Do you trust Logos ... or does Logos use Logos.

MJ. Smith

from Word by Word: Is Christmas Really a Christian Holiday? by Emily Hunter McGowin

“How, then, did the early church settle on December 25 in the first place? The most likely explanation has to do with Jewish rabbinic tradition. Rabbinic scholars taught that the Hebrew patriarchs were born and died on the same days—a sign of completion or wholeness of life before God. So, Jesus Christ, the perfect fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, was thought to have had a fully symmetrical life, too. Based on the dating of Passover, Jesus was thought to be crucified on March 25. It was concluded, then, that he was conceived on the same day. And March 25 happened to be the date rabbinic scholars also said the world was created, a fitting coincidence for early Christian thinkers proclaiming Jesus as Lord. What comes exactly nine months after March 25 on the Julian calendar? That’s right: December 25.”

Asking Logos "On what date do rabbis say the world was created?" provides the following synopsis:

According to rabbinical tradition, the world was created on Rosh Hashanah, which falls in autumn, though the exact date is not specified in the provided articles. The rabbis teach that God used the Torah as a blueprint or tool for creating the world[1]. They interpret the opening words of Genesis, "Bereʾšit" (In/By the beginning), to mean that God created the world "by Torah," equating the concept of "beginning" (reʾšit) with Torah and divine wisdom[1]. This interpretation is based on their understanding of Proverbs 8:22, which they read as saying God made Torah the "beginning" of His way[1]. However, it's important to note that the articles do not provide a specific calendar date for the world's creation according to rabbinical teaching.

[1] Michael V. Fox, Proverbs 10–31: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18B, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2009), 961.

Asking the same question of Perplexity provides:

According to rabbinic tradition, there are two main opinions regarding the date of the world's creation:

Rabbi Eliezer's view: The world was created in the month of Tishrei (typically September or October). This aligns with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, observed on the first and second days of Tishrei[4].

Rabbi Yehoshua's view: The world was created in the month of Nisan (usually March or April)[5].

Some additional details and interpretations include:

A Talmudic teaching attributed to Rabbi Eliezer states that on the 25th of Elul (the month preceding Tishrei), God began the creation process[4].

The Midrash suggests that God created the Divine light on the 25th of Elul by saying "Let there be light"[4].

According to calculations by Rabbi Yossi ben Halafta, a second-century CE sage, the moment of creation ("molad tohu" or "birth from nothing") occurred on Monday, October 7, 3761 BCE (in the Gregorian calendar)[1].

It's important to note that these dates refer to the Hebrew calendar. The Jewish calendar considers the year 3761 BCE as the date of creation, which corresponds to approximately October 7, 3761 BCE in the Gregorian calendar[1][4].

Some Hassidic thought attempts to reconcile the differing opinions by suggesting that the world was created in Nisan in thought, while in deed it was created in Tishrei[5].

Citations:
[1] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/counting-the-years/
[2] https://answersingenesis.org/days-of-creation/creation-days-and-orthodox-jewish-tradition/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_the_Talmud?oldformat=true
[4] https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Fall_Holidays/Elul/Creation/creation.html
[5] https://quantumtorah.com/when-was-the-world-created/
[6] https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/139774/what-is-the-date-of-the-babylonian-talmud-and-how-is-it-dated
[7] https://www.britannica.com/topic/anno-mundi
[8] http://resource.download.wjec.co.uk.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/vtc/2017-18/17-18_2-19/pdf/eduqas/3a-the-creation-of-the-world-ao1-handout.pdf
[9] https://www.jhi.pl/en/articles/a-way-of-life-why-is-the-talmud-important-to-jews,4785
[10] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246605/jewish/Creation-of-the-World.htm

Seems to me a footnote of explanation may be necessary in the blog.

Mike Childs

May be too much AI for my taste.