Why is Michaelangelo's famous DAVID not circumcised?
Mr. R. F. Sharratt, Montreal, Canada
- Because it would have taken more time to chip off that extra bit of stone.
Jim, Sydney, Australia
- As I remember, there was an interesting answer in Scientific American about 15-20 years ago. Michaelangelo's David actually is circumcised. He is circumsised in the old (former) way called the little millah in Hebrew, which is appropriate for the time at which David lived. At that time, circumcision was only what might be called a "tip clip." Later, when the Jews lived in Hellenic Egypt, the era about 100BC to about 200BC, the radical or full circumcision became standard (in part to emphasise the separateness from the Greeks). This is also the time when progressive Jews practiced foreskin restoration by stretching. Back in David's time there was just a minimal circumcision performed, which can often be misintrepreted as non-circumcision. Because that minimal cutting was easier to restore or to pass with, the more complete millah was introduced (possibly under influence of the Egyptians who practiced the more exteme for for millenia. Kinda adds a whole new wrinkle to the discussion?
Oldman, Northville, USA
- Without going into a long dissertation I think the model was not a Jew and was therefore not circumcised. Michaelangelo sculpted what he saw, a foreskin.
I., Sherman USA
- How curious that you've had no women weighing in on the issue of penis aesthetics!
Esther, Alexandria, US
- David is Jew. Michelangelo, perhaps, was influenced by then powerful orders who were against Jews to rearrange the history of mankind; by making David a foreigner, thus changing a major tie in history.
Daniel Rosenbaum, Pacific Palisades, CA, US
- First known as il giante . the giant only was later called david.
kenneth, new london usa
- Because he wasn't
Chris, St Louis mo Usa
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKafqbK0rc2dqK6dop6ytHvQrpyrsV9leW15l2tnb25cZX1vtNOmow%3D%3D