Honi ha-M'agel

In continuing my research for topical information for A Cornish Mess & Other Stories Loosely Revolving Around The Notion of Time I stumbled upon the story of Honi ha-M'agel or Honi the circle drawer. Honi was a man from the 1st century BC who was famous in Judaism for his ability to pray to God for rain.

Honi one time drew a circle around himself and prayed to God and told him that he would not move until it rained. This was during a drought so it was a necessary prayer for the society. When slight rain occurred Honi informed God that this was not enough. When a torrential downpour started Honi informed God that this was too much and that he wanted a calm rain. A calm rain happened and Honi left his circle.

Because of this Honi was nearly excommunicated because he had tested God. Thankfully, Honi received a pardon from this fate by Shimon ben Shetach, the brother of Queen Shlomtzion.

There are two accounts of the death of Honi. One account states that Honi fell into a deep sleep for 70 years and when he awoke he could not convince the people that he was in fact Honi the circle drawer and prayed for God to take him away. The second account is that Honi, a known miracle worker in Jewish circles was caught up in the Pharisees vs. Sadducees fight over Jerusalem around 63 BC. Hyrcanus II grabbed Honi and demanded that he pray for the demise of the Sadducee backed Aristobulus II and his followers. Honi instead prayed to God "Lord of the universe, as the besieged and the besiegers both belong to Your people, I beseech You not to answer the evil prayers of either". Hyrcanus and his followers, none too pleased by the holy man's prayer stoned him to death. The second account comes from the words of Josephus.

Now, this story smacks of some Biblical parallels. First, the circle drawing and the rain reminds me of Gideon and his prayer about the dew and the wool fleece in Judges 6. So, the Jews of the 1st century BC would have been very familiar with Gideon testing God with the act of rain/dew falling in certain places. Second, and this is very different in context, but when Balak, the king of Moab calls upon another holy man, Balaam to curse the Israelites as they cross through the desert. Balaam three times blesses Israel rather than cursing them much to the chagrin of Balak in Numbers 23-24. Now I know these are two different contexts, but it's a ruler demanding a prayer from a holy man and getting the opposite of what they expect.

Story Material:

The 70 years that Honi ha-M'agel is interesting enough to rewrite and weave into a short story. But what of the other main characters? Who is Shimon ben Shetach? Who is Queen Shlomtzion? Who is Hyrcanus II? Who is Aristobulus II? What of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?

Shimon ben Shetach - A confident Pharisee who undid much of the Sadducee interpretation of the law when he came to power as a religious leader. He led a witch hunt that had 80 women killed for sorcery. His son died as a result of the revenge from this incident. He was seen as fair to gentiles, returning a jewel he found when he purchased a donkey even though by law that jewel should have been his. He said that even though the law said that the jewel was rightfully his it was obvious that the man who sold the donkey did not intend to sell the jewel as well.

Queen Shlomtzion - A peaceful transitional regent between Sadducee rule and Pharisee rule of the religious courts of Judea (pre-Roman occupation). She seemed to be politically astute enough not to let the two warring factions muck everything up in her life time.

Hyrcanus II - A weak ruler and High Priest who leaned toward the Pharisee way of interpreting Scripture. He was at times controlled by Antipater the Idumaean and the Romans. He was eventually maimed and exiled to Babylon and then killed for plotting an uprising later in life.

Aristobulus II - Brother of Hyrcanus, but sided with the Sadducees. He overthrew Hyrcanus but was eventually deposed himself with the Roman help and killed by Pompey Magnus.

Antipater the Idumaean - A wheeler dealer who controlled Hyrcanus II and then took the kingship for his own family in setting up the Herodian dynasty. He was a major political player in bringing in massive changes in Judea in how the Jews were Hellenized and Romanized. He wasn't considered fully Jewish by the Jewish nationalists.

I'm sure upon further reflection a story can emerge from this...