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

[Barry Popik]

"where was jesus born" pennsylvania bethlehem--46 Google hits
"where was jesus born" texas palestine--147 Google hits
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The "Athens" and "Carthage" help the Texas regional joke...FWIW, I
added the cite from Wallace O. Chariton's THIS DOG'LL HUNT (1989).
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This Dog'll Hunt:
An Entertaining Texas Dictionary
by Wallace O. Chariton
Plano, TX; Wordware Publishing, Inc.
1989
Pg. 171:
PALESTINE, TEXAS
Texas holy city. There is an old joke about the young Texan who was
asked where Jesus was born. After guessing Athens and Carthage, the
young man gave up and the Sunday School teacher said it was Palestine.
The young Texan, replied, "I knew it was somewhere in East Texas."

This Dog'll Really Hunt:
An Entertaining and Informative Texas Dictionary
by Wallace O. Chariton
Plano, TX: Republic of Texas Press
1999
Pg. 206:
Palestine (Anderson County):
in Texas it is properly pronounced Pal-a-steen, not Pal-a-stien
[There is an old joke about the young Texan who was asked where Jesus
was born. After guessing Athens and Carthage, the young man gave up
and the Sunday school teacher said it was Palestine. The young Texan
replied, "I knew it was somewhere in East Texas."]
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(GOOGLE BOOKS)
Pennsylvania History - Page 2
by Pennsylvania Historical Association - 1967

Jesus was born in Bethlehem." "Oh, yes," responded the offender. "I knew it was
some place on the Lehigh Valley Railroad." Leaving Pennsylvania history ...

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