There is a cool book called.....Strange Scriptures that PERPLEX the Western Mind by Barbara M. Bowen. She states this concerning v.24........quote.....
Let us examine a city gate which has the "needle's eye." City walls have several large gates of iron, which are always two-leaved. In Isaiah 45:1
we find these words: "I will open before him the two-leaved gates." When we read Samson taking the "doors of the gate of the city, and the two
posts, and went away with them." Gates are closed at sunset and not opened until sunrise. This is still the case in all eastern walled cities.
When once the gates are shut, they would not be opened except to admit a great official who might be on an errand of importance. The chief captain sends Paul
from Caesarea "at the third hour of the night" (Acts 23:23) - about 9 p.m. A wise precaution because no one could possibly pursue them until the
gates were opened at about six the next morning. The apostle therefore had nine hours' start, which made it impossible for any one to overtake him on the
way.
When any person has to be admitted or allowed to leave the city by night, a small door fixed into the larger one is opened. This smaller door was called the
"needle's eye." Matthew 19:24 says, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle." Now let us try to picture the scene
to which Jesus refers. Camels laden with large bags of barley, wheat, charcoal, or wood, were coming into town daily. The burdens are well balanced on either
side of the camel's back, and stand out sometimes three or four feet on the right side and on the left. You can see, therefore, that a camel needs a wide
gate to admit him and his great burden. Every traveler in the East knows from experience what it means to meet a camel coming along a street which is only just
wide enough for the beast to pass through. you cannot stand against the wall; your only possible way to do is to stoop very low and allow the camel to pass by,
the burden then being above you. Hence the meaning of the Lord's words was easily understood by His hearers. A camel with its burden cannot enter the
needle's eye.
Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem has a very fine "needle's eye."
end quote....
With no burden, it is available for a camel to enter the eye of a needle, but it is hard, it takes work. The bible has a lot of orientalisms that are geared
towards the eastern mind and is hard for western culture to grasp. Learning about the eastern culture really does help with a deeper understanding of
God's Word. I hope this is of great use. Blessings.

