Introduction
Victorian Christmas celebrations included hanging nuts, typically sugared almonds, on the tree. This symbolic gesture goes back to a Christian interpretation of a passage from Numbers, which was known in England as long ago as the 10th century.
THE maidenhood of Mary was manifoldly betokened in the old law.*
God bade Moses, the leader, take twelve dry rods from the twelve tribes of the people of Israel, and lay them before the holy ark within the great tabernacle: and he would by those rods declare whom he had chosen for bishop.** Then, on the second day, Aaron's rod was found growing with boughs, and blowing, and bearing nuts.
Verily the dry rod, which was not planted in the earth, nor clothed with any rind, nor with sap quickened, and yet grew, and blew, and bare nuts, betokened the blessed Mary, who had no society of man, and yet bare the Living Fruit, who is the true Bishop and the Redeemer of our souls.
See Numbers 17.
** That is, as High Priest of the people of Israel. The word ‘bishop’ basically means ‘overseer’, one who watches over the congregation.
Précis
Elfric, an Anglo-Saxon abbot, connected the virgin birth to a story in Numbers. The tribes of Israel left twelve dry sticks overnight before the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron’s stick blossomed, though dead, and he was chosen as Israel’s High Priest; Mary gave birth to a child, though she was a virgin, and that child was the Saviour of mankind. (60 / 60 words)
Elfric, an Anglo-Saxon abbot, connected the virgin birth to a story in Numbers. The tribes of Israel left twelve dry sticks overnight before the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron’s stick blossomed, though dead, and he was chosen as Israel’s High Priest; Mary gave birth to a child, though she was a virgin, and that child was the Saviour of mankind.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, if, just, may, must, otherwise, since, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Any. Nor. Take.
2 Ark. Bearing. Living.
3 Day. People. Which.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
trd (9+1)
tiered. tirade. tired. toured. trade. tread. triad. tried. trod.
trad.
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