Abstract
Solomon’s sea (a brass basin used in the First Temple) was discussed in the Yerushalmi Talmud Eruvin 1:5 (as well as in BT Eruvin 14a-b), and it revolved around the shape of Solomon’s sea. However, inaccurate volume values of the basin were cited in the Yerushalmi. The aim of this article was to offer a new explanation for one problem arising in connection with these values. The setting of this study was the inaccurate volume values of the basin appearing in the Yerushalmi. The background of the issue at stake is the fact that Jewish scholars cannot accept that Scripture contains discrepancies (cf. BerR. 4:6). Our methods were to review the different explanations given by different commentators and to introduce a discussion by R. Avraham Ben Hiyya ha-Nassi and the Book of Tashbetz dealing with an explanation of verses related to the basin’s shape. We suggested a new idea based on the above-mentioned discussion: by reducing the basin’s width by one handbreadth as the verse states, one could reach exactly the values appearing in the Yerushalmi for the volumes of a squared basin and a circular basin. Based on our suggestion, one could settle the volume values appearing in the Yerushalmi without correcting them. Contribution: The key insight was that one could settle the volume values appearing in the Yerushalmi without correcting them. This insight was connected with the textual history of the Rabbinic literature, which exactly fit HTS’s scope.
Highlights
Solomon’s sea, referred to in the Bible as the ‘molten sea’ or ‘brazen sea’, was a large brass (II R. 25:13, Jer. 52:17, I Ch. 18:8) basin built by King Solomon for accumulating water (‘This crafted brass object was called a sea because of its size’ [Flavius 1985; Wright 1941]) in the First Temple and was used for the priests’ ritual bathing (II Ch. 4:6; yYoma 3:8)
We present the inaccurate volume values from the Yerushalmi, review the various suggestions for explaining the inaccurate volumes and offer a new explanation for these values
We explain the volume values that appear in the Yerushalmi’s version: 1. If the basin is completely square, it holds the equivalent of 160 ritual baths: According to the assumption made above, a cubit of vessels contains five handbreadths and in conjunction with the assumption mentioned above regarding one option, that the thickness of the wall is half a handbreadth on each side, the width of 14 the space inside the basin is 10 − = 9 = 9.8 cubits. 55
Summary
Solomon’s sea, referred to in the Bible as the ‘molten sea’ or ‘brazen sea’ (the basin), was a large brass (II R. 25:13, Jer. 52:17, I Ch. 18:8) basin built by King Solomon for accumulating water (‘This crafted brass object was called a sea because of its size’ [Flavius 1985; Wright 1941]) in the First Temple and was used for the priests’ ritual bathing (II Ch. 4:6; yYoma 3:8). Solomon’s sea, referred to in the Bible as the ‘molten sea’ or ‘brazen sea’ (the basin), was a large brass [24] And under the brim of it round about there were colocynths compassing it, ten cubits, compassing the sea round about: the colocynths were in two rows, cast with it in the same casting. In the Yerushalmi Tractate Eruvin 1:5, the structure of the basin is discussed in an attempt to reconcile its shape as described in verse 23 (10 cubits wide and 5 cubits high) with its volume in verse 26 (2000 bat). We present the inaccurate volume values from the Yerushalmi, review the various suggestions for explaining the inaccurate volumes (section ‘Explanations given for the difficulties in the Yerushalmi’) and offer a new explanation for these values (section ‘Our proposal for explaining the volumes in the Yerushalmi’s discussion of Solomon’s sea’)
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