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Tybalt · 06-15-2005, 11:14 AM

It can take three days for a very rough steak to pass through, too. Interesting...

neilgodfrey · 06-15-2005, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wads4

The explanation I heard was that it is derived from the fact that at the winter solstice, 21st December, the Sun "dies".--ie reaches its furthurst point south (if you are in the nothern hemisphere),--by the third day it is observable that it is "resurrected",-because it is starting to move north again.

Can't remember my source now (was it one of Vardis Fisher 's Testament of Man series of historical novels?) but there was once a lunar theory -- the moon gets eaten up for three days or parts thereof before its rebirth anew.

Ulrich · 06-15-2005, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

There are all kinds of mystical and numerological implications of three, but the first one that comes to mind is that Jonah spend three days in the belly of the fish/whale.

Quote:

"An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Mt 12:40)

Apparently Matthew couldn't count very well, according to his own story, Jesus was only dead for three days and two nights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilgodfrey

(5) Hosea speaks of "the third day", while Jonah refers to "three days and three nights", thereby hinting at a departure from the belly of the fish on the fourth day? The difference in counting, however, may be due to whether the day of death, or only the following one, is counted as the first day.

According to the story, Jesus was crucified and died on Friday, he could not be properly buried on the next day, as it was the Sabbath (Saturday), and the body was discovered missing on the morning after that (Sunday). If the first day were not counted we would arrive at 2 days and 2 nights.

neilgodfrey · 06-15-2005, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ulrich

Apparently Matthew couldn't count very well, according to his own story, Jesus was only dead for three days and two nights.

According to the story, Jesus was crucified and died on Friday, he could not be properly buried on the next day, as it was the Sabbath (Saturday), and the body was discovered missing on the morning after that (Sunday). If the first day were not counted we would arrive at 2 days and 2 nights.

Just for clarification the quote that appeared under my name was not mine but part of what I copied from Tryggve N. D. Mettinger's "The Riddle of the Resurrection: 'Dying and Rising Gods in the Ancient Near East". He was addressing the "idea" of 3 in relation to death and resurrection in the Mid East -- whatever Matthew had in mind re the details of counting etc I have no idea. Matthew seems to be at least consistent whenever he miscounts (c.f. his genealogy) which makes me wonder if there's something we're missing in what he had in mind (or he really was just terrible at maths).

And by the way -- can someone please kindly tell me how to reply so I get the quotes within quotes as everyone else here seems able to do?

Toto · 06-15-2005, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilgodfrey

. . .
And by the way -- can someone please kindly tell me how to reply so I get the quotes within quotes as everyone else here seems able to do?

You can't. You have to manually construct them by copying the quote and enclosing it in a quote box with quote=USER

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06-15-2005, 11:14 AM	#11
Tybalt Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 1,672	It can take three days for a very rough steak to pass through, too. Interesting...

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