the Christian mystic the Book was at best a temporary guide, a pedagogic help, a shadow of reality. To the Jewish mystic it was the whole of reality. It was the Living Word.

Jewish mysticism in general based its authority not upon vision or revelation, but upon an inspired and occult interpretation of the words of the Bible. When the Jewish adventist, therefore, sought the key to the solution of his problems, he felt free to go to any passage in the Bible, to the words or letters of any sacred text, which to him seemed freighted with mystery and prophetic of marvelous matter.

The rôle which Gematria played in Messianic calculations cannot be overestimated. Especially was it of importance in the seventeenth century and in the Shabbetian movement. It is astounding to see how often the weapons which were employed by the opposing sides in the Shabbetian controversy were those of Gematria.

Rabbi Joshua Neneto, of Alexandria, writing to the community of Leghorn, points to the numerous passages in the Bible which, per Gematriam, clearly establish the Messiahship of Shabbetai Zebi. He states that these passages are almost endless, and that they are sufficient and valid proof.31 This view was shared by all the adherents of Shabbetai Zebi. They pointed with conviction to the fact that the name of Shabbetai Zebi, x n was equal to the name of God, taken in its integrated form:

33

=814 ("And my year of redemption is come"). Zebi

ו'ש'נ'ת' ג'א'ו'ל'י' ב'א'ה' It is also equal to 814.32=ש'יין' ד'ל'ת' י'ו'ד'

the") צ'דיק באמונתו יחיה is also the Notarikon of (צבי)

בתורה נביאים וכתובים פסוקים נרמזים על שמו לאין חקר ולאין מספר 31 ומצאנו

righteous shall live by his faith").34

(see x'x 15'p, p. 25).

32 Ibid.

23 Is. 63.4. Emden's nisip nin, ed. Lemberg, 1870, Chap. XVI, and

.96 .p תולדות השבתאים והחסידים Cahana's

,עניני שבתי צבי,see A. Freimann) הביא אותם אל הארץ אשר נתתי' זבת חלב ודבש' צ'ב'י'

34 Hab. 2.4. There is another Notarikon for "as nav in Ezek. 20.15:

p. 98; also the elaborate Notarikon built upon the two verses in Gen. 41.1, 2. P'", reprinted in Cahana's 'nni 'wn nıbın, App. IV, pp. 142–3.)

The opponents countered by pointing out that as 'n is equal to ''TO ''''''''" ("And he (Esau) was a cunning hunter, a man of the field").35 Also that 'n is Balaam, the wicked. Also that = Amalek the wicked, and

=

ב'ל'ע'ס' ר'ש'ע' equal to עמלק הרשע is equal to שבתי צבי 36.the lying spirit = ר'ו'ח' ש'ק'ר'

The year of Shabbetai Zebi's revelation was also established by Gematria. It was based on the Zoharitic Messianic year 1648, which in turn was based on the verse

In this year of the") 1648=5408 = בשנת היובל הזאת תשובו

Jubilee shall ye return").37 This was the year when Shabbetai Zebi first began to reveal his true character to his disciples in Smyrna. It was in the eighth year of the Jubilee cycle. Within the remaining 42 years of that cycle, i. e. up to 1690, the restoration must take place. The year 1666, when Shabbetai again made public avowal of his Messiahship, was indicated in ''''' 1666 ("O, Israel, thou art saved by the Lord").38 Nathan of Gaza proclaimed that the restoration will take place before the year 5430=1670.39 When this year did not bring about the promised Redemption, the disciples found Gematria for other years: 1675, 1680, 1686, 1692, 1706, 1710.40

=

The extensive use of secret Gematria codes in the charms and amulets of the eighteenth century, coupling the name of Shabbetai Zebi with that of God, was responsible for the prolonged and bitter Emden-Eybeschütz controversy.

This method, of course, was not unopposed. There were many who sensed the menace of such a free and 35 Gen. 25.27.

38 Is. 45.17,' ', p. 13a.

99 A Gematria was discovered for that year, too.

כמגדל דוד צוארך בנוי Thy neck is like the Tower of") לתלפיות אלף המגן תלוי עליו כל שלטי הגבורים

David, builded with turrets, whereon there hang a thousand shields, all the armor of the mighty men," Songs of Songs, 4.4). The Tower of David is Shabbetai Zebi-The Messiah ben David-who will rebuild the Temple

(לתל) פייו'ת' according to the testimony ,1670=5430= ה'ת'ל' (פיות) in the year .8 .p קיצור צנ"צ) אלף ה'מגן of Nathan the Prophet, in the fifth millennium

40 See ''p, pp. 73, 77, 83; also p nr 750 in 'as 'naw 'r:y, pp. 12, 37.

undisciplined reading of sacred text. Maimonides, for example, was strongly opposed to the whole system of alphabetic theosophy. In his Guide he writes: "You must beware of sharing the error of those who write amulets. Whatever you hear from them or read in their works, especially in reference to the names which they form by combinations, is utterly senseless; they call these combinations "shemot" (names-combinations of the letters of the Tetragrammaton), and believe that their pronunciation demands sanctification and purification, and that by using them they are enabled to work miracles. Rational persons ought not to listen to such men, nor in any way believe their assertions." There were many others who shared Maimonides' view. We have also seen the vigorous onslaught upon this pseudo-science by Modena. In spite of them this pseudo-science progressed unchecked in Jewry.

E. ASTROLOGY

Astrology was another means of Messianic calculation. It, too, was well grounded in Jewish tradition. We might with safety assume that already in their nomadic period the tribes of Israel, like almost all Semitic peoples, had developed some crude astrological system. The nomadic Hebrew undoubtedly shared in the pan-vitalistic supposition of primitive man. And this would inevitably result in ascribing life and conscious existence to the heavenly bodies. Under Canaanitish and Assyrian influence astral worship as well as astrology developed in Israel, for wherever there is worship of heavenly bodies there is also astral divination, i. e. astrology. The historical books of the Bible abound in references to this form of idolatry. In the period of the prophets the worship of the "host of heaven" was prevalent in Israel, and the prophets from Amos down exerted themselves to the utmost to suppress it. Amos and Isaiah denounced it. Zephaniah and "Guide For the Perplexed, Friedlander, London, 1910, Bk. I, Chap. LV p. 91. 42 Amos 5.26; Is. 17.8.

Jeremiah inveighed against it." Deuteronomy is strenuous in its opposition." It is doubtful whether the Deuteronomic reformation succeeded in putting even a temporary check upon this idolatry. Deutero-Isaiah indirectly wages war upon it by insisting that Yahweh is the sole creator and Lord of all the hosts of heaven." Job speaks of the sinfulness of it. The worship in some form or another survived throughout post-exilic times and traces of it are found in very late Talmudic sources.

The official religion, under prophetic impetus, began quite early to oppose astrological divination. Occasionally, however, even in the Bible the predictive powers of the heavenly bodies are acknowledged. Thus in Gen. 1.14 it is declared: "And they (the sun, moon and stars) shall be for signs and for seasons." But as a rule the official religion frowned upon it, and at times vigorously opposed it. It compromised with the principle of monotheism, and it endangered the doctrine of free will and moral responsibility. Herein Judaism moved in advance of all the other religions of antiquity, which never outgrew it. Judaism, in keeping with its practice of ascribing to all forms of Israelitish idolatry a foreign nativity, branded astrology "a custom of the heathen." Thus Jeremiah urges upon the people, "be not afraid of the signs of the heavens,' and calls it "the way of the heathen."47 Judaism did not deny astral influences as such. It simply denied their efficacy in the case of Israel. Israel, being God's own people, was beyond the control of stars or planets. This was also the position taken in subsequent times. Abraham, the Rabbis held, employed astrology until he was favored with a revelation from Yahweh. With it came the command, "Forsake astrology."48

When the Christian Church in the early centuries was

43 Zeph. 1.5; Jer. 7.18; 8.2; 19.15; 32.29.

"Deut. 1.19; 17.13.

45 Is. 40.26; 45.12.

46 Job. 31.26-7.

47 Jer. 10.2.

485 DIND NY (Ber. R. 44.14; Sab. 156a). See Philo Migration of Abraham XXXII; Dreams X; also Halevi, Kuzari 4.27.

confronted with the need of opposing astrology, it adopted a similar strategy. In the face of what seemed to be overwhelming evidence for astrology, it contented itself with declaring that astrology was the particular domain of the devil and other evil spirits, and that with the coming of Christ all astrological divination was prohibited. Thus Tertullian wrote: "One proposition I lay down: that those angels, the deserters from God, the lovers of women, were likewise the discoverers of this curious art (astrology), on that account also condemned by God. But, however, that science has been allowed until the Gospel, in order that after Christ's birth no one should thenceforward interpret anyone's nativity by the heaven."49

The Sibylline Book III counts it among the virtues of "the race of most righteous men," the Jews, that they do not study the predictions of Chaldaean astrology, nor do they astronomize, for all these things are in their nature prone to deceive."50 According to Enoch the evil spirit Baraquijal taught men astrology, and Kokabel the constellation.51 But while the official religion proscribed it, the popular religion retained it.

The practice of forecasting the future by means of heavenly bodies was therefore not new in Israel. It gained widespread recognition among the people in the early centuries of the common era through Graeco-Roman influence. The thought of the Mediterranean world was thoroughly saturated with this pseudo-science, and its finest minds, such as Pliny, Seneca, Ptolemy, Galen, Plutarch, Lucian and many others believed in it and expounded it. Above all, it was universally accepted and practiced by the masses of the people of the Mediterranean world, and it was approved by the official religions of the day.

In spite of occasional expressions of opposition to astrology found in the Talmud and the Midrash, such as

49 On Idolatry, chap. 9.

60 The Sibylline Books III, 1. 227-8. 51 Book of Enoch 8.3.