I get it. The Assyrians came down and conquered what had been Joseph's territory.

Too bad about Sandy Paton's dulcimers, Joe. I'm sorry you didn't get to hear them, but I certainly sympathize with her point of view.

If you like Bible history, here is a fascinating book which I found in my public library:
   
101 Myths of the Bible: How Ancient Scribes Invented Biblical History by Gary Greenberg (Paperback - Sep 2002)

It shows how Bible tales are linked to other mythologies of the ancient Near East.

A true story - Greenberg's book describes an Egyptian myth of two gods, Tohu and Bohu, who are in constant turmoil. Shortly after reading about them, we were in Paris, France, and on a placard in a train station we saw an ad that started, "If you don't like the tohu-bohu of the underground..." Remarkable! (the ad was in French, of course.)

Back to music - last night I was playing tunes from the Lutheran Book of Worship, and I came across one called Arise, My Soul Arise. The tune is a Finnish folk song. It is a crooked tune that is not in a regular key. Who can resist a crooked tune not in a regular key? Got to play it, see how it sounds, make it sing!

Since next week will be only my second offertory, I don't believe I will lay it on the congregation just yet. I'm thinking "Praise to the Lord" joined to "Holy Manna."