“Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya

“Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya

This article suggests that Rashi’s exegetical commentary to Gen 15:5, in which Abram counts the stars, is meant to invoke an association with the astrological technique known as Primary Directions (based on equating one degree of Right Ascension in the rotation of the earth around its axis with one...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Ola Wikander
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: OTSSA 2020-12-01
Series:Old Testament Essays
Online Access:https://ote-journal.otwsa-otssa.org.za/index.php/journal/article/view/373
id doaj-f59f26fd527741c1a47b0ef70ea4b2d4
record_format Article
spelling doaj-f59f26fd527741c1a47b0ef70ea4b2d42021-06-09T11:58:22ZafrOTSSAOld Testament Essays1010-99192312-36212020-12-01333“Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar ḤiyyaOla Wikander0Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study/Lund University This article suggests that Rashi’s exegetical commentary to Gen 15:5, in which Abram counts the stars, is meant to invoke an association with the astrological technique known as Primary Directions (based on equating one degree of Right Ascension in the rotation of the earth around its axis with one year of life), which was one of the main methods of prognostication in pre-modern astrology – beginning already in Hellenistic times and quite central in Mediaeval astrological thinking. Rabbinic sources discussing the relevant biblical passage and the idea of Abraham as a supreme astrologer are analysed, along with parallel material from Abraham bar Ḥiyya and Ibn ʿEzrā. The article examines both what Rashi kept and what he removed from his Rabbinic sources, and elaborates on the role of astrological thinking in his milieu.   https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a11 https://ote-journal.otwsa-otssa.org.za/index.php/journal/article/view/373
collection DOAJ
language Afrikaans
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ola Wikander
spellingShingle Ola Wikander
“Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
Old Testament Essays
author_facet Ola Wikander
author_sort Ola Wikander
title “Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
title_short “Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
title_full “Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
title_fullStr “Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
title_full_unstemmed “Go Out from Your Sign”: Rashi to Genesis 15:5 as a Reference to Astrological Primary Direction – Its Background in Rabbinic Literature and Parallels in Abraham bar Ḥiyya
title_sort “go out from your sign”: rashi to genesis 15:5 as a reference to astrological primary direction – its background in rabbinic literature and parallels in abraham bar ḥiyya
publisher OTSSA
series Old Testament Essays
issn 1010-9919
2312-3621
publishDate 2020-12-01
description This article suggests that Rashi’s exegetical commentary to Gen 15:5, in which Abram counts the stars, is meant to invoke an association with the astrological technique known as Primary Directions (based on equating one degree of Right Ascension in the rotation of the earth around its axis with one year of life), which was one of the main methods of prognostication in pre-modern astrology – beginning already in Hellenistic times and quite central in Mediaeval astrological thinking. Rabbinic sources discussing the relevant biblical passage and the idea of Abraham as a supreme astrologer are analysed, along with parallel material from Abraham bar Ḥiyya and Ibn ʿEzrā. The article examines both what Rashi kept and what he removed from his Rabbinic sources, and elaborates on the role of astrological thinking in his milieu.   https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2020/v33n3a11
url https://ote-journal.otwsa-otssa.org.za/index.php/journal/article/view/373
work_keys_str_mv AT olawikander gooutfromyoursignrashitogenesis155asareferencetoastrologicalprimarydirectionitsbackgroundinrabbinicliteratureandparallelsinabrahambarhiyya
_version_ 1721388075860361216

Similar Items