It is also believed by some that the Hebrews established the Persian postal system

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech... They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth

I read John 5's healing of the man at the pool of bethesda as Jesus extracting a man from a social situation. Evidence: angels never mentioned descending to stir waters anywhere else in the Bible. The pool was extremely deep for a paralyzed/invalid to go into and survive-- drowning may have been a euphamism for healing/escape. Low economic opportunity leads peple to act desperately. I spectulate the man was truly invalid, as in faking his paralytic condition and trapped feari