Editing Ancient of Days (section)

==Judaism==
{{See also|Names of God in Judaism}}

This term appears three times in the [[Book of Daniel]] (7:9, 13, 22),<ref name="Daniel7">{{bibleverse|Daniel|7:9–22}}</ref> and is used in the sense of God being [[God and eternity|eternal]].<ref name="Eastons">{{cite book | title=Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Ancient of Days"| url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Ancient%20of%20Days| last=Easton| first=M. G.| author-link=Matthew George Easton| year=1897}} "In contrast with all earthly kings, his days are past reckoning."</ref>

{{quote|I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.|[[Book of Daniel|Daniel]] 7:9}}

===Kabbalah===
In the [[Zohar]], the seminal document of [[Kabbalah]] that emerged in 13th-century Spain, there is mention of the Ancient of Ancients, and the Holy Ancient One &ndash; Atika Kadisha, variably interpreted as synonymous with the [[Ein Sof]], the unmanifested [[Godhead (Judaism)|Godhead]]. The Ancient of Days is the manifestation of the Ancient of Ancients within Creation. It refers to the most primary ("ancient") source of creation in the divine will [[Keter]] ("Crown").

{{Quote|Whenever Judgment looms and the forehead of the Impatient One is revealed, the Forehead of the Ancient of Ancients is revealed; Judgment subsides and is not executed.|[[Idra Rabba]], [[Zohar]] 3:136b}}

In 16th-century [[Lurianic Kabbalah]], {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}} is systemised as the uppermost {{transliteration|he|[[Partzuf]]}} (Divine "Countenance/Configuration") in the rectification of the [[Four Worlds|World]] of [[Atzilut]] ("Emanation") after the "[[Tohu and Tikun|Shattering of the sephirot Vessels]]". Keter of Atzilut acts as the guiding Divine motivation in creation, developing into two {{transliteration|he|partzufim}}, {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}} (Ancient of Days) and {{transliteration|he|[[Arich Anpin]]}} ("Long Visage/Infinitely Patient One"). {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}} is the inner {{transliteration|he|partzuf}} of Keter, synonymous with Divine Delight, that enclothes within and motivates {{transliteration|he|Arich Anpin}}, the outer {{transliteration|he|partzuf}} of Keter, synonymous with Divine Will. {{transliteration|he|Arich Anpin}} is said to extend down all levels of Creation in ever more concealed mode as the divine substratum of everything. The Zohar goes into great detail describing the White Head of God and ultimately the emanation of its [[Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah|anthropomorphic personality or attributes]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/glossary/ancient.html |title=Glossary entry for Ancient of Days |access-date=2007-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702115508/http://www.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/glossary/ancient.html |archive-date=2007-07-02 }}</ref> In the [[Seder Hishtalshelut|descending realms]] explained by Luria, the {{transliteration|he|Gulgalta}} ("Skull"-[[Keter]] Will) within {{transliteration|he|Arich Anpin}} enclothes the [[Chesed]] (Kindness) of {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}}, becoming the origin of the lights of the world of {{transliteration|he|[[Atzilut]]}}; the {{transliteration|he|Mocha Stima'ah}} ("Concealed Brain"—[[Chokmah]] Wisdom) within {{transliteration|he|Arich Anpin}} enclothes the {{transliteration|he|[[Gevurah]]}} (Severity) of {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}}, becoming the origin of the vessels of the world of {{transliteration|he|Atzilut}}.<ref>[http://www.inner.org/worlds/mocha.htm Recification in Keter of Atzilut] from inner.org</ref> The {{transliteration|he|Dikna}} ("Beard") of {{transliteration|he|Arich Anpin}} [[Tzimtzum|constricts]] the infinite light originating from {{transliteration|he|Atik Yomin}} in [[Thirteen Attributes of Mercy|13 channels]] of [[Tohu and Tikun|rectification]] to lower, relatively finite reality.<ref>[http://www.inner.org/worlds/dikna.htm Rectification in Keter of Atzilut] from inner.org</ref> The [[Merkabah mysticism|Merkabah]] text Re'uyot Yehezkel identifies the Ancient of Days as [[Metatron]].<ref name ="Nathaniel">{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yhfMea8gTu4C&q=Daniel+&pg=PA34 | title = Guardians of the Gate: Angelic Vice-regency in the Late Antiquity |pages=45–47 |author= Nathaniel Deutsch | publisher =BRILL| year = 1999| isbn = 90-04-10909-9 | access-date = 5 March 2014}}</ref>