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Difference between revisions of "The Arab-Jewish Sanhedrin, 412 CE"


 
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Islamic historians give a series of those who held the post of ''Nasi''; or officer charged with the duty of intercalation and commutation.  Intercalation is the privilege of adding an additional month.  Commutation is the privilege of exchanging a sacred month for a regular month.
 
Islamic historians give a series of those who held the post of ''Nasi''; or officer charged with the duty of intercalation and commutation.  Intercalation is the privilege of adding an additional month.  Commutation is the privilege of exchanging a sacred month for a regular month.
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In the early fifth century, Qussai, leader of the Qureish, gained influence and marries the daughter of the Khozaite king. He was treated with great distinction by Holeil (Hillel) the Khozaite King, who gave him his daughter Hobba (Chavah) in marriage, and received from several privileges, including the right of intercalation (al-Nasa) perhaps derived from Nasi in Hebrew.  The Nasi in the ancient Sanhedrin had the same right.  On of the first efforts of Qussai was to build a Council House or Town Hall called Dar-al-Nadwa, near the Kaaba and with its porch opening towards it.  This was a Sanhedrin in everything but name.
  
 
The first of these was Sarir, of a stock related to the Qureish, whose genealogy would make him sixty or seventy years of age at the close of the fourth century; so that (if we trust to this tradition) the origin of intercalation may be placed about the close of the fourth, or early in the fifth, century M.C. de Perceval calculates the intercalation from 412 A.D. He encloses a detailed table at the close of his first volume.<ref>See Sirah, pp. 29-30; cf. Surah ix: 37; Jami' al-Bayan, vol. x, pp 90-92. See also Axel Moberg, "Al-Nasi' in der lslamischen Tradition" in Acta Universitatis Lundensis (Nova Series), vol.27 (1931), pp. 1-54.</ref> Alternatively, ''Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics'' reports that in pre-Hadithic times, intercalation was carried out by the Fuqaim, who were a clan of the Qinana.<ref>Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (vol. iii, p. 127)</ref>
 
The first of these was Sarir, of a stock related to the Qureish, whose genealogy would make him sixty or seventy years of age at the close of the fourth century; so that (if we trust to this tradition) the origin of intercalation may be placed about the close of the fourth, or early in the fifth, century M.C. de Perceval calculates the intercalation from 412 A.D. He encloses a detailed table at the close of his first volume.<ref>See Sirah, pp. 29-30; cf. Surah ix: 37; Jami' al-Bayan, vol. x, pp 90-92. See also Axel Moberg, "Al-Nasi' in der lslamischen Tradition" in Acta Universitatis Lundensis (Nova Series), vol.27 (1931), pp. 1-54.</ref> Alternatively, ''Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics'' reports that in pre-Hadithic times, intercalation was carried out by the Fuqaim, who were a clan of the Qinana.<ref>Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (vol. iii, p. 127)</ref>
  
The responsibility for announcing the date of the Hajj was entrusted to a man from Banu Qinana named Qalammas.<ref>Kalonymos. (Greek, "good name"; cf. Shem Tov). Noteably, Kalonymos was also the name of a son of the great and illustrious R. Todros a known and documented descendant of King David.  He is mentioned as living in Narbonne by Benjamin of Tudela in 1173 CE.</ref> He announced on the occasion of the Hajj when the next pilgrimage was to be performed, and which month the thirteenth month was to follow. The first Qalammas was an individual, but then the name became specific to the office. We thus see a sizeable number of the Qalammasa. The Qalammasi calendar was based upon lunar computation, and another link in the historical chain is provided by the fact that among the Arabs the months of Rajab, Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Hijja, and Muharram were regarded as the months of peace and sanctity. But, with this calendar, these months also began to undergo changes, and it was one of the responsibilities of the Qalammasa to announce as to what months would be the sacred months in the following year. They are called ''al-Nasi' '' in Arabic.<ref>The History of the Islamic Calendar in the Light of the Hijra, Hakim Muhammad Said, Vol X No. 1 , Spring 1984</ref>
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The responsibility for announcing the date of the Hajj was entrusted to a man from Banu Qinana named Qalammas.<ref>Kalonymos. (Greek, "good name"; cf. Shem Tov). Noteably, Kalonymos was also the name of a son of the great and illustrious R. Todros a known and documented descendant of King David.  He is mentioned as living in Narbonne by Benjamin of Tudela in 1173 CE.</ref> He announced on the occasion of the Hajj when the next pilgrimage was to be performed, and which month the thirteenth month was to follow. The first Qalammas was an individual, but then the name became specific to the office. We thus see a sizable number of the Qalammasa. The Qalammasi calendar was based upon lunar computation, and another link in the historical chain is provided by the fact that among the Arabs the months of Rajab, Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Hijja, and Muharram were regarded as the months of peace and sanctity. But, with this calendar, these months also began to undergo changes, and it was one of the responsibilities of the Qalammasa to announce as to what months would be the sacred months in the following year. They are called ''al-Nasa' '' in Arabic.<ref>The History of the Islamic Calendar in the Light of the Hijra, Hakim Muhammad Said, Vol X No. 1 , Spring 1984</ref>
  
 
The traditional explanation for intercalation of an extra month is that the Arabs were seized by the malady of idolatry three hundred years before the advent of the Prophet. The Hajj for them was nothing more than a big festival. Because their calendar being lunar, this feast was sometimes held in seasons when the crops had not been harvested and were not yet ready for sale. They, therefore, devised the method of ''kabzsa'', according to which a year sometimes consisted of 13 months.  However, this spontaneous derivation of an intercalated month seems improbable. We see not only the term ''Nasi'' appropriated for Arab use, but at least until 541 CE, the Jewish and Arab calendars coincided.
 
The traditional explanation for intercalation of an extra month is that the Arabs were seized by the malady of idolatry three hundred years before the advent of the Prophet. The Hajj for them was nothing more than a big festival. Because their calendar being lunar, this feast was sometimes held in seasons when the crops had not been harvested and were not yet ready for sale. They, therefore, devised the method of ''kabzsa'', according to which a year sometimes consisted of 13 months.  However, this spontaneous derivation of an intercalated month seems improbable. We see not only the term ''Nasi'' appropriated for Arab use, but at least until 541 CE, the Jewish and Arab calendars coincided.

Latest revision as of 07:42, 9 December 2010

Islamic historians give a series of those who held the post of Nasi; or officer charged with the duty of intercalation and commutation. Intercalation is the privilege of adding an additional month. Commutation is the privilege of exchanging a sacred month for a regular month.

In the early fifth century, Qussai, leader of the Qureish, gained influence and marries the daughter of the Khozaite king. He was treated with great distinction by Holeil (Hillel) the Khozaite King, who gave him his daughter Hobba (Chavah) in marriage, and received from several privileges, including the right of intercalation (al-Nasa) perhaps derived from Nasi in Hebrew. The Nasi in the ancient Sanhedrin had the same right. On of the first efforts of Qussai was to build a Council House or Town Hall called Dar-al-Nadwa, near the Kaaba and with its porch opening towards it. This was a Sanhedrin in everything but name.

The first of these was Sarir, of a stock related to the Qureish, whose genealogy would make him sixty or seventy years of age at the close of the fourth century; so that (if we trust to this tradition) the origin of intercalation may be placed about the close of the fourth, or early in the fifth, century M.C. de Perceval calculates the intercalation from 412 A.D. He encloses a detailed table at the close of his first volume.[1] Alternatively, Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics reports that in pre-Hadithic times, intercalation was carried out by the Fuqaim, who were a clan of the Qinana.[2]

The responsibility for announcing the date of the Hajj was entrusted to a man from Banu Qinana named Qalammas.[3] He announced on the occasion of the Hajj when the next pilgrimage was to be performed, and which month the thirteenth month was to follow. The first Qalammas was an individual, but then the name became specific to the office. We thus see a sizable number of the Qalammasa. The Qalammasi calendar was based upon lunar computation, and another link in the historical chain is provided by the fact that among the Arabs the months of Rajab, Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Hijja, and Muharram were regarded as the months of peace and sanctity. But, with this calendar, these months also began to undergo changes, and it was one of the responsibilities of the Qalammasa to announce as to what months would be the sacred months in the following year. They are called al-Nasa' in Arabic.[4]

The traditional explanation for intercalation of an extra month is that the Arabs were seized by the malady of idolatry three hundred years before the advent of the Prophet. The Hajj for them was nothing more than a big festival. Because their calendar being lunar, this feast was sometimes held in seasons when the crops had not been harvested and were not yet ready for sale. They, therefore, devised the method of kabzsa, according to which a year sometimes consisted of 13 months. However, this spontaneous derivation of an intercalated month seems improbable. We see not only the term Nasi appropriated for Arab use, but at least until 541 CE, the Jewish and Arab calendars coincided.

References

  1. See Sirah, pp. 29-30; cf. Surah ix: 37; Jami' al-Bayan, vol. x, pp 90-92. See also Axel Moberg, "Al-Nasi' in der lslamischen Tradition" in Acta Universitatis Lundensis (Nova Series), vol.27 (1931), pp. 1-54.
  2. Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (vol. iii, p. 127)
  3. Kalonymos. (Greek, "good name"; cf. Shem Tov). Noteably, Kalonymos was also the name of a son of the great and illustrious R. Todros a known and documented descendant of King David. He is mentioned as living in Narbonne by Benjamin of Tudela in 1173 CE.
  4. The History of the Islamic Calendar in the Light of the Hijra, Hakim Muhammad Said, Vol X No. 1 , Spring 1984