<font color='black' size='4' face='Times New Roman, Times, serif'><br>
<font color="black" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">
<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">
Subject: Eye of a needle | Ask.com Encyclopedia<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1_8213bac7-57ad-46cf-9931-cb1fbe51ddeb">
<div><font face="Arial" size="2"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle">http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle</a></font>
</div>
<div>"The eye of a needle" is part of a saying of <a title="Jesus" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Jesus?qsrc=3044">Jesus</a> recorded in the <a title="Synoptic gospels" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Synoptic_gospels?qsrc=3044">synoptic
gospels</a>:</div>
<dl>
<dd>I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. <a title="Book of Matthew" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Book_of_Matthew?qsrc=3044">Matthew</a> <a class="external text" target="_blank" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Matthew&verse=19:23-24&src=NIV" rel="nofollow">19:23-24</a></dd></dl>
<div>Parallel versions appear in <a title="Book of Mark" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Book_of_Mark?qsrc=3044">Mark</a> <a class="external text" target="_blank" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Mark&verse=10:24-25&src=NIV" rel="nofollow">10:24-25</a>, and <a title="Book of Luke" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Book_of_Luke?qsrc=3044">Luke</a> <a class="external text" target="_blank" href="http://bibref.hebtools.com/?book=%20Luke&verse=18:24-25&src=NIV" rel="nofollow">18:24-25</a>.</div>
<div>The saying was a response to a <a title="Jesus and the rich young man" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Jesus_and_the_rich_young_man?qsrc=3044">young rich
man</a> who had asked Jesus what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal
life. Jesus replied that he should keep the commandments, to which the man
stated he had done. Jesus responded, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your
possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me." The young man became sad and was unwilling to do this. Jesus
then spoke this response, leaving his disciples astonished.</div>
<div>The "eye of a needle" has been claimed to be a gate in Jerusalem, which
opened after the main gate was closed at night. A camel could only pass through
this smaller gate if it was stooped and had its baggage removed. This story has
been put forth since at least the 15th century, and possibly as far back as the
9th century. However, there is no evidence for the existence of such a gate.<sup id="cite_ref-Rozienkow_2-0" class="reference"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_note-Rozienkow-2">[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_note-3">[4]</a></sup></div>
<div>Variations on this story include that of ancient inns having small entrances
to thwart thieves, or a story of an old mountain pass known as the "eye of the
needle", so narrow that merchants would have to dismount from their camels and
were thus were more vulnerable to waiting <a title="Brigands" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Brigands?qsrc=3044">brigands</a>. There is no
historical evidence for any of these, either.</div>
<div><a title="Cyril of Alexandria" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Cyril_of_Alexandria?qsrc=3044">Cyril of
Alexandria</a> claimed that "camel" is a Greek misprint; that <i>kamêlos</i>
(camel) was a misprint of <i>kamilos</i>, meaning "rope" or "cable".<sup id="cite_ref-camel_1-1" class="reference"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_note-camel-1">[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_note-4">[5]</a></sup> However
evidence for such a Greek term is weak, there is little or no Greek manuscript
support, and it goes against the standard principle of textual criticism that
errors tend to happen towards the easier reading, not against it.</div>
<li id="cite_note-Rozienkow-2"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_ref-Rozienkow_2-0"><span class="343502903-14102012"><font color="#000000">3. </font></span>↑</a> Егор
Розенков, <i>Верблюд и игольное ушко</i> // Духовный вестник высшей школы, № 8
(24), 01.09.2007</li>
<li id="cite_note-3"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Eye_of_a_needle#cite_ref-3"><span class="343502903-14102012"><font color="#000000">4. </font></span>↑</a> <span class="citation book">Morris, Leon (1992). <i>The Gospel according to
Matthew</i>. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. p. 493. <a title="International Standard Book Number" target="_blank" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number?qsrc=3044">ISBN</a> <a title="Special:BookSources/978-0-8511-1338-8" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8511-1338-8">978-0-8511-1338-8</a>.</span></li>
<li><span class="citation book"></span><br>
</li>
</div>
<!-- end of AOLMsgPart_1_8213bac7-57ad-46cf-9931-cb1fbe51ddeb -->
</div>
</font></font>