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<BLOCKQUOTE
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style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2><BR>From: "Gilad Field" <BR><BR><BR>1) The Gemara, in Bava Basra 25b
(it is also in the first perek of<BR>Gittin), wants to prove that Bavel is
north of EY by quoting a Pasuk<BR>in Yermiyahu. Why should we need a
pasuk to teach us geography? This<BR>seems a bit strange to me. Anyone
have any thoughts on that?<BR><BR></FONT></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>When people didn't have maps and were far from the homeland of their
fathers, they would need sources to get some idea of -- literally -- "where in
the world they were."</DIV>
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<DIV>You often see Rashi explaining that this or that city or mountain or plain
is north of this or east of that, based on pesukim. You can tell that he
had to figure out the geography of E'Y (and of Egypt and Bavel) by working it
out from Tanach. It's possible that he did have maps but likely that
he did not.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby Katz<BR>==========<BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0
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PTSIZE="10"></B>--------------------</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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