Transfiguration, six days, & Daniel the prophet.

[Ben C. Smith]

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What I am imagining is as follows. The Transfiguration was originally the legend of an appearance by Jesus to the apostles: at least to Peter, and possibly to others. Its status as such is preserved in the Apocalypse of Peter and possibly in 2 Peter, as well. In the synoptic gospels, however, it has been moved back into the ministry of Jesus (probably along with several other pericopes, including the walking on water and the miraculous catch of fish). But its Danielic connections, not to mention its resurrectional/exaltational significance, was never lost. The "six days" are a callback to the legend of Bel and the Dragon; possibly in this early branch of the tradition Jesus was regarded as dead for six days before being raised up (on the seventh day, as an act of a completed new creation?), until the rubric of three days took over all branches. We know that eventually a Paschal fast of six days (Monday through Saturday) rose up in the church, which would then celebrate the resurrection on Sunday; was this practice modeled on an early recollection of six days being the time that Daniel was in the lion's den and Jesus in the tomb?

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The earliest unambiguous evidence of a six days paschal fast seems to be Dionysius of Alexandria c 250 CE.

For all do not continue during the six days of the fast either equally or similarly: but some remain without food till cockcrow on all the days, some on two, or three, or four, and some on none of them. And for those who strictly persist in these prolonged fasts and then are distressed and almost faint, there is pardon if they take something sooner. But if some, so far from prolonging their fast do not fast at all, but feed luxuriously during the earlier days of the week, and then, when they come to the last two and prolong their fast on them alone, viz. on Friday and Saturday, think they are performing some great feat by continuing till dawn, I do not hold that they have exercised an equal discipline with those who have practised it for longer periods. I give you this counsel in accordance with my judgment in writing on these points.

Andrew Criddle

Finally getting around to collecting this passage for my personal notes. Thanks!

Dionysius of Alexandria, Canonical Letter to Basilides: .... As things stand thus, we pronounce this decision for those who inquire to a nicety at what hour or what half-hour, or quarter of an hour, they should begin their rejoicing at the Resurrection of our Lord from the dead: those who are premature and relax before midnight, though near it, we censure as remiss and wanting in self-restraint; for they drop out of the race just before the end, as the wise man says, “that which is within a little in life is not little.” And those who put off and endure to the furthest and persevere till the fourth watch, when our Savior appeared to those who were sailing also, walking on the sea, we shall approve as generous and painstaking. And those midway who stop as they were moved or as they were able, let us not treat altogether severely. For all do not continue during the six days of the fast either equally or similarly: but some remain without food till cockcrow on all the days, some on two, or three, or four, and some on none of them. And for those who strictly persist in these prolonged fasts and then are distressed and almost faint, there is pardon if they take something sooner. But if some, so far from prolonging their fast do not fast at all, but feed luxuriously during the earlier days of the week, and then, when they come to the last two and prolong their fast on them alone, viz. on Friday and Saturday, think they are performing some great feat by continuing till dawn, I do not hold that they have exercised an equal discipline with those who have practised it for longer periods. I give you this counsel in accordance with my judgment in writing on these points. .... / .... Τούτων οὕτως ἐχόντων, τοῦτο τοῖς ἀκριβολογουμένοις ἀποφαινόμεθα, κατὰ ποίαν ὥραν ἢ καὶ ποῖον ἡμιώριον ἢ ὥρας τέταρτον ἄρχεσθαι προσῆκε τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἀναστάσει χαρᾶς. Τοὺς μὲν λίαν ἐπιταχύνοντας καὶ πρὸ νυκτὸς ἐγγὺς ἤδη μεσούσης ἀνιέντας, ως ὀλιγώρους καὶ ἀκρατεῖς μεμφόμεθα, ὡς παρ᾽ ὀλίγον προκαταλύοντας τὸν δρόμον, λέγοντος ἀνδρὸς σοφοῦ· Οὐ μικρὸν ἐν βίῳ τὸ παρὰ μικρόν. Τοὺς δὲ ἐφυστερίζοντας καὶ διαρκοῦντας ἐπὶ πλεῖστον, καὶ μέχρι τετάρτης φυλακῆς ἐγκαρτεροῦντας, καθ' ἣν καὶ τοῖς πλέουσιν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν περιπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης ἐπεφάνη, ὡς γενναίους καὶ φιλοπόνους ἀποδεχόμεθα. Τοῖς δὲ μεταξύ, ὡς ἐκινήθησαν ἢ ὡς ἠδυνήθησαν, ἀναπαυσαμένοις, μὴ πάνυ διοχλῶμεν, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ τὰς ἓξ τῶν νηστειῶν ἡμέρας ἴσως, μηδὲ ὁμοίως πάντες διαμένουσιν. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν καὶ πάσας ὑπερτιθέασιν, ἄσιτοι διατελοῦντες, οἱ δὲ δύο, οἱ δὲ τρεῖς, οἰ δὲ τέσσαρας, οἱ δὲ οὐδεμίαν. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν πάνυ διαπονηθεῖσιν ἐν ταῖς ὑπερθέσεσιν, εἶτα ἀποκαμοῦσι καὶ μόνον οὐκ ἐκλείπουσι, συγγνώμη τῆς ταχυτέρας γεύσεως. Εἰ δέ τινες, οὐχ ὅπως οὐχ ὑπερτιθέμενοι, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ νηστεύσαντες, ἢ καὶ τρυφήσαντες τὰς προαγούσας τέσσαρας, εἶτα ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὰς τελευταίας δύο, καὶ μόνας αυτὰς ὑπερτιθέντες, τήν τε παρασκευὴν καὶ τὸ σάββατον, μέγα τι καὶ λαμπρὸν ποιεῖν νομίζουσιν, ἂν μέχρι τῆς ἕω διαμείνωσιν, οὐκ οἶμαι τὴν ἄθλησιν αὐτοὺς πεποιῆσθαι ἴσην τοῖς τὰς πλείονας ἡμέρας προησκηκόσι. Ταῦτα μέν, ὡς φρονῶ, συμβουλεύων περὶ τούτων ἔγραψα. .... [Links: Greek Unicode text, Greek text by Feltoe, English translation by Feltoe.]