The ''Seder HaDorot'' or "Book of Generations" (completed 1725, published 1768) by Lithuanian Rabbi
Jehiel Heilprin
Jehiel ben Solomon Heilprin ( he, יחיאל היילפרין; c. 1660 – c. 1746) was a Lithuanian rabbi, kabalist, and chronicler.
Biography
He was a descendant of Solomon Luria, and traced his genealogy back through Rashi to the tanna Johana ...
(1660–1746) is a
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
-language chronological work that serves as a depot of multiple Hebrew language chronological books and manuscripts. The work presents all given dates in the
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. I ...
format.
[A History of Jewish Literature: The German-Polish cultural center p152 Israel Zinberg - 1975 "But such works were of little interest to Heilprin's generation, which was absorbed in ]pilpul
''Pilpul'' ( he, פלפול, loosely meaning 'sharp analysis'; ) is a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various halakhic rulings or to reconcile any appare ...
, and ''Seder HaDorot'', which was completed in 1725, was first published in 1768 when Heilprin had already long been in his grave."
As well, Heilprin analyzed alternating and sometimes conflicting dates to produce a final decision and/or at times presents two plausible dates for a given event.
Composition
This work consists of three independent volumes or parts:
* The first of these, entitled ''Yemot 'Olam,'' is a history from the Creation down to his own time. The author always endeavors to give, by means of calculation, the dates of
Biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
personages. He bases his work on the ''Yuḥasin'' of
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto ( he, , translit=Avraham ben Shmuel Zacut, pt, Abraão ben Samuel Zacuto; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Castilian astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian who served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal.
...
, on the ''Shalshelet HaKabbalah'' of