TIP OF THE DAY 124: Action takes time: Expression of time and chronologies

MJ. Smith

I am adding these posts to the previous tip list L/V 10 Tip of the Day (when it doesn't time out)

QUESTION: How in time expressed (or implied) by scripture?

ANSWER: from Perplexity:

In Scripture, time and sequence are presented through various linguistic and structural elements that help establish chronology and temporal relationships. Here are some concrete ways time is expressed:

Temporal Prepositions and Phrases

Biblical Hebrew and Greek use specific prepositions and phrases to denote time:

• "After" (אַחֲרֵי in Hebrew) - Used to sequence events, e.g., "after these things".
• "Before" (לִפְנֵי in Hebrew, πρό in Greek) - Indicates precedence in time or rank.
• "In" or "At" (בְּ in Hebrew) - Often used to specify a point in time.

Genealogical Dating

The Bible uses genealogies to establish chronology:

• Father-son relationships are used to calculate years, e.g., "When Adam had lived 130 years, he became the father of Seth".
• Ages at key life events are provided, allowing for chronological calculations.

Event-Based Dating

Scripture often dates events relative to other significant occurrences:

• "Two years after the flood" - Used to date Arphaxad's birth.
• Regnal years - Events dated by the year of a king's reign.

Specific Time Markers

The Bible uses various time markers to provide precise chronology:

• Day, month, and year specifications - "In the 600th year of Noah's life, on the 17th day of the 2nd month".
• Seasonal references - "After the harvest," "In the spring when kings go off to war."

Chronological Summaries

Some passages provide explicit chronological summaries:

• "The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years".
• "Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years".

Implied Sequence

The narrative structure often implies chronological order, even without explicit time markers.

It's important to note that while these methods provide a framework for understanding biblical chronology, interpretations can vary. Some scholars view certain genealogies as potentially non-exhaustive or symbolic, while others take them as precise chronological data.

Cyclic ritual time

Time and sequence in Scripture are often presented through references to religious festivals, which serve as important temporal markers and cyclical events in the biblical calendar.

Pilgrimage Festivals

The Hebrew Bible describes three main pilgrimage festivals:

• Pesach (Passover) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
• Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost)
• Sukkot (Feast of Booths or Tabernacles)

These festivals were to be celebrated at specific times of the year, often tied to agricultural seasons. For example, Deuteronomy 16 provides instructions for observing these festivals, connecting them to both seasonal harvests and historical events like the Exodus.

Additional Biblical Festivals

In addition to the three pilgrimage festivals, Leviticus 23 outlines four more appointed times:

• Bikkurim (Firstfruits)
• Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets)
• Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)
• Matzah (Unleavened Bread, often associated with Passover)

These seven festivals form a complete cycle in the biblical calendar, mirroring the structure of the menorah in the Tabernacle.

Temporal Markers

Festivals served as important temporal markers in biblical narrative and law:

Events were often dated in relation to festivals: "After the Passover" or "During the Feast of Tabernacles."

The agricultural year was structured around these festivals, with Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits at the beginning, Pentecost in the middle, and Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles at the end.

Chronological Significance

The festivals not only marked time but also carried historical and prophetic significance:

• Passover commemorated the Exodus from Egypt, tying present observance to past events.
• The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) was later associated with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

These festivals were seen as "appointments" with God, suggesting a divine ordering of time.

By incorporating these festivals into the narrative and legal texts, Scripture provides a framework for understanding both historical sequence and the cyclical nature of sacred time in biblical thought.

QUESTION: Where is the religious calendar shown in Logos?

SOFTWARE: the interactive Israelite Feasts and Sacrifices can be opened from the library panel or the command line.

QUESTION: Who was George Syncellus and how did he calculate the dates of biblical events?

ANSWER: from Perplexity:

George Syncellus was a Byzantine chronicler and ecclesiastical official who lived in the late 8th and early 9th centuries. He served as the syncellus (private secretary) to Tarasius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, from 784 to 806. After retiring to a monastery, Syncellus composed his major work, a universal chronicle titled "Ekloge chronographias" (Extract of Chronography).

Syncellus' chronicle aimed to present a comprehensive history of the world from the biblical creation to the reign of Emperor Diocletian in 284 CE. His approach to calculating the dates of biblical events involved several methods:

Biblical genealogies: Syncellus used father-son relationships and ages provided in Scripture to calculate years between events.

Synchronization: He attempted to align biblical chronology with known historical events and other ancient chronologies, including Egyptian and Babylonian records.

Religious festivals: Syncellus incorporated biblical festivals as temporal markers to establish a chronological framework.

Anno Mundi (AM) dating: He employed the Anno Mundi system, which counts years from the supposed date of creation. For example, he dated the Incarnation of Christ to the year AM 5500.

Comparative analysis: Syncellus drew upon various sources, including the Septuagint, church fathers like Gregory Nazianzen and John Chrysostom, and other chronographers such as Julius Africanus and Eusebius of Caesarea.

Syncellus' primary goal was to confirm the orthodox dating of Christ's incarnation at the completion of the 5500th year from the creation of the universe1. His work is particularly valuable for preserving information from earlier chronographers whose works have been lost, such as the Alexandrians Panodorus and Annianus.

While Syncellus died around 810 CE before completing his chronicle, it was later extended by his associate Theophanes Confessor. Together, their works represent a significant contribution to Byzantine scholarship and Christian chronography.

QUESTION: Who was archbishop James Ussher and how did he calculate the dates of biblical events?

ANSWER: from Perplexity:

James Ussher (1581-1656) was the Irish priest whose date for the creation of the world is often quoted. He served as the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland from 1625 to 1656.

Ussher is most famous for his chronology that calculated the date of creation as October 23, 4004 BC, specifically around 6 pm on October 22, 4004 BC according to the proleptic Julian calendar. He arrived at this date through meticulous research, using not only the Bible but also ancient Egyptian and Hebrew texts, as well as consulting with astronomers.

Ussher's chronology was widely accepted and even included in printed English Bibles until the late 19th century. While his date is often ridiculed today, it represented the height of scientific scholarship for its time, using all available evidence.

Ussher was one of the first students at Trinity College Dublin, entering at the age of 13 in 1594, just a year after the college opened. His work on biblical chronology was part of a broader scholarly effort of his time, with other notable figures like Isaac Newton and Johannes Kepler also attempting similar calculations.