...the Egyptians were the laid-back Californians of their times, and probably would have spent all their time surfing if the Mediterranean had better waves. It's probably just what it looked like.

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A. Aharei Mot 9:8 - "'You should not follow the acts of Egypt or the acts of the land of Canaan (Lev. 18:3)' - Is it conceivable that the Israelites should not build buildings or plant plantings as the Egyptians and Canaanites do? The Torah states: 'You should not follow their practices' - implying 'I, God, have declared prohibited only the practices which they and their ancestors established.' And what did they do? A man would marry a man and a woman would marry a woman, a man would marry a woman and her daughter, and a woman would be married to two men. Regarding these it is said: 'You shall not follow their practices.'"

B. Hilchot Issurei Bi'ah 21:8 - "For women to play around with one another is forbidden and belongs to 'the practices of the Egyptians' concerning which we have been warned, 'You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt'... But though such conduct is forbidden, it is not punishable by lashing since there is no specific prohibition against it and in any case no sexual intercourse takes place at all. Consequently, such women are not forbidden to the priesthood on account of unchastity, nor is a woman prohibited to her husband because of it, since this does not constitute unchastity. But it is appropriate to flog such women since they have done a forbidden thing. A man should be particularly strict with his wife in this matter, and should prevent women known to indulge in such practices from visiting her, and her from going to visit them."

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The ancient Jews, of course, were not amused. Israel in those days was something like Texas, smack dab in the middle of the ancient Bible Belt.

Cheers,

Puddin'

A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style