Coiner of "gobbledygook"?; Palestine (East Texas) joke

Sat Sep 15 19:20:35 UTC 2007

No one goes to this website, but you might want to look here:
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http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/gobbledygook_maury_maverick_wwii_term/
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O.T.: Does anyone on this list from (east) Texas remember any jokes about
the town called Palestine?
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http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/where_was_jesus_born_palestine_texas_joke/
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 Entry from September 15, 2007
"Where was Jesus born?" (Palestine, Texas joke)

With a city name like Palestine (in East Texas), comparisons and jokes are
inevitable.

Wikipedia: Palestine, Texas <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine,_Texas>
*Palestine* (pronounced ËˆpÃ¦l.É›s.tin) is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in
the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598. It
is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas.
Palestine was named for Palestine, Illinois, the home of an early settler.

The largest employer is the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which
employs more than 3,900. Another 1,600 work at two Wal-Mart distribution
centers. Other significant employers include a thriving medical and
healthcare sector that tends to the large population of retirees. Finally a
distinguishing mark of Palestine is that it is home to the NASA Columbia
Scientific Balloon Facility, which has flown 1700 high-altitude balloons for
universities and research agencies.

The Waverly Star, by Jim
O'Leary<http://www.herald-journal.com/waverlystar/issues/ws060201.html>
June 2, 2001
(...)
A pretty town near Uncertain is called "Palestine" (Pop. 18,042). In East
Texas it is pronounced "Pal-Ah-Steen."
(As in the joke about the Sunday School class which was asked to identify
where Jesus was born. When the preacher couldn't get any of them to come up
with an answer, he said, "Hit was Palesteen!" One of the lads in the class
said, "Shoot, I knew hit had to be some place in East Texas.")

Google Groups: tx.guns<http://groups.google.com/group/tx.guns/browse_thread/thread/f8c036310023b130/bcb652b290eea2f9?lnk=st&q=%22east+texas%22+palestine+%22jesus+born%22&rnum=2&hl=en#bcb652b290eea2f9>
Newsgroups: tx.guns
From: csmke... at flash.net (Sam A. Kersh)
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2001 16:16:40 GMT
Local: Sun, Sep 30 2001 12:16 pm
Subject: Re: Play with Osama

Sunday School Teacher:  Jimmy, wear was Jesus born?
Jimmy:  Lufkin?
Teacher:  N, try again?
Jimmy:  marshall?
Teacher (exasperated): No, Jimmy, it was Palestine!!!
Jimmy:  Well, I knew it was somewhere in East Texasâ€¦

East Texas Motorcycle Riders
Forum<http://invisionfree.com/forums/ETMotorcyclists/index.php?showtopic=477>
Posted: Jul 28 2003, 09:51 AM

A man went to the local church and asked to join.

The preacher said "Ok, but you have to pass a small bible test first.
The first question is 'Where was Jesus born?"
The man answered "Longview".
The preacher said "Sorry...you can't join our church."

Soooooo....he went to another church and asked to join.
The preacher said "We would love to have you but you have to pass a bible
test first. "Where was Jesus born?"
The man said "Tyler".
The preacher said "Sorry...you can't join our church.

Soooo....he goes to another church and asked to join.
The preacher said "That's great we welcome you with open arms."
The man said "I don't have to pass no Bible test first?"
The preacher said "No."
The man said "Can I ask you a question?"
The preacher said "Sure."
The man said "Where was Jesus born?"
The preacher said "Palestine."

The man mumbled to himself "I knew it was in East Texas some where."

Ragu/Online 2004<http://ragu.rhodacarroll.com/ragu/pages/SomewhereInTheMiddleLDHuff.htm>
There's a story about an old East Texas oil field hand that thought he would
take up religion.  He first went to a Catholic priest and said,"I believe I
want to join up."

Priest says,"OK, but you got to answer some questions." He ran down a list
of a few things: How many commandments?  How many disciples?  When is
Christmas?  Stuff like that. And the old driller was doing pretty good until
the priest asked the last question.

"Where was Jesus born?"

The old cowboy thought for a minute and said,"Tyler?"

"Nope.  You flunk," said the priest.  "Come back when you've studied more."

Undaunted, the oil field roughneck called on a Baptist minister.  He thought
because there were so many of them around he wouldn't have any trouble
qualifying.  Same story.  The minister said he could join if he passed on
the question test.  Once again, he was doing OK until asked, "Where was
Jesus born?"

He was more careful this time and thought even longer.

"Nacogdoches?" he queried.

"Nope," said the minister, "try us again when you've studied more."

He was getting pretty depressed about this church business.  Seemed to him,
after all the fuss in the world about drinking and whoring and gallivanting
around, these preacher people oughta be a bit more obliging.  If a man
wanted to mend his ways, that is.

Finally he decided to give it one more chance.  He went to the Methodist
preacher after hearing they would take just about anybody.  After all,
didn't his dear departed mother once say that Methodists were just Baptists
that knew how to read?

Sure enough, he was welcomed with open arms but to his chagrin the Methodist
minister said he had to answer a few simple questions.

The driller, not wanting to flunk again, pulled himself up tall and straight
and said, "That's OK with me but you've got to answer one first.  If you
don't mind, that is?"

The Methodist said, "Sure."

"Where was Jesus born?"

"Palestine," said the preacher.

"Damn!" the old driller reflected, "I knew it was in East Texas somewhere."

Lone Star Times<http://www.lonestartimes.com/2006/05/09/re-branding-east-texas/>
NAT PIERCE Says:
May 9th, 2006 at 6:10 pm

There was a contest and a fellow from East Texas was
the contestant. Three tries
Where was Jesus born?
Hardin? No
Woodville? No
Palistine? Yes
I knew it was somewhere in East Texas.

Beyond Confusion Lies
Obfuscation<http://ck8go.blogspot.com/2007/02/what-to-do-what-to-say.html>
Monday, February 12, 2007
(...)
For some reason, this reminds me of the joke about the Texas boy who went to
Sunday school. His teacher asked him where Jesus was born. First he answered
"Athens". No, she said, try again. Next he answered "Carthage". Wrong again.
Finally he said "Palestine". That's right the teacher said. She was so
proud. "That's right, I knew it was somewhere in East Texas".
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