https://twitter.com/Seamus_Malek/status/1726970021744984282

  • Tachanka [comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    King David in the bible does indeed do this in the book of Samuel (1 Samuel 18:20-29).

    CW: violence SA; click to expand

    He then gives the removed foreskins to King Saul as a dowry for his daughter's hand in marriage.

    20 Now Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.

    21 “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

    22 Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

    23 They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law? I’m only a poor man and little known.”

    24 When Saul’s servants told him what David had said,

    25 Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

    26 When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed,

    27 David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.

    28 When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,

    29 Saul became still more afraid of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

    (the old testament is a normal and cool book full of normal and cool things)

    Keep in mind that "Palestine" and "Phillistine" share etymology, and that the "Phillistines" David was killing were people who inhabited the the Levant during the bronze age. Modern Palestinians aren't descended from the Phillistines, but it is telling that an Israeli official would directly reference this event in the old testament as a dog whistle for today's genocide.

    Biblical texts identify five Philistine cities: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath. That's all you need to know.