A Genealogical »Convention« in Biblical Chronography?

Abstract

1 The Rabbis of old had noticed the occurence of such a procedure. The following quotation is from Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus tr. J. J. Slotki, 1969, 377-378: »All sevenths are favourites in the world. The seventh is a favourite above, for there are shamayim, sheme hashamayim, rakia<' sheba[lim, zebul, ma'on, and 'araboth, and of the last-named it is written, Extol Him that rideth upon the 'araboth, whose name is the Lord (Ps. LXVIII,5). On earth too the seventh is a favourite. For it is called: ere�, adamah, ar!la', ge, �iyyah, neshiyyah, and tebel, and of the last-named it is written, He will judge the tebel with righteousness, and the peoples in His faithful­ ness (ib. XCVI, 13). The seventh is a favourite among the generations. Thus: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalelel, Jared, Enoch, and of him it is written, And Enoch walked with God (Gen. V, 22). Among the Patriarchs the seventh was the favourite. Thus: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses, of whom it is written, And Moses went up unto God (Ex. XIX, 3). Among the children the seventh was the favourite, as it says, David the seventh (I Chron. II, 15) . Among the kings the seventh was the favourite. Thus: Saul, Ishbosheth, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, and of the last-named it is written, And Asa cried unto the Lord (II Chron. XIV, 10). Among the years the seventh is the favourite, as it says, The seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie fallow (Ex. XXIII, 11). Among the septennates the seventh is a favourite, as it says, And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year (Lev. XXV, 10). The seventh is the favourite among the days, as it says, And God blessed the seventh day (Gen. II, 3). Among the months, too, the seventh is the favourite, as it says, IN THE SEVENTH MONTH, IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH .• Although U. Cassuto (Commentary on Genesis, I 1961, 281ff.) and B. Jacob (Das erste Buch der Tora. Genesis, 1934, 156-157. 167-168. 309-310 etc.) noted the importance of the number »seven« and its multiples, their discussions did not cover the territory that we propose to explore. 2 There may be other, more esoteric and hence less readily apparent methods of posi­ tioning favored personalities in a genealogical tree. M. D. Johnson (The Purpose of the Biblical Genealogies, 1969, 32) has this to say concerning the chronology of the MT: »Perhaps the most widely accepted hypothesis regarding the chronology of the MT in its present condition is that the year A. M. 2666 for the exodus represents 26 2/3 generations of 100 years or two-thirds of a world cycle (Great Year) of 4000 years. This would correspond to the fact that Aaron is the 26th from Adam while the last two-thirds of a generation is probably represented by Eleazar.« It may be, and this is advanced with due trepidations, that Aaron, and Moses for that matter, is reckoned as 26th from Adam since this number equals the gematria of YHWH (Y = 10; H = 5; W = 6; H = 5).