> Note: "vedai lechachima birmiza"
> is in Aramith and probably
> much older then 1800 AC.
>

The saying I suspect is very old. We may settle on that it was well known letana'im, who referred to it in its short form as there was no reason to write all of it.

This is the best I can do to reconcile the difference. However, if this is true then still, they could not use unless their was an assumed background. Usually there would be a story whose moral was not enunciated explicitly. Instead it would end in "vedai lechacham".

> For more details you will have
> to wait until I'll do the search by myself.
> For the moment, I withdraw from my remark.

OK.

Best,
Alexander Bogomolny