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Friday Crucifixion?
#1
Shlama lukhon,

If there has ever been a dispute regarding the day of the week Meshikha was crucified, I think this can help confirm a Friday crucifixion:

We read in the Gospels (Mattai 27:62) from the Aramaic (Akhan Paul???s English)

???And on the next day, which was after the sunset, gathered the Chief priests and the Pharisees???.???

This verse comes right after the Crucifixion and Burial narrative that occurred on the same day beginning with Mattai 27:1 ???and when it was morning???

The word ???sunset??? in verse 62 is actually ???arubta??? which shares the same root with the Hebrew ???erev??? meaning ???evening??? as in Gen 1:5 ??? there was evening and there was morning??????

This day (the day Meshikha was crucified) came to be known as ???evening??? or ???arubta??? due to the passion and sufferings of Meshikha and also because that day???s daylight was interrupted by actual darkness for 3 hours during the crucifixion (Mattai 27:45). The day became associated so much with the darkness, the early evening that occurred, and the sufferings of Meshikha that early Christians renamed the entire day of Friday or the 6th day of the week. To this day the Church of the East???s (and most semitic Christians) calendar considers Friday ???arubta??? instead of the normal ???6th of seven??? like the rest of the days of the week.

What???s interesting is that Hebrew speakers, while they share the names of the days with their Aramaic-speaking brothers, do not call Friday ???evening??? or ???ha-erev??? as it would be in Hebrew. Rather they simply call Friday ???day 6???. This is because historically, for most Hebrew speakers, Friday does not have this special ???darkness and suffering of Meshikha??? meaning.

Now, I have found another ancient Christian group that shares this reckoning for the days of the week. Armenians, who do not speak a Semitic language, have also renamed Friday in a very similar fashion. Armenians have almost always maintained their independent apostolic church (apart from the COE, Orthodox and Roman Catholic) from ancient times. Yet early on, they must have been introduced to the Friday/Crucifixion truth because it has become imbedded in their language.

The days of the Week in the Armenian language is a combination of native Armenian and Aramaic words. Beyond this, very little between the two languages is similar. Nor are the languages related. Monday is ???erku-shabti??? or ???2nd of seven??? and so one until Thursday which is ???hink-shabti??? or ???5th of Seven???. But Seven or ???Shabti??? is not their word for the number ???seven??? or their word ???seventh??? or even their word for ???week???. But when you get to Friday, one would expect it to be ???6th of Seven??? but its not. They call Friday ???erbat??? and they don???t even know why because the word is not Armenian.

They have simply transliterated an Aramaic word for ???evening??? which became so closely associated with the darkness and sufferings of Meshikha that occurred on the day he was crucified.

-Dean
#2
Shlama Akhi Dean,

Wow - that's great. I didn't realize Armenians had changed the name of the day as well. That's a great observation. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#3
Shlama Akhi Dean,

What is the earliest (Aramaic) documentation of the reasoning you've given? (That Friday is called 'arubta because of the suffering of Messiah) I'm wondering if it is actually a construction from a later time.

I've always thought that the use of 'arubta in early (Syriac-gulp!) literature for Friday was merely the Aramaic shorthand for of the Hebrew 'erev shabbat, which refers the the time after sunset late Friday (Friday also called "preparation day").

Shlama w'taybootha,
Rob
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#4
Shlama Akhi Rob,

The word also has usage in Jewish Aramaic sources, for instance in Yer. Pesakhim IV.1 the day is called "Yoma da-'Arubta" (Day of Preparation).

Later in time, the Aramaic-speaking Christians drew a play on words because the root of "Arubta" does not mean "preparation", it means "darkness, sunset, evening." Since miraculous darkness fell upon the earth on that Friday ( especially since it's physically impossible to have a solar eclipse during a full moon <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> ) - the Aramaic-speaking Christians associated the name of the day no longer with "preparation", but with the literal meaning of the root - "darkness" and applied this to a Messianic understanding.

I think the earliest reference to this in Aramaic documents can be found in the "Syriac Teaching of the Apostles" from around the early 3rd-century. Here is an excerpt:

Teaching of the Apostles Wrote:The apostles further appointed: On the Arubtha, at the ninth hour, let there be service: because that which had been spoken on the fourth day of the week about the suffering of the Saviour was brought to pass on the same eve; the worlds and creatures trembling, and the luminaries in the heavens being darkened.

I think the connection between the "darkness" and the root meaning of "evening" is made there pretty clearly. At least this shows this understanding of the connection to be present as early as the 3rd century.
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#5
There is an interesting discussion re: this here...
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://groups.google.com/groups?q=Ed+Form+W.H.Carter+%27Times+and+Seasons%27&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=memo.971212023235.42793K%40eform.compulink.co.uk&rnum=4">http://groups.google.com/groups?q=Ed+Fo ... .uk&rnum=4</a><!-- m -->

Where it is suggested that "easteners" resisted the idea of a friday crucifixion until the early 4th century.

The Christians of Lesser Asia "…kept this feast
(of the death of Jesus) on the fourteenth day of
the first Jewish month (Abib), at the time that
the Jews celebrated their Passover, and three
days after, commemorated the resurrection of the
triumphant Redeemer. They affirmed that they had
derived this custom from the Apostles John and
Philip…..
Hence arose sharp and vehement contentions
between the Asiatic and western Christians.
About the middle of this (second) century,
during the reign of Antoninus Pius, the
venerable Polycarp came to Rome to confer
with Anicet, bishop of that See, upon this
matter". This was "without effect", both
parties continuing in their former
sentiments, "nor could the Asiatics be
engaged by any arguments to alter the rule
which they pretended to have received by
tradition from the Apostle John"

(Ecclesiastical History, pp57-58. See also
confirmation In Ency Brit. 11th Ed. Vol. 8. P.120)


the poster at that forum further comments.

This testimony is of great importance, for it shows that from
Apostolic days until the early 4th century there were those in
the faith who refused the Good Friday (paraskeue) tradition,
and by their acts testified to their belief that Jesus rose on
the third day after his crucifixion. Moreover, Polycarp and
his fellow disciples claimed to have received this instruction
from John himself; and it is certainly in keeping with the
words of the 12th chapter of his Gospel.


Any thoughts?
#6
What exactly is the didascalia?

It was referred to in another discussion I had on this at infidels.

DeLoach also appeals to the 'Didascalia", an eary Christian work preserved in Syriac but which was probably written originally in Greek. In this work, he writes, the apostles are quoted as saying that it was on Tuesday evening that they ate the Passover with Jesus, and on Wednesday that he was taken captive and held in custody in the house of Caiaphas (quoting from Jack Finegan's 'The Handbook of Bible Chronology [Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1964], p.288).

from here....
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50119&highlight=wednesday+crucifixion">http://www.iidb.org/vbb/showthread.php? ... rucifixion</a><!-- m -->
#7
Shlama Akhi Michael,

The Didascalia is the Latin name of the source I quoted. It is called the "Teaching of the Apostles" in the original Aramaic text that we have. And it contains no such reference to Tuesday evening being the time of the Passover meal. ( so that person is lying <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> )

Here is a complete translation of it:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf08-145.htm#P9909_3142054">http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf ... 09_3142054</a><!-- m -->
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#8
Shlama Akhi Michael,

It is impossible that "easterners" rejected the idea of a Friday crucifixion until the fourth century. First of all, this doesn't take into account the testimony of the Church of the East, being in Persia, which has always kept to the original day of the crucifixion. Secondly, the source I quoted is from the 3rd century, written in Aramaic in Syria. That's about as "eastern" as you can get. The "easterns" mentioned in that quote (if it's at all accurate) are probably Greeks, and not Arameans.
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#9
Shlama lukhon,

I can???t speak for when, exactly the name of the week for Friday was renamed to "arubta" by the Christian Aramaic Speakers or the Christian Armenian Speakers (I think Akhan Paul has demonstrated that it was very early on).

But I can speak for the fact that "erev-shabbat" is never used in place of "yom shishi" by Hebrew Speakers. "Erev"-shabbat" begins at sundown Friday night which is no longer Friday according to Jewish reckoning.

What we are talking about is the renaming OF Friday itself not Saturday Eve.

The Church of the East reckons the days exactly as the rabbinical Jews do -the day begins at sundown the night before, yet "arubta", the sixth day of the week, actually begins on Thursday night after sundown and ends Friday night at sundown.

So they have renamed the entire sixth day which would otherwise be called "sixth of seven". "Erev Shabbat" IS as much Shabbat as the morning of Shabbat, the 7th day is the 7th day and no part of it is the 6th and visa versa!


-Dean
#10
Paul Younan Wrote:Shlama Akhi Michael,

The Didascalia is the Latin name of the source I quoted. It is called the "Teaching of the Apostles" in the original Aramaic text that we have. And it contains no such reference to Tuesday evening being the time of the Passover meal. ( so that person is lying <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> )

Here is a complete translation of it:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf08-145.htm#P9909_3142054">http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf ... 09_3142054</a><!-- m -->


Thanks Paul.
I must say I am a bit puzzled as tere does seem to be more than a few references to this text suppoting Tuesday. here is another example.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2003/caps120.htm">http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2003/caps120.htm</a><!-- m -->

here is another...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.giveshare.org/HolyDay/wednesdaycrucifxion.html">http://www.giveshare.org/HolyDay/wednes ... fxion.html</a><!-- m -->


To support the theory of a Tuesday night Last Supper tradition, the earliest source where I have found evidence is the Didascalia Apostolorum, a church order which is supposed to have been composed circa A.D. 200 It states, "For while He was yet with us before He suffered as we were eating the Passover with Him, He said to us, ‘Today, in this night, one of you will betray Me’ . . . . And Judas came with the scribes and with the priests of the people and betrayed our Lord Jesus. And so in the night when the fourth day of the week drew on, betrayed our Lord to them. But they made payment to Judas. . . on the second day of the week . . . For when we had eaten the Passover on the third day of the week at even, we went forth to the Mount of Olives, and in the night they seized our Lord Jesus."1

Are there two versions of this text??
#11
Shlama Akhi Michael,

No, there is only one version of this text. There are apparently many versions in the heads of some people who wish to do away with 2,000 years of unanimous understanding and practice. Treat with suspicion anything you read on the internet, it's free and you get what you pay for. ( except for this site, of course. <!-- sWink --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/wink1.gif" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /><!-- sWink --> )
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#12
Paul Younan Wrote:Shlama Akhi Michael,

No, there is only one version of this text. There are apparently many versions in the heads of some people who wish to do away with 2,000 years of unanimous understanding and practice. Treat with suspicion anything you read on the internet, it's free and you get what you pay for. ( except for this site, of course. <!-- sWink --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/wink1.gif" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /><!-- sWink --> )

Hi again Paul,
I'm still a bit confused. Some sources seem to indicate that there are more than one version.
A Greek work, in eight books, containing regulations of Church life, better known under the name of "Apostolic Constitutions," the full title being "Constitutions of the Holy Apostles [composed] by Clemens, Bishop and Citizen of Rome—Catholic Didascalia." Claiming to have been written by the Apostles, the work proves on closer examination to be based, like the Didache, upon an original Jewish work, transformed by extensive interpolations and slight alterations into a Christian document of great authority. There exists another version, bearing the name "Didascalia," in Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Arabic, and (incomplete) in Latin, which, since the appearance of Lagarde's edition of the Syriac "Didascalia" in 1854, most modern scholars consider to be the original work. On the other hand, Bickell ("Gesch. des Kirchenrechts," 1843, pp. 148-177) has given convincing proofs that the "Apostolic Constitutions" is the original work, and the so-called "Didascalia" a mere condensation. In the latter the Jewish elements are to a large extent eliminated, and the Christian character is more pronounced.

from...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=343&letter=D">http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view. ... 3&letter=D</a><!-- m -->


and The first six books are based on the "Didascalia of the Apostles", a lost treatise of the third century, of Greek origin, which is known through Syriac versions. The compiler of the Apostolic Constitutions made use of the greater part of this older treatise, but he adapted it to the needs of his day by some modifications and extensive interpolation.

from....
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01636a.htm">http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01636a.htm</a><!-- m -->
#13
Shlama Akhi Michael,

It sounds from these quotations as if there is the small work we know in the Aramaic as "The Teaching of the Apostles", and there is a much larger work in Greek which is based on the Aramaic except having "modifications and extensive interpolation" (emphasis mine.)

I didn't know of the larger and later Greek version based upon the Aramaic. Sounds like a lot of tampering with the original concise work in Aramaic to me.

It would be interesting to know if the quotes relating to Tuesday night are in the later Greek "interpolations".....

Sounds to me like the two aren't the same work anymore, especially not in content.
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
[Image: sig.jpg]
#14
Paul Younan Wrote:Shlama Akhi Michael,

The Didascalia is the Latin name of the source I quoted. It is called the "Teaching of the Apostles" in the original Aramaic text that we have. And it contains no such reference to Tuesday evening being the time of the Passover meal. ( so that person is lying <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile --> )

Here is a complete translation of it:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf08-145.htm#P9909_3142054">http://www.ccel.org/fathers2/ANF-08/anf ... 09_3142054</a><!-- m -->

Paul,

Here are the references to the fourth day of the week from the link you gave:

3. The apostles further appointed: On the fourth day of the week let there be service: because on that day our Lord made the disclosure to them about His trial, and His suffering, and His crucifixion, and His death, and His resurrection; and the disciples were on account of this in sorrow.

4. The apostles further appointed: On the eve of the Sabbath, at the ninth hour, let there be service: because that which had been spoken on the fourth day of the week about the suffering of the Saviour was brought to pass on the same eve; the worlds and creatures trembling, and the luminaries in the heavens being darkened.

Zechariah14
#15
Shlama Akhi Zechariah,

Read again very carefully the quote you give from me. I said Tuesday - "Arba b'Shabba" means "Fourth of Seven", and it is your WEDNESDAY in English.

As far as the 4th day, the CoE still to this day holds a service on that day. As it does on the "Eve of the Sabbath at the 9th hour", which is the beginning of Khad b'Shabba (the first day.)

What's your point?
+Shamasha Paul bar-Shimun de'Beth-Younan
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