 Calendar of Gezer - Approximately 10th Century BC. Discovered 1908. Limestone tablet listing the annual cycle of agricultural activities of the ancient Canaanites. John 1:17 : Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."
Earliest cultures believed the number three to be mystical, magic or representative of the supernatural. In their world, triads of natural forces aligned to create events that man could neither dispute, disrupt or control. These ancients were the first to notice that similar calamitous events seemed to arrive in groups of three; and that cycles of life also occurred in three distinct phases --such as past, present or future, or planting, growing and harvest. From Vincent F. Hopper: "A single occurrence is of no significance. A repetition is noticeable but it might easily be the result of coincidence. A third occurrence, of the same nature, gives the event the impress of law." ("Medieval Number Symbolism: Its sources, Meanings…and Expression", p.5. Published 1938, New York.) Over the centuries, the number three took on more significance than quantity or the mysterious. By the 18th century BC, the number three had become symbolic and had been adopted into the legal system. From EW. Bollinger:"The number three (by Bible times) had come to represent that which is solid, real, substantial, complete and entire." ("Number in Scripture...and Spiritual Significance", p.95. Published 1921, London.) From the Code of Hammurabi: "A man may...repudiate the purchase of a female slave after three days on approval.” (Law 278 translated; Babylon 1754 BC .) From the King James Bible: When Jeroboam requested more lenient royal policies, Rehoboam chose to delay his answer and instead said: "Depart for three days, then return to me. So the people departed." (1 Kings 12:5. Rebellion of Israel against the House of David. About 970 BC) From Roman Law: "Thirty days shall be allowed by law for payment of confessed debt and for settlement of matters adjudged in court. After this time the creditor shall have the right of laying hand on the debtor. The creditor shall hale the debtor into court...or they shall have the right to compromise. (If no) compromise the debtor...shall be brought to the praetor, into the meeting place, on three successive market days, and the amount for which they have been judged liable shall be declared publicly. Moreover, on the third market day, they shall suffer capital punishment or shall be delivered for sale abroad across the Tiber River." (From the "Twelve Tables". Table III – Execution of Judgment. 450 BC.) From Jewish Law: "Once something is done three times it is considered a permanent thing. This concept is called a chazakah; which is defined as an act of property acquisition or the status of permanence that is established when an event repeats itself three times." (Detailed in the Talmud - 550 AD.) The phrase three days and three nights is found in three places in the Bible: 1 Samuel 30:12, Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:40. While there seems to be no argument that the event described in 1 Samuel (the illness of an Egyptian slave) did indeed take place during a literal three-day period, not so with the events described in Jonah and Matthew. In those two respects, there is considerable argument as to whether those events (Jonah in the big fish and Christ in the grave) lasted fully as long as stated or...if those two events even happened at all. The Hebrew word for day is yom and the Greek word is hemara. Both words have similar meanings and can denote either : 1) the warm hours of the day, meaning the space of time from sunrise to sunset or 2) the entire space of time from one sunset to the next sunset. The Jews in Bible reckoned one full day to be all the hours between two sunsets. The day began at one sunset and ended at the beginning of the next. It included both the evening and night darkness and the morning and day lightness. (See Gen. 1:4-5). However, these same Jews believed that any part of any day, whether the dark hours or the light hours, could also be considered a day. From Rev. Dr. John Lightfoot: "…where many things are discussed by the Gemarists* concerning the computation of this space of three days, among other things these words occur. 1. "R. Ismael saith: 'Sometimes it contains four Onoth sometimes five, sometimes six." But how much is the space of an Onah? 2. R. Jochanan saith: 'either a day or a night.' 3. And so also the Jerusalem Talmud; R. Akiba fixed 'a day for an Onah, and a night for an Onah': 4. But the tradition is, that R. Eliezar Ben Azariah said: 'A day and a night make an Onah, and a part of an Onah is as the whole.' 5. And a little after, R. Ismael computeth: 'a part of the Onah for the whole.' ("Hebrew and Talmudical Exercitations of the Gospels…Corinthians, ", Vol 2, p. 210. Published 1658 – London.) (*Gemarists: The Jewish authors of the Mishna and Talmud.) If, according to Jewish history and tradition, a day can contain both the light hours and the dark hours, then why was it important for the Bible writers to include the word night(s) when relating events that lasted three days. The addition of the word "nights" seems redundant. From Jacobus deVoragine (Archbishop of Geno): “For right so as in the mouth of twain or of three is the witness established, right so in three days is proved all deed and fait veritable.” ("The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints", Compiled in 1275 AD. 1st. Edition Published 1470 AD.) Three days and three nights is a more precise phrase than simply citing "three days" (or simply citing "three nights"). It provides extra meaning along with the complete information. In the introductory text, by using the specific phrase three days and three nights, the reader is meant to understand that not only did the event take place over a span of three days --parts or whole--, but that the event also met the criteria of that time period for being real, verified, complete, absolute and true. In other words, Jonah survived three days, (parts or whole) in a large fish and the event was declared to be undeniably factual. Copyright by Ancient Bible History - Eden Games Inc.
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 Isaiah 60:8 "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows." In ancient times, Doves were a highly-prized commodity. The Bible often speaks of these birds interchangeably with the better known and easily tamed pigeon, but doves were in fact their own wild species known for their gentle, sweet-tempered, nature. According to Jewish law, Doves could be eaten and were one of the acceptable sacrificial offerings for sin and purification. They were actively traded in the market place, kept in cages as adored pets, a delight with their soft cooing, given great latitude when roaming free, and most importantly, guarded and treasured for the important byproduct they naturally produced--dove dung. In Bible times, dove excrement was considered so valuable that ancient folks went to great lengths to attract migrating birds into domesticating, reproducing and delivering their product (poop). Most doves came in shades of blue, gray and brown, and as noted in Psalms 68:13, a rare silver dove with yellow-gold tipped wings could be found in Damascus. However, it was the white dove that was most admired. From Thomas Harmer: "But though pigeons or doves are in common blue in the East, yet there were some, even anciently, that were more' beautiful --witness those lines of Tibullus: "Quid referam, ut volitet crebras intacta per urbes, Alba I'alsestino sancta columba Syro ?" Translation: "Why should I say, How thro' the crowded towns the milk whitedove, in Syria sacred, may with safety rove?* (From Book VII, "Messalla’sTriumph" -- A poem questionably attributed to Tibullus the Latin Poet, 55 BC–19 BC.) Here we see some of the doves of Palestine were white, their wings covered as with silver; they were treated with great respect like the blue pigeons of Mecca." "Observations on Various Passages of Scripture", (with additions by Adam Clarke) p.229. Published 1815, London.] From the accounts of eighteenth and nineteenth century travelers, the Holy Land was filled with doves. They inhabited a wide area that included Turkey, Syria, Persia, Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Egypt. Many geographical locations were named in their honor. And interestingly, one such place was the high rocky terrain where Noah's ark came to rest after the flood. From Agustin Calmut: "The coast of Canaan was denominated the Coast of the Dove. ("Scripture Illustrated by Means of Natural Science", p. 124. Published 1850, Charlestown.) From Joseph Wilson: "The mountains of Coh-Suleiman (Ararat) are sometimes called by the natives the Mountains of the Dove: the whole range as far as Gazni is called by Ptolemy the Paruetoi Mountains, probably form the Parvata or Paravat, which signifies a dove." ("A History of Mountains: Geographical and Mineralogical"; Vol 3, p. 611. Published 1810, London.) In the wild, Doves preferred to nest in trees or in nooks among the rocks. However, due to the earnest endeavors of the people to domesticate them, many of these birds adapted to both city and farm dwelling. From W.M. Thompson: "I found the air cool in June and all agree that the city (Gaza) is healthy. The houses are full of sparrows and the gardens alive with doves and other birds, which keep up a constant roar of music, aided by rook in abundance, from the tops of the feathery palms." ("The Land and the Book"; Vol. 2, p. 337. Published 1860, New York.) When it was discovered that migrating flocks defecating on seeded fields caused the plants to grow more rapidly and produce a finer quality of vegetables and fruits, farmers quickly began to build colorful and ornate birdhouses hoping to catch the birds attention and entice them to settle and nest. From Henry Maundrell: "Kefteen (Syria) itself is a large plentiful Village on the West side of the Plain. And the adjacent fields, abounding with Corn, give the Inhabitants great advantage for breeding pigeons (doves): insomuch that you find here more Dove-Cots than other Houses. ["A Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem at Easter (in 1697)", p.3. Published 1703, Oxford Theatre, London.]  Woodcut of Pigeon Towers in Persia From James Morier: " The dung of pigeons is the dearest manure that the Persians use; and as they apply it almost entirely for the rearing of melons, it is probable on that account that the melons of Ispahan (16th Century Capital of Persia) are so much finer than those of other cities. The revenue of a pigeon-house is about 100 tomauns per annum; and the great value of this dung, which rears a fruit that is indispensable to the existence of the natives during the great heats of Summer, will probably throw some light upon that passage in Scripture, when in the famine of Samaria, the fourth part of a cab of doves' dung was sold for five pieces of silver. 2 Kings, vi. 25."
And…"In the environs of the city to the westward, near the Zainderood (Persia),are many pigeon-houses, erected at a distance from habitations, for the sole purpose of collecting pigeons' dung for manure. They are large round towers, rather broader at the bottom than the top, and crowned by conical spiracles through which the pigeons descend. Their interior resembles a honeycomb, pierced with a thousand holes, each of which forms a snug retreat for a nest. More care appears to have been bestowed upon their outside, than upon that of the generality of the dwelling houses, for they are painted and ornamented. The extraordinary flights of pigeons which I have seen alight upon one of these buildings afford a good illustration for the passage in Isaiah, "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" (ls. Lx. 8.) Their great numbers and the compactness of their mass, literally look like a cloud at a distance, and obscure the sun in their passage." ("A Second Journey Through Persia, Armenia and Asia Minor", p.140-141. Published 1818, London.) There are two distinct interpretations of Isaiah 60:8, both of which are expressed in the following Targum. From the Chaldee Paraphrase - Isaiah 60:8-9: "Who are these that are coming openly like swift clouds, and tarry not? the captives of Israel, who are gathered together, come to their land, lo, as doves which return to their dove-houses. Surely, the isles shall wait for my Word." The first interpretation is that this verse is describing the culmination of the prophecy concerning the Children of Israel's release from Babylonian captivity. Isaiah, in his vision, beholds the now liberated throng of Israelites returning to their homeland in such great haste that they remind him of a large mass of doves rapidly flying in their migration. The second interpretation is that this passage is describing events found in the New Testament, namely that of the rapid success of the Apostles in spreading Christianity throughout the Gentile world. From that success, Gentile converts came to Christ in such great numbers that they were metaphorically said to be flocking in cloud-like mass to the redemptive doors of the church. No matter how this verse is interpreted, one cannot fail to appreciate the striking animation and beauty of language used to create such impressive visual imagery. Copyright by Ancient Bible History - Eden Games Inc. |
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