David Plotz: Samson 'The Dumbest Jew Who Ever Lived'

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/03/07/David_Plotz_-_The_Bible_Disturbing_Hilarious_Inspiring

David Plotz, editor of Slate Magazine, offers two examples of Old Testament figures who he feels do not live up to their traditionally high reputations. Plotz takes particular issue with Samson, who he calls the "dumbest Jew who ever lived."

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Like many Jews and Christians, David Plotz, editor of Slate Magazine, long assumed he knew what was in the Bible. He read parts of it as a child in Hebrew school, then at-tended a Christian high school where he studied the Old and New Testaments.

Many of the highlights stuck with him--Adam and Eve, Cain versus Abel, Jacob versus Esau, Jonah versus whale, forty days and nights, ten plagues and commandments, twelve tribes and apostles, Red Sea walked under, Galilee walked on, bush into fire, rock into water, water into wine. And, of course, he absorbed from all around him other bits of the Bible--from stories he heard in churches and synagogues, in movies and on television, from his parents and teachers.

But it wasn't until he picked up a Bible at a cousin's bat mitzvah--and became engrossed and horrified by a lesser-known story in Genesis--that he couldn't put it down. - Politics and Prose Bookstore

David Plotz is Slate's editor. He is the author of Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible. In 1992, Plotz graduated from Harvard. Prior to his work at Slate, he worked as a paralegal for the Department of Justice, which he disliked, switching to journalism. Thereafter, he served as a writer and editor for the Washington City Paper. He joined Slate when it launched in 1996.

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[atomus]

You got it wrong

YOU are the dumbest jew that ever lived

[sugarpuddin88]

Religion & Scientology are tax-exempt; & like the fairy tales Mother Goose & Jack and the Bean stalk: Written to help the frightened little monkeys sleep at night

The belief in one fairy tale over another is completely arbitrary - And depends on which frightening story you heard as a child

In reality, people are simply afraid of the responsibility associated with having an "internal locus of control" - Thus, they invent saviors to hide behind when it gets dark out at night

[hilaed]

lol the ppl who respond here are such close minded conformist ppl. unbelieveable! open ur goddamn minds! think OUTSIDE THE BOX! you're just thinking in the ways other ppl who are idiots think and yet ur so confident. dammit

[foreskinforest]

Dumb? Just human.

[knowthingman]

uhhh.....well he forgot to mention that sampson entrusted his secrets and put himself in a position of unconditional trust and dependence on a woman...

...so yeah i think he must might be the dumbest jewdude ever, lol

[roottruthseeker]

Jacob the con artest is the father of Israel....go figure

[scizahands]

Respond to this video... physical you can't see me but i will see u soon you forget one thing as we change we are connected that punk ass statement conected us so i will see u soon and fuckyou language its stolen anyway. YOU fake jews will die soon.

[jamjr1972]

with the last name plotz i wonder what's your agenda!??? probably don't like King Solomon because he's black! Job, Moses. Lamentations 5 tells you who the chosen people are! God scares me how he works, but he awes me all the time! the bibles came from the Torah and Jewish people say they are the chosen people of God! read Genesis 15:13 to start! how old is the Torah and how long us Israelites been slaves? 400 years? Amorites saying they are the chosen, woe! Jesus said that too huh?