Jerusalem Talmud Avodah Zarah 1:2:2-9

הלכה: אֵילּוּ הֵן אֵידֵיהֶן שֶׁלְּגוֹיִם כול׳. רַב אָמַר. עֵידֵיהֶן. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. אֵידֵיהֶן. מָאן דְּאָמַר. עֵידֵיהֶן. וְעֵידֵיהֶם הֵ֗מָּה. מָאן דְּאָמַר. אֵידֵיהֶן. כִּ֤י קָרוֹב֨ י֣וֹם אֵידָ֔ם. רַב אָמַר. מְאַבִּרִים. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. מְעַבְּרִין. מָאן דְּאָמַר. מְאַבִּרִין. מוֹסִיפִין לָהּ אֵבֶר. מָאן דְּאָמַר. מְעַבְּרִין. כְּאִשָּׁה עוֹבָרָה. רַב אָמַר. יְאוּתוּ. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר. יְעוּתוּ. מָאן דְּאָמַר. יְאוּתוּ. אַךְ־בְּזֹ֖את נֵא֣וֹת לָכֶ֑ם. מָאן דְּאָמַר. יְעוּתוּ. לָדַ֛עַת לָע֥וּת אֶת־יָעֵ֖ף דָּבָ֑ר. HALAKHAH: “The following are the holidays of the Gentiles,” etc. ⁶⁹A reformulated parallel is in Berakhot 8:6:10" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.8.6.10">Berakhot8:7, Notes 157–160. Rav said ‘edehen and Samuel said `edehen. He who said ‘edehen, they are their witnesses<sup>70</sup>Isaiah.44.9">Is.44:9.. He who said `edehen, for the day of their misfortune is near⁷¹Deuteronomy.32.35">Deut. 32:35.. Rav said me`abberim, and Samuel said me‘abberin<sup>72</sup>The technical term for intercalation in the calendar, adding a month.. He who said me`abberin, one adds a limb to it. He who said me‘abberin, like a pregnant woman. Rav said ye`utu, and Samuel said, ye‘utu<sup>73</sup>The condition for a benediction over fire at the end of the Sabbath is that one have use of it.. He who said ye`utu, but with this we shall be agreeable to you⁷⁴Genesis.34.15">Gen. 34:15.. He who said ye‘utu, to know, to inform the weary of wisdom⁷⁵Isaiah.50.4">Is. 50:4..

רַב אָמַר. קַלֶנְדַּס אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן הִתְקִינוֹ. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲמַא לֵילִייָא אֲרִיךְ אָמַר. אֵי לִי. שֶׁמָּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ ה֤וּא יְשֽׁוּפְךָ֣ רֹ֔אשׁ וְאַתָּ֖ה תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ עָקֵֽב שֶׁמָּא יָבוֹא לְנָשְׁכֵינִי. וָ֭אוֹמַר אַךְ־חוֹשֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲמַא אִימָמָא אֲרִךְ אֲמַר. קַלֶנְדַּס. קַלוֹן דִּיאוֹ. וְאִיתָא כְּמָאן דְּאָמַר. בְּתִשְׁרֵי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. בְּרַם כְּמָאן דְּאָמַר. בְּנִיסָן נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. יְדַע הֲוָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן. מָאן סָבַר. בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. רַב. דְּתַנֵּי בִתְקִיעֲתָא דְבֵי רַב. זֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִילַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ זִכָּרוֹן לְיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן כול׳. הֲוֵי. בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. ⁷⁶Babli 8a. Rav said, Adam, the first man, instituted Calendas. When he saw that the night was getting longer, he said, woe to me, maybe this is what is written for, he shall smite your head, you will sneak to his heel⁷⁷Genesis.3.15">Gen.3:15., maybe it will come to bite me. I said, but darkness will smite me⁷⁸Psalms.139.11">Ps.139.11. Psalms.139">Psalm 139, ascribed in the book of Psalms to David, is in aggadic tradition at least partially ascribed to Adam (cf. Psalms.139">Midrash Tehillim, Ps. 139, the suthor’s The Scholar’s Haggadah p. 220).. When he saw that days were getting longer, he said calendas, καλόνdies⁷⁹“A beautiful day,” mixed Greek (καλόν “beautiful”, accusative) and Latin (dies“day”, nominative) perhaps to indicate the popular language of the unlettered.. This follows him who said that the world was created in Tishre⁸⁰This is the opinion of R. Eliezer. R. Joshua holds that the world was created on the 15th of Nisan. Cf. Babli Roš Haššanah27a and the author’s Seder Olam(Northvale NJ 1998) pp. 47–48 (Note 3).. But following him who said that the world was created in Nisan, he would have known. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, who thinks that the world was created in Tishre? Rav! As we have stated in the composition for shofar blowing from the House of Rav⁸¹Rav’s composition for the extended musaf prayer on New Year’s Day. The sentence is found in the middle section.: “This is the day of the beginning of Your works, a remembrance of the first day.” This implies that the world was created on New Year’s Day.

רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן לֹא אָמַר כֵּן. אֶלָּא מַלְכוּת מִצְרַיִם וּמַלְכוּת רוֹמֵי הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין מִלְחָמָה אֵילּוּ עִם אֵילּוּ. אָֽמְרוּ. עַד מָתַי אָנוּ הוֹרְגִין בְּפּוֹלֶמוֹס זֶה עִם זֶה. בּוֹאוּ וּנְתַקֵּין שֶׁכָּל־מַלְכוּת שֶׁתֹּאמַר לְשַׂר צָבָא שֶׁלָּהּ. פּוֹל עַל חַרְבְּךָ. וְיִשְׁמַע לָהּ. תִּתְפּוֹס הַמַּלְכוּת תְּחִילָּה. דְּמִצְרַיִם לֹא שָׁמַע לוֹן. דְּרוֹמֵי הֲוָה תַמָּן חַד גְּבַר סָב וַהֲוָה שְׁמֵיהּ ייַנוֹבְרִיֻּס וַהֲווּ לֵיהּ תְּרֵיסָרֵי בָנֵי. אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ. שְׁמַע לֹן וְאָנוּ עוֹשִׂין בָּנֶיךָ דּוּכּוֹסִין וְאֵיפַּרְכִין וְאִיסְטְרַטֵלֵיטִין. וְשָׁמַע לוֹן. בְּגִין כֵּן צְווָחִין לֵיהּ. קַלֶנְדַּס ייַנוֹבְרִיֻּס. מִן יוֹמָא דְבַתְרֵיהּ מִתְאַבְּלִין עֲלוּי מֵילָנֵי אִימֵּירָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן עַנְתּוֹדְרַייָא. מָאן דִּזְרַע טְלוֹפְחִין בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא לָא מַצְלִחִין. Rebbi Joḥanan does not say so, but the empire of Egypt and the empire of Rome were fighting with one another. They said, how long are we killing one another in this war⁸²Greek πόλεμος.? Let us institute the rule that the empire should be preeminent which will tell its army commander, fall on your sword, and he will obey. The Egyptian did not obey. In Rome there was an old man by the name of Januarius who had twelve sons. They told him, if you obey us we shall make your sons dukes⁸³Latin dux, pl. duces., eparchoi⁸⁴Greek ἔπαρχος “governor, prefect.”, and generals⁸⁵Greek στρατηλάτης.. He listened to them. Therefore, it is called Calendae Januarii. The next day they mourn him, a black day⁸⁶Greek μέλαινα ἡμέρα, translation of Latin dies ater, a black (unlucky) day. Dies postridiani, following calendae, ides, or nonae, were considered inauspicious.. Rebbi Yudan from Antodra⁸⁷Or Antondra, Antorda; cf. Berakhot 4:1:23" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Berakhot.4.1.23">Berakhot4:1 Note 72. said, if one sows lentils^87aA symbol of mourning, Gen. rabba63(19). on that day, they will not succeed.

רַב אָמַר. קַלֶנְדַּס אֲסוּרָה לַכֹּל. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. אֵין אֲסוּרָה אֶלָּא לְפַלְחִין בָּהּ. סַטֻרנַלִייָה אֲסוּרָה לַכֹּל. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. בֵּין קַלֶנְדַּס בֵּין סַטֻרנַלִייָה אֵינָהּ אֲסוּרָה אֶלָּא לְפַלְּחִין בָּהּ. חֲבֵרַייָא בָעוּ. נַשֵּׁי דְפַלְחִין כְּפַלְחִין. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בָעֵי. וְהָדָא טַקְסִיס דְּקַיְסָרִין מִכֵּיוָן דְּסוֹגְייָא שְׁמַרְייָן כְּפַלְחִין הִיא. הָדָא טַקְסִיס דְּדוּקִים צְרִיכָה. רִבִּי בֵּיבַי שָֽׁלְחֵיהּ רִבִּי זְעִירָא דְּיִזְבּוֹן לֵיהּ עֲזִיל קָטָן מִן סַטֻרְנָלִייָה דְבֵיישָׁן. אֲתָא גַבֵּי רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. סְבַר דְּמוֹרֶה לֵיהּ כְּהָדָא דְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי שָׁרֵי. וְהוֹרֵי לֵיהּ כְּהָדָא דְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲסִיר. רַב אָמַר. קַלֶנְדַּס לִפְנֵי תְּקוּפָה שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. סַטֻרְנָלִייָא לְאַחַר תְּקוּפָה שְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. פְּרוֹקְטוֹ רֹאשָׁהּ שֶׁלִּתְּקוּפָה. Rav said, Calendae are forbidden for everybody⁸⁸In the Babli, 8a, the opinions attributed here to the Babylonian Rav are quoted in the name of the Galilean R. Joshua ben Levi.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, it is forbidden only for those worshipping on them. Saturnalia are forbidden for everybody⁸⁹This also is opinion of Rav/R. Joshua ben Levi.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, both Calendae and Saturnalia are forbidden only for those worshipping on them. The colleagues asked: are wives of worshippers like worshippers? Rebbi Abbahu asked: is the parade⁹⁰This seems to have been a military parade which may have involved the display of the legion’s eagles, considered an idolatrous practice. The participation of Samaritans may have removed the pagan aspect. of Caesarea like worship, since it is full of Samaritans? The parade of Duqim^90aAn unidentified place. is questionable. Rebbi Ze‘ira sent Rebbi Bevai that he should buy him a small web from the Saturnalia of Bet-Shean. He came to Rebbi Yose⁹¹One has to read Yasa (Assi), the teacher of R. Ze‘ira, not Yose, his student’s student.. He thought that he would instruct him following Rebbi Joshua ben Levi who permitted it. But he instructed him following Rebbi Joḥanan that it was forbidden⁹²Clearly, one has to switch “permitted” and “forbidden” since the preceding (and Avodah Zarah 1:2:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Avodah_Zarah.1.2.5">Note 88) shows that R. Joshua ben Levi forbade what R. Joḥanan allowed.. Rav said, Calends are eight days before the solstice, Saturnalia eight days after the solstice⁹³Here “before” and “after” have to be switched; the statement is correct in the Babli, 8a. The Calends of January are 9 to 10 days after the winter solstice.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, prwqṭw is the head of the turning point⁹⁴The dictionaries follow Musaphia in reading tropic for procto, meaning that when the sun is standing over the tropic this is the time of the solstice. It is difficult to accept a double metathesis, and the sun being over one of the tropics is not a beginning of the solstice; it is the solstice. Also תְּקוּפָה “turning point” denotes any one of the four cardinal points of the ecliptic, both solstices and both equinoxes. S. Krauss is correct in rejecting Musaphia’s explanation but his own, by a non-existing Greek word, is no better. Cf. Latin procitat“it drew near”, said e. g. of the orbits of two stars. The earth is nearest to the sun at the summer solstice (E. G.). One would vocalize פְּרוֹקִטוֹ..

רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב. שְׁלשָׁה זְמַנִּים בְּבָבֶל. וּשְׁלשָׁה זְמַנִּים בְּמָדַיי. שְׁלשָׁה זְמַנִּים בְּבָבֶל. מהורי וכנוני וכנוותה. שְׁלשָׁה בְמָדַיי. נוסרדי ותירייסקי ומהירקנה. רִבִּי הוּנָא בְשֵׁם רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יַעֲקֹב. נֹרוּז בְּב׳ בְּאָדָר בְּפָרָס בְּעֶשְׂרִים בְּאָדָר בְּמָדַי. Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav: There are three times⁹⁵Where one has to observe the Mishnah’s restrictions on commerce with Gentiles. in Babylonia, three times in Media. Three times in Babylonia, מהורי וכנוני וכוונתה⁹⁶These days have not been identified except for מהירקנה which is mehragan, Arabic مهرجان, a fall festival. In Responsen der Geonim(Harkavy), Berlin 1887, No. 46 (p. 22) the Gaon describes this as the solstices, still celebrated as a holiday in his time. Also in מהורי one recognizes the root mehr“Mithra”, the sun-god. In כנוני one recognizes kanun, the Accadic and Syriac name of the Month of Ṭevet(or Kislev and Ṭevet) which leads one also to identify the day as connected to the winter solstice. In the Babli (11b) the readings are for Persian festivals מוטרדי וטוריסקי מוהרנקי ומוהרין, ms. readings מוטירדי וטירייסקי מוהרסנקי ומוהרין, מוטרדי ומורייסקי מוהרקני ומוחרנן, for the Babylonians מוהרנקי ואקניתי׳ בחנוני ועשר באדר, מוהרנקי ואקניתיה ,ואקניית׳ במני ואסר באדר בחנוני ועשרים באדר. In the ms. readings the first series is from the Munich ms. (Diqduqe Soferim), the second from the NY ms. published by Shraga Abramson (New York 1957). The readings do not help much but it is clear that on base of the next sentence in the Yerushalmi in the list of Babylonian festivals one must read with the NY ms. “20 Adar” as Median New Year’s Day. (In his Notes, p. 150a, Abramson incorrectly reads “10 Adar” with the other Babli sources.). Three in Media, ⁹⁶These days have not been identified except for מהירקנה which is mehragan, Arabic مهرجان, a fall festival. In Responsen der Geonim(Harkavy), Berlin 1887, No. 46 (p. 22) the Gaon describes this as the solstices, still celebrated as a holiday in his time. Also in מהורי one recognizes the root mehr“Mithra”, the sun-god. In כנוני one recognizes kanun, the Accadic and Syriac name of the Month of Ṭevet(or Kislev and Ṭevet) which leads one also to identify the day as connected to the winter solstice. In the Babli (11b) the readings are for Persian festivals מוטרדי וטוריסקי מוהרנקי ומוהרין, ms. readings מוטירדי וטירייסקי מוהרסנקי ומוהרין, מוטרדי ומורייסקי מוהרקני ומוחרנן, for the Babylonians מוהרנקי ואקניתי׳ בחנוני ועשר באדר, מוהרנקי ואקניתיה ,ואקניית׳ במני ואסר באדר בחנוני ועשרים באדר. In the ms. readings the first series is from the Munich ms. (Diqduqe Soferim), the second from the NY ms. published by Shraga Abramson (New York 1957). The readings do not help much but it is clear that on base of the next sentence in the Yerushalmi in the list of Babylonian festivals one must read with the NY ms. “20 Adar” as Median New Year’s Day. (In his Notes, p. 150a, Abramson incorrectly reads “10 Adar” with the other Babli sources.)נוסרדי ותירייסקי ומהירקנה. Rebbi Huna in the name of Rab Naḥman bar Jacob: New Year’s Day⁹⁷Persian نوروز. “Adar” here has the meaning of “March” as in the Syrian Christian calendar. Today’s Persian New Year is what is characterized here as Median. is on the second of March in Persia, on the 20^th of March in Media.

סַטוּרנַלִייָא. שִׂנְאָה טְמוּנָה. שׂוֹנֵא נוֹקֵם נוֹטֵר. הֵיךְ מַה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר וַיִּשְׂטֹ֤ם עֵשָׂו֙ אֶת־יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק בֵּירִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. בְּרוֹמֶי צְווָחִין לֵיהּ. סֶנַטוֹרִייֵהּ דְּעֵשָׂו. “Saturnalia,” “hidden hatred; hating, taking revenge, preserving [hatred].⁹⁸A proposed Hebrew etymology of “Saturnalia.”” This is what you say, Esau hated Jacob⁹⁹Genesis.27.41">Gen. 27:41.. Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar said, in Rome they call it “senate of Esau¹⁰⁰In Gen. rabba66(7) there is a different, more intelligible version: Esau hated Jacob; R. Eleazar ben R. Yose said, he was his steward (סַנְטֻרוי) but became hating, taking revenge, preserving [hatred]; for this one calls the Senators (סֶנָטֹרוי) of Rome. For סנטר saltuarius cf. Bava mesi‘a5:7 Note 138..”

וְקָרַטֶסִיס. יוֹם שֶׁתָּֽפְשָׂה בוּ רוֹמֶי מַלְכוּת. וְלֹא כְבָר תַּנִּיתָהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּירִבִּי בּוּן. פַּעַם שְׁנִייָה. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. יוֹם שֶׁנִּתְחַתֵּן שְׁלֹמֹה לְפַרְעה נְכֹה מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם יָרַד מִיכָאֵל וְנָעַץ קָנֶה בַיָּם וְהֶעֱלָה שִׁלְעֲטוּט וְנְעֲשֶׂה חוֹרֶשׁ גָּדוֹל וְזֶה הוּא כַּרַךְ גַּדוֹל שֶׁבְּרוֹמֶי. יוֹם שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד יָרָבְעַם שְׁנֵי עֶגְלֵי זָהָב בָּאוּ רוֹמֻס וְרוֹמִילֻס וּבָנוּ שְׁנֵי צְרִיפִים בְּרוֹמֶי. יוֹם שֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק בּוֹ אֵלִיָהוּ הוּעֲמַד מֶלֶךְ בְּרוֹמֶי. וּמֶ֥לֶךְ אֵ֛ין בֶּֽאֱ֖דוֹם נִצָּ֥ב מֶֽלֶךְ׃ “Cratesis.” The day when Rome took hold of the Empire. Was this not stated already¹⁰¹In the second interpretation of Calendae.? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, for the second time¹⁰²When Augustus became Emperor to end the civil wars.. Rebbi Levi said, on the day when Solomon married the daughter of Pharao Necho, the king of Egypt, Michael descended and put a stick into the Sea which attracted debris and formed a forest; that is the great fortification in Rome. On the day when Jeroboam put up two golden calves, Remus and Romulus built two sheds in Rome. On the day Eliahu disappeared a king was installed at Rome; a king, there is no king appointed in Edom¹⁰³1K. 22:48. The verse is quoted in incomplete form; in the biblical text נִצָּב is not a verb but a noun: There was no king in Edom; a governor was king. A shortened version is found in the Sanhedrin.21b">Babli, Sanhedrin21b..

יוֹם גֵּינִיסִיָּא שֶׁל מְלָכִים. וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י י֤וֹם הֻלֶּ֣דֶת אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה. “The king’s birthday.” It was on the third day, Pharao’s birthday¹⁰⁴Genesis.40.20">Gen. 40:20..