It is very fortunate that the writings of the great Samaritan theologian Marqe (Mark) have survived down to us. Already Alexander Broadie has made the arguments that Marqe writings are closely related to Philo. I have often wondered if Marqe is in fact one and the same with the Alexandrian St. Mark. These radical ideas needn't concern our readers now. It is enough to simply read John MacDonald's admittedly inferior English translation to get a sense of the cultural background from which LGM 1 was developed.
For there can be no doubt that modern Judaism pays little special interest to 10 Nisan (although as we shall demonstrate in a future posts this wasn't always so). Nevertheless Philo, Marqe and the Samaritan tradition certainly did. I hope the reader sees that many of the ideas contained in the description in 'Secret Mark' are already here in the writings of Marqe. A couple of quick notes before I bring forward the expert testimony of a living Samaritan and one of the greatest living experts on the Samaritan religion again in future posts. It is worth noting that the Samaritan do not identify any of the months by the familiar Jewish names (they are limited by the language of the Torah). Also, 'the Taheb' is the quivalent of the Samaritan 'messiah' (although nothing short of a 'second Moses' i.e. nothing of 'David'). The reader should also pay close attention to the fact that 'deliverance' is seen as being established on this date. This would become the term to denote Markan baptism in Alexandria.
Here then is Marqe's discussion of the sanctity of the tenth day of the first month. Commentary will follow. I leave it up to the reader to see the connection with LGM 1 for the time being:
Preparation for Deliverance
The First Month
The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, after these wonders that had gone before, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months (Ex. xii. 1 - 2 ; Targ.), the end of affliction and the beginning of relief.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the inauguration of favour and the conclusion of disfavour.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the end of punishment and the beginning of rest.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the entrance of good and the exit of evil.
This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the gateway to blessings and the end of cursing.
It shall be the first month of the year (Ex. xii. 2 ; Targ.), from which will come all the years of the world.
In it I created the world;
In it the waters of the Flood dried up;
In it Sodom was overthrown;
In it I began the judgements;
In it I destroyed the Tower;
In it I will bring them to an end;
In it I will destroy Egypt:
Thus the beginning of the months is made like The Beginning (BERESITH), which was made the start of Creation.
On the first day I created heaven and earth;
On the second day I spread out the firmament on high;
On the third day I prepared a dish and gathered into it all kinds of good things;
On the fourth day I established signs, fixing times, completing my greatness;
On the fifth day I revealed many marvels from the waters;
On the sixth day I caused to come up out of the ground various living creatures:
On the seventh day I perfected holiness. I rested in it in my own glory. I made it my special portion. I was glorious in it. I established your name then also — my name and yours therein as one, for I established it and you are crowned with it.
Therefore on the first day of the first month make it known and give thanks for it. When you are in it (the first month, first day), you will begin with (the section of) the Creation of the World, for I am like one who looses and I will untie the manacles of all those who have assembled for deliverance.
The great prophet Moses stood up in the assembly of Israel and instructed them about deliverance. He told them to prepare themselves for the time of departure on the tenth of the month, to prepare to sacrifice the offering, and take in the tenth of the month a perfect one year old lamb (Ex. xii. 3-5).
See what God commanded the great prophet Moses on the tenth of the month. He made it a command that it should be prepared from the fourth to the fourteenth day, for the slaughtering of an offering to the Lord.
The Glory of the Tenth Day
The first day for the creation of man and for the praise which he rendered; in it he was delivered.
The second day for the performance of Abel who became an origin of a specially chosen (race).
The third day for the proclamation of Enosh (Gen. iv. 26), in whom the generation of man was made known.
The fourth day for the uprightness of Enoch, who walked in obedience to his Lord and went in the truth.
The fifth day for Noah, who perfected himself and was righteous in his generation.
The sixth day for the meritoriousness of Abraham, through
whom the origin of the covenant was revealed.
The seventh day for the sanctification of Isaac, because he was an acceptable holy sacrifice.
The eighth day for the boldness of Jacob, from whom arose those worthy of holy things.
The ninth day by reason of the purity of Joseph, who was filled with the wisdom of his ancestors.
The tenth day for the perfectness of your (i.e. Moses's) prophethood.
Thus from your mouth they shall hear, and through you they shall believe.
Were it not for your prophethood, I would not have revealed myself, and my voice would not have been heard as long as the world lasts. I revealed myself to former good men through an angel, not by revelation of my own mighty self. Behold, I reveal myself to you and make my voice to be heard by you. I magnify you everywhere. So I have established you, that they may learn of this tenth day, in which they will take the sacrificial sheep. This deed is to be for all time and its commemoration is to be observed for ever—without a break. This day is a memorial to your prophethood, just as this deed is a commemoration of the deliverance, for through you they are delivered and rest from fatigue. They have become great in you and are glorified in your apostleship. It will be prepared by them for four days, until it is performed on the fourteenth.
O Aaron, Eleazar and Phinehas, three glorious, magnificent ones, as I have united the two of you (Moses and Aaron) in goodness, so you shall be united as one in uprightness.
The tenth day is for you and what follows is for Aaron. What you hear is from me.
The tenth day is for you and what follows is for Aaron. I have vested you with my name and I have vested him with yours.
The tenth day is for you and what follows is for Aaron. You will start and he will finish.
Eleazar is appointed to the succession. Today he is glorious; like him Phinehas is exalted. The day which is for him, in the blessedness of which was his father—behold, ten and three together crowned with perfection: behold, ten and three crowned with might!
Let the day come safely on which is the deliverance, for it is crowned with glory and contains the Blessing.
Let the day come safely on which is the deliverance, for truth is about manifested in the world.
Let the day come safely, whose evening was God's, whose day was Israel's — as He said:
It was a night (of watching) by the Lord (Ex. xii.42; Targ.). Three deeds in the night, while He wrought the exodus — as He said, "About midnight I will go forth in the midst of the land of Egypt"(Ex. xi. 4; Targ.). He will reveal what He said—When I see the blood (Ex. xii. 1 3 ; Targ.).
Read where it is written, "I will pass (ibid.) over the houses of my beloved and will slay the firstborn of my enemies. I will make all their gods and idols collapse." This was the doing of the God of gods that night! As the Lord said, "The morning of it is for His people." As He said, "This day shall be for you a memorial day" (Ex. xii. 1 4 ; Targ.)—it will never be changed!
Let the Taheb come safely and clear away the darkness which has become great in the world!
Let the Taheb come safely and scatter the enemies who have provoked God!
Let the Taheb come safely and sacrifice a true offering before Bethel.
Let the Taheb come safely, that the Lord may have pity and reveal His Favour, and that Israel may sacrifice in the evening.
Let the Taheb come safely and separate the chosen from the rejected, and let this affliction be turned into relief!
The day which He made the fourteenth is the end of one affair and the beginning of another. Thus He said to them, "In the evening they shall sacrifice one sacrifice equivalent to four — in the evening, at the setting of the sun, a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the deliverance of the ancestors: a sacrifice of peace offerings for the safe-keeping of the firstborn: a sin offering, the blood of which is sprinkled in the evening: Israel shall sacrifice at the siege and conquest of a city — at the siege of city, a distressing matter; at the conquest of a city, a joyful matter! Great is our God who has thus glorified us and called the name of this offering Passover.[MM 1.9]
