the Divine reply is a repetition of Zechar. i. 3, yet, when Israel reiterates the words, 'Turn
Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned,' supporting them by Ps lxxxv. 4, the
argument proves unanswerable.
63. Jer. Yoma i. 1, ed. Krot. p 38 c, last part, Sanh. 97 b, 98 a.
64. Midr. on Cant. v. 2, ed. Warsh. p. 25 a; Sanh. 98 a.
65. Pirqé de R. Eliez. 43 end.
66. On Lam. v. 21, ed. Warsh. vol. iii. p. 77 a.
Other conditions of Israel's deliverance are, indeed, mentioned. But we can scarcely
regard the Synagogue as seriously making the coming of Messiah dependent on their
realisation. Among the most touching of these is a beautiful passage (almost reminding us
of Heb. xi.), in which Israel's future deliverance is described as the reward of faith. 67
Similarly beautiful is the thought,68 that, when God redeems Israel, it will be amidst their
weeping.69 But neither can this be regarded as the condition of Messiah's coming; nor yet
such generalities as the observance of the Law, or of some special commandments. The
very variety of suggestions 70 71 shows, how utterly unable the Synagogue felt to indicate
any condition to be fulfilled by Israel. Such vague statements, as that the salvation of
Israel depended on the merits of the patriarchs, or on that of one of them, cannot help us
to a solution; and the long discussion in the Talmud72 leaves no doubt, that the final and
most sober opinion was, that the time of Messiah's coming depended not on repentance,
nor any other condition, but on the mercy of God, when the time fixed had arrived. But
even so, we are again thrown into doubt by the statement, that it might be either hastened
or retarded by Israel's bearing!73
67 Tanch. on Ex. xv. 1, ed. Warsh. p. 86 b.
68. On Jer. xxxi. 9.
69. Tanch. on Gen. xiv. 2, ed. Warsh.
70. Sanh. 97 b 98 a.
71. The reader will find these discussions summarised at the close of Appendix IX.
72. Sanh. 98 a and b.
73. See, on the whole subject, also Debar. R. 2.
In these circumstances, any attempt at determining the date of Messiah's coming would
be even more hypothetical than such calculations generally are.74 Guesses on the subject
could only be grounded on imaginary symbolisms. Of such we have examples in the
Talmud.75 Thus, some fixed the date at 4000 years after the Creation - curiously enough,
about the era of Christ - though Israel's sin had blotted out the whole past from the
reckoning; others at 4291 from the Creation; 76 others again expected it at the beginning,
or end, of the eighty- fifth Jubilee - with this proviso, that it would not take place earlier;
and so on, through equally groundless conjectures. A comparatively late work speaks of
five monarchies - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and Ishmael. During the last of
these God would hear the cry of Israel,77 and the Messiah come, after a terrible war
between Rome and Ishmael (the West and the East).78 But as the rule of these monarchies
was to last altogether one day (= 1000 years), less two -thirds of an hour (1 hour = 83 ½