The Green Ears ofXanthicus: Calendrical Interpretations of Exodus 12: 1-2 in J ewish and Sectarian Sources from the Biblical through Medieval Periods by Andrea Dawn Lobel Faculty of Religious Studies McGill University, Montreal April, 2004 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts. © 2004 Andrea Dawn Lobel Library and Bibliothèque et 1+1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 0-612-98462-1 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 0-612-98462-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans loan, distribute and sell th es es le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non­ sur support microforme, papier, électronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. ln compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont été enlevés de cette thèse. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. ••• Canada Abstract The Green Ears of Xanthicus: Calendrical Interpretations of Exodus 12:1-2 in Jewish and Sectarian Sources from the Biblical through Medieval Periods This historical survey traces the interpretation of Exodus 12: 1-2, the Bible's first calendrical commandment, through Jewish and sectarian writings from the biblical verses themselves through the medieval era. It explores both the history ofthe interpretation of these verses and their application in developing a calendar traced along a historical arc spanning carefully chosen sources. These include the Septuagint and Pseudepigrapha, as weIl as numerous antique and early medieval Jewish sources - the Tannaim, Amoraim, and Jewish sectarian groups such as the Qumranites, Samaritans, and Karaites. The end point of this survey is the middle of the fifteenth century, prior to the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, which led to a shift in Jewish migration and settlement patterns and the development of new literatures of religious expression. Résumé Les épis verts d'Xanthicus : Interprétation des versets bibliques faisant référence au calendrier selon le livre de l'Exode 12:1-2 d'après des sources juives et sectaires, depuis la période Biblique jusqu'au Moyen Âge Cette étude historique, traitant du premier commandement faisant référence au calendrier, retrace l'interprétation de l'Exode 12: 1-2. Cette étude est basée sur des sources juives et sectaires depuis l'écriture même de la Bible jusqu'au Moyen Âge. La thèse explore autant l'histoire de l'interprétation de ces versets que leur application dans le développement d'un calendrier. L'étude puise à de nombreuses sources historiques - le Septuagint, le Pseudepigrapha, et les écrits des Tannaim, Amoraim, et juïfs sectaires tel que les Qurnranites, les Samaritains, et les Karaites. La thèse s'achève avec le milieu du XVe siècle, avant l'expulsion des juïfs d'Espagne en 1492. Cette expulsion engendrera de profonds changements de comportements dans l'immigration des juïfs Sépharades, ainsi que dans le développement de littératures d'expression religieuse. 11 Acknowledgments ln its exploration of the many and varied interpretations of two Bible verses through the centuries, this thesis might be said to be a work oftime travel. So too are my acknowledgments, connected as they are to those who have been of great support throughout the years. First and foremost, 1 would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. B. Barry Levy, for deepening my awareness and enjoyment of the Bible and its interpretation. The endeavour of attempting to follow the threads of Exodus 12: 1-2 through interpretive history would have been impossible without his teachings and guidance. Many years ago, my maternaI grandmother, Stella, noted my early love of reading, and encouraged it whenever she could. Later, during my decade-long sabbatical from formaI studies, she continued to urge me to return to academic life. Eventually, 1 paid attention. My thanks to her cannot be properly expressed in any known language, constrained as it is by mere phonemes. My deepest thanks goes out to Gladys Yearwood ofblessed memory, who se daily Bible readings inspired my own explorations, and whose strong sense of ethics and compassion anchored the text in Earthly reality. 1 also owe a debt of gratitude to other special people in my life. Thanks to Joelle, Lianne, Stevie Stahl, Bob dM (for priming me with discussions ofmathematics, Plato, Derrida, and Levi-Strauss), Brigit-Alexandre Bussière, Bryna, Carla, Sherif, Pauline, Evelyn, my mother, Elinor, as well as to my mother-in-Iaw and Ima, Eva S. My sincere thanks to those professors and professional associates who have helped me reach this stage: Dr. Gerbern Oegema, Dr. Katherine Young, Dr. David Bakan, Dr. Shoshana Kurtz, Dr. Rachel Weinstock, Selma Sage, Ken Gould, and Dr. Mirela Saim, for encouragement and cookies. This work could, however, never have been written without the love and support of my husband, Mark, who has encouraged me through every step of the research and writing process. He has accompanied me on library trips, kept me in coffee, and reminded me to emerge from my office to eat from time to time. This the sis is, in part, an outgrowth of his devotion. III Table of Contents Abstract Résumé 11 Acknowledgments III Chapter 1: Introduction - The Calendar Commandment 1 Chapter 2: Exodus 12:1-2 - Intra-Biblical References 4 Chapter 3: The Hellenistic Rewrite (third century BCE-second century CE) 8 A. The Septuagint Version 8 B. OfContext and Calendrics: Greco-Roman Perceptions 8 C. Philo of Alexandria 12 D. Josephus 16 E. The Apocrypha on Xanthicus 21 F. The Pseudepigrapha and the Co smic Clock 21 G. The Dead Sea Scrolls Calendar 24 Chapter 4: Exod. 12:1-2 Interpretations of the Rabbinic Era (first-seventh centuries CE) 27 A. Aramaic Bible Translations: The Targumim on 12:1-2 27 i .. Targum of Onquelos 28 ii. N eophyti 1 28 iii. Fragment Targumim 29 B. Mishnah 30 C. The Tosefta 31 D. Halakhic Midrashim: The Mekhilta 32 E. Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Rosh HaShanah 36 F. Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Rosh HaShanah 38 G. Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 42 H. Interpretations of Exod. 12:1-2 in the Aggadic Midrashim 45 i. Exodus Rabbah 45 ii. Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer 48 iii. A vot DeRabbi Nathan and the Appointed Times 50 IV 1. Art as Interpretation, or Drawing Conclusions: Synagogue Art on Nisan and the Beginning of Months 50 J. The View From Mount Gerizim: Exod. 12:1-2 Seen Through the Lens of The Samaritan Midrash 55 Middle Age[s] Spread - Exod. 12:1-2 in The Medieval Period 58 Chapter 5: The Babylonian Geonim and Saadia Gaon on Calendrics (sixth-eleventh centuries CE) 62 Chapter 6: Karaites (eighth-twelfth centuries CE) 65 Chapter 7: Ashkenazi Bible Interpretation (eleventh-fourteenth centuries CE) Or, Arum With a View: In Search of The Naked Text 68 A. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzhaki) 68 B. Tosafists 70 C. Rashbam (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir) 70 D. Levi ben Gershon (GersonideslRalbag) 72 Chapter 8: The Bible's Reign in Spain (and North Africa) - Sephardic interpretations of Exod. 12: 1-2 (eleventh-fourteenth Centuries CE) 76 A. Abraham Ibn Ezra 76 B. Maimonides (Moshe ben Maimon) 78 C. Judah Halevi 79 D. Nachmanides 81 E. Moses de Leon 82 F. Yemenite Midrash 83 G. Isaac Arama 83 Chapter 9: Time Reset: Bible Interpretation In New Lands - The End of An Era 88 Chapter 10: Summary and Conclusion: Calendrics and the Biblical Prism 90 References Endnotes v "It is not your responsibility to complete the task, but neither are you permitted to avoid it." Pirkei Avot 2:1 VI Chapter 1 Introduction: The Calendar Commandment Calendar systems are perhaps the highest form of practical technology ever to emerge from humanity's observations of the heavens. Instituted for numerous reasons, each system carries with it not only its implications for community timekeeping, but the potential to inspire highly charged political debate. Indeed, the purpose of calendar is to structure time for a community, affecting the very fabric ofits daily life, and leading to its collective self-definition and group identification. Like Bible interpretation itself, time is relative. In their overlap within a biblical text, however, this effect is magnified, leading to varied perceptions of the material. Such are the challenge and accompanying exegetical opportunity posed by Exodus 12:1-2, which contains what many commentators from early antiquity onward consider to be not only the first commandment, but the first to specifically mandate the establishment of a calendar by the Israelites.