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From our perspective East is the focal point. At some point North became the focal point (North is the top direction on maps these days and I don’t think I ever saw a map with East on top). Does anyone know how that happened? And I just read that our directions in Hebrew come from terms related to the sun. Why is our focus on the sun and not on the sun and moon.
Now although East is the focal point, Lot went East when he was supposed to go North or South. I’m sure the two ideas are not connected but any thoughts on this are welcome too. I think in this part of the story Avraham went South.
They also say that “trouble comes from the North” and also that the holier sacrifices are slaughtered in the North.
Side point but also wondered about this this morning. The splattering of the blood to prevent the destroyer from entering the home is placed on one upper frame and then two side posts for a total of three splashes. Does anyone know the symbolism behind it? It would seem the side posts are one category and that the upper frame belonged to another category. So is it three splashes or is it two categories with a total of three splashes? And is there a connection between doing the slaughter in the North and veering off the enemy from us.
It makes sense for either North or South to be the focal point.
Mostly because both ends are not inhabitable, so they are natural endings.
But also because there are magnetic poles which make natural endings.
It makes more sense to look north, since most of the world is in the North. So our world is really only the top half, with the natural end being the North.
(North is the top direction on maps these days and I don’t think I ever saw a map with East on top). Does anyone know how that happened?
According to Cecil Adams (author of the column “The Straight Dope”), North ended up on top of the map was originated by Ptolomey. Nonetheless, his system wasn’t universally used. Many maps in the medieval period had East on top. Eventually, however, the “north-on-top” convention won out.
The Wolf
Another interesting fact from that “Straight Dope” column:
The practice of putting East on the top of the map became the origin of the term “to orient.”
The Wolf
you cant have east on top as east is not a place, it has no location, it is only a direction.
north and south are locations (as well as directions towards those locations) as defined either by geomagnetism or the rotational axis.
you can walk “towards the east” for an infinitely long distance.
you can only walk towards the north until you get there (about maybe 6,000 miles from the equator, also a place)
another way of looking at it
if north or south is on top, it stays on top as you rotate the globe.
if you place north on say the left, then as you rotate the globe the area of the earth on top is constantly changing
oh i see you ae talking about maps
i thought, for some reason we were talking about a globe
I’m pretending to have a clue about what’s going on in here. Hope nobody minds.
Just please tell me my house didn’t move from where I left it this morning.
Just please tell me my house didn’t move from where I left it this morning.
Sorry to tell you this, but unless it’s sitting on one of the poles, your house has rotated several thousand miles to the east since this morning. That’s to say nothing of the distance it traveled as the earth orbited the sun, the sun around the center of the galaxy and in relation to the other galaxies as the universe expanded.
The Wolf
Just please tell me my house didn’t move from where I left it this morning.
Is it too early for a Japan joke?
I think most of us back here in the US are past the PTSD stage by now.
yes popa, way
Thanks for clarifying, Wolf. Now what can I take for dizziness?
East is not our focal point. We use East for davening and such because it faces Eretz Yisrael. If we were in China, we’d face West. Eretz Yisrael is the focal point, not East.
Thanks for clarifying, Wolf. Now what can I take for dizziness?
Why are you asking me? There is a physician who has commented in this thread.
The Wolf
We put North at the top of all maps today because it makes sense for people using a compass, which always points north. (Cue nitpickers talking about compasses from china in the year 1000 that pointed south).
because it makes sense for people using a compass, which always points north.
Minor nitpick, but a compass points to magnetic north, which is not the same as true north, which is usually placed at the top of a map.
The Wolf
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