15/02/2022
Dear Friends,
It is few days more than 40 days from Christmas and this is the time to remember Simeon the Elder (Simon שמעון). It is he who carried the Lord Jesus in his arms when Jesus entered the temple with his mother, the Virgin Mary, at the completion of the days of her purification according to the Jewish law, on the fortieth day after the birth. In an expression of endless joy and faithfulness Simeon made his unforgettable statement that Eastern Christians repeat till today at the end of every sunset prayer: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” - (Luke 2:29-32). Simeon was considered an old man, although there is not a single word in Luke's account that confirms that he was old. People have been preoccupied with the identity of the man.
Some Christian scholars identify Simeon with Simon son of Hillel - the great scholar Hillel who established the School of Hillel. If this is right, he is also the father of Gamaliel, who is mentioned in the Book of Acts, and the teacher of the Apostle Paul who literally witnessed that he was his disciple (see Acts 5:34 and 22:3).
The tradition says that when Simeon the Elder read Isaiah 14:7: “behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel. ”, it occurred to him to replace the word “virgin” with the word “girl” so he did. When he came back the next day and found the word "girl" erased and replaced back by the word "virgin". He then became certain that nothing is impossible for God. After that, it was revealed to him that he would not die before seeing the Lord's Messiah.
Simeon the Elder is a very important person in Jewish history. It is said that he was 112 years old when he carried the Lord Jesus Christ in his arms according to the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew.
He is the first to be called Rabban, that is a high rank Jewish scholar title although the Mishnah and the Talmud do not mention him as such scriptures focused on the theological aspects of the Hillel school versus the Shamai School and not on persons.
We can’t forget his Son’s statements: “Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” - Acts 34-40.
Another tradition says that when Stephan was stoned to death (Acts 7:60), his body was taken to burial near a mason of Rabban Gamaliel, close to Beth-Shemsh - a place called today Beth-Jimal in the Shefella.
