Anybody who knows anything at all about Judaism knows that age 13 is culturally significant in Judaism; that’s the age when a boy does his bar mitzvah.
What I’m wondering about is age 50. And the reason for that is a curious little passage in the Bible. The traditional view is that Jesus was 33 or maybe 34 at the time of the Crucifixion. But a few people think that he was older; maybe even in his forties. This particular passage records one of the many disputes that Jesus had with the Jewish establishment. Here’s the key verse: "So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57, ESV).
It seems strange, if not downright peculiar, to describe somebody in his early 30’s as “not yet fifty.” Yes, it could be done–but it seems far more likely and logical to say “not yet forty.” Thus, I am wondering if age 50 had some sort of special significance that would in essence override the more likely choice.
This may have nothing at all to do with your question, but 40 seems to be a “bad luck” number – the main example being the 39 lashes Christ received; I heard it was against someone’s law to give more than forty lashes, so they stopped at 39 in case someone miscounted.
The only other age I am familiar with as having significance is 70, “ The days of our years are three score and ten." from the Psalms. Some people have a second Bar Mitzvah if they live to 83.
The only thing I can think of is that fifty was the age at which Levites would retire from the physically demanding aspects of the Temple service, but that’s pretty obscure and I don’t think Jesus was a Levite anyway. Otherwise the age has no symbolic significance that I’m aware of.
At five years of age the study of Scripture; At ten the study of Mishnah; At thirteen subject to the commandments; At fifteen the study of Talmud; At eighteen the bridal canopy; At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood]; At thirty the peak of strength; At forty wisdom; At fifty able to give counsel; At sixty old age; At seventy fullness of years; At eighty the age of “strength”; At ninety a bent body; At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world.
This may explain the fact that I turned 50 at the beginning of Covid and I have been “giving advice” to anti-vaxxers on Facebook ever since. I will need to consult with my rabbi.
