Particularly Stuart was expounding to us why there are so many donkeys in the book of Judges. It was, strangely now that I think of it, a thought that had never really struck me with any severity. “Man alive,” I said, “you’re right, there are a ton of donkeys in Judges… actually in the books of Samuel too!”

“Exactly!” Stuart said, a strangely luminous twinkle in his eye, “that’s exactly right.”

Here’s his theory in brief… well, and I’ve expanded a few places (confession: I’m convinced, it’s donkeys all over the place)…