The ''Seder HaDorot'' or "Book of Generations" (completed 1725, published 1768) by Lithuanian Rabbi

Jehiel Heilprin Jehiel ben Solomon Heilprin ( he, יחיאל היילפרין; c. 1660 – c. 1746) was a Lithuanian rabbi, kabalist, and chronicler. Biography He was a descendant of Solomon Luria, and traced his genealogy back through Rashi to the tanna Johana ...

(1660–1746) is a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

-language chronological work that serves as a depot of multiple Hebrew language chronological books and manuscripts. The work presents all given dates in the

Hebrew calendar The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. ...

format.A History of Jewish Literature: The German-Polish cultural center p152 Israel Zinberg - 1975 "But such works were of little interest to Heilprin's generation, which was absorbed in

pilpul ''Pilpul'' ( he, פלפול, loosely meaning 'sharp analysis'; ) is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any appare ...

, and ''Seder HaDorot'', which was completed in 1725, was first published in 1768 when Heilprin had already long been in his grave." As well, Heilprin analyzed alternating and sometimes conflicting dates to produce a final decision and/or at times presents two plausible dates for a given event.

Composition

This work consists of three independent volumes or parts: * The first of these, entitled ''Yemot 'Olam,'' is a history from the Creation down to his own time. The author always endeavors to give, by means of calculation, the dates of Biblical personages. He bases his work on the ''Yuḥasin'' of Abraham Zacuto, on the ''Shalshelet HaKabbalah'' of

Gedaliah ibn Yaḥya Gedaliah ibn Yahya ben Joseph (Hebrew: גדליה אבן יחיא בן יוסף; – 1587) was a 16th-century Italian Talmudist and Biblical chronologist chiefly known for his Biblical Chronology "Shalshelet HaḲabbalah". Biography Born in I ...

, and on the ''Ẓemaḥ Dawid'' of

David Gans David Gans ( he, דָּוִד בֶּן שְׁלֹמֹה גנז; ‎1541–1613), also known as Rabbi Dovid Solomon Ganz, was a Jewish chronicler, mathematician, historian, astronomer and astrologer. He is the author of "Tzemach David" (1592 ...

. It seems that this first part was written when the author was still young, for the last event which he registered was one occurring in 1697. * The second part, ''Seder HaTanna'im WehaAmora'im,'' contains lists of the

Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the Mis ...

and Amoraim in alphabetical order with their dates. * The third part is a kind of catalogue containing first the names of all the authors, then those of their works, both arranged in alphabetical order. Heilprin based this part on the ''Sifte Yeshenim'' of

Shabbethai Bass Shabbethai ben Joseph Bass (1641–1718) ( he, שבתי בן יוסף; also known by the family-name Strom), born at Kalisz, was the founder of Jewish bibliography, and author of the ''Siftei Chachamim'' supercommentary on Rashi's commentary on the ...

, but added a great number of other titles. He states in the preface the many advantages of a knowledge of the chronological order of the

Talmudists The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the center ...

, which indeed in certain cases is absolutely necessary. The whole work is followed by notes on the Talmud, also arranged in alphabetical order. It was published for the first time by Heilprin's grandson, Judah Löb Heilprin, at

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

in 1769. There exist several other editions, the latest being the revised one of Naphtali Maskileison, son of Abraham Maskileison Warsaw, 1882. Of Heilprin's numerous other works mentioned in the ''Seder HaDorot,'' the only one which has been published is ''Erke HaKinnuyim,'' a dictionary of synonyms and homonyms occurring in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

, and other works, chiefly Kabalistic (Dyhernfurth, 1806).

Example (Israel's sojourn in Egypt)

References

{{authoritycontrol Hebrew-language chronicles 1725 books Hebrew-language religious books History books about Judaism