THE APOCALYPSE OF ZERUBBABEL IN JUDAEO-ARABIC 1 Moshe GIL Tel Aviv University THE APOCALYPSE OF ZERUBBABEL IN JUDAEO-ARABIC RÉSUMÉ Le texte de l’apocalypse de Zorobabel que je présente au lectorat de la Revue des études juives a été reconstitué par moi-même à partir de dix-neuf fragments de la Gueniza du Caire contenus dans six manuscrits, tous trouvés dans la collection Tay- lor-Schechter de la bibliothèque de l’Université de Cambridge. En plus des éléments messianiques habituels qui se trouvent dans les versions hébraïques de l’apocalypse de Zorobabel, la version présentée contient un véritable vaticinium ex eventu qui s’étend sur une période d’environ cinq années, et nous présente les événements — des guer- res surtout — qui viennent de se passer justement dans divers pays du Proche-Orient, tout cela comme prélude au salut, attendu pour l’année 970. Ainsi le texte est intéres- sant, non seulement comme document messianique, mais aussi comme témoignage authentique sur des événements historiques appartenant à la fois à l’histoire générale et à l’histoire juive. SUMMARY The text of the Apocalypse of Zerubbabel which I present to the readers of the Revue des études juives, was reconstructed by me from nineteen fragments found in six Geniza manuscripts, all at the Taylor-Schechter Collection, kept at the Cambridge University Library. In addition to the usual messianic elements found in the Hebrew Zerubbabel texts, the present version contains a real vaticinium ex eventu, stretching over a period of some five years, describing events — mainly wars — which take place in various countries of the Near East, as prelude to the process of redemption, expected in 970. Thus, the text is interesting not only as messianic document, but also as an authentic evidence of historical occurrences, involving Jews and non-Jews alike. The Development of the Apocalypse; the Hebrew Texts During the time I was studying Geniza documents in the various libraries in which they are kept, my attention was drawn to six fragments found in the Taylor-Schechter collection in the Cambridge University Library con- taining eighteen fragmented parts of the Judaeo-Arabic version of the Revue des Études juives, 165 (1-2), janvier-juin 2006, pp. 1-98. doi: 10.2143/REJ.165.1.2013875 2 THE APOCALYPSE OF ZERUBBABEL IN JUDAEO-ARABIC Apocalypse of Zerubbabel. As the reader will discover, this version differs significantly from the Hebrew ones. Whereas these known versions de- scribe the end of days and the redemption of Israel, including several events described in an abstract and vague mythological manner, the Judaeo-Arabic version is truly a vaticinium ex eventu, a prophecy after the fact. It contains not only explicit dates, but also references to identifiable events, as well as very obvious names and epithets of people and places. Naturally, the narra- tive is presented by Zerubbabel, who heard it from the angel, who was, in effect, describing events that occurred several years prior to AD 970, the approximate year in which the apocalypse was written. As is well-known, Zerubbabel is a biblical figure. One of the leaders of the return to Zion, he was appointed “governor of Judah” by the Persian rulers since he was obviously a descendant of King David; his father, Shealtiel, was a great grandson of King Josiah and he was the son of Jeconiah (that is, King Jehoiakin), who was the son of King Jehoakim. Sources dealing with the redemption of Israel have utilized Zerubbabel as the narrator who describes the final return to Zion that will occur at the end of days. The names of Gog and Magog come from the Bible itself, and the idea of the war of Gog and Magog developed from this source. Indeed, the main inspiration for the image of “the War of Gog and Magog” comes from Ezekiel (chapters 38 and 39). In the Tosefta we find “the wars of Gog;” in the Mishna, “the judgment of Gog that will come in the future.” According to chronological order, the earliest source is chapter 20 of the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament; it describes a global war initiated by Satan, who will be defeated and thrown into the fiery lake. This is the idea of the “wars of Gog and Magog,” the war of the end of days. “Gog,” “Gog and Magog” are also mentioned in the Palestinian Tal- mud1. Several of the characters and names interwoven in the various versions of the Apocalypse of Zerubbabel also appear in the targum ascribed to Jonathan: “the Messiah the son of (the biblical) Ephraim” (that is, the Mes- siah the son of (the biblical) Joseph, the “Northern Messiah” of the “King- 1. Aside from the six fragments, Prof. Ezra Fleischer suggested another one, which is no. XII below. Zerubbabel: Ezra 2:2; 3:2, 8; 4;2, 3; 5:2; Nehemiah 7:7; 12:1; Haggai 1:12; 2:2, 4; Zechariah 4:6, 7, 9, 10; 1 Chr. 3:19; Gog, Magog: Gen. 10.2; 1 Chr. 1:5; Ezek. 38:2: “Gog, the land of Magog”; ibid. verses 14, 16, 18; 39:1, 6, 11, 15. Mishna, {Eduyot, 2:10. Tosefta, Berakhot i:13; in the N.T.: Rev. 20:8-10, Zerubbabel is one of Christ’s forefa- thers: Mat. 1:12; Luke 3:27. In the Palestinian Talmud: Berakhot i, 4a (Jer. 12; this abbre- viation refers to the Jerusalem edition [2001] quoted by no. of column); “the kingdom of Gog”, ibid. i, 4b (Jer. 18) = Megilla i, 73a (Jer. 758); Shevi{it iv, 35c (Jer. 192): “whoever dies in Gog’s seven years has no part in what will happen (i.e. in the seven years preceding the redemption); Yevamot xv, 14d (Jer. 897). THE APOCALYPSE OF ZERUBBABEL IN JUDAEO-ARABIC 3 dom of Israel”); “Armilus” (mentioned here for the first time in a Jewish source); “the Messiah the son of David.”2 The Babylonian Talmud mentions the Messiah the son of David, the Messiah the son of Ephraim, and the War of Gog and Magog3. In midrashim we find: “The anointed of war who comes from Ephraim” and “the great redeemer who comes from the sons of the sons of David.”4 Statements made in the name of R. Levi talk about the Jews of the Upper Galilee and their leader, the Messiah the son of Joseph; their onslaught on Jerusalem; their victory over “the Canaanites” and “the land of Moab”; the death of the Messiah the son of Joseph; the suffering of the Jews: their escape; their abuse at the hands of the “Ananites” (the original apparently read “the Arabs”) and “the Canaanites”; many Jews who convert, who “run off to the Canaanites”; abuse of the “salty things”; the flight to Babylonia; the Jews’ encounter with many trials and tribulations until the coming of the Messiah the son of David and the advent of the ultimate re- demption5. These motifs are also reflected in the midrash, Pirqe de Rabbi Eliezer, which has not yet been dated positively: God (Himself) speaks to Adam and shows him the two kingdoms, and David the son of Jesse, who redeems Israel6. Saadia Gaon speaks about the great suffering of the nation on the path to the final redemption: “(God) will cause this nation to suffer terrible and enduring trials.” “The man clothed in linen” already announced to Daniel that the redemption would be taking place in the future and provided details about when it would happen. Saadia Gaon goes on to speak about the Galilean from the house of Joseph who asks his followers to go up to Jeru- salem, which is then under Roman rule. He also mentions: the battle against Armelius; the fall of the man from the house of Joseph in that bat- tle; the appearance of the Messiah the son of David; the war of Gog and 2. The targum to Ex. 40:11: messiah the son of Ephraim, that will be a descendant of Joshua; to Is. 11:1: a king will be born from the offspring of Jesse and a messiah will grow up from among his descendants; to S. of S. 4:5, 7:4: your two saviours who will save you in the future, messiah the son of David and messiah the son of Ephraim; to Is. 11:4: Armilus the evil one. See a list of references in: GUTTMANN, Religionsphil., 236 n. 4. 3. BT Sukka 52a-b; {Avoda zara 3b; Berakhot 29b. 4. Num. rabba ch. xiv:1. 5. LeqaÌ †ov, to Num., pp. 258f., cited in OÒar ha-g. to Sukka, 70 n. 7. On the matter of the Arabs and “the salty things”, see the talmudic traditions: PT Ta{aniyot iv, 69b (Jer. 736); Jesus in Isl. C., section 5; Lam. Rabba, ii: 117 (Buber, 108); cf. Gil, Jews in Isl. C., no. 7 and n. 5. 6. Pirqe de-r. El., xix and the introduction of Friedlander ibid. xviii f, liii f. See also ZUNZ, Ha-derashot, 134-140, and the addition by the editor, Î. ALBECK, in note 23 ibid., who believes that “its time should not be placed later than the second half of the eighth century”, because there is no mention of the Karaites in this composition. However, this omission, which may also be explained in other ways, does not prove anything. 4 THE APOCALYPSE OF ZERUBBABEL IN JUDAEO-ARABIC Magog in the Valley of Johoshaphath; and the intervention of God, the fi- nal redemption, and the ingathering of the exiles. In his commentary on the Song of Songs, Saadia Gaon makes mention of: a man, a descendant of Joseph from “the Galilee Mountain,” who will go up to the Temple with his followers; the war against Armilus and the death of that man (whom he does not call Messiah) in battle; and the arrival of Elijah and the advent of the redemption.