The ''Seder HaDorot'' or "Book of Generations" (completed 1725, published 1769) by Lithuanian Rabbi Jehiel Heilprin (1660–1746) is a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

-language

chronological Chronology (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , , ; and , ''wikt:-logia, -logia'') is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time. Consider, for example, the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the deter ...

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 (), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance and as an official calendar of Israel. It determines the dates of Jewish holidays and other rituals, such as '' yahrze ...

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, 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 is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

personages. He bases his work on the ''Yuḥasin'' of

Abraham Zacuto Abraham Zacuto (, ; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Sephardic Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian. Born in Castile, he served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal before fleeing to Tunis. His astrolabe of cop ...

, on the ''Shalshelet HaKabbalah'' of Gedaliah ibn Yaḥya, and on the ''Ẓemaḥ Dawid'' of David Gans. It seems that this first part was written when the author was still young, for the last event which he registered was one occurring in 1697. * The second part, ''Seder HaTanna'im WehaAmora'im,'' contains lists of the

Tannaim ''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים "repeaters", "teachers", singular ''tanna'' , borrowed from Aramaic) were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also refe ...

and

Amoraim ''Amoraim'' ( , singular ''Amora'' ; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah. They were p ...

in alphabetical order with their dates. * The third part is a kind of catalogue containing first the names of all the authors, then those of their works, both arranged in alphabetical order. Heilprin based this part on the ''Sifte Yeshenim'' of Shabbethai Bass, but added a great number of other titles. He states in the preface the many advantages of a knowledge of the chronological order of the

Talmudists The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewi ...

, which indeed in certain cases is absolutely necessary. The whole work is followed by notes on the Talmud, also arranged in alphabetical order. It was published for the first time by Heilprin's grandson, Judah Löb Heilprin, at

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

in 1769. There exist several other editions, the latest being the revised one of Naphtali Maskileison, son of Abraham Maskileison Warsaw, 1882. Of Heilprin's numerous other works mentioned in the ''Seder HaDorot,'' the only one which has been published is ''Erke HaKinnuyim,'' a dictionary of synonyms and homonyms occurring in the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

, and other works, chiefly Kabalistic (Dyhernfurth, 1806).

Example (Israel's sojourn in Egypt)

References

{{authoritycontrol 1725 non-fiction books 1769 non-fiction books 18th-century history books 1882 non-fiction books Hebrew-language chronicles Hebrew-language religious books History books about Judaism