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December 04, 2007

Against the Maccabees

Christopher Hitchens weighs in with his usual aplomb. Today's subject: Bah, Hanukkah (via the Drink Soaked Trots, who also link to Marx' doctoral dissertation). He makes a nice counterfactual history sine the Makabim but a particular observation sticks out for me. Plenty of miracles strike me as being, well, a bit crap, actually.

And, of course and as ever, one stands aghast at the pathetic scale of the supposed "miracle." As a consequence of the successful Maccabean revolt against Hellenism, so it is said, a puddle of olive oil that should have lasted only for one day managed to burn for eight days. Wow! Certain proof, not just of an Almighty, but of an Almighty with a special fondness for fundamentalists. Epicurus and Democritus had brilliantly discovered that the world was made up of atoms, but who cares about a mere fact like that when there is miraculous oil to be goggled at by credulous peasants?

Hitchens' gift for the holiday season! It is a shame as he has just missed Diwali; hopefully he can make up for that with commentary on Chinese New Year.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at December 4, 2007 06:53 AM