Severiano Talavero Tovar

Larga Alta 97
10190 Casar de Cceres, ESPAA
This English translation of mine is meant onl as a !ind of hel", if
necessar, to read the S"anish original "#$lished in
ST%&'%( )')L'C%( *+A,C'SCA,%(, Li$er Ann##s
L-'' ./01/0 1071117 S2 Talavero


-
About the 153 fish in Jn 21, 11

Is the number a notarikon? Is it a hint to the gentiles?
Patri matrique nunc semper cum Domino
Introduction
(an cent#ries "assed $efore an evangelical "astor dre3 attention to the fact that in ,ah#m 1 3e have a !ind of
"oetr2 )#c! is right 3hen he 3rites4 5't is ama6ing that onl in the second half of the last cent#r .he is referring
to the 19th cent#r0 a certain "astor, 72 *rohnmeer, Lien6ingen, 8tt$g, 7erman, o$served that in ,ah 1 3e
have an acrostic com"osition9
1
2 As a matter of fact :ol Scri"t#re scholars haven;t reached an agreement
regarding the e<tension of s#ch a com"osition
/
, altho#gh most of them thin! that it does not go $eond the 5 first
nine verses9
=
2 8itho#t insisting in details, 3hat is tr#l ama6ing is the long time ' have mentioned a$ove, that is
to sa, from the 7th cent#r ) C , 3hen the "ro"het ,ah#m;s activit too! "lace
>
, till the 19th cent#r A &2 Let
scholars not $e disco#raged in "ro"osing their contri$#tions, min#te as the ma seem, 3ith regard to the
inter"retarion of 7od;s 3ord2
*or cent#ries and cent#ries scholars have tried to find a satisfactor e<"lanation to the n#m$er of fish, e<actl
1?=
?
, ca#ght in the mirac#lo#s catch after @es#s; res#rrection, @n /1, 112 *rom the ?th cent#r till o#r o3n das
scholars have $een tring to e<"lain the meaning of this n#m$er in a more than ace"ta$le 3a2 %s#all, the sa,
the first attem"t in this regard 3as made $ saint A#g#stine .=?>1>=00 , in his commentar to the gos"el of @ohn,
3ritten, s"ecialists sa, $et3een >1> and >1A A &
A
2
Will I have been so luck !ith m "ro"osal about Jn 21, 11, as "astor #ronhmeer !as !ith his one
regarding $ah 1? %he reader ma &udge for himself'
(ro"osals made u" to no!
The o$Bect of m article is not to disc#ss in detail all that has $een said #ntil no3 a$o#t the meaning of the
n#m$er 1?= in @n /12 )#t ' sho#ldn;t give the im"ression ' am $#ilding on #ne<"lored land2 ' 3o#ld $e more than
ha"" if ' reall co#ld have made a contri$#tion in the right direction2
1
#' )uck, Nahum, en *+A%, vol' ,, -adrid 1./1, 333 '
/
0' +issfeldt, Einleitung in das Alte Testament, %1bingen
3
1.,2, 553, escribe 4ue se ha llegado a "ensar 4ue lo 4ue 5l llama 6ein
al"habetischer (salm7 llegara hasta $ah 2,3 8 2,2, "ero tal idea 6hat doch keine gesicherten und anerkannten +rgebnisse er9ielen
k:nnen7'
=
-' ;arc<a =ordero, Nahum, en )=, vol' 3,
2
1.,/, 1231'
>
;arc<a =ordero, l. c' 123> sobre el terminus a 4uo ad 4uem de la actividad del "rofeta'
?
?' )ultmann, Das Evangelium des Johannes, ;:ttingen
1/
1.,2, reim"resi8n de la
1>
1.21 con +rg@n9ungsheft, 52., llama la atenci8n
de 4ue se trata de un nAmero no redondo de lo 4ue deduce 4ue tiene 4ue tener un sentido simb8lico B6einen allegorischen *inn muss
sie, da sie keine runde Cahl ist, doch haben6D' +se "osible sentido es "recisamente el 4ue intento "ro"oner con mi art<culo '- +n las
citas en alemEn moderni9o la escritura conforme a las nuevas normas en vigor, tambi5n "or facilidad de im"resi8n en +s"aFa'
A
Obras de San Agustn' +dici8n biling1e GIII' %ratados sobre el +vangelio de *an Juan' Hersi8n, introducci8n notas del (' %e8filo
(rieto, 0*A, -adrid
2
l.,3, 2-1,' 1,I 6Jesde el mes de diciembre de 212 hasta el 1> de agosto de 215 "redica Agust<n los sermones
siguientesI''', los "rimeros 2/ tratados sobre san Juan los die9 tratados sobre su "rimera +"<stola' Jesde agosto de 215 hasta el est<o B
agosto, se"tiembre u octubre D de 21, "redica Agust<n los restantes sermones acerca del +vangelio de *an Juan 4ue son, en su
totalidad, ./ 6'
1
As ' have alread said it isn;t necessar for me to e<"lain in detail all that 3hich the different scholars have said,
es"eciall $earing in mind 3e have com"lete s#mmaries in this regard2 )#ltmann, )ro3n and Schnac!en$#rg,
among others, offer #s s#ch s#mmaries in their commentaries to the gos"el of @ohn
7
2 There 3e have concrete
C#otations and so#rces ' 3on;t re"eat here, since ' 3ant to $e not too long and concentrate on m o3n contri1
$#tion, after s#mmari6ing 3hat others have 3ritten2
The so1called 6oological e<"lanation given to the n#m$er 1?= $ saint A#g#stine is still highl regarded4 1?=
3ere the s"ecies of fish !no3n in the 7ree! 3orld and the main idea 3o#ld $e the #niversal activit of the ch#rch2
Saint A#g#stine himself offers also the so1called mathematical e<"lanation4 1?= re"resents the addition of all the
consec#tive n#m$ers from 1 to 17 .toda 3e s"ea! a$o#t the res#lt of the addition of the n#m$ers in an arithmetic
"rogression4 that is to sa4 half of the addition of the e<treme n#m$ers m#lti"lied $ the n#m$ers the series has
.1D17 E 1F4/E 9<17 E 1?=0 4 in the 1?= are incl#ded 10 .the ten commandements0 and 7 .the :ol S"irit02 Gthers
thin! that 1?= can $e divided in gro#"s that em$race the 3hole comm#nit, re"resented $ the n#m$er 1?=4 the
gentiles, the rest of 'srael and three, the :ol Trinit2 *or others the gro#"s 3ithin the 1?=, that is 3ithin the
comm#nit, are married "eo"le, 3ido3s and virgins2 Gther scholars concentrate on the gematric method of
inter"retarion and thin! 1?= is the amo#nt of the val#e of the 7ree! letters in the 3ords Simon and ichthys2 These
scholars $ase themselves in the te<t of the gos"el and its meaning 3o#ld $e this4 Peter "#ts on the "erson of Christ
3hen he "#t on his clothes, is $a"ti6ed $ B#m"ing into the 3ater and this 3a $ecomes the msterio#s ichthys,
@es#s Christ2 't has also $een said that 1?= re"resents the val#e of the :e$re3 letters qhl hhbh, the 5ch#rch of
love9, idea 3hich #ndo#$tedl reflects the 3hole conte<t of @n /14 the ch#rch entr#sted to Peter m#st $e r#led $
love, "recondition of an a#thorit in the comm#nit, altho#gh the e<"ression 5ch#rch of love9 doesn;t a""ear in
the @ohannine 3ritings2 Gther scholars sa that 1?= refers to E6 >7, 3here 3e read that fishermen, than!s to the
"lent of fish in the fresh 3ater, 3ill come from Engadi to Eneglin, and 1?= is the n#merical val#e of the :e$re3
letters of 1eglin2 All these e<"lanations #nderline es"eciall the meaning of #niversalit in the c"her 3e are
tal!ing a$o#t, on to" of other !inds of sm$olism 3e can see in )#ltmann, )ro3n and Schnac!en$#rg, among
others2 All of them thin! of references o#tside the immediate conte<t of @n /1, e<ce"t, for instance, the 5ch#rch of
love9, and one 3o#ld do#$t if s#ch lin!s 3o#ld $e o$vio#s and #nderstanda$le for the readers of the gos"el
F
2
)#t this handica" is "recisel 3hat 3isel eno#gh avoids the "ro"osal made a co#"le of ears ago $ Alonso
SchH!el4 1?= is the n#merial val#e of dggym gdwlym, 5$ig fish9
9
, as @ohn himself 3rites2 The onl diffic#lt
against this e<"lanation is, according to me, the do#$le g in the "l#ral of dgm 3ith a single g2
- "ro"osals
Is there a notarikon in the number 153?
' start from the 7ree! te<t, from the n#m$er as 3e have it in the original 7ree! e<"ression2 ' don;t resort to
elements or ideas o#tside the gos"el itself, nor to :e$re3 e<"ressions 3hose n#merical val#e ma $e e<actl 1?=2
This is 3hat scholars ha$e $een doing #" to no3 3itho#t an satisfactor res#lt2 ( "ro"osals don;t "retend, of
co#rse, to $e the sol#tion nor one of them a$ove an "osi$le do#$t2 ' tr onl to go a ste" f#rther and scholars 3ill
see 3hether it is 3orth3hile contin#ing in the direction ' "ro"ose2
'n the "ro"osals ' have mentioned a$ove gemmatr is of the #tmost im"ortance2 (aeso gives the follo3ing
definition4 5 ;7eometric !a$$ala;1 rather arithmetic1 tries to find hidden and #no$vio#s meanings in the )i$le
than!s to the n#merical val#e inherent to :e$re3 letters, and also d#e to the "artic#lar form of these letters in the
sacred te<t9
10
2 According to (aeso;s classification the gemmatric methods as s#ch are es"eciall these ones4 the
notari!on .or acronms0 and the temurh, that is, comm#tation or s#stit#tion of letters2
(aeso defines notari!on as follo3s4 5,otari!on or ;acronm; .from nota, ;indication;0 o"erates 3ith initial, and
also medial or final letters of a 3ord, $#ilds other ones, and these e<"lain the sm$olic and hidden meaning of the
litteral e<"ression9
11
2
According to this definition of notari!on one 3onders if there is a hidden 3ord in the n#m$er 1?= 1trimem$er in
the 7ree! original1 , hidden or not so m#ch2 ' thin! that the initial letters of
7
)ultman, Johannes 523-52.K ?' +' )ro!n, The ospel According to John !!, $e! Lork 1./>, 1>/2-1>/,K ?'*chnackenburg, Das
Johannesevangelium III, #reiburg
,
1..2, 22,'
F
)ro!n, John II 1>/5I 60ne cannot den that some of these inter"retations Bthe are not mutuall eMclusiveD are "ossible, but the all
encounter the same ob&ectionI !e have no evidence that an such com"licated understanding of 153 !ould have been intelligible to
JohnNs readers6'
9
O' Alonso *ch:kel, "iblia del Peregrino' $uevo %estamento, edici8n de estudio, tomo III, )ilbao +stella
3
1..3, a.l '
10
J '; ' -aeso, #anual de historia de la literatura hebrea' )<blica, rab<nica, neo&ud<ca, -adrid 1.,> , 213-213'21/K los traductores
comentaristas de +l Cohar, vol' I, )arcelona 2>>,, 355, dan esta definici8n del t5rminoI 7$otrik8n I*e refiere al m5todo de
inter"retaci8n a "artir de las iniciales de una "alabra determinada7'
11
-aeso, o.c' 21/
/
hekatn
pentkonta
trin are directing #s to3ards the n#m$er hept, 3hich is es"eciall significant in the )i$le2 This 5im"erfect9
acronm .the final alpha has $een dro""ed $eca#se the n#m$er 1?= ma!es it #navoida$le0 e<"resses the "lenit#de
and #niversalit demanded $ the mission of the risen Christ entr#sted to his disci"les2 According to me this
#niversali of the scene in @n /1, all the time #nderlined $ scholars, finds a $etter e<"resion in the n#m$er
5seven9 than in the 1?=, altho#gh, no do#$t, it is meaningf#ll $ig, $#t not necessaril f#ll as is the n#m$er seven2
$umber seven in the gos"el of John
't is tr#e that hept as s#ch doesn;t a""ear even once in the gos"el, $#t this is not all for o#r "#r"ose2 8e read
the ordinal hebdomn in the healing of the roal oficial, @n >,?/, $#t it is es"eciall im"ortant since it re"resents a
mere tem"oral connotation a$o#t the time, 3hen the man 3as c#red2 Altho#gh @ohn doesn;t #se hept , scholars
have al3as discovered a se"tenar idea in this gos"el2 The s"ea! a$o#t SEIE, S'7,S in @n /11/, 3hich is
#s#all called the $oo! of the signs2 &e T#a s#mmari6es ver 3ell the #tmost im"ortance of this n#m$er4
5Among the inn#mera$le signs accom"lished $ @es#s ./0,=00 he selects onl seven, sm$olic n#m$er of
;"lenit#de;, and "ossi$l referring to the ;recreative; 3or! of Christ, evo!ing the seven das in 7enesis9
1/
2
8hen it is the time to comment @n /11/, &odd divides these cha"ters in 3hat he calls the seven e"isodes
1=
2
Along 3ith the seven signs, scholars mention the selfdesigning e<"resion 5' am9 $ @es#s himself, associated 3ith
SEIE, different '&EAS4 $read of life, light of the 3orld, door, good she"herd, res#rrection and life, 3a, tr#th
and life and tr#e vine
1>
2 The seven signs and the seven a#to"resentations of @es#s are #ndo#$tedl the t3o
clearest series of the se"tenar idea, $#t the are not the onl cases reflecting the n#m$er seven in the gos"el of
@ohn2 )oismard thin!s he has discovered several more details in this regard
1?
4 seven disco#rses, seven titles in
@n 1, seven das in @n 11/, seven "eriods in @es#s life, etc2 't co#ld $e that )oismard has gone too far in his interest
to find traces of the hept in @ohn;s gos"el, as )ro3n thin!s
1A
2 )e that as it ma, after all 3e have said, it can;t
$e denied that in this gos"el there is an #ndenia$le interest in the n#m$er hept, altho#gh it s#r"rises that the 3ord
as s#ch isn;t #sed at all2 J#ite the o""osite is the case in +evelation .A"o!al"se0, as )ro3n sas and 3e 3ill
mention immediatel2
%he scene ob&ect of this article
@n /1, 1117 $egins $ telling #s that seven disci"les are "resent2 8e m#st co#nt them, $eca#se the te<t itself
doesn;t act#all #se this n#m$er2 8e alread !no3 ho3 im"ortant the n#m$er seven is in this gos"el, im"licitl
"resent in the first half of it, in the so1called $oo! of signs, as 3e have seen $efore2 )esides, it is note3orth to
$ear in mind ho3 the $oo! of +evelation #ses the n#m$er seven at ever t#rn4 the letters to the seven ch#rches,
the seven seals, the seven s"irits, the seven candlestic!s, the seven stars, the seven candles, the seven angels, the
seven tr#m"ets, etc
17
2 As o""osed to the e<"ress and so freC#ent mention of the hept in +evelation and to the
transcendent $#t im"licit hints at the same n#m$er in the $oo! of signs in the gos"el, here in @n /1 the evangelist
leaves the tas!, so to s"ea!, once again to the reader, 3ho has to discover that the 3itnesses of that 3hich he is
a$o#t to narrate are seven, B#st as the have had to discover also the n#m$er of selfdesignations of @es#s 3ith the
5' am92 Possi$l in @n A, 1/11? the evangelist intends the same4 the reader m#st $e a3are of the fact that the o#ng
man offers to @es#s the totalit of 3hat he has4 five loaves and t3o fish .seven02
'n @n /1, after mentioning those "resent, not all of them $ name, the evangelist1editor continKes saing that the
hard 3or! d#ring the night had $ore no fr#it2 Gnl @es#s; 3ord enco#rages his disci"les to tr it again and their
1/
-' de %ua, Evangelio de Juan, en )= H, -adrid 1.,2, .2/'
1=
='P'Jodd, The interpretation o$ the $ourth gospel, =ambridge 1.53, seMta reim"resi8n 1.,5,GK 333-33.I 6=haracter and structure of
the book of signs6K *chnackenburg% Johannesevangelium I 322-35,I Jie &ohanneischen NCeichenN K 325 tras escribir 4ue son siete
antes de nombrarlos aFade este "ar5ntesisI 6Bist diese Cahl ein Cufall? -an kann auch sieben )ilds"r1che mit egQ eim<
9usammenrechnenD6'
1>
*chnackenburg, Johannesevangelium II 5.-/>I Perkunft und *inn der #ormel egQ eim<K se "odr<a aFadir una octava f8rmula, la
de la fuente de agua viva, como advierte J'?at9inger-)enedikt GHI, Jes&s von Na'areth, #reiburg 2>>/, segunda edici8n, 2>5,
mencionando a *chnackenburg' L antes ha escrito el (a"a I 6+s gibt bei Johannes sieben solcher )ild!orteK dass es gerade sieben sind,
ist kaum ein Cufall7'
1?
-'+')oismard, NONRvangile S 4uatre dimensionsN, OumHie 1 B1.51D .2-112K lo cita )ro!n, John I, =GOII '
1A
)ro!n, l.c'I7)oismard'''has "erfected to a fine art the discover of sevens in the #ourth ;os"el I''')ut a closer look leads one to
sus"ect that this ingenuit is being im"osed on the evangelist, !ho never once gives the slightest indication that he has such numerical
"atterns in mind and never uses the !ord seven Bcontrast to ?evelationD7'
17
J' *alguero, Apocalipsis, en )= HII, -adrid 1.,5, 2..-3>1 sobre las 6series se"tenarias6 como "rocedimiento de com"osici8n del
A"ocali"sisK *' )artina, Apocalipsis de San Juan, en *+$% III, -adrid
2
1.,/, 5/3-5/5I 6Oos siete grandes se"tenarios6 en la divisi8n
del A"ocali"sis '
=
s#ccess is reso#nding4 not onl a $ig C#antit of fish $#t that the 3ere also $ig ones2 'f the evangelist 3anted to
#nderline the large C#antit of fish, he co#ldn;t have 3ritten, of co#rse, that the have ca#ght seven .hept0 fish2
)#t in the 7ree! initial letters of the n#m$er 1?= 3e have indeed a notari!on, 3ith the dro""ing of the final alpha
.as 3e have said $efore0, 3hich denotes the "lenit#de of the n#m$er seven2 A notari!on 3ith onl the first three
letters of hept $eca#se the n#m$er 1?= has also onl three 3ords2 %ndo#$tedl one m#st sa that it is scarcel
"ossi$le to sa more 3ith fe3er 3ords, if m e<"lanation is right4 e<"licitl it is said that here 3e have to do 3ith
a $ig C#antit .1?=0 and im"licitl, than!s to the notari!on ' am "ro"osing, 3e are given the hint of the idea of
"lenit#de .hept02
' am conscio#s, ' stress it again, that this notari!on is 5im"erfect9, $#t this sho#ldn;t im"l ' am not in the
correct direction2 Scholars have discovered n#mero#s shortcomings in the "oetic1ale"hatic com"osition of the
Psalms
1F
, and not onl in them
19
, $#t this doesn;t mean 3e 3ere allo3ed to den 3e have to do 3ith "oetic
com"ositions of this !ind2
'f the n#m$er seven, 3hich ' thin! to have discovered in the initial letters of the trimem$er 1?= in 7ree!,
#nderlines 3ith great strength the idea of #niversalit or "lenit#de, a tas! the ch#rch has to f#lfil 3ith her mission,
#niversalit so dear to the evangelist, as 3e see in so man "laces .@n 7,=?L 10, 1AL 11, ?/L 1/, /01/>0, the
evangelist1editor #nderlines also the idea of #nit, 3hen he em"hasi6es that the net 3asn;t torn ins"ite of s#ch a
large C#antit of fish2 @ohn;s gos"el is also ver interested in #nit, for instance, @n 10 the good she"herdL @n 17,
3here no less than five times 3e read the e<"ression 5the ma $e one92 And let #s not forget the stellar cha"ters
of the "assion1narrative2 Thin! of @n 19, /> .the t#nic is not torn0 and @n 19,== .the legs of the alread dead
cr#cified @es#s are not $ro!en0, as ' mself have tried to em"hasi6e else3here
/0
2
'f the notari!on here "ro"osed gives some light, let scholars see 3hether the famo#s AAA in +ev 1=, 1F, three
letters in the original 7ree!, sho#ldn;t $e e<"lained as a notari!on as 3ell2 Let them tr it2 )eca#se the gemmatric
method as s#ch has $ore no fr#it #" to no32 'nn#mera$le sol#tions have $een "ro"osed and inn#mera$le concrete
names from the +oman 3orld of those das have $een given to the $east2
Joes the number 153 hint to non-Je!s BgentilesD in the =hristian communit?
The interest of @ohannine circles regarding the n#m$er seven .im"licitl in the gos"el and e<"licitl in +evelation 0
and their concern for the #niversalit of the mission have moved me to "ro"ose the e<istence of the notari!on hept in
the three initial letters of the 1?= in 7ree!2 )#t the gos"el and the other 3ritings originated in the same @ohannine
circles sho3 other concerns eC#all strong in those comm#nities, and $eond, $eca#se those ideas are rooted in the
essential #niversali of Christianit, inherited, of co#rse, from B#daism, 3hich never 3as enclosed in himself, altho#gh
it has $een too freC#entl misre"resented this 3a2
'srael has #nderstood the Servant of @ahveh as mediator of light for other nations .'s 9, / 3ith >/, AL >9, A0, altho#gh
nat#rall, this role hono#rs 'srael himself .L! /, =/0
/1
2
'n the gos"el of @ohn 3e freC#entl find that the interest foc#ses on all "eo"le, that is to sa, also on the gentiles2 't is
tr#e that @es#s came to his o3n . 1, 10, $#t also to all those 3ho $elieve in him .1, 72 1/0
//
2 ,ot even those one co#ld
consider #nmentiona$le $eca#se of heres, s#ch as Samaritans, 3ere e<cl#ded, and it is envisaged an adoration 5in
s"irit and tr#th9, 3hat is tantamo#nt to the a$olition of an $arrier, $e it national, religio#s or of an other !ind
/=
2 This
is "recisel the conseC#ence dra3n at the end of the narrative a$o#t the Samaritan 3oman, 3hen @es#s is "resented as
5the Savio#r of the 3orld9 .>, >/0
/>
2 8hen @es#s conf#ses the "harisees, the inter"ret his 3ords as a "ossi$le hint that
he intends to go and dedicate himself to the gentiles .hllnas, 7, =?0, and this is a "roof that the $eginning of a
1F
-' ;arc<a =ordero, (ibro de los Salmos, en )= IH -adrid,
2
l.,/, 23> nota sobre (s .I 6Oa distribuci8n estr8fica acr8stica del salmo
. es bastante regular, aun4ue falta la estrofa daleth otras estEn intercambiadas aun re"etidas7' Oa inversi8n de la )ain la phe se
da en (s 1> en Oament 2, 6lo 4ue hasta ahora "arece ineM"licable6, escribe ;arc<a =ordero, (ibros pro$*ticos, en )= III, -adrid,
2
1.,/, /15, en la introducci8n a Oamentaciones' ?' Arconada, (os Salmos, en *+A% IH, -adrid, 1.,3, ++ % en la introducci,n al Ps -.
/0, escribe "or el contrario I 6$o se da la secuencia Ta1in % p23 , sino la mEs antigua p23 % )a1in 6'
19
+n (rov 31 la com"osici8n alfab5tica es totalmente ordenada' +n Oamentaciones eMtraFa 4ue Oament 1 res"ete el orden de las
estrofas Ta1in % p23, mientras 4ue las altera en los ca"' 2-2' As< 4ue resulta 6ineM"licable6 la alteraci8n del orden "or 4u5 no se da
tambi5n en Oament' 1 '
/0
*' %alavero %ovar, Pasi,n 1 4esurrecci,n en el !5 evangelio' Inter"retaci8n de un cristiano de "rimera hora, *alamanca 1./,, 22,-
251'251-25/ '
/1
Un mensa&e tan central en Isa<as em"a"a tambi5n al cuarto evangelio en el 4ue "roliferan las citas del "rofeta' $o s8lo alusiones
mEs o menos directas sino citas eM"resas nombrando a Isa<as como ocurre en Jn 1,23 BIs 2>,3D K Jn 12,3/-21 donde lo nombra tres veces
BIs 53,1K , ,1>D '
//
Jn 1,12 abarca a todos sean 6&ud<os o gentiles6I J' -' Oagrange, 6vangile selon Saint Jean, (aris
3
1.,2, reim"res' ,
a. l' I 6"ersonne nN5tait eMclu7K J' Oeal, Evangelio de San Juan, en *+$% I, -adrid
2
1.,2, a. l'K -' de %ua, Juan, en )= H, -adrid
1.,2, .,2 '
/=
Jif<cilmente "uede darse un universalismo mEs "rofundo tal como lo entiende el gran Oagrange, Jean a.l' 112 I 6Oa religion doit
Vtre "urement s"irituelle' +lle ne d5"endra ni de lieuM, ni de langues, ni de nations,W7 '
>
#niversal o"enness goes $ac! to @es#s himself
/?
2 This is the reason 3h 5other9 shee" are mentioned, 3hich are
#ndo#$tedl different from those 3ithin the 5fold9 .auls, 10, 1A0 of 'srael
/A
2 This o"enness to the non1@e3s 3as a
realit in the comm#nit as it is sho3n in the interest of certain gentiles .hllnes, 1/, /00 in seeing
@es#s
/7
2 This 3ish isn;t reBected in s"ite of the fact that the 3ords s"o!en $ @es#s don;t directl f#lfil it2 Even in the
3ords of the :igh Priest Caia"has the evangelist and his comm#nit discover this #niversalist tendenc4 @es#s 3o#ld
give himself not onl for his nation . to thnous0 $o#t also for 7od;s scattered children .t tkna to heo t
dieskorpismna, 11, ?/0
/F
, that is to sa, the shee" he had to lead into the one fold .10, 1A0
/9
2
&#e to the #ndenia$le interest in gentiles one can interrogate himself, if the n#m$er of fish, 1?=, isn;t hinting,
im"licitl of co#rse, to that #niversalism 3e are referring to, 3ithin 3hich the gentiles are incl#ded
=0
2 'f the hept
incl#des the gentiles $eca#se of the "lenit#de im"lied in this n#m$er as s#ch, the 1?= hints at them no less strongl,
altho#gh in a veiled 3a2 'n vie3 of the #tmost im"ortance of the tem"le, no lover of the $i$le can ignore even min#te
details regarding the $#ilding of Solomon;s tem"le2 ,ot e<cl#sivel @e3s 3ere among those 3ho $#ilt it2 7entiles
3or!ed there as 3ell2 T3ice 3e are told a$o#t it in / Chron /, cha"ter dedicated to the things arranged in order to $#ild
the Tem"le2 'n / Chron /,1A 3e read4
5Solomon too! co#nt of all the foreigners living in the land of 'srael, follo3ing the cens#s that
&avid his father had ta!en4 it 3as fo#nd these 3ere 1?=2A0092
And in the follo3ing vers the total amo#nt, 1?=2A00, is divided according to the !inds of Bo$s4 702 000 for trans"ort, F02
000 C#arrmen and =2 A00 overseers2 8e find these "artial n#m$ers in / Chron /, 12 The foreign 3or!ers are $riefl
mentioned in 1 Chron //, /2
,either scholars nor editions of the ,e3 Testament refer to / Chron /,1A2 Gnl in the !o"um estamentum graece $
E2 ,estle .St#ttgart, 1/th edition, 19>F0 have ' seen on the e<terior margin ne<t to @n /1, 11 5 ./ Chron /, 1A0 52 The
editor 3rites in the "rolog#es that the n#m$ers "rinted on the margins $et3een $rac!ets are 5"assages of contrasted
meaning or of more remote connection92
According to me the n#m$er m#st ma!e #s thin!, ta!ing into acco#nt, of co#rse, all that has $een said2
' have 3ritten $efore that the evangelist1editor noted that the fish ca#ght 3ere 1?= and $ig ones2 #e couldnt ha"e
written that the 3ere se"en, since this amo#nt is reall small .another different thing is the idea of "lenit#de0 , $#t '
thin! that the incom"lete notari!on . the final alpha is dro""ed0 ' have "ro"osed im"lies the hept , 3ith the idea of
intended "lenit#de in the mission $egan $ the a"ostles #nder Peter;s g#idance2
)#t he co#ldn;t have 3ritten either that the fish ca#ght amo#nted to 1?=2000, $eca#se in the conte<t of a single catch
this c"her is totall a$s#rd, $#t on reading the first three n#m$ers, 1?=, an$od familiari6ed 3ith the $i$le, and
$earing in mind the interest of the fo#rth gos"el and related 3ritings, it 3as eas to thin! of the foreigners 3ho too!
"art in the $#ilding of Solomon;s tem"le, the gentiles 3ho m#st $e incl#ded in the tem"le to $e $#ilt $ @es#s; a"ostles,
tem"le 3hich "rimaril is the $od of the risen @es#s . /, 191/10, $#t not e<cl#sivel his $od
=1
, $eca#se all those 3ho
m#st $ecome one 3ith him . @n 170 m#st $e incor"orated and form the tr#e tem"le4 5' sa3 no tem"le in the cit for the
Lord 7od , (aster of the #niverse, and the Lam$ are themselves its tem"le9 .+ev /1, // 02 The old tem"le 3as $#ilt $
/>
Je %ua, Juan 1>,5, observa con &uste9a 4ue 6el universalismo es uno de los rasgos 4ue mEs se acusan en el cuarto evangelio B Jn
3,1,K11'52K1>,1, D7 ' +l t<tulo es algo 4ue sobre"asa el ambiente &ud<o samaritano "uesto 4ue tambi5n es conocido en el mundo
"agano' (ara *chnackenburg, Johannesevangelium I 2.1, 6 s"ielt auch im hellenistischen )ereich eine nicht geringere ?olle 6'
/?
)ultmann, Johannes 233, advierte 4ue el malentendido de los 6&ud<os6 es una es"ecie de "rofec<a similar a la de =aifEs I 6Xhnlich
n@mlich, !ie 11, 51 f Yaia"has, !erden die NJudenN hier 9u (ro"heten !ider Wissen und Wollen' Jenn der #ortgang Jesu !ird in der
%at da9u f1hren, dass Jesus auch den ;riechen "redigen !ird6 '
/A
A4u< se ve, como observa )ro!n, John I 3.,, 4ue 6%he 4uestion of the =hristian mission to the ;entiles !as a burning one in the
earl =hurch' %ema 4ue "uede remontarse al "ro"io 4uehacer de JesAs no tratarse de algo intoducido 6b later =hristian
theologians 6 '
/7
Je %ua, Juan 12>2, "iensa 4ue 6se trata de gentiles mu afectos al &uda<smo6, fueran "ros5litos o s8lo 6fuertes sim"ati9antes con la
religi8n &ud<a6'
/F
*e trata "ara *chnackenburg, Johannesevangelium II 252, de la formaci8n de 6ein neues und einheitliches ;ottesvolk aus Juden und
Peiden6' +s un universalismo 4ue de %ua, Juan 11.2, eM"resa as< I7+ra la redenci8n universal "ara lograr la total redenci8n del
universal Israel de Jios6'
/9
Oa unidad es otra de las grandes "reocu"aciones del cuarto evangelio' Unidad 4ue ha 4ue salvaguardar "or encima de la
diversidad de "rocedencia de 4uienes van a convivir en ese redil' *i se tratara de una 6aFadidura secundaria de la redacci8n6
B)ultmann, Johannes 2.2 D, se ver<a aAn con mEs nitide9 la im"ortancia enorme 4ue la comunidad conced<a a la unidad'
=0
Oo "ro"ongo con toda sencille9, "or4ue no de&a de ser cierto lo 4ue )ro!n, John II l>/5, nota acertadamenteI 6We kno! of no
s"eculation or established smbolism related to the number 153 in earl thought7'
=1
-e "arece 4ue "ensar en la iglesia no estE fuera de lugar como a lo hi9o Cahn' Oo menciona Oagrange, Jean ,3 , aun4ue recha9a
su interrelaci8nI7 Cahn essaie de lui donner un sensI les Juifs, "ar leur haine envers lui, seront cause de la ruine du %em"le, et lui en
rebZtira un nouveauI cNest-S-dire son 5glise 6'
?
@e3s and 7entiles ali!e and among the ne3 "eo"le 3e find the 1>>2000 and the m#ltit#de from all nation, im"lied,
according to m "ro"osal, in the n#m$er 1?= from @n /1, 11 in the light of / Chron /, 1A2

Witnesses of the scene and the amount of fish
'n an te<t, also in the $i$le, the most im"ortant thing is the a#thor;s intention, the hagiogra"h in o#r case2 'f scholars
don;t see clearl the meaning of 1?= in @n /1, 11, the #s#all defend the acc#rac of the n#m$er and sa it 3as
alread in "re1redactional so#rces and $ased on ee13itnesses of the scene2 This is 3hat )ro3n sas2 And
Schnac!en$#rg agrees 3ith the ,orth1American scholar2 )ro3n defends the n#m$er 1?= as s#ch and thin!s it isn;t d#e
to the editing contri$#tion of the evangelist2 'f it had $een invented M and not real 1 $ the redactor himself, he co#ld
have 3ritten that the fish ca#ght 3ere 1>>, a c"her 3hich in @ohannine circles 3o#ld have $een immediatel
associated 3ith the 1>>2000 in +evelation
=/
2 )#t the comm#nit strata from 3hich the n#merical re"resentations in
+evelation and in the gos"el not necessaril m#st $e identical2 'n the a"ocal"tic 3a of 3riting it 3as nat#ral to
"resent the ne3 'srael and concentrate on it, thin!ing of the t3elve tri$es of 'srael, th#s m#lti"ling 1/ $ 1/, and
giving to each of the t3elve tri$es 1/20002 Gn 'srael foc#ses +evelation, and re"resents it in the 1/ doors or the t3elve
fo#ndations of the heavenl @er#salem . +ev /1, 911>02 )#t the evangelist foc#ses, as ' have said $efore, on the gentile
com"onent, 3hose hint 3e have in the 1?=, and more clearl, of co#rse, in / Chron /, 1A2
The fact that the n#m$er has a sm$olic val#e $eond the n#m$er as s#ch mathematicall ta!en, sho#ld allo3 to "#t
the follo3ing dilema4 either mathematical e<actness and the g#arantee of an ee13itness, or the sm$olic val#e of the
amo#nt given2 ' mself thin! that $oth the n#m$er and its sm$olic val#e are "revio#s to the redaction of the scene2 'f
the 1>>2000 in +evelation foc#ses on the @e3ish com"onent of the ne3 'srael . 3itho#t ignoring the non1@e3s4 from
an nation, race, "eo"le and tong#e0, the 1?= hints at the foreigners1gentiles in the same ne3 'srael, 3ho in a m#ltit#de
of 1?=2000 too! "art in the $#ilding of Solomon;s tem"le2 And $e that as it ma, the evangelist1editor is far more
interested in the sm$olic val#e than in "#re mathematical e<actness 3itho#t an meaning 3hatsoever for his
comm#nit2 't 3eighs more the meaning of the n#m$er than mere mathematics4 it sho#ldn;t $e necessar to imagine
that those "resent at the scene $egan to co#nt the fish ca#ght2
)ro3n has no diffic#lt in acce"ting that the 1>>2000 in +evelation co#ld have ca#sed that in @n /1 the fish ca#ght
3o#ld have $een 1>>, if the 1?= 3ere a "#re invention B#st to #nderline its sm$olic val#e2 'f it had $een clear for the
comm#nit to associate 1>> 3ith the tho#sands in +evelation, it 3as eC#all eas for the listeners1readers of the gos"el,
3hen the read 1?=, to thin! of the gentiles, since Solomon;s tem"le 3as more than "resent in @e3ish "eo"le;s
conscio#sness2 And @ohannine comm#nit and comm#nities 3ere interested in gentiles and had mem$ers of this !ind,
as 3e see in the need the had that :e$re31Aramaic terms sho#ld $e translated for them2 Three consec#tive times 3e
find this !ind of translations4 @n 1,=F2 >12 >/ . rab$ mashiah$ kepha 02 And this comm#nit 3ith a gentile origin 3o#ld
recogni6e herself in the 1?= of @n /1, 112
Gnce the dee"going sm$olic val#e of 1?= is admitted, ' don;t thin! that it is o#t of "lace to sa that the a$ove
c"her isn;t d#e to a fact#al o$servation $ an ee13itness or $ ee13itnesses2 8e have to do, act#all, 3ith the
concreti6ation of a theological message "resent in the te<t of the gos"el, discovered, at least "artiall, alread from the
Patristic times on3ard4 the #niversalit .im"lied in the 5incom"lete9 notari!on hept, as ' have $een "ro"osing0 and
dra3ing attention to the gentiles, called to $#ild and sha"e the ne3 "eo"le1tem"le of 7od .re"resented in the 1?=2 A00
foreign 3or!ers of / Chron and in the 1?= fish ca#ght according to @n /1, 1102
*ummar
The a#thor thin!s that the n#m$er 1?= has a t3ofold meaning4 10 #niversalit of the mission .1?= in 7ree! is a
notari!on of hept%&0 and /0 it hints at the "agan nations .there 3ere 1?=2A00 foreign 3or!ers 3hen Solomon;s
Tem"le 3as $#ilt02
'eci quod potui $ (aciant meliora potentes

*+H+?IA$0 %AOAH+?0 %0HA?
=asar de =Eceres, octubre 2>>, &ulio 2>>3
=/
)ro!n, John II 1>/5-1>/,I 6)ut !e are inclined to think that because this smbolism is not immediatel evident, it did not "rom"t
the invention of the number7' Je haberlo inventado, sigue diciendo, hubiera elegido, "or e&em"lo, el 122' As< 4ue el 153 de Jn 21,11,
6"robabl lies in the direction of an em"hasis on the authentic ee!itness character of !hat has been recorded BGGI, 22 D6' +n la
misma direcci8n va *chnackenburg, Johannesevangelium III 22,I 6$1chterne +Megeten vermuten eine eMakte Angabe, bis!eilen unter
)erufung auf Augen9eugenschaft 6'
A