So here it is folks. Put on your seat belts. I will explain to you how the Marcosian apolutrosis developed from the ge'ullah of the Alexandrian Jews.
First you will have to get up to speed with the last weeks worth of posts. When you've done that and see how I can argue that followers of Mark were NOT a sect of the Valentinians but a separate report of Irenaeus that was collated alongside his lecture 'against the Valentinians' (which still appears in close to its original shape in Tertullian's loose Latin translation of the same name) we can talk about this common interest in a collection of powers in heaven embodied by the number thirty but which also broke down into units of eight, ten and twelve.
As I noted in my last post, I am a Jew with exposure to the kabbalistic concepts since the day I was born. I also happen to have a very rudimentary understanding of Hebrew and Aramaic so when I heard that this 'collection of powers' which equaled '30' and this 30 broke down into units of 8, 10 and 12 AND WHEN IRENAEUS TESTIFIES THAT THE MARCOSIANS MAINTAINED ALL THEIR RITUALS IN ARAMAIC the concept being expressed here was quite obvious.
Take the eight letter, the ten letter and the twelfth letter of the Hebrew alphabet and you get:
ḥyl
which in Syriac means:
1 army OA, , PTA, CPA, Syr, JBA. --(a) multitude Gal. --(b) heavenly power Syr. (b.1) Christian sense: an order of angels, heavenly host Syr.
2 military unit/garrison OfA.
3 power, force Com. --(a) ܠܦܘܬ or ܐܝܟ ܚܝܠܝ or Syr. --(b) miracle Syr. --(c) intrinsic potency, innate force Syr.
4 metaph. . --(a) strength, essence OA, Gal, Syr. (a.1) intent, meaning Syr. --(b) corroboration Syr.
I was particularly struck by the fact that the term became used in the Syriac Christian liturgy to mean "an order of angels, heavenly host."
I started thinking that there was something here which means 'a collection of powers' like the system of Marcosians and the Valentinians. So I proceeded to go one step further.
Now because I think there are good grounds for connecting Mark of the Marcosians with St. Mark of Alexandria, I don't buy into the idea that the Marcosians were a sect of the Valentinians. Nevertheless the later Roman editors of the works of Irenaeus seem to have went out of their way to claim this.
I think that whoever Valentinus was he began embellishing the original mystical formula associated with the apolutrosis baptism and its foundation in the word ḥyl As such the Marcosians knew the original truth; the Valentinians were a later development of that tradition.
So why would ḥyl be key to a mysterion based on the ritual reenactment of the crossing of the sea by the ancient Israelites? Well, I will give you a hint - the word ḥyl appears throughout the account of Exodus and fits perfectly what we know about the apolutrosis through sources OUTSIDE of Irenaeus.
But before we bring this all forward lets revisit the basic concept again in what is now the beginning of Book One where Irenaeus speaks of:
the thirty AEons in the erroneous system of these men and they are described as being wrapped up, so to speak, in silence, and known to none. Moreover, they declare that this invisible and spiritual Pleroma of theirs is tripartite, being divided into an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad. And for this reason they affirm it was that the "Saviour"--for they do not please to call Him "Lord"--did no work in public during the space of thirty years, thus setting forth the mystery of these AEons. They maintain also, that these thirty AEons are most plainly indicated in the parable(2) of the labourers sent into the vineyard. For some are sent about the first hour, others about the third hour, others about the sixth hour, others about the ninth hour, and others about the eleventh hour. Now, if we add up the numbers of the hours here mentioned, the sum total will be thirty: for one, three, six, nine, and eleven, when added together, form thirty. And by the hours, they hold that the AEons were pointed out; while they maintain that these are great, and wonderful, and hitherto unspeakable mysteries which it is their special function to develop; and so they proceed when they find anything in the multitude of things contained in the Scriptures which they can adopt and accommodate to their baseless speculations.[AH i.1.3]
This is again specifically referenced with regards to the Marcosians (see my last post) in what follows in Book Two:
they divide the entire Pleroma into three portions,--namely, into an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad. But our year is divided into four parts,--namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And again, not even do the months, which they maintain to be a type of the Triacontad, consist precisely of thirty days, but some have more and some less, inasmuch as five days remain to them as an overplus.[AH ii.24.5]
Now what I am saying of course is that the Marcosians were employing what is called in Jewish mystical circles Mispar Siduri (i.e. where the letters are taken as ordinals rather than their usual numerical value).
As noted earlier I asked my friend Rory Boid about the possibilities here and he wrote back saying:
What you say about the addition of 8+10+12 has plausibility. The only difficulty would be that a lamed would normally represent 30 in the extant Samaritan and Jewish texts. This is not a serious difficulty, since the extant system is only a choice out of at least two. The rest is very sound.
This is the meaning of the key noun and adjective in the N.T. is indeed the meaning intended. Add to these the doxology “For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever, amen”. The combination of the terms Kingdom, Power, and Glory occurs in Chronicles. Have a look at the context! You will see something. The Kingdom is the lowest level or our level or the present level, or Earth as opposed to Heaven. Compare the Kabbalistic meaning. The Power is much the same as what you have seen.
The result of the meeting of the two is the Glory, which is a MANIFESTATION in the sense of the Hebrew Kavod and Greek Epiphania (Epiphany). At the Transfiguration the Kingdom and the Power met, and the Kavod was seen, even if only briefly, mutedly, and by only two people. But consider the DOUBLE meaning Sons of Thunder and Sons of Perception. The reason it says “forever and ever” in the doxology will now be clear to you. As for why the mss. are divided between “forever and ever” and just “forever”, it has to do with a theological controversy seen in Judaism and in Samaritanism as well. We are told that the Pharisees say there is only one world. Forget the stupid guesses about them having no metaphysical sense or being crude materialists in Josephus and then repeated ever afterwards and elaborated on with more guesses using the first guesses as if they were data. Just look at what is recorded, that the first Tanna’im (I think) changed “forever” to “forever and ever” because the Minim said there is only one world. Compare the datum in Abu'l Fath on the Dositheans, that they abolished the recitation of the doxoloxy with just “forever”. As for the debate between Jesus and the Sadducees on the Resurrection, the question is NOT why the Sadducees rejected the concept, but rather why they rejected the specifically Pharisaic interpretation of it. They probably believed in the possibility of a PRESENT union of Heaven and Earth, to be completed at the end of days. EXACTLY THIS IS IN THE LAST PHRASES OF CH> XI OF (THE EARLY SAMARITAN BOOK), THE ASATIR.
As this is the only place where Jesus rejects a theological position, I take it that he is reminding the Sadducees of the meaning of their rejection of the Pharisaic doctrine. This reason was that the Pharisees were misrepresenting the working of the Power of God. He reminds the Sadducees that they had fallen into the trap of logical debate with the Pharisees and thus lost sight of what was represented or hinted at in their formula of rejection of the Pharisaic doctrine. “Ye know not (have lost sight of the Power of God”. I will have to look at the form of the Greek verb.
Here is the Samaritan Aramaic pronunciation. Noun il adjective ayyol (accented on the first syllable). Jewish Palestinian Aramaic. Noun h.ayil ( one syllable!) adjective h.ayyal
This is how Boid would approach the concept. I am more interested of course in the manner in which this word with the eighth, the tenth and the twelfth letters of the Hebrew alphabet might be the glue which ties the Marcosian apultrosis to the redemption of the crossing of the sea.
In a few moments we will cite from the writings of Marqe bin Tite (Mark the son of Titus) who is the founder of Samaritanism to prove that hyl was understood to have been present at the crossing of the sea. Yett is useful for the moment to cite his parallel example to Mark of the Marcosians (I think they were the same person) in terms of dividing up words into their letters and treating each letter as a 'power' of sorts.
In Book Three of the collection of his writings he cites Deuteronomy chapter 27 to demonstrate the 'powers' which inhabit the word Amen (a word the Marcosians also take a deep interest cf. AH i.14.1). Mark writes here that:
God revealed Himself and said it with mighty mouth, Cursed be the man who makes a graven image (Deut. xxvii. 1 5 ; Targ.) or any likeness ... The statement of Jacob our father will not come to pass for us at the last days, for every tribe knows both what will result form it and what is to be the recompense for its action. Woe to us now in this place! Would that there was some act, or it could be some report, that we could mention in connection with the warning. We fear that it will not be so. Amen (Deut. xxvii. 1 5 ) is the conclusion. It represents three witnesses, just, great, mighty — divinity, prophethood, priesthood; perhaps they will be aroused [Mimar Marqe iii.5]
The three witnesses as MacDonald notes are the three letters that make up the word 'amen' - i.e. alif, mim and nun. Both the Marcosians and the Samaritans of Mark understand the letter A (alif) to embody the hidden, highest power. Yet it is also worth noting that both seem to connect amen to the number thirty to hyl, which as we note has an ordinal value of thirty.
Immediately after the last citation Mark goes on to say that:
We give thanks to the Power (hyl) who lives eternally by Himself, preserving life for those who take counsel with the truth. MIM ( the letter M) manifests great glory. It is not in man's power to estimate its glory. It has wrought for us goodly peace; it is manifest to us in all generations, and enduring for ever as though it were a witness to us. Therefore it will be on us. Woe to us if we go forth from this great boundary (of the Power = hyl), for we would stand in a desolate place. Woe to any man who stands in it. Let us turn ourselves from the evildoers and swear always that we shall never draw near to the Curse, for we fear lest we shall perish in sins which ever increase and catch up with us — as the angels said when they led Lot forth, "Escape for your life . . . lest you be consumed (Gen. xix. 1 7 ; Targ.). They insisted on that with the result that he was saved, and they did not leave him until he reached the place which he requested of them. So with us, that we may have deliverance, if we do not tremble with all our being. NUN (the letter N) — know its status is! Seek it with perfection of mind. Let us not leave it, nor forsake it. Let us not desist or flee from its excellence. At all times let us exalt it, for our deliverance from all afflicting judgement is through it. Woe to us if we do not have the understanding to know what is for our good and to establish ourselves in what He has commanded us. If you seek knowledge, learn and do not let your mind turn from knowledge. Seek for yourself what your Lord wants for you and do not let yourself be far from your Lord. Know that He is merciful and pitiful. [ibid]
The reason I have taken so much time to cite this lengthy passage from Mark's Samaritan writings is to demonstrate not only that he shares the same interest in alphabetic 'powers' as Mark of the Marcosians but more importantly he equates hyl, power, with the amen which makes absolutely no sense unless he was reflecting on the ordinal values of each letter.
For just as hyl represents the eighth, tenth and twelfth letters of the Hebrew alphabet and thus thirty (8 + 10 + 12) it is worth noting that the ordinal value of each letter in the word amn when added together result in the same number (i.e. alif is the first number of the Hebrew alphabet, mim the fourteenth, nun the fifteenth or 1 + 14 + 15 = 30).
Interesting also is the fact that Mark the Gnostic heretic seems to also connect amen to the Marcosian interest in the number thirty and the eighth, tenth and twelfth (letters) in another important passage in Irenaeus which reads:
Moreover, the pronunciation of His name (i.e. the power which is unspeakable) took place as follows:--He spoke the first word of it, which was the beginning, and that utterance consisted of four letters. He added the second, and this also consisted of four letters. Next He uttered the third, and this again embraced ten letters. Finally, He pronounced the fourth, which was composed of twelve letters. Thus took place the enunciation of the whole name, consisting of thirty letters ...He imagines that the emblem of this utterance is found in Amen, which we pronounce in concert.[AH i.14.1]
The point is then that there is good circumstantial evidence to suggest that BOTH of the communities attached to Mark witnessed an interest in a power related to the number thirty connected with the calculation of ordinal values of letters in words with deep mystical significance like hyl and amen (cf. 2 Cor 1:20) Now that this is settled let's move on to develop an understanding of the origins for the idea that hyl or angels was present in the apolutrosis .
I think the place to start is by citing surviving excerpts of the writing of Theodotus on the subject. It is said that "the angels of whom we are portions were baptised for us ... we are dead, who are deadened by this existence." But through the apolutrosis we are told that "we are raised up 'equal to angels' and restored to unity with the males, member for member."
What is going on here according to Theodotus? It is said in what follows that:
the angels who are baptised for us, in order that when we, too, have the Name, we may not be hindered and kept back by the Limit and the Cross from entering the Pleroma. Wherefore, at the laying on of hands they say at the end, "for the angelic apolutrosis" that is, for the one which the angels also have, in order that the person who has received the apolutrosis may, be baptised in the same Name in which his angel had been baptised before him.
While Theodotus only references the familiar gospel narrative - "Ἐβαπτίσαντο δὲ ἐν ἀρχῇ οἱ Ἄγγελοι ἐν λυτρώσει τοῦ Ὀνόματος τοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν τῇ περιστερᾷ κατελθόντος καὶ λυτρωσαμένου αὐτόν" - the question of where the idea of angels being present 'in the water' to renew humanity originated is never addressed.
I think that חיל is the great secret which allows everything to make sense here.
As far back as Daniel 4:32 we see a scriptural example of חיל taking on the meaning of angelic hosts - viz. בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָּא. So it can hardly be surprising that a tradition arose in Alexandria that interpreted the appearance of Pharaoh's 'hosts' חיל in the waters with the ancient Israelites was something more than a reference to his 'drowning soldiers.'
At the beginning of Exodus chapter 14 God tells Moses that:
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he shall follow after them; and I will get Me glory upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host (בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל-חֵילוֹ); and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.' [Ex 14.4]
Now let's remind ourselves of Boid's understanding that "the meeting of the two [i.e. Kingdom and Power] is the Glory, which is a MANIFESTATION in the sense of the Hebrew Kavod." We hear later that God tells Moses to:
lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will get Me glory upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host(בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל-חֵיל), upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. [Ex 14.16,17]
It is interesting then to notice how the incident unfolds in the narrative. Notice at once that we hear that the 'hosts' represent something different that the physical armies of Pharaoh. So we read:
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all the night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. [Ex. 21,22]
So much for the horsemen and the chariots of Pharaoh. The 'hosts' are referenced again only at the end of the narrative:
And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, even all the host of Pharaoh (לְכֹל חֵיל פַּרְעֹה) that went in after them into the sea; there remained not so much as one of them. [Ex 14:28]
And the Song of the Sea remembers the narrative again with reference to the 'powers' of Pharoah in the water:
Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea, and his chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea. [Ex. 15.4]
Now there is a long standing Jewish tradition referenced in countless traditions that the Passover represented more than a triumph of Moses over Pharaoh but in fact the god of Israel over the celestial prince of Egypt. Nevertheless it is the Samaritan tradition of Mark which goes even further here and is in my mind undoubtedly the ground out of which the Marcosian apolutrosis baptism into waters filled with the presence of angels.
The Second Book of Mimar Marqe (the Teachings of Mark) establishes the orthodox Samaritan interpretation of the crossing of the sea. I have written about the many places where the basic idea of 'angels being present in the water' is referenced here. Now I want to use the Samaritan tradition of Mark to demonstrate that there was already the idea that the divinities of the Egyptians were specifically understood to have ended up in the water.
The first question the reader might have is whether or not Marqe employs the word hyl to mean God or angelic power. The answer is confirmed in the opening words of the Mimar which read "Great is the Great Power (rb hyla rba) who endures for ever!" The concept appears throughout all the hymns associated with him including ""Thy Great Power sustains all things without being near them" [Hymn i.5]
As Fossum notes "the divine name of the Great Power, which appears in the oldest accounts of Simon [Magus] is no name of Zeus but a Samaritan name of YHWH ... 'the Great Power' is an authentically Samaritan divine name, and the encomium of 'the Power' or even 'the Great Power' as 'great' is a Samaritan characteristic." [Fossum 1985: 171 - 172]
It was this 'Great Power' (hyla rba) which taught Moses signs and wonders at the burning bush:
Moses had no sooner finished talking to himself than he was answered by the great Subduer, with whom there is no other god. "Do not be frightened of it, O prophet of the world! In my Great Power I can create something more powerful than it. Strengthen your heart, my prophet, in the face of all the wonders, for you will be required to face even greater than this. Put out your hand, and take it by the tail (Ex. iv. 4; Targ.), for you will now behold a wonder out of my power. Lift it up in your hand!" It turned back to what it was, no more, no less! Then the great prophet Moses marvelled and said, "All great things belong to the Great Power who does all that He wills and changes His acts by His tremendous power."[Mimar Marqe I.2]
So let's get to the idea that the 'Great Power' was understood by Samaritan Mark to be present in the waters of the sea as the Israelites crossed. The clearest example of this comes in chapter eight which references the relationship between Pharaoh and his god Baal Zephon. We read:
When the Egyptians encamped by the sea, they were arranged in four divisions: the chariotry, Pharaoh's young warriors and also his cavalry captains, preceded by the infantry and the specially selected volunteers. When they were assembled for this evil purpose—which displeased God—firmly believing that their division represented an unchangeable kingdom, they stood on four sides facing Baal-Zephon.
Pharaoh was standing before it by himself, the young warriors on his right hand and the captains on his left; all the footsoldiers in front of him and the volunteers opposite them. Baal-Zephon was in the middle and all these men were round about it.
Pharaoh went close to it and made offerings to it, while all the Egyptians bowed down before it.
Thus God spoke in His Scripture, "In front of Baal-Zephon. When Pharaoh made offering" (Ex. xiv. 9 - 10; Targ.). It was as though the True One said to him, "This arrangement does not please my greatness, and I cannot leave it as it is, for it is an evil offering meriting destruction. It will destroy those who make offering to it. I shall not let this array remain as it is. By my power revenge will be taken on them.
Then Marqe develops a dialogue between Pharaoh and God on the shore of the sea:
the True One said "Restrain yourselves from such talk. I will deal with you!" Pharaoh's answer to them was, "Baal-Zephon sees us and what is to happen to us. He will not yield to Him and he will not let us down." The True One said to him, "Your bold attitude will bring you misfortune. It will become your destruction. See what the Great Power (hyla raba) will do!"
Such a Great Power bogged down its warriors, the horsemen bogged down the soldiers—(and so recently) they had all been so joyful in themselves and had said to Pharaoh, "Be brave! We are in your victory. There is no fear in us. We are the riders, the soldiers. There is no power (hyla) above us."
The Great Power (hyla raba) exercised His mighty strength and bogged down the whole of the people in their mightiness.
What great might! What superlative sovereignty! Where is there a king who can stand before it ?
What great might! What superlative sovereignty! Woe to the man who errs before it.
What great might! What superlative sovereignty! It magnifies the good and destroys the evil.
What great might! What superlative sovereignty! Who is there can estimate the greatness of its owner ?
When they saw themselves crushed and all their force reduced, while Israel's were increased, they said, "No weakness has manifested itself in their army, not even any fear." They said, "It would be better for us to flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the
Egyptians (Ex. xiv. 2 5 ; Targ.).
These have the significance of momentous words. They said, "Know the True One and speak by Him," but the True One was too righteous for them, and so they turned from Him and did not cleave to Him. Its importance lies in matters of great moment. This was a place of mighty power (maqom gadyl bhyl). Weak humanity stood before its boundary. [Mimar Marqe II.8]
The thing we have to keep in mind is that Mark didn't just reach that the great hyl didn't just destroy the Egyptians but more importantly, it was clearly understood to represent a second creation as we read in what follows:
Greatness was seen in that place (i.e. the 'place of mighty power); water and fire were combined. This was a tremendous wonder, far exceeding anything, that water and fire should appear there. The dominion of the water was brought low and that of the fire overcome. The mighty act of Adam's creation was there made known, for water and fire were combined in that too. Adam's body was from the dust, and the fire brought Great Power (rbt bh hyl) and wisdom into him. From the beginning he was borne by spirit, and from it wisdom dwelt in his mind.
Thanks be to this King whose glory magnifies the Speaker.
Blessed the hour in which He created Adam, when Adam filled the whole world with praises to the Lord of the world.
Blessed the hour in which water and fire were combined in the Red Sea.
Blessed the hour in which water and fire combined for the destruction of the unbelievers.
The world radiated in the presence of the True One, who appeared for the sake of His beloved. Good is the True One and good are His beloved. Blessed was the world when He appeared!
Let us be sincere before Him and give thanks for His greatness, perchance we may be worthy of this. [ibid]
Now we have to keep in mind what Ben Hayyim says about the existing text of Mark's writings having been reworked a number of times. There are a number of places - like the present - where I think the original Dosithean character of Mark's writings stands out.
Notice the way that he says 'perchance we may be worthy of this.' The obvious question is what is 'this' that Mark is referencing? In my opinion, the only possibility is that the Samaritan community associated with him was RITUALLY RECREATING the crossing as an initiatory ritual.
They hoped to worthy of being recreated after the likeness of the hyl which stood with God.
Let's go back for a moment to the original text of Exodus and the ideas which inspired this baptism into the power with the name that had the eighth, tenth and twelfth letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
There are a seemingly endless number of hyl references throughout this section and all sections dealing with the crossing of the sea. The point is that Marqe KNEW that in the original section of Exodus chapter 14 that hyl was used EXCLUSIVELY for the forces of Pharaoh. He also understands Pharaoah's god to have been in the water. The only suggestion is that the God of Israel took over the angelic forces of Egypt and these powers ended up empowering the Israelites in the water.
This is why Marqe and other sources tell us that the Israelites emerged armed and wearing armor when they came out of the sea. And more over we read in the chapter 18 of Exodus that there are now as a result of the crossing 'empowered men' (אַנְשֵׁי-חַיִל) who rule over companies of men in the nation of Israel as a result of the redemption.
Now I am getting a little tired right now but I am certain I have solved the mystery of the ages. I know that the ULTIMATE CONTEXT of the apolutrosis rituals of the Marcosians was the redemption of the crossing of the Red Sea. I think I can even demonstrate that the Marcosians connected hyl with the business about restoring the perfect calendar of the ancient Egyptians with twelve months of exactly thirty days each (see my last post).
When Agapius preserves that "at Rome there appeared a man named Marcus who said that 360 gods existed from all eternity; they all gathered together and created the world, and each of them governed it in turn; power belonged to each of them for one day a year during which he was the sole master of it" what he is really saying is that the 'fullness' associated with the sect is the number 30 (i.e. 8 + 10 + 12 = hyl) x the number 12.
This is important and I think it is explicitly referenced by Irenaeus here:
For who can concede to them that the year has three hundred and sixty-five days only, in order that there may be twelve months of thirty days each, after the type of the twelve Aeons, when the type is in fact altogether out of harmony? For, in the one case, each of the Aeons is a thirtieth part of the entire Pleroma, while in the other they declare that a month is the twelfth part of a year. If, indeed, the year were divided into thirty parts, and the month into twelve, then a fitting type might be regarded as having been found for their fictitious system. But, on the contrary, as the case really stands, their Pleroma is divided into thirty parts, and a portion of it into twelve; while again the whole year is divided into twelve parts, and a certain portion of it into thirty. The Saviour therefore acted unwisely in constituting the month a type of the entire Pleroma, but the year a type only of that Duodecad which exists in the Pleroma; for it was more fitting to divide the year into thirty parts, even as the whole Pleroma is divided, but the month into twelve, just as the Aeons are in their Pleroma. Moreover, they divide the entire Pleroma into three portions,--namely, into an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad. But our year is divided into four parts,--namely, spring, summer, autumn, and winter. And again, not even do the months, which they maintain to be a type of the Triacontad, consist precisely of thirty days, but some have more and some less, inasmuch as five days remain to them as an overplus ... It cannot therefore be held that months of thirty days each were so formed for the sake of [typifying] the Aeons; for, in that case, they would have consisted precisely of thirty days: nor, again, the days of these months, that by means of twelve hours they might symbolize the twelve Aeons; for, in that case, they would always have consisted precisely of twelve hours. [AH ii.24.5]
I am almost finished solving the whole puzzle. Will let everyone know when I have incorporated the business about the twelve into the whole system but we are almost there.
Good Night and God Bless.
