Tish'a Vachamishim Umatayim - mi yodeya?

Question

Who knows two hundred fifty-nine?

Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point between twenty-four hours and a few days from now, I will:

• Vote up all interesting and relevant answers.

• Accept the "best" answer.

• Move on to the next number.

I don't think ISO 259 is in scope.

Answer 1

259 years passed from when Hashem told Avraham, "You shall most certainly know [that your descendants will be strangers in a strange land...]," until Yaakov settled "in the land of his forefathers' sojourn (מגורי)" - which has the numerical value 259.

[Bereishis Rabbah 84:5. Matnos Kehunah and Etz Yosef there point out that it is hard to understand how this could be so, since the Covenant Between the Parts was in Avraham's seventieth year (2018 since Creation), and from then until Yaakov returned home, in 2207/8, is less than two hundred years. They suggest that it may be counting from Avraham's birth (1948-2207), or the period from the Dispersal - when Avraham first fully recognized Hashem, at age 48 - to Yaakov's passing (1996-2255).]

Answer 2

יהוה צבאות appears 259 times in Tanach.

Answer 3

In the 259th year after Avraham Avinu was born Reuvain (Reuvain = 259) became Bar Mitzva.

Avraham gave birth to Yitzchok at 100. Yitzchok gave birth to Yaakov at 60. Yaakov gave birth to Reuvain at 85.

100 + 60 + 85 + 13 = 258