REBBEKKA

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REBBEKKA
This presentation was prepared to support
Additional fables in mathematics available from
Classroom Video.
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• During the Roman occupation of Israel around 38BC
  Rebbekka lived with her father Saul. Rebbekka was
  thirteen years old. Her father was a carpenter
  and also a compulsive gambler.

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• During a gambling session with a Roman official
  by the name of Marcellus he lost everything.
  Seeking to win back his possessions he bet five
  years of his daughters life as a house servant
  on one throw of the dice.

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• He, of course, lost the bet and Rebbekka began
  five years of service in Marcellus household.

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• Marcellus was also a compulsive gambler and
  frequently conducted gambling sessions.

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• Rebbekka watched these meeting and noted that
  Marcellus never lost the big bets. She
  concluded that he was a cheat using loaded dice
  on the big gambles.

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• During one session when none of the guests would
  continue to gamble Marcellus challenged his
  guests to any form of gamble. Still the guests
  would not gamble, but Rebbekka spoke up and
  offered to take the bet.

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• Having no possessions to risk she offered a
  further five years of her service against her
  freedom.
• This was the bet.

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• Rebbekka collected 50 white beans and 50 black
  beans and three tankards. She could arrange the
  beans any way she wished in the three tankards.
  She would be blindfolded and Marcellus would
  rearrange the position of the containers before
  Rebbekka selected a bean. A white bean would mean
  she had won her freedom. A black bean would mean
  a further five years in the service of Marcellus.
• How did Rebbekka maximize her chance of winning
  the bet?

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Student Activities.

• Start each lesson during the unit by selecting
  two or three students to take a chance. A
  poster on the wall used to record servants and
  those that won their freedom.
• After working through the unit students work in
  groups to develop a strategy and calculate the
  probabilities. They should attempt to explain why
  they think their strategy is the best.