Page:Ginzburg - The Legends of the Jews - Volume 5.djvu/31

Rh $undefined$ the centre of Palestine, and this agrees with the later Midrashim, Tan., ''loc. cit., and parallel passages; Seder Rabba di-Bereshit, loc. cit.Since it was assumed that the ark was placed in the centre of the holy of holies (Meleket ha-Mishkan 53; not so Maimonides, Yad ha-Hazakah, Bet ha-Behirah 4.1, and RSBM on Baba Batra 99a) upon the Eben Shetiyyah, the legend, desirous of finding creation centres (comp. the elaborate account of such circles in Zohar II, 157, and III, 161b), quite naturally saw in this stone the centre of the earth.In view of the belief that the creation of the earth (and of everything; comp. Yoma 85a) began with its centre, the Eben Shetiyyah also became the beginning of creation.The oldest source (Yoma 5.2), where this stone is mentioned, leaves no doubt that it is considered to have come down there at the time of the first prophets (i.e., Samuel and David; comp. Sotah 48b and Yerushalmi 9, 24b; see, however, Yerushalmi Berakot 5, 8d), and it is therefore impossible to assume that the Mishnah identified it with the stone with which creation began.It is accordingly probable that {{{he|שתיה}} is the same as, and is to be translated “fire-stone”, i.e., meteor.We have here, therefore, a tradition based upon 2 Samuel 24.16, seq.'', and 1 Chron. 21.26, according to which a meteor fell down at this place (note that the Mishnah does not read ), where subsequently the holy of holies was situated.Hadar on Exod. 19.19 quotes Targum Yerushalmi ad loc., in which is employed in the sense of meteors.Later, however,  was connected with  “loom” (creation as a spinning out of skeins of the warp is a favorite picture; comp. BR 10.5 and the parallels given by Theodor) and  “foundation”; comp. Tosefta, Yerushalmi, and Babli Yoma, ''loc. cit.''; Yerushalmi Pesahim 4, 30d; PK 28, 171a; Tan. B. III, 78; Tan. Ahare 3 and Kedoshim 10; WR 20.4; BaR 21.4; Shir 3, 9.In all these passages it is stated that the stone was called Eben Shetiyyah because the foundation of the world had been laid with it.A later development of the Eben Shetiyyah legend transferred to this stone all that which had originally been said concerning the foundation of the temple (comp. vol. IV, p. 96, and note 69 appertaining to it).It is therefore asserted that the “Ineffable Name” was engraved on this stone, whose power checks the Tehom from overflowing the earth; comp. Targum Yerushalmi Exod. 28.30; Targum Eccl. 3.11.This legend is further enlarged upon in Jewish Jesus tales.Since the knowledge of this name enabled anyone to accomplish all one desired, a device was necessary to prevent misuse. At 