The Origin of the English Language Word "Goodbye"

        The English language word, Goodbye, a "parting word"used grammatically as an adverbial phrase, is derived from "Godbwye" a shortened form of the Old English phrase God þē mid sīe: (in modern English: "God be with you.")  God  (God) þē ("thou" = "to you") mid ("with") sīe: (a form of "to be").

        The first known recorded occurrence of the word was in 1573 when it was used by the English scholar and poet, Gabriel Harvey. Harvey often wrote in Latin, claimed to have invented the English language hexameter format of poetry, and coined these English language words: "rascality," "extensively," "conscious," "jovial," "notoriety," and "idiom."

Where is Sinim?

 

Isaiah 49:12 refers to a country named סִינִים (Sinim). It is never again mentioned but obviously was known at the time. Modern thought believes that this is possibly a reference to China, very far to the East.

The modern English word sino comes from the Late Latin word sinae which is a plural form which translates as “Chinese.” The Latin word may possibly be derived from the Old Chinese word 秦 (Qin). This word is often used in compound-word constructions such as Sino-Russian or Sino-Japanese. It is the root of the English language descriptive word sinitic, which means “relating to Chinese things.”

The Jews may have traded with the Chinese as early as the 3rd Century BC/BCE, with other possible contacts in the 7^th and 8^th Centuries. In the 11^th Century, a small Jewish trading settlement was established at Kaifeng. The Mandarin-speaking Jewish merchant’s modern descendants are now assimilated into the mainstream Chinese culture and, in 2016, numbered about 600-1000 in China and 20 in Israel.

In the 16th Century, the Ottoman Empire established a trading relationship with China in part because of a love of Chinese white porcelain. The Chinese are known to have had a merchant colony in Jerusalem during this period.

Chinese porcelain fragments have been found in the Middle East. In 2024, a broken piece of a Chinese porcelain bowl from the Ming Dynasty was found during a dig on Mt. Zion outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The Chinese inscription translates as “Forever we will guard the eternal spring.“

Everybody Out!

Following the death (or very rarely, the resignation) of the Roman Catholic Pope, those Cardinals who are eligible to vote travel from around the world and gather in the Sistine Chapel for the papal conclave to elect the next pope. The word “conclave” is from the Latin “cum clave,”

meaning “with key.”

After the cardinals declare group and individual secrecy and faithfulness oaths, the Master of the Papal Liturgical Celebrations yells out in Latin, “Extra omnes!”  This translates as “Out, all!,” basically meaning “Everybody get out!” Only the cardinal-electors and one or two assistants each may remain in the chapel. Then the doors are locked, from the outside. 

It was the locking of the doors from the outside which intrigued me. The cardinals are literally locked in  They cannot communicate with the outside world or leave the chapel unless they all agree. They may only leave the chapel to sleep in a nearby guesthouse.

This system was devised by Pope Gregory X after his 1271 election process lasted for two years and nine months. The rules seem to be designed to make the process uncomfortable.

1. The cardinals are locked in with no communication with the outside world.

2. The cardinals receive no salary during the conclave.

3. Food is handed into the chapel through a closed system and is reduced in amount and variety after the first five days.

6. The cardinals must ask permission to leave the group and can only leave if everyone agrees.

Gregory X intended that the cardinals would be “locked up together until they elected a new pope.”  His rules seem to have worked. Upon his death, his successor was elected in one day.  Later, the rules were suspended until the election of  Celestine V lasted from April 1292 until July 1294. The rules were re-instituted and since 1831 no conclave has lasted longer than one week.

Religious Place Names

Zell am See, Austria: Zell mean "monastic cell" in German, so this id "Cell on the sea."

Mughar an-nasara, Jordan: This is an archeological site near the ancient Nabataean stone carved city of Petra. "Nasara" (a reference to "Nazarene") means "Christians" in Arabic, so this is the "Caves of the Christians."

el-Kab, Egypt: Nekhbet was the ancient Egyptian vulture goddess and the town named for her wss Nekheb. The name survives as el-Kab.

Gaya, Bihar State, India: Gayasura is the Sanskrit name of a Hindu demon.

Vestavia Hills, Alabama State, United States of America: Vesta is the Latin name of the Roman goddess of the hearth.

Non-Canonical and Extra-Biblical Books and Letters Mentioned in the Bible

There are at least twenty-one extra-biblical books mentioned in the Bible. Each of these books may have been and probably were consulted by the Holy Spirit-inspired writers of the canonical books.  The Hebrews clearly had many other books than those included in the Bible. Some, such as the Book of Jasher, are mentioned in several verses.

"And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." Joshua 10:13

"(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)" 2 Samuel 1:18

Jasher is not the name of a person. This is ספר הישר  Sefer (Book) Ha (the) Yashar (Upright, Correct, Just). The Latin Vulgate translates this as Book of the Just Ones while the Greek Septuagint translates the Hebrew as Book of the Upright.

This lost book was probably a collection of songs and poems about Hebrew battles and heroes. There are several books of Jasher which were composed much later than the biblical period and which are not the book mentioned in the Bible.

1. Sefer HaYashar: A collection of rabbinical theological writings which makes no claim to be the original book.
2. Pseudo-Jasher: ca 1625, a collection of Jewish legends.
3. Book of Jasher: 18th century. Claims to be a translation of the original book but most scholars consider this book to be an eighteenth century forgery.

Magic Squares in Christian Occultism, Part 3

The Sator Square is a Christian use of the Magic Square. The words, Sator Arepo tenet opera rotas, are a palindrome which can be read top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, left-to-right, or right-to-left. The Latin inscription means something like "Farmer Arepo makes work wheels." "The farmer Arepo uses a plough to do his work." By itself, the sentence is virtually meaningless and harmless. It would not arouse the suspicions of any one holding malicious attitudes towards Christians.


                                     S A T O R
                                     A R E P O
                                     T E N E T
                                     O P E R A
                                     R O T A S


Placed on the cornerstone block during construction, this is obviously intended as a blessing or protection for the building and the persons inside. Like the Fish symbol, this could also be a sign that only Christians would recognize. Since it is an attempt to influence reality by the use of powerful words, this can also be seen as the use of and belief in magic.

Hidden within this square are the Latin words "Pater Noster" ("Our Father") enclosed by the A and O from the Greek words Alpha and Omega , the "beginning" and the "end" of the Greek alphabet. The "Our Father" references Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-4. The "beginning" and the "end" reference Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13, and Isaiah 44:6

                                            P

                                            A

                                            T

                                  A        E       O

                                            R

                           P A T E R N O S T E R

                                            O

                                  O       S       A

                                            T

                                            E

                                            R            

Sator Squares have been found in numerous places worldwide:
1. On a building in the ruins of Pompeii.
2. At the Duro-Europas site in Syria.
3. In excavations under the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
4. On the wall of the Duomo of Sienna, Italy.
5. In a 2nd Century excavation site in Manchester, England.
6. A stone at a chapel in Andertton, Lancashire, England.
7. In a wall located in Oppede, France.

Other Discussions of the Sator Squares:
http://finding-palindromes.blogspot.com/2012/06/sator-square.html
http://mysteriouswritings.com/the-sator-square/
......................................
"Πάτερ ἡμῶν", "father of us":
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,·
ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.

Predictive Text Technology Threatens Chinese Ideography

An recent article in the USA Today newspaper talks about how the use of cell phones and computers with predictive text technology is causing a degradation in the ability of Chinese users to write the traditional Chinese language ideographic symbols. Many say that the technology causes the user to become fast but inaccurate.

Modern cell phones and word processors use predictive text technology in which one key or button represents many letters or characters. When the user enters a key or button, the program chooses the most likely next letter or character (a “prediction”). The next entry results in a smaller set of possible letters or characters based on the first two entries. As more keys or buttons are entered, the predicted text becomes increasingly likely. (Google and other search engines use predictive algorithms of words instead of letters to hone in on your desired search subject as you type in your request).

Predictive text technology as applied to the Chinese language makes use of the pinyin writing system. Written Chinese is an ideographic system rather than an alphabetic system. Alphabetic writing systems  represent sounds by using a set of distinct letter symbols. Ideographic writing systems use symbols to represent ideas or concepts. Alphabetic writing systems are much more compact and flexible than ideographic systems and are able to incorporate foreign or “loan” words much more easily.

Alphabetic writing systems (and the number of letters used by each) include English (26), German (26), French (26), Italian (21), Arabic (28), Urdu (38), Korean (24), Spanish (29), Russian (33), Greek (24), Vietnamese (30), and Hindi (46). In contrast, knowledge of 4000 characters is necessary to achieve functional literacy in written Chinese.

Chinese predictive text programs used in cell phones and word processors make use of the pinyin system which they “translate” into Chinese characters. Pinyin is the official phonetic system for transcribing the sound of Chinese characters into Latin script in China, Taiwan, and Singapore. An example: 北京 is represented in pinyin as Běijīng, which, in English is rendered as Beijing. In the older Wade-Giles system this was presented as Peking.

Some Chinese have become concerned that as the digital predictive text technology proliferates, traditional Chinese calligraphic script will fade away. That process has probably already begun with pinyin eventually being the victor. This is a sad phenomenon because written Chinese is visually beautiful, but it is probably inevitable at some time in the future

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/november/chinese-typewriter-historian-112812.html

http://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2013/01/04/5218/

To demonstrate the beauty and the complexity of the written Chinese, see the following quotation from Acts 28:31, the verse from which this blog takes its theme.

“Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.”

In the Greek, the final word of this verse is ἀκωλύτως, “unhindered,” hence, “Saints On the Loose!”

Acts 28:31 in the Simplified Chinese characters:

宣布神的国度，并教导有关主耶稣基督 - 所有的他勇气和！不受阻碍

Acts 28:31 in the Traditional Chinese characters:

他宣布神的國度，並教導有關主耶穌基督 - 所有的勇氣和不受阻礙

Acts 28:31 in Pinyin transliteration:

fang4dan3 chuan2/zhuan4 jiang3 shen2 guo2 de* dao4 , jiang1/4/qiang1 ye1su1 ji1du1 de* shi4 jiao4dao3 ren2 , bing1/4 mei2you3 ren2 jin4zhi3

Definition: Casuistry.

Yesterday, I spoke about casuistry in relation to Mark 7:10-13. The word, casuistry, is derived from the Latin word casus, which means “event” or “case.”  The benign definition of casuistry is that it is a discipline within ethics which deals with ambiguous issues of right and wrong.  The most common use of the word today is more sinister: it is described as sophistical reasoning used in matters of ethics.

Sophism (from the Greek word Σοφία = “wisdom”) comes from the ancient Greek Sophists who developed elaborate philosophical and rhetorical arguments to teach excellence and virtue to young men.  The catch was that they charged for their teachings.

Socrates refused to take any money for teaching and considered the practice by the Sophists to be deceptive and specious.  From this developed the modern English use of the word: a specious argument used to deceive and to obscure one’s true intent.  There are many modern examples of this practice.

At the Time When David Became King of israel

At the time when David became king of his unified Kingdom of Israel (ca 1000 BC/BCE), this is what was happening in other regions of the world.

The Chavin Culture established a trade network in Peru.

Japan was inhabited by a hunter-gatherer culture.

Agricultural farming began in Kenya.

The Phoenicians invented their alphabet.

Latins began to arrive in Italy.

The Hittite city of Troy (Troy Layer VII at Hisarlik, Turkiye) was destroyed.

The Tamil language appeared in India.

China prospered under King Kang (ruled 1020-999BC/BCE) of the Zhou Dynasty.

The Last Pope

The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has once again stirred talk of “the Last Pope.”  I vaguely remembered talk of this several years before and so, I had to investigate.  Apparently, many people believe that the next pope will be the last pope.  This is tied into speculation that this is the beginning of the end of the world.  Some believe that the next pope will be The False Prophet of Revelation.

The speculation is based on the predictions of St. Malachy (d. 1148) an Irish bishop who, when he fist saw Rome, fell into a trance-like state and produced a list of 112 popes identified by short Latin phrases.  Benedict is the 111^th pope since that date making the next pope number 112, whom Malacy describes as “Petrus Romanus.  (Peter the Roman)”

Those who are believers in the list insist that it is eerily accurate,  They cite the phrase for the 106^th pope, “Pastor Angelicus.”  This would be Pope Pius XII. 

“Piscator minorita,” (“The minorite fisherman”) is used of Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484), who was a member of the Friars Minor and the son of a fisherman.

“De rure alba,” (“drom a white country”).  The Englishman, Pope Adrian IV (1154-1159) was born in England, which in ancient times was known as Albion.

Of the Pope known as John Paul II, Malachy declares “de labore Solis,” (“from the labor of the sun,” “of the eclipse of the sun.”  Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) was born during a solar eclipse.

The manuscript recording Malachy’s phrases was locked in the Vatican for four hundred years.  When it was discovered again in 1595, the Catholic Church declared it to be fraudulent.  Some declared it to be an outright 16^th century forgery.   Modern commentators point out that many of the Latin phrases have to be “creatively” viewed to fit their intended popes.  Also, about 10% just cannot be made to “fit,” thus failing one of the tests of true prophecy.  Bernard of Clairvaux, who was a personal friend and biographer of Malachy makes no mention of the prophecies.

Some who believe that the next pope will be the last, bring in the prophecies of Nostradamus (Century 5 Quatrain 49 of “Les Propheties.”).

“a l’ennemy sera faicte fiancé,
Qui dans son regne ser peste cruelle.”
(“He will make a promise to the enemy,
Who will cause great plague during his reign.”)

Notice something here.  All of this is extra-biblical!

Remember also that we are expressly forbidden to set dates for the return of Christ.

Definitions: Chastity

Chassity, Chassidy, Chassitee, Chessity, Chessidy, Chasadee.  These and a great many more are variants of a very popular English language female personal name.  They all are apparently attempts to represent the word “chastity.”

One wonders how much people understand about the word if they cannot even be bothered to spell it correctly.  The English language word is derived ultimately from the Latin word “castus,” meaning “pure”.

Aldous Huxley humorously (I think) called chastity “the most unnatural of all the sexual perversions.”

An internet Google search brings up numerous attempts at a definition, most centering on the avoidance of sex.  The Christian understanding of the word can include that meaning but it is much more meaningful than that.  Remember that God viewed the Israelite’s attraction to other cultures and other gods as adultery against Himself. (Hosea 4; Ezekiel 16:35-42; Jeremiah 3:1, 13-14, and, in the New Testament, James 4:4)

The Christian martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, said of the virtue, “The essence of chastity is not the suppression of lust, but the total orientation of one’s life towards a goal.”

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:23

"By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned," 2 Corinthians 6:6

"One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;" 1 Timothy 3:4

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

"For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:2

"That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience." Titus 2:2

"Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;" 1 Timothy 3:8

"Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." 1 Timothy 3:11

“Sex in the Body of Christ” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/may/34.28.html

Film Comment: The Road to Perdition

"My father's only fear was that his son would follow the same road ...," the road to perdition.  The word "perdition" is of Indo-European origin through Latin.  The main idea of the word is "loss."  In Christian theology, the word is used of loss of the soul, eternal damnation, utter ruin, and destruction.  It can be seen as a synonym for Hell.

The film, The Road to Perdition (1998), is set in Depression era 1931 and tells the story of Michael Sullivan,  a crime mob hit man, a paid assassin, whose son accidentally witnesses one of his murders.  The mob bosses are not pleased and want the boy killed so that he cannot tell anyone.  The killer dearly loves his son and takes steps to protect him.

Based on a black and white graphic novel (comic book), this excellent and suspenseful film stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as the hit man and is loaded with other top level actors: Stanley Tucci, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, and Paul Newman.)  The story is concurrently loving, tender, violent, and depressing.

The film is based on the idea of "the sins of the fathers," a biblical concept.  We teach our children how to act by our example.  Even if we do not wish for our children to follow our example, our actions do not affect only us but can have effects on our families and friends for generations.  Often, once they are set in motion, the consequences of our actions cannot be avoided.

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, of their orthodoxy or lack of it, or of their actions.  Some of those listed may surprise you.  Readers are encouraged to suggest persons who should be included on this list.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Duccio di Buoninsegna: (b. ca. 1255-1260, Italy – d. 1318-1319)  Painter.  He worked on commission and provided paintings for churches, cathedrals, and government buildings.  Many of his works are now lost.

Frederick Fyvie Bruce: (b. 1910, Scotland –d. 1990; aka: F. F. Bruce) Biblical scholar, university professor, specialist on the life and ministry of Paul, wrote over forty books and biblical commentaries.  In his classic work, New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, he showed that the New Testament documents have better historical attestation than any other ancient documents.

Allan B. Bicknell: (b. ca 1890, USA –d. 1948) University professor of French, Greek, Latin, and Spanish at Bridgewater University for forty-one years (1906-0917), opera singer.    

Asa: On 6 June 2012, a pastor identified only as Asa was arrested for proselytizing in Laos.

Joseph Elliot Giradi: (b. 1964, Illinois, USA) Major League Baseball catcher anf manager. 2006 National League Manager of the Year.

References to Jesus in the Talmud

The Latin language work, Jesus in Talmude (1699), by Rudolph Martin Meelfuhrer in Altdorf, Germany, was the first book devoted entirely to the subject of references to Jesus in the Talmud.
Most modern Jewish scholars view the references as reactions to Christian proselytism of Jews.

During the Middle Ages, Jews and Christians argued over the references, which the Christians interpreted as insulting to Jesus.  Some of the Jewish scholars said the references were to someone else other than Jesus.  Some of the references were removed from later editions of the Talmud.  Since the early 20th Century most Talmuds include the references.

The most commonly identified references to Jesus in the Torah:
He was a sorceror. Bablyonian Sanhedrin 43a-b
Healing was performed in his name. Hullin 2:22f; Abodah Zarah 2:22/12; Jerusalem Shabbath 124:4/13; Qohelet Rabbah 1:8; Bablyonian Abodah Zarah 27b
He was a Torah teacher.  Bablyonian Abodah Zarah 17a; Hullin 1:8; Qohelet Rabbah1:8
He was a son who turned out badly.  Sanhedrin 193a/b; Berakoth 17b
He was a magician and an idolator.  Sanhedrin 107b; Sotah 47a
He was punished in hell.  Bablyonian Gittin 56b, 57a
He was executed.  Bablyonian Sanhedrin 43a-b
He was the son of Mary.  Shabbath 104b; Sanhedrin 67a

Religious Place Names

Andaman Islands:  This name is believed to have been derived from the name of the monkey god, Handuman.

Amritsar, India: From the Sanskrit words “amrita saras,” meaning “lake of immortality.”

Munster, Germany:  From the Old High German word “munistri.”  This word was ultimately derived from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Montruex, Switzerland:  This name is also from from the Latin word, “monasterium” (“monastery.”)

Kilmanjaro, Tanzania:  The name of this volcano derives from the Swahili words “kilima” = “mountain” plus “njaro” = “god of cold.”

Book Comment: The Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon

The full title of this book published in Edinburgh in 1897 is A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon. The writer was Marvin R. Vincent, the Baldwin Professor of Sacred Literature in Union Theological Seminary in New York, New York. In this book, Dr. Vincent defends the Pauline authorship of the letters.


The book is quite technical and requires at least a rudimentary understanding (like mine) of Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. Dr. Vincent examines the Greek text of both books, word by word, phrase by phrase, and describes the usages of the words in other literature of the same time period. He discusses various possible interpretations of certain words and passages and gives his reasons, based on Greek grammar, lexicology, and consistency of biblical interpretation, for making the translations which he does.

Vincent makes many interesting observations, such as the following on Philippians 1:5:

“For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;” (ἐπὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης ἡμέρας ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν). τοῦ is the definite article “the,” so, literally, this is “the now.”  Vincent says this is “only in Paul,” which may mean that Paul was the writer who introduced the modern idea of “the now.”

This is a commentary which respects the Scriptures it examines. As he says in his preface to the book, "The main object in this commentary has been to exhibit St. Paul's thought in these two letters ..."

Palindromes

The palindrome is a literary device in which a phrase, number, word, or sequence reads the same when read either from the left or the right.  The word “palindrome” was invented in the seventeenth century by the British writer Ben Johnson (1572-1637), from two Greek words; palin (πάλιν), meaning “again,” "back," "further," or "on the other hand," and dromos (δρόμος), meaning "road," “way,” or “direction.”

The earliest known palindrome is from 79 AD/CE, found in the ruins of the city of Herculaneum which was destroyed along with Pompeii when Vesuvius erupted.  79 AD is squarely within the late New Testament period.

The palindrome found in Herculaneum is actually four palindromes, a word square, cut into a square block of stone.  The Latin inscription reads “Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas” which in English reads as “The sower, Arepo, holds works wheels.” The phrase reads the same if read from left to right, right to left, top to bottom, and bottom to top.

                                    SATOR

                                    AREPO

                                    TENET

                                    OPERA

                                    ROTAS

Bible Printer's Errors: The Pay for Peace Bible

Not all Bible printer's errors occurred hundreds of years ago.  One happened as recently as 1966 in the first edition of The jerusalem Bible, produced as a translation from the original Greek and Hebrew rather than Latin of Jerome's Vulgate.  The translation came about because, in 1943, Pope Pius XII suggested that the Roman Catholic Church should translate the Bible from the original languages rather than from Latin.

Psalm 122:6 read "pay for peace" instead of "pray for peace."

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian. Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions. This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Asser: (fl 890, Wales – d. 908/909) aka: John Asser, Asserius Menevensis. Welsh monk, Latin translator, Bishop of Sherborne. Recruited by Alfred the Great for whom he wrote a biography. A relative of Nobis, Bishop of St. Davids.

Giuseppe Piazzi: (b. 1746, Italy – d. 1826) Roman Catholic priest, mathematician, astronomer, university professor. He established an observatory at Naples and catalogued 7646 stars. One of his discoveries was Ceres, a planetoid in the asteroid belt. The Piazzi Crater on the moon is named for him.

Susan Boyle: (b. 1961, Scotland) Church volunteer, choir member. An unlikely songbird, plain and overweight with a voice equal to Celine Dion’s. She calls herself a “cheeky little girl.” She declares, “I’m happy the way I am, short and plump.”

Kitamori Kazoh: (b. 1916, Japan – d. 1998) Pastor, university professor, systematic theologian, author of 42 books.

Eskil (b. England - fl. 11th century) aka: Eskillinus. Anglo-Saxon monk in Sweden. Missionary, founder of the first diocese in the Lake Malaren region. Stoned to death at Strangnas by a group of Swedes and Geats. Eskilstuna, Sweden is named for him.

Do the Hokey Pokey!

A children's dancing song (the Hokey-Pokey), a Shaker dancing song (the Hinkum-Boobie), and a seventeenth century conjurer's phrase (hocus pocus) all seem to be derived from the Roman Catholic Latin Mass phrase, "Hoc est enim corpus meum," which means in English, "This is my body."