- http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/22039/in-the-gospels-can-day-of-the-passover-be-interpreted-idiomatically
- http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/21512/do-idioms-used-in-the-crucifixion-narrative-resolve-the-3-day-3-night-objectio
- http://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/8861/time-in-first-century-judaism
1. Question - a Reference Request
What are the earliest texts and evidences substantiating - which Calendar Day system was relied on by the earliest Christians - to interpret the Passover Narrative? - (Not the Crucifixion Narrative.)
It has been suggested that there are two/three Time-Keeping Systems:
- A.) Egyptian: which seems to have changed at some point;
- B.) Babylonian / Rabbinical System;
- C.) Roman: Roman Midnight, and Time Keeping - which seems to have been imposed on Egypt and Israel at some point;
2. Evidences Must be During Second Temple Period
Evidences must be before 217 CE, (before the Mishnah); - and certainly before 500 CE, (before the Talmud) - to avoid Circular Reasoning.
Thereby Excluding Chrysostom, and Anachronism/Presentism:
Homilies on Matthew (Chrysostom 349-407 CE), Homily 81 - ... he means the day before that feast; for they are accustomed always to reckon the day from the evening ...;
3. The Plain Meaning, Burden of Proof:
Given Objections insisting that "Plain Meaning" Answers be acceptable:
- Period Appropriate Rules of Exegesis: The "Plain Meaning" must be inferred - according to their rules of exegesis, (Peshat:, and see Ancient Pesher examples);
- Deducible / Objective: The meaning must: A.) Be deducible, from the text; B.) And, must necessarily exclude rival hypotheses, (or it would not be "Plain").
The Disuse of Hebrew:
The burden of proof - is incredibly high - to assert that the earliest Christians, (Second Temple Period Jews), relied on the Hebrew texts to infer a "Plain Meaning".
Additionally, The Books of Daniel and Ezra (Ezra 4:7), both attest that Israel began using Aramaic following the Babylonian exile, (both written in Hebrew / Aramaic).
It had become necessary to use these translations - because people had begun using Aramaic, (See Targumim, Jewish Encyclopedia).
Targum: New Advent, Encyclopedia - After the return from exile Aramaic gradually won the ascendancy as the colloquial language over the slowly decaying Hebrew until, from probably the last century before the Christian era, Hebrew was hardly more than the language of the schools and of worship.