Elephants in Arabia
Reply #25 - February 27, 2015, 10:34 PM
Update: So I've read all 4 of the canonical Maccabees books that appear in the Syriac OT Peshitta. I'm almost completely convinced that Surah al Fil is a very straightforward reference to either 2 Maccabees or 3 Maccabees, texts that were wildly popular throughout the Semitic Christian near-East, particularly as they center around themes of martyrdom and deliverance against Syrian/Ptolemaic/Persian secular authority. Here's Surah al Fil in translation:
Have you not considered, how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?
Did He not make their plan into misguidance?
And He sent against them birds in flocks,
Striking them with stones of hard clay,
And He made them like eaten straw.
Now here's 3 Maccabees 5, which rather precisely describes the evil plan of the companions of the elephant against the Jews:
1 Then the king, completely inflexible, was filled with overpowering anger and wrath; so he summoned Hermon, keeper of the elephants,
2 and ordered him on the following day to drug all the elephants—five hundred in number—with large handfuls of frankincense and plenty of unmixed wine, and to drive them in, maddened by the lavish abundance of drink, so that the Jews might meet their doom.
3 When he had given these orders he returned to his feasting, together with those of his Friends and of the army who were especially hostile toward the Jews.
4 And Hermon, keeper of the elephants, proceeded faithfully to carry out the orders.
5 The servants in charge of the Jews went out in the evening and bound the hands of the wretched people and arranged for their continued custody through the night, convinced that the whole nation would experience its final destruction.
6 For to the Gentiles it appeared that the Jews were left without any aid,
7 because in their bonds they were forcibly confined on every side. But with tears and a voice hard to silence they all called upon the Almighty Lord and Ruler of all power, their merciful God and Father, praying
8 that he avert with vengeance the evil plot against them and in a glorious manifestation rescue them from the fate now prepared for them.
9 So their entreaty ascended fervently to heaven.
10 Hermon, however, when he had drugged the pitiless elephants until they had been filled with a great abundance of wine and satiated with frankincense, presented himself at the courtyard early in the morning to report to the king about these preparations.
11 But the Lord sent upon the king a portion of sleep, that beneficence that from the beginning, night and day, is bestowed by him who grants it to whomever he wishes.
12 And by the action of the Lord he was overcome by so pleasant and deep a sleep that he quite failed in his lawless purpose and was completely frustrated in his inflexible plan.
13 Then the Jews, since they had escaped the appointed hour, praised their holy God and again implored him who is easily reconciled to show the might of his all-powerful hand to the arrogant Gentiles.
14 But now, since it was nearly the middle of the tenth hour, the person who was in charge of the invitations, seeing that the guests were assembled, approached the king and nudged him.
15 And when he had with difficulty roused him, he pointed out that the hour of the banquet was already slipping by, and he gave him an account of the situation.
16 The king, after considering this, returned to his drinking, and ordered those present for the banquet to recline opposite him.
17 When this was done he urged them to give themselves over to revelry and to make the present portion of the banquet joyful by celebrating all the more.
18 After the party had been going on for some time, the king summoned Hermon and with sharp threats demanded to know why the Jews had been allowed to remain alive through the present day.
19 But when he, with the corroboration of the king's Friends, pointed out that while it was still night he had carried out completely the order given him,
20 the king, possessed by a savagery worse than that of Phalaris, said that the Jews were benefited by today's sleep, "but," he added, "tomorrow without delay prepare the elephants in the same way for the destruction of the lawless Jews!"
21 When the king had spoken, all those present readily and joyfully with one accord gave their approval, and all went to their own homes.
22 But they did not so much employ the duration of the night in sleep as in devising all sorts of insults for those they thought to be doomed.
23 Then, as soon as the cock had crowed in the early morning, Hermon, having equipped the animals, began to move them along in the great colonnade.
24 The crowds of the city had been assembled for this most pitiful spectacle and they were eagerly waiting for daybreak.
25 But the Jews, at their last gasp—since the time had run out—stretched their hands toward heaven and with most tearful supplication and mournful dirges implored the supreme God to help them again at once.
26 The rays of the sun were not yet shed abroad, and while the king was receiving his Friends, Hermon arrived and invited him to come out, indicating that what the king desired was ready for action.
27 But he, on receiving the report and being struck by the unusual invitation to come out—since he had been completely overcome by incomprehension—inquired what the matter was for which this had been so zealously completed for him.
28 This was the act of God who rules over all things, for he had implanted in the king's mind a forgetfulness of the things he had previously devised.
29 Then Hermon and all the king's Friends pointed out that the animals and the armed forces were ready, "O king, according to your eager purpose."
30 But at these words he was filled with an overpowering wrath, because by the providence of God his whole mind had been deranged concerning these matters; and with a threatening look he said,
31 "If your parents or children were present, I would have prepared them to be a rich feast for the savage animals instead of the Jews, who give me no ground for complaint and have exhibited to an extraordinary degree a full and firm loyalty to my ancestors.
32 In fact you would have been deprived of life instead of these, if it were not for an affection arising from our nurture in common and your usefulness."
33 So Hermon suffered an unexpected and dangerous threat, and his eyes wavered and his face fell.
34 The king's Friends one by one sullenly slipped away and dismissed the assembled people to their own occupations.
35 Then the Jews, on hearing what the king had said, praised the manifest Lord God, King of kings, since this also was his aid that they had received.
36 The king, however, reconvened the party in the same manner and urged the guests to return to their celebrating.
37 After summoning Hermon he said in a threatening tone, "How many times, you poor wretch, must I give you orders about these things?
38 Equip the elephants now once more for the destruction of the Jews tomorrow!"
39 But the officials who were at table with him, wondering at his instability of mind, remonstrated as follows:
40 "O king, how long will you put us to the test, as though we are idiots, ordering now for a third time that they be destroyed, and again revoking your decree in the matter?
41 As a result the city is in a tumult because of its expectation; it is crowded with masses of people, and also in constant danger of being plundered."
42 At this the king, a Phalaris in everything and filled with madness, took no account of the changes of mind that had come about within him for the protection of the Jews, and he firmly swore an irrevocable oath that he would send them to death without delay, mangled by the knees and feet of the animals,
43 and would also march against Judea and rapidly level it to the ground with fire and spear, and by burning to the ground the temple inaccessible to him would quickly render it forever empty of those who offered sacrifices there.
44 Then the Friends and officers departed with great joy, and they confidently posted the armed forces at the places in the city most favorable for keeping guard.
45 Now when the animals had been brought virtually to a state of madness, so to speak, by the very fragrant draughts of wine mixed with frankincense and had been equipped with frightful devices, the elephant keeper
46 entered at about dawn into the courtyard—the city now being filled with countless masses of people crowding their way into the hippodrome—and urged the king on to the matter at hand.
47 So he, when he had filled his impious mind with a deep rage, rushed out in full force along with the animals, wishing to witness, with invulnerable heart and with his own eyes, the grievous and pitiful destruction of the aforementioned people.
48 When the Jews saw the dust raised by the elephants going out at the gate and by the following armed forces, as well as by the trampling of the crowd, and heard the loud and tumultuous noise,
49 they thought that this was their last moment of life, the end of their most miserable suspense, and giving way to lamentation and groans they kissed each other, embracing relatives and falling into one another's arms —parents and children, mothers and daughters, and others with babies at their breasts who were drawing their last milk.
50 Not only this, but when they considered the help that they had received before from heaven, they prostrated themselves with one accord on the ground, removing the babies from their breasts,
51 and cried out in a very loud voice, imploring the Ruler over every power to manifest himself and be merciful to them, as they stood now at the gates of death.
----- So that's the plan. And then the resolution, when the Jews (trapped in the hippodrome, about to be exterminated by pagan elephants that the king is bringing in an army) call unto God, and he saves them by sending two blinding angels who confuse the elephants, turning them back to trample the King's retinue, whereupon he sees the light and repents, throwing a feast for the Jews and saving them:
1 Then a certain Eleazar, famous among the priests of the country, who had attained a ripe old age and throughout his life had been adorned with every virtue, directed the elders around him to stop calling upon the holy God, and he prayed as follows:
2 "King of great power, Almighty God Most High, governing all creation with mercy,
3 look upon the descendants of Abraham, O Father, upon the children of the sainted Jacob, a people of your consecrated portion who are perishing as foreigners in a foreign land.
4 Pharaoh with his abundance of chariots, the former ruler of this Egypt, exalted with lawless insolence and boastful tongue, you destroyed together with his arrogant army by drowning them in the sea, manifesting the light of your mercy on the nation of Israel.
5 Sennacherib exulting in his countless forces, oppressive king of the Assyrians, who had already gained control of the whole world by the spear and was lifted up against your holy city, speaking grievous words with boasting and insolence, you, O Lord, broke in pieces, showing your power to many nations.
6 The three companions in Babylon who had voluntarily surrendered their lives to the flames so as not to serve vain things, you rescued unharmed, even to a hair, moistening the fiery furnace with dew and turning the flame against all their enemies.
7 Daniel, who through envious slanders was thrown down into the ground to lions as food for wild animals, you brought up to the light unharmed.
8 And Jonah, wasting away in the belly of a huge, sea-born monster, you, Father, watched over and restored unharmed to all his family.
9 And now, you who hate insolence, all-merciful and protector of all, reveal yourself quickly to those of the nation of Israel —who are being outrageously treated by the abominable and lawless Gentiles.
10 "Even if our lives have become entangled in impieties in our exile, rescue us from the hand of the enemy, and destroy us, Lord, by whatever fate you choose.
11 Let not the vain-minded praise their vanities at the destruction of your beloved people, saying, "Not even their god has rescued them.'
12 But you, O Eternal One, who have all might and all power, watch over us now and have mercy on us who by the senseless insolence of the lawless are being deprived of life in the manner of traitors.
13 And let the Gentiles cower today in fear of your invincible might, O honored One, who have power to save the nation of Jacob.
14 The whole throng of infants and their parents entreat you with tears.
15 Let it be shown to all the Gentiles that you are with us, O Lord, and have not turned your face from us; but just as you have said, "Not even when they were in the land of their enemies did I neglect them,' so accomplish it, O Lord."
16 Just as Eleazar was ending his prayer, the king arrived at the hippodrome with the animals and all the arrogance of his forces.
17 And when the Jews observed this they raised great cries to heaven so that even the nearby valleys resounded with them and brought an uncontrollable terror upon the army.
18 Then the most glorious, almighty, and true God revealed his holy face and opened the heavenly gates, from which two glorious angels of fearful aspect descended, visible to all but the Jews.
19 They opposed the forces of the enemy and filled them with confusion and terror, binding them with immovable shackles.
20 Even the king began to shudder bodily, and he forgot his sullen insolence.
21 The animals turned back upon the armed forces following them and began trampling and destroying them.
22 Then the king's anger was turned to pity and tears because of the things that he had devised beforehand.
23 For when he heard the shouting and saw them all fallen headlong to destruction, he wept and angrily threatened his Friends, saying,
24 "You are committing treason and surpassing tyrants in cruelty; and even me, your benefactor, you are now attempting to deprive of dominion and life by secretly devising acts of no advantage to the kingdom.
25 Who has driven from their homes those who faithfully kept our country's fortresses, and foolishly gathered every one of them here?
26 Who is it that has so lawlessly encompassed with outrageous treatment those who from the beginning differed from all nations in their goodwill toward us and often have accepted willingly the worst of human dangers?
27 Loose and untie their unjust bonds! Send them back to their homes in peace, begging pardon for your former actions!
28 Release the children of the almighty and living God of heaven, who from the time of our ancestors until now has granted an unimpeded and notable stability to our government."
29 These then were the things he said; and the Jews, immediately released, praised their holy God and Savior, since they now had escaped death.
30 Then the king, when he had returned to the city, summoned the official in charge of the revenues and ordered him to provide to the Jews both wines and everything else needed for a festival of seven days, deciding that they should celebrate their rescue with all joyfulness in that same place in which they had expected to meet their destruction.
31 Accordingly those disgracefully treated and near to death, or rather, who stood at its gates, arranged for a banquet of deliverance instead of a bitter and lamentable death, and full of joy they apportioned to celebrants the place that had been prepared for their destruction and burial.
32 They stopped their chanting of dirges and took up the song of their ancestors, praising God, their Savior and worker of wonders. Putting an end to all mourning and wailing, they formed choruses as a sign of peaceful joy.
33 Likewise also the king, after convening a great banquet to celebrate these events, gave thanks to heaven unceasingly and lavishly for the unexpected rescue that he had experienced.
34 Those who had previously believed that the Jews would be destroyed and become food for birds, and had joyfully registered them, groaned as they themselves were overcome by disgrace, and their fire-breathing boldness was ignominiously quenched.
35 The Jews, as we have said before, arranged the aforementioned choral group and passed the time in feasting to the accompaniment of joyous thanksgiving and psalms.
36 And when they had ordained a public rite for these things in their whole community and for their descendants, they instituted the observance of the aforesaid days as a festival, not for drinking and gluttony, but because of the deliverance that had come to them through God.
37 Then they petitioned the king, asking for dismissal to their homes.
38 So their registration was carried out from the twenty-fifth of Pachon to the fourth of Epeiph, for forty days; and their destruction was set for the fifth to the seventh of Epeiph, the three days
39 on which the Lord of all most gloriously revealed his mercy and rescued them all together and unharmed.
40 Then they feasted, being provided with everything by the king, until the fourteenth day, on which also they made the petition for their dismissal.
Topic: Elephants in Arabia