The Camel and the Eye of a Needle

Jesus' well-known saying about the difficulty of a rich man entering into heaven has caused trouble for interpreters for years. In order to soften the saying, some preachers in the past have appealed to the presence of a natural stone arch in Israel nicknamed "the eye of a needle" that was big enough for a small camel to squeeze through if it was on its knees. Thus, they taught, a rich man can enter into heaven if he bows his knee in submission to God. Unfortunately, no such arch existed. A more natural interpretation is that Jesus was simply using a common figure of speech called hyperbole, or exaggeration, to make a point.

Mission Impossible (2009) (3 1/4" x 3 1/4" x 10 1/8")

mixed media in metal box

back view

The clear pillar in the center of the box was prepared by stuffing dollar bills into a rubber tube, filling it with polyester resin, and puncturing the tubing with sewing needles. When the polymer had set up, the tubing was then cut off and removed.