The GSG. What Does It Mean??

[Sam Flynn]

I would suggest, as you seem to, that any mezuzical (new word!) connections are flights of fancy.

Agreed, Mike. As I said - tentative and amusing, nothing more.

[Sam Flynn]

"The mezuzah, as the graffito, would be located at shoulder height on the door-post, after all."

Just a quick note here, to remind everybody that people who write standing up, will inevitably write at approximate shoulder height...

Depends how tall they are, but what you say is quite correct, Fish. Indeed, this is another good reason to cast doubt on Jack's being the author of the graffito, because he'd have to have been standing upright in an open doorway, probably straddling the threshold and the public pavement, in order to write his message so neatly on the door-jamb. I know that "Jack was a risk-taker, so he could have done anything" is a favourite trump card that some like to play, but I just can't see him doing anything so stupid, what with the incriminating evidence about his person, and an extensive police presence on the streets in the wake of the "Double Event".

[String]

I think the graffiti was just that and a coincidence for a number of reasons.

If I was Jack and wanted to get a message across why not just write it on the wall/ground beside my victim, then there is no ambiguity.
I would not dump the apron piece in the dirt and write a ambiguous message on the wall both of which may or may not be found. I would want to make sure that the message was found along with the apron as proof.
I would either post the apron piece with a message to a newspaper or write a message and attach the apron piece to it, on a door or other wooden structure.

[Fisherman]

Sam Flynn writes:

"The mezuzah, as the graffito, would be located at shoulder height on the door-post, after all."

Just a quick note here, to remind everybody that people who write standing up, will inevitably write at approximate shoulder height...

The best, all!

Fisherman

[Investigator]

Hello All,
Only have 24hours to spare. I thought that some explanation may help to develop the connections. Firstly, “the noise of one hand clapping”, refers to the absence of a Jewish voice on the thread. My reluctance to be outright on Jewish matters stems from the potential sensitivity that may be encountered with the Jewish folk being put on the spot in an open forum. Respect for the religious beliefs of others is important in preventing unwitting desecration and hence antagonism. You will probably recall the rabbinical fever when Anderson made claim of JTR being a Polish Jew.

Back to the case at hand - The physical presence of a mezuzah on the door post of Goulston St. may be of little importance and as Sam points out, it could have simply been removed by vandals. More important is what the threshold means to Jews, this will require some searching on your part. With the mezuzah however, consider the rigidly specified, physical requirements for the placement of the holy scroll. A doorway is required to have a lintel, it is on the right side, is on the inner door jamb. It is placed on the lower part of the top third, etc. etc. Compare this location with that of the GSG. The placement of the GSG message appears to fit very closely with the mezuzah scroll. Could this have been written in that location by chance?
One other interesting detail is that the scroll is specifically written in black on a white background while the GSG is white on a black background. This could for instance, relate to the writer’s lack of religious “scribe” qualities, his unsanctified rank. A number of alternative options could explain this.
Attention to details in a forensic investigation is paramount, sometimes it may mean nothing, but they must never be neglected until a substantive reason for rejection has been established. In the absence of much existing artefacts, everything has to be deduced within levels of probability. Nevertheless, if you have a box full of coloured marbles and in every handful the same colour predominates, enough samples increases the chances that the box has a significant tale to tell.
If you concede there is a good probability that the placement of the GSG has some associative reference to the mezuzah, then it follows that the message was deliberately placed on the doorjamb and that the Goulston Street address was predetermined to fit the task. Additionally, it also presupposes that the writer of the message had an intimate knowledge of Jewish sentiment as do all Jews. DG

[The Good Michael]

any[/I] message on the doorway to a Jewish dwelling.

Gareth,

....and the blood of a lamb on the lintil parallels the splashes of blood on MJK's wall. Do we have a rabbinical psychopath on our hands, or is everything a bit more mundane than that? I would suggest, as you seem to, that any mezuzical (new word!) connections are flights of fancy. Take a gander at the parallels one man makes with the Lamb's blood on the lintil and doorposts and with Jesus Christ. It is actually funny, but sad that someone could devote so much effort into finding supernatural connections.

http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/exodus/12.htm

Cheers,

Mike

[Sam Flynn]

The Mezuzah was a scroll, and it required a blessing before being placed on the doorpost. I imagine someone who was trying to create a mezuzah would know these things?

...indeed, Mike - however, he might also guess (probably correctly) that such an elaborate artefact might not last long on an East End dwelling-house doorway, and improvised a "cheapo" version instead. The mezuzah, as the graffito, would be located at shoulder height on the door-post, after all. However, since the GSG carried a somewhat secular payload, that would surely rule it out as being even a makeshift attempt at a mezuzah. If there are any tentative parallels that might be drawn, they may lie in the display of any message on the doorway to a Jewish dwelling.

[The Good Michael]

The Mezuzah was a scroll, and it required a blessing before being placed on the doorpost. I imagine someone who was trying to create a mezuzah would know these things?

Mike

[Sam Flynn]

Just popped into port for a met forecast and was deafened by the noise of one hand clapping. Not giving up so soon? Why doesn't someone look up the significance of the Mezuzah on a Jewish doorway?

Some of us have already:

...and there is a Jewish precedent for writing on one's door-post a message, if not of defiance, then at least to keep misfortune at bay (Exodus, Chapter 12).

[Investigator]

Just popped into port for a met forecast and was deafened by the noise of one hand clapping. Not giving up so soon? Why doesn't someone look up the significance of the Mezuzah on a Jewish doorway? You have agreed the importance of context in the interpretation. The message is completed in the context of understanding Jewish theology - do some research instead of wallowing in mud.
“And thou shalt write them upon the doorpost of thy house and upon thy gates”. (Sh'ma)
.”The Sh'ma reminds man of the moral world order in which every action begets its reaction, every sound has its echo, and thoughts become deeds. … No empty decoration, it has profound religious significance. ” The Unknown Sanctuary: The Story of Judaism, Rabbi R. Brasch
If you expand the ramifications of this path, enlightenment is possible, the pieces all fall into place. DG

[DVV]

You are right Gentlemen, but would concede that I wrote "can't be neglected", though I was pointing out that the previous chalked messages supposedly found near to a murder site were completely different in meaning ("5 - or 20 - more and I give myself up!", etc), thus making the GSG's wording remarkable.
Dan wrote an article that will not be read for nothing.

Amitiés,
David

[celee]

Hi David,

But if the message had been in imitation or a response to the earlier incorrect news reports about the Chapman murder and the instances of hoax chalk writings already being left around the East End, the types of things the killer would write in a message would probably also conform with or react to the prevailing public sentiments.

I would argue that people aren't likely to be able to figure out the meaning of any message until they understand the context in which it was written.

I agree, you can debate the meaning of the Graffitti to you are blue in the face. However we will never know, what it means or who wrote the grafitti.

Sorry about spelling mistakes. My computer is acting up.

Your frien, Brad

[Dan Norder]

However, it's not about the meaning of the graffito, but the idea that writing a message could have been "inspired" to the murderer by erroneous press reports can't be neglected.

Hi David,

But if the message had been in imitation or a response to the earlier incorrect news reports about the Chapman murder and the instances of hoax chalk writings already being left around the East End, the types of things the killer would write in a message would probably also conform with or react to the prevailing public sentiments.

I would argue that people aren't likely to be able to figure out the meaning of any message until they understand the context in which it was written.

[celee]

It's really a good one Dan, and I appreciate so much your conclusions about Nichols' wounds (intestines protruding as a result of its transport to the mortuary).
However, it's not about the meaning of the graffito, but the idea that writing a message could have been "inspired" to the murderer by erroneous press reports can't be neglected.

Thanks, John.
Amitiés,
David

Hi,

I think that it is a safe bet, if Jack wrote the graffitti, he was inspired by erroneous press reports and public senment.

Your friend, Brad

[DVV]

It's really a good one Dan, and I appreciate so much your conclusions about Nichols' wounds (intestines protruding as a result of its transport to the mortuary).
However, it's not about the meaning of the graffito, but the idea that writing a message could have been "inspired" to the murderer by erroneous press reports can't be neglected.

Thanks, John.
Amitiés,
David