Joe Hodson

@joehodson

Paralegal with masters in international maritime law, interested in languages, ethics, governance, environmental protection and human rights. Mythology-loving humanist.

65,334 Following11,548 Followers1,910 Posts

YouTube YouTube Bluesky

Is this your profile?Claim it and joehodson.dirty.social is yours.Claim profile

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 17d

Not sure about the extent of that. I notice the same word for "evil" (inflections aside) being applied in the poem both to the actions of the suitors *and* to what Odysseus then does to them, for example.

155 ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν, ξενίη τε τράπεζα 156 ἱστίη τʼ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἣν ἀφικάνω, 157 ὡς ἦ τοι Ὀδυσεὺς ἤδη ἐν πατρίδι γαίῃ, 158 ἥμενος ἢ ἕρπων, τάδε πευθόμενος κακὰ ἔργα, 159 ἔστιν, ἀτὰρ μνηστῆρσι κακὸν πάντεσσι φυτεύει‧ [17.155 ff.] Be my witness Zeus above all gods, and this hospitable board and the hearth of noble Odysseus to which I am come, that verily Odysseus is even now in his native land, resting or moving, learning of these evil deeds, and he is sowing the seeds of evil for all the wooers.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 17d

On boiling days like this, the way you can feel the senseless rapacity of plutocratic extractivism on your very skin reminds me of these brilliant lines from Tolkien:

In fact with every step towards the gates of Mordor Frodo felt the Ring on its chain about his neck grow more burdensome. He was now beginning to feel it as an actual weight dragging him earthwards. But far more he was troubled by the Eye: so he called it to himself. It was that more than the drag of the Ring that made him cower and stoop as he walked. The Eye: that horrible growing sense of a hostile will

that strove with great power to pierce all shadows of cloud, and earth, and flesh, and to see you: to pin you under its deadly gaze, naked, immovable. So thin, so frail and thin, the veils were become that still warded it off. Frodo knew just where the present habitation and heart of that will now was: as certainly as a man can tell the direction of the sun with his eyes shut. He was facing it, and its potency beat upon his brow. Gollum probably felt something of the same sort. But what went on in his wretched heart between the pressure of the Eye, and the lust of the Ring that was so near, and his grovelling promise made half in the fear of cold iron, the hobbits did not guess.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 19d

Esperanto does similar:

Google translate of Esperanto "Usona" into English "American"

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 20d

Shareholder liability surely has to be part of the solution. People invent things like this without regard to social consequences *because the investment is there without regard to social consequences*.

Regulatory options might include new privacy legislation designed for the digital age, forcing manufacturers to make it far clearer when the glasses are recording – maybe even with an audible warning, like the beep of a reversing lorry – at least until we’re all primed to look twice at anyone in specs. But since that would make them insufferably embarrassing to wear, it’s unlikely to please tech companies seeking a lucrative mass market.

Another option could be holding manufacturers, not wearers, liable for malicious usage – though that could mean years of painfully slow litigation, concluding long after the damage is done. The nuclear option, meanwhile, would be a before-market regulatory regime for novel technology recognising its capacity for social harm, much as we have for clearing new pharmaceutical drugs or novel foodstuffs.

The best option is arguably the one history suggests is least likely to happen: for a myopic tech industry to start better anticipating, and designing out, potential harms that should be visible from space. There are some things, surely, that nobody needs smartglasses to see.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 26d

Interesting argument that PR unfairly disfavours various specific low-turnout geographic areas. However, I don't see that this outweighs the overall rectification of representation disparities and particularly the nationally crucial elimination of disproportionate majorities.

In comparison with drawing fair districts, proportional representation has some
shortcomings. Statewide proportional representation could well lead to some large geographic
parts of a state having representation while others do not. (This problem is partly mitigated in
the intermediate approach that, in larger states, would use large but not statewide multi-member
districts with PR.) An advocate of proportional representation might respond that this problem is
on the voters: if they really value broad geographic representation, then they should insist on it
by voting for candidates from the geographic places that matter to them. But that partial
response points to a deeper problem.
When different places or different groups have different rates of eligibility or turnout,
proportional representation disfavors the groups and places with lower eligibility and turnout.
This effect would have a substantial negative impact, for example, on Latino representation.
Proportional representation systematically disfavors the places where large populations of lower-
turnout groups live.
Let me make this point concrete. In California, in the most recent congressional midterm
election in 2022, the aforementioned representative Kevin Kiley won the highest-turnout district
in the state (CA-3 in the Sacramento exurbs) by winning 181,000 votes out of 338,000 total cast,
while his fellow Republican David Valadao won the lowest-turnout district (CA-22 in the
agricultural Central Valley) by winning 53,000 votes out of 103,000 total cast.51
In a statewide
proportional representation election, California would certainly elect many Republicans. But a
whole lot more of them would be representatives chosen by the people living in places like
Kiley’s district than by the people living in places like Valadao’s district—and that would also
be true of the Democrats the state would elect. To see this, consider that even the losing
candidate in Kiley’s distric…

Single-member districts instantiate the idea that place matters: that each geographic place
gets its own representative in Congress. Given today’s high level of partisan polarization, this
old idea may seem quaint. But it retains some practical appeal. Even today, different geographic
areas have somewhat distinct economic and social profiles. Competing candidates can speak to
these in ways that are difficult to do if everyone must run statewide (or in a very large portion of
the state, as in the case of large MMDs).
Finally, and this is important: Single-member geographic districts, by definition,
concentrate constituents in a geographic place. This allows candidates for the House of
Representatives to campaign in person, run town halls, and otherwise physically meet their
constituents in ways that Senate candidates, running statewide, find difficult in larger states. In
purely geographic terms, statewide PR would force every House candidate to campaign like a
Senate candidate. This would likely favor candidates with a broader political base and stronger
fundraising to pay for getting their message out to a more geographically dispersed set of
potential constituents. It might disfavor candidates whose main qualification is their
performance as a local official, and instead favor candidates with statewide fame, social-media
followings, or some other quick route to statewide name recognition. On the other hand, perhaps
PR will favor candidates who represent a statewide numerical-minority group of some sort that
today is too spread out to organize around a candidate, but would flex its political muscle to elect
one under PR. The question of exactly which candidates would do best under a statewide PR
system is difficult to predict. However, one thing is not difficult to predict: this will be a
decidedly different set of candidates than the ones well adapted to the current system.
That presents a major practical problem. While the me…

Joe Hodson@joehodson· 27d

share.google/zpeOBWrG0Ppc...

“The ICC is not claiming jurisdiction over conduct in the United States,” said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch. “Rubio is dressing up his quest for impunity for American war crimes under the label of national sovereignty, which ignores the sovereign right of other nations to invoke the ICC for crimes committed on their territory.”

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jul 10

And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a

storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jul 4

Struck by how the Odyssey repeatedly casts love for strangers - particularly unfortunate, war-battered and sea-battered strangers arriving in boats - as a core measurement of whether someone is civilised. In so many ways we've obviously progressed since then but embarrassingly not this central one!

170 ἦμος δʼ ἠριγένεια φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς, 171 καὶ τότʼ ἐγὼν ἀγορὴν θέμενος μετὰ πᾶσιν ἔειπον‧ 172 “«ἄλλοι μὲν νῦν μίμνετʼ, ἐμοὶ ἐρίηρες ἑταῖροι‧ 173 αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ σὺν νηί τʼ ἐμῇ καὶ ἐμοῖς ἑτάροισιν 174 ἐλθὼν τῶνδʼ ἀνδρῶν πειρήσομαι, οἵ τινές εἰσιν, [9.170 ff.] And as soon as early Dawn appeared, the rosy-fingered, I called my men together and spoke among them all: “‘Remain here now, all the rest of you, my trusty comrades, but I with my own ship and my own company will go and make trial of yonder men, to learn who they are, 175 ἤ ῥʼ οἵ γʼ ὑβρισταί τε καὶ ἄγριοι οὐδὲ δίκαιοι, 176 ἦε φιλόξεινοι, καί σφιν νόος ἐστὶ θεουδής.» 177 “ὣς εἰπὼν ἀνὰ νηὸς ἔβην, ἐκέλευσα δʼ ἑταίρους 178 αὐτούς τʼ ἀμβαίνειν ἀνά τε πρυμνήσια λῦσαι. 179 οἱ δʼ αἶψʼ εἴσβαινον καὶ ἐπὶ κληῖσι καθῖζον, [9.175 ff.] whether they are cruel, and wild, and unjust, or whether they love strangers and fear the gods in their thoughts.’ “So saying, I went on board the ship and bade my comrades themselves to embark, and to loose the stern cables. So they went on board straightway and sat down upon the benches,

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 26

Makes you wonder what roads philosophy might otherwise have taken - as with Adams' ill-fated girl in the Rickmansworth café.

And then, one Thursday, nearly two thousand years after one man had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change, a girl sitting on her own in a small café in Rickmansworth suddenly realized what it was that had been going wrong all this time, and she finally knew how the world could be made a good and happy place. This time it was right, it would work, and no one would have to get nailed to anything. Sadly, however, before she could get to a phone to tell anyone about it, a terrible, stupid catastrophe occurred, and the idea was lost for ever. This is not her story. But it is the story of that terrible stupid catastrophe and some of its consequences.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 20

Yup, guilty as charged.

Listifications message telling me I'm on the "Hates AI Crypto Smart-glasses NFTs Bitcoin GLP1 or VR" list

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 9

What gets me about the tragic ending of Medea is this infuriating chorus member who ostentatiously dithers and ponders whether to intervene to save the children - so much so that the children overhear and yell "yes, intervene you clod or we'll die!" - but then just fails to do so, sans explanation!

Παῖδες Pueri <ἔνδοθεν.> <Intus.> <Within.> αἰαῖ. Vae mihi! Alas! Χορός Chorus [στρ. β. / strophe2 —ἀκούεις βοὰν ἀκούεις τέκνων; 1273 —Audis clamorem? Audis liberos? —Do you hear the cry? Do you hear the children? —ἰὼ τλᾶμον͵ ὦ κακοτυχὲς γύναι. 1274 —O misera, O mulier infelix. —O wretch, O ill-fated woman! Παῖς Puer I —οἴμοι͵ τί δράσω; ποῖ φύγω μητρὸς χέρας; 1271 —Vae mihi, quid faciam? Quo effugiam matris manus? —Alas! what shall I do? Whither shall I fly from my mother’s hand. Παῖς ἑτερος Puer II —οὐκ οἶδ΄͵ ἄδελφε φίλτατ΄· ὀλλύμεσθα γάρ. 1272 —Nescio, carissime frater; actum enim est de nobis. —I know not, dearest brother, for we perish. Χορός Chorus —παρέλθω δόμους; ἀρῆξαι φόνον

—Accedam domum? Depellere necem —Shall I enter the house? To ward off the murderous blow δοκεῖ μοι τέκνοις. a liberis iam placet. from the children seems right to me. Παῖδες Pueri —ναί͵ πρὸς θεῶν͵ ἀρήξατ΄· ἐν δέοντι γάρ. —Verum, per deos, ferte opem; occasio enim postulat. —Yes, by the gods, assist us; for it is in needful time. —ὡς ἐγγὺς ἤδη γ΄ ἐσμὲν ἀρκύων ξίφους. —Quis sumus iam prope retia gladii. —Since now at least we are near the destruction of the sword. Χορός Chorus —τάλαιν΄͵ ὡς ἄρ΄ ἦσθα πέτρος ἢ σίδα- —O misera, quam es saxum aut ferrum, —Miserable woman, are you then a rock, or iron, ρος͵ ἅτις τέκνων 1280 quae liberorum who the fair crop of children ὃν ἔτεκες ἄροτον αὐτόχειρι μοίρᾳ κτενεῖς. quos peperisti, frugem homicidiali modo occîdes? which you produced yourself cut down with death?

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 6

A disturbingly chocolatey evocation of Acts 1:18

Twirl advert at High Wycombe station showing a very intestinal looking cross section of a twirl bar with caption "zero to chocolatey in milliseconds"

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 6

The all-time pinnacle of the art of small-talk:

Lennox Goes the king hence to-day? Macbeth He does: he did appoint so. Lennox The night has been unruly: where we lay, Our chimneys were blown down; and, as they say, Lamentings heard i’ the air; strange screams of death, And prophesying with accents terrible Of dire combustion and confused events New hatch’d to the woeful time: the obscure bird Clamour’d the livelong night: some say, the earth Was feverous and did shake. Macbeth ’Twas a rough night. Lennox My young remembrance cannot parallel A fellow to it. Re-enter Macduff Macduff O horror, horror, horror! Tongue nor heart Cannot conceive nor name thee! Macbeth Lennox What’s the matter.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Jun 2

Walk home from station a tad more glorious than usual today

Stormclouds burst asunder by sun and blue sky above trees and bridges

Rainbow and clouds over trees and bridge

Very faint end of rainbow straight ahead, clouds above, trees, hedges and houses on sides of road

Joe Hodson@joehodson· May 21

The barrow wights. Their recent on-screen portrayal really didn't do justice to the simple eeriness of this description:

He imagined suddenly that he caught a muffled cry, and he made towards it; and even as he went forward the mist was rolled up and thrust aside, and the starry sky was unveiled. A glance showed him that he was now facing southwards and was on a round hill-top, which he must have climbed from the north. Out of the east the biting wind was blowing. To his right there loomed against the westward stars a dark black shape. A great barrow stood there.

‘Where are you?’ he cried again, both angry and afraid. ‘Here!’ said a voice, deep and cold, that seemed to come out of the ground. ‘I am waiting for you!’ ‘No!’ said Frodo; but he did not run away. His knees gave, and he fell on the ground. Nothing happened, and there was no sound. Trembling he looked up, in time to see a tall dark figure like a shadow against the stars. It leaned over him. He thought there were two eyes, very cold though lit with a pale light that seemed to come from some remote distance. Then a grip stronger and colder than iron seized him. The icy touch froze his bones, and he remembered no more.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· May 15

Enjoyed hearing Challenger speak before about human exceptionalism - thus looking forward to this! Alive: How Life is Unique & Why it Matters with Melanie Challenger - Kairos share.google/D48Hc1HS7nia...

Alive: How Life is Unique & Why it Matters with Melanie Challenger
Thursday May 21st 2026
Doors & drinks at 6.30pm; Talk starts 7pm

We’re having some issues with our online booking system. If you’re unable to book tickets via our website, please email events@kairos.london and we’ll put your name on the door. Apologies for the inconvenience. We hope it will be fixed soon.

Life is not just another physical process. When life appeared on Earth it introduced something radically new into the universe: purposeful bodies that actively work to keep themselves alive.

Unlike non-living matter, life-forms continually maintain themselves, repair damage, avoid danger and reproduce. Evolution refines these forms over time, but their purposiveness begins in the living body itself.

With life, the world stops being only a chain of physical events. It becomes a place where plants, animals, and even microbes constantly sense, evaluate and act in ways that protect and sustain their lives. This makes life inherently intelligent, agentive and meaningful – not a biological machine run by genes but living forms pursuing what matters to them.

Melanie Challenger, author of "Alive: The Hidden Intelligence of the Living World" and "How to Be Animal", will discuss how understanding life in this way changes how we see the world. She will explain how The Earth becomes a realm of purposeful beings and how this reshapes how we see life, nature, and ourselves.

Melanie's talk will be followed by a one-pot vegan supper and discussion.

She previously spoke at Kairos in May 2024 on The Joys (& Tribulations) of Being Animal.

Kairos, 84 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TG

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 26

Breathtaking carelessness. These are not serious people.

Patrick Galey, the head of investigations for the Global Witness climate campaign, said: “We have a handful of years until our carbon budget is exhausted.

“To waste what little bandwidth we have left – when 750 million people worldwide lack access to electricity – assisting some of the richest men ever to hone their plagiarism bots would be a historic idiocy that future generations are unlikely to forgive today’s leaders for.”

“The situation has now been revealed to be much, much worse, given the fact the government doesn’t seem to have done even the most basic arithmetic needed to measure the potential new carbon emissions of these datacentres.”

The government declined to comment on the record.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 7

What Drives Climate Action? with Kris de Meyer - Kairos share.google/nBQw194d8oTw...

What Drives Climate Action? with Kris de Meyer
Tuesday April 7th 2026 
Doors & drinks at 6.30pm; Talk starts 7pm

Knowledge, awareness, 'believing in climate change', worry, concern and anxiety: Just a few of the things that are thought to be necessary or useful conditions to lead to climate action. But what if this is wrong?

Neuroscientist Kris de Meyer is director of the Climate Action Unit at University College London where he uses insights from neuroscience and psychology to change how we think, talk about and act on climate change.

In this talk, followed by plenty of time for discussion, he'll use neuroscience to explain why knowledge doesn't necessarily translate into action, why fear can have unwanted effects and what we all can do to remain focused and active.

The evening will include a break for a one-pot vegan supper.

Kairos, 84 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4TG

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 5

Feel like I've just witnessed some sort of mysterious ceremony

Gulls lining both sides of a short bridge over a stream, all silent and mostly facing the same direction in an attentive-seeming manner.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 4

I think partly this is just how this author talks to and about everyone, and some of the same formulae are used when he talks to Gaius in 3 John, though to my mind he doesn't seem to get quite so carried away with them there.

Greeting ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Γ´ 1 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. 3 JOHN 1 a The elder to the beloved Gaius, b whom I love in truth. 2Ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή. 2Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3ἐχάρην γὰρ λίαν ἐρχομένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαρτυρούντων σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατεῖς. 3For c I rejoiced greatly when the brothers [1] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that d my children are walking in the truth. Support and Opposition 5Ἀγαπητέ, πιστὸν ποιεῖς ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοῦτο ξένους, 5Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for e these brothers, f strangers as they are, 6οἳ ἐμαρτύρησάν σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐνώπιον ἐκκλησίας, οὓς καλῶς ποιήσεις προπέμψας ἀξίως τοῦ θεοῦ· 6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner g worthy of God. 7ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐξῆλθον μηδὲν λαμβάνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνικῶν.

7For they have gone out for the sake of h the name, i accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8ἡμεῖς οὖν ὀφείλομεν ὑπολαμβάνειν τοὺς τοιούτους, ἵνα συνεργοὶ γινώμεθα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. 8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. 9Ἔγραψά τι τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἀλλʼ ὁ φιλοπρωτεύων αὐτῶν Διοτρέφης οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται ἡμᾶς. 9I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10διὰ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἔλθω, ὑπομνήσω αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιεῖ λόγοις πονηροῖς φλυαρῶν ἡμᾶς, καὶ μὴ ἀρκούμενος ἐπὶ τούτοις οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐπιδέχεται τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους κωλύει καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκβάλλει. 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. 11Ἀγαπητέ, μὴ μιμοῦ τὸ κακὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθόν. ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν· ὁ κακοποιῶν οὐχ ἑώρακεν τὸν θεόν. 11Beloved, j do not imitate evil but imitate good. k Whoever does good is from God; l whoever does evil has not seen God. 12Δημητρίῳ μεμαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπὸ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ οἶδας ὅτι ἡ μαρτυρία ἡμῶν ἀληθής ἐστιν. 12Demetrius m has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and n you know that our testimony is true. Final Greetings

13Πολλὰ εἶχον γράψαι σοι ἀλλʼ οὐ θέλω διὰ μέλανος καὶ καλάμου σοι γράφειν· 13 o I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14ἐλπίζω δὲ εὐθέως σε ἰδεῖν, καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λἁλήσομεν. 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. 15Εἰρήνη σοι. ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ φίλοι. ἀσπάζου τοὺς φίλους κατʼ ὄνομα. 15Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, p each by name.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 4

Blumell's take on "Lady Eclecte" in 2 John is a really interesting one. I am then struck by the impression that some of these lines make it sound to my worldly ears like John/the Elder is trying to hit on her, albeit just subtly enough to maintain plausible deniability!

Greeting ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β´ 1 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς, οὓς ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν, 2 JOHN 1 a The elder to the elect lady and her children, b whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who c know d the truth, 2διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν μένουσαν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. 2 e because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: 3ἔσται μεθʼ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ. 3 f Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. Walking in Truth and Love 4Ἐχάρην λίαν ὅτι εὕρηκα ἐκ τῶν τέκνων σου περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός. 4 g I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5καὶ νῦν ἐρωτῶ σε, κυρία, οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφων σοι ἀλλὰ ἣν εἴχομεν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους. 5And now I ask you, dear lady— h not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning— i that we love one another. 6καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, ἵνα περιπατῶμεν κατὰ τὰς

6καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, ἵνα περιπατῶμεν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· αὕτη ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν, καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῆτε. 6And j this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just k as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7Ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος. 7For l many deceivers m have gone out into the world, n those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8βλέπετε ἑαυτούς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσητε ἃ εἰργασάμεθα ἀλλὰ μισθὸν πλήρη ἀπολάβητε. 8Watch yourselves, o so that you may not lose what we [1] have worked for, but p may win a full reward. 9Πᾶς ὁ προάγων καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει· ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ, οὗτος καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει. 9Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, q does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching q has both the Father and the Son. 10εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει, μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν καὶ χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε· 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, r do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11ὁ λέγων γὰρ αὐτῷ χαίρειν κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς. 11for whoever greets him s takes part in his wicked works.

Final Greetings 12Πολλὰ ἔχων ὑμῖν γράφειν οὐκ ἐβουλήθην διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος, ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω γενέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλῆσαι, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν πεπληρωμένη ᾖ. 12 t Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. u Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, v so that our joy may be complete. 13Ἀσπάζεταί σε τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς. 13The children of your elect sister greet you.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 3

Thought I'd come and spend Easter in a part of the country I haven't been to before

Sea frothing and lashing cliffs at Newquay

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 3

And the other major headscratcher - wasn't Judas bringing about God's will by this "betrayal"? Suppose he changed his mind and got cold feet - would he not then have been disobeying and undermining Jesus? Here Jesus both tells him to do it (in John) and condemns him for it (in all the synoptics)!

21After saying these things, v Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, w “Truly, truly, I say to you, x one of you will betray me.” 22ἔβλεπον εἰς ἀλλήλους οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀπορούμενοι περὶ τίνος λέγει. 22 y The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23ἦν ἀνακείμενος εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς. 23 z One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table a at Jesus’ side, [5] 24νεύει οὖν τούτῳ Σίμων Πέτρος πυθέσθαι τίς ἂν εἴη περὶ οὗ λέγει. 24so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus [6] of whom he was speaking. 25ἀναπεσὼν οὖν ἐκεῖνος οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ· κύριε, τίς ἐστιν; 25 b So that disciple, c leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26ἀποκρίνεται [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ᾧ ἐγὼ βάψω τὸ ψωμίον καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ. βάψας οὖν τὸ ψωμίον [λαμβάνει καὶ] δίδωσιν Ἰούδᾳ Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου. 26Jesus answered, d “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread e when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, f he gave it to Judas, g the son of Simon Iscariot. 27καὶ μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον τότε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ὁ σατανᾶς. λέγει οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὃ ποιεῖς ποίησον τάχιον. 27Then after he had taken the morsel, h Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, i “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28τοῦτο [δὲ] οὐδεὶς ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων πρὸς τί εἶπεν αὐτῷ· 28Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29τινὲς γὰρ ἐδόκουν, ἐπεὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον εἶχεν Ἰούδας, ὅτι λέγει αὐτῷ [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἀγόρασον ὧν χρείαν ἔχομεν εἰς

where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15καὶ αὐτὸς ὑμῖν δείξει ἀνάγαιον μέγα ἐστρωμένον ἕτοιμον· καὶ ἐκεῖ ἑτοιμάσατε ἡμῖν. 15And he will show you v a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16καὶ ἐξῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εὗρον καθὼς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἡτοίμασαν τὸ πάσχα. 16And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 17Καὶ ὀψίας γενομένης ἔρχεται μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα. 17 w And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18καὶ ἀνακειμένων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐσθιόντων ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με ὁ ἐσθίων μετʼ ἐμοῦ. 18And as they were reclining at table and eating, x Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, y one who is eating with me.” 19ἤρξαντο λυπεῖσθαι καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ εἷς κατὰ εἷς· μήτι ἐγώ; 19They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· εἷς τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος μετʼ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὸ τρύβλιον. 20He said to them, “It is z one of the twelve, y one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21ὅτι ὁ μὲν υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὑπάγει καθὼς γέγραπται περὶ αὐτοῦ, οὐαὶ δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ διʼ οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται· καλὸν αὐτῷ εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος. 21For the Son of Man goes a as it is written of him, but b woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! c It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” Institution of the Lord’s Supper 22Καὶ ἐσθιόντων αὐτῶν λαβὼν ἄρτον εὐλογήσας

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 3

I don't like the contradictory story in Acts, which had younger me yet more disturbed and confused - how do you get from hanging to disembowelment via a "headlong" fall? But more importantly, it has Judas rather than the priests as the purchaser of the field, thus denying his moment of integrity.

προσευχῇ σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ Μαριὰμ τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ. 14All these f with one accord g were devoting themselves to prayer, together with h the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and i his brothers. [3] 15Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀναστὰς Πέτρος ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἶπεν· ἦν τε ὄχλος ὀνομάτων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι· 15In those days Peter stood up among j the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφὴν ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ περὶ Ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, 16“Brothers, k the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, l who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης. 17For m he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in n this ministry.” 18οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ· 18(Now this man o acquired a field with p the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong [4] he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19καὶ γνωστὸν ἐγένετο πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὥστε κληθῆναι τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ αὐτῶν Ἁκελδαμάχ, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν χωρίον αἵματος. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called q in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν· γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, καί· τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος. 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Apr 3

It's a shame that Judas Iscariot is mostly only remembered as the archetypal traitor, because in Matthew 27 he also displays an oddly rare level of integrity by refusing to benefit from his blood money when he realises that that's what it is. For plutocrats he's actually a moral exemplar here!

Jesus Delivered to Pilate ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΘΘΑΙΟΝ 27 Πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης συμβούλιον ἔλαβον πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὥστε θανατῶσαι αὐτόν· MATTHEW 27 w When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people x took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2καὶ δήσαντες αὐτὸν ἀπήγαγον καὶ παρέδωκαν Πιλάτῳ τῷ ἡγεμόνι. 2And they bound him and y led him away and z delivered him over to a Pilate the governor. Judas Hangs Himself 3Τότε ἰδὼν Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν ὅτι κατεκρίθη, μεταμεληθεὶς ἔστρεψεν τὰ τριάκοντα ἀργύρια τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν καὶ πρεσβυτέροις 3Then when b Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus [1] was condemned, c he changed his mind and brought back d the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4λέγων· ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα ἀθῷον. οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; σὺ ὄψῃ. 4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? e See to it yourself.” 5καὶ ῥίψας τὰ ἀργύρια εἰς τὸν ναὸν ἀνεχώρησεν, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἀπήγξατο. 5And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, f he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς λαβόντες τὰ ἀργύρια εἶπαν· οὐκ ἔξεστιν βαλεῖν αὐτὰ εἰς τὸν κορβανᾶν, ἐπεὶ τιμὴ αἵματός ἐστιν. 6But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into g the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7συμβούλιον δὲ λαβόντες ἠγόρασαν ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸν ἀγρὸν τοῦ κεραμέως εἰς ταφὴν τοῖς ξένοις. 7So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Mar 29

The way the conversation of the crucified criminals in Luke is portrayed is morally back to front. The angry one is actually making a perfectly reasonable point - he should indeed save them from this. The other one conflates guilt with proportionality - but fails to justify inhumane punishment.

Ἰουδαίων οὗτος. 38 g There was also an inscription over him, [3] “This is f the King of the Jews.” 39Εἷς δὲ τῶν κρεμασθέντων κακούργων ἐβλασφήμει αὐτὸν λέγων· οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστός; σῶσον σεαυτὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς. 39 h One of the criminals who were hanged i railed at him, [4] saying, “Are you not j the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἕτερος ἐπιτιμῶν αὐτῷ ἔφη· οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματι εἶ; 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως, ἄξια γὰρ ὧν ἐπράξαμεν ἀπολαμβάνομεν· οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲν ἄτοπον ἔπραξεν. 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42καὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἰησοῦ, μνήσθητί μου ὅταν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν σου. 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me k when you come into your kingdom.” 43καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἀμήν σοι λέγω, σήμερον μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in l Paradise.” The Death of Jesus 44Καὶ ἦν ἤδη ὡσεὶ ὥρα ἕκτη καὶ σκότος ἐγένετο ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν γῆν ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης 44 m It was now about the sixth hour, [5] and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [6]

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Mar 26

י ן מ תְּ כַנְּש . וְּכָּרֹוזָּא, קָּ רֵ א בְּ חָּ י ל: לְּ כֹון אָּ מְּ ר ין עַמְּ מַ יָּא, אֻׁמַ יָּא וְּל שָּ נַיָּא vecharoza karei vechayil; lechon amerin amemaya, ummaya velishanaya And the herald cried aloud: 'To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, בְּ ע דָּ נָּא ד י -ת שְּ מְּ עּון קָּ ל קַ רְּ נָּא מַ שְּ רֹוק יתָּ א קַ תְּ רֹס ׂשַ בְּ כָּא פְּ סַ נְּתֵ ר ין, סּומְּ פֹנְּיָּא, וְּכֹל, זְּנֵי זְּמָּ רָּ א be'iddana di-tishme'un kal karna mashrokita katros sabbecha pesanterin sumeponeyah, vechol zenei zemara that at what time ye hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ת פְּ לּון וְּת סְּ גְּדּון לְּ צֶלֶ ם דַ הֲ בָּ א, ד י הֲקֵ ים נְּבּוכַדְּ נֶצַר מַ לְּ כָּא tippelun vetisgedun letzelem dahava, di hakeim nevuchadnetzar malka ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up; ּומַ ן-ד י -לָּא י פֵ ל, וְּי סְּ גֻׁד --בַ ּה -שַ עֲתָּ א י תְּ רְּ מֵ א, לְּ גֹוא- אַ תּון נּורָּ א יָּק דְּ תָּ א uman-di-la yippel veyisgud; bah-sha'ata yitreme, lego-'attun nura yakidta and whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.'

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Mar 21

In schooldays I misread "misled" in this footnote from the LOTR appendices as though it were the past tense of a verb "to misle" (pronounced like the first two syllables of "miserly") which I thought meant something like "to confuse". I recall using that obliviously at least once before realising!

OF THE ELVES The Elves far back in the Elder Days became divided into two main branches: the West-elves (the Eldar) and the East-elves. Of the latter kind were most of the Elven-folk of Mirkwood and Lórien; but their languages do not appear in this history, in which all the Elvish names and words are of Eldarin form.1 Of the Eldarin tongues two are found in this book: the High-elven or Quenya, and the Grey-elven or Sindarin.

(Footnote) 1 In Lórien at this period Sindarin was spoken, though with an ‘accent’, since most of its folk were of Silvan origin. This ‘accent’ and his own limited acquaintance with Sindarin misled Frodo (as is pointed out in The Thain’s Book by a commentator of Gondor). All the Elvish words cited in Book Two chs 6, 7, 8 are in fact Sindarin, and so are most of the names of places and persons. But Lorien, Caras Galadhon, Amroth, Nimrodel are probably of Silvan origin, adapted to Sindarin.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Mar 17

I am curious about how Bel and the Dragon fits into this analysis. The denial of Bel's "livingness" seems more than just rhetorical here, as this story explains Bel's apparent manifestation via consumption of food and drink as being the product of human theatrics. And it happens on Bel's own turf.

1 And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus of Persia received his kingdom. 2 And Daniel conversed with the king, and was honoured above all his friends. 3 Now the Babylonians had an idol, called Bel, and there were spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine. 4 And the king worshipped it, and went daily to adore it: but Daniel worshipped his own God. And the king said unto him, Why dost not thou worship Bel? 5 Who answered and said, Because I may not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, who hath created the heaven and the earth, and hath sovereignty over all flesh. 6 Then said the king unto him, Thinkest thou not that Bel is a living god? seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day? 7 Then Daniel smiled, and said, O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, and did never eat or drink any thing. 8 So the king was wroth, and called for his priests, and said unto them, If ye tell me not who this is that devoureth these expences, ye shall die. 9 But if ye can certify me that Bel devoureth them, then Daniel shall die: for he hath spoken blasphemy against Bel. And Daniel said unto the king, Let it be according to thy word. 10 Now the priests of Bel were threescore and ten, beside their wives and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. 11 So Bel's priests said, Lo, we go out: but thou, O king, set on the meat, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thine own signet; 12 and to-morrow when thou comest in, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death: or else Daniel, that speaketh falsely against us.

13 And they little regarded it: for under the table they had made a privy entrance, whereby they entered in continually, and consumed those things. 14 So when they were gone forth, the king set meats before Bel. Now Daniel had commanded his servants to bring ashes, and those they strewed throughout all the temple in the presence of the king alone: then went they out, and shut the door, and sealed it with the king's signet, and so departed. 15 Now in the night came the priests with their wives and children, as they were wont to do, and did eat and drink up all. 16 In the morning betime the king arose, and Daniel with him. 17 And the king said, Daniel, are the seals whole? And he said, Yea, O king, they be whole. 18 And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried with a loud voice, Great art thou, O Bel, and with thee is no deceit at all. 19 Then laughed Daniel, and held the king that he should not go in, and said, Behold now the pavement, and mark well whose footsteps are these. 20 And the king said, I see the footsteps of men, women, and children. And then the king was angry, 21 and took the priests with their wives and children, who shewed him the private doors, where they came in, and consumed such things as were upon the table. 22 Therefore the king slew them, and delivered Bel into Daniel's power, who destroyed him and his temple. 23 And in that same place there was a great dragon, which they of Babylon worshipped. 24 And the king said unto Daniel, Wilt thou also say that this is of brass? lo, he liveth, he eateth and drinketh; thou canst not say that he is no living god: therefore worship him. 25 Then said Daniel unto the king, I will worship the Lord my God: for he is the living God.

Joe Hodson@joehodson· Mar 14

A badge of honour. And at least this time the listmaker is accusing me of a disposition that I actually hold, for once!