Notice the reference here to covenants being established in Jubilee years. It has been noted that only the Samaritan Pentateuch agrees with Jubilees with respect to the flood occurring in 1307 AM (Anno Mundi) https://books.google.com/books?id=mO_H2 ... od&f=false. The covenant that Noah gave his sons was thus established in 1324 AM in both Jubilees and the Samaritan system. Do you now get why Genesis 1 - 11 is necessary for the overall functioning of the Pentateuch as it was used in antiquity?By my goodness, I established a covenant with their fathers and I shall not forget it as long as the world lasts. Their children are pledged to Egypt for a long time, on account of the matter regarding which Abraham erred in “Ur Chasdim”, and I covenanted with him that this (will last) up to a certain limit. The time comes quickly to deliver (them) from distress. I can give you now its term for deliverance, for the time of the jubilee is near. He (Israel) has been in great and severe torment, ever since the day I have pledged him, and his outcry reached me with a sigh. For he has three great covenants (communicated) through those Righteous who passed away.”
Clearly Abraham's covenant was understood by the Samaritans to be similarly established in a Jubilee and of course God is talking here in Marqe to the Israelites as the third covenant is established in another Jubilee year. Interesting Irenaeus speaks of four covenants also:
In other words, I have always argued that the 'gospel' derives from the Hebrew term for the announcement of the Jubilee. Thank you for having this discussion. I wouldn't have realized that this is another argument of Christianity knowing the original tradition. Really appreciate it. Marqe speaks of 3 covenants occurring in the Jubilee (or at least knowing it) = Noah, Abraham, Moses. Irenaeus four covenants = Noah, Abraham, Moses + Jesus.For this reason were four principal (kaqolikai) covenants given to the human race: one, prior to the deluge, under Adam; the second, that after the deluge, under Noah; the third, the giving of the law, under Moses; the fourth, that which renovates man, and sums up all things in itself by means of the Gospel, raising and bearing men upon its wings into the heavenly kingdom.
For those who are interested Irenaeus goes on to make the argument that because the gospel is the fourth of four "dispensations" of covenants the heretics have to accept that the gospel is of four:
No less an authority than the Catholic Church understand the gospel to be a Jubilee year announcement https://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/mag ... 22_en.htmlThese things being so, all who destroy the form of the Gospel are vain, unlearned, and also audacious; those, [I mean,] who represent the aspects of the Gospel as being either more in number than as aforesaid, or, on the other hand, fewer. The former class [do so], that they may seem to have discovered more than is of the truth; the latter, that they may set the dispensations of God aside.
We see in the Samaritan Arabic commentary on the Torah, on Leviticus 25:9. Slightly condensed and slightly re-arranged translation from my life long friend it seems Ruaridh Boid formerly of Monash University:
This is absolutely key to understand why the gospel is called 'the gospel.' The Arabic bashîrah = the Hebrew bassorah = Greek euangelion. The person doing the announcing of the Jubilee is the evangelist (= Arabic mubashshir = Hebrew mevasser or the bashîr). Notice carefully that the bashîrah is not the information, but the announcement of it. This is the connotation of the Greek euangelion. The meaning of only becomes clear and sharp in the context of the Samaritan halachah.The High Priest and the King acting together are to send heralds out on the Day of Atonement (i.e. the tenth of the seventh month) to go into all countries over the next six months blowing the shofar in every land and region [not just Canaan] with the announcement [= bashâ’ir, plural of bashîrah] of the information of the approach of the Jubilee Year and the release of captives so that it reaches the whole nation”.