The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

II. Jephet ibn Ali Represents Iron and Clay as Romans-Arabs

[9] JEPHET IBN ALI HALEVI (Yefeth ben Ali Halevi, or Japheth ben Eli) (10th century), of Palestine, was the most able of all Karaite scholars. Commentator and expounder, ⁹ he was distinguished by the term Teacher of the Exile. Born in Iraq, he spent considerable time in Jerusalem. He wrote a comprehensive Arabic commentary on the entire Jewish Bible, and his writings were translated from Arabic into Hebrew in the eleventh century. Stressing the importance of grammar and lexicography in exposition, he engaged in lengthy discussions with Saadia, ¹⁰ charging him with lack of exegetical and grammatical knowledge. PFF2 206.1

Jephet claimed full freedom for the exegete, often differing from his fellow Karaites, Anan and Nahawendi. He frequently cited the Talmud, Midrash, and Targum, ¹¹ but was opposed to the philosophical and allegorical treatment. He exemplified the difference between the Karaitesi and Rabbinites, and charged the Rabbinites with changing the divine laws. He also engaged in controversy over the Jewish calendar, and the right beginning of the lunar month for the governing of the Mosaic festivals. Here are Jephet’s own significant words: “They have introduced the calculation of the calendar, and changed the divine festivals from their due seasons.” ¹² PFF2 206.2

Jephet notes the prophetic calculations made by many rabbis, who had counted the 1335 year-days from the third year of Cyrus, and remarks that, as the terminal date of that calculation is past, it stands discredited. ¹³ He also states that the 2300 year-days are, by many Karaites, held to be dated from the Exodus, which took place-according to Karaite chronology—in 1332 B.C.E., and would therefore have ended in 968 C.E.U ¹⁴ PFF2 206.3

1. TEN HORNS ROMAN, BUT LITTLE HORN MOHAMMEDAN

ISM.—In expounding the four kingdoms of Daniel 2, the fourth kingdom—following Babylonia, Persia, and Greece—is expressly declared to be “the kingdom of Rome, before the kingdom of Arabia arose.” Of the divided feet and toes, he holds, “The iron represents the Romans, and the clay the Arabs.” ¹⁵ The “stone” cut out of the mountain Jephet expounds as the kingdom of the Messiah, which will never pass away. ¹⁶ Coming to the four beasts of Daniel 7, with the earth interpreted as the “sea,” Jephet similarly declares the fourth beast to be “Rome, the fourth kingdom,” exercising dominion over all mankind; the ten horns are the “ten thrones, belonging to Rome.” ¹⁷ PFF2 207.1

It is but natural that Jephet, living in Palestine when Islam controlled the homeland of the Jews, should apply the Little Horn to Mohammedanism, with its changing of appointed times and the law-“holy-days, sabbaths, and feasts.” He stresses the fact that they had merely been changed, not abolished. The three and a half times, he says, may be the length of Islam’s reign, or the time of its rule over Israel. ¹⁸ PFF2 207.2

2. SYSTEMATIC EXPOSITION OF Daniel 8 to 12

Jephet identifies the Persian ram and the Grecian goat of Daniel 8 with the notable horn replaced by four horns, as Alexander and the four divisions into which his empire was split. He again applies the great horn of Daniel 8—that casts truth to the ground—to the Mohammedan perversion of the words of the law and the prophets, with Mohammedanism’s ultimate final destruction. ¹⁹ The 2300 evening-mornings of Daniel 8:14 are interpreted as 1150 whole days-a day standing for “a year” in fulfillment. ²⁰ But no attempt is made to locate the period. Continuing with the time prophecy of the seventy weeks, Jephet says: PFF2 207.3

“Of these seventy weeks, seven passed in the kingdom of the Chaldees (47 years); 57 years the Persians reigned, 180 the Greeks, 206 the Romans; these are the special periods of the seventy weeks. These include the reigns of all four beasts; only the angel does not describe at length what happened to any of them save the history of the Second Temple during the time of Rome. These seventy weeks are weeks of sabbatical years, making 490 years; below they are divided into periods.” ²¹ PFF2 208.1

The 434 years, Jephet calculates, reach to the coming of “Titus the sinner”; the abomination is the “army of the Romans.” ²² And the exposition continues in Daniel 11, covering Persia, Greece, and Rome. The running to and fro and seeking knowledge, cited in Daniel 12:4, is a searching of God’s Word—“Knowledge shall increase; knowledge of two things: (a) the commandments; (b) the end.” ²³ PFF2 208.2

3. ACKNOWLEDGES YEAR-DAY PRINCIPLE BUT QUESTIONS PLACEMENT

On the larger time periods—the 1290, 1335, and 2300—Jephet is distressed by the futile attempts to pierce the “times” and “seasons,” and the unjustified and disappointing calculations that had frequently been made by both Rabbinites and Karaites. He prays God to bring the great consummation “near in our day and yours; not to deny us or you abundant knowledge of His book, revelation of His secrets, and attachment to His faith.” ²⁴ Though protesting the rather general practice of calculating the periods extending to the Messiah, he bears witness to the general recognition of the year-day principle. Here is Jephet’s rebuke: PFF2 208.3

“The scholars who preceded Joseph ibn Bakhtawi explained the 2300, 1290, and 1335 as years; the Rabbanites, too, spoke of the end, and fancied that from the third year of Cyrus to the end would be 1335 years; the term is passed some years since, so that their opinion has been disproved, and that of their followers; similarly El-Fayyumi [Saadia] explained it years, and has been proved false; he had however some marvellous inventions with reference to the time and times. He was answered by Salmon ben Jerucham; whom we need not in our turn answer, since his term is past and the end not arrived. Certain of the Karaites, too, made the 2300 years date from the Exodus from Egypt; that term too is past years ago, and their prophecy not come true. Salmon ben Jerucham, in his Commentary on Psalm 74:9, denied that it was possible to ascertain the end; but on Psalm 102:14 he offered a date which is passed and falsified. He agreed with many others in interpreting the 2300 and 1290 as days, but differed about the interpretation of the time of the removal of the continual, which, he thought, meant the destruction of the Second Temple. Benjamin Nahawendi agreed with him in the latter point, but differed from him about the days being days and not years. Benjamin took a separate view in believing that they were years. Salmon ben Jerucham referred the 1290 to the three and a half spoken of in chap 10:27 (‘for the half of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease’). PFF2 208.4

“Each of the commentators has taken a different line, and all have gone wrong in making the days years. Benjamin Nahawendi, indeed, made the 2300 date from the destruction of Shiloh, and from the time of the removal of the continual from the destruction of the Second Temple; this leaves still some 400 years; but this is a delusion.” ²⁵ PFF2 209.1

He speaks of one commentator who attempts to apply the three and a half times to the three periods of 2300, 1290, and 1335, but shows its improbability. He closes his commentary by asking God to “pardon any slips or errors.” Then “the Almighty Himself has said that the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. At that time it shall be revealed by the hand of the wise; the wise shall understand. God Almighty, in His mercy and loving kindness, bring near their realisation.” ²⁶ PFF2 209.2