Quote:
Originally Posted by Ea
I remember reading something once about how when a deal was sealed between two men, they'd hold each others testicles (I think this was in the Middle eastern region). But the thing about the bible being a replacement - considered more decourous - was new to me.
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I had never heard that either, and I doubt it's true. The
Random House note on origins of "testify" and "testicle" notes that, "There is no evidence anywhere that a Roman or a Greek had to put his hand on his testicles in order to validate his testimony when swearing in court," although they go on to state that, "The Latin word testis originally meant 'witness'. It comes from the Indo-European roots *tre- meaning 'three' and *sta- meaning 'stand'. A witness was 'a third person standing by'. From that came the verb testificare 'to bear witness', which evolved into Middle English testify in the fourteenth century," and "Where it gets confusing is that testis also—although not originally—meant testicle in Latin."
The Bible writers, who of course had no Latin background, speak of swearing an oath by placing a hand under the thigh. This isn't quite the same as placing it on the genitals, but close, as a hand under the thigh is usually considered more than simply a friendly greeting. Whether it was a euphemism for the actual act of placing a hand on someone's testicles I can't say. Most likely, there is a connection, but it's unclear just how close that connection is.
Genesis 24:2-4, New International Version (1984):
.....He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."
Since the hand was placed under the thigh of the one being sworn
to, it hardly seems to follow that the one testifying is, in effect, saying, "You can cut off my balls if I’m lying," to quote Ms. Ackerman's colorful phrase; at least not in the instances to which the Bible refers.