A team of archaeologists were excavating a site near Jerusalem when they found a slab of rock with five figures carved on it:
Woman, Donkey, Shovel, Fish, and Star of David
After months of studying the rock and the figures on it, the most senior
archaeologist took the rock and went on a lecture tour. His first
lecture was at a prestigious college, and the lecture hall was packed.
The archaeologist said that the rock was a significant archaeological find,
since it gave scholars a much clearer view of ancient middle eastern
culture than had ever before been possible. He explained the symbols as
follows:
The woman -- placed first in the line of figures -- indicates that women
were held in very high esteem, and the importance of the family in that
culture is obvious.
The donkey indicates that they had domesticated animals. They probably
used the donkey to till the fields.
The shovel shows that the people of this era were highly intelligent, as
they knew how to make tools.
The fish indicates that they augmented their diet of grain and
vegetables with the bounty of the seas.
And the Star of David, of course, shows that they were a very religious
group of people.
When the time for questions arrived, a little old Jewish man in the
front row managed to be recognized, and he stood to speak. "I'm sorry to
challenge your conclusions, sir, but you've made one significant
mistake:
Hebrew is read RIGHT-TO-LEFT.
The message actually reads, "Holy mackerel, dig the ass
on that woman!"