Freethought & Rationalism Archive

stephan huller · 02-10-2013, 10:53 PM

He says they gather together every 7 x 7 + 1 days. The rest of the 'ifs' have to do with how the calendar reconciled itself with the reality that the year is actually 365 1/4 days long. God, this is so ridiculous. We're arguing over the color of the sky.

stephan huller · 02-10-2013, 10:56 PM

"The Mareotic group described by Philo are continuing to use the pentecontad calendar. Unlike in Mesopotamia, however, in this case the pentecontad calendar is accommodated to a solar year of 364 days, with the fiftieth day being also the first day of the new cycle. It is unlikely that this was purely some kind of sectarian development."(p. 158)

mountainman · 02-10-2013, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spin

And do you think you've said anything in the years I've had you on ignore that I really needed to read?

Let's try to stay on topic about the OP.

There are some claims about the integrity of "VC" you may wish to comment upon.

The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Volume 10 (or via: amazon.co.uk) by Isidore Singer and Cyrus Adler.

The claim that the author of "VC is virulently anti-pagan but that Philo is not.

That Philo is allied to Greek culture and philosophy, the author of "VC" is not.

That Philo praises Pythagoras, Plato, etc while the author of "VC" repudiates them.

That Philo has great respect for the symposium, while the author of "VC" presents a detestable, common drinking-bout.

That Philo respects the Platonic Eros, the author of "VC" does not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Jewish Encyclopedia

there are great dissimilarities between the fundamental conceptions of the author of the "De Vita Contemplativa" and those of Philo.

The latter looks upon Greek culture and philosophy as allies, the former is hostile to Greek philosophy (see Siegfried in "Protestantische Kirchenzeitung," 1896, No.42).

He repudiates a science that numbered among Its followers the sacred baud of the Pythagoreans, inspired men like Parmenides, Empedocles, Zeno, Cleanthes, Heraclitus, and Plato, whom Philo prized ("Quod Omnis Probus," i., ii.; "Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres Sit," 43; "De Providentia," ii. 42, 48, etc.).

He considers the symposium a detestable, common drinking-bout. This can not be explained as a Stoic diatribe; for in this case Philo would not have repeated it.

And Philo would have been the last to interpret the Platonic Eros in the vulgar way in which it is explained in the "De Vita Contemplativa," 7 (ii. 480), as he repeatedly uses the myth of double man allegorically in his interpretation of Scripture ("De Opificio Mundi," 24; "De Allegoriis Legum," ii. 24).

It must furthermore be remembered that Philo in none of his other works mentions these colonies of allegorizing ascetics, in which he would have been highly interested had he known of them.

or see the WIKI page on Philo's manuscripts.

aa5874 · 02-10-2013, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephan huller

He says they gather together every 7 x 7 + 1 days. The rest of the 'ifs' have to do with how the calendar reconciled itself with the reality that the year is actually 365 1/4 days long. God, this is so ridiculous. We're arguing over the color of the sky.

The IFS are NOT part of "On the Contemplative Life"--they are speculation by the author.

Philo wrote NOTHING whatsoever about a 364 day solar system in "On the Contemplative Life".

Philo's On the Contemplatove Life"

Quote:

In the first place, these men assemble at the end of seven weeks, venerating not only the simple week of seven days, but also its multiplied power, for they know it to be pure and always virgin; and it is a prelude and a kind of forefeast of the greatest feast, which is assigned to the number fifty, the most holy and natural of numbers, being compounded of the power of the right-angled triangle, which is the principle of the origination and condition of the whole.

The number fifty is related to the power of the Right Angled Triangle NOT the Solar system in Philo's "On the Contemplative Life".

mountainman · 02-10-2013, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainman

Quote:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ES2...lendar&f=false

Judaic Religion in the Second Temple Period: Belief and Practice from the ...
By Lester L. Grabbe
...

I think you have mixed up your links.

That may have been the case but it is interesting to note that the author of that book says the following at page 104

Quote:

A favourite origin [of the "Testament of Job"] has been the Egyptian group called the therapeutae,
described by Philo, but the actual existence of such a group has recently been questioned. (See p.206)

I cant see page 206.

Is this a recent book? [YES: Psychology Press, 2000 - Religion - 424 pages]

Can anyone see who questioned the existence of the therapeutae in "VC" (Page 206)

stephan huller · 02-10-2013, 11:14 PM

Do you acknowledge at least aa that they had a calendar which sanctified each fiftieth day with a feast? Or as Taylor puts it:

Quote:

Therefore, according to Philo, the community celebrated not only the seventh day — which he does not call the Sabbath — but also the forty-ninth day, which also happens to be the eve of the fiftieth day. Every seventh Sabbath was especially important, and the day after was considered significant for being the fiftieth day of this cycle though no feast proper seems to have been celebrated on this day. (p. 156)

stephan huller · 02-10-2013, 11:18 PM

Quote:

but the actual existence of such a group has recently been questioned. (See p.206)

She's reporting the fact that at least some people have questioned whether they existed. Scholars question everything, including the existence of the sect.

Clivedurdle · 02-10-2013, 11:25 PM

Quote:

the power of the right-angled triangle

Pythagorus?

Where is 50 in 5,4 and 3 squared?

Pythagorus also loved his religion.

Oh and it is also directly related to the solar system, how did they work out the size of the earth, and later, that the earth moved around the sun in an eliptical orbit - but she got murdered for that...

mountainman · 02-10-2013, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephan huller

Quote:

but the actual existence of such a group has recently been questioned. (See p.206)

She's reporting the fact that at least some people have questioned whether they existed.

Who are these people?

Sheshbazzar · 02-10-2013, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philo

"the number fifty, the most holy and natural of numbers, being compounded of the power of the right-angled triangle, which is the principle of the origination and condition of the whole. "

Is anyone here able to translate this sentence into something comprehensible?

What does the number fifty have to do with "being compounded of the power of the right-angled triangle" ?
(sometimes I wish there were a head scratching icon)

What kind of math, geometry, trigonometry or whatever calculation does one base on a right triangle to derive the number fifty?

Edit. I got it. Pythagoras Theorem. The two smaller sides squared and added together equals the hypotenuse squared.
thus; 3x3 + 4x4 + 5x5 =50 or 9 + 16 + 25 =50

(but it only works because the units of measurement employed are exactly equal and proportional.)

Yawn... 3:53 AM good night all.

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02-10-2013, 10:53 PM	#841
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	He says they gather together every 7 x 7 + 1 days. The rest of the 'ifs' have to do with how the calendar reconciled itself with the reality that the year is actually 365 1/4 days long. God, this is so ridiculous. We're arguing over the color of the sky.

02-10-2013, 10:56 PM	#842
stephan huller Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: seattle, wa Posts: 9,337	"The Mareotic group described by Philo are continuing to use the pentecontad calendar. Unlike in Mesopotamia, however, in this case the pentecontad calendar is accommodated to a solar year of 364 days, with the fiftieth day being also the first day of the new cycle. It is unlikely that this was purely some kind of sectarian development."(p. 158)

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