Messenger Mailbag: The Dad Joke Scrolls

An anonymous reader asks, “Back in Old Testament times, were there stand up comedians?”

Well, dear reader, the answer is yes and no. Several years after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, archeologists found in another cave what are now called the Dad Joke Scrolls. These jokes apparently were of such poor quality that people shredded the papyrus into small pieces. For example, one piece says “chicken.” Another says “road.” So, yes, there were comedians, but, no, they weren’t funny.

Unfortunately, one joke survived intact. Here it is translated into English.

A wealthy man owns 1,000 acres, which he shares with a wife, five sons, six daughters, 320 sheep, 130 goats, and one horse. The horse is descended from the most highly prized breeding stock of Babylonia. One day he takes the horse eight miles into town, a village with 400 residents and three wells. The wealthy man leaves the horse unattended while shopping for 12 yards of fabric and three wheels of cheeses from nearby lands. The horse walks into a bar, furnished with six booths and 10 stools.

The bartender says, “Why the long face?”.

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Hey, don’t blame me. The reader asked a question.

Bruce Hale