unnamed Servant]

I believe I heard somewhere that Jews weren't even suppose to like horses, possibly because they were foreign.

Even though they didn't have them as their everyday life, there were some around them who did. . . the Romans. Whenever a roman general would win a war, he would ride in on a white horse. Jesus here chooses the polar opposite, in humbleness. But as menno said, Jesus will reserve the white horse for later, when he will ride in as the conquering general and king.

 

[ZiSunka]

I believe I heard somewhere that Jews weren't even suppose to like horses, possibly because they were foreign.

Even though they didn't have them as their everyday life, there were some around them who did. . . the Romans. Whenever a roman general would win a war, he would ride in on a white horse. Jesus here chooses the polar opposite, in humbleness. But as menno said, Jesus will reserve the white horse for later, when he will ride in as the conquering general and king.

True, but the penalty for taking a Roman horse was to be wiped then executed. And the Romans would have hardly been okay with Jesus "borrowing" one of their horses. Since camels were out of the question and horses wouldn't have been available, and no one can ride a goat or a sheep (too small), that would have left oxen and donkeys. Oxen weren't beasts of transportation, they were beasts of burden. That leaves the donkey.

I think whoever wrote that article wanted to be able to say something new and clever about Palm sunday but didn't bother looking at the facts.

 

[Unnamed Servant]

True, but the penalty for taking a Roman horse was to be wiped then executed. And the Romans would have hardly been okay with Jesus "borrowing" one of their horses. Since camels were out of the question and horses wouldn't have been available, and no one can ride a goat or a sheep (too small), that would have left oxen and donkeys. Oxen weren't beasts of transportation, they were beasts of burden. That leaves the donkey.

I think whoever wrote that article wanted to be able to say something new and clever about Palm sunday but didn't bother looking at the facts.

True, but the reason Christ rode the donkey in wasn't merely because it was the only thing available.

 

[ZiSunka]

True, but the reason Christ rode the donkey in wasn't merely because it was the only thing available.

I already said that.

 

[SonOfThunder]

Its the man upon the beast, not the beast ........

Jesus



James

 

[Ave Maria]

Its the man upon the beast, not the beast ........

Jesus



James

 

[SonOfThunder]

Holly

I take it you didn't understand my comment.

For me the focus is the man upon the beast (donkey/Ass)

That man was of course Jesus

James

 

[Unnamed Servant]

No doubt Jesus was the focus, but he did certain things to teach us certain things, and in this case what he rode was not only fulfillment of prophecy, put a picture of his humbleness.

 

[SonOfThunder]

No doubt Jesus was the focus, but he did certain things to teach us certain things, and in this case what he rode was not only fulfillment of prophecy, put a picture of his humbleness.

Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.