Sunday, November 03, 2024

Michael as Christ in Hippolytus of Rome's Commentary on Daniel

Hippolytus of Rome died about A.D. 236. He wrote his Commentary on Daniel somewhere between A.D. 202 and 211. (Schmidt, p1). Here we have what I believe is a clear reference by Hippolytus to Michael the Archangel as the pre-Incarnate Christ.

He stated his goal in writing this commentary at the outset:

Wishing to precisely demonstrate the times of the captivity which befell the sons of Israel and the prophetic dreams of the blessed Daniel, and also the manner of his life from childhood in Babylon, I myself come forward to speak in order to testify to the holy and righteous prophetic man, even to him who became a witness of Christ, who not only then in those times, revealed the visions of king Nebuchadnezzar, but also similarly, having thoroughly taught his youths, led the faithful witnesses onward into the world.
(Book 1.1.1 Concerning Susana and Daniel)

In the fourth book of his Commentary on Daniel Hippolytus discussed the identity of Michael the Archangel.

Hippolytus identifies Michael as the Angel of the LORD, who is also the same as the LORD. In this he is on the same footing as the early Church Fathers almost universally taught that the Angel of the Lord is the Jesus Christ before He was conceived in the Virgin Mary to be born as a human.

Hippolytus walked through a couple basic Scriptural proofs to demonstrate that Michael in Daniel 11 with Christ:

 Commentary on Daniel, Book 4:40.3-41.1

40.3. And so he says to him, “Do you know why I came to you? And now I will return to fight with the chief of the Persians, but I will proclaim to you what is written in the Scripture of truth, and there is no one who endures with me concerning these things except Michael your chief [ἢ Μιχαἡλ ὁ ἄρχων ὑμῶν], and I left him there, for from the day you gave your face to be afflicted before your Lord God your petition was heard, and I myself was sent to fight with the chief of the Persians. For some plot happened to prevent me from coming to the people so that therefore in haste your request may be answered, I myself stood against him and I left Michael your chief there

40.4. But who is Michael, but the angel who is granted to the people, as he says to Moses, “I will not go with you on the way because the people are stiff necked, but my angel will go with you”?

40.5. This one stood against Moses in the encampment when he carried the uncircumcised boy to Egypt. For it was not possible for Moses to be the elder and mediator of the law, who also announced the covenant of the fathers, and also to lead the uncircumcised boy, so that he may not be considered by the people as a false prophet and a deceiver.
[emphasis is mine]

In 40.4 Hippolytus refers to Exodus 33:1-3 which refers to the Angel of the Lord. This is the Angel of Yahweh, who is also Yahweh. The term Arch [ὁ ἄρχων] in Archangel means "ruler" in English. Hippolytus understood the word Arch [ὁ ἄρχων] to refer to the fact that this Angel of the Lord is the Ruler of the people of Israel. The text says:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’
And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

In case the reader missed the point, Hippolytus refers the reader in his next sentence (40.5) to Exodus 4:24. The reference is clear. Hippolytus said "This one stood against Moses in the encampment when he carried the uncircumcised boy to Egypt." Exodus 4:24 says:

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. 

Hippolytus identifies Michael the Archangel with the Lord himself who came to meet Moses when Moses was returning to Egypt.

 

Hippolytus of Rome: Commentary on Daniel, ©2010 T.C. Schmidt 1st Edition. Originally published on the now defunct Chronichon.net website. Now available from Gorgias Press 

https://www.gorgiaspress.com/hippolytus-of-romes-commentary-on-daniel

 

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Birth Date Death Date: The Fulfiling of Years

Articles about the birth date of Christ sometimes state that it was an ancient teaching or understanding that the rabbis and other believed that the righteous died on their birth dates. While the claim is often made, I have rarely seen a reference given for this teaching.

So here are some references for the claim. I have arranged the text to make it easier to read and provided a fairly literal translation and references for the quotations.

 

The rabbinic tradition that a righteous man would die on the day he was born seems to be fairly early.  The foundational passage is Exodus 23:26. This passage in context with Moses' use of the word "today" in Deuteronomy 31:2 form the main argument of the tradition.

Sotah 13b

Sotah שׂוֹטָה is one of the tractates of Seder Nashim “Order of Women”. Seder Nashim concentrates on family law. Tractate Sota discusses the laws relating to a woman who is suspected of adultery. The word sotah refers to a woman who is tried for adultery under biblical law.

״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם

      בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם״,

   שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״:

      הַיּוֹם מָלְאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי.

      לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

         מַשְׁלִים שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים

            מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

   דִּכְתִיב:

       ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And he said to them:
     “I am one hundred and twenty years old today…” (Dt. 31:2)

As it is not necessary for the verse to say “today”
    “this day my days and years have been filled
         to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He,
             orders the years of the righteous

                from day to day and month to month.”

As it is written:
      “The number of your days I will fill.” (Exodus 23:26)

The Aramaic text is from the Davidson Edition at Safira.

https://www.sefaria.org/Sotah.13b.16-17?lang=bi



Kidushin 38a

Kiddushin קִידּוּשִׁין Betrothal” is the final tractate in Seder Nashim. As the title expresses, it deals primarily with legal issues related to engagement and marriage.

תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ:

     בְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה,

     וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד.

   מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת –

     שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר״

     וּכְתִיב: ״עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם

         לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵדָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן״

     וּכְתִיב: ״וְהָעָם עָלוּ מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן״,

   צֵא מֵהֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים לְמַפְרֵעַ,

   הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה.



It is taught again

           Moses died on the seventh of Adar,

            and he was born on the seventh of Adar.

From where is this that on the seventh of Adar he died?

As it is stated:

“And Moses the servant of the Lord died there…” (Dt 34:5)

And as it is written:

“And the children of Israel mourned Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days.” (Dt 34:8)

And as it is written:

“And so it was after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord…” (Jos 1:1)

And as it is written:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now you arise and cross over…” (Jos 1:2)

And as it is written:

“Pass through the middle of the camp and command the people

saying: ‘Prepare your provisions for in yet three days you will cross the Jordan…’” (Jos 1:11)

And as it is written:

“And the people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month…” (Jos 4:19)

Go back from them thirty three days
[30 for the mourning of Moses
and 3 for the preparation to cross the Jordan]

thus you learn that it was on the seventh of Adar that Moses died.

וּמִנַּיִן

         שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה –

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

        ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם

             בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם

             לֹא אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא״,

          שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

          מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״?

    מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

        יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And where does is come from
that Moses was born on the seventh of Adar?

As it is stated:
“And he said to them:
‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.
I am not able again to go out or to come in…” (Dt 31:2)

Since there is no need for the verse to say “today”

what [reason does] the verse say “today”?

This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and fills up the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month.

As it is stated: “The number of your days, I will make full.” (Ex 23:26)



https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.38a.5-6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en



Megillah 13:b

Megilla is the 10th tractate in the second order of the Misha: Seder Moed “The Order of Festival”. The title is Masekhet Megilla מסכת מגילה "Tractate Scroll” and deals with legal issues, customs, and stories relating to Purim.

״הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל״,

     תָּנָא: כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל פּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר

               שָׂמַח שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה,

     אָמַר:

         נָפַל לִי פּוּר בְּיֶרַח שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ מֹשֶׁה.

     וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ

         שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת,

         וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלָד.

 

They cast the Pur, that is, the lot” (Esther 3:7)

He [a sage] taught:

   “Once the lot fell in the month of Adar

        he [Haman] greatly rejoiced.

     He [Haman] said:

         The lot has fallen for me in the month that Moses died.”

     He [Haman] did not know that

           it was on the seventh of Adar he died,

           and it was on the seventh of Adar he was born.”



This interpreter is saying that a special cause for Haman’s rejoicing about the lot is that the month of Adar was chosen. Haman was especially joyful because, according to this interpreter, Haman knew that was the same month Moses died. So the people of Moses would be exterminated in the same month Moses himself died. But what Haman did not know is that Moses was also born that same month. The irony being that instead of dying, the people would be renewed. This would become a time of rejoicing for the people.



https://www.sefaria.org/Megillah.13b.15-16?lang=bi





Rosh HaShana 11a

Rosh Hashana רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה is the eighth tractate of Seder Moed. The primary focus is the calendar year and the correct reckoning of time in accordance with Scripture.

מַאן דְּאָמַר בְּנִיסָן נוֹלְדוּ — בְּנִיסָן מֵתוּ.

מַאן דְּאָמַר בְּתִשְׁרִי נוֹלְדוּ — בְּתִשְׁרִי מֵתוּ,

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

         ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם

                בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם״,

         שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

         וּמָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״ —

          הַיּוֹם מָלְאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי.

     לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

        יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים

            מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם מֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.


The one who said they were born in Nisan says in Nisan they died.

The one who says they were born in Tishrei says in Tishrei they died.

As it is said:

   “And he said to them,

      ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.’” (Dt 31:2)

   As it is not necessary for the verse to say, “today”,

   And what [reason] does the verse say, “today”?

      “Today my days and years are filled.”

 [This is] to teach you that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

      sits and fills the years of the righteous

          from day to day and from month to month.

   As it is said: “The number of your days I will fill.” (Ex 23:26)


https://www.sefaria.org/Rosh_Hashanah.11a.17?lang=bi



Rashi on Deuteronomy 1:3

Rashi is an acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki. He lived from about 1040 to 1105. Rashi is considered one of the foremost exegetes of the middle ages. He lived long after the Christian liturgical cycles had been established. Rashi has been widely respected for his knowledge of tradition, his expertise in Scripture, and his knowledge and application of rabbinical law. There are two comments he made in his commentary on Deuteronomy that are relevant to our discussion because Rashi shows how thoroughly established the birth day, death day tradition had been.



וַיְהִי֙ בְּאַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה

         בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר חֹ֖דֶשׁ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ...

   מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחָן אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה;

   מִמִּי לָמַד?

        מִיַּעֲקֹב, שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחַ אֶת בָּנָיו אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה,

             אָמַר, רְאוּבֵן בְּנִי אֲנִי אוֹמֵר ...

“And it came to pass in the fortieth year,

    in the eleventh month, on the first of the month.”

  He [Moses] teaches that one should not reprove unless one is close to death.

  From whom did he learn?

       From Jacob, who did not reprove his son until he was close to death.

          “He said, ‘Reuben, my son, I have to say …’”



Deuteronomy 1:3 establishes the time of year in which Moses addressed the people of Israel. The eleventh month was later known as Adar. As we have seen in the preceding discussion, the context of Deuteronomy gives enough chronological information.

A discussion on the topic of withholding serious reproof until just before one’s death is found in the opening of Midrash Sifrei Devarim which was composed sometime around A.D. 200.

https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.1.3.1?lang=bi



Rashi’s Commentary on Deuteronomy 31:2

וילך משה וגו', אנכי היום.

      הַיּוֹם מָלאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי,

   בְּיוֹם זֶה נוֹלַדְתִּי

   וּבְיוֹם זֶה אָמוּת (סוטה י"ג):

And Moses went, etc, “I am … today.”

     Today my days and my hears are full.

   On this day I was born.

   And on this day I die. (see Sota 13)



https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.31.2.1?lang=bi&with=Navigation&lang2=en



The Te Deum in Hebrew

A transcription of the Te Deum as found in The Book of Common Prayer translated into Hebrew, The London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, 1936. The translation was made by Mr. Czerskier and revised by Rev. A. M’Caul, Rev. M.S. Alexander, and Rev. J.C. Reichardt.

My transcription is from the images of page ג in this volume at

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/Hrbrew_BCP.pdf

If you find transcriptional errors, please let me know.

Right to Left text formatting seems to work sporadically in blogger. Sorry if this comes out odd.

 

אוֹתְךָ יְהוָֹה מְבָרְכִים אֲנַחְנוּ, אוֹתְךָ מַכִּרִים אֲנַחֲנוּ כִּי אַתּה הוּא הָאָדוֹן.

כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לְךָ מִשׁתַּחֲוָה, אֲבִי־עוֹלָמִים.

אֵלֶיךָ הַכְּרוּבִים וְהַשְּׂרָפִים, קוֹרְאִים תָּמִיד.

קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׂ קָדוֹשׂ, יְהוָֹה צְבָאוֹת.

מִלאׁ כָל־הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמַיִם, כּבוֹדֶךָ וְתִפְאַרְתֶּךָ.

יְהַלְלוּךָ, חֶבְרַת שְׁלִיחֶיךָ הַנֶּאְדָררִים.

יְהַלְלוּךָ,חֶבֶלנְבִיאֶיךָ הַנִּכְבָּדִים.

יְהַלְלוּךָ מַחֲנֵה הַיְּקָרִים, הַנֶּהֱרָגִים עַל קִדוּשׁ שְׁמֶךָ.

עֲדַת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּכָל־הָעוֹלָם, יוֹדוּךָ.

אוֹתְךָ הָאָב,אֵין קֵץ לִכְבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ.

אֶת־בִּנְךָ יְחִידְךָ, הְָאֱמֶת וְהָנִּכְבָּד.

וְגַם אֵת רוּחַ הַקּדֶׁשׁ, הַמְּנַחֵם.

מָשִׁיחַ אַתָּה הוּא, מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד.

אַתָּה הוּא בֶּן־הָאָב, מֵעוֹלָם עַד־עוֹלָם.

כַּאֲשֶׁר קבַּלְתָּ עָלֶיךָ לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָם, לאׁ מָאַסְתָּ אֶת־רֶחֶם הָעַלְמָה.

כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצַּחְתָּ מַר הַמָּוֶת, פָּתַחְתָּ מַלְכוּת הַשָּׁמַיִם לְכָל־הָמֲַּאֲמִינִים.

אַתָּ יוֹשֵׁב לִימִין אֱלהִׁים, בִּכְבוֹד הָאָב.

מַאֲמִינִים אֲנַחְנוּ. כִּי אַתָּה תָבוֹא לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ.

עַל־כֵּן מִתְחַנְּנִים אֲנַחְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, הוֹשַׁע־נָא לַעֲבָדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר פְּדִיתָם בְּדָמְךָ הַיָּקָר.

אֶת־קְדוֹשֶׁיךָ יִמָּנוּ, בְּהַדְרַת עוֹלָם.

יְהוָֹה הוֹשִׁיעָה אֶת־עַמֶּךָ, וּבָרֵךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶךָ.

וּרְעֵם וְנַשְּׂאֵם, עַד־הָעוֹלָם.

בְּכָל־יוֹם וָיוֹם, נְגַדְּלֶךָ.

וּנְבָרֵךְ שִׁמְךָ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

רְצֵה יְהוָֹה לְשָׁמְרֵנוּ הַיּוֹם, מִכָּל־חֵטְא.

חָנֵּנוּ יְהוָֹה, חָנֵּנוּ.

יְהִי־חַסְדְּךָ יְהוָֹה עָלֵינוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יִחַלְנוּ לָךְ.

יְהוָֹה בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי, אַל־אֵבוֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָם.

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Moses' Birth Date and the Fulfilling of Years: Day of Death = Day of Birth?

Articles about the birth date of Christ sometimes state that it was an ancient teaching or understanding that the rabbis and other believed that the righteous died on their birth dates. 

While the claim is often made, I have rarely come across an article which gives a reference to a text that actually states this.

So here is one reference for the claim. It is from the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kidushin, folio 38a. I have arranged the text to make it easier to read and provided a fairly literal translation and references for the quotations:

תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ:

            בְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה,

            וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד.

    מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת –

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר״

        וּכְתִיב: ״עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם

                לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵדָה 

                            כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן״

        וּכְתִיב: ״וְהָעָם עָלוּ מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן״,

    צֵא מֵהֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים לְמַפְרֵעַ,

    הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה.


It is taught again

               Moses died on the seventh of Adar,

                and he was born on the seventh of Adar.

From where is this that on the seventh of Adar he died?

As it is stated:

    “And Moses the servant of the Lord died there…” (Dt 34:5)

And as it is written:

    “And the children of Israel mourned Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days.” (Dt 34:8)

And as it is written:

    “And so it was after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord…” (Jos 1:1)

And as it is written:

    “Moses my servant is dead. Now you arise and cross over…” (Jos 1:2)

And as it is written:

    “Pass through the middle of the camp and command the people

        saying: ‘Prepare your provisions for in yet three days you will cross the Jordan…’” (Jos 1:11)

And as it is written:

    “And the people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month…” (Jos 4:19)

Go back from them thirty three days
[30 for the mourning of Moses
and 3 for the preparation to cross the Jordan]

thus you learn that it was on the seventh of Adar that Moses died.

וּמִנַּיִן

        שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה –

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

        ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם

        בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם

        לֹא אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא״,

    שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

    מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״?

            מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא 

            יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And where does is come from
that Moses was born on the seventh of Adar?

        As it is stated:
“And he said to them:
‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.
I am not able again to go out or to come in…” (Dt 31:2)

Since there is no need for the verse to say “today”

what [reason does] the verse say “today”?

            This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, 

            sits and fills up the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month.

        As it is stated: “The number of your days, I will make full.” (Ex 23:26)

 

Some rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud interpreted Exodus 23:26 as teaching that a righteous man would die on his birthday. Moses was given as evidence. Indeed, this fulfillment of days is interpreted as the specific reason Moses used the word "today" at the end of his life in Deuteronomy 31.

You can find the text of Kidushin 38a in the following two references. The Sefaria website reference has a more expansive translation.

Mechon Mamre מסכת קידושין פרק דף לח,א גמרא 

        https://mechon-mamre.org/b/l/l3701.htm

Kiddushin 38a The William Davidson Talmud (Koren – Steinsaltz)
https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.38a.5-6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Click the image below to view the text, then right click, select open in a new tab and you will be able to enlarge the image for easier reading.

 

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Geminus of Rhodes' Notes on the Egyptian Calendar

Geminus wrote about the Egyptian calendar during the 1st century B.C. in a work that is known by the title Elements of Astronomy. He comments about the nature of the Egyptian calendar, how it differed from Greek practices, and how it moved with respect to the seasons. 

This work is significant with respect to claims made by moderns that Christian holy days and practices were taken from particular dates in use by ancient pagan Egypt. Geminus gives us an example in the 1st century B.C. of how very unlikely direct influence from any Egyptian civil calendar celebration would have been on the primary holy days of Christianity.

About Geminus

We know almost nothing about Geminus himself. He is often called Geminus of Rhodes though we do not know if that was his birthplace. He at least did some of his work there according to the text his Elements of Astronomy. We can say at least that he was a mathematician and astronomer. We know of three works penned by him. Through citations and mentions in other authors we know about a mathematical work by Geminus and about a commentary he wrote on Posidonius' writing On Meteorology.

About Elementa Astronomiae

His ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΗ ΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΦΑΙΝΟΜΕΝΑ Introduction to the Phenomena, also called Elements of Astronomy survives to us in manuscripts that come mainly from the 15th century.

About the text and translation presented here

The Greek text here come from the critical edition of Karl Manitius in the 1898 Teubner edition.

Geminus, Eisagōgē eis ta phainomena, Ed. and Tr. Karl Manitius, Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana, 1898

This edition is available on Google Books at https://books.google.com/books?id=M3I7AQAAMAAJ and on Google Play at
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=M3I7AQAAMAAJ&pg=GBS.PA106&hl=en

The text was scanned through Google Play and then visually corrected. Critical notes and line numbers are not included in this transcription. Greek numerals did not scan well. These have been corrected according to the printed text. However, the letter koppa used to indicate the number 90 is signified by an older, non-Byzantine form ϙ. I was unable to find a Byzantine UTF glyph.

The translation is an edited and corrected machine translation through Google Translate based on the Greek text and on Manitius’ German translation.

Any corrections or suggestions are more than welcome.

Elementa Astronomiae 8.16-31

16 Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν ἐναντίαν διάληψιν καὶ πρόθεσιν ἐσχήκασι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν. οὔτε γὰρ τοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς ἄγουσι καθ' ἥλιον, οὔτε τοὺς μῆνας καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας κατὰ σελήνην, ἀλλ᾿ ἰδίᾳ τινὶ ὑποστάσει κεχρημένοι εἰσί.

16 The Egyptians had the exact opposite conception and intention to the Greeks. They neither counted the years according to the sun, nor the months and days according to the moon, but followed a very peculiar principle.

17 βούλονται γὰρ τὰς θυσίας τοῖς θεοῖς μὴ κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ γίνεσθαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ πασῶν τῶν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὡρῶν διελθεῖν καὶ γίνεσθαι τὴν θερινὴν ἑορτὴν καὶ χειμερινὴν καὶ τὴν φθινοπωρινὴν καὶ ἐαρινήν.

17 They wanted that the sacrifices should not be offered at the same time of the year, but should run through all the seasons, i.e. the summer festival should also be a winter festival and the autumn festival a spring festival.

18 ἄγουσι γὰρ τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν ἡμερῶν τξε'· ιβ' γὰρ μῆνας ἄγουσι τριακονθημέρους καὶ πέντε ἐπαγομένας· τὸ δὲ δον οὐκ ἐπάγουσι διὰ τὴν προειρημένην αἰτίαν, ἵνα αὐτοῖς ἵνα αὐτοῖς ἀναποδίζωνται αἱ ἑορταί.

18 They reckon the year to be 365 days, for they have 12 months of 30 days and 5 additional days. They do not take the quarter day into account for the reason stated above, so that their festivals may be counted backwards.

19 ἐν γὰρ τοῖς τέσσαρσιν ἔτεσι μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ ὑστεροῦσι παρὰ τὸν ἥλιον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς μ' ἔτεσι δέκα ἡμέραις ὑστερήσουσι παρὰ τὸν τοῦ ἡλίου ἐνιαυτόν, ὥςτε καὶ τοσαύταις ἡμέραις ἀναποδίσουσιν αἱ ἑορταὶ πρὸς τὸ μὴ γίνεσθαι κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ὥρας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ. ἐν δὲ τοῖς ρκ' ἔτεσι μηνιαῖον ἔσται τὸ παράλλαγμα καὶ πρὸς τὸν τοῦ ἡλίου ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ πρὸς τὰς κατὰ τὸ ἔτος ὥρας.

19 In 4 years they will be one day 19 behind the sun, but in 40 years they will be 10 days behind the solar year, so that their festivals will also be delayed by that many days, in accordance with the intention that they should not take place in the same seasons. Thus, over 120 years the difference with the solar year, i.e. also with the seasons, will be a whole month.

20 Δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ τὸ περιφερόμενον ἁμάρτημα παρὰ τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἐκ πολλῶν χρόνων παραδοχῆς ἠξιωμένον μέχρι τῶν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς χρόνων πεπίστευται. ὑπολαμβάνουσι γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἅμα τοῖς Ισίοις κατ' Αίγυπτίους καὶ κατ᾿ Εὔδοξον εἶναι χειμερινὰς τροπάς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ παντάπασι ψεῦδος· μηνὶ γὰρ ὅλῳ παραλλάσσει τὰ Ἴσια πρὸς τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπάς.

20 (In this very gradual increase) we can also see the reason why a common error, sanctioned by a long-standing tradition, has been accepted in good faith by the Greeks up to our times. The overwhelming majority of Greeks are of the opinion that the winter solstice takes place at the same time as the Isis festival, both according to the Egyptian calendar and according to (the calendar of) Eudoxus. But this is quite wrong, because the Isis festival differs from the winter solstice by a whole month.

21 ἐρρύη δὲ τὸ ἁμάρτημα ἀπὸ τῆς προειρημένης αἰτίας. πρὸ γὰρ ρκ' ἐτῶν συνέπεσε κατ᾽ αὐτὰς τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπὰς ἄγεσθαι τὰ Ἴσια. ἐν ἔτεσι δὲ τέσσαρσι μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἐγένετο παράλλαγμα. τοῦτο οὖν οὐκ αἰσθητὴν ἔσχε παραλλαγὴν πρὸς τὰς κατ᾽ ἔτος ὥρας. ἐν ἔτεσι δὲ μ' ἡμερῶν δέκα ἐγένετο παράλλαγμα. οὐδ᾽ οὕτως αἰσθητὴν εἶναι συμβαίνει τὴν παραλλαγήν.

21 The error crept in for the reason given above. 120 years ago, it was the case that the Isis festival was celebrated at the winter solstice; but after just four years, the difference was one day. This was not, however, a noticeable difference with the season. After 40 years, the difference was 10 days. But even then, the difference would not be particularly noticeable.

22 νυνὶ μέντοι γε μηνιαίας γινομένης παραλλαγῆς ἐν ρκ' ἔτεσιν, ὑπερβολὴν οὐκ ἀπολείπουσιν ἀγνοίας οἱ διαλαμβάνοντες ἐν τοῖς Ἰσίοις κατʼ Αἰγυπτίους καὶ κατ᾽ Εὔδοξον τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπὰς εἶναι. μιᾷ μὲν γὰρ ἡμέρᾳ ἢ δυσὶ διενεχθῆναι ἐνδεχόμενόν ἐστι, μηνιαῖον δὲ παράλλαγμα ἀδύνατόν ἐστι λαθεῖν.

22 But now, when after 120 years the difference is a whole month, the assumption that the winter solstice takes place on the Isis festival according to both the Egyptian calendar and the calendar of Eudoxus leaves nothing to be desired in terms of ignorance. A difference of one day, or at most two days, is acceptable, but a difference of one month cannot possibly go unnoticed.

23 καὶ γὰρ τὰ μεγέθη τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐλέγχειν δύναται μεγάλην ἔχοντα παραλλαγὴν πρὸς τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπάς, καὶ αἱ τῶν ὡρολογίων καταγραφαὶ ἐκδήλους ποιοῦσι τὰς κατὰ ἀλήθειαν γινομένας τροπάς, καὶ μάλιστα παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις ἐν παρατηρήσει γενομένοις.

23 The length of the days, can serve as a guide, which, compared with the time of the winter solstice, shows a great difference; the hour dials of the sundials also make the actual occurrence of the solstice clearly noticeable, especially among the Egyptians, who were such good observers.

24 ὅθεν τὰ Ἴσια πρότερον μὲν ἤγετο κατά τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπάς, καὶ πρότερον δ᾽ ἔτι κατὰ τὰς θερινὰς τροπάς, ὡς καὶ Ἐρατοσθένης ἐν τῷ περὶ τῆς ὀκταετηρίδος ὑπομνήματι μνημονεύει, καὶ ἀχθήσεται πάλιν κατὰ φθινόπωρον καὶ κατὰ τὰς θερινὰς τροπὰς καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἔαρ καὶ πάλιν κατὰ τὰς χειμερινὰς τροπάς. ἐν ἔτεσι γὰρ αυξ' ἅπασαν ἑορτὴν διελθεῖν δεῖ διὰ πασῶν τῶν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὡρῶν καὶ πάλιν ἀποκατασταθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν τοῦ ἔτους.

24 So the Isis festival once fell on the winter solstice, and even earlier on the summer solstice, as Eratosthenes also mentions in his treatise on the eight-year period, and will in future be celebrated in autumn, at the summer solstice, in spring, and then again at the winter solstice. For in 1460 years every festival must pass through all the seasons and return again at the same time of the year.

25 Οἱ μὲν οὖν Αἰγύπτιοι κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ὑπόστασιν κεκρατήκασι τοῦ προκειμένου τέλους, οἱ δὲ Ἕλληνες τὴν ἐναντίαν γνώμην ἔχοντες τοὺς μὲν ἐνιαυτοὺς καθ᾿ ἥλιον ἄγουσι, τοὺς δὲ μῆνας καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας κατὰ σελήνην.

25 The Egyptians therefore set about solving the problem we are now dealing with according to this peculiar principle, while the Greeks, following the opposite view, reckoned the years according to the sun, but the months and days according to the moon.

26 οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀρχαῖοι τοὺς μῆνας τριακονθημέρους ἦγον, τοὺς δὲ ἐμβολίμους παρʼ ἐνιαυτόν. ταχέως δ᾽ἐπὶ τοῦ φαινομένου ἐλεγχομένης τῆς ἀληθείας διὰ τὸ τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ τοὺς μῆνας μὴ συμφωνεῖν τῇ σελήνῃ, τοὺς δὲ ἐνιαυτοὺς μὴ στοιχεῖν τῷ ἡλίῳ, ὅθεν ἐζήτουν περίοδον, ἥτις κατὰ μὲν τοὺς ἐνιαυτοὺς τῷ ἡλίῳ συμφωνήσει , κατὰ δὲ τοὺς μῆνας καὶ τὰς ἡμέρας τῇ σελήνῃ, περιέχει δὲ ὁ τῆς περιόδου χρόνος ὅλους μῆνας καὶ ὅλας ἡμέρας καὶ ὅλους ἐνιαυτούς.

26 As for the ancients, they had months consisting of 30 days each, and added the intercalary months one year after the other. But because the correctness of this procedure was soon called into question by the celestial phenomena, in that the days and months did not correspond with the moon and the years did not progress with the sun, they sought a period which should correspond with the sun as regards the years, and with the moon as regards the months and days, and which should contain whole months, whole days and whole years.

27 πρώτην δὲ συνεστήσαντο τὴν περίοδον τῆς ὀκταετηρίδος, ἥτις περιέχει μὲν μῆνας ϙθ', ἐν οἷς ἐμβολίμους τρεῖς, ἡμέρας δὲ βϡκβ', ἔτη δὲ ὀκτώ. συνεστήσαντο δὲ τὴν ὀκταετηρίδα τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον.

27 The first period which they established was the eight-year period; it comprises 99 months, including three intercalary months, or 2922 days, that is, eight years. They arrived at the establishment of this period in the following manner.

28 ἐπεὶ γὰρ ὁ καθ ' ἥλιον ἐνιαυτὸς ἡμερῶν ἐστι τξε' δον, ὁ δὲ κατὰ σελήνην ἐνιαυτός ἐστιν ἡμερῶν τνδ', ἔλαβον τὴν ὑπεροχήν, ἣν ὑπερέχει ὁ καθ' ἥλιον ἐνιαυτὸς τοῦ κατὰ σελήνην. εἰσὶ δὲ ἡμέραι ια' δον.

28 Since the solar year has 365 ¼ days and the lunar year has only 354 days, they took the surplus of the solar year over the lunar year, which is 11 1/4 days.

29 ἐὰν ἄρα κατὰ σελήνην ἄγωμεν τοὺς μῆνας ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ, ὑστερήσομεν ἡμέρας παρὰ τὸν τοῦ ἡλίου ἐνιαυτὸν ια΄ δον. ἐζήτησαν οὖν, ποσάκις αὗται αἱ ἡμέραι πολυπλασιασθεῖσαι ἀποτελοῦσιν ὅλας ἡμέρας καὶ ὅλους μῆνας. ὀκτάκις δὲ πολυπλασιασθεῖσαι ἀποτελοῦσιν ὅλας ἡμέρας καὶ ὅλους μῆνας, ἤγουν ἡμέρας μὲν ϙʹ, μῆνας δὲ τρεῖς.

29 If we therefore reckon the months in the year according to the lunar year, we shall be 11 1/4 days behind the solar year. They then sought the number by which this number of days must be multiplied in order to obtain whole days and whole months. This result is obtained by multiplying by eight: it is 90 days or three months.

30 ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ παρὰ τὸν ἥλιον ὑστεροῦμεν ἡμέρας ια' δον, φανερὸν ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ὀκτὼ ἔτεσιν ὑστερήσομεν παρὰ τὸν ἥλιον ἡμέρας ϙ', ὅπερ εἰσὶ μῆνες τρεῖς.

30 Since we are 114 days behind in a solar year, it is clear that in eight years we will be 90 days, or three months, behind the sun.

31 δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν καθ᾿ ἑκάστην οκταετηρίδα τρεῖς ἄγονται μῆνες ἐμβόλιμοι, ἵνα τὸ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν γινόμενον ἔλλειμμα πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον ἀναπληρωθῇ καὶ πάλιν ἐξ ἀρχῆς διελθόντων τῶν ὀκτὼ ἐτῶν συμφωνῶσιν αἱ ἑορταί πρὸς τὰς κατ᾽ ἔτος ὥρας. γινομένου γὰρ τούτου αἱ θυσίαι τοῖς θεοῖς διὰ παντὸς ἐπιτελεσθήσονται κατὰ τὰς αὐτὰς ὥρας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ.

31 For this reason, three leap months are inserted in every eight-year period, so that the annual loss of light from the sun is balanced out, and so that once the eight years have elapsed, the festivals will fall in the same seasons. If this happens, the sacrifices to the gods will always be made at the same times of year.