70

It is not surprising that 70 has a certain cabalistic value, since it is the tenfold of the sacred 7, and thus, as it were, its "great form." "Our life lasts threescore and ten ... " (Ps. 90: 10) says the psalmist, and groups of 70 are found throughout the Old Testament, from the 70 men accompanying Moses to Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:1) to the 70 years of the Babylonian exile (Jer. 25: 12). This latter period also contains the aspect of mourning that is sometimes connected with 70-as when Moses was mourned for 70 days. Likewise, Isaiah threatened that Tyre would be forgotten for 70 years. According to Jewish and early Christian tradition, either 70 or 72 scholars are supposed to have translated the Old Testament into Greek in the days of the Egyptian king Ptolomy II, and the Greek version is therefore still known as Septuaginta, "of the 70." Whatever their real number was, since they were excellent scholars, they had to be a group of 70 or 72.

According to legend, Adam knew 70 languages, which is taken to mean all the languages of the world. In a similar vein, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have recited the Quran 70 times during his heavenly journey in the Divine Presence, and also to have asked forgiveness 70 times daily-a recurring motif in the Abrahamic religions.

A charming wordplay with 70 is found in the later Midrash where it is said: "He who remains sober while drinking wine has the insight of 70 wise men." The Hebrew word for wine, yayin, has the numerical value of 70, as does the word for secret, sod; thus, when the wine enters, the secrets come out.

Although 70 is itself a great round number, it can be multiplied. Islamic mysticism holds that 70,000 veils separate God from his creatures, and according to another mystical tradition in Islam, the Prophet's luminous essence stayed at the Tree of Knowledge for 70,000 years.

(Annemarie Schimmel. The Mystery of Numbers. Oxford University Press, 1993 p. 263-264)