I have been taught that there are three numbers in the Bible which are representative rather than precise. They are 3, 7 and 40. 3 is a very short time, 7 a middling period and 40 a long time. Perhaps it was a way of flagging the importance of the act and its description rather than giving accurate detailed measurements, i.e. this event is extremely/fairly/rather important and not "this took x amount of days, months, years or was such a height, depth, width". As Eve said, you didn't spend time counting each sheep or hen but rather made a very rough estimate. Exact numbers would have been saved for taking them to market. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: <GaryIvoDe@aol.com> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 11:03 PM Subject: [OEL] FORTY > 'forty foot broad, and forescore ells long' - it makes one wonder whether > Elizabethans used 'forty' and 'fourscore', not as precise measurements but > rather as a general but imprecise indication of large size or number. > ======================== > The Bible reflects the use of "forty" in much the same way. Forty days and > forty > nights of rain and wasn't it forty years of wandering in the desert? An > imprecise > length of time but a long time. > > Gary > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > SEARCHABLE archives for OLD-ENGLISH: > http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=OLD-ENGLISH > >

> ... you didn't spend time counting each > sheep or hen but rather made a very rough estimate. Exact numbers would have > been saved for taking them to market. > Audrey > Not always, I think, Audrey. Friends of mine had a mixed farm south of Hereford, with about 30 cattle and 100 sheep. They used to count them every night, just to make sure none had strayed or gotten bogged in a ditch. Every once in a while - sure enough - one or more did get bogged, and on one occasion a cow was found to have died giving birth in a ditch. The counting was a chore, but they reckoned it was worth while. Gordon

Hello Gordon I'd love to know their method of counting them. Were they able to stand on higher ground and count them as they were comparatively stationery or did they drive them, one by one, through a narrow gate? Were these animals grazed on enclosed fields or on moorland? I do have to say that I do not doubt that your friends counted every one of their animals and, as you say, it must have been a labour of love, but then looking after animals is just that, isn't it. Audrey ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gordon Barlow" <barlow@candw.ky> To: <OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 6:26 PM Subject: Re: [OEL] FORTY > > ... you didn't spend time counting each > > sheep or hen but rather made a very rough estimate. Exact numbers would > have > > been saved for taking them to market. > > Audrey > > > Not always, I think, Audrey. Friends of mine had a mixed farm south of > Hereford, with about 30 cattle and 100 sheep. They used to count them every > night, just to make sure none had strayed or gotten bogged in a ditch. > Every once in a while - sure enough - one or more did get bogged, and on one > occasion a cow was found to have died giving birth in a ditch. The counting > was a chore, but they reckoned it was worth while. > > Gordon > > > ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== > OLD-ENGLISH Web Page > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ > >