Calendrical variations in Second Temple Judaism : new perspectives on the "Date of the Last Supper" debate

297 Pages·2012·3.468 MB·English

by  Stéphane Saulnier

Calendrical Variations
in Second Temple Judaism
Supplements
to the
Journal for the Study
of Judaism
Editor
Benjamin G. Wright, III
Department of Religion Studies, Lehigh University
Associate Editors
Florentino García Martínez
Qumran Institute, University of Groningen
Hindy Najman
Department of Religious Studies and Program in Judaic Studies, Yale University
Advisory Board
g. bohak – j.j. collins – j. duhaime – p.w. van der horst –
a.k. petersen – m. popoviĆ – j.t.a.g.m. van ruiten –
j. sievers – g. stemberger – e.j.c. tigchelaar –
j. magliano-tromp
VOLUME 159
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/jsjs
Calendrical Variations
in Second Temple Judaism
New Perspectives on the ‘Date of the Last Supper’ Debate
By
Stéphane Saulnier
Leiden • boston
2012
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Saulnier, Stéphane.
 Calendrical variations in Second Temple Judaism : new perspectives on the “Date of the Last
Supper” debate / by Stéphane Saulnier.
  p. cm. — (Supplements to the Journal for the study of Judaism ; v. 159)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978-90-04-16963-0 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Jewish calendar. 2. Judaism—History—Post-
exilic period, 586 B.C.–210 A.D. 3. Fasts and feasts—Judaism. 4. Jaubert, Annie. Date of the Last
Supper. 5. Lord’s Supper. I. Title.
 CE35.S28 2012
 529’.326—dc23
2011051421
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ISSN 1384-2161
ISBN 978-90-04-16963-0 (hardback)
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgements  ........................................................................................ xi
List of Abbreviations and Bibliographical Notes  .................................. xiii
Introduction  ..................................................................................................... 1
1. Discrepancies in the Gospels’ Passion Narratives  ...................... 2
2. Classical Attempts for Reconciling the Gospel Accounts  ........... 3
2.1. The Chronology of the Synoptic Gospels is Correct  ......... 3
2.2. The Chronology of the Fourth Gospel is Correct  .............. 5
2.3.  Both the Synoptic and the Johannine Chronologies
are Correct  ..................................................................................... 10
3. Enquiries Undertaken in the Present Study  ................................ 15
PART I
THE JAUBERTIAN THEORY
I.  The Date of the Last Supper: Annie Jaubert’s Theory
Revisited  ....................................................................................................... 19
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................... 19
2. The Jaubertian Theory  ........................................................................ 20
2.1. The Ancient Jewish Calendar in the Book of Jubilees  ....... 20
2.2. The Sources of Christian Liturgy  ............................................ 30
2.3. The Gospels  ................................................................................... 38
2.4. Jaubert’s Conclusions  ................................................................. 43
3. The Critics’ Appraisal of the Jaubertian Theory  ......................... 44
3.1. The Calendar of Jubilees  ............................................................ 44
3.2. Patristic Evidence: A Three-day Chronology of
Jesus’ Passion  ................................................................................. 50
3.3. Jaubert’s Application of the Three-day Chronology to
the Gospel Accounts  ................................................................... 53
4. Conclusions  ............................................................................................ 62
vi contents
PART II
FESTIVALS AND THE SEASONS IN THE SOURCES
II. The Cycle of Festivals and the Seasons in the Hebrew Bible  ..... 67
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................ 67
2. The Pentateuch  .................................................................................. 71
2.1. The Festival of Passover  .......................................................... 72
2.2. The Festival of Unleavened Bread  ....................................... 74
2.3. Festival of the Raising of the Sheaf  ..................................... 75
2.4. The Festival of Weeks  .............................................................. 75
2.5. The Festival of Tabernacles  ................................................... 76
2.6. Other Festivals in the Pentateuch  ....................................... 77
2.7. Festivals and the Seasons in the Pentateuch: Summary  .... 77
3. F estivals and the Seasons in Other Writings of the
Hebrew Bible  ...................................................................................... 78
3.1. Ezekiel 45  .................................................................................... 78
3.2. 1 Kings 12—King Jeroboam’s Calendar innovation
in Israel  ........................................................................................ 79
3.3. 2 Chronicles 30 & 31—King Hezekiah’s Reform
in Judah  ........................................................................................ 82
3.4. Ezra-Nehemiah  .......................................................................... 88
4. T he Cycle of Festivals in the Hebrew Scriptures: Summary
and Conclusion  .................................................................................. 89
III. The Cycle of Festivals and the Seasons in the Book of Jubilees  91
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................ 91
2. The Festival of Passover in Jubilees  ............................................. 92
3. The Festival of Unleavened Bread in Jubilees  ........................... 106
4. The Festival of Weeks in Jubilees  ................................................. 107
5. The Raising of the Sheaf in Jubilees  ............................................. 108
6. The Festival of Tabernacles in Jubilees  ....................................... 108
7. Summary: Festivals in Jubilees ....................................................... 112
IV. The Cycle of Festivals in the Dead Sea Scrolls ............................... 115
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................ 115
2. T he Festivals of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and
Second Passover  ................................................................................ 117
2.1. The Passover  ............................................................................... 118
2.2. The Festival of Unleavened Bread  ....................................... 119
2.3. The Second Passover  ............................................................... 121
contents vii
3. The Raising of the Sheaf  .................................................................. 124
4. The Festival of Weeks  ...................................................................... 126
5. The Festival of Tabernacles  ............................................................ 128
6. Additional First-fruit Festivals in the Dead Sea Scrolls  ......... 129
6.1. The Festival of New Wine—שוריתה /ןייה דעומ  ........... 129
6.2. The Festival of New Oil—רהציה /נמשׂה דעומ  ............. 134
6.3. The Festival of the Wood Offering—
םיצעה ןברק )דעומ(  ................................................................ 135
7. F estivals and the Seasons in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Summary  136
V. T he Cycle of Festivals in Other Relevant Jewish Sources  ........... 139
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................ 139
2. The Gezer Calendar  ........................................................................... 139
3. The Elephantine Papyri  .................................................................... 141
4. Festivals in Josephus  ........................................................................ 144
4.1. The Festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread  .......... 145
4.2. The Festival of Weeks  ............................................................. 147
4.3. The Festival of Tabernacles  ................................................... 147
4.4. Festivals and Seasons in Josephus: Summary   ............... 148
5. Festivals in Philo  ................................................................................ 148
5.1. The Festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread  .......... 148
5.2. The Raising of the Sheaf  ......................................................... 150
5.3. The Festival of Weeks  ............................................................. 151
5.4. The Festival of Tabernacles and “the Basket”  .................. 151
5.5. The Number Seven and the Cycle of Festivals in Philo  152
5.6. Festivals and Seasons in Philo: Summary  ......................... 155
6. The Bar Kokhba Letters  ................................................................... 156
7. Conclusions  ......................................................................................... 158
PART III
SOME SPECIFIC CALENDRICAL ISSUES
IN SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM
VI. Calendrical Issues in the Book of Luminaries (1 Enoch 72–82) ....... 163
1. Introduction  ........................................................................................ 163
2. Discussion of the Dating of the Book of Luminaries  ............... 164
2.1. Milik’s Hypothesis ..................................................................... 165
2.2. Assessment of Milik’s Hypothesis  ........................................ 167
2.3. Summary  ...................................................................................... 173
viii contents
3. Antiquity of the 364-day Year  ..................................................... 174
3.1. An Egyptian Connection?  ................................................... 174
3.2. A Babylonian Connection  ................................................... 176
3.3. Summary  ................................................................................... 177
4. Identification of Differing Lunar Reckonings in the
Book of Luminaries  ......................................................................... 178
4.1. 1 En 73 and Lunar Reckoning  ............................................. 179
4.2. 1 En 74 and Lunar Reckoning  ............................................. 180
5. Summary and Conclusions  .......................................................... 201
VII. The Calendrical Documents from Qumran  ................................. 205
1. Introduction  ..................................................................................... 205
2. The Meaning of X and dwq in 4Q320, 4Q321 and 4Q321a  ..... 205
2.1. X and dwq/duqah in Recent Scholarship  ....................... 208
2.2. Identity of X and dwq, a New Proposal  .......................... 214
2.3. Summary  .................................................................................. 226
3. The Ethiopic Book of Luminaries Once Again  ........................ 226
4. 1 En 80:2–8—a New Interpretation  ........................................... 227
5. Conclusions  ...................................................................................... 230
VIII. Conclusions  ............................................................................................ 233
1. The Calendar Objection Leveled Against the Jaubertian
Theory  ................................................................................................ 233
1.1. The Calendar and the Seasons  .......................................... 234
1.2. The Second Passover in the Sources  ............................... 236
2. Specific Calendrical Issues in Second Temple Judaism  ...... 238
2.1. Antiquity of the 364-day Year Calendar  ......................... 238
2.2. Identification of a Forgotten Connection: Lunar
Reckonings in the Book of Luminaries  ............................ 239
2.3. C ontribution to the Identification and Interpretation
of the X and dwq Dates in 4Q320, 4Q321 and 4Q321a  ... 239
3. Back to the Date of the Last Supper  ......................................... 240
3.1. Calendrical Variations in Second Temple Judaism
and the Date of the Last Supper  ....................................... 241
3.2. The Cycle of Festivals and the Date of the
Last Supper  .............................................................................. 243
3.3. On the Question of Intercalation of the 364-day Year  244
4. Areas for Further Enquiries  ........................................................ 245
contents ix
Appendix: The 364-Day Year, the Lunar Cycle, and the
 Triennial Cycle  ............................................................................................. 247
Bibliography   ....................................................................................................... 251
Index of Subjects  .............................................................................................. 269
Index of Modern Authors  .............................................................................. 271
Index of Scriptures and Other Ancient Writings  ................................... 274