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50 results for "ascent"

1. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 27.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 64

27.4. "אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְהוָה וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ׃",

27.4. "One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the graciousness of the LORD, and to visit early in His temple.",

2. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 5.24 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 64

5.24. "וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי־לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים׃",

5.24. "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him.",

3. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 6.3 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 176

6.3. "וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ׃",

6.3. "And one called unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory.",

4. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 1.5-1.12 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 174

1.5. "וּמִתּוֹכָהּ דְּמוּת אַרְבַּע חַיּוֹת וְזֶה מַרְאֵיהֶן דְּמוּת אָדָם לָהֵנָּה׃", 1.6. "וְאַרְבָּעָה פָנִים לְאֶחָת וְאַרְבַּע כְּנָפַיִם לְאַחַת לָהֶם׃", 1.7. "וְרַגְלֵיהֶם רֶגֶל יְשָׁרָה וְכַף רַגְלֵיהֶם כְּכַף רֶגֶל עֵגֶל וְנֹצְצִים כְּעֵין נְחֹשֶׁת קָלָל׃", 1.8. "וידו [וִידֵי] אָדָם מִתַּחַת כַּנְפֵיהֶם עַל אַרְבַּעַת רִבְעֵיהֶם וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם לְאַרְבַּעְתָּם׃", 1.9. "חֹבְרֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָהּ כַּנְפֵיהֶם לֹא־יִסַּבּוּ בְלֶכְתָּן אִישׁ אֶל־עֵבֶר פָּנָיו יֵלֵכוּ׃", 1.11. "וּפְנֵיהֶם וְכַנְפֵיהֶם פְּרֻדוֹת מִלְמָעְלָה לְאִישׁ שְׁתַּיִם חֹבְרוֹת אִישׁ וּשְׁתַּיִם מְכַסּוֹת אֵת גְּוִיֹתֵיהֶנָה׃", 1.12. "וְאִישׁ אֶל־עֵבֶר פָּנָיו יֵלֵכוּ אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה־שָׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת יֵלֵכוּ לֹא יִסַּבּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּן׃",

1.5. "And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.", 1.6. "And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.", 1.7. "And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.", 1.8. "And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and as for the faces and wings of them four,", 1.9. "their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.", 1.10. "As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.", 1.11. "Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.", 1.12. "And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.",

5. Plato, Timaeus, None (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 82

6. Dead Sea Scrolls, Scroll of Blessings, None (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 71

7. Dead Sea Scrolls, 4Q286, None (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 64

8. Dead Sea Scrolls, 4Q403, 1.2.13-1.2.15, 1.2.20-1.2.28 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 68, 69

9. Philo of Alexandria, Questions On Exodus, 40 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 65

10. Mishnah, Makkot, 3.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

3.6. "הַכּוֹתֵב כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע, כָּתַב וְלֹא קִעֲקַע, קִעֲקַע וְלֹא כָתַב, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב, עַד שֶׁיִּכְתֹּב וִיקַעֲקֵעַ בִּדְיוֹ וּבִכְחֹל וּבְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא רוֹשֵׁם. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיִּכְתּוֹב שָׁם הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט) וּכְתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע לֹא תִתְּנוּ בָּכֶם אֲנִי ה': \n",

3.6. "He who writes an incision on his skin [is flogged]. If he writes [on his flesh] without incising, or incises without writing, he is not liable, until he writes and incises with ink, eye-paint or anything that lasts. Rabbi Shimon ben Judah says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: “He is not liable until he has written there the name [of a god], as it is says: “Nor shall you incise any marks on yourselves; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28).",

11. Tosefta, Berachot, 6.24 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

6.24. "לא יכנס אדם [בהר הבית במעות הצרורות לו בסדינו ובאבק שעל רגליו באפונדתו החגורה לו] מבחוץ שנאמר (קוהלת ד) שמור רגלך כאשר תלך אל בית האלהים.",

12. Tosefta, Makkot, 4.15 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

13. Mishnah, Yoma, 8.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

8.3. "אָכַל וְשָׁתָה בְּהֶעְלֵם אַחַת, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא חַטָּאת אֶחָת. אָכַל וְעָשָׂה מְלָאכָה, חַיָּב שְׁתֵּי חַטָּאוֹת. אָכַל אֳכָלִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה, וְשָׁתָה מַשְׁקִין שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לִשְׁתִיָּה, וְשָׁתָה צִיר אוֹ מֻרְיָס, פָּטוּר: \n",

8.3. "If he ate and drank in one state of unawareness, he is not obligated to bring more than one sin-offering. But if he ate and performed labor while in one state of unawareness he is obligated for two sin-offerings. If he ate foods unfit for eating, or drank liquids unfit for drinking, or drank fish-brine or fish pickling liquid, he is not liable.",

14. Suetonius, Augustus, 100.4 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 65

15. Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies, 5.10 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

5.10. It has been easily made evident to all, that the heresy of the Peratae is altered in name only from the (art) of the astrologers. And the rest of the books of these (heretics) contain the same method, if it were agreeable to any one to wade through them all. For, as I said, they suppose that the causes of the generation of all begotten things are things unbegotten and superjacent, and that the world with us has been produced after the mode of emanation, which (world) they denominate formal. And (they maintain) that all those stars together which are beheld in the firmament have been causes of the generation of this world. They have, however, altered the name of these, as one may perceive from the Proastioi by means of a comparison (of the two systems). And secondly, according to the same method as that whereby the world was made from a supernal emanation, they affirm that in this manner objects here derive from the emanation of the stars their generation, and corruption, and arrangement. Since, then, astrologers are acquainted with the horoscope, and meridian, and setting, and the point opposite the meridian; and since these stars occupy at different times different positions in space, on account of the perpetual revolution of the universe, there are (necessarily) at different periods different declinations towards a centre, and (different) ascensions to centres. (Now the Peratic here-ties), affixing an allegorical import to this arrangement of the astrologers, delineate the centre, as it were, a god and monad and lord over universal generation, whereas the declination (is regarded by them as a power) on the left, and ascension on the right. When any one, therefore, falling in with the treatises of these (heretics), finds mention among them of right or left power, let him recur to the centre, and the declination, and the ascension (of the Chaldean sages, and) he will clearly observe that the entire system of these (Peratae) consists of the astrological doctrine.

16. Palestinian Talmud, Berachot, 9.3 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

17. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 40 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 176

18. Philostratus The Athenian, Life of Apollonius, 8.30 (2nd cent. CE - missingth cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 65

8.30. τελευτῆσαι δ' αὐτὸν οἱ μὲν ἐν ̓Εφέσῳ θεραπευόμενον ὑπὸ δυοῖν δμωαῖν, τεθνάναι γὰρ ἤδη οἱ ἀπελεύθεροι, περὶ ὧν κατ' ἀρχὰς εἶπον, ἐλευθερώσαντα δὲ τὴν ἑτέραν αἰτίαν πρὸς τῆς ἑτέρας ἔχειν, ἐπεὶ μὴ τῶν αὐτῶν ἠξίωτο, τὸν δ' ̓Απολλώνιον “καὶ δουλεῦσαι” φάναι “προσήκει σὲ αὐτῇ, τουτὶ γάρ σοι ἀγαθοῦ ἄρξει.” τελευτήσαντος οὖν ἡ μὲν δουλεύειν ἐκείνῃ, ἡ δ' ἐκ μικρᾶς αἰτίας ἀποδόσθαι αὐτὴν καπήλῳ, παρ' οὗ πρίασθαί τις οὐδ' εὐπρεπῆ οὖσαν, ἀλλ' ἐρῶν οὗτος καὶ χρηματιστὴς ἱκανὸς ὢν γυναῖκά τε ἀνειπεῖν καὶ παῖδας ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγγράψαι. οἱ δ' ἐν Λίνδῳ τελευτῆσαι αὐτὸν παρελθόντα ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς ̓Αθηνᾶς καὶ ἔσω ἀφανισθέντα, οἱ δ' ἐν Κρήτῃ φασὶ θαυμασιώτερον ἢ οἱ ἐν Λίνδῳ: διατρίβειν μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ Κρήτῃ τὸν ̓Απολλώνιον μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸ τούτου θαυμαζόμενον, ἀφικέσθαι δ' ἐς τὸ ἱερὸν τῆς Δικτύννης ἀωρί, φυλακὴ δὲ τῷ ἱερῷ κυνῶν ἐπιτέτακται φρουροὶ τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ πλούτου, καὶ ἀξιοῦσιν αὐτοὺς οἱ Κρῆτες μήτε τῶν ἄρκτων μήτε τῶν ὧδε ἀγρίων λείπεσθαι, οἱ δ' οὔθ' ὑλακτεῖν ἥκοντα σαίνειν τε αὐτὸν προσιόντες, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς ἄγαν ἐθάδας. οἱ μὲν δὴ τοῦ ἱεροῦ προϊστάμενοι ξυλλαβόντες αὐτὸν ὡς γόητα καὶ λῃστὴν δῆσαι μείλιγμα τοῖς κυσὶ προβεβλῆσθαί τι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φάσκοντες, ὁ δ' ἀμφὶ μέσας νύκτας ἑαυτὸν λῦσαι, καλέσας δὲ τοὺς δήσαντας, ὡς μὴ λάθοι, δραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὰς τοῦ ἱεροῦ θύρας, αἱ δ' ἀνεπετάσθησαν, παρελθόντος δὲ ἔσω τὰς μὲν θύρας ξυνελθεῖν, ὥσπερ ἐκέκλειντο, βοὴν δὲ ᾀδουσῶν παρθένων ἐκπεσεῖν. τὸ δὲ ᾆσμα ἦν: “στεῖχε γᾶς, στεῖχε ἐς οὐρανόν, στεῖχε.” οἷον: ἴθι ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἄνω.

8.30. Now there are some who relate that he died in Ephesus, tended by two maid servants; for the freedmen of whom I spoke at the beginning of my story were already dead. One of these maids he emancipated, and was blamed by the other one for not conferring the same privilege upon her, but Apollonius told her that it was better for her to remain the other's slave, for that would be the beginning of her well-being. Accordingly after his death this one continued to be the slave of the other, who for some insignificant reason sold her to a merchant, from whom she was purchased. Her new master, although she was not good-looking, nevertheless fell in love with her; and being a fairly rich man, made her his legal wife and had legitimate children with her. Others again say that he died in Lindus, where he entered the sanctuary of Athena and disappeared within it. Others again say that he died in Crete in a much more remarkable manner than the people of Lindus relate. For they say that he continued to live in Crete, where he became a greater center of admiration than ever before, and that he came to the sanctuary of Dictynna late at night. Now this sanctuary is guarded by dogs, whose duty it is to watch over the wealth deposited in it, and the Cretans claim that they are as good as bears or any other animals equally fierce. None the less, when he came, instead of barking, they approached him and fawned upon him, as they would not have done even with people they knew familiarly. The guardians of the shrine arrested him in consequence, and threw him in bonds as a wizard and a robber, accusing him of having thrown to the dogs some charmed morsel. But about midnight he loosened his bonds, and after calling those who had bound him, in order that they might witness the spectacle, he ran to the doors of the sanctuary, which opened wide to receive him; and when he had passed within, they closed afresh, as they had been shut, and there was heard a chorus of maidens singing from within the doors, and their song was this. Hasten thou from earth, hasten thou to Heaven, hasten. In other words: Do thou go upwards from earth.

19. Cassius Dio, Roman History, 56.46.2 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 65

56.46.2. they also permitted her to employ a lictor when she exercised her sacred office. On her part, she bestowed a million sesterces upon a certain Numerius Atticus, a senator and ex-praetor, because he swore that he had seen Augustus ascending to heaven after the manner of which tradition tells concerning Proculus and Romulus.

20. Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, 5.10 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

21. Origen, Against Celsus, 6.24-6.38 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 64, 79

6.24. After the instance borrowed from the Mithraic mysteries, Celsus declares that he who would investigate the Christian mysteries, along with the aforesaid Persian, will, on comparing the two together, and on unveiling the rites of the Christians, see in this way the difference between them. Now, wherever he was able to give the names of the various sects, he was nothing loth to quote those with which he thought himself acquainted; but when he ought most of all to have done this, if they were really known to him, and to have informed us which was the sect that makes use of the diagram he has drawn, he has not done so. It seems to me, however, that it is from some statements of a very insignificant sect called Ophites, which he has misunderstood, that, in my opinion, he has partly borrowed what he says about the diagram. Now, as we have always been animated by a love of learning, we have fallen in with this diagram, and we have found in it the representations of men who, as Paul says, creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with various lusts; ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The diagram was, however, so destitute of all credibility, that neither these easily deceived women, nor the most rustic class of men, nor those who were ready to be led away by any plausible pretender whatever, ever gave their assent to the diagram. Nor, indeed, have we ever met any individual, although we have visited many parts of the earth, and have sought out all those who anywhere made profession of knowledge, that placed any faith in this diagram. 6.25. In this diagram were described ten circles, distinct from each other, but united by one circle, which was said to be the soul of all things, and was called Leviathan. This Leviathan, the Jewish Scriptures say, whatever they mean by the expression, was created by God for a plaything; for we find in the Psalms: In wisdom have You made all things: the earth is full of Your creatures; so is this great and wide sea. There go the ships; small animals with great; there is this dragon, which You have formed to play therein. Instead of the word dragon, the term leviathan is in the Hebrew. This impious diagram, then, said of this leviathan, which is so clearly depreciated by the Psalmist, that it was the soul which had travelled through all things! We observed, also, in the diagram, the being named Behemoth, placed as it were under the lowest circle. The inventor of this accursed diagram had inscribed this leviathan at its circumference and centre, thus placing its name in two separate places. Moreover, Celsus says that the diagram was divided by a thick black line, and this line he asserted was called Gehenna, which is Tartarus. Now as we found that Gehenna was mentioned in the Gospel as a place of punishment, we searched to see whether it is mentioned anywhere in the ancient Scriptures, and especially because the Jews too use the word. And we ascertained that where the valley of the son of Ennom was named in Scripture in the Hebrew, instead of valley, with fundamentally the same meaning, it was termed both the valley of Ennom and also Geenna. And continuing our researches, we find that what was termed Geenna, or the valley of Ennom, was included in the lot of the tribe of Benjamin, in which Jerusalem also was situated. And seeking to ascertain what might be the inference from the heavenly Jerusalem belonging to the lot of Benjamin and the valley of Ennom, we find a certain confirmation of what is said regarding the place of punishment, intended for the purification of such souls as are to be purified by torments, agreeably to the saying: The Lord comes like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and of gold. 6.26. It is in the precincts of Jerusalem, then, that punishments will be inflicted upon those who undergo the process of purification, who have received into the substance of their soul the elements of wickedness, which in a certain place is figuratively termed lead, and on that account iniquity is represented in Zechariah as sitting upon a talent of lead. But the remarks which might be made on this topic are neither to be made to all, nor to be uttered on the present occasion; for it is not unattended with danger to commit to writing the explanation of such subjects, seeing the multitude need no further instruction than that which relates to the punishment of sinners; while to ascend beyond this is not expedient, for the sake of those who are with difficulty restrained, even by fear of eternal punishment, from plunging into any degree of wickedness, and into the flood of evils which result from sin. The doctrine of Geenna, then, is unknown both to the diagram and to Celsus: for had it been otherwise, the framers of the former would not have boasted of their pictures of animals and diagrams, as if the truth were represented by these; nor would Celsus, in his treatise against the Christians, have introduced among the charges directed against them statements which they never uttered instead of what was spoken by some who perhaps are no longer in existence, but have altogether disappeared, or been reduced to a very few individuals, and these easily counted. And as it does not beseem those who profess the doctrines of Plato to offer a defense of Epicurus and his impious opinions, so neither is it for us to defend the diagram, or to refute the accusations brought against it by Celsus. We may therefore allow his charges on these points to pass as superfluous and useless, for we would censure more severely than Celsus any who should be carried away by such opinions. 6.27. After the matter of the diagram, he brings forward certain monstrous statements, in the form of question and answer, regarding what is called by ecclesiastical writers the seal, statements which did not arise from imperfect information; such as that he who impresses the seal is called father, and he who is sealed is called young man and son; and who answers, I have been anointed with white ointment from the tree of life,- things which we never heard to have occurred even among the heretics. In the next place, he determines even the number mentioned by those who deliver over the seal, as that of seven angels, who attach themselves to both sides of the soul of the dying body; the one party being named angels of light, the others 'archontics;' and he asserts that the ruler of those named 'archontics' is termed the 'accursed' god. Then, laying hold of the expression, he assails, not without reason, those who venture to use such language; and on that account we entertain a similar feeling of indignation with those who censure such individuals, if indeed there exist any who call the God of the Jews- who sends rain and thunder, and who is the Creator of this world, and the God of Moses, and of the cosmogony which he records - an accursed divinity. Celsus, however, appears to have had in view in employing these expressions, not a rational object, but one of a most irrational kind, arising out of his hatred towards us, which is so unlike a philosopher. For his aim was, that those who are unacquainted with our customs should, on perusing his treatise, at once assail us as if we called the noble Creator of this world an accursed divinity. He appears to me, indeed, to have acted like those Jews who, when Christianity began to be first preached, scattered abroad false reports of the Gospel, such as that Christians offered up an infant in sacrifice, and partook of its flesh; and again, that the professors of Christianity, wishing to do the 'works of darkness,' used to extinguish the lights (in their meetings), and each one to have sexual intercourse with any woman whom he chanced to meet. These calumnies have long exercised, although unreasonably, an influence over the minds of very many, leading those who are aliens to the Gospel to believe that Christians are men of such a character; and even at the present day they mislead some, and prevent them from entering even into the simple intercourse of conversation with those who are Christians. 6.28. With some such object as this in view does Celsus seem to have been actuated, when he alleged that Christians term the Creator an accursed divinity; in order that he who believes these charges of his against us, should, if possible, arise and exterminate the Christians as the most impious of mankind. Confusing, moreover, things that are distinct, he states also the reason why the God of the Mosaic cosmogony is termed accursed, asserting that such is his character, and worthy of execration in the opinion of those who so regard him, inasmuch as he pronounced a curse upon the serpent, who introduced the first human beings to the knowledge of good and evil. Now he ought to have known that those who have espoused the cause of the serpent, because he gave good advice to the first human beings, and who go far beyond the Titans and Giants of fable, and are on this account called Ophites, are so far from being Christians, that they bring accusations against Jesus to as great a degree as Celsus himself; and they do not admit any one into their assembly until he has uttered maledictions against Jesus. See, then, how irrational is the procedure of Celsus, who, in his discourse against the Christians, represents as such those who will not even listen to the name of Jesus, or omit even that He was a wise man, or a person of virtuous character! What, then, could evince greater folly or madness, not only on the part of those who wish to derive their name from the serpent as the author of good, but also on the part of Celsus, who thinks that the accusations with which the Ophites are charged, are chargeable also against the Christians! Long ago, indeed, that Greek philosopher who preferred a state of poverty, and who exhibited the pattern of a happy life, showing that he was not excluded from happiness although he was possessed of nothing, termed himself a Cynic; while these impious wretches, as not being human beings, whose enemy the serpent is, but as being serpents, pride themselves upon being called Ophites from the serpent, which is an animal most hostile to and greatly dreaded by man, and boast of one Euphrates as the introducer of these unhallowed opinions. 6.29. In the next place, as if it were the Christians whom he was calumniating, he continues his accusations against those who termed the God of Moses and of his law an accursed divinity; and imagining that it is the Christians who so speak, he expresses himself thus: What could be more foolish or insane than such senseless wisdom? For what blunder has the Jewish lawgiver committed? And why do you accept, by means, as you say, of a certain allegorical and typical method of interpretation, the cosmogony which he gives, and the law of the Jews, while it is with unwillingness, O most impious man, that you give praise to the Creator of the world, who promised to give them all things; who promised to multiply their race to the ends of the earth, and to raise them up from the dead with the same flesh and blood, and who gave inspiration to their prophets; and, again, you slander Him! When you feel the force of such considerations, indeed, you acknowledge that you worship the same God; but when your teacher Jesus and the Jewish Moses give contradictory decisions, you seek another God, instead of Him, and the Father! Now, by such statements, this illustrious philosopher Celsus distinctly slanders the Christians, asserting that, when the Jews press them hard, they acknowledge the same God as they do; but that when Jesus legislates differently from Moses, they seek another god instead of Him. Now, whether we are conversing with the Jews, or are alone with ourselves, we know of only one and the same God, whom the Jews also worshipped of old time, and still profess to worship as God, and we are guilty of no impiety towards Him. We do not assert, however, that God will raise men from the dead with the same flesh and blood, as has been shown in the preceding pages; for we do not maintain that the natural body, which is sown in corruption, and in dishonour, and in weakness, will rise again such as it was sown. On such subjects, however, we have spoken at adequate length in the foregoing pages. 6.30. He next returns to the subject of the Seven ruling Demons, whose names are not found among Christians, but who, I think, are accepted by the Ophites. We found, indeed, that in the diagram, which on their account we procured a sight of, the same order was laid down as that which Celsus has given. Celsus says that the goat was shaped like a lion, not mentioning the name given him by those who are truly the most impious of individuals; whereas we discovered that He who is honoured in holy Scripture as the angel of the Creator is called by this accursed diagram Michael the Lion-like. Again, Celsus says that the second in order is a bull; whereas the diagram which we possessed made him to be Suriel, the bull-like. Further, Celsus termed the third an amphibious sort of animal, and one that hissed frightfully; while the diagram described the third as Raphael, the serpent-like. Moreover, Celsus asserted that the fourth had the form of an eagle; the diagram representing him as Gabriel, the eagle-like. Again, the fifth, according to Celsus, had the countece of a bear; and this, according to the diagram, was Thauthabaoth, the bear-like. Celsus continues his account, that the sixth was described as having the face of a dog; and him the diagram called Erataoth. The seventh, he adds, had the countece of an ass, and was named Thaphabaoth or Onoel; whereas we discovered that in the diagram he is called Onoel, or Thartharaoth, being somewhat asinine in appearance. We have thought it proper to be exact in stating these matters, that we might not appear to be ignorant of those things which Celsus professed to know, but that we Christians, knowing them better than he, may demonstrate that these are not the words of Christians, but of those who are altogether alienated from salvation, and who neither acknowledge Jesus as Saviour, nor God, nor Teacher, nor Son of God. 6.31. Moreover, if any one would wish to become acquainted with the artifices of those sorcerers, through which they desire to lead men away by their teaching (as if they possessed the knowledge of certain secret rites), but are not at all successful in so doing, let him listen to the instruction which they receive after passing through what is termed the fence of wickedness, - gates which are subjected to the world of ruling spirits. (The following, then, is the manner in which they proceed): I salute the one-formed king, the bond of blindness, complete oblivion, the first power, preserved by the spirit of providence and by wisdom, from whom I am sent forth pure, being already part of the light of the son and of the father: grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me. They say also that the beginnings of the Ogdoad are derived from this. In the next place, they are taught to say as follows, while passing through what they call Ialdabaoth: You, O first and seventh, who art born to command with confidence, you, O Ialdabaoth, who art the rational ruler of a pure mind, and a perfect work to son and father, bearing the symbol of life in the character of a type, and opening to the world the gate which you closed against your kingdom, I pass again in freedom through your realm. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me. They say, moreover, that the star Ph non is in sympathy with the lion-like ruler. They next imagine that he who has passed through Ialdabaoth and arrived at Iao ought thus to speak: You, O second Iao, who shines by night, who art the ruler of the secret mysteries of son and father, first prince of death, and portion of the innocent, bearing now my own beard as symbol, I am ready to pass through your realm, having strengthened him who is born of you by the living word. Grace be with me; father, let it be with me. They next come to Sabaoth, to whom they think the following should be addressed: O governor of the fifth realm, powerful Sabaoth, defender of the law of your creatures, who are liberated by your grace through the help of a more powerful Pentad, admit me, seeing the faultless symbol of their art, preserved by the stamp of an image, a body liberated by a Pentad. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me. And after Sabaoth they come to Astaph us, to whom they believe the following prayer should be offered: O Astaph us, ruler of the third gate, overseer of the first principle of water, look upon me as one of your initiated, admit me who am purified with the spirit of a virgin, you who sees the essence of the world. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me. After him comes Alo us, who is to be thus addressed: O Alo us, governor of the second gate, let me pass, seeing I bring to you the symbol of your mother, a grace which is hidden by the powers of the realms. Let grace be with me, O father, let it be with me. And last of all they name Hor us, and think that the following prayer ought to be offered to him: You who fearlessly leaped over the rampart of fire, O Hor us, who obtained the government of the first gate, let me pass, seeing you behold the symbol of your own power, sculptured on the figure of the tree of life, and formed after this image, in the likeness of innocence. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me. 6.32. The supposed great learning of Celsus, which is composed, however, rather of curious trifles and silly talk than anything else, has made us touch upon these topics, from a wish to show to every one who peruses his treatise and our reply, that we have no lack of information on those subjects, from which he takes occasion to calumniate the Christians, who neither are acquainted with, nor concern themselves about, such matters. For we, too, desired both to learn and set forth these things, in order that sorcerers might not, under pretext of knowing more than we, delude those who are easily carried away by the glitter of names. And I could have given many more illustrations to show that we are acquainted with the opinions of these deluders, and that we disown them, as being alien to ours, and impious, and not in harmony with the doctrines of true Christians, of which we are ready to make confession even to the death. It must be noticed, too, that those who have drawn up this array of fictions, have, from neither understanding magic, nor discriminating the meaning of holy Scripture, thrown everything into confusion; seeing that they have borrowed from magic the names of Ialdabaoth, and Astaph us, and Hor us, and from the Hebrew Scriptures him who is termed in Hebrew Iao or Jah, and Sabaoth, and Adon us, and Elo us. Now the names taken from the Scriptures are names of one and the same God; which, not being understood by the enemies of God, as even themselves acknowledge, led to their imagining that Iao was a different God, and Sabaoth another, and Adon us, whom the Scriptures term Adonai, a third besides, and that Elo us, whom the prophets name in Hebrew Eloi, was also different 6.33. Celsus next relates other fables, to the effect that certain persons return to the shapes of the archontics, so that some are called lions, others bulls, others dragons, or eagles, or bears, or dogs. We found also in the diagram which we possessed, and which Celsus called the square pattern, the statements made by these unhappy beings concerning the gates of Paradise. The flaming sword was depicted as the diameter of a flaming circle, and as if mounting guard over the tree of knowledge and of life. Celsus, however, either would not or could not repeat the harangues which, according to the fables of these impious individuals, are represented as spoken at each of the gates by those who pass through them; but this we have done in order to show to Celsus and those who read his treatise, that we know the depth of these unhallowed mysteries, and that they are far removed from the worship which Christians offer up to God. 6.34. After finishing the foregoing, and those analogous matters which we ourselves have added, Celsus continues as follows: They continue to heap together one thing after another - discourses of prophets, and circles upon circles, and effluents from an earthly church, and from circumcision; and a power flowing from one Prunicos, a virgin and a living soul; and a heaven slain in order to live, and an earth slaughtered by the sword, and many put to death that they may live, and death ceasing in the world, when the sin of the world is dead; and, again, a narrow way, and gates that open spontaneously. And in all their writings (is mention made) of the tree of life, and a resurrection of the flesh by means of the 'tree,' because, I imagine, their teacher was nailed to a cross, and was a carpenter by craft; so that if he had chanced to have been cast from a precipice, or thrust into a pit, or suffocated by hanging, or had been a leather-cutter, or stone-cutter, or worker in iron, there would have been (invented) a precipice of life beyond the heavens, or a pit of resurrection, or a cord of immortality, or a blessed stone, or an iron of love, or a sacred leather! Now what old woman would not be ashamed to utter such things in a whisper, even when making stories to lull an infant to sleep? In using such language as this, Celsus appears to me to confuse together matters which he has imperfectly heard. For it seems likely that, even supposing that he had heard a few words traceable to some existing heresy, he did not clearly understand the meaning intended to be conveyed; but heaping the words together, he wished to show before those who knew nothing either of our opinions or of those of the heretics, that he was acquainted with all the doctrines of the Christians. And this is evident also from the foregoing words. 6.35. It is our practice, indeed, to make use of the words of the prophets, who demonstrate that Jesus is the Christ predicted by them, and who show from the prophetic writings the events in the Gospels regarding Jesus have been fulfilled. But when Celsus speaks of circles upon circles, (he perhaps borrowed the expression) from the aforementioned heresy, which includes in one circle (which they call the soul of all things, and Leviathan) the seven circles of archontic demons, or perhaps it arises from misunderstanding the preacher, when he says: The wind goes in a circle of circles, and returns again upon its circles. The expression, too, effluents of an earthly church and of circumcision, was probably taken from the fact that the church on earth was called by some an effluent from a heavenly church and a better world; and that the circumcision described in the law was a symbol of the circumcision performed there, in a certain place set apart for purification. The adherents of Valentinus, moreover, in keeping with their system of error, give the name of Prunicos to a certain kind of wisdom, of which they would have the woman afflicted with the twelve years' issue of blood to be the symbol; so that Celsus, who confuses together all sorts of opinions - Greek, Barbarian, and Heretical - having heard of her, asserted that it was a power flowing forth from one Prunicos, a virgin. The living soul, again, is perhaps mysteriously referred by some of the followers of Valentinus to the being whom they term the psychic creator of the world; or perhaps, in contradistinction to a dead soul, the living soul is termed by some, not inelegantly, the soul of him who is saved. I know nothing, however, of a heaven which is said to be slain, or of an earth slaughtered by the sword, or of many persons slain in order that they might live; for it is not unlikely that these were coined by Celsus out of his own brain. 6.36. We would say, moreover, that death ceases in the world when the sin of the world dies, referring the saying to the mystical words of the apostle, which run as follows: When He shall have put all enemies under His feet, then the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. And also: When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. The strait descent, again, may perhaps be referred by those who hold the doctrine of transmigration of souls to that view of things. And it is not incredible that the gates which are said to open spontaneously are referred obscurely by some to the words, Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may go into them, and praise the Lord; this gate of the Lord, into it the righteous shall enter; and again, to what is said in the ninth psalm, You that lifts me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. The Scripture further gives the name of gates of death to those sins which lead to destruction, as it terms, on the contrary, good actions the gates of Zion. So also the gates of righteousness, which is an equivalent expression to the gates of virtue, and these are ready to be opened to him who follows after virtuous pursuits. The subject of the tree of life will be more appropriately explained when we interpret the statements in the book of Genesis regarding the paradise planted by God. Celsus, moreover, has often mocked at the subject of a resurrection, - a doctrine which he did not comprehend; and on the present occasion, not satisfied with what he has formerly said, he adds, And there is said to be a resurrection of the flesh by means of the tree; not understanding, I think, the symbolic expression, that through the tree came death, and through the tree comes life, because death was in Adam, and life in Christ. He next scoffs at the tree, assailing it on two grounds, and saying, For this reason is the tree introduced, either because our teacher was nailed to a cross, or because he was a carpenter by trade; not observing that the tree of life is mentioned in the Mosaic writings, and being blind also to this, that in none of the Gospels current in the Churches is Jesus Himself ever described as being a carpenter. 6.37. Celsus, moreover, thinks that we have invented this tree of life to give an allegorical meaning to the cross; and in consequence of his error upon this point, he adds: If he had happened to be cast down a precipice, or shoved into a pit, or suffocated by hanging, there would have been invented a precipice of life far beyond the heavens, or a pit of resurrection, or a cord of immortality. And again: If the 'tree of life' were an invention, because he - Jesus - (is reported) to have been a carpenter, it would follow that if he had been a leather-cutter, something would have been said about holy leather; or had he been a stone-cutter, about a blessed stone; or if a worker in iron, about an iron of love. Now, who does not see at once the paltry nature of his charge, in thus calumniating men whom he professed to convert on the ground of their being deceived? And after these remarks, he goes on to speak in a way quite in harmony with the tone of those who have invented the fictions of lion-like, and ass-headed, and serpent-like ruling angels, and other similar absurdities, but which does not affect those who belong to the Church. of a truth, even a drunken old woman would be ashamed to chaunt or whisper to an infant, in order to lull him to sleep, any such fables as those have done who invented the beings with asses' heads, and the harangues, so to speak, which are delivered at each of the gates. But Celsus is not acquainted with the doctrines of the members of the Church, which very few have been able to comprehend, even of those who have devoted all their lives, in conformity with the command of Jesus, to the searching of the Scriptures, and have laboured to investigate the meaning of the sacred books, to a greater degree than Greek philosophers in their efforts to attain a so-called wisdom. 6.38. Our noble (friend), moreover, not satisfied with the objections which he has drawn from the diagram, desires, in order to strengthen his accusations against us, who have nothing in common with it, to introduce certain other charges, which he adduces from the same (heretics), but yet as if they were from a different source. His words are: And that is not the least of their marvels, for there are between the upper circles - those that are above the heavens - certain inscriptions of which they give the interpretation, and among others two words especially, 'a greater and a less,' which they refer to Father and Son. Now, in the diagram referred to, we found the greater and the lesser circle, upon the diameter of which was inscribed Father and Son; and between the greater circle (in which the lesser was contained) and another composed of two circles - the outer one of which was yellow, and the inner blue - a barrier inscribed in the shape of a hatchet. And above it, a short circle, close to the greater of the two former, having the inscription Love; and lower down, one touching the same circle, with the word Life. And on the second circle, which was intertwined with and included two other circles, another figure, like a rhomboid, (entitled) The foresight of wisdom. And within their point of common section was The nature of wisdom. And above their point of common section was a circle, on which was inscribed Knowledge; and lower down another, on which was the inscription, Understanding. We have introduced these matters into our reply to Celsus, to show to our readers that we know better than he, and not by mere report, those things, even although we also disapprove of them. Moreover, if those who pride themselves upon such matters profess also a kind of magic and sorcery - which, in their opinion, is the summit of wisdom - we, on the other hand, make no affirmation about it, seeing we never have discovered anything of the kind. Let Celsus, however, who has been already often convicted of false witness and irrational accusations, see whether he is not guilty of falsehood in these also, or whether he has not extracted and introduced into his treatise, statements taken from the writings of those who are foreigners and strangers to our Christian faith.

22. Arnobius, Against The Gentiles, 2.62 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 75

23. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

137b. מל ולא פרע את המילה כאילו לא מל:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big אמר רבי אבינא א"ר ירמיה בר אבא אמר רב בשר החופה את רוב גובהה של עטרה:,ואם היה בעל בשר וכו': אמר שמואל קטן המסורבל בבשר רואין אותו כ"ז שמתקשה ונראה מהול אינו צריך למול ואם לאו צריך למול,במתניתא תנא רשב"ג אומר קטן המסורבל בבשר רואין אותו כל זמן שמתקשה ואינו נראה מהול צריך למולו ואם לאו אינו צריך למולו,מאי בינייהו איכא בינייהו נראה ואינו נראה:,מל ולא פרע: ת"ר המל אומר אקב"ו על המילה אבי הבן אומר אקב"ו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו העומדים אומרים כשם שנכנס לברית כך יכנס לתורה לחופה ולמע"ט,והמברך אומר אשר קידש ידיד מבטן חוק בשארו שם וצאצאיו חתם באות ברית קדש על כן בשכר זאת אל חי חלקנו צוה להציל ידידות שארינו משחת למען בריתו אשר שם בבשרנו בא"י כורת הברית,המל את הגרים אומר ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם אקב"ו על המילה והמברך אומר אקב"ו למול את הגרים ולהטיף מהם דם ברית שאילמלא דם ברית לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ שנאמר (ירמיהו לג, כה) אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי בא"י כורת הברית,המל את העבדים אומר אקב"ו על המילה והמברך אומר אקב"ו למול את העבדים ולהטיף מהם דם ברית שאילמלא דם ברית חוקות שמים וארץ לא נתקיימו שנאמ' אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי בא"י כורת הברית:, br br big strongהדרן עלך רבי אליעזר דמילה /strong /big br br,מתני׳ big strongרבי /strong /big אליעזר אומר תולין את המשמרת בי"ט ונותנין לתלויה בשבת וחכ"א אין תולין את המשמרת בי"ט ואין נותנין לתלויה בשבת אבל נותנין לתלויה ביו"ט:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big השתא ר"א אוסופי אהל עראי לא מוספינן למיעבד לכתחלה שרי,מאי היא דתנן פקק החלון ר"א אומר בזמן שקשור ותלוי פוקקין בו ואם לאו אין פוקקין בו וחכ"א בין כך ובין כך פוקקין בו,ואמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן הכל מודים שאין עושין אהל עראי בתחלה בי"ט ואין צ"ל בשבת לא נחלקו אלא להוסיף שר"א אומר אין מוסיפין בי"ט ואין צ"ל בשבת וחכ"א מוסיפין בשבת ואין צ"ל ביום טוב,ר"א סבר לה כרבי יהודה דתניא אין בין יום טוב לשבת אלא אוכל נפש בלבד רבי יהודה מתיר אף מכשירי אוכל נפש,אימר דשמעינן ליה לר' יהודה במכשירין שאי אפשר לעשותם מערב יום טוב במכשירין שאפשר לעשותם מערב יו"ט מי שמעת ליה,דר"א עדיפא מדרבי יהודה:,וחכ"א: איבעיא להו תלה מאי אמר רב יוסף תלה חייב חטאת,א"ל אביי אלא מעתה תלא כוזא בסיכתא הכי נמי דמיחייב

137b. If b one circumcised but did not uncover /b the flesh at b the /b area of the b circumcision /b by folding back the thin membrane beneath the foreskin, b it is as if he had not circumcised. /b , strong GEMARA: /strong b Rabbi Avina said /b that b Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said /b that b Rav said: /b When the mishna said most of the corona, they meant b the flesh that covers most of the height of the corona, /b as well as most of its circumference.,We learned in the mishna: b If /b the baby b was fleshy, /b the circumcisor corrects the circumcision so that it will not appear uncircumcised. b Shmuel said: A child who is encumbered with flesh, one examines him, /b and b as long as when /b his limb b hardens he looks circumcised, one need not circumcise /b him again. b And if not, /b meaning he does not appear circumcised even then, b one must circumcise /b him again., b It was taught in a i baraita /i /b that b Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: A child who is encumbered with flesh, one examines him, /b and b as long as when it hardens it does not appear circumcised, one needs to circumcise him /b again, b and if not, one need not circumcise him /b again.,The Gemara asks: b What is /b the practical difference b between these /b two formulations? The Gemara answers: b There is /b a practical difference b between them /b in a case where he b appears /b circumcised but b does not appear /b fully circumcised. According to Shmuel, in order to avoid an additional circumcision, one must appear fully circumcised, and this state is insufficient. According to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, only one who appears uncircumcised requires further circumcision; this partial circumcision is adequate.,We learned in the mishna: If b he circumcised /b a child b but did not uncover /b the area of the circumcision, it is as if he did not circumcise him. b The Sages taught /b in a i Tosefta /i that b one who circumcises /b a child b recites: Who has made us holy through His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. The father of the /b circumcised b child recites: Who has made us holy through His commandments, and commanded us to bring him into the covet of Abraham, our father. Those standing /b there b recite: Just as he has entered into the covet, so may he enter into Torah, marriage, and good deeds. /b , b And the one who recites the /b additional b blessing says: Who made the beloved one holy from the womb, marked the decree in his flesh, and gave his descendants the seal and the sign of the holy covet. Therefore, as a reward for this, the living God, our Portion, commanded to deliver the beloved of our flesh from destruction, for the sake of His covet that He set in our flesh. Blessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b , b One who circumcises converts says: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. And the one who recites the /b additional b blessing recites: Who has made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to circumcise converts, and to drip from them covetal blood, as were it not for the blood of the covet, the heaven and earth would not be sustained, as it is stated: “If My covet would not be with day and night, the ordices of heaven and earth I would not have placed” /b (Jeremiah 33:25), which is interpreted to mean that were it not for the covet of circumcision that is manifest both day and night, the world would cease to exist. He concludes the blessing with the phrase: b Blessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b ,When a Jew buys a Canaanite slave, he is obligated to circumcise the slave, as the slave is partially entering the covet of the Jewish people. b One who circumcises slaves recites /b a blessing: b Who made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. And the one who recites the additional blessings says /b a blessing similar to those mentioned above: b Who made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to circumcise slaves, and to drip from them covetal blood, as were it not for the blood of the covet the heaven and earth would not be sustained, as it is stated: “If My covet would not be with day and night, the ordices of heaven and earth I would not have placed” /b (Jeremiah 33:25). b Blessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b ,, strong MISHNA: /strong b Rabbi Eliezer says: One may suspend /b and stretch over a base b the strainer /b through which sediment is filtered from wine, b on a Festival. And one may place /b wine b through /b a strainer that was already b suspended /b the day before; however, one may not suspend the strainer b on Shabbat. And the Rabbis say: One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival, and one may not place /b wine for filtering b through a suspended /b strainer b on Shabbat; however, one may place /b wine b through a suspended /b strainer b on a Festival. /b , strong GEMARA: /strong The Gemara raises a difficulty with regard to Rabbi Eliezer’s position: b Now, Rabbi Eliezer /b holds that b we may not /b even b add /b to b a temporary tent /b on Shabbat; could it be that b to make /b a tent b is permitted i ab initio /i ? /b Stretching a strainer over a base, which Rabbi Eliezer permits, is comparable to making a tent.,The Gemara explains the question: b What is /b this opinion of Rabbi Eliezer’s? b As we learned /b in a mishna: With regard to b a window shutter /b used to cover a skylight, b Rabbi Eliezer says: When it is tied /b to b and hanging /b from the window, i.e., it is not touching the ground, b one may shutter /b the window b with it, and if not, one may not shutter /b the window b with it. And the Rabbis say: Both /b in b this /b case b and /b in b that /b case b one may shutter with it. /b , b And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said /b that b Rabbi Yoḥa said: Everyone agrees that one may not construct a temporary tent on a Festival /b for the b first time, and needless to say, /b one may not do so b on Shabbat. /b The i tanna’im /i b disagree only /b with regard to b adding /b to an existing tent, b as Rabbi Eliezer says: One may not add /b to an existing structure b on a Festival, and needless to say, /b one may not do so b on Shabbat. And the Rabbis say: One may add /b to the temporary structure b on Shabbat, and needless to say, /b one may do so b on a Festival. /b ,The Gemara answers: Rabbi Eliezer indeed holds that the suspension of a strainer constitutes a prohibited labor. However, b Rabbi Eliezer holds in accordance with /b the opinion of b Rabbi Yehuda /b with regard to actions that facilitate preparation of food on a Festival, b as it was taught /b in a i baraita /i : b The only /b difference b between a Festival and Shabbat /b is with regard to the preparation of b food alone. /b It is permitted to perform labors for the purpose of food preparation on a Festival, but not on Shabbat. b Rabbi Yehuda permits even actions that facilitate food preparation /b on a Festival, e.g., fixing utensils with which food is prepared on the Festival. Similarly, Rabbi Eliezer permits the suspension of a strainer, which would otherwise constitute a prohibited labor, in order to prepare wine for use on the Festival.,The Gemara asks: b Say that we heard /b that b Rabbi Yehuda /b permits labors that are otherwise prohibited if they b pertain to actions that facilitate /b food preparation b that cannot be performed on the eve of the Festival; /b however, b with regard to actions that facilitate /b food preparation b that can be performed on the eve of the Festival, did you hear /b that b he /b permits doing so?,The Gemara answers: The leniency b of Rabbi Eliezer exceeds that of Rabbi Yehuda. /b Unlike Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Eliezer does not distinguish between actions that facilitate food preparation that can and those that cannot be performed on the eve of the Festival.,We learned in the mishna: b And the Rabbis say: /b One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival. b A dilemma was raised before /b the Sages: If b he suspended /b a strainer unwittingly, b what /b is the i halakha /i ? b Rav Yosef said: /b If b he suspended /b it, b he is liable /b to bring b a sin-offering, /b like anyone who unwittingly performs a labor prohibited by Torah law on Shabbat., b Abaye said to him: But if /b that is b so, /b that an action of that sort constitutes performance of the prohibited labor of building by Torah law, then if b one suspended a jug on a peg, is he also liable /b for building a tent?

24. Papyri, Papyri Graecae Magicae, 4.475, 4.476, 4.477, 4.478, 4.479, 4.480, 4.481, 4.482, 4.483, 4.484, 4.485, 4.486, 4.487, 4.488, 4.489, 4.490, 4.491, 4.492, 4.493, 4.494, 4.495, 4.496, 4.497, 4.498, 4.499, 4.500, 4.501, 4.502, 4.503, 4.504, 4.505, 4.506, 4.507, 4.508, 4.509, 4.510, 4.511, 4.512, 4.513, 4.514, 4.515, 4.516, 4.517, 4.518, 4.519, 4.520, 4.521, 4.522, 4.523, 4.524, 4.525, 4.526, 4.527, 4.528, 4.529, 4.530, 4.531, 4.532, 4.533, 4.534, 4.535, 4.536, 4.537, 4.538, 4.539-40, 4.539, 4.540, 4.541, 4.542, 4.543, 4.544, 4.545, 4.546, 4.547, 4.548, 4.549, 4.550, 4.551, 4.552, 4.553, 4.554, 4.555, 4.556, 4.557, 4.558, 4.559, 4.560, 4.561, 4.562, 4.563, 4.564, 4.565, 4.566, 4.567, 4.568, 4.569, 4.570, 4.570-75, 4.571, 4.572, 4.573, 4.574, 4.575, 4.576, 4.577, 4.578, 4.579, 4.580, 4.581, 4.582, 4.583, 4.584, 4.585, 4.586, 4.587, 4.588, 4.589, 4.590, 4.591, 4.592, 4.593, 4.594, 4.595, 4.596, 4.597, 4.598, 4.599, 4.600, 4.601, 4.602, 4.603, 4.604, 4.605, 4.606, 4.607, 4.608, 4.609, 4.610, 4.611, 4.612, 4.613, 4.614, 4.615, 4.616, 4.617, 4.618, 4.619, 4.620, 4.621, 4.622, 4.623, 4.624, 4.625, 4.626, 4.627, 4.628, 4.629, 4.630, 4.631, 4.632, 4.633, 4.634, 4.635, 4.636, 4.637, 4.638, 4.639, 4.640, 4.641, 4.642, 4.643, 4.644, 4.645, 4.646, 4.647, 4.648, 4.649, 4.650, 4.651, 4.652, 4.653, 4.654, 4.655, 4.656, 4.657, 4.658, 4.659, 4.660, 4.661, 4.662, 4.663, 4.664, 4.665, 4.666, 4.667, 4.668, 4.669, 4.670, 4.671, 4.672, 4.673, 4.674, 4.675, 4.676, 4.677, 4.678, 4.679, 4.680, 4.681, 4.682, 4.683, 4.684, 4.685, 4.686, 4.687, 4.688, 4.689, 4.690, 4.691, 4.692, 4.693, 4.694, 4.695, 4.696, 4.697, 4.698, 4.699, 4.700, 4.701, 4.702, 4.703, 4.704, 4.704-708, 4.705, 4.706, 4.707, 4.708, 4.709, 4.710, 4.711, 4.712, 4.713, 4.714, 4.715, 4.716, 4.717, 4.718, 4.719, 4.720, 4.721, 4.722, 4.723, 4.724, 4.725, 4.726, 4.727, 4.728, 4.729, 4.730, 4.731, 4.732, 4.733, 4.734, 4.735, 4.736, 4.737, 4.738, 4.739, 4.740, 4.741, 4.742, 4.743, 4.744, 4.745, 4.746, 4.747, 4.748, 4.749, 4.750, 4.751, 4.752, 4.753, 4.754, 4.755, 4.756, 4.757, 4.758, 4.759, 4.760, 4.761, 4.762, 4.763, 4.764, 4.765, 4.766, 4.767, 4.768, 4.769, 4.770, 4.771, 4.772, 4.773, 4.774, 4.775, 4.776, 4.777, 4.778, 4.779, 4.780, 4.781, 4.782, 4.783, 4.784, 4.785, 4.786, 4.787, 4.788, 4.789, 4.790, 4.791, 4.792, 4.793, 4.794, 4.795, 4.796, 4.797, 4.798, 4.799, 4.800, 4.801, 4.802, 4.803, 4.804, 4.805, 4.806, 4.807, 4.808, 4.809, 4.810, 4.811, 4.812, 4.813, 4.814, 4.815, 4.816, 4.817, 4.818, 4.819, 4.820, 4.821, 4.822, 4.823, 4.824, 4.825, 4.826, 4.827, 4.828, 4.829 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 81

25. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 197

62a. תניא אמר רבי עקיבא פעם אחת נכנסתי אחר ר' יהושע לבית הכסא ולמדתי ממנו ג' דברים למדתי שאין נפנין מזרח ומערב אלא צפון ודרום ולמדתי שאין נפרעין מעומד אלא מיושב ולמדתי שאין מקנחין בימין אלא בשמאל אמר ליה בן עזאי עד כאן העזת פניך ברבך א"ל תורה היא וללמוד אני צריך,תניא בן עזאי אומר פעם אחת נכנסתי אחר רבי עקיבא לבית הכסא ולמדתי ממנו ג' דברים למדתי שאין נפנין מזרח ומערב אלא צפון ודרום ולמדתי שאין נפרעין מעומד אלא מיושב ולמדתי שאין מקנחין בימין אלא בשמאל אמר לו ר' יהודה עד כאן העזת פניך ברבך אמר לו תורה היא וללמוד אני צריך,רב כהנא על גנא תותיה פורייה דרב שמעיה דשח ושחק ועשה צרכיו אמר ליה דמי פומיה דאבא כדלא שריף תבשילא א"ל כהנא הכא את פוק דלאו אורח ארעא אמר לו תורה היא וללמוד אני צריך,מפני מה אין מקנחין בימין אלא בשמאל אמר רבא מפני שהתורה ניתנה בימין שנאמר (דברים לג, ב) מימינו אש דת למו רבה בר בר חנה אמר מפני שהיא קרובה לפה ור' שמעון בן לקיש אמר מפני שקושר בה תפילין רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר מפני שמראה בה טעמי תורה,כתנאי רבי אליעזר אומר מפני שאוכל בה ר' יהושע אומר מפני שכותב בה ר' עקיבא אומר מפני שמראה בה טעמי תורה,א"ר תנחום בר חנילאי כל הצנוע בבית הכסא נצול משלשה דברים מן הנחשים ומן העקרבים ומן המזיקין ויש אומרים אף חלומותיו מיושבים עליו,ההוא בית הכסא דהוה בטבריא כי הוו עיילי ביה בי תרי אפי' ביממא מתזקי רבי אמי ורבי אסי הוו עיילי ביה חד וחד לחודיה ולא מתזקי אמרי להו רבנן לא מסתפיתו אמרי להו אנן קבלה גמירינן קבלה דבית הכסא צניעותא ושתיקותא קבלה דיסורי שתיקותא ומבעי רחמי,אביי מרביא ליה [אמיה] אמרא למיעל בהדיה לבית הכסא ולרביא ליה גדיא שעיר בשעיר מיחלף,רבא מקמי דהוי רישא מקרקשא ליה בת רב חסדא אמגוזא בלקנא בתר דמלך עבדא ליה כוותא ומנחא ליה ידא ארישיה,אמר עולא אחורי הגדר נפנה מיד ובבקעה כל זמן שמתעטש ואין חברו שומע איסי בר נתן מתני הכי אחורי הגדר כל זמן שמתעטש ואין חברו שומע ובבקעה כל זמן שאין חברו רואהו,מיתיבי יוצאין מפתח בית הבד ונפנין לאחורי הגדר והן טהורין,בטהרות הקלו,ת"ש כמה ירחקו ויהיו טהורין כדי שיהא רואהו שאני אוכלי טהרות דאקילו בהו רבנן,רב אשי אמר מאי כל זמן שאין חברו רואה דקאמר איסי בר נתן כל זמן שאין חברו רואה את פרועו אבל לדידיה חזי ליה,ההוא ספדנא דנחית קמיה דרב נחמן אמר האי צנוע באורחותיו הוה א"ל רב נחמן את עיילת בהדיה לבית הכסא וידעת אי צנוע אי לא דתניא אין קורין צנוע אלא למי שצנוע בבית הכסא,ורב נחמן מאי נפקא ליה מיניה משום דתניא כשם שנפרעין מן המתים כך נפרעין מן הספדנין ומן העונין אחריהן,תנו רבנן איזהו צנוע זה הנפנה בלילה במקום שנפנה ביום,איני והאמר רב יהודה אמר רב לעולם ינהיג אדם את עצמו שחרית וערבית כדי שלא יהא צריך להתרחק ותו רבא ביממא הוה אזיל עד מיל ובליליא א"ל לשמעיה פנו לי דוכתא ברחובה דמתא וכן אמר ליה רבי זירא לשמעיה חזי מאן דאיכא אחורי בית חבריא דבעינא למפני לא תימא במקום אלא אימא כדרך שנפנה ביום,רב אשי אמר אפילו תימא במקום לא נצרכה אלא לקרן זוית,גופא אמר רב יהודה אמר רב לעולם ינהיג אדם את עצמו שחרית וערבית כדי שלא יהא צריך להתרחק,תניא נמי הכי בן עזאי אומר השכם וצא הערב וצא כדי שלא תתרחק משמש ושב ואל תשב ותמשמש שכל היושב וממשמש אפי' עושין כשפים באספמיא באין עליו,ואי אנשי ויתיב ואח"כ משמש מאי תקנתיה כי קאי לימא הכי לא לי לא לי לא תחים ולא תחתים לא הני ולא מהני לא חרשי דחרשא ולא חרשי דחרשתא

62a. b It was taught /b in a i baraita /i in tractate i Derekh Eretz /i that b Rabbi Akiva said: I once entered the bathroom after /b my teacher b Rabbi Yehoshua, and I learned three things from /b observing b his /b behavior: b I learned that one should not defecate /b while facing b east and west, but rather /b while facing b north and south; I learned that one should not uncover himself /b while b standing, but /b while b sitting, /b in the interest of modesty; b and I learned that one should not wipe with his right /b hand, b but with his left. Ben Azzai, /b a student of Rabbi Akiva, b said to him: You were impertinent to your teacher to that extent /b that you observed that much? b He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn. /b ,Similarly, b we learned /b in a i baraita /i : b Ben Azzai said: I once entered a bathroom after Rabbi Akiva, and I learned three things from /b observing b his /b behavior: b I learned that one should not defecate /b while facing b east and west, but rather /b while facing b north and south; I learned that one should not uncover himself /b while b standing, but /b while b sitting; and I learned that one should not wipe with his right /b hand, b but with his left. Rabbi Yehuda said to him: You were impertinent to your teacher to that extent? He replied: It is Torah, and I must learn. /b ,On a similar note, the Gemara relates that b Rav Kahana entered and lay beneath Rav’s bed. He heard /b Rav b chatting and laughing /b with his wife, b and seeing to his needs, /b i.e., having relations with her. Rav Kahana b said to /b Rav: b The mouth /b of b Abba, /b Rav, b is like /b one whom b has never eaten a cooked dish, /b i.e., his behavior was lustful. Rav b said to him: Kahana, you are here? Leave, as /b this b is an undesirable mode of behavior. /b Rav Kahana b said to him: It is Torah, and I must learn. /b ,The Gemara asks: b Why must one not wipe /b himself b with his right /b hand, b but with his left? Rava said: Because the Torah was given with the right /b hand, b as it is stated: “At His right hand was a fiery law unto them” /b (Deuteronomy 33:2). b Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Because /b the right hand b is close to the mouth, /b i.e., people eat with the right hand. b And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Because one ties the phylacteries /b onto his left hand b with /b his right hand. b Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Because one points to the /b cantillation b notes of the Torah with /b his right hand.,The Gemara notes that this is b parallel to a tannaitic /b dispute: b Rabbi Eliezer says: /b One is forbidden to wipe himself with his right hand b because he eats with it. Rabbi Yehoshua says: Because he writes with it. Rabbi Akiva says: Because he points to the notes of the Torah with it. /b , b Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: Anyone who is modest in the bathroom will be saved from three things: From snakes, from scorpions and from demons. And some say /b that b even his dreams will be settling for him. /b ,The Gemara relates: b There was a particular bathroom in /b the city of b Tiberias, where, when two would enter it, even during the day, they would be harmed /b by demons. When b Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi would each enter alone, they were not harmed. The Sages said to them: Aren’t you afraid? /b Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi b said to them: We have learned /b through tradition: The b tradition /b to avoid danger in the b bathroom /b is to conduct oneself with b modesty and silence. The tradition /b to end b suffering /b is with b silence and prayer. /b ,Because fear of demons in bathrooms was pervasive, the Gemara relates: b Abaye’s mother raised a lamb to accompany him to the bathroom. /b The Gemara objects: She should have b raised a goat for him. /b The Gemara responds: b A goat /b could be b interchanged with a goat-demon. /b Since both the demon and the goat are called i sa’ir /i , they were afraid to bring a goat to a place frequented by demons., b Before Rava became the head of the yeshiva, /b his wife, b the daughter of Rav Ḥisda, would rattle a nut in a copper vessel for him. /b This was in order to fend off demons when he was in the bathroom. b After /b he was chosen to b preside /b as head of the yeshiva, he required an additional degree of protection, so b she constructed a window for him, /b opposite where he would defecate, b and placed her hand upon his head. /b ,With regard to where one may or may not go to defecate, b Ulla said: Behind a fence, one /b need not distance himself from people and b may defecate immediately. In a valley /b or open field, one must distance himself b sufficiently so that if he passes wind, no one will hear him. Isi bar Natan taught as follows: Behind a fence /b one must distance himself b sufficiently so that if he passes wind another does not hear him, and in a valley, /b one must distance himself b sufficiently so that no one can see him. /b ,The Gemara b raises an objection /b based on what we learned in a mishna in i Teharot /i : Physical laborers, who usually fall into the category of i am ha’aretz /i and are not generally cautious with regard to the laws of ritual purity, b exit from the entrance of the olive press, defecate behind the fence, and are ritually pure. /b There is no reason to be concerned that they might become impure in the interim. This indicates that a greater distance is unnecessary.,The Gemara responds: b With regard to /b the laws of b ritual purity, they were lenient. /b To ensure maintece of purity, they were lenient and did not require a greater distance., b Come and hear /b from what we learned: b How far /b may workers b distance themselves, and /b the fruit and oil b will /b remain b pure? /b They may distance themselves only b so far that he /b still b sees him. /b This contradicts the opinion of Isi bar Natan, who required them to distance themselves sufficiently that they may not be seen. The Gemara responds: Those b who eat in purity are different, as the Sages were lenient with them. /b , b Rav Ashi said: What is /b the meaning of: b So long as another does not see him, which /b was the standard that b Isi bar Natan said? Sufficient that another person cannot see his nakedness, although he does see him. /b ,The Gemara relates: b There was a particular eulogizer who went /b to eulogize an important person b in the presence of Rav Naḥman. /b of the deceased, b he said: This /b man b was modest in his ways. Rav Naḥman said to him: Did you go to the bathroom with him and know whether or not he was modest? As we learned /b in a i baraita /i : b One can only describe as modest one who is modest /b even b in the bathroom, /b when no one else is there.,The Gemara asks: b And what difference /b did it make b to Rav Naḥman, /b that he was so insistent upon the details of whether or not this man was modest? The Gemara answers: b Because it was taught /b in a i baraita /i : b Just as the deceased are punished, so too are the eulogizers and those who answer after them. /b The deceased are punished for transgressions committed in their lifetimes. The eulogizers and those who answer are punished for accepting the attribution of virtues that the deceased did not possess., b The Sages taught /b in a i baraita /i : b Who is a modest person? One who defecates at night where he defecates during the day, /b i.e., who distances himself at night, in order to relieve himself, no less than he distances himself during the day.,The Gemara challenges: b Is that so? Didn’t Rav Yehuda say /b that b Rav said: One must always accustom himself /b to defecate b in the morning and at night, /b when it is dark, b so that he will not need to distance himself? Moreover, during the day, Rava would go up to a i mil /i /b outside the city, b and at night he would tell his servant: Clear a place for me in the city street. And so too, Rabbi Zeira told his servant: See who is behind the study hall, as I need to defecate. /b These Sages did not defecate at night in the same place where they defecated during the day. b Rather, /b emend the statement and b say /b as follows: b In the manner that one defecates during the day, /b i.e. he should conduct himself at night with the same degree of modesty with which he removes his clothing when defecating during the day., b Rav Ashi said: Even if you say /b that the text can remain as it was: b Where he defecates during the day, /b it b was only necessary in /b the case of b a corner, /b where one may conceal himself. In the interest of modesty, he should go around the corner at night, just as he does during the day.,The Gemara discusses b the matter itself. Rav Yehuda said /b that b Rav said: One must always accustom himself /b to defecate early b in the morning and /b late b at night so that he will not need to distance himself. /b , b That /b opinion b was also taught /b in a i baraita /i : b Ben Azzai said: Rise early /b in the morning b and go /b defecate, wait for b evening and go /b defecate, b so that you will not /b need to b distance yourself. /b He also said: b Touch /b around the anus first to assist in the opening of orifices b and /b then b sit; do not sit and /b then b touch, for anyone who sits and /b then b touches, even if sorcery is performed in /b a distant place like b Aspamia, /b the sorcery b will come upon him. /b ,The Gemara says: b And if one forgets and sits and then touches, what is his remedy? When /b he b stands, /b he should b recite the following /b incantation: b Not for me, not for me, neither i taḥim /i nor i taḥtim /i , /b types of sorcery, b neither these nor from these, neither the sorcery of a sorcerer nor the sorcery of a sorceress. /b

26. Proclus, Commentary On Plato'S Republic, 1.152.10 (5th cent. CE - 5th cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 83

27. Sallustius, The Second Book of Jeu, None Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

28. Anon., Hekhalot Rabbati, 1, 10, 106, 107, 108, 109, 11, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 12, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 13, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 14, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 15, 150, 151, 159, 16, 160, 17, 18, 19, 2, 20, 204, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 3, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 4, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 5, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 6, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 7, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 8, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 9, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, §107-21, §152-96, §158, §198, §198-277, §199, §199-200, §202-58, §204, §204-218, §206, §218, §219-48, §248, §249, §251, §252-57, §253, §269-77, §278-80, §307-14, §81-92, §83, §83-92, §94, §94-106, 21 Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 80

29. Anon., Maase Merkava, 569, 566 Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79, 80

30. Anon., Sefer Harazim, 1.119-21 (§ 65-66) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 40

43. Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, None Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 176

24b. יתרו לאחר מתן תורה הוה מאי איכא למימר אלא יתרו מישראל זבן,ת"ש (שמואל א טו, טו) ויאמר שאול מעמלקי הביאום אשר חמל העם על מיטב הצאן והבקר (המשנים והכרים ועל כל הצאן) למען זבוח לה' אלהיך מאי מיטב דמי מיטב,ומ"ש מיטב כי היכי דליקפץ עליהן זבינא,ת"ש (שמואל ב כד, כב) ויאמר ארונה אל דוד יקח ויעל אדוני המלך (את) הטוב בעיניו (ואת) [ראה] הבקר לעולה והמוריגים וכלי הבקר לעצים אמר רב נחמן ארונה גר תושב היה,מאי מוריגים אמר עולא מטה של טורביל מאי מטה של טורביל עיזא דקורקסא דדיישן אמר רב יוסף מאי קרא (ישעיהו מא, טו) הנה שמתיך למורג חרוץ חדש בעל פיפיות תדוש הרים ותדוק וגבעות כמוץ תשים,מיתיבי (שמואל א ו, יד) ואת הפרות העלו עולה לה' הוראת שעה היתה,ה"נ מסתברא דאי לא תימא הכי עולה נקבה מי איכא,ומאי קושיא דלמא בבמת יחיד וכדרב אדא בר אהבה דאמר רב אדא בר אהבה מנין לעולה נקבה שהיא כשרה בבמת יחיד שנאמר (שמואל א ז, ט) ויקח שמואל טלה חלב אחד ויעלהו עולה,ויעלהו זכר משמע אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק ויעלה כתיב,ר' יוחנן אמר גבול יש לה פחותה מבת ג' שנים נעקרת בת ג' שנים אינה נעקרת,איתיביה כל הני תיובתא שני להו פחותה מבת ג' שנים ת"ש ואת הפרות העלו עולה לה' בפחותה מבת שלש שנים,מתקיף לה רב הונא בריה דרב נתן א"כ היינו ואת בניהם כלו בבית פחותה מבת ג' שנים,(ופחותה מבת נ' שנים) מי קא ילדה והתניא פרה וחמור מבת ג' ודאי לכהן מכאן ואילך ספק אלא מחוורתא כדשנין מעיקרא:,(שמואל א ו, יב) וישרנה הפרות בדרך על דרך בית שמש וגו' מאי וישרנה א"ר יוחנן משום ר"מ שאמרו שירה ורב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב שישרו פניהם כנגד ארון ואמרו שירה,ומאי שירה אמרו א"ר יוחנן משום ר"מ (שמות טו, א) אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל ור' יוחנן דידיה אמר (ישעיהו יב, ד) ואמרתם ביום ההוא הודו לה' קראו בשמו וגו',ור"ש בן לקיש אמר מזמורא יתמא (תהלים צח, א) מזמור שירו לה' שיר חדש כי נפלאות עשה הושיעה לו ימינו וזרוע קדשו ר' אלעזר אמר (תהלים צט, א) ה' מלך ירגזו עמים,ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר (תהלים צג, א) ה' מלך גאות לבש ר' יצחק נפחא אמר רוני רוני השיטה התנופפי ברוב הדרך המחושקת בריקמי זהב המהוללה בדביר ארמון ומפוארה בעדי עדיים,רב אשי מתני לה להא דר' יצחק אהא (במדבר י, לה) ויהי בנסוע הארון ויאמר משה קומה ה' ישראל מאי אמרו אמר ר' יצחק רוני רוני השיטה וכו',אמר רב כמאן קרו פרסאי לספרא דביר מהכא (שופטים א, יא) ושם דביר לפנים קרית ספר,רב אשי אמר כמאן קרו פרסאי לנידה דשתנא מהכא (בראשית לא, לה) כי דרך נשים לי

24b. the incident involving b Yitro was after the giving of the Torah, what is there to say? /b How could they accept offerings from him? b Rather, /b it must be that b Yitro purchased /b the animals b from a Jew. /b ,The Gemara further states: b Come /b and b hear /b another objection from a verse: b “And Saul said: They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the flock and of the herd, to sacrifice unto the Lord your God” /b (I Samuel 15:15). The verse states explicitly that the Israelites intended to sacrifice animals previously owned by gentiles. The Gemara explains: b What /b is the meaning of the phrase: b “The best”? /b This is referring to b the /b monetary b value of the best /b livestock. The intention was not to sacrifice the animals themselves, but to sell them and use the proceeds of the sale to purchase other animals to sacrifice as offerings.,The Gemara inquires: b And what is different /b about b the best /b animals? If the animals were sold for their value, why sell those animals in particular, rather than several inferior-quality animals? The Gemara explains that they did so b in order that buyers would jump at /b the opportunity to buy superior-quality livestock. In other words, it is easier to sell one superior-quality animal than several inferior-quality ones., b Come /b and b hear /b another objection from a verse: b “And Araunah said unto David: Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good unto him; behold the cattle for the burnt-offering, and the threshing instruments [ i morigim /i ] and the accoutrements of the cattle for the wood” /b (II Samuel 24:22). Apparently, David was willing to accept oxen as offerings from a gentile. b Rav Naḥman says: Araunah was a gentile who resided in Eretz Yisrael and observed the seven Noahide mitzvot [ i ger toshav /i ]. /b The seven Noahide mitzvot include the prohibition against engaging in bestiality, and therefore Araunah was not suspected of this practice.,Tangentially, the Gemara asks: b What /b is the meaning of the term b “ i morigim /i ,” /b mentioned in this verse? b Ulla said: /b It is b a i turbil /i bed. /b The Gemara asks: b What /b is b a i turbil /i bed? /b It is b a serrated board [ i kurkesa /i ] /b used b for threshing. Rav Yosef said: What is the verse /b from which the meaning of i morigim /i is derived? It is derived from the verse: b “Behold, I have made you a new threshing board [ i morag /i ] having sharp teeth; you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shall make the hills as chaff” /b (Isaiah 41:15).,The Gemara b raises an objection /b to the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. After the Philistines returned the Ark of the Covet to the Israelites upon a cart drawn by cattle, the verse states: b “And they sacrificed the cattle as a burnt-offering unto the Lord” /b (I Samuel 6:14). Evidently, the Jews did not hesitate to sacrifice the Philistines’ animals. The Gemara explains: There, b it was a provisional edict /b issued in extraordinary circumstances, and their actions are not representative of the general i halakha /i .,The Gemara adds: b This also stands to reason, as, if you do not say so, /b one can raise a further difficulty with this episode: b Is there a female burnt-offering? /b Only males may be sacrificed as burnt-offerings. Since the Jews sacrificed the cows as burnt-offerings, it is clear that they were acting unconventionally due to extenuating circumstances.,The Gemara rejects this proof: b And what is the difficulty? /b In other words, the additional problem with the incident, that the animals were female, which is cited as proof that there were extenuating circumstances, is not in fact difficult at all. The Gemara elaborates: b Perhaps /b the cows were offered b upon a private altar, and /b this is b in accordance with /b the opinion b of Rav Adda bar Ahava, as Rav Adda bar Ahava says: From where /b is it derived b that a female burnt-offering is fit /b to be sacrificed b upon a private altar? As it is stated: “And Samuel took a milking lamb, and sacrificed it [ i vaya’alehu /i ] for a burnt-offering /b unto the Lord” (I Samuel 7:9). The phrase “milking lamb” indicates that it was a female, and yet Samuel sacrificed it upon a private altar.,The Gemara raises a difficulty: But the word b i vaya’alehu /i /b is masculine, which b means /b that the lamb was b a male. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: /b Although the word is read in the masculine, b it is written /b in the feminine form, b i vaya’alah /i , /b which teaches that even a female lamb may be sacrificed on a private altar.,§ After concluding its discussion of the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, the Gemara cites another resolution of the contradiction between the mishna and the i baraita /i . b Rabbi Yoḥa says: There is /b a clear b demarcation /b in the case of an animal with whom a man engaged in bestiality. If she is b less than three years /b old, b she becomes barren /b as a result of penetration, but if she is already b three years /b old, b she does not become barren. /b Although gentiles are generally suspected of engaging in bestiality, the i baraita /i rules that an animal that is less than three years old may be used as an offering because a gentile will refrain from engaging in bestiality with an animal that may become barren as a result of his actions., b They raised all of those refutations /b from the aforementioned verses which indicate that animals purchased from gentiles may be brought as offerings, and b he answered them /b by claiming that the animals being offered were b less than three years /b old. The Gemara reexamines one of the objections. b Come /b and b hear, /b as the verse states: b “And they sacrificed the cattle as a burnt-offering unto the Lord” /b (I Samuel 6:14). Rabbi Yoḥa explained that although b in /b that incident the cattle had been owned by Philistines, they were b less than three years /b old, and it was therefore presumed that the Philistines had not engaged in bestiality with them.,The Gemara cites a refutation of Rabbi Yoḥa’s answer: b Rav Huna, son of Rabbi Natan, objects to this: If so, /b then b this is /b also true with regard to the verse: “And they took two nursing cows and tied them to the cart b and shut up their calves at home” /b (I Samuel 6:10). According to Rabbi Yoḥa, the verse is necessarily referring to cows that are b less than three years /b old., b And can /b a cow that is b less than three years /b old b give birth? But isn’t it taught /b in a i baraita /i : With regard to b a cow or a donkey /b purchased from a gentile when they were less b than three years /b old, the first of their offspring born after the purchase is b certainly /b reserved b for the priest, /b who is entitled to the firstborn of a cow or donkey owned by a Jew. b From this /b point b forward, /b i.e., if they were older than three years at the time of the sale, it is b uncertain /b whether or not the offspring is the firstborn. This indicates that an animal does not bear offspring within the first three years of its life. Since the cows in the verse had already given birth, they could not have been less than three years old, as Rabbi Yoḥa claimed. The Gemara concludes: b Rather, it is clear as we initially answered, /b i.e., Rabbi Yoḥa’s suggestion is rejected, and the actions in that verse were due to a provisional edict.,§ The Gemara further analyzes the episode involving the cows sent by the Philistines. The verse states: b “And the cattle took the straight [ i vayyisharna /i ] way, on the way to Beit Shemesh; /b they went along the highway, lowing as they went” (I Samuel 6:12). The Gemara asks: b What /b is the meaning of the word b i vayyisharna /i ? Rabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Meir: /b It means b that they recited a song [ i shira /i ]. And Rav Zutra bar Toviyya /b says that b Rav says: /b It means b that they straightened [ i yishru /i ] their faces /b so that they were b opposite the Ark and recited a song. /b ,The Gemara asks: b And what song did they recite? Rabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Meir: /b They recited the song that follows the verse: b “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel /b this song unto the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). b And Rabbi Yoḥa himself says /b that it was: b “And on that day shall you say: Give thanks unto the Lord, proclaim His name, /b declare His doings among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted” (Isaiah 12:4)., b And Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says /b that it was b an orphaned psalm, /b i.e., a psalm whose author and the event to which it makes reference are not specified. The psalm begins with: b “A Psalm. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand, and His holy arm, have wrought salvation for Him” /b (Psalms 98:1). b Rabbi Elazar says /b that it was the psalm beginning with: b “The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble” /b (Psalms 99:1)., b Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says /b that it was the Psalm beginning: b “The Lord reigns; He is clothed in majesty” /b (Psalms 93:1). b Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa says: /b They did not recite a verse found in the Bible, but rather, the following song: b Sing, sing, acacia; ascend in all your glory; overlaid with golden embroidery, exalted by the book [ i devir /i ] of the palace, and magnificent with jewels. /b The song alludes to the Ark of the Covet, which was made of acacia wood and covered with gold. The expression: Book of the palace, is a reference to the Torah scroll that was placed in the Ark., b Rav Ashi teaches this /b statement b of Rabbi Yitzḥak in relation to this /b verse: b “And it came to pass, when the Ark set forward, that Moses said: Rise up, O Lord, /b and let Your enemies be scattered” (Numbers 10:35). The Gemara asks: b What did the Jewish people recite /b at this juncture? b Rabbi Yitzḥak says /b that they recited: b Sing, sing, acacia, /b ascend in all your glory; overlaid with golden embroidery, exalted by the book of the palace, and magnificent with jewels.,§ Apropos the mention of the term i devir /i , the Gemara discusses its etymology. b Rav said: On what /b basis b do the Persians call a book [ i sifra /i ] /b by the term b i devir /i ? /b They derive it b from here: “Now the name of Debir [ i devir /i ] beforehand was Kiriath Sefer” /b (Judges 1:11). Since the name i devir /i was changed to Kiriath Sefer, the Persians referred to a i sifra /i , i.e., a book, as i devir /i .,The Gemara examines the etymology of another term coined by the Persians. b Rav Ashi said: On what /b basis b do the Persians call a menstruating woman /b by the term b i dashtana /i ? /b It is b from here, /b a verse in which Rachel claims to be a menstruating woman: b “For the manner of women is upon me [ i derekh nashim li /i ]” /b (Genesis 31:35). The word i dashtana /i is a shortened form of the phrase i derekh nashim /i .

44. Anon., 3 Enoch, None Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

45. Anon., Sefer Raziel, 1.119-21 (§ 65-66) Tagged with subjects: •ascent, ascent texts in hekhalot literature Found in books: Swartz (2018), The Mechanics of Providence: The Workings of Ancient Jewish Magic and Mysticism. 40

46. Septuagint, 4 Maccabees, 17.5 Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 65

17.5. The moon in heaven, with the stars, does not stand so august as you, who, after lighting the way of your star-like seven sons to piety, stand in honor before God and are firmly set in heaven with them.

47. Anon., Ascension of Isaiah, 10.24 Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

48. Dead Sea Scrolls, 4Qma, None Tagged with subjects: •nan Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 71

49. Anon., Merkabah Rabba, None Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 79

50. Anon., Book of Secrets, 6 Tagged with subjects: •ascent, texts Found in books: Janowitz (2002b), Icons of Power: Ritual Practices in Late Antiquity, 71

Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database