The Biblical Calendar Information
The Biblical Calendars
This group of studies is completely dedicated to examining some of the most challenging issues related to Yahweh’s calendar, as is used in the Bible. It proceeds with the assumption that you already believe that the whole Bible is the inspired Word of Yahweh, in the original languages, & in the original context, and is applicable to all believers who are Followers of the Messiah, today.
The goal of these studies is not to suggest that we have everything regarding this subject worked out - we know that we don't. We are simply sharing what we have discovered so far, which of course means that it could change at any time, after further study.
119 Ministries, in their presentation at : https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings/detail/time-the-foundation-part-1/, describes the problem well.
These studies "will force us to take a position in a sea of controversy. This means that, by default not everyone will be happy with our results or conclusions. Many may be disappointed or perhaps even angry that we did not come to the same conclusions as them. At minimum, we hope our presentation at least offers understanding why we currently believe what we believe, at best, we hope that this teaching offers you clarity, resolve, and understanding when it comes to our Creator’s calendar".
There are basically four different perspectives on calculating the first month of a biblical year. The following short descriptions are not given in any intended order.
Method H – The Hillel II calculated calendar (also called the Jewish calendar). This is the traditional rabbinical model which has been used since the fourth century, and its creation is usually credited to Hillel II. Most mainstream Jews, & many Messianic Israelites follow this method. It is a mathematical-type method.
The Hillel II calendar was originally developed after the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. Without going into all the details, the Jewish dispersion, sometimes called the Diaspora, is the name given to the event when the Jewish people were exiled from ancient Israel, so that they had to settle in other parts of the world.
Because the Jews were dispersed across the world, Hillel II, the Nasi (president) of the last Jewish Sanhedrin, developed, & published a calculated calendar for all Jews throughout the world to use. The Jewish people sincerely wanted to observe Yahweh's moedim (feasts or appointed times), but because of their exile from their ancient homeland, Israel, they had a serious problem determining the biblical calendar. This was their solution.
This Jewish calendar uses a nineteen year pattern, and an astronomical cycle to calculate this calendar. It is perhaps the most popular method used, mostly because of tradition.
As a summary, this fixed calendar is a man-made, calculated calendar. Its start is based on the calculated conjunction for the 4th day of creation. Its days go from sunset to sunset - it has either 29 or 30 day months, & its years are either 12, or 13 months. It uses a 19 year cycle, & inserts leap years mechanically every 3,6,8,11, 14, 17 & 19 years.
This Hillel II calculated calendar, based on rabbinical tradition, adds days, & even postpones certain days. An example is that with their added rules & reasoning, Yom Kippur should not fall adjacent to Shabbat, because this would cause difficulties in coordinating a fast with Shabbat.
For more specific details on the Hillel II calculated calendar, please refer to :
http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
Method E - The Enoch calendar. This is probably the least popular method. It is derived from an extra-Biblical Book titled, the Book of Enoch, & uses the Book of Jubilees for additional support. This method exclusively utilizes the sun in calendric calculations.
The Enoch calendar is calculated using three steps.
STEP 1: They determine the Spring “equilux”, the day which has equal daylight and night. I believe that there is some debate on whether to use the Jerusalem Equilux as March 16th, or Astronomical Equinox as March 20th. This day is considered to be the last day of the year.
STEP 2: The following day, is the first day of the month, of the new year – I believe it must be a Wednesday, since Wednesday is the fourth day of a week, which correlates to the fourth day of creation, when the sun was created (Gen 1:14-19). Months 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, & 11 contain 30 days, while months 3, 6, 9, & 12 contain 31 days. This is a total of exactly 364 days per year.
STEP 3: The weekly Sabbath calculation begins on the 3rd day of the first month, with each successive Sabbath day falling on the 7th day from that. As the calendar is in transition from one year to the next, the Sabbath shifts the “non-days” are not formally included in the Sabbath count. This means that sometimes there can be a period of eight to nine days (evening and mornings) between a Sabbath during the annual transition, instead of the Biblical seven.
Method K – There is the Karaite Jewish Calendar, which relies heavily on the sighting of abib barley in Israel The abib barley is required for the First-fruits wave sheaf offering to Yahweh, soon after Passover. The Karaite Jews, and many Messianic Israelites utilize this method. It is a lunar/solar calendar that determines the start of the year based on the agricultural sign of the abib barley, and the first of the month is determined by means of sighting the first crescent of the moon,
Method S - There is the method of using only the sun, moon, and stars, in conjunction with the abib barley as another witness. This calendar uses the sun to determine the day (yom in Hebrew), the conjunction moon determines the start of a month (chodesh in Hebrew), and the stars determine the start of the year (shaneh in Hebrew), with the second witness agreement found in the agricultural sign of the abib barley in Israel. All celestial timepieces are considered intentional, and useful in our Creator’s design with an Earthly agricultural sign as an additional witness.
The goal of these studies is not to suggest that we have everything regarding this subject worked out - we know that we don't. We are simply sharing what we have discovered so far, which of course means that it could change at any time, after further study.
119 Ministries, in their presentation at : https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings/detail/time-the-foundation-part-1/, describes the problem well.
These studies "will force us to take a position in a sea of controversy. This means that, by default not everyone will be happy with our results or conclusions. Many may be disappointed or perhaps even angry that we did not come to the same conclusions as them. At minimum, we hope our presentation at least offers understanding why we currently believe what we believe, at best, we hope that this teaching offers you clarity, resolve, and understanding when it comes to our Creator’s calendar".
There are basically four different perspectives on calculating the first month of a biblical year. The following short descriptions are not given in any intended order.
Method H – The Hillel II calculated calendar (also called the Jewish calendar). This is the traditional rabbinical model which has been used since the fourth century, and its creation is usually credited to Hillel II. Most mainstream Jews, & many Messianic Israelites follow this method. It is a mathematical-type method.
The Hillel II calendar was originally developed after the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. Without going into all the details, the Jewish dispersion, sometimes called the Diaspora, is the name given to the event when the Jewish people were exiled from ancient Israel, so that they had to settle in other parts of the world.
Because the Jews were dispersed across the world, Hillel II, the Nasi (president) of the last Jewish Sanhedrin, developed, & published a calculated calendar for all Jews throughout the world to use. The Jewish people sincerely wanted to observe Yahweh's moedim (feasts or appointed times), but because of their exile from their ancient homeland, Israel, they had a serious problem determining the biblical calendar. This was their solution.
This Jewish calendar uses a nineteen year pattern, and an astronomical cycle to calculate this calendar. It is perhaps the most popular method used, mostly because of tradition.
As a summary, this fixed calendar is a man-made, calculated calendar. Its start is based on the calculated conjunction for the 4th day of creation. Its days go from sunset to sunset - it has either 29 or 30 day months, & its years are either 12, or 13 months. It uses a 19 year cycle, & inserts leap years mechanically every 3,6,8,11, 14, 17 & 19 years.
This Hillel II calculated calendar, based on rabbinical tradition, adds days, & even postpones certain days. An example is that with their added rules & reasoning, Yom Kippur should not fall adjacent to Shabbat, because this would cause difficulties in coordinating a fast with Shabbat.
For more specific details on the Hillel II calculated calendar, please refer to :
http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm
Method E - The Enoch calendar. This is probably the least popular method. It is derived from an extra-Biblical Book titled, the Book of Enoch, & uses the Book of Jubilees for additional support. This method exclusively utilizes the sun in calendric calculations.
The Enoch calendar is calculated using three steps.
STEP 1: They determine the Spring “equilux”, the day which has equal daylight and night. I believe that there is some debate on whether to use the Jerusalem Equilux as March 16th, or Astronomical Equinox as March 20th. This day is considered to be the last day of the year.
STEP 2: The following day, is the first day of the month, of the new year – I believe it must be a Wednesday, since Wednesday is the fourth day of a week, which correlates to the fourth day of creation, when the sun was created (Gen 1:14-19). Months 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, & 11 contain 30 days, while months 3, 6, 9, & 12 contain 31 days. This is a total of exactly 364 days per year.
STEP 3: The weekly Sabbath calculation begins on the 3rd day of the first month, with each successive Sabbath day falling on the 7th day from that. As the calendar is in transition from one year to the next, the Sabbath shifts the “non-days” are not formally included in the Sabbath count. This means that sometimes there can be a period of eight to nine days (evening and mornings) between a Sabbath during the annual transition, instead of the Biblical seven.
Method K – There is the Karaite Jewish Calendar, which relies heavily on the sighting of abib barley in Israel The abib barley is required for the First-fruits wave sheaf offering to Yahweh, soon after Passover. The Karaite Jews, and many Messianic Israelites utilize this method. It is a lunar/solar calendar that determines the start of the year based on the agricultural sign of the abib barley, and the first of the month is determined by means of sighting the first crescent of the moon,
Method S - There is the method of using only the sun, moon, and stars, in conjunction with the abib barley as another witness. This calendar uses the sun to determine the day (yom in Hebrew), the conjunction moon determines the start of a month (chodesh in Hebrew), and the stars determine the start of the year (shaneh in Hebrew), with the second witness agreement found in the agricultural sign of the abib barley in Israel. All celestial timepieces are considered intentional, and useful in our Creator’s design with an Earthly agricultural sign as an additional witness.
The case, for & against each possible calendar
Have you ever had the experience of being judged by someone, without them even listening to what you would like to say about a subject ? I have, and I am sure that you the reader has also. This experience has a title - it is called the principle of “Condemnation before Examination”. It has been said that the greatest form of ignorance is condemnation before examination.
Recently, I gave considerable thought as to whether I practice “condemnation before examination”, and had to admit that I had done so in the past. I receive many studies, or teachings on subjects I am interested in, and I now realise, I sometimes judge the content of the study, or teaching, without really examining it carefully. Once I came to this realisation, I decided to change my attitude, & now, will read, & examine, any study or teaching that I receive.
Another thought I had, was that when people send a study, or teaching to someone else, don't they have an expectation, that the other person will read, and “examine” it?
Do you know what my experience is ? I have sent several, carefully prepared studies to different “messianic” leaders, and sadly, there is usually "no response", but when the rare individual does reply, it is clear, that they have not really read what I have written. It seems that all they want to do, sadly is, “justify what they already believe”.
I therefore, strongly encourage you the reader, to open your mind to what I have written, to place any preconceived ideas aside for now, and to allow this information to enter your mind for consideration. If you examine it, and can “prove” from Scripture that it is faulty, you are no worse off. All you have lost, is a little time. If some, or all of what you read is new “revelation” to you, your understanding of Yahweh’s word will have expanded.
Because there are at least, four main biblical calendars in use, isn't it blatantly obvious that, at least three, if not four, are in error ? Again, I ask the vital question, how can I really know that, what I have read & viewed about the Biblical Calendars, is accurate, true & correct ?
My answer to this question is that I like to TEST each candidate by examining the reasons each was originally developed, & then look at the problems associated with each method. By doing this, I believe it is possible to eliminate the unworthy & invalid biblical calendar contenders.
May I begin - I'll be using "my" description for each calendar candidate ?
Method H – The Hillel II calculated calendar (also called the Jewish calendar), uses a mathematical-type method to determine it.
It's rationale.
After the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Jews were exiled from Israel, & were forced to live in other parts of the world.
Because the Jewish people, sincerely wanted to observe Yahweh's moedim (feasts) in those places, Hillel II, the Nasi (president) of the last Jewish Sanhedrin, developed, & published a calculated calendar for all Jews throughout the world to use.
This Jewish calendar uses a nineteen year pattern, and an astronomical cycle, based on the sun, to calculate this calendar. It is perhaps the most popular method used, mostly because of tradition.
As a summary, this fixed calendar is a man-made, calculated calendar. Its start is based on the calculated conjunction for the 4th day of creation. Its days go from sunset to sunset - it has either 29 or 30 day months, & its years are either 12, or 13 months. It uses a 19 year cycle, & inserts leap years mechanically every 3,6,8,11, 14, 17 & 19 years.
Method E - The Enoch calendar exclusively uses the sun in its calendric calculations, & is derived from an extra-Biblical Book, titled, the Book of Enoch, & uses the Book of Jubilees for additional support.
Its rationale
Those who follow the Enoch Calendar, claim that it is shown in the first Book Of Enoch, chapter 37, and was given by the Angel Uriel (YahEl). They say that it is the original Priestly Calendar that was used in the Torah.
The Enoch Calendar is a 12-Month Solar Calendar having 364 days only, and proponents claim it was used by the antediluvian (pre-flood), patriarchs, and by Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. They further claim it was taught to Moses by the Angel Yah, and that it continued in effect through the second Temple period under Ezra and Nehemiah. They say that it was the official biblical calendar until the 2nd Century BCE, when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes ended the use of the Enoch Calendar, and forced the Israelite people (sons of Eber/Heber) to observe the Lunar Calendar.
Enoch calendar proponents assert that the Book of Jubilees preserved the Enoch Calendar.
These proponents claim that, based on Jubilees 2:2-3, the angels were created on Day One of the creation week, and the stars, sun and moon were created on Day Four of the creation week, and that the angels & stars, sun & moon are different creations, having different functions; i.e. many of the angels are responsible for "leading" the sun, stars, and moon through the heavenly portals to keep perfect timing over the earth by controlling light, darkness, seasons, weather, and sea levels, quoting Enoch 75:1, 80:1, 82:4-20. They also quote the Septuagint version of Job 38:7, as support.
Job 38:7 When the stars were made, all My angels praised Me with a loud voice.
I believe that another reason supporting the Enoch calendar is based on three verses in Genesis, chapters 7 & 8. They are Gen 7:11, Gen 8:3, Gen 8:4 & Gen 8:14. Their logic is that, since two periods of time are mentioned, the 17th day of the 2nd month (Gen 7:11), & the 17th day of the 7th month (Gen 8:4), & the time of 150 days in Gen 8:3 is given, that each month must be 30 days long (150/5 = 30).
Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Gen 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
Gen 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Gen 8:14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
Method K – The Karaite Jewish Calendar relies on the following as supporting evidence.
1: Exod 13:4, Exod 23:15, Exod 34:18 and Deut 16:1 all refer to the month in which the Israelites left Egypt as the month of "Abib". Therefore, for these proponents, "abib" is a very important descriptor as we shall see.
Exod 13:4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.
Exod 23:15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty);
Exod 34:18 “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
2: Abib indicates a stage in the development of the barley crops. This can be understood by reading Exodus 9:31-32 which describes the devastation caused by the plague of hail.
Exodus 9:31-32 "And the flax and the barley were smitten, because the barley was in the ear (Abib) and the flax was boiled (Giv'ol)
And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten because they were dark (Afilot)."
These verses relate that the barley crops were destroyed by hail, while the wheat and spelt were not damaged. The reason that the barley was destroyed, and the wheat wasn't, is that the barley had reached the stage in its development called "abib", and as a result had become brittle enough to be damaged by the hail.
In contrast, the wheat and spelt were still early enough in their development, at a stage when they were flexible, and not susceptible to being damaged by hail.
3: The "abib" barley theorists conduct “barley hunts” in Israel each year around the beginning of March. They have “experts” who go through the land of Israel searching for barley that is classified as “abib”. When sufficient “abib” barley is found throughout Israel, they declare that the barley in Israel is “abib”.
4: "Abib" Barley proponents also use Lev 2:14 for support. They claim that the firstfruits mentioned here can be brought as either “abib” barley parched in fire, or as crushed grain.
Lev 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto Yahweh, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn (abib), dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
5: "Abib" barley theorists claim that Gen 1:14 supports their position, since the sun is needed to produce mature barley “at the appropriate time”. For them, the "abib" barley is the first indication of the approaching biblical new year.
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (moedim), and for days, and years:
Method S - This method uses only the sun, moon, and stars, (the lights of Gen 1:14), in conjunction with the abib barley as another witness. It claims that the biblical new year begins at the new moon conjunction, after the vernal equinox.
This group relies on the following evidence to support their claim :
1: The “lights” mentioned in Gen 1:14 are the sun, the moon, and the stars. This is supported by Gen 1:16.
Method S proponents claim that the sun moves through all the constellations of stars each year in a systematic way. Based on Josephus' comment in, Antiquities of the Jews, 3:10:5, the sun was in the constellation of Aries at the time of the original Passover in Egypt.
Today, at Passover, the sun is in the constellation of Pisces, & returns back there at the beginning of the following “year”. The start of the biblical yearly cycle is signalled with the vernal equinox (around March 20 or 21st).
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
2: Method S proponents claim that there is scriptural support from several verses that refer to the idea of "a year's end" in Exod 34:22, as well as "the year was expired" in 1 Ch 20:1 & 2 Ch 36:10, with "the end of the year" referred to in 2 Ch 24:23.
In Exod 34:22 and 2 Ch 24:23, the Hebrew words translated as “at the year’s end” are Hebrew words “shaneh”, H 8141 and “tekufah”, H8622.
The appropriate information from Strong's Concordance is shown below :
I Ch 20:1 and 2 Ch 36:10 contain the Hebrew words H 8141 and H 8666 which are translated as “the year was expired”.
Method S theorists claim that this is scriptural evidence that the vernal equinox is significant - they say that the vernal equinox signals the start of the biblical new year.
3: We know that, according to Lev 23:10, barley, the only crop ready for harvest around Passover, is required for the first-fruits wave offering. Proponents of this Method, claim that the sun, when it returns to the constellation of Pisces at the start of the new biblical year, is in a perfect position to ripen the barley for this Yahweh commanded ceremony.
Method S differs from Method K, in that the positioning of the sun (the greater light of Gen 1:16) is the trigger for the start of the biblical new year, because that positioning of the sun, at the equinox, "ripens" the barley for harvest (a second witness).
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
They claim that the biblical new year begins with the conjunction of the moon after the vernal equinox.
I'd like to now, list the problems that I have found with each of the above biblical calendar candidates, which will, hopefully, assist us in identifying the valid, & scripturally correct, Biblical Calendar.
Major Problems with the Hillel II calculated calendar.
A: This Hillel II calculated calendar, based on rabbinical tradition, adds days, & even postpones certain days. An example is that with their added rules & reasoning, Yom Kippur should not fall adjacent to Shabbat, because this would cause difficulties in coordinating a fast with Shabbat. There is no mention, anywhere in the Bible, of any postponements associated with Yahweh's biblical calendar.
Based on Deut 4:2 & Deut 12;32, no one has the authority "to add to, or take away" from Yahweh's Word, including His biblical calendar.
B: The Jews themselves, know & admit that, the Hillel II calculated calendar is not the calendar that was used prior to the Jewish dispersion, in 70 AD.
C: We know that the Jews have now been living in the promised land, Israel, for over 70 years, & with modern technology readily available, the original problem no longer exists. I have seen no evidence that the Jews of modern Israel are making any effort to restore the correct biblical calendar.
D: While this calendar does rely on the sun for its operation, it totally overlooks the instructions of Gen 1:14-16, by ignoring the participation of the moon, & the stars.
E: There are several other problems that the following list details, but the five above, are the most serious.
~ It is purely a man made calculated calendar
~ There is no observation of the moon, nor the physical sighting of the required wave sheaf offering crop, barley (Lev 23:10)
~ The original start of this calendar is at conjunction on the 4th day of creation
~ Subsequent conjunctions are calculated using average synodic lunar month of 29.53 days
~ Molad (lunar conjunction)is presently 2 hours later than when instituted (based on Jerusalem time)
~ It can sometimes be 26-33 days in error from "abib" Barley
~ Postponements can cause month to begin 1 day after the sighted new moon
~ It is increasingly moving later into the seasons (currently 8 days later than when instituted)
~ It improperly dates Shavuot (Pentecost)
Based on these very serious violations of Scripture, I have to eliminate the Hillel II calculated calendar, as a valid candidate for Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Problems with the Enoch calendar
A: While this Enoch calendar uses the sun & stars, it ignores the moon as a participant in determining a "biblical" calendar, thus overlooking the instructions of Gen 1:16 & Ps 104:19.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons (moedim): the sun knoweth his going down.
B: Many of the ideas mentioned in the Book of Enoch & the Book of Jubilees are not referenced in the official Bible.
C: There is a debate within the Enoch calendar community about several details, such as whether to use the Jerusalem equilux (equal daylight & night), as March 16th, or astronomical equinox as March 20th.
D: Regardless of whether there are 365 or 366 “evening and mornings” between Spring equiluxes, or equinoxes, there is a adding of one or two “non days” in any given solar cycle. The reason for this is because the time from equilux to equilux, or equinox to equinox, in the Spring, is always 365 to 366 days, whereas the Enoch calendar is only allowed to have a strict 364 days. Thus, the accuracy of Enoch as a calendar, is already a mathematical impossibility.
E: The logic of the 30 day months from Gen 7:11, Gen 8:3 & 4, seems convincing, but, if we use all the data found in Gen 7 & 8, it can be shown that, the year of Noah's flood was 385 days. If this is so, any idea of 30 day months, is impossible. Refer to Don Roth's website for details https://www.biblicalcalendarproof.com/about/research
F: There is nothing in all of the Bible that states that a month, or a year needs to be a certain time in length.
Based on the above problems with the Enoch calendar, I have to eliminate it, as a valid candidate for Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Problems with the Karaite Jewish Calendar
A: How can anyone know the precise stage of maturity of the barley in that is described in Exod 9:31 - surely, this is an assumption ?
B: There is sometimes disagreement about whether the barley is “abib” or not ? The method of determining whether the barley is abib" is very subjective. There are at least three scales against which the barley is measured in order to determine whether it is "abib" or not. They are the Zadok, Feekes and Haun scales.
C: How did the Israelites know when to keep the Passover in the second year when they did not plant crops, nor could they view the barley in Israel ?
D: Without this "abib" barley, how did the Israelites of Joshua’s day know when the Passover was, when they celebrated Passover after the 40 years in the wilderness ? For that matter, how did Noah know when months began, & when the next year started, without sighting "abib" barley ?
E: How did the vast majority of exiles know when the barley in Israel was "abib", when they were not in the land of Israel for at least 2000 years ? The technology has only been available in recent times.
F: Exod 23:15 tells us that no one is to come before Yahweh “empty-handed”. This is clearly saying all must bring a first fruits offering. Lev 23:10 also implies this. What happens when some of the land of Israel doesn’t satisfy the "abib" barley requirement, after all, not all the barley in Israel, "ripens" at the same time ?
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
G: The land promised by Yahweh went from the Nile River to the Euphrates River. Across such a large area, there are considerable differences of climate. Therefore, the "abib" sighting of the barley would be different in different geographical areas.
H: The barley mentioned in Exod 9:31 was in Egypt. My research of crops, tells me that the "abib" time in Egypt is at a different time to that of Israel. It can vary by several weeks.
I: Moses did not ever go into the land of “Israel”. In fact, it is extremely unlikely that he knew anything about "abib" barley. Because Moses had lived in Egypt, he would have used Egyptian understanding for determining years and months, that is, by using the equinoxes, and the moon.
J: "Abib" barley has no connection at all with the stars mentioned in Gen 1:14. Elohim said that the “lights” would be for “signs, seasons, days and years”.
K: How can we know with certainty when the seventh plague, hail, struck (Exod 9:24) ?The "abib" barley Method relies on the idea that the time that the hail struck the barley, must have been quite close to the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Exod 12:2, about the start of the biblical year.
Exo 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Based on the above reasons, I have some serious problems with accepting the Karaite Jewish calendar, as the Biblical Calendar.
Problems with Method S
A: Many claim that the ancient Israelites were unable to accurately determine the precise time of the vernal equinox.
B: Some say that the ancient Israelites were unable to calculate the timing of the moon's conjunction - that they didn't have the necessary knowledge or the skills.
C: What happens when there is an “early” or a “late” Spring, and there are perhaps no first fruits to harvest for the first-fruits offering as described in Lev 23:10 ?
D: Many claim that there is really no scriptural reference to any "equinox" anywhere in the Bible.
E: Is there any evidence that the vernal equinox always precedes the barley being ready for harvest, so that the first-fruits wave offering can be made, just after Passover ?
Even though the above problems have been highlighted, I believe that this candidate is the most likely one as the authentic & valid, Biblical Calendar.
In the next post, namely, "The Start of the Biblical Year Study", I will be providing significant scriptural, & observational evidence that, I hope will add more clarity to what really is, Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Recently, I gave considerable thought as to whether I practice “condemnation before examination”, and had to admit that I had done so in the past. I receive many studies, or teachings on subjects I am interested in, and I now realise, I sometimes judge the content of the study, or teaching, without really examining it carefully. Once I came to this realisation, I decided to change my attitude, & now, will read, & examine, any study or teaching that I receive.
Another thought I had, was that when people send a study, or teaching to someone else, don't they have an expectation, that the other person will read, and “examine” it?
Do you know what my experience is ? I have sent several, carefully prepared studies to different “messianic” leaders, and sadly, there is usually "no response", but when the rare individual does reply, it is clear, that they have not really read what I have written. It seems that all they want to do, sadly is, “justify what they already believe”.
I therefore, strongly encourage you the reader, to open your mind to what I have written, to place any preconceived ideas aside for now, and to allow this information to enter your mind for consideration. If you examine it, and can “prove” from Scripture that it is faulty, you are no worse off. All you have lost, is a little time. If some, or all of what you read is new “revelation” to you, your understanding of Yahweh’s word will have expanded.
Because there are at least, four main biblical calendars in use, isn't it blatantly obvious that, at least three, if not four, are in error ? Again, I ask the vital question, how can I really know that, what I have read & viewed about the Biblical Calendars, is accurate, true & correct ?
My answer to this question is that I like to TEST each candidate by examining the reasons each was originally developed, & then look at the problems associated with each method. By doing this, I believe it is possible to eliminate the unworthy & invalid biblical calendar contenders.
May I begin - I'll be using "my" description for each calendar candidate ?
Method H – The Hillel II calculated calendar (also called the Jewish calendar), uses a mathematical-type method to determine it.
It's rationale.
After the Roman destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Jews were exiled from Israel, & were forced to live in other parts of the world.
Because the Jewish people, sincerely wanted to observe Yahweh's moedim (feasts) in those places, Hillel II, the Nasi (president) of the last Jewish Sanhedrin, developed, & published a calculated calendar for all Jews throughout the world to use.
This Jewish calendar uses a nineteen year pattern, and an astronomical cycle, based on the sun, to calculate this calendar. It is perhaps the most popular method used, mostly because of tradition.
As a summary, this fixed calendar is a man-made, calculated calendar. Its start is based on the calculated conjunction for the 4th day of creation. Its days go from sunset to sunset - it has either 29 or 30 day months, & its years are either 12, or 13 months. It uses a 19 year cycle, & inserts leap years mechanically every 3,6,8,11, 14, 17 & 19 years.
Method E - The Enoch calendar exclusively uses the sun in its calendric calculations, & is derived from an extra-Biblical Book, titled, the Book of Enoch, & uses the Book of Jubilees for additional support.
Its rationale
Those who follow the Enoch Calendar, claim that it is shown in the first Book Of Enoch, chapter 37, and was given by the Angel Uriel (YahEl). They say that it is the original Priestly Calendar that was used in the Torah.
The Enoch Calendar is a 12-Month Solar Calendar having 364 days only, and proponents claim it was used by the antediluvian (pre-flood), patriarchs, and by Noah, Abraham, and Jacob. They further claim it was taught to Moses by the Angel Yah, and that it continued in effect through the second Temple period under Ezra and Nehemiah. They say that it was the official biblical calendar until the 2nd Century BCE, when King Antiochus IV Epiphanes ended the use of the Enoch Calendar, and forced the Israelite people (sons of Eber/Heber) to observe the Lunar Calendar.
Enoch calendar proponents assert that the Book of Jubilees preserved the Enoch Calendar.
These proponents claim that, based on Jubilees 2:2-3, the angels were created on Day One of the creation week, and the stars, sun and moon were created on Day Four of the creation week, and that the angels & stars, sun & moon are different creations, having different functions; i.e. many of the angels are responsible for "leading" the sun, stars, and moon through the heavenly portals to keep perfect timing over the earth by controlling light, darkness, seasons, weather, and sea levels, quoting Enoch 75:1, 80:1, 82:4-20. They also quote the Septuagint version of Job 38:7, as support.
Job 38:7 When the stars were made, all My angels praised Me with a loud voice.
I believe that another reason supporting the Enoch calendar is based on three verses in Genesis, chapters 7 & 8. They are Gen 7:11, Gen 8:3, Gen 8:4 & Gen 8:14. Their logic is that, since two periods of time are mentioned, the 17th day of the 2nd month (Gen 7:11), & the 17th day of the 7th month (Gen 8:4), & the time of 150 days in Gen 8:3 is given, that each month must be 30 days long (150/5 = 30).
Gen 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Gen 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
Gen 8:4 And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
Gen 8:14 And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.
Method K – The Karaite Jewish Calendar relies on the following as supporting evidence.
1: Exod 13:4, Exod 23:15, Exod 34:18 and Deut 16:1 all refer to the month in which the Israelites left Egypt as the month of "Abib". Therefore, for these proponents, "abib" is a very important descriptor as we shall see.
Exod 13:4 On this day you are going out, in the month Abib.
Exod 23:15 You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty);
Exod 34:18 “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
2: Abib indicates a stage in the development of the barley crops. This can be understood by reading Exodus 9:31-32 which describes the devastation caused by the plague of hail.
Exodus 9:31-32 "And the flax and the barley were smitten, because the barley was in the ear (Abib) and the flax was boiled (Giv'ol)
And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten because they were dark (Afilot)."
These verses relate that the barley crops were destroyed by hail, while the wheat and spelt were not damaged. The reason that the barley was destroyed, and the wheat wasn't, is that the barley had reached the stage in its development called "abib", and as a result had become brittle enough to be damaged by the hail.
In contrast, the wheat and spelt were still early enough in their development, at a stage when they were flexible, and not susceptible to being damaged by hail.
3: The "abib" barley theorists conduct “barley hunts” in Israel each year around the beginning of March. They have “experts” who go through the land of Israel searching for barley that is classified as “abib”. When sufficient “abib” barley is found throughout Israel, they declare that the barley in Israel is “abib”.
4: "Abib" Barley proponents also use Lev 2:14 for support. They claim that the firstfruits mentioned here can be brought as either “abib” barley parched in fire, or as crushed grain.
Lev 2:14 And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto Yahweh, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn (abib), dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.
5: "Abib" barley theorists claim that Gen 1:14 supports their position, since the sun is needed to produce mature barley “at the appropriate time”. For them, the "abib" barley is the first indication of the approaching biblical new year.
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (moedim), and for days, and years:
Method S - This method uses only the sun, moon, and stars, (the lights of Gen 1:14), in conjunction with the abib barley as another witness. It claims that the biblical new year begins at the new moon conjunction, after the vernal equinox.
This group relies on the following evidence to support their claim :
1: The “lights” mentioned in Gen 1:14 are the sun, the moon, and the stars. This is supported by Gen 1:16.
Method S proponents claim that the sun moves through all the constellations of stars each year in a systematic way. Based on Josephus' comment in, Antiquities of the Jews, 3:10:5, the sun was in the constellation of Aries at the time of the original Passover in Egypt.
Today, at Passover, the sun is in the constellation of Pisces, & returns back there at the beginning of the following “year”. The start of the biblical yearly cycle is signalled with the vernal equinox (around March 20 or 21st).
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
2: Method S proponents claim that there is scriptural support from several verses that refer to the idea of "a year's end" in Exod 34:22, as well as "the year was expired" in 1 Ch 20:1 & 2 Ch 36:10, with "the end of the year" referred to in 2 Ch 24:23.
In Exod 34:22 and 2 Ch 24:23, the Hebrew words translated as “at the year’s end” are Hebrew words “shaneh”, H 8141 and “tekufah”, H8622.
The appropriate information from Strong's Concordance is shown below :
I Ch 20:1 and 2 Ch 36:10 contain the Hebrew words H 8141 and H 8666 which are translated as “the year was expired”.
Method S theorists claim that this is scriptural evidence that the vernal equinox is significant - they say that the vernal equinox signals the start of the biblical new year.
3: We know that, according to Lev 23:10, barley, the only crop ready for harvest around Passover, is required for the first-fruits wave offering. Proponents of this Method, claim that the sun, when it returns to the constellation of Pisces at the start of the new biblical year, is in a perfect position to ripen the barley for this Yahweh commanded ceremony.
Method S differs from Method K, in that the positioning of the sun (the greater light of Gen 1:16) is the trigger for the start of the biblical new year, because that positioning of the sun, at the equinox, "ripens" the barley for harvest (a second witness).
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
They claim that the biblical new year begins with the conjunction of the moon after the vernal equinox.
I'd like to now, list the problems that I have found with each of the above biblical calendar candidates, which will, hopefully, assist us in identifying the valid, & scripturally correct, Biblical Calendar.
Major Problems with the Hillel II calculated calendar.
A: This Hillel II calculated calendar, based on rabbinical tradition, adds days, & even postpones certain days. An example is that with their added rules & reasoning, Yom Kippur should not fall adjacent to Shabbat, because this would cause difficulties in coordinating a fast with Shabbat. There is no mention, anywhere in the Bible, of any postponements associated with Yahweh's biblical calendar.
Based on Deut 4:2 & Deut 12;32, no one has the authority "to add to, or take away" from Yahweh's Word, including His biblical calendar.
B: The Jews themselves, know & admit that, the Hillel II calculated calendar is not the calendar that was used prior to the Jewish dispersion, in 70 AD.
C: We know that the Jews have now been living in the promised land, Israel, for over 70 years, & with modern technology readily available, the original problem no longer exists. I have seen no evidence that the Jews of modern Israel are making any effort to restore the correct biblical calendar.
D: While this calendar does rely on the sun for its operation, it totally overlooks the instructions of Gen 1:14-16, by ignoring the participation of the moon, & the stars.
E: There are several other problems that the following list details, but the five above, are the most serious.
~ It is purely a man made calculated calendar
~ There is no observation of the moon, nor the physical sighting of the required wave sheaf offering crop, barley (Lev 23:10)
~ The original start of this calendar is at conjunction on the 4th day of creation
~ Subsequent conjunctions are calculated using average synodic lunar month of 29.53 days
~ Molad (lunar conjunction)is presently 2 hours later than when instituted (based on Jerusalem time)
~ It can sometimes be 26-33 days in error from "abib" Barley
~ Postponements can cause month to begin 1 day after the sighted new moon
~ It is increasingly moving later into the seasons (currently 8 days later than when instituted)
~ It improperly dates Shavuot (Pentecost)
Based on these very serious violations of Scripture, I have to eliminate the Hillel II calculated calendar, as a valid candidate for Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Problems with the Enoch calendar
A: While this Enoch calendar uses the sun & stars, it ignores the moon as a participant in determining a "biblical" calendar, thus overlooking the instructions of Gen 1:16 & Ps 104:19.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons (moedim): the sun knoweth his going down.
B: Many of the ideas mentioned in the Book of Enoch & the Book of Jubilees are not referenced in the official Bible.
C: There is a debate within the Enoch calendar community about several details, such as whether to use the Jerusalem equilux (equal daylight & night), as March 16th, or astronomical equinox as March 20th.
D: Regardless of whether there are 365 or 366 “evening and mornings” between Spring equiluxes, or equinoxes, there is a adding of one or two “non days” in any given solar cycle. The reason for this is because the time from equilux to equilux, or equinox to equinox, in the Spring, is always 365 to 366 days, whereas the Enoch calendar is only allowed to have a strict 364 days. Thus, the accuracy of Enoch as a calendar, is already a mathematical impossibility.
E: The logic of the 30 day months from Gen 7:11, Gen 8:3 & 4, seems convincing, but, if we use all the data found in Gen 7 & 8, it can be shown that, the year of Noah's flood was 385 days. If this is so, any idea of 30 day months, is impossible. Refer to Don Roth's website for details https://www.biblicalcalendarproof.com/about/research
F: There is nothing in all of the Bible that states that a month, or a year needs to be a certain time in length.
Based on the above problems with the Enoch calendar, I have to eliminate it, as a valid candidate for Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Problems with the Karaite Jewish Calendar
A: How can anyone know the precise stage of maturity of the barley in that is described in Exod 9:31 - surely, this is an assumption ?
B: There is sometimes disagreement about whether the barley is “abib” or not ? The method of determining whether the barley is abib" is very subjective. There are at least three scales against which the barley is measured in order to determine whether it is "abib" or not. They are the Zadok, Feekes and Haun scales.
C: How did the Israelites know when to keep the Passover in the second year when they did not plant crops, nor could they view the barley in Israel ?
D: Without this "abib" barley, how did the Israelites of Joshua’s day know when the Passover was, when they celebrated Passover after the 40 years in the wilderness ? For that matter, how did Noah know when months began, & when the next year started, without sighting "abib" barley ?
E: How did the vast majority of exiles know when the barley in Israel was "abib", when they were not in the land of Israel for at least 2000 years ? The technology has only been available in recent times.
F: Exod 23:15 tells us that no one is to come before Yahweh “empty-handed”. This is clearly saying all must bring a first fruits offering. Lev 23:10 also implies this. What happens when some of the land of Israel doesn’t satisfy the "abib" barley requirement, after all, not all the barley in Israel, "ripens" at the same time ?
Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
G: The land promised by Yahweh went from the Nile River to the Euphrates River. Across such a large area, there are considerable differences of climate. Therefore, the "abib" sighting of the barley would be different in different geographical areas.
H: The barley mentioned in Exod 9:31 was in Egypt. My research of crops, tells me that the "abib" time in Egypt is at a different time to that of Israel. It can vary by several weeks.
I: Moses did not ever go into the land of “Israel”. In fact, it is extremely unlikely that he knew anything about "abib" barley. Because Moses had lived in Egypt, he would have used Egyptian understanding for determining years and months, that is, by using the equinoxes, and the moon.
J: "Abib" barley has no connection at all with the stars mentioned in Gen 1:14. Elohim said that the “lights” would be for “signs, seasons, days and years”.
K: How can we know with certainty when the seventh plague, hail, struck (Exod 9:24) ?The "abib" barley Method relies on the idea that the time that the hail struck the barley, must have been quite close to the time when Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in Exod 12:2, about the start of the biblical year.
Exo 9:24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
Based on the above reasons, I have some serious problems with accepting the Karaite Jewish calendar, as the Biblical Calendar.
Problems with Method S
A: Many claim that the ancient Israelites were unable to accurately determine the precise time of the vernal equinox.
B: Some say that the ancient Israelites were unable to calculate the timing of the moon's conjunction - that they didn't have the necessary knowledge or the skills.
C: What happens when there is an “early” or a “late” Spring, and there are perhaps no first fruits to harvest for the first-fruits offering as described in Lev 23:10 ?
D: Many claim that there is really no scriptural reference to any "equinox" anywhere in the Bible.
E: Is there any evidence that the vernal equinox always precedes the barley being ready for harvest, so that the first-fruits wave offering can be made, just after Passover ?
Even though the above problems have been highlighted, I believe that this candidate is the most likely one as the authentic & valid, Biblical Calendar.
In the next post, namely, "The Start of the Biblical Year Study", I will be providing significant scriptural, & observational evidence that, I hope will add more clarity to what really is, Yahweh's Biblical Calendar.
Start of the Biblical Year Study
When is the start of the Biblical Year ?
While I completely understand that there is a lot of emotion around the topic of Yahweh's Biblical Calendar, I believe that it is possible for open-minded believers, who really want to do Yahweh's will, His way, to very carefully consider all the evidence that is available, & figure out what Yahweh's Biblical calendar really is.
"Although it is true that we do not have a perfect Greek or Hebrew text, and although we do not have inspired, inerrant translations, with the help of modern scholarship of the languages, knowledge of OT and NT cultures, careful textual criticism and so forth, we have, with the help of the Ruach, at least as good access to understanding the original inspired Word of Elohim as the believers living in the first or second century". (Reliability of the Old Testament PowerPoint)
Can I please ask the reader to understand that, while I have made every effort to simplify it, the following information on how we start the biblical year, is both detailed, & quite long. For this reason, I strongly encourage my audience to read slowly & carefully through it, so that all the details can be understood. I believe that the effort involved will be worth it.
In order to arrive at the best answer the our study's question, it seems to me that we need to consider three groups of information, namely,
(a) scriptural verses that directly provide us with relevant information,
(b) pertinent information that must be gleaned from other than biblical sources, &
(c) information that is based on direct observation of Yahweh's creation.
Scripture verses that directly provide information
1: Gen 1:14 and 16 are the first verses that provide specific information on our subject.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (appointed times - moedim) and for days, and years
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
From these verses, it seems clear that :
a) the lights (sun, moon & stars) separate the day from the night, & are for signs, appointed times (mo'edim), days and years, &
b) the sun rules the day, & the moon rules the night.
Q: Can we agree that the sun, moon & stars are involved in determining a biblical year, & that observation tells us that the sun follows a set pattern, as do the moon & stars. The sun determines a day as it appears to rise and set each day?
2: Exod 12:2, Num 9:1-6, and Exod 40:2 give us information related to the start of the biblical year, and the second biblical year of the Exodus.
Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Num 9:1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Exo 40:2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
From Exod 12:1-2, we can see that Yahweh spoke to Moses & Aaron while they were in Egypt, & told them that the month indicated by Yahweh was the first month of His biblical year.
Num 9:1-6 tell us that the Israelites prepared the Passover in the first month of the second year in the wilderness of Sinai. Clearly, they either determined the start of the second year in the wilderness of Sinai using an undisclosed method, or they were again told about it by Yahweh.
Exod 40:2 tells us that the Israelites raised up the tent of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month. It seems likely that this was the start of the second year as well.
Both Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1 refer to the month of “the aviv” (aviv means green ears). The month of "the aviv" seems to be significant in Yahweh's biblical calendar.
Exo 13:4 This day came ye out in the month the Aviv.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of the Aviv, and keep the Passover unto Yahweh thy God: for in the month of the Aviv Yahweh thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
Q: Can we agree that determining the start of a biblical year was at this time not determined by being in Israel, since the original Exodus took place in Egypt, and the second year started in the wilderness of Sinai.
3: Ps 104:19a tells us that Yahweh made the moon for moedim (appointed times)
Psa 104:19a He appointed the moon for seasons (appointed times - moedim):
Because Yahweh's "appointed times", His moedim are important for Yahweh's Calendar, I'd like to take a little time to examine the Hebrew term moed (moedim pl), if I might.
Gen 1:14 & Lev 23:2 & 4 also use the Hebrew term moed (moedim pl).
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (appointed times - moedim) and for days, and years
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts (moed) of Yahweh, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts (moed).
Lev 23:4 These are the feasts (moedim) of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons (moedim).
Q: Can we notice that the KJV sometimes translates moed & moedim as "feast(s)", & at other times as "seasons"? Let's take a closer look at these Hebrew words as they are used in these verses.
The respective forms of the words whose root is “moed”, are shown below, with Strong’s, & Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) information below them. The verse where each is used is given in the top row. I have copied the exact Hebrew phrases, with their KJV translations. Please examine them carefully.
After examining the above verses in the contexts described, let’s consider the following questions.
Q: Can we agree that one of the reasons the lights were made (Gen 1:14), was “for moedim" (appointed times), & that the lesser light was to rule the night ?
Q: Since the first day of the first month begins the year, then can we agree that the moon must be involved because, Ps 104:19 tells us that "the moon is made for mo'edim"?
Since Yahweh's annual appointed times, His moedim, are determined by counting the days of a month, & since the moon is for moedim, can we assume that the moon determines the start of a biblical month, & the sun has no “direct role” in determining the annual mo'edim?
4: Exod 12 deals with the original Passover, & the 7 days of Unleavened Bread. The mo'ed of First-Fruits occurs soon after Passover, & a first fruit offering of barley is required. Lev 23:10 tells us the Israelites must bring a sheaf of a grain crop (with specific features), for the first fruits wave offering.
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
I hope that we can all agree that the time or season of the year, for the first fruits offering, Passover & the 7 days of Unleavened Bread, must all occur in the northern hemisphere's Spring time.
5: Lev 2:1 & 7 & Lev 23:14 provide some information on the stage of development that the barley must be in, so that the first fruits offering can be made.
Lev 2:1 And when any will offer a meat offering unto Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
Lev 2:7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, (aviv) until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Based on these scripture verses & logic, I believe that we can conclude :
a) The grain in Israel, for the first-fruits offering of Lev 23:10, was barley
b) Not all the barley in Israel will be at the required stage, at the same time. However, that which will be in the first fruits wave offering, must be mature enough so that fine flour can be made from it (Lev 2:1,7)
c) The first fruits grain cannot be eaten until the wave offering is made (Lev 23:14).
6: 1 Ch 27 tells us that there are 12 months in a biblical year, but It doesn't eliminate the possibility that there could be a 13th month.
Conclusions specifically based on Scripture
A: The sun, moon and the stars (constellations) are involved in determining the start of the biblical year. (Gen 1:14, 16)
B: The moon determines the start of the month (Ps 104:19)
C: The start of the biblical year of the Exodus was in the month Yahweh indicated to Moses & Aaron about the first Passover. (Exod 12:2) The Hebrews were in Egypt when these instructions were given.
D: The month of “the aviv” is the month when the original Passover took place, & when the Israelites left Egypt. (Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1)
E: Since the Exodus (Exod 12:2) took place from Egypt, & since the Israelites began the second year in the wilderness of Sinai, it seems reasonable to conclude that the start of the year is not determined from Israel.
F: There are 12 months in a biblical year, unless the agricultural seasons are out of synch, (1 Ch 27), when a 13th month can be added.
G: The start of the Spring agricultural season is involved in determining the start of a biblical year, since the mo 'ed of the First Fruits requires an offering of mature barley from which fine flour can be made. This is to be made 2 - 3 weeks after the start of the biblical year (Exod 12, Lev 2:1, 7, Lev 23:10, 14)
H: While aviv barley is required for the First Fruits offering, aviv barley itself DOES NOT determine the start of the biblical year. Barley is in the aviv stage, as the result of the Spring agricultural season starting. The barley cannot be aviv UNTIL the earth is in the correct position on its path around the sun.
Scripture verses where non-biblical sources must be used to obtain information
1: In Exod 9:31, we are told that as a result of the plague of hail, (Exod 9:22-25) the flax and the barley were struck by the hail, and so were severely damaged, or even destroyed. We are further told that the barley was aviv, (in the head), and in verse 32, we are told that the wheat & spelt were not smitten, because they were not ripe (they were late). Exod 10:15 confirms this devastation telling us that the locust plague was so severe that, "there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt".
Exo 9:31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, (aviv) and the flax was bolled.
Exo 9:32 But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
Exo 10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
Based on these verses, there was no barley to inspect, & so couldn't have used to determine the start of that biblical year.
I understand that some people strongly believe in searching for aviv barley as a trigger to start their biblical new year. Here is my list of reasons why I just as strongly disagree :
a: The jubilee years had no grain planting - so no planted or harvested barley
b: Noah knew the beginning of the year while the earth was covered with water - no barley
c: During the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel started its years without barley
e: The information given in Exod 9:31 describes the condition of barley in Egypt, not Israel.
f: It is not possible today to know about the stages of barley in Israel, while in the diaspora, without modern technology.
2: Exod 34:22 is often translated as follows.
Exo 34:22 And you shall observe a Feast of Weeks for yourself, the first-fruits of the harvest of wheat; also the Feast of Ingathering after the turn of the year (ha'shaneh tequpha't).
Q: What is the "turn of the year", & is it significant ?
A: The Hebrew term, ha'shaneh' tequpha't, literally translated means "the year's revolution".
My explanation of its significance is a little complicated, so please bear with me as I attempt to explain it.
In Gen 1:14-19, we are told two important things.
Firstly, we are told in verse 14 that the “lights” (sun, moon & stars) are for moedim (appointed times). We are also told that the "lights" rule over the day & the night, dividing light from darkness (verse 18).
If we now look at Gen 8:22, we see a connection between the role of the “lights” of Gen 1:18 and the agricultural seasons. The “seed-time and harvest, and summer and winter” of Gen 8:22, are, I believe, known today as the equinoxes & solstices.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (moedim), and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 8:22 While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
If we now look at Job 38:31-33, we see another connection between “the stars” and the agricultural seasons. (I believe that Pleiades in the constellation of Orion was anciently used to help determine the time of Spring).
Job 38:31 Can you bind the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Job 38:32 Can you bring out the constellations in their season; or can you guide the Bear with its sons?
Job 38:33 Do you know the limits of the heavens; can you establish their rulership on the earth?
Q: Is this the similar time as is mentioned in Exod 23:16?
A: Ex 23:16 describes the feast (chag) of Tabernacles as follows:
Exo 23:16 Also the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. Also the Feast of Ingathering, at the going out of the year (b'yatsa ha'shanah), at your gathering your work from the field.
The term b'yatsa ha'shanah, literally translated means, "at the going out of the year". I believe it refers to the fall equinox.
In summary, I believe that the following points are factual, based on scripture, observation, & logic.
1:
(a) The ancient Israelites would have been familiar with scripture, the first five books, and especially Genesis & Job
(b) They would have been familiar with the night sky (the moon, the main planets & stars, & their relative positions to the cardinal direction points), from after sunset until sunrise
(c) They would know that the sun determines a solar year, as it travels through a complete circuit of the constellations (stars)
(d) They would know that the sun, moon and stars are involved in determining the start of a biblical year
(e) They would know where the sun was each day, in relation to the two main cardinal points (East & West), and in relation to the major stars (constellations)
(f) They would know that the moon determines the start of a biblical month
(g) They would know that the sun is involved in determining a day
(h) They had the ability to record what they observed
(i) They were familiar with the timing of the agricultural seasons (summer, autumn, winter, spring)
(j) When in the land of Israel, they would know if the barley was ready for the First-Fruits wave offering, at the start of a biblical year.
2: The heavenly signs rule over the earthly signs, (we must see signs in the heavens BEFORE we can use earthly signs, such as the aviv barley).
3: The sun signs rule over the moon signs. The illumination of the moon depends on the sun’s reflected light. The moon is still subject to the solar year, because without it, the moedim that are keyed to harvest & planting, will occur out of season. As long as the moedim stay in season, the moon is in charge. When it needs help to keep the moedim at the proper time, the sun takes over.
So both the sun & moon mark the biblical year.
Q: How do we know when the moedim are out of season ?
A: The First-Fruits offering of barley is not ready.
What can we deduce from the above information ?
The start of the biblical year must begin in the springtime, signalled by the vernal equinox, in the northern hemisphere.
Q: I believe that the vernal equinox is the trigger for the start of the biblical year, so what do we know about this equinox?
A: The vernal equinox is generally agreed to be the 21 March each year, when many, claim it is the day when there is equal daylight & equal nighttime. In reality, this only occurs at the equator.
If we TEST this, we encounter an obvious problem – this day of equal daylight & equal nighttime, will vary, depending where we live on the earth.
Example :
The day of equal daylight and darkness in Jerusalem is usually 16 March (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere), while in the Southern Hemisphere, the day of equal daylight and darkness in Sydney is 24 March.
Q: How did the ancient Israelites know when the day of the vernal equinox was?
A: My research shows that there are two methods that they could have used.
Method 1: This is based on scriptural and historical information
Again, we know from Gen 1:14-18 that the lights, (sun, moon & stars), are involved in determining the start of a biblical year.
Q: How can the stars tell them & us when the first month & the first day of a biblical year is?
A: My answer is a little involved, so again, please bear with me by going slowly.
Job 38:31–33 specifically mention a special group of stars. In this chapter, Yahweh asks Job a series of questions including the following :
Job 38:31 Can you bind the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Job 38:32 Can you bring out the constellations (mazzarah) in their season; or can you guide the Bear with its sons?
Job 38:33 Do you know the limits (ordinances) of the heavens; can you establish their rulership on the earth?
In case you are unaware, Orion is a common constellation that can be easily observed from Earth, and Pleiades is a cluster of several stars that are in that constellation - shown just above the blue arrow.
The Hebrew word translated as “constellations” is mazzarah, defined by Strong's Concordance as “the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their 36 associated constellations”.
In Job 38:31-33, please note the mention of various groups of stars (Orion, Pleiades, & the Great Bear), & how they relate to the ordinances of the heavens, & their rulership on the Earth. The fact that the aviv barley is an earthly sign, & Yahweh declares that the ordinances of the stars have dominion over the Earth, is quite revealing. Haven’t we also established that the aviv barley is caused by the position of the sun ? It seems clear that by understanding the heavenly bodies, we can then know when to expect the aviv barley. Could Job be revealing how the stars assist us in determining the Spring season?
Q: Is there a star pattern that can be observed around Spring and Fall (Autumn) ?
A: An observer of the night sky will be aware that there are definite patterns for each of these seasons. Stars rise in the East, and appear to “fall” into the Earth, as they move towards the West.
I’m not sure if there is a direct connection, but doesn’t Mark 13:24-25 specifically mention “the stars of heaven will be falling” on the Day of Yahweh?
Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light;
Mar 13:25 and the stars of the heaven will be falling, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Q: One other notable thing happens twice a year – again, at the equator, the daytime and night time are equal at the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes. Could this be significant ? Please read the follow statement by a physicist very carefully.
“Physicist Bill Welkner, using some information provided by Josephus, explains how easy it would be for ancient Israel to determine the first month of the year, which of course, as further evidenced by the aviv is when the season of Spring starts, noted by the Vernal Equinox. (From 119 Ministries, The Creator's Calendar).
“In Moshe’s time, when the sun was in Aries at the Vernal Equinox, on March 21st, it was pretty close to Aldebaran (52 degrees, also within about 25 degrees of the Pleiades). As the sun is making its annual trek toward Vernal Equinox, it is moving daily along the ecliptic closer and closer to Aldebaran. (Almost exactly 3 weeks after Vernal Equinox, the sun and Aldebaran have the same ecliptic longitude.) So, what I am saying is this: In Moshe’s time, as the sun was approaching Vernal Equinox, each night just after sunset, one could watch Aldebaran and the Pleiades Setting in the evening sky. Each night, the Pleiades and then Aldebaran set earlier and earlier, such that, at the time of the Vernal Equinox, Aldebaran is just barely visible at Nautical Twilight, and the Pleiades is no longer visible at sunset! Thus, since on cannot see the stars “behind” the sun due to the sun’s brightness, Aldebaran and the Pleiades are the last notable signs and visible just before the Vernal Equinox. The Pleiades, being an open closter of fainter stars, disappearing in the glow of sunset first; then you start watching for Aldebaran. When, after sunset, just as the stars start becoming visible, you notice that Aldebaran is becoming very hard to spot, you know Vernal Equinox is near or has happened.”
Josephus writes :
In the month of Nisan…the beginning of our year, on the 14th day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians,) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover. (Josephus, Antiquities, 3:248)
Like Job, note how Bill specifically mentioned "Pleiades" and "Alderbaran", and how they relate to the ordinances of the heavens, and their dominion over the Earth, dictating the seasons.
The following three screen-shots show Alderbaran on 21 March 2013, at Jerusalem, New York and Sydney, respectively. I have included the constellation artwork to help compare the relative positions of Alderbaran at each of these locations.
Jerusalem 21 March 2013
New York 21 March 2013
Sydney 21 March 2013
Method 1: This is based on Science & Observation
During the year, the sun rises in an easterly direction, (not due east), and each day it moves either south or north (depending on the season). The following screen-shots from Stellarium free software, show how the sun rises in a different place each day. I have adjusted the usual settings in Stellarium by removing the atmosphere, so that the position of the sun can be more easily observed. These are “sunrise times”.
I have started with 2 February 2015, where the sun rises to the right (south-east) of the cardinal direction, East. Below that screen-shot, I have shown the day of the Vernal Equinox, 21 March. Notice that since the 2 February, the sun has moved to the left each day, and on this day of the Vernal Equinox, it is rising DUE East. To demonstrate that the sun continues to rise each day in a direction left of where it was on 2 February, I have included a screen-shot for the 21 April. The screen-shot under that shows the position of the sun on 21 June - the Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Then, there is a screen-shot for 21 July. Please notice that the sun has reversed its direction across the horizon, and is now moving to the right. When 21 September arrives, it will rise due East again (Fall Equinox), and when 21 December arrives, it will stop its journey to the right, and begin moving left the next day. Using observation alone, we can all know when the equinoxes & solstices happen, as I believe the ancient Hebrews did, in assisting them to determine the start of a biblical year. I hope this explanation is clear.
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is right (south-east) of the cardinal direction - East
2 Feb 2015
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is directly at the cardinal direction - East
21 March 2015 This is the day of the Vernal Equinox
It is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is left (north-east) of the cardinal direction - East
21 April 2015
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is still left (north-east) of the cardinal direction - East
21 June 2015
This is the day of the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
After this day, the sun will start to move towards the East until the Fall equinox.
Additional Information
The above information on the day of equal daytime & darkness can be obtained by observation, but only if you are at the location indicated. So if a believer lives outside Israel, it would not have been possible to know this information accurately, 50 years ago. The information I have provided comes from : http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=110&month=3&year=2014&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1
Jospehus, in the above quote, is relating his astronomy as it existed at the time of the Exodus, some 1500 years before his time, and 3400+ years from our time – Not how the stars are positioned today.
Philo, another Jewish historian described this in the following way – it is quoted by Andrew Roth in “The Real Equinox Rule", p. 41-42
“Moses puts down the beginning of the vernal equinox as the 1st month of the year…for it is through the bounty of nature that the seeds which are sown to produce the necessary food of mankind are brought to perfection. (Philo, On Moses, 2:222)”
“This phrase “beginning of the vernal equinox” is a huge and critical clue for piecing the system together. Philo recognizes the importance of dating the start of the Hebrew Solar Year at the “beginning” of spring, because this will give a fixed point in time completely independent of the stars precessing backwards over time. It will never go out of date!
Therefore “beginning of vernal equinox” is understood as being the same as the when the sun begins to be in Aries.”
Then, going back to Josephus, we see the importance of the 14th day of that lunar month, which is the time of the full moon.
Putting it all together it means this: The New Moon nearest VE is Abib, and the first full moon of Aries is Passover ! “
This is strong evidence that the stars, sun and moon cycles are all part of the biblical calendar.
Andrew Roth, in his study, “The Real Equinox Rule”, goes into great detail to explain the above information. In summary, he concludes :
1: The New Moon nearest the start of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, is ALWAYS the month of the aviv – it is the start of the biblical year.
2: The earliest possible time for the New Moon would be March 7th, but it can be any time between 7th and April 4th.
I have used this information to determine the start of the biblical year, each year, since 2012. Refer to the “This is how we determine the start of a biblical year” posting.
While I completely understand that there is a lot of emotion around the topic of Yahweh's Biblical Calendar, I believe that it is possible for open-minded believers, who really want to do Yahweh's will, His way, to very carefully consider all the evidence that is available, & figure out what Yahweh's Biblical calendar really is.
"Although it is true that we do not have a perfect Greek or Hebrew text, and although we do not have inspired, inerrant translations, with the help of modern scholarship of the languages, knowledge of OT and NT cultures, careful textual criticism and so forth, we have, with the help of the Ruach, at least as good access to understanding the original inspired Word of Elohim as the believers living in the first or second century". (Reliability of the Old Testament PowerPoint)
Can I please ask the reader to understand that, while I have made every effort to simplify it, the following information on how we start the biblical year, is both detailed, & quite long. For this reason, I strongly encourage my audience to read slowly & carefully through it, so that all the details can be understood. I believe that the effort involved will be worth it.
In order to arrive at the best answer the our study's question, it seems to me that we need to consider three groups of information, namely,
(a) scriptural verses that directly provide us with relevant information,
(b) pertinent information that must be gleaned from other than biblical sources, &
(c) information that is based on direct observation of Yahweh's creation.
Scripture verses that directly provide information
1: Gen 1:14 and 16 are the first verses that provide specific information on our subject.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (appointed times - moedim) and for days, and years
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
From these verses, it seems clear that :
a) the lights (sun, moon & stars) separate the day from the night, & are for signs, appointed times (mo'edim), days and years, &
b) the sun rules the day, & the moon rules the night.
Q: Can we agree that the sun, moon & stars are involved in determining a biblical year, & that observation tells us that the sun follows a set pattern, as do the moon & stars. The sun determines a day as it appears to rise and set each day?
2: Exod 12:2, Num 9:1-6, and Exod 40:2 give us information related to the start of the biblical year, and the second biblical year of the Exodus.
Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Num 9:1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Exo 40:2 On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
From Exod 12:1-2, we can see that Yahweh spoke to Moses & Aaron while they were in Egypt, & told them that the month indicated by Yahweh was the first month of His biblical year.
Num 9:1-6 tell us that the Israelites prepared the Passover in the first month of the second year in the wilderness of Sinai. Clearly, they either determined the start of the second year in the wilderness of Sinai using an undisclosed method, or they were again told about it by Yahweh.
Exod 40:2 tells us that the Israelites raised up the tent of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month. It seems likely that this was the start of the second year as well.
Both Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1 refer to the month of “the aviv” (aviv means green ears). The month of "the aviv" seems to be significant in Yahweh's biblical calendar.
Exo 13:4 This day came ye out in the month the Aviv.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of the Aviv, and keep the Passover unto Yahweh thy God: for in the month of the Aviv Yahweh thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
Q: Can we agree that determining the start of a biblical year was at this time not determined by being in Israel, since the original Exodus took place in Egypt, and the second year started in the wilderness of Sinai.
3: Ps 104:19a tells us that Yahweh made the moon for moedim (appointed times)
Psa 104:19a He appointed the moon for seasons (appointed times - moedim):
Because Yahweh's "appointed times", His moedim are important for Yahweh's Calendar, I'd like to take a little time to examine the Hebrew term moed (moedim pl), if I might.
Gen 1:14 & Lev 23:2 & 4 also use the Hebrew term moed (moedim pl).
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (appointed times - moedim) and for days, and years
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts (moed) of Yahweh, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts (moed).
Lev 23:4 These are the feasts (moedim) of Yahweh, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons (moedim).
Q: Can we notice that the KJV sometimes translates moed & moedim as "feast(s)", & at other times as "seasons"? Let's take a closer look at these Hebrew words as they are used in these verses.
The respective forms of the words whose root is “moed”, are shown below, with Strong’s, & Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB) information below them. The verse where each is used is given in the top row. I have copied the exact Hebrew phrases, with their KJV translations. Please examine them carefully.
After examining the above verses in the contexts described, let’s consider the following questions.
Q: Can we agree that one of the reasons the lights were made (Gen 1:14), was “for moedim" (appointed times), & that the lesser light was to rule the night ?
Q: Since the first day of the first month begins the year, then can we agree that the moon must be involved because, Ps 104:19 tells us that "the moon is made for mo'edim"?
Since Yahweh's annual appointed times, His moedim, are determined by counting the days of a month, & since the moon is for moedim, can we assume that the moon determines the start of a biblical month, & the sun has no “direct role” in determining the annual mo'edim?
4: Exod 12 deals with the original Passover, & the 7 days of Unleavened Bread. The mo'ed of First-Fruits occurs soon after Passover, & a first fruit offering of barley is required. Lev 23:10 tells us the Israelites must bring a sheaf of a grain crop (with specific features), for the first fruits wave offering.
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
I hope that we can all agree that the time or season of the year, for the first fruits offering, Passover & the 7 days of Unleavened Bread, must all occur in the northern hemisphere's Spring time.
5: Lev 2:1 & 7 & Lev 23:14 provide some information on the stage of development that the barley must be in, so that the first fruits offering can be made.
Lev 2:1 And when any will offer a meat offering unto Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
Lev 2:7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, (aviv) until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Based on these scripture verses & logic, I believe that we can conclude :
a) The grain in Israel, for the first-fruits offering of Lev 23:10, was barley
b) Not all the barley in Israel will be at the required stage, at the same time. However, that which will be in the first fruits wave offering, must be mature enough so that fine flour can be made from it (Lev 2:1,7)
c) The first fruits grain cannot be eaten until the wave offering is made (Lev 23:14).
6: 1 Ch 27 tells us that there are 12 months in a biblical year, but It doesn't eliminate the possibility that there could be a 13th month.
Conclusions specifically based on Scripture
A: The sun, moon and the stars (constellations) are involved in determining the start of the biblical year. (Gen 1:14, 16)
B: The moon determines the start of the month (Ps 104:19)
C: The start of the biblical year of the Exodus was in the month Yahweh indicated to Moses & Aaron about the first Passover. (Exod 12:2) The Hebrews were in Egypt when these instructions were given.
D: The month of “the aviv” is the month when the original Passover took place, & when the Israelites left Egypt. (Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1)
E: Since the Exodus (Exod 12:2) took place from Egypt, & since the Israelites began the second year in the wilderness of Sinai, it seems reasonable to conclude that the start of the year is not determined from Israel.
F: There are 12 months in a biblical year, unless the agricultural seasons are out of synch, (1 Ch 27), when a 13th month can be added.
G: The start of the Spring agricultural season is involved in determining the start of a biblical year, since the mo 'ed of the First Fruits requires an offering of mature barley from which fine flour can be made. This is to be made 2 - 3 weeks after the start of the biblical year (Exod 12, Lev 2:1, 7, Lev 23:10, 14)
H: While aviv barley is required for the First Fruits offering, aviv barley itself DOES NOT determine the start of the biblical year. Barley is in the aviv stage, as the result of the Spring agricultural season starting. The barley cannot be aviv UNTIL the earth is in the correct position on its path around the sun.
Scripture verses where non-biblical sources must be used to obtain information
1: In Exod 9:31, we are told that as a result of the plague of hail, (Exod 9:22-25) the flax and the barley were struck by the hail, and so were severely damaged, or even destroyed. We are further told that the barley was aviv, (in the head), and in verse 32, we are told that the wheat & spelt were not smitten, because they were not ripe (they were late). Exod 10:15 confirms this devastation telling us that the locust plague was so severe that, "there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt".
Exo 9:31 And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, (aviv) and the flax was bolled.
Exo 9:32 But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
Exo 10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
Based on these verses, there was no barley to inspect, & so couldn't have used to determine the start of that biblical year.
I understand that some people strongly believe in searching for aviv barley as a trigger to start their biblical new year. Here is my list of reasons why I just as strongly disagree :
a: The jubilee years had no grain planting - so no planted or harvested barley
b: Noah knew the beginning of the year while the earth was covered with water - no barley
c: During the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel started its years without barley
e: The information given in Exod 9:31 describes the condition of barley in Egypt, not Israel.
f: It is not possible today to know about the stages of barley in Israel, while in the diaspora, without modern technology.
2: Exod 34:22 is often translated as follows.
Exo 34:22 And you shall observe a Feast of Weeks for yourself, the first-fruits of the harvest of wheat; also the Feast of Ingathering after the turn of the year (ha'shaneh tequpha't).
Q: What is the "turn of the year", & is it significant ?
A: The Hebrew term, ha'shaneh' tequpha't, literally translated means "the year's revolution".
My explanation of its significance is a little complicated, so please bear with me as I attempt to explain it.
In Gen 1:14-19, we are told two important things.
Firstly, we are told in verse 14 that the “lights” (sun, moon & stars) are for moedim (appointed times). We are also told that the "lights" rule over the day & the night, dividing light from darkness (verse 18).
If we now look at Gen 8:22, we see a connection between the role of the “lights” of Gen 1:18 and the agricultural seasons. The “seed-time and harvest, and summer and winter” of Gen 8:22, are, I believe, known today as the equinoxes & solstices.
Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, (moedim), and for days, and years:
Gen 1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Gen 1:17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
Gen 1:18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 8:22 While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
If we now look at Job 38:31-33, we see another connection between “the stars” and the agricultural seasons. (I believe that Pleiades in the constellation of Orion was anciently used to help determine the time of Spring).
Job 38:31 Can you bind the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Job 38:32 Can you bring out the constellations in their season; or can you guide the Bear with its sons?
Job 38:33 Do you know the limits of the heavens; can you establish their rulership on the earth?
Q: Is this the similar time as is mentioned in Exod 23:16?
A: Ex 23:16 describes the feast (chag) of Tabernacles as follows:
Exo 23:16 Also the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. Also the Feast of Ingathering, at the going out of the year (b'yatsa ha'shanah), at your gathering your work from the field.
The term b'yatsa ha'shanah, literally translated means, "at the going out of the year". I believe it refers to the fall equinox.
In summary, I believe that the following points are factual, based on scripture, observation, & logic.
1:
(a) The ancient Israelites would have been familiar with scripture, the first five books, and especially Genesis & Job
(b) They would have been familiar with the night sky (the moon, the main planets & stars, & their relative positions to the cardinal direction points), from after sunset until sunrise
(c) They would know that the sun determines a solar year, as it travels through a complete circuit of the constellations (stars)
(d) They would know that the sun, moon and stars are involved in determining the start of a biblical year
(e) They would know where the sun was each day, in relation to the two main cardinal points (East & West), and in relation to the major stars (constellations)
(f) They would know that the moon determines the start of a biblical month
(g) They would know that the sun is involved in determining a day
(h) They had the ability to record what they observed
(i) They were familiar with the timing of the agricultural seasons (summer, autumn, winter, spring)
(j) When in the land of Israel, they would know if the barley was ready for the First-Fruits wave offering, at the start of a biblical year.
2: The heavenly signs rule over the earthly signs, (we must see signs in the heavens BEFORE we can use earthly signs, such as the aviv barley).
3: The sun signs rule over the moon signs. The illumination of the moon depends on the sun’s reflected light. The moon is still subject to the solar year, because without it, the moedim that are keyed to harvest & planting, will occur out of season. As long as the moedim stay in season, the moon is in charge. When it needs help to keep the moedim at the proper time, the sun takes over.
So both the sun & moon mark the biblical year.
Q: How do we know when the moedim are out of season ?
A: The First-Fruits offering of barley is not ready.
What can we deduce from the above information ?
The start of the biblical year must begin in the springtime, signalled by the vernal equinox, in the northern hemisphere.
Q: I believe that the vernal equinox is the trigger for the start of the biblical year, so what do we know about this equinox?
A: The vernal equinox is generally agreed to be the 21 March each year, when many, claim it is the day when there is equal daylight & equal nighttime. In reality, this only occurs at the equator.
If we TEST this, we encounter an obvious problem – this day of equal daylight & equal nighttime, will vary, depending where we live on the earth.
Example :
The day of equal daylight and darkness in Jerusalem is usually 16 March (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere), while in the Southern Hemisphere, the day of equal daylight and darkness in Sydney is 24 March.
Q: How did the ancient Israelites know when the day of the vernal equinox was?
A: My research shows that there are two methods that they could have used.
Method 1: This is based on scriptural and historical information
Again, we know from Gen 1:14-18 that the lights, (sun, moon & stars), are involved in determining the start of a biblical year.
Q: How can the stars tell them & us when the first month & the first day of a biblical year is?
A: My answer is a little involved, so again, please bear with me by going slowly.
Job 38:31–33 specifically mention a special group of stars. In this chapter, Yahweh asks Job a series of questions including the following :
Job 38:31 Can you bind the bands of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
Job 38:32 Can you bring out the constellations (mazzarah) in their season; or can you guide the Bear with its sons?
Job 38:33 Do you know the limits (ordinances) of the heavens; can you establish their rulership on the earth?
In case you are unaware, Orion is a common constellation that can be easily observed from Earth, and Pleiades is a cluster of several stars that are in that constellation - shown just above the blue arrow.
The Hebrew word translated as “constellations” is mazzarah, defined by Strong's Concordance as “the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their 36 associated constellations”.
In Job 38:31-33, please note the mention of various groups of stars (Orion, Pleiades, & the Great Bear), & how they relate to the ordinances of the heavens, & their rulership on the Earth. The fact that the aviv barley is an earthly sign, & Yahweh declares that the ordinances of the stars have dominion over the Earth, is quite revealing. Haven’t we also established that the aviv barley is caused by the position of the sun ? It seems clear that by understanding the heavenly bodies, we can then know when to expect the aviv barley. Could Job be revealing how the stars assist us in determining the Spring season?
Q: Is there a star pattern that can be observed around Spring and Fall (Autumn) ?
A: An observer of the night sky will be aware that there are definite patterns for each of these seasons. Stars rise in the East, and appear to “fall” into the Earth, as they move towards the West.
I’m not sure if there is a direct connection, but doesn’t Mark 13:24-25 specifically mention “the stars of heaven will be falling” on the Day of Yahweh?
Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light;
Mar 13:25 and the stars of the heaven will be falling, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Q: One other notable thing happens twice a year – again, at the equator, the daytime and night time are equal at the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes. Could this be significant ? Please read the follow statement by a physicist very carefully.
“Physicist Bill Welkner, using some information provided by Josephus, explains how easy it would be for ancient Israel to determine the first month of the year, which of course, as further evidenced by the aviv is when the season of Spring starts, noted by the Vernal Equinox. (From 119 Ministries, The Creator's Calendar).
“In Moshe’s time, when the sun was in Aries at the Vernal Equinox, on March 21st, it was pretty close to Aldebaran (52 degrees, also within about 25 degrees of the Pleiades). As the sun is making its annual trek toward Vernal Equinox, it is moving daily along the ecliptic closer and closer to Aldebaran. (Almost exactly 3 weeks after Vernal Equinox, the sun and Aldebaran have the same ecliptic longitude.) So, what I am saying is this: In Moshe’s time, as the sun was approaching Vernal Equinox, each night just after sunset, one could watch Aldebaran and the Pleiades Setting in the evening sky. Each night, the Pleiades and then Aldebaran set earlier and earlier, such that, at the time of the Vernal Equinox, Aldebaran is just barely visible at Nautical Twilight, and the Pleiades is no longer visible at sunset! Thus, since on cannot see the stars “behind” the sun due to the sun’s brightness, Aldebaran and the Pleiades are the last notable signs and visible just before the Vernal Equinox. The Pleiades, being an open closter of fainter stars, disappearing in the glow of sunset first; then you start watching for Aldebaran. When, after sunset, just as the stars start becoming visible, you notice that Aldebaran is becoming very hard to spot, you know Vernal Equinox is near or has happened.”
Josephus writes :
In the month of Nisan…the beginning of our year, on the 14th day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians,) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover. (Josephus, Antiquities, 3:248)
Like Job, note how Bill specifically mentioned "Pleiades" and "Alderbaran", and how they relate to the ordinances of the heavens, and their dominion over the Earth, dictating the seasons.
The following three screen-shots show Alderbaran on 21 March 2013, at Jerusalem, New York and Sydney, respectively. I have included the constellation artwork to help compare the relative positions of Alderbaran at each of these locations.
Jerusalem 21 March 2013
New York 21 March 2013
Sydney 21 March 2013
Method 1: This is based on Science & Observation
During the year, the sun rises in an easterly direction, (not due east), and each day it moves either south or north (depending on the season). The following screen-shots from Stellarium free software, show how the sun rises in a different place each day. I have adjusted the usual settings in Stellarium by removing the atmosphere, so that the position of the sun can be more easily observed. These are “sunrise times”.
I have started with 2 February 2015, where the sun rises to the right (south-east) of the cardinal direction, East. Below that screen-shot, I have shown the day of the Vernal Equinox, 21 March. Notice that since the 2 February, the sun has moved to the left each day, and on this day of the Vernal Equinox, it is rising DUE East. To demonstrate that the sun continues to rise each day in a direction left of where it was on 2 February, I have included a screen-shot for the 21 April. The screen-shot under that shows the position of the sun on 21 June - the Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Then, there is a screen-shot for 21 July. Please notice that the sun has reversed its direction across the horizon, and is now moving to the right. When 21 September arrives, it will rise due East again (Fall Equinox), and when 21 December arrives, it will stop its journey to the right, and begin moving left the next day. Using observation alone, we can all know when the equinoxes & solstices happen, as I believe the ancient Hebrews did, in assisting them to determine the start of a biblical year. I hope this explanation is clear.
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is right (south-east) of the cardinal direction - East
2 Feb 2015
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is directly at the cardinal direction - East
21 March 2015 This is the day of the Vernal Equinox
It is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is left (north-east) of the cardinal direction - East
21 April 2015
Southern Hemisphere (SYDNEY) Sunrise
Notice that the sun is still left (north-east) of the cardinal direction - East
21 June 2015
This is the day of the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
After this day, the sun will start to move towards the East until the Fall equinox.
Additional Information
The above information on the day of equal daytime & darkness can be obtained by observation, but only if you are at the location indicated. So if a believer lives outside Israel, it would not have been possible to know this information accurately, 50 years ago. The information I have provided comes from : http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=110&month=3&year=2014&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1
Jospehus, in the above quote, is relating his astronomy as it existed at the time of the Exodus, some 1500 years before his time, and 3400+ years from our time – Not how the stars are positioned today.
Philo, another Jewish historian described this in the following way – it is quoted by Andrew Roth in “The Real Equinox Rule", p. 41-42
“Moses puts down the beginning of the vernal equinox as the 1st month of the year…for it is through the bounty of nature that the seeds which are sown to produce the necessary food of mankind are brought to perfection. (Philo, On Moses, 2:222)”
“This phrase “beginning of the vernal equinox” is a huge and critical clue for piecing the system together. Philo recognizes the importance of dating the start of the Hebrew Solar Year at the “beginning” of spring, because this will give a fixed point in time completely independent of the stars precessing backwards over time. It will never go out of date!
Therefore “beginning of vernal equinox” is understood as being the same as the when the sun begins to be in Aries.”
Then, going back to Josephus, we see the importance of the 14th day of that lunar month, which is the time of the full moon.
Putting it all together it means this: The New Moon nearest VE is Abib, and the first full moon of Aries is Passover ! “
This is strong evidence that the stars, sun and moon cycles are all part of the biblical calendar.
Andrew Roth, in his study, “The Real Equinox Rule”, goes into great detail to explain the above information. In summary, he concludes :
1: The New Moon nearest the start of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, is ALWAYS the month of the aviv – it is the start of the biblical year.
2: The earliest possible time for the New Moon would be March 7th, but it can be any time between 7th and April 4th.
I have used this information to determine the start of the biblical year, each year, since 2012. Refer to the “This is how we determine the start of a biblical year” posting.
How we determine the start of a biblical year
This is how we determine the start of a biblical year
We use the following information as the basis for how we determine the start of a biblical year :
A: The lights (sun, moon & stars) are for signs, moedim, (appointed times), days and years (Gen 1:14).
B: The moon determines the start of the month (Ps 104:19)
C: The start of the biblical year of the Exodus was in the month Yahweh indicated to Moses & Aaron about the first Passover. (Exod 12:2) The Hebrews were in Egypt when these instructions were given.
D: The month of “the aviv” is the month when the original Passover took place, & when the Israelites left Egypt. (Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1). The month of “the aviv” is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
E: Since the Exodus (Exod 12:2) took place from Egypt, & since the Israelites began the second year in the wilderness of Sinai, it seems reasonable to conclude that the start of the year is not determined from Israel. While it is desirable to determine the start of the biblical year from Israel, based on this information, we can therefore apply these principles to our own locality.
F: There are 12 months in a biblical year, unless the agricultural seasons are out of synch, (1 Ch 27), when a 13th month can be added.
G: The start of the Spring agricultural season is involved in determining the start of a biblical year, since the mo 'ed of the First Fruits requires an offering of mature barley from which fine flour can be made. This is to be made 2-3 weeks after the start of the biblical year (Exod 12, Lev 2:1, 7, Lev 23:10, 14)
H: While aviv barley is required for the First Fruits offering, aviv barley itself DOES NOT determine the start of the biblical year. Barley is in the aviv stage, as the result of the Spring agricultural season starting. The barley cannot be aviv UNTIL the earth is in the correct position on its path around the sun.
I: The start of the biblical year must begin in the Northern Hemisphere springtime, signalled by the vernal equinox.
J: The heavenly signs rule over the earthly signs, meaning, we must see signs in the heavens BEFORE we can use earthly signs.
K: The sun signs rule over the moon signs. The moon is still subject to the solar year, because without it, Yahweh’s moedim that are keyed to harvest & planting, will occur out of season. As long as the moedim stay in season, the moon is in charge. When it needs help to keep the moedim at the proper time, the sun takes over. So the sun, stars & moon mark the biblical year.
We, based on the extensive work of Andrew Roth, use the following two rules, to determine the start of the biblical year. Below them, I will demonstrate how we use the Stellarium astronomical software to make the final decision.
1: The New Moon nearest the start of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, is ALWAYS the month of the aviv – it is the start of the biblical year.
2: The earliest possible time for the New Moon would be March 7th, but it can be any time between 7th and April 4th.
Our Story
In 2012, after much study of Gen 1:14-16, we began the biblical new year with the conjunction moon on 23 March, 2012. We use the moon conjunction on, or after the vermal equinox.
Using Stellarium, on the day of the vernal equinox, the 23 March 2012, we know that the sun rose on the right hand side of the constellation PISCES, in the upper area. (I used the "no Atmosphere" feature of Stellarium to determine this). Note that the time was 8:31 am in the following screen-shots. The screen shots show the same time for the same day, with & without the constellation artwork.
23 March 2012 @ 8:31 am Constellations shown with lines & artwork
Clearly, we would not see this in the sky at 8:31 am, because (a) it would be complete daylight, and (b) there is no "artwork" to guide us.
The following screen-shot shows the same situation as the previous one, without the constellation artwork
23 March 2012 @ 8:31 am Constellations shown without the artwork
In order to use this information in a practical way, (as the ancients Israelites would have), we need to examine the Eastern sky, perhaps one hour BEFORE sunrise, and determine which stars are visible, & what are their positions relative to direct East, & the place the sun will rise at sunrise.
Here is a screen-shot on 23 March, 2012, the day of the vernal equinox, when the sunrise is about 7:10 am, & the sun rising just left of East. (the no Atmosphere feature is on to help us see clearly where the sun rises).
Let's turn the Atmosphere back on, and go backwards about 1 hour, & examine the position of the stars BEFORE sunrise. I've shown the constellations with their names & lines, so that we can better understand their positions relative to direct East. Below it, we have the same Eastern sky without labels. The un-named constellation left of East, in the second screen shot, above the white arrow is PEGASUS.
Explanation
1: This precise arrangement of stars, about one hour before sunrise, shows the morning sky of the new moon day, at the start of the biblical year 2012-2013.
2: If we use Stellarium to cycle through 12 lunar months, we can see whether this same morning sky arrangement is present to begin the biblical year, 2013-2014.
Below are two screen-shots, (with and without constellation labels), of the morning sky on the 13 March, 2013, the morning after the new moon conjunction, about one hour before sunrise. This would be the start of a possible 13th month.
13 March 2013 6:20 am
1 hour before SUNRISE with constellation labels
13 March 2013 6:20 am
1 hour before SUNRISE without constellation labels
Q: Is this the start of the first month of the new biblical year, or do we need to add a 13th month ?
A: Let's see if we can TEST it.
Below are 2 screen-shots - one of the 1st biblical month of 2012 (23 March), and the other, a possible 1st month of the biblical year of 2013.
Let's examine them carefully to see if a 13th month is required.
Q: Are these stars (constellations) on the 13th March, 2013, in a similar pattern to where they were on 23 March 2012 ?
A: Clearly, the relative position of the constellations for the 13th March 2013, is not the same as for 23 March 2012. The sun is much closer to Aquarius.
Q: What conclusion can be drawn ?
A: There is still a few days BEFORE the cycle of the year will be completed.
Q: Is this significant ?
A: I'm not sure - we need to check.
Q: If we fast-forward to 4 April, 2013, what do we notice ?
A: Let's look carefully at the screen shot.
If we carefully compare the morning sky of the 4th April 2013 with that of the 23rd March 2012, we see a very similar pattern. This confirms that the yearly cycle has been completed.
If we use modern technology, by adding the constellation lines & artwork, we can see that the sun is in a different place to what it was at the start of the biblical year in 2012.
Q: Can a new biblical year begin BEFORE the previous year's cycle has been completed ?
A: This is just a personal opinion.
Deut 22:9-11 tells us that we are not to sow divers seeds in a vineyard, nor are we to plow an ox with an ass, or wear a garment of divers sorts such as wool & linen. Matt 9:16-17 also tells us that we wouldn't put a new cloth on an old garment, nor would we put new wine in old bottles.
If you look carefully at the date above, March 13, 2013, you will notice that it is BEFORE the vernal equinox of March 21. That means that Spring has not quite arrived, & the barley needed for the first-fruits offering of Lev 23, would not be at the required stage of development.
Based on these ideas, I believe that we cannot begin a new biblical year until the old biblical year is completely finished.
The following chart shows the dates for the start of each biblical year from 2012 until 2020. I will now provide screen shots for each of those years from 31/3/2014 until 25/3/2020. Please compare the position of the sun in the constellation of PISCES.
We use the following information as the basis for how we determine the start of a biblical year :
A: The lights (sun, moon & stars) are for signs, moedim, (appointed times), days and years (Gen 1:14).
B: The moon determines the start of the month (Ps 104:19)
C: The start of the biblical year of the Exodus was in the month Yahweh indicated to Moses & Aaron about the first Passover. (Exod 12:2) The Hebrews were in Egypt when these instructions were given.
D: The month of “the aviv” is the month when the original Passover took place, & when the Israelites left Egypt. (Exod 13:4 & Deut 16:1). The month of “the aviv” is the start of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
E: Since the Exodus (Exod 12:2) took place from Egypt, & since the Israelites began the second year in the wilderness of Sinai, it seems reasonable to conclude that the start of the year is not determined from Israel. While it is desirable to determine the start of the biblical year from Israel, based on this information, we can therefore apply these principles to our own locality.
F: There are 12 months in a biblical year, unless the agricultural seasons are out of synch, (1 Ch 27), when a 13th month can be added.
G: The start of the Spring agricultural season is involved in determining the start of a biblical year, since the mo 'ed of the First Fruits requires an offering of mature barley from which fine flour can be made. This is to be made 2-3 weeks after the start of the biblical year (Exod 12, Lev 2:1, 7, Lev 23:10, 14)
H: While aviv barley is required for the First Fruits offering, aviv barley itself DOES NOT determine the start of the biblical year. Barley is in the aviv stage, as the result of the Spring agricultural season starting. The barley cannot be aviv UNTIL the earth is in the correct position on its path around the sun.
I: The start of the biblical year must begin in the Northern Hemisphere springtime, signalled by the vernal equinox.
J: The heavenly signs rule over the earthly signs, meaning, we must see signs in the heavens BEFORE we can use earthly signs.
K: The sun signs rule over the moon signs. The moon is still subject to the solar year, because without it, Yahweh’s moedim that are keyed to harvest & planting, will occur out of season. As long as the moedim stay in season, the moon is in charge. When it needs help to keep the moedim at the proper time, the sun takes over. So the sun, stars & moon mark the biblical year.
We, based on the extensive work of Andrew Roth, use the following two rules, to determine the start of the biblical year. Below them, I will demonstrate how we use the Stellarium astronomical software to make the final decision.
1: The New Moon nearest the start of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, is ALWAYS the month of the aviv – it is the start of the biblical year.
2: The earliest possible time for the New Moon would be March 7th, but it can be any time between 7th and April 4th.
Our Story
In 2012, after much study of Gen 1:14-16, we began the biblical new year with the conjunction moon on 23 March, 2012. We use the moon conjunction on, or after the vermal equinox.
Using Stellarium, on the day of the vernal equinox, the 23 March 2012, we know that the sun rose on the right hand side of the constellation PISCES, in the upper area. (I used the "no Atmosphere" feature of Stellarium to determine this). Note that the time was 8:31 am in the following screen-shots. The screen shots show the same time for the same day, with & without the constellation artwork.
23 March 2012 @ 8:31 am Constellations shown with lines & artwork
Clearly, we would not see this in the sky at 8:31 am, because (a) it would be complete daylight, and (b) there is no "artwork" to guide us.
The following screen-shot shows the same situation as the previous one, without the constellation artwork
23 March 2012 @ 8:31 am Constellations shown without the artwork
In order to use this information in a practical way, (as the ancients Israelites would have), we need to examine the Eastern sky, perhaps one hour BEFORE sunrise, and determine which stars are visible, & what are their positions relative to direct East, & the place the sun will rise at sunrise.
Here is a screen-shot on 23 March, 2012, the day of the vernal equinox, when the sunrise is about 7:10 am, & the sun rising just left of East. (the no Atmosphere feature is on to help us see clearly where the sun rises).
Let's turn the Atmosphere back on, and go backwards about 1 hour, & examine the position of the stars BEFORE sunrise. I've shown the constellations with their names & lines, so that we can better understand their positions relative to direct East. Below it, we have the same Eastern sky without labels. The un-named constellation left of East, in the second screen shot, above the white arrow is PEGASUS.
Explanation
1: This precise arrangement of stars, about one hour before sunrise, shows the morning sky of the new moon day, at the start of the biblical year 2012-2013.
2: If we use Stellarium to cycle through 12 lunar months, we can see whether this same morning sky arrangement is present to begin the biblical year, 2013-2014.
Below are two screen-shots, (with and without constellation labels), of the morning sky on the 13 March, 2013, the morning after the new moon conjunction, about one hour before sunrise. This would be the start of a possible 13th month.
13 March 2013 6:20 am
1 hour before SUNRISE with constellation labels
13 March 2013 6:20 am
1 hour before SUNRISE without constellation labels
Q: Is this the start of the first month of the new biblical year, or do we need to add a 13th month ?
A: Let's see if we can TEST it.
Below are 2 screen-shots - one of the 1st biblical month of 2012 (23 March), and the other, a possible 1st month of the biblical year of 2013.
Let's examine them carefully to see if a 13th month is required.
Q: Are these stars (constellations) on the 13th March, 2013, in a similar pattern to where they were on 23 March 2012 ?
A: Clearly, the relative position of the constellations for the 13th March 2013, is not the same as for 23 March 2012. The sun is much closer to Aquarius.
Q: What conclusion can be drawn ?
A: There is still a few days BEFORE the cycle of the year will be completed.
Q: Is this significant ?
A: I'm not sure - we need to check.
Q: If we fast-forward to 4 April, 2013, what do we notice ?
A: Let's look carefully at the screen shot.
If we carefully compare the morning sky of the 4th April 2013 with that of the 23rd March 2012, we see a very similar pattern. This confirms that the yearly cycle has been completed.
If we use modern technology, by adding the constellation lines & artwork, we can see that the sun is in a different place to what it was at the start of the biblical year in 2012.
Q: Can a new biblical year begin BEFORE the previous year's cycle has been completed ?
A: This is just a personal opinion.
Deut 22:9-11 tells us that we are not to sow divers seeds in a vineyard, nor are we to plow an ox with an ass, or wear a garment of divers sorts such as wool & linen. Matt 9:16-17 also tells us that we wouldn't put a new cloth on an old garment, nor would we put new wine in old bottles.
If you look carefully at the date above, March 13, 2013, you will notice that it is BEFORE the vernal equinox of March 21. That means that Spring has not quite arrived, & the barley needed for the first-fruits offering of Lev 23, would not be at the required stage of development.
Based on these ideas, I believe that we cannot begin a new biblical year until the old biblical year is completely finished.
The following chart shows the dates for the start of each biblical year from 2012 until 2020. I will now provide screen shots for each of those years from 31/3/2014 until 25/3/2020. Please compare the position of the sun in the constellation of PISCES.
How to determine the start of a biblical month
When does the biblical month begin ?
I believe that it should be possible to gather together, believers who are willing to examine what Yahweh tells us about this matter. I encourage all readers to only seek Yahweh's Truth in this matter, & not be distracted by any traditions or biases.
Before I examine the two main possible methods for determining the start of a biblical month, I’d like to present some scientific facts about the moon. Please study them carefully, so that we all have the same understanding of how the moon moves in relation to the Earth.
The moon is a natural satellite of the Earth, whose average distance from the Earth is 384,467 km. Because the moon’s rotation is synchronised with its revolution around the Earth, the same side of the moon always faces the Earth.
The phases of the moon are the different ways the moon looks from Earth during the month. This happens because as the moon moves through space, different parts of it face the sun. The same phases of the moon happen again and again, & on an average, it takes about 29.5 days (about 697 hours) to complete one revolution around the earth.
NB – A primary reason for confusion between different Messianic groups in determining the start of a biblical month, is that we are scattered across the planet. We need to understand that the moon’s journey around Earth has nothing to do with the location of the observer, but rather, the moon’s position relative to the Earth and the Sun.
Q: Does the following statement seem logical to you, & do you agree with it ?
A: A new moon is not determined by those various locations “sighting” of a first crescent at their sunset, but rather occurs for the entire Earth at one time. The moon centers itself between the Sun and the Earth, & then begins to build the light of the first day (from the zero light of a conjunction). A careful examination of the following diagram should illustrate this principle.
Perhaps things will become clearer, if we carefully examine the following diagram, and perform the exercise below.
Exercise
(From : http://www.fossilizedcustoms.com/moonpeople.html)
Picture yourself on the surface of the Earth, aligning your view of the moon from the dotted lines in the illustrations above. The moon will appear to you as the image in the outer ring. The circuit of the moon as it travels around the Earth is illustrated by the inner ring – this is not related to what the moon looks like from a specific locality.
The Earth is independently spinning, and people at various locations on the surface are arguing about what "day" of the moon it is, relative to their position, instead of the moon in its circuit. Regardless of where someone is, after 697 hours of time, the moon will return to its starting position between the Earth and the Sun. Where you happen to be on the sphere of the Earth, and what time it may be at your location, has nothing to do with when the moon reaches its zero-point.
Q: If you are a “first crescent” person, where would you be on Earth, on the above diagram to observe the very first crescent?
A: Clearly, you would be at some place just above the 0O dotted line.
Wouldn’t that place be different for every first crescent observer on Earth, since they would all be in different locations?
This is very confusing, & appears to conflict with 1 Cor 14:33, which tells us Yahweh that is NOT an Elohim of CONFUSION.
1Cor 14:33 For Yahweh is not (the author) of confusion
Basic Premise
Around the world, there are two main groups of people, who each currently begin their biblical month in different ways. Of these two main groups, there are those who begin their biblical month by sighting the first crescent of the moon, after the period of the “dark moon”, and those who begin their biblical month on the day of the conjunction, or on the day AFTER the moon’s conjunction.
Q: What does this tell us ?
A: It is obvious that at least one group is in error - both groups cannot be correct.
Personally, I only want to do Yahweh's will – I want to do things His way – I want to walk in all His ways (Deut 10:12), so if I am in one of the groups that is wrong, I want to know this, & I want to fix it. That's why I want to TEST all the evidence that is available, before I decide!
Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth Yahweh your Elohim require of thee, but to fear Yahweh your Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahweh your Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu 10:13 To keep the commandments of Yahweh, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
A famous person once said “there is only one really effective way to destroy truth – to assume that you already have it !” I don't want to make this same mistake, so again, I want to examine ALL the evidence I can find!
There are only two real possibilities or theories. Please remember & check, that there is relatively little, specific scriptural evidence that relates to the start of a biblical month, & there is even less detailed scriptural evidence related to the moon.
Let's begin our study by examining each theory separately. After this, we will consider the problems associated with each theory. Finally, I will analyse the information, & state MY conclusion based on that analysis.
I am presenting what I have studied, and what I have found. I encourage each of you to do your own analysis, & arrive at your own conclusion.
Theory 1 - The biblical month begins when the first crescent of the moon is observed after the period of the "dark moon".
What is the Evidence for Theory 1 ?
1: A very important piece of evidence put forward to support this theory, is that, since Gen 1:14 tells us that the "lights" are for "signs", & so, we must see the moon, in order for it to be a sign.
Associated with this, is the idea that light must come from the “lights”, in order for it to be a sign, hence the visible first crescent theory.
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let lights be in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night. And let them be for signs and for (moedim) seasons, and for days and years.
2: Ps 104:19 tells us Yahweh that made the moon for His moedim. These moedim can only be determined by knowing when the correct start of a biblical month is. This theory tells us that we must see the first crescent of the moon, in order for a biblical month to begin.
Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons (appointed times - moedim)
3: Another piece of evidence relates to the actual meaning of the Hebrew word, chodesh, H2320, which is translated as new, or month, or new moon. Scriptural evidence often used as support for this idea includes : 1 Sam 20:5, 18; Ps 81:3, & Ezek 46:1. It is claimed that it is called the “new” moon because the first crescent moon is the first time the “re-newed” moon is sighted. Refer to the table for Strong’s & Brown-Driver-Briggs' definitions.
In terms of the statement, “the new moon is tomorrow”, (1 Sam 20:5), proponents of theory 1, claim that the day when David spoke these words must have been the 30th day of a month, & therefore, tomorrow” must be the 1st day of a new month, (since a biblical month cannot have more than 30 days).
Rabbi Ed Nydle suggests from 1 Sam 20:5 & 18, that the New Moon at that time was a festival time. Amos 8:4-6 implies that it may have been observed as a "sabbath".
4: Others claim that 1 Sam 20:5 is evidence for the first crescent being used, by explaining that the term “tomorrow is the new moon” is used because there have been 2 days of darkness, so the next day will definitely be the day of the first crescent. Observation tells us that, at the moon's conjunction, the moon can be hidden for almost 1 to 3.5 days.
5: Further evidence quoted for support is historical in nature. The Talmud claims that the Sanhedrin relied on 2 witnesses to sight the first crescent, in order to determine the start of the biblical month. The 2 witnesses were apparently questioned carefully in order to be sure that what they claim to have seen, was the first crescent. The following quote from https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Rosh_Chodesh/rosh_chodesh.html provides some details :
6: Joe Dummond of www.sightedmoon.com explains a theory that uses the constellation Virgo and the work of E.L. Martin, with modern astronomical software, to show that the New Moon sightings had to be made using the “crescent” moon – he uses Rev 12:1-3. Mr Martin comes up with a time of 6.15 - 7.45 pm, September 11th, 3 BC, as the date of Yahushua's birth – this according to Mr Martin was Yom Teruah of that year. He further concludes that since this is the exact time of Yahushua's birth, then the only time when the sun can "clothe" the virgin, & the moon is at her feet (Rev 12:1), is when a crescent moon appears.
Rev 12:1 And a great sign was seen in the heavens, a woman having been clothed with the sun, and the moon was underneath her feet; and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
Rev 12:2 and having a babe in her womb. She cried, being in labor, and having birth pains to deliver.
Rev 12:3 And another sign was seen in the heavens. And, behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns! And on his heads were seven crowns
7: In 1 Kings 6:38, and 1 Kings 8:2, there are two different Hebrew words translated as “month”. They are ירח, H3391, yerach, (month Bul), and חדשׁ , H2320, chodesh (eighth month). All the translations found, translated these two Hebrew words as “month”. This indicate that yerach and chodesh are interchangeable words.
Theory 2 - The biblical month begins on the biblical day of the moon’s conjunction, or on the first biblical day AFTER the moon's conjunction.
What is the Evidence for Theory 2 ?
The moon's conjunction is when the sun & moon are on the same side of the earth, & all three are in a straight line – it is a lunar eclipse. The conjunction itself, lasts but a moment ! The moon starts to give its light only a few minutes after conjunction, but because of the moon's closeness to the sun, it cannot be seen with the naked eye until the moon has at least 1.44% illumination – it can clearly be seen with the naked eye, if the moon’s illumination is 2% or greater. Note again, that the moon can be hidden at the time of conjunction for almost 1 to 3.5 days.
Although there is a lot of additional scientific information about the moon & its cycle, apart from the above information, I will only be using the scriptural & practical evidence that would be available to an ordinary ancient Israelite.
1: This theory also uses Gen 1:14 as evidence. It agrees that the "lights" are for "signs", but claims a sign does not need to be seen, for it to be a sign. It asserts that “seeing a sign”, is a Greek-Roman way of thinking, not a Hebraic way to think.
Theory 2 quotes Heb 11:1, which gives a biblical definition for faith, as support.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Theory 2 asks the question, if "faith is the substance of things being hoped, the evidence of things not having been seen", why does a sign need to be seen, to be experienced ? Doesn’t Heb 11:3 also support this ? Isn’t this is the Hebraic way of looking at this evidence ?
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
2: This theory also agrees that Ps 104:19 tells us that Yahweh made the moon for His moedim (His appointed times), & that they can only be determined by knowing when the correct start of the biblical month is.
3: If we carefully examine 1 Sam 20, specifically verses 5, 18, & 27 where the story of Jonathan, Saul's son, & David's is given, we can observe several important points.
David knows king Saul wants to kill him, but Jonathan, doesn't believe it. They make a plan to test David's belief about Saul, and this is all described in 1 Sam 20. Verse 5 gives details of an important part of this plan. The plan involves David hiding away until the third evening after the time of 1 Sam 20:5. I have provided the HRB version.
1Sa 20:5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, the new moon is tomorrow (chodesh). And sitting I should certainly sit with the king to eat. And you shall send me away, and I shall be hidden in the field until the third evening. (HRB)
Q: In context, what does the statement "the new moon is tomorrow" tell us ?
A: A check of Strong’s Concordance & BDB (below) provide strong evidence that, in context, “tomorrow” is the appropriate translation. This is supported by the fact that at least 10 different translations I consulted, all translated it this way. Therefore, this phrase indicates that the day of the new moon is calculated in some way. This statement in repeated in 1 Sam 20:18.
Q: Why does David stay away until the third evening ?
A: There isn't a reason stated, but from the story, it seems likely that the Israelites of this period may have had a tradition of keeping a new moon feast for 3 days. (Rabbi Ed Nydle agrees).
Later I will give my detailed explanation for why this tradition was used.
1Sa 20:18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
1 Sam 20:27 tells us that David didn't come to the new moon meal on either the first day or the second day, & king Saul asks why on the second night ?
1Sa 20:27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
Verses 1 Sam 20:28-34 reveal to Jonathan that king Saul, his father, really wants to kill David.
Theory 2 proponents claim that at the time of 1 Sam 20, the Israelites had a tradition of keeping the start of the new moon as a feast for three days. They did this because, they wanted to observe the first crescent, in order to CONFIRM that the new moon had begin, knowing that it can take up to three days for the first crescent to be seen.
4: Isa 13:9-10 tell us that on "the day of Yahweh", "the sun will be darkened (not totally dark) & the moon will not reflect its light".
Q: Which day is considered to be "the day of Yahweh" ?
A: It is believed to be Yom Teruah, the day of Trumpets. Is 13:10c states that the moon shall not reflect its light. Yahushua also quotes this in Mark 13:24.
Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of Yahweh cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
If the “day of Yahweh” is a Yom Teruah day, then according to the above scripture verses, it must be a day when the moon doesn’t give her light, and therefore, it must be a “dark moon” day. Isn’t this excellent evidence for a new moon day that depends on a conjunction start?
5:
Q: What do we know about Yahweh that can assist us in determining the correct start to a biblical month ?
A:
(i) Yahweh is a very orderly Being
Everything that our Heavenly Father does has judicial order. Simply put, it is the order that He set out at creation of how things work, such as gravity. Yahweh’s judicial order sets precedent for our lives, and how we are to worship Him. So when looking at what constitutes a “new moon” according to Scripture, we will look at the precedents that He has set, since He does not change (Mal 3:6a)
Mal 3:6 For I am Yahweh, I change not;
We see the precedent laid out at creation in that the things created did not come into being out of things that already appeared. The same way that the world started in darkness (Gen 1:2-3), and the day starts in darkness, and even life in the womb starts in darkness, the precedent set is that the month starts at conjunction, the exact time each month that the earth, the moon and the sun are lined up in perfect order.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(ii) Yahweh is perfect.
When you see a quarter moon, the month is ¼ over. When you see a full moon the month is half over. When you see a waning ¼ of a moon, the month is ¾ over, and when the moon is dark again at conjunction it is “resetting” the new month. Refer to the diagram from Andrew Roth below. This symmetry of the moon is evidence that Yahweh is perfect.
6: The evidence of a 30 A.D. crucifixion of Yahushua
Yahweh planned for His son Yahushua to be crucified on a Wednesday in 30 A.D. We know that Yahushua was not crucified on a Friday, as you cannot get three days and three nights in the grave from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning (Matt 12:38-40), but He was crucified midweek. Now if you go to the year He was crucified, 30 A.D., you can only come up with a midweek crucifixion if you start your month by conjunction, but if you are visibly sighting a crescent, you are back to a Friday crucifixion, which is impossible according to Scripture. There is ample historical evidence to clearly show a 30A.D. crucifixion.
Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Other evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, interestingly, come from the Jerusalem Talmud. We read there that :
"Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open" (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p.156-157). [the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE]
Another piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, also comes from the Jerusalem Talmud. Jewish authorities acknowledge that for 40 years, until it destruction, the Temple doors swung open every night of their own accord. The leading Jewish authority of that time, Yohanan ben Zakkai, declared that this was a sign of impending doom, and that the Temple itself would be destroyed. We read :
''Said Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai to the Temple, 'O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, 'Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars' '' (Zechariah 11:1)' (Sota 6:3).
A third piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, is that every night for 40 years (over 12,500 nights in a row) the main lamp of the Temple lampstand (the menorah) went out of its own accord — no matter what attempts and precautions the priests took to safeguard against this event!
Earnest Martin states:
''In fact, we are told in the Talmud that at dusk the lamps that were unlit in the daytime (the middle four lamps remained unlit, while the two eastern lamps normally stayed lit during the day) were to be re-lit from the flames of the western lamp (which was a lamp that was supposed to stay lit all the time — it was like the 'eternal' flame that we see today in some national monuments) . . .
''This 'western lamp' was to be kept lit at all times. For that reason, the priests kept extra reservoirs of olive oil and other implements in ready supply to make sure that the 'western lamp' (under all circumstances) would stay lit. But what happened in the forty years from the very year Messiah said the physical Temple would be destroyed? Every night for forty years the western lamp went out, and this in spite of the priests each evening preparing in a special
way the western lamp so that it would remain constantly burning all night!'' (The Significance of the Year CE 30, Ernest Martin, Research Update, April 1994, p.4).
Again, the odds against the lamp continually going out are astronomical. Something out of the ordinary was going on.
The ''light'' of the Menorah—representing contact with Yahweh, His Spirit, and His Presence was now removed. This special demonstration occurred starting with the crucifixion of the Messiah.
A fourth piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, is that from 30 AD to 70 AD, the following documented event took place.
"and it has further been taught: ‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.’" (Bavli Rosh Hashanah 31b).
The Jewish authorities have been unable to explain these 4 events, but they clearly point to something happening in 30 AD – we know that it was the crucifixion of the Messiah.
7:
Q: Does a month starting in darkness make biblical sense ?
A: The physical often teaches the spiritual. Remember, biblically, many things begin in darkness
~ creation itself began in darkness (Gen 1:2)
~ Job 12:22 says "He reveals mysteries from the darkness, and brings the deep darkness into light"
~ we start off our lives in darkness (in the womb)
~ our spiritual lives start off in complete darkness, & then light comes into our lives
~ John 12:46 tells us "I (Yahushua) have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness".
~ doesn't Yahushua call our attention to certain periods in our lifetime - from "death" (darkness) to being reborn into light ?
~ 1 John 2:8 tells us "Again I write a new commandment to you which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true Light already shines"
Darkness is very important to Yahweh
~ The covenant with Abraham was made in darkness (Gen 15:12)
Gen 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
~ the passing over of the death angel took place during the night time (darkness) (Exod 12:12)
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Yahweh.
~ Yahweh dwells in darkness (Exod 20:21, 1 Kings 8:12, Ps 18:11)
Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where Yahweh was.
1Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, Yahweh said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
The moon cycle begins in darkness, & moves into light in increasing steps.
8: There is one scriptural verse that “appears” to deal with the new moon. It is Ps 81:3, & a common translation of it is :
Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
If we examine this Ps 81:3 in its original language, Hebrew, it can be translated as :
A closer examination of the Hebrew written in this verse reveals the following:
From the above information, there are two possible interpretations :
Option 1 Ps 81:3
Blow in month shofar in fullness or full moon towards day our feast
OR
Option 2 Ps 81:3
Blow in month shofar in concealed moon towards day our feast
If we examine Option 1, we need to ask ourselves, is there ever a time when a shofar must be blown on a day of the fullness or full moon ?
We know there are two moedim that fall on the 15th of a Hebrew month, the day of a full moon. These are the feast of Unleavened Bread (15th of the 1st month), and the feast of Sukkot (15th of the 7th month).
Num 10:10 tells us that the two silver trumpets, H2689, are to be blown on "our solemn days (moedim)". A shofar is not a silver trumpet, and so, fullness" or "full moon" are inappropriate meanings for Ps 81:3.
ba ke'se, H3677, comes from the root word, כסה kasah, H3680, (with the same Hebrew letters, but with different vowels) is widely understood to mean “cover, concealed, enveloped, shrouded, dark”.
Now we need to check Option 2, to see if it fulfils all scriptural requirements.
Lev 23:24 refers to the first day of the 7th month, or the new moon day - it is called "the feast of trumpets". It tells us that it is a day when there will be "blowing of trumpets". The Hebrew word describing it, is H8643, teruah. Strong's Concordance tells us that this word means "clamour, acclamation, a battle cry, a clangor, an alarum". BDB tells us it means "alarm, signal, shout, sound of tempest, blast of war, alarm or joy". While this doesn't specifically mention the shofar, many translators have rendered this word as "blowing of trumpets". At the same time, the "feast of trumpets" is a "new moon" day, so the silver trumpet, H2689, chatsotsrah, is appropriate. However since it isn't mentioned, this time probably isn't a new moon day.
Without getting into a deeper discussion on the real meaning of this verse, it seems very clear, that this verse cannot be referring to a new moon that begins with a first crescent, because a full moon nor a covered moon is a crescent.
My research indicates that the most correct translation of Ps 81:3 is :
Ps 81:3 Blow the shofar in the month at the concealed moon towards the day of our feast.
9: Although this is historical evidence, it can be considered. Hillel the Elder (not Hillel II) was a Rabbi who lived just prior to Yahushua. In 10 BC, he re-instituted conjunction observance.
Refer to http://littleguyintheeye.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/biblical-calendar/. This source has been removed from the Internet, & I have been unable to confirm it elsewhere.
10: In the Andrew Roth study, “Philo & the New Moon”, where he quotes Philo at : http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book28.html.
It reads :
XI. (41) "The 3rd (festival) is that which comes after the conjunction, which happens on the day of the new moon in each month”.
Clearly, Philo, a Jewish historian who wrote after Yahushua's time, considered that the start of the biblical month involved the conjunction.
11: In 2014, there was a blood moon on the 15th day of the 7th month, (Sukkot), based on a conjunction start.
Problems with each theory
The proponents of each theory claim their opponents have serious problems.
Let's examine these in an attempt to arrive at a correct decision about when a biblical month begins.
Theory 1 - the First Crescent Problems
1: In point 3 above, we read that the Hebrew word for "new moon" is H2320, chodesh. While it is true that chodesh is often translated as "new moon", it is NEVER translated as "new moon" in the Torah, the first 5 books of the Tanach. There, it is always translated as "new" or "month".
2: 1 Sam 20:5 & 18 tell us that "tomorrow is the new moon". Since it is an observable fact that, there can be 1-3 days before the first crescent of a new moon can be seen with the naked eye, it is IMPOSSIBLE to calculate precisely when it can be seen, unless the day indicated was, the 30th day of the biblical month. If this new moon day was determined by the first crescent, why did they apparently have a 3 day festival ? They wouldn’t need to confirm it further, since the first crescent was observed !
Q: Why would David need to wait until the 3rd day to meet with Jonathan ?
A: It seems very unlikely that 1 Sam 20:5 & 18 can be referring to a first crescent start to a new month !
Q: If the next day after 1 Sam 20:5 is determined by observing the first crescent, what possible reason would there be to :
(a) celebrate the new moon festival for 2 -3 days, &
(b) why would David be waiting until the third evening ?
3: Earlier, it was claimed that the "day of Yahweh" would occur on a Yom Teruah day. Is 13:10 & Mark 13:24 both tell us that "the moon will not give her light". If this is so, it cannot possibly be referring to a first crescent start of a biblical month, since the moon will not give her light !
4: Amos 8:5 asks "when will the new moon have passed ?".
Q: If a new moon day is determined with a first crescent, why did they have to ask when the new moon would be over ?
A: Biblically, the day would be over when the sun went down, & they would not have to ask. But because they appear to have had a "tradition" of celebrating 3 days as a "feast" from conjunction to first crescent, the observation of the New Moon became longer than the actual day.
It may be in Amos 8:5, they were referring to the Day of trumpets - the only commanded "Shabbaton", שׁבתון that is a New Moon day (refer to Lev 24:24) !
Clearly, this cannot be referring to a new moon day starting with a first crescent.
NB – this Shabbaton, שׁבתון in Lev 23:24 is NOT a Shabbat Shabbaton,
שׁבת שׁבתון like the 7th day Sabbath of Lev 23:3.
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
5: In order to examine a problem when a sighted, first crescent moon is used to begin a biblical month, I have created a hypothethical version of a typical moon cycle.
Legend
The row beginning with Day 28 represents a moon cycle based on a CONJUNCTION count.
The row beginning with Day 1 represents a moon cycle based on a SIGHTED CRESCENT count. The example shown represents a cycle where the sighted crescent is seen on the 2nd night after the day of the conjunction.
(NB - my research from the following sites shows that the shortest time for observing the first crescent moon with the naked eye is 15.5 hours after the actual conjunction. The maximum time between these two events is 3.5 days).
(Refer to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/crescent.php & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_moon)
If we examine this information carefully, we notice a few irregularities about the sighted moon theory.
A: The start of the new month can be 1, 2 or 3 days after the actual conjunction.
B: This is a problem because the main visible phases of the moon (1st quarter, full moon and 3rd quarter) can vary for up to 3 days on different months. Yahweh is an Elohim who is perfect, & to my way of thinking, these irregular observable phenomena support a picture of an Elohim of confusion, not an Elohim of order (1 Cor 14:33a)
1Co 14:33a For God is not the author of confusion,
C: The day of the full moon, when it has 100.0% illumination, can NEVER be in the exact middle of a biblical month, based on the sighted moon theory.
D: In 2014, there was a blood moon, which can only be observed on the day when the moon is 100.0% illuminated. As mentioned earlier this occurred when the month began with the conjunction. Using the first crescent, their “full moon”, with 100.0% illumination, was 3 days later.
6: Yahweh didn’t tell the Hebrews to use the crescent moon to begin the first month while in Egypt. Some misinterpret the meaning of the Hebrew term translated as "observe" in Deut 16:1.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Aviv, and keep the passover unto Yahweh your Elohim: for in the month of Aviv Yahweh your Elohim brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
The Hebrew word translated as “observe” in the original Hebrew is Strong’s word #8104 “shawmar”, and does not mean to physically look at, but rather to keep, to guard and protect, to be aware of. It is the exact same word that is used in Deut 5:12, when we are told that we are observe the Sabbath day, and I don’t think anyone will argue that on the Sabbath we are not visibly sighting something to start the day, actually it is the very opposite, it is the absence of the sun that tells us that the Sabbath has started.
Deu 5:12 Keep (shawmar) the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
In fact, just one chapter earlier in Deut 4:19, Yahweh commands the Hebrews not to look at or worship the sun, the moon and the stars.
Deu 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Now do you honestly think that, in a region where people were worshipping the sun and moon and stars, and with the Israelites’ propensity to paganism with the golden calf, that Yahweh would really have them go every month out to sight a crescent moon? It would be like sending an alcoholic to watch a room full of whiskey, and telling him not to drink.
7: Many claim that the only way to properly keep the holy days correctly is to know the timing of the new moon from Jerusalem, thus using Jerusalem time. So before the last 50 years, how would anyone living in Europe or America know when the crescent moon was sighted in Jerusalem ? And if you go by a local sighting, you can have up three different days for a moed in a given area. Nowhere in Scripture does Yahweh ever command to visibly sight a crescent moon to start the month.
8: One of the most convincing pieces of evidence is based on the work of E.L. Martin in his book, "The Star of Bethlehem - The Star that Astonished the World". As stated above, Mr Martin claims that Yahushua was born on September 11th, between 6:15 and 7:45 pm, 3 BC. The problem is, that Joe Dummond's sighted moon theory is based on this date.
Another respected scholar, Andrew Gabriel Roth, also deals with the same topic in his God's Learning Channel, program 3, “The Heavens Declare the Glory of Yahweh”. He presents very convincing evidence, and comes up with a date for Yahushua's birth as 13 September, 5 BCE. Clearly, they both cannot be correct & it is possible that they are both incorrect.
Mr Martin's conclusion is based on the idea that Yahushua was born on Yom Teruah, the feast of Trumpets, the new moon day of the 7th month. This clearly cannot be correct, since Luke 2:7 tells us "there was no room in the inn", indicating a time after the start of Sukkot (15th day of the 7th month).
The original web address for A.G.Roth's talk was :
http://www.glc.us.com/site/watch.php?program=28&video=202
which I believe has been removed, but I did have extensive notes & screen shots for the program, & was able to put together these ideas. The program was called, "The time of Messiah's birth" by Andrew Gabriel Roth.
9: The crescent (saharon in Hebrew) only appears 3 times in the Tanach (Jud 8:21, 26 & Is 3:18) – each time, it is associated with paganism, & never is it compared to the new moon. The crescent moon was used by the ancient world, but it was not Israel who used it - the worshippers of Diana (Artemis, Ishtar, Venus, & Asherah) used the crescent as her symbol, as do the Ishmaelites (and Islam) today.
10: The Babylonian Talmud, 02 Rosh 07, does have records of sighting the crescent as part of a new moon certification process, but it appears to have been originally done as a "backwards" marker - as a way to confirm that the conjunction new moon had begun. Again, I believe 1 Sam 20:5 supports this.
11: The Babylonian Talmud (03 Yomah 07) records that there were 300 high priests during the “years of the wicked”, a period of 420 years. They appear to have died on Yom Kippur because they went into the Holy of Holies, on the wrong day ! Andrew Roth claims that this stopped in 10 BC when Hillel the Elder (a Pharisee) corrected to calendar back to a conjunction start of the biblical month. We certainly know that Ananias & Caiaphas ruled as high priest for a number of years.
12: Andrew Roth further claims that Philo & Josephus agree about how the calendar of Hillel the Elder worked – it was based on the “dark moon”. Andrew Roth presents considerable evidence for the conjunction start of a month in the following (Philo & the New Moon by Andrew Roth;
http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book28.html)
13: Yahushua never disagreed with the calendar of the Pharisees – in Matt 23:1-2, He says that the Pharisees & not the Sadducees “sit in Moses’ seat”.
14: A close examination of the following diagram that was used earlier, provides significant evidence against the 1st crescent sighting theory. As I wrote above, the Earth is independently spinning, and people at various locations on the surface are arguing about what "day" of the moon it is, relative from their position, instead of the moon in its circuit.
If you are a conjunction theory person, the start of any biblical month will always be on the 0o line, and after 687 hours of time, the moon will return to that same starting point, 0o.
If you are a first crescent theory person, the start of your biblical month will be somewhere between 0o and 45o. I have drawn a red line to simulate this.
Unlike the conjunction method, when the cycle of the moon is completed, it will almost always NOT return to this same starting position – it could be before that red line or after it ! This is because the moon can be hidden from vision for 15 hours to 3.5 days after the conjunction – the actual time of the conjunction itself affects when the first crescent will be visible. Clearly, the time between the sighted first crescent at the start of one month, and the sighting of the 1st crescent at the start of the following month, will almost never be 687 hours – it will vary every month ! Again, this chaotic situation is a reflection of an elohim of confusion, not one of order. Refer to the diagram below for more information.
15: As far as I am aware, there are THREE different ways that different sighted moon proponents claim to observe the first crescent. Many base their first crescent sighting on the time this crescent is first sighted in Jerusalem. Another group base their sighting based on the FIRST sighting of this crescent, anywhere in the world, and a third group base their sighting on when they sight it in the locality in which they live. My understanding is that the general group of first crescent observers are unable to agree on which of these is the most scriptural.
I will examine each position, & see what my conclusions are.
a: Those who use the Jerusalem sighting
Q: Does this seem logical when we know that Moses was not in Israel when Yahweh spoke to him in Exod 12:2 – he was in Egypt ? Wasn’t Moses in the wilderness of Sinai when Yahweh spoke to him about conducting a census on the first day of the second month of the second year, in Numbers chapter 1 ? Wasn’t Moses also in the wilderness of Sinai when Yahweh spoke to him about celebrating Passover in the first month of the second year, as described in Numbers chapter 9 ?
Q: I live in eastern Australia, which is usually 7 hours ahead of Israel in terms of international time. If we are to keep the start of a biblical month based on Jerusalem time, what do I do when I often sight the first crescent 7 hours BEFORE they do in Jerusalem ?
Q: Does it seem reasonable to use this method, which for most people in the world relies totally on technology, when such technology has only been available for the last 50 or so years ? How would people use this method for the centuries before that ?
Q: A study of the books of Kings & of Samuel tell us that the Israelites didn’t start to live in Jerusalem for several hundred years after they entered the promised land. During this time, they celebrated Yahweh's moedim (feasts) wherever the Tabernacle was. If this is so, doesn’t it seem logical that the place where Yahweh chooses to put His name is the issue, not Jerusalem itself ?
As a side-note, a brief examination of the few scriptures that mention “the place where Yahweh puts His name” (Deut 12:5, 12:11, 12:21, 14:23-24, 16:2 16:6, 16:11 & 26:2), all refer to the place where Israel is to bring their offerings – Passover, First-Fruits & others.
Although the annual moedim indirectly depend on the timing of biblical months, there is no mention of any determination of time.
An Australian couple I know, who believed in keeping the first crescent, sighted in Jerusalem, said that they would keep Yom Teruah, the first day of the 7th month, on 24-25th September, 2014, based on Jerusalem time.
I decided to do some research by consulting :
www.timeanddate.com, www.iceinspace.com.au, http://moonsighting.com &
http://www.islamicmoon.com, for the latest expert information.
www.timeanddate.com informed me that Jerusalem is 7 hours BEHIND Newcastle (Australia) time. It also told me that the conjunction time for Jerusalem was 9:13 on 24 Sept, while www.iceinspace.com.au, gave me the conjunction time for Newcastle as 16:13 on 24 Sept, 2014.
http://moonsighting.com is a good website for information about sighting the first crescent (even though it is Muslim based). It shows a map of the world which shows how the visibility of the first crescent is different in different locations around the world. A screen shot of their website details for 24 Sept, 2014 follows :
Again, for the month of Tishri, 2014, the conjunction will occur at Newcastle when it is 16:13, and at Jerusalem when it is 9:13 – each on the 24 Sept, 2014. Jerusalem is 7 hours behind Newcastle.
The following diagram summarises this information, where the secular calendars & the biblical days are compared. The vertical brown line indicates the local time of the conjunction in each place.
Scientists again tell us that at the moment of conjunction, the moon’s illumination is 0.0%, but begins to increase immediately after this moment. Expert observers claim that the first crescent cannot be seen with the naked eye less than 15 hours after the moment of the conjunction, and/or not when its illumination is less than 1.44%. Again, we are told that the period of time when the moon may not be seen varies from 15 hours to 3.5 days, depending on where you live. www.moonsighting.com provides a world map (above), that illustrates this phenomenon.
The Talmud claims that for these reasons, the moed of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), based on the first crescent method, is the “day that no one knows”. This certainly was true up until the last few years - it can’t be determined in advance, (based on the first crescent method), without the use of modern technology !
In the following 2 tables, I have summarised my personally collected & recorded data, based on www.iceinspace.com information & some direct observations. If you study it carefully, you will notice that the sighted first crescent almost always occurs after the day of the conjunction. Even though I have only provided this data for the biblical year, 2014, I have about 11 year’s worth of similar data that I have recorded most days during that time.
As a further consideration, I asked myself the following questions, & then attempted to provide honest answers :
Q: Where was Moses when Yahweh told him about the start of the year in Exod 12:1-2 ?
A: Wasn’t he in Egypt ?
Q: Where was Moses when Yahweh spoke to him about conducting a census in Num chapter 1 – wasn’t it on the first day of the second month of the second year ?
A: Num 1:1 tells us he was in the wilderness of Sinai
Q: Where was Moses when Yahuah told him about celebrating the Passover in Num chapter 9 – wasn’t it in the first month of the second year ?
A: Num 9:1 tells us he was in the wilderness of Sinai
Q: Where is Jerusalem ?
A: It is in the northern part of Israel (Canaan at this time) ?
Q: Does it seem logical to determine the start of a biblical month using Jerusalem time, when there are times when locations such as Newcastle NSW Australia, see the first crescent 7 hours BEFORE they can in Jerusalam ?
Q: Wouldn’t this Jerusalem method of determining the start of a biblical month be confusing to someone who knows the above facts ? Is Yahweh an Elohim of confusion ?
A: I would be very confused by this method. 1 Cor 14:33 tells us that Yahweh is NOT an Elohim of confusion.
I believe, based on the above evidence, that these believers are mistaken about when the biblical month of Tishri begins, & strongly urge them to re-examine the information.
b: Those who use the FIRST sighting, anywhere in the world
Q: Again, does it seem logical and/or reasonable to use this method,
which for most people in the world relies MUST rely on the latest modern technology, when such technology has only been available for the last 50 or so years ? Once more, how would people use this method for the centuries before that ?
c: Those who use their local sighting, wherever they live
It does seem reasonable, & logical to use this method, since this principle generally agrees with scripture. Moses was told by Yahweh to start his biblical month in Egypt, & Moses again started the second year, where he was in the wilderness of Sinai.
While method c appears to be reasonable, it seems to me that, if those who subscribe the first crescent theory can’t decide on which method to use, there is some confusion about it all.
16: I have been making daily observations, & keeping records of the moon’s activities for over 11 years in the locality where I live. What I have noticed about the first crescent sightings, is that the percentage of illumination varies every time. Please examine the following table of the 2014 year’s observations. While this is a small sample, it is typical of readings taken during this time.
Q: If we apply this data to the diagram of one moon monthly cycle above, what conclusions can be drawn ?
A: It seems obvious to me that since, the percentages of illumination are different each time, that the time for each moon circuit based on this first crescent theory, WILL be DIFFERENT each & every month !!! It will never be the consistent 687 hours that scientists have determined is the usual time for one circuit of the moon around the Earth.
Q: Does this sound like the work of an Elohim of perfect order, or is it the work of an elohim of confusion ?
17: In point 7 above, it was stated that in 1 Kings 6:38 & 1 Kings 8:2, that the Hebrew words, yerach & chodesh can be used interchangeably. If this verse is translated literally, shouldn’t it read ?
1 Kings 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the moon Bul, the eighth month, the house was finished as to all its parts, and according to all its plans. So he built it for seven years.
I believe that, in Yahweh’s word, “every word” is significant, and so, these words are not interchangeable, but have been translated as if they are, either because, the translators are unable to know the difference between them, or there is translator bias of some sort.
18: In point 7 above, I made some comments on sighting the first crescent from Jerusalem. Over the last few years, I have recorded accurate observations twice daily, on the percentage illumination of the moon. I would like to examine a period of six lunar months, as of 21/3/16, to demonstrate a further problem with the first crescent sighting of the new moon. I don’t have the data for Jerusalem, but I believe it is appropriate to apply the Australian data that I do have, to the Jerusalem situation.
If we examine the days between each successive sighting of the above lunar months, it is obvious that the number of days for each lunar month, based on the sighting of the first crescent, varies. In this small sample of six, consecutive lunar months, there are 29, 31, 31, 30, 30 & 29 days between the sighted crescent new moons.
Q: If an average biblical month is 29.53 days, & it is generally accepted that a biblical month can be either 29 or 30 days, what happens when there are actually 31 days between consecutive sightings, as happened, twice in this six lunar month sample above?
To me, this is another significant problem with the sighted crescent new moon theory !
Problems with theory 2 - the Conjunction New Moon
The major problem with using the conjunction to determine the start of the new month is calculating WHEN the conjunction of the moon occurs. The opponents of this idea use this as the main reason for saying the ancient Hebrews didn’t have the knowledge or ability to calculate this exact point in the moon’s cycle.
My research of several years (with actual daily data) shows me that it was quite easy for ancient Hebrews to calculate the day of the new moon's conjunction.
Observational Method of Determining the New Moon
(This method relies solely on observation, in a similar way that I believe the ancient Hebrews probably used)
1: Around the 27th or 28th day of a biblical lunar month, go outside about 30 minutes before sunrise, look towards the north-east, and see if the last moon crescent is visible. You should be able to easily see it if the amount of illumination is 2% or greater.
2: If the crescent is visible, we must test this by checking the last crescent the very next morning. Usually, we will be unable to see the morning crescent because it is too small, and has been overshadowed by the much stronger rays of the sun. This is NOT the day of the Conjunction.
3: Sometime during the next biblical day (sunset to sunset), the moon's conjunction will occur. We can't know when, from observation alone. I use www.iceinspace.com or www.timeanddate.com to assist, but not determine the time of the actual conjunction.
4: The New Moon day begins just after sunset (the next biblical day). It is possible that there could be a first sliver sighting soon after sunset in the north-western sky, just above the horizon, but it is unlikely. We should check anyway.
5: Just after sunset at the start of the next biblical day, we should check again for the first sliver in the north-west. If the first sliver is observed, that CONFIRMS that we have begun the New Moon day correctly.
6: If there is no first sliver on the second night of the New Moon, we need to check again at the start of the third night. It should be visible !
NB Again, the first crescent can take from one to three nights to be observed. Once observed, it confirms the correct start to a biblical month
The following table is not necessarily correct – it simply shows all the possibilities
This method gives at least a 90% record of calculating the correct day of the conjunction, according to my 11 years of data records.
The following table shows an example based on the 1st biblical month of 2014. The official conjunction time was 5:48 on 31/3/14
Please be patient with the following layout, as the tables I am providing are copies which do not fit well on the page space available.
NB - This method can be done, based solely on observation. Even though, I have added Internet data, it can be done without it. I believe this kind of method probably was used by the ancient Israelites.
The above method explains why the Israelites of 1 Sam 20, kept a 3 day new moon celebration.
The following table shows a typical month of daily illumination percentages.
The graph shows how those percentages change during a typical month. Note that the percentages are close together at the time of the conjunction, & at the full moon, but are wider apart between these times.
Again, I apologize for not being able to provide a more clear table.
NB – The timing of the first crescent depends on the precise timing of the conjunction.
Another problem with the Conjunction New Moon theory is which day is declared as the New Moon day. Is it (a) the day of the conjunction, or (b) is it the first biblical day after the conjunction ?
If inclusive reckoning is used to determine the New Moon day, that is, the day of the conjunction, the main problem is that we cannot know the precise timing of the conjunction WITHOUT modern technology, & Internet access.
The method above that uses the "hypothetical" version of a typical moon cycle points to the day of the conjunction, but we cannot know the precise timing, with any certainty.
Q: If we are going to use “inclusive reckoning” to begin a new biblical month, namely, by using the "day of the conjunction", shouldn’t we also use it in all biblical situations – one example is Exod 12:18 ?
Exo 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
If we use inclusive reckoning, then the first day of "unleavened bread", must be the 14th day of Aviv. Although I personally agree with this idea, this differs with the way that most people understand it.
A second possible problem with declaring the New Moon day as the day of the conjunction is that many, if not all of these New Moon days, contain part of the old month as well as part of the new month.
Q: Does it seem logical and/or reasonable, that Yahweh would start His biblical months with part of a previous or old month ?
A: I personally have a problem with beginning a new biblical month with part of the previous month.
Q: Matt 9:17 & Luke 5:37 all make statements by Yahushua about not putting new wine in old wine skins. Does it seem logical that Yahweh would reverse this principle by determining the start of a biblical month, with part of an old month ?
Mat 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Luk 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
In terms of the choice between declaring a new moon day as (a) the day of the conjunction, or (b) is it the first biblical day after the conjunction, my conclusion follows :
The above method, can be applied using observation alone. Ancient Israelites most likely only had observation & simply calculations. They had no accurate method of determining the precise timing of the conjunction. This method has a practical accuracy of at least 90%.
Since the inclusive reckoning method relies on knowing precisely when the conjunction is, the only way this can be done accurately, is using advanced calculations using a computer. This is totally impractical for an ancient Israelite.
Even though this point is significant, the fact that for this method, a new biblical month must begin with part of an old month, is a strong reason to not use this method.
The above observation method is the most practical way to determining the New Moon Day.
Which possibility was more likely used for determining the start of a biblical month :
(a) using the sighted first crescent or (b) using the conjunction
I ask you to do your own analysis of the information presented BEFORE scrolling down to read what I have concluded.
Based on the type, and amount of evidence presented above, it seems much more likely that a biblical month has a conjunction start, rather than a sighted first crescent start. I personally determine the start of a new biblical month, by going to the biblical day, AFTER, the day of the conjunction.
I hope this study has been of assistance to you. If you find any errors of logic and/or of scriptural interpretation, because I never want to believe a lie, or be in error about Yahweh's Calendar.
If you would like more information, or have any questions, please let me know. You can contact Peter at askseekknockandtest@gmail.com
I believe that it should be possible to gather together, believers who are willing to examine what Yahweh tells us about this matter. I encourage all readers to only seek Yahweh's Truth in this matter, & not be distracted by any traditions or biases.
Before I examine the two main possible methods for determining the start of a biblical month, I’d like to present some scientific facts about the moon. Please study them carefully, so that we all have the same understanding of how the moon moves in relation to the Earth.
The moon is a natural satellite of the Earth, whose average distance from the Earth is 384,467 km. Because the moon’s rotation is synchronised with its revolution around the Earth, the same side of the moon always faces the Earth.
The phases of the moon are the different ways the moon looks from Earth during the month. This happens because as the moon moves through space, different parts of it face the sun. The same phases of the moon happen again and again, & on an average, it takes about 29.5 days (about 697 hours) to complete one revolution around the earth.
NB – A primary reason for confusion between different Messianic groups in determining the start of a biblical month, is that we are scattered across the planet. We need to understand that the moon’s journey around Earth has nothing to do with the location of the observer, but rather, the moon’s position relative to the Earth and the Sun.
Q: Does the following statement seem logical to you, & do you agree with it ?
A: A new moon is not determined by those various locations “sighting” of a first crescent at their sunset, but rather occurs for the entire Earth at one time. The moon centers itself between the Sun and the Earth, & then begins to build the light of the first day (from the zero light of a conjunction). A careful examination of the following diagram should illustrate this principle.
Perhaps things will become clearer, if we carefully examine the following diagram, and perform the exercise below.
Exercise
(From : http://www.fossilizedcustoms.com/moonpeople.html)
Picture yourself on the surface of the Earth, aligning your view of the moon from the dotted lines in the illustrations above. The moon will appear to you as the image in the outer ring. The circuit of the moon as it travels around the Earth is illustrated by the inner ring – this is not related to what the moon looks like from a specific locality.
The Earth is independently spinning, and people at various locations on the surface are arguing about what "day" of the moon it is, relative to their position, instead of the moon in its circuit. Regardless of where someone is, after 697 hours of time, the moon will return to its starting position between the Earth and the Sun. Where you happen to be on the sphere of the Earth, and what time it may be at your location, has nothing to do with when the moon reaches its zero-point.
Q: If you are a “first crescent” person, where would you be on Earth, on the above diagram to observe the very first crescent?
A: Clearly, you would be at some place just above the 0O dotted line.
Wouldn’t that place be different for every first crescent observer on Earth, since they would all be in different locations?
This is very confusing, & appears to conflict with 1 Cor 14:33, which tells us Yahweh that is NOT an Elohim of CONFUSION.
1Cor 14:33 For Yahweh is not (the author) of confusion
Basic Premise
Around the world, there are two main groups of people, who each currently begin their biblical month in different ways. Of these two main groups, there are those who begin their biblical month by sighting the first crescent of the moon, after the period of the “dark moon”, and those who begin their biblical month on the day of the conjunction, or on the day AFTER the moon’s conjunction.
Q: What does this tell us ?
A: It is obvious that at least one group is in error - both groups cannot be correct.
Personally, I only want to do Yahweh's will – I want to do things His way – I want to walk in all His ways (Deut 10:12), so if I am in one of the groups that is wrong, I want to know this, & I want to fix it. That's why I want to TEST all the evidence that is available, before I decide!
Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth Yahweh your Elohim require of thee, but to fear Yahweh your Elohim, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahweh your Elohim with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu 10:13 To keep the commandments of Yahweh, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
A famous person once said “there is only one really effective way to destroy truth – to assume that you already have it !” I don't want to make this same mistake, so again, I want to examine ALL the evidence I can find!
There are only two real possibilities or theories. Please remember & check, that there is relatively little, specific scriptural evidence that relates to the start of a biblical month, & there is even less detailed scriptural evidence related to the moon.
Let's begin our study by examining each theory separately. After this, we will consider the problems associated with each theory. Finally, I will analyse the information, & state MY conclusion based on that analysis.
I am presenting what I have studied, and what I have found. I encourage each of you to do your own analysis, & arrive at your own conclusion.
Theory 1 - The biblical month begins when the first crescent of the moon is observed after the period of the "dark moon".
What is the Evidence for Theory 1 ?
1: A very important piece of evidence put forward to support this theory, is that, since Gen 1:14 tells us that the "lights" are for "signs", & so, we must see the moon, in order for it to be a sign.
Associated with this, is the idea that light must come from the “lights”, in order for it to be a sign, hence the visible first crescent theory.
Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, Let lights be in the expanse of the heavens, to divide between the day and the night. And let them be for signs and for (moedim) seasons, and for days and years.
2: Ps 104:19 tells us Yahweh that made the moon for His moedim. These moedim can only be determined by knowing when the correct start of a biblical month is. This theory tells us that we must see the first crescent of the moon, in order for a biblical month to begin.
Psa 104:19 He appointed the moon for seasons (appointed times - moedim)
3: Another piece of evidence relates to the actual meaning of the Hebrew word, chodesh, H2320, which is translated as new, or month, or new moon. Scriptural evidence often used as support for this idea includes : 1 Sam 20:5, 18; Ps 81:3, & Ezek 46:1. It is claimed that it is called the “new” moon because the first crescent moon is the first time the “re-newed” moon is sighted. Refer to the table for Strong’s & Brown-Driver-Briggs' definitions.
In terms of the statement, “the new moon is tomorrow”, (1 Sam 20:5), proponents of theory 1, claim that the day when David spoke these words must have been the 30th day of a month, & therefore, tomorrow” must be the 1st day of a new month, (since a biblical month cannot have more than 30 days).
Rabbi Ed Nydle suggests from 1 Sam 20:5 & 18, that the New Moon at that time was a festival time. Amos 8:4-6 implies that it may have been observed as a "sabbath".
4: Others claim that 1 Sam 20:5 is evidence for the first crescent being used, by explaining that the term “tomorrow is the new moon” is used because there have been 2 days of darkness, so the next day will definitely be the day of the first crescent. Observation tells us that, at the moon's conjunction, the moon can be hidden for almost 1 to 3.5 days.
5: Further evidence quoted for support is historical in nature. The Talmud claims that the Sanhedrin relied on 2 witnesses to sight the first crescent, in order to determine the start of the biblical month. The 2 witnesses were apparently questioned carefully in order to be sure that what they claim to have seen, was the first crescent. The following quote from https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Rosh_Chodesh/rosh_chodesh.html provides some details :
6: Joe Dummond of www.sightedmoon.com explains a theory that uses the constellation Virgo and the work of E.L. Martin, with modern astronomical software, to show that the New Moon sightings had to be made using the “crescent” moon – he uses Rev 12:1-3. Mr Martin comes up with a time of 6.15 - 7.45 pm, September 11th, 3 BC, as the date of Yahushua's birth – this according to Mr Martin was Yom Teruah of that year. He further concludes that since this is the exact time of Yahushua's birth, then the only time when the sun can "clothe" the virgin, & the moon is at her feet (Rev 12:1), is when a crescent moon appears.
Rev 12:1 And a great sign was seen in the heavens, a woman having been clothed with the sun, and the moon was underneath her feet; and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
Rev 12:2 and having a babe in her womb. She cried, being in labor, and having birth pains to deliver.
Rev 12:3 And another sign was seen in the heavens. And, behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns! And on his heads were seven crowns
7: In 1 Kings 6:38, and 1 Kings 8:2, there are two different Hebrew words translated as “month”. They are ירח, H3391, yerach, (month Bul), and חדשׁ , H2320, chodesh (eighth month). All the translations found, translated these two Hebrew words as “month”. This indicate that yerach and chodesh are interchangeable words.
Theory 2 - The biblical month begins on the biblical day of the moon’s conjunction, or on the first biblical day AFTER the moon's conjunction.
What is the Evidence for Theory 2 ?
The moon's conjunction is when the sun & moon are on the same side of the earth, & all three are in a straight line – it is a lunar eclipse. The conjunction itself, lasts but a moment ! The moon starts to give its light only a few minutes after conjunction, but because of the moon's closeness to the sun, it cannot be seen with the naked eye until the moon has at least 1.44% illumination – it can clearly be seen with the naked eye, if the moon’s illumination is 2% or greater. Note again, that the moon can be hidden at the time of conjunction for almost 1 to 3.5 days.
Although there is a lot of additional scientific information about the moon & its cycle, apart from the above information, I will only be using the scriptural & practical evidence that would be available to an ordinary ancient Israelite.
1: This theory also uses Gen 1:14 as evidence. It agrees that the "lights" are for "signs", but claims a sign does not need to be seen, for it to be a sign. It asserts that “seeing a sign”, is a Greek-Roman way of thinking, not a Hebraic way to think.
Theory 2 quotes Heb 11:1, which gives a biblical definition for faith, as support.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Theory 2 asks the question, if "faith is the substance of things being hoped, the evidence of things not having been seen", why does a sign need to be seen, to be experienced ? Doesn’t Heb 11:3 also support this ? Isn’t this is the Hebraic way of looking at this evidence ?
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
2: This theory also agrees that Ps 104:19 tells us that Yahweh made the moon for His moedim (His appointed times), & that they can only be determined by knowing when the correct start of the biblical month is.
3: If we carefully examine 1 Sam 20, specifically verses 5, 18, & 27 where the story of Jonathan, Saul's son, & David's is given, we can observe several important points.
David knows king Saul wants to kill him, but Jonathan, doesn't believe it. They make a plan to test David's belief about Saul, and this is all described in 1 Sam 20. Verse 5 gives details of an important part of this plan. The plan involves David hiding away until the third evening after the time of 1 Sam 20:5. I have provided the HRB version.
1Sa 20:5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, the new moon is tomorrow (chodesh). And sitting I should certainly sit with the king to eat. And you shall send me away, and I shall be hidden in the field until the third evening. (HRB)
Q: In context, what does the statement "the new moon is tomorrow" tell us ?
A: A check of Strong’s Concordance & BDB (below) provide strong evidence that, in context, “tomorrow” is the appropriate translation. This is supported by the fact that at least 10 different translations I consulted, all translated it this way. Therefore, this phrase indicates that the day of the new moon is calculated in some way. This statement in repeated in 1 Sam 20:18.
Q: Why does David stay away until the third evening ?
A: There isn't a reason stated, but from the story, it seems likely that the Israelites of this period may have had a tradition of keeping a new moon feast for 3 days. (Rabbi Ed Nydle agrees).
Later I will give my detailed explanation for why this tradition was used.
1Sa 20:18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
1 Sam 20:27 tells us that David didn't come to the new moon meal on either the first day or the second day, & king Saul asks why on the second night ?
1Sa 20:27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
Verses 1 Sam 20:28-34 reveal to Jonathan that king Saul, his father, really wants to kill David.
Theory 2 proponents claim that at the time of 1 Sam 20, the Israelites had a tradition of keeping the start of the new moon as a feast for three days. They did this because, they wanted to observe the first crescent, in order to CONFIRM that the new moon had begin, knowing that it can take up to three days for the first crescent to be seen.
4: Isa 13:9-10 tell us that on "the day of Yahweh", "the sun will be darkened (not totally dark) & the moon will not reflect its light".
Q: Which day is considered to be "the day of Yahweh" ?
A: It is believed to be Yom Teruah, the day of Trumpets. Is 13:10c states that the moon shall not reflect its light. Yahushua also quotes this in Mark 13:24.
Isa 13:9 Behold, the day of Yahweh cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Mar 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
If the “day of Yahweh” is a Yom Teruah day, then according to the above scripture verses, it must be a day when the moon doesn’t give her light, and therefore, it must be a “dark moon” day. Isn’t this excellent evidence for a new moon day that depends on a conjunction start?
5:
Q: What do we know about Yahweh that can assist us in determining the correct start to a biblical month ?
A:
(i) Yahweh is a very orderly Being
Everything that our Heavenly Father does has judicial order. Simply put, it is the order that He set out at creation of how things work, such as gravity. Yahweh’s judicial order sets precedent for our lives, and how we are to worship Him. So when looking at what constitutes a “new moon” according to Scripture, we will look at the precedents that He has set, since He does not change (Mal 3:6a)
Mal 3:6 For I am Yahweh, I change not;
We see the precedent laid out at creation in that the things created did not come into being out of things that already appeared. The same way that the world started in darkness (Gen 1:2-3), and the day starts in darkness, and even life in the womb starts in darkness, the precedent set is that the month starts at conjunction, the exact time each month that the earth, the moon and the sun are lined up in perfect order.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
(ii) Yahweh is perfect.
When you see a quarter moon, the month is ¼ over. When you see a full moon the month is half over. When you see a waning ¼ of a moon, the month is ¾ over, and when the moon is dark again at conjunction it is “resetting” the new month. Refer to the diagram from Andrew Roth below. This symmetry of the moon is evidence that Yahweh is perfect.
6: The evidence of a 30 A.D. crucifixion of Yahushua
Yahweh planned for His son Yahushua to be crucified on a Wednesday in 30 A.D. We know that Yahushua was not crucified on a Friday, as you cannot get three days and three nights in the grave from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning (Matt 12:38-40), but He was crucified midweek. Now if you go to the year He was crucified, 30 A.D., you can only come up with a midweek crucifixion if you start your month by conjunction, but if you are visibly sighting a crescent, you are back to a Friday crucifixion, which is impossible according to Scripture. There is ample historical evidence to clearly show a 30A.D. crucifixion.
Mat 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Other evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, interestingly, come from the Jerusalem Talmud. We read there that :
"Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open" (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p.156-157). [the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE]
Another piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, also comes from the Jerusalem Talmud. Jewish authorities acknowledge that for 40 years, until it destruction, the Temple doors swung open every night of their own accord. The leading Jewish authority of that time, Yohanan ben Zakkai, declared that this was a sign of impending doom, and that the Temple itself would be destroyed. We read :
''Said Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai to the Temple, 'O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, 'Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars' '' (Zechariah 11:1)' (Sota 6:3).
A third piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, is that every night for 40 years (over 12,500 nights in a row) the main lamp of the Temple lampstand (the menorah) went out of its own accord — no matter what attempts and precautions the priests took to safeguard against this event!
Earnest Martin states:
''In fact, we are told in the Talmud that at dusk the lamps that were unlit in the daytime (the middle four lamps remained unlit, while the two eastern lamps normally stayed lit during the day) were to be re-lit from the flames of the western lamp (which was a lamp that was supposed to stay lit all the time — it was like the 'eternal' flame that we see today in some national monuments) . . .
''This 'western lamp' was to be kept lit at all times. For that reason, the priests kept extra reservoirs of olive oil and other implements in ready supply to make sure that the 'western lamp' (under all circumstances) would stay lit. But what happened in the forty years from the very year Messiah said the physical Temple would be destroyed? Every night for forty years the western lamp went out, and this in spite of the priests each evening preparing in a special
way the western lamp so that it would remain constantly burning all night!'' (The Significance of the Year CE 30, Ernest Martin, Research Update, April 1994, p.4).
Again, the odds against the lamp continually going out are astronomical. Something out of the ordinary was going on.
The ''light'' of the Menorah—representing contact with Yahweh, His Spirit, and His Presence was now removed. This special demonstration occurred starting with the crucifixion of the Messiah.
A fourth piece of evidence to support a 30 AD crucifixion, is that from 30 AD to 70 AD, the following documented event took place.
"and it has further been taught: ‘For forty years before the destruction of the Temple the thread of scarlet never turned white but it remained red.’" (Bavli Rosh Hashanah 31b).
The Jewish authorities have been unable to explain these 4 events, but they clearly point to something happening in 30 AD – we know that it was the crucifixion of the Messiah.
7:
Q: Does a month starting in darkness make biblical sense ?
A: The physical often teaches the spiritual. Remember, biblically, many things begin in darkness
~ creation itself began in darkness (Gen 1:2)
~ Job 12:22 says "He reveals mysteries from the darkness, and brings the deep darkness into light"
~ we start off our lives in darkness (in the womb)
~ our spiritual lives start off in complete darkness, & then light comes into our lives
~ John 12:46 tells us "I (Yahushua) have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness".
~ doesn't Yahushua call our attention to certain periods in our lifetime - from "death" (darkness) to being reborn into light ?
~ 1 John 2:8 tells us "Again I write a new commandment to you which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true Light already shines"
Darkness is very important to Yahweh
~ The covenant with Abraham was made in darkness (Gen 15:12)
Gen 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
~ the passing over of the death angel took place during the night time (darkness) (Exod 12:12)
Exo 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Yahweh.
~ Yahweh dwells in darkness (Exod 20:21, 1 Kings 8:12, Ps 18:11)
Exo 20:21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where Yahweh was.
1Ki 8:12 Then spake Solomon, Yahweh said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Psa 18:11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
The moon cycle begins in darkness, & moves into light in increasing steps.
8: There is one scriptural verse that “appears” to deal with the new moon. It is Ps 81:3, & a common translation of it is :
Psa 81:3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.
If we examine this Ps 81:3 in its original language, Hebrew, it can be translated as :
A closer examination of the Hebrew written in this verse reveals the following:
From the above information, there are two possible interpretations :
Option 1 Ps 81:3
Blow in month shofar in fullness or full moon towards day our feast
OR
Option 2 Ps 81:3
Blow in month shofar in concealed moon towards day our feast
If we examine Option 1, we need to ask ourselves, is there ever a time when a shofar must be blown on a day of the fullness or full moon ?
We know there are two moedim that fall on the 15th of a Hebrew month, the day of a full moon. These are the feast of Unleavened Bread (15th of the 1st month), and the feast of Sukkot (15th of the 7th month).
Num 10:10 tells us that the two silver trumpets, H2689, are to be blown on "our solemn days (moedim)". A shofar is not a silver trumpet, and so, fullness" or "full moon" are inappropriate meanings for Ps 81:3.
ba ke'se, H3677, comes from the root word, כסה kasah, H3680, (with the same Hebrew letters, but with different vowels) is widely understood to mean “cover, concealed, enveloped, shrouded, dark”.
Now we need to check Option 2, to see if it fulfils all scriptural requirements.
Lev 23:24 refers to the first day of the 7th month, or the new moon day - it is called "the feast of trumpets". It tells us that it is a day when there will be "blowing of trumpets". The Hebrew word describing it, is H8643, teruah. Strong's Concordance tells us that this word means "clamour, acclamation, a battle cry, a clangor, an alarum". BDB tells us it means "alarm, signal, shout, sound of tempest, blast of war, alarm or joy". While this doesn't specifically mention the shofar, many translators have rendered this word as "blowing of trumpets". At the same time, the "feast of trumpets" is a "new moon" day, so the silver trumpet, H2689, chatsotsrah, is appropriate. However since it isn't mentioned, this time probably isn't a new moon day.
Without getting into a deeper discussion on the real meaning of this verse, it seems very clear, that this verse cannot be referring to a new moon that begins with a first crescent, because a full moon nor a covered moon is a crescent.
My research indicates that the most correct translation of Ps 81:3 is :
Ps 81:3 Blow the shofar in the month at the concealed moon towards the day of our feast.
9: Although this is historical evidence, it can be considered. Hillel the Elder (not Hillel II) was a Rabbi who lived just prior to Yahushua. In 10 BC, he re-instituted conjunction observance.
Refer to http://littleguyintheeye.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/biblical-calendar/. This source has been removed from the Internet, & I have been unable to confirm it elsewhere.
10: In the Andrew Roth study, “Philo & the New Moon”, where he quotes Philo at : http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book28.html.
It reads :
XI. (41) "The 3rd (festival) is that which comes after the conjunction, which happens on the day of the new moon in each month”.
Clearly, Philo, a Jewish historian who wrote after Yahushua's time, considered that the start of the biblical month involved the conjunction.
11: In 2014, there was a blood moon on the 15th day of the 7th month, (Sukkot), based on a conjunction start.
Problems with each theory
The proponents of each theory claim their opponents have serious problems.
Let's examine these in an attempt to arrive at a correct decision about when a biblical month begins.
Theory 1 - the First Crescent Problems
1: In point 3 above, we read that the Hebrew word for "new moon" is H2320, chodesh. While it is true that chodesh is often translated as "new moon", it is NEVER translated as "new moon" in the Torah, the first 5 books of the Tanach. There, it is always translated as "new" or "month".
2: 1 Sam 20:5 & 18 tell us that "tomorrow is the new moon". Since it is an observable fact that, there can be 1-3 days before the first crescent of a new moon can be seen with the naked eye, it is IMPOSSIBLE to calculate precisely when it can be seen, unless the day indicated was, the 30th day of the biblical month. If this new moon day was determined by the first crescent, why did they apparently have a 3 day festival ? They wouldn’t need to confirm it further, since the first crescent was observed !
Q: Why would David need to wait until the 3rd day to meet with Jonathan ?
A: It seems very unlikely that 1 Sam 20:5 & 18 can be referring to a first crescent start to a new month !
Q: If the next day after 1 Sam 20:5 is determined by observing the first crescent, what possible reason would there be to :
(a) celebrate the new moon festival for 2 -3 days, &
(b) why would David be waiting until the third evening ?
3: Earlier, it was claimed that the "day of Yahweh" would occur on a Yom Teruah day. Is 13:10 & Mark 13:24 both tell us that "the moon will not give her light". If this is so, it cannot possibly be referring to a first crescent start of a biblical month, since the moon will not give her light !
4: Amos 8:5 asks "when will the new moon have passed ?".
Q: If a new moon day is determined with a first crescent, why did they have to ask when the new moon would be over ?
A: Biblically, the day would be over when the sun went down, & they would not have to ask. But because they appear to have had a "tradition" of celebrating 3 days as a "feast" from conjunction to first crescent, the observation of the New Moon became longer than the actual day.
It may be in Amos 8:5, they were referring to the Day of trumpets - the only commanded "Shabbaton", שׁבתון that is a New Moon day (refer to Lev 24:24) !
Clearly, this cannot be referring to a new moon day starting with a first crescent.
NB – this Shabbaton, שׁבתון in Lev 23:24 is NOT a Shabbat Shabbaton,
שׁבת שׁבתון like the 7th day Sabbath of Lev 23:3.
Amo 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
5: In order to examine a problem when a sighted, first crescent moon is used to begin a biblical month, I have created a hypothethical version of a typical moon cycle.
Legend
The row beginning with Day 28 represents a moon cycle based on a CONJUNCTION count.
The row beginning with Day 1 represents a moon cycle based on a SIGHTED CRESCENT count. The example shown represents a cycle where the sighted crescent is seen on the 2nd night after the day of the conjunction.
(NB - my research from the following sites shows that the shortest time for observing the first crescent moon with the naked eye is 15.5 hours after the actual conjunction. The maximum time between these two events is 3.5 days).
(Refer to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/crescent.php & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_moon)
If we examine this information carefully, we notice a few irregularities about the sighted moon theory.
A: The start of the new month can be 1, 2 or 3 days after the actual conjunction.
B: This is a problem because the main visible phases of the moon (1st quarter, full moon and 3rd quarter) can vary for up to 3 days on different months. Yahweh is an Elohim who is perfect, & to my way of thinking, these irregular observable phenomena support a picture of an Elohim of confusion, not an Elohim of order (1 Cor 14:33a)
1Co 14:33a For God is not the author of confusion,
C: The day of the full moon, when it has 100.0% illumination, can NEVER be in the exact middle of a biblical month, based on the sighted moon theory.
D: In 2014, there was a blood moon, which can only be observed on the day when the moon is 100.0% illuminated. As mentioned earlier this occurred when the month began with the conjunction. Using the first crescent, their “full moon”, with 100.0% illumination, was 3 days later.
6: Yahweh didn’t tell the Hebrews to use the crescent moon to begin the first month while in Egypt. Some misinterpret the meaning of the Hebrew term translated as "observe" in Deut 16:1.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Aviv, and keep the passover unto Yahweh your Elohim: for in the month of Aviv Yahweh your Elohim brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.
The Hebrew word translated as “observe” in the original Hebrew is Strong’s word #8104 “shawmar”, and does not mean to physically look at, but rather to keep, to guard and protect, to be aware of. It is the exact same word that is used in Deut 5:12, when we are told that we are observe the Sabbath day, and I don’t think anyone will argue that on the Sabbath we are not visibly sighting something to start the day, actually it is the very opposite, it is the absence of the sun that tells us that the Sabbath has started.
Deu 5:12 Keep (shawmar) the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.
In fact, just one chapter earlier in Deut 4:19, Yahweh commands the Hebrews not to look at or worship the sun, the moon and the stars.
Deu 4:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Now do you honestly think that, in a region where people were worshipping the sun and moon and stars, and with the Israelites’ propensity to paganism with the golden calf, that Yahweh would really have them go every month out to sight a crescent moon? It would be like sending an alcoholic to watch a room full of whiskey, and telling him not to drink.
7: Many claim that the only way to properly keep the holy days correctly is to know the timing of the new moon from Jerusalem, thus using Jerusalem time. So before the last 50 years, how would anyone living in Europe or America know when the crescent moon was sighted in Jerusalem ? And if you go by a local sighting, you can have up three different days for a moed in a given area. Nowhere in Scripture does Yahweh ever command to visibly sight a crescent moon to start the month.
8: One of the most convincing pieces of evidence is based on the work of E.L. Martin in his book, "The Star of Bethlehem - The Star that Astonished the World". As stated above, Mr Martin claims that Yahushua was born on September 11th, between 6:15 and 7:45 pm, 3 BC. The problem is, that Joe Dummond's sighted moon theory is based on this date.
Another respected scholar, Andrew Gabriel Roth, also deals with the same topic in his God's Learning Channel, program 3, “The Heavens Declare the Glory of Yahweh”. He presents very convincing evidence, and comes up with a date for Yahushua's birth as 13 September, 5 BCE. Clearly, they both cannot be correct & it is possible that they are both incorrect.
Mr Martin's conclusion is based on the idea that Yahushua was born on Yom Teruah, the feast of Trumpets, the new moon day of the 7th month. This clearly cannot be correct, since Luke 2:7 tells us "there was no room in the inn", indicating a time after the start of Sukkot (15th day of the 7th month).
The original web address for A.G.Roth's talk was :
http://www.glc.us.com/site/watch.php?program=28&video=202
which I believe has been removed, but I did have extensive notes & screen shots for the program, & was able to put together these ideas. The program was called, "The time of Messiah's birth" by Andrew Gabriel Roth.
9: The crescent (saharon in Hebrew) only appears 3 times in the Tanach (Jud 8:21, 26 & Is 3:18) – each time, it is associated with paganism, & never is it compared to the new moon. The crescent moon was used by the ancient world, but it was not Israel who used it - the worshippers of Diana (Artemis, Ishtar, Venus, & Asherah) used the crescent as her symbol, as do the Ishmaelites (and Islam) today.
10: The Babylonian Talmud, 02 Rosh 07, does have records of sighting the crescent as part of a new moon certification process, but it appears to have been originally done as a "backwards" marker - as a way to confirm that the conjunction new moon had begun. Again, I believe 1 Sam 20:5 supports this.
11: The Babylonian Talmud (03 Yomah 07) records that there were 300 high priests during the “years of the wicked”, a period of 420 years. They appear to have died on Yom Kippur because they went into the Holy of Holies, on the wrong day ! Andrew Roth claims that this stopped in 10 BC when Hillel the Elder (a Pharisee) corrected to calendar back to a conjunction start of the biblical month. We certainly know that Ananias & Caiaphas ruled as high priest for a number of years.
12: Andrew Roth further claims that Philo & Josephus agree about how the calendar of Hillel the Elder worked – it was based on the “dark moon”. Andrew Roth presents considerable evidence for the conjunction start of a month in the following (Philo & the New Moon by Andrew Roth;
http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/text/philo/book28.html)
13: Yahushua never disagreed with the calendar of the Pharisees – in Matt 23:1-2, He says that the Pharisees & not the Sadducees “sit in Moses’ seat”.
14: A close examination of the following diagram that was used earlier, provides significant evidence against the 1st crescent sighting theory. As I wrote above, the Earth is independently spinning, and people at various locations on the surface are arguing about what "day" of the moon it is, relative from their position, instead of the moon in its circuit.
If you are a conjunction theory person, the start of any biblical month will always be on the 0o line, and after 687 hours of time, the moon will return to that same starting point, 0o.
If you are a first crescent theory person, the start of your biblical month will be somewhere between 0o and 45o. I have drawn a red line to simulate this.
Unlike the conjunction method, when the cycle of the moon is completed, it will almost always NOT return to this same starting position – it could be before that red line or after it ! This is because the moon can be hidden from vision for 15 hours to 3.5 days after the conjunction – the actual time of the conjunction itself affects when the first crescent will be visible. Clearly, the time between the sighted first crescent at the start of one month, and the sighting of the 1st crescent at the start of the following month, will almost never be 687 hours – it will vary every month ! Again, this chaotic situation is a reflection of an elohim of confusion, not one of order. Refer to the diagram below for more information.
15: As far as I am aware, there are THREE different ways that different sighted moon proponents claim to observe the first crescent. Many base their first crescent sighting on the time this crescent is first sighted in Jerusalem. Another group base their sighting based on the FIRST sighting of this crescent, anywhere in the world, and a third group base their sighting on when they sight it in the locality in which they live. My understanding is that the general group of first crescent observers are unable to agree on which of these is the most scriptural.
I will examine each position, & see what my conclusions are.
a: Those who use the Jerusalem sighting
Q: Does this seem logical when we know that Moses was not in Israel when Yahweh spoke to him in Exod 12:2 – he was in Egypt ? Wasn’t Moses in the wilderness of Sinai when Yahweh spoke to him about conducting a census on the first day of the second month of the second year, in Numbers chapter 1 ? Wasn’t Moses also in the wilderness of Sinai when Yahweh spoke to him about celebrating Passover in the first month of the second year, as described in Numbers chapter 9 ?
Q: I live in eastern Australia, which is usually 7 hours ahead of Israel in terms of international time. If we are to keep the start of a biblical month based on Jerusalem time, what do I do when I often sight the first crescent 7 hours BEFORE they do in Jerusalem ?
Q: Does it seem reasonable to use this method, which for most people in the world relies totally on technology, when such technology has only been available for the last 50 or so years ? How would people use this method for the centuries before that ?
Q: A study of the books of Kings & of Samuel tell us that the Israelites didn’t start to live in Jerusalem for several hundred years after they entered the promised land. During this time, they celebrated Yahweh's moedim (feasts) wherever the Tabernacle was. If this is so, doesn’t it seem logical that the place where Yahweh chooses to put His name is the issue, not Jerusalem itself ?
As a side-note, a brief examination of the few scriptures that mention “the place where Yahweh puts His name” (Deut 12:5, 12:11, 12:21, 14:23-24, 16:2 16:6, 16:11 & 26:2), all refer to the place where Israel is to bring their offerings – Passover, First-Fruits & others.
Although the annual moedim indirectly depend on the timing of biblical months, there is no mention of any determination of time.
An Australian couple I know, who believed in keeping the first crescent, sighted in Jerusalem, said that they would keep Yom Teruah, the first day of the 7th month, on 24-25th September, 2014, based on Jerusalem time.
I decided to do some research by consulting :
www.timeanddate.com, www.iceinspace.com.au, http://moonsighting.com &
http://www.islamicmoon.com, for the latest expert information.
www.timeanddate.com informed me that Jerusalem is 7 hours BEHIND Newcastle (Australia) time. It also told me that the conjunction time for Jerusalem was 9:13 on 24 Sept, while www.iceinspace.com.au, gave me the conjunction time for Newcastle as 16:13 on 24 Sept, 2014.
http://moonsighting.com is a good website for information about sighting the first crescent (even though it is Muslim based). It shows a map of the world which shows how the visibility of the first crescent is different in different locations around the world. A screen shot of their website details for 24 Sept, 2014 follows :
Again, for the month of Tishri, 2014, the conjunction will occur at Newcastle when it is 16:13, and at Jerusalem when it is 9:13 – each on the 24 Sept, 2014. Jerusalem is 7 hours behind Newcastle.
The following diagram summarises this information, where the secular calendars & the biblical days are compared. The vertical brown line indicates the local time of the conjunction in each place.
Scientists again tell us that at the moment of conjunction, the moon’s illumination is 0.0%, but begins to increase immediately after this moment. Expert observers claim that the first crescent cannot be seen with the naked eye less than 15 hours after the moment of the conjunction, and/or not when its illumination is less than 1.44%. Again, we are told that the period of time when the moon may not be seen varies from 15 hours to 3.5 days, depending on where you live. www.moonsighting.com provides a world map (above), that illustrates this phenomenon.
The Talmud claims that for these reasons, the moed of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), based on the first crescent method, is the “day that no one knows”. This certainly was true up until the last few years - it can’t be determined in advance, (based on the first crescent method), without the use of modern technology !
In the following 2 tables, I have summarised my personally collected & recorded data, based on www.iceinspace.com information & some direct observations. If you study it carefully, you will notice that the sighted first crescent almost always occurs after the day of the conjunction. Even though I have only provided this data for the biblical year, 2014, I have about 11 year’s worth of similar data that I have recorded most days during that time.
As a further consideration, I asked myself the following questions, & then attempted to provide honest answers :
Q: Where was Moses when Yahweh told him about the start of the year in Exod 12:1-2 ?
A: Wasn’t he in Egypt ?
Q: Where was Moses when Yahweh spoke to him about conducting a census in Num chapter 1 – wasn’t it on the first day of the second month of the second year ?
A: Num 1:1 tells us he was in the wilderness of Sinai
Q: Where was Moses when Yahuah told him about celebrating the Passover in Num chapter 9 – wasn’t it in the first month of the second year ?
A: Num 9:1 tells us he was in the wilderness of Sinai
Q: Where is Jerusalem ?
A: It is in the northern part of Israel (Canaan at this time) ?
Q: Does it seem logical to determine the start of a biblical month using Jerusalem time, when there are times when locations such as Newcastle NSW Australia, see the first crescent 7 hours BEFORE they can in Jerusalam ?
Q: Wouldn’t this Jerusalem method of determining the start of a biblical month be confusing to someone who knows the above facts ? Is Yahweh an Elohim of confusion ?
A: I would be very confused by this method. 1 Cor 14:33 tells us that Yahweh is NOT an Elohim of confusion.
I believe, based on the above evidence, that these believers are mistaken about when the biblical month of Tishri begins, & strongly urge them to re-examine the information.
b: Those who use the FIRST sighting, anywhere in the world
Q: Again, does it seem logical and/or reasonable to use this method,
which for most people in the world relies MUST rely on the latest modern technology, when such technology has only been available for the last 50 or so years ? Once more, how would people use this method for the centuries before that ?
c: Those who use their local sighting, wherever they live
It does seem reasonable, & logical to use this method, since this principle generally agrees with scripture. Moses was told by Yahweh to start his biblical month in Egypt, & Moses again started the second year, where he was in the wilderness of Sinai.
While method c appears to be reasonable, it seems to me that, if those who subscribe the first crescent theory can’t decide on which method to use, there is some confusion about it all.
16: I have been making daily observations, & keeping records of the moon’s activities for over 11 years in the locality where I live. What I have noticed about the first crescent sightings, is that the percentage of illumination varies every time. Please examine the following table of the 2014 year’s observations. While this is a small sample, it is typical of readings taken during this time.
Q: If we apply this data to the diagram of one moon monthly cycle above, what conclusions can be drawn ?
A: It seems obvious to me that since, the percentages of illumination are different each time, that the time for each moon circuit based on this first crescent theory, WILL be DIFFERENT each & every month !!! It will never be the consistent 687 hours that scientists have determined is the usual time for one circuit of the moon around the Earth.
Q: Does this sound like the work of an Elohim of perfect order, or is it the work of an elohim of confusion ?
17: In point 7 above, it was stated that in 1 Kings 6:38 & 1 Kings 8:2, that the Hebrew words, yerach & chodesh can be used interchangeably. If this verse is translated literally, shouldn’t it read ?
1 Kings 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the moon Bul, the eighth month, the house was finished as to all its parts, and according to all its plans. So he built it for seven years.
I believe that, in Yahweh’s word, “every word” is significant, and so, these words are not interchangeable, but have been translated as if they are, either because, the translators are unable to know the difference between them, or there is translator bias of some sort.
18: In point 7 above, I made some comments on sighting the first crescent from Jerusalem. Over the last few years, I have recorded accurate observations twice daily, on the percentage illumination of the moon. I would like to examine a period of six lunar months, as of 21/3/16, to demonstrate a further problem with the first crescent sighting of the new moon. I don’t have the data for Jerusalem, but I believe it is appropriate to apply the Australian data that I do have, to the Jerusalem situation.
If we examine the days between each successive sighting of the above lunar months, it is obvious that the number of days for each lunar month, based on the sighting of the first crescent, varies. In this small sample of six, consecutive lunar months, there are 29, 31, 31, 30, 30 & 29 days between the sighted crescent new moons.
Q: If an average biblical month is 29.53 days, & it is generally accepted that a biblical month can be either 29 or 30 days, what happens when there are actually 31 days between consecutive sightings, as happened, twice in this six lunar month sample above?
To me, this is another significant problem with the sighted crescent new moon theory !
Problems with theory 2 - the Conjunction New Moon
The major problem with using the conjunction to determine the start of the new month is calculating WHEN the conjunction of the moon occurs. The opponents of this idea use this as the main reason for saying the ancient Hebrews didn’t have the knowledge or ability to calculate this exact point in the moon’s cycle.
My research of several years (with actual daily data) shows me that it was quite easy for ancient Hebrews to calculate the day of the new moon's conjunction.
Observational Method of Determining the New Moon
(This method relies solely on observation, in a similar way that I believe the ancient Hebrews probably used)
1: Around the 27th or 28th day of a biblical lunar month, go outside about 30 minutes before sunrise, look towards the north-east, and see if the last moon crescent is visible. You should be able to easily see it if the amount of illumination is 2% or greater.
2: If the crescent is visible, we must test this by checking the last crescent the very next morning. Usually, we will be unable to see the morning crescent because it is too small, and has been overshadowed by the much stronger rays of the sun. This is NOT the day of the Conjunction.
3: Sometime during the next biblical day (sunset to sunset), the moon's conjunction will occur. We can't know when, from observation alone. I use www.iceinspace.com or www.timeanddate.com to assist, but not determine the time of the actual conjunction.
4: The New Moon day begins just after sunset (the next biblical day). It is possible that there could be a first sliver sighting soon after sunset in the north-western sky, just above the horizon, but it is unlikely. We should check anyway.
5: Just after sunset at the start of the next biblical day, we should check again for the first sliver in the north-west. If the first sliver is observed, that CONFIRMS that we have begun the New Moon day correctly.
6: If there is no first sliver on the second night of the New Moon, we need to check again at the start of the third night. It should be visible !
NB Again, the first crescent can take from one to three nights to be observed. Once observed, it confirms the correct start to a biblical month
The following table is not necessarily correct – it simply shows all the possibilities
This method gives at least a 90% record of calculating the correct day of the conjunction, according to my 11 years of data records.
The following table shows an example based on the 1st biblical month of 2014. The official conjunction time was 5:48 on 31/3/14
Please be patient with the following layout, as the tables I am providing are copies which do not fit well on the page space available.
NB - This method can be done, based solely on observation. Even though, I have added Internet data, it can be done without it. I believe this kind of method probably was used by the ancient Israelites.
The above method explains why the Israelites of 1 Sam 20, kept a 3 day new moon celebration.
The following table shows a typical month of daily illumination percentages.
The graph shows how those percentages change during a typical month. Note that the percentages are close together at the time of the conjunction, & at the full moon, but are wider apart between these times.
Again, I apologize for not being able to provide a more clear table.
NB – The timing of the first crescent depends on the precise timing of the conjunction.
Another problem with the Conjunction New Moon theory is which day is declared as the New Moon day. Is it (a) the day of the conjunction, or (b) is it the first biblical day after the conjunction ?
If inclusive reckoning is used to determine the New Moon day, that is, the day of the conjunction, the main problem is that we cannot know the precise timing of the conjunction WITHOUT modern technology, & Internet access.
The method above that uses the "hypothetical" version of a typical moon cycle points to the day of the conjunction, but we cannot know the precise timing, with any certainty.
Q: If we are going to use “inclusive reckoning” to begin a new biblical month, namely, by using the "day of the conjunction", shouldn’t we also use it in all biblical situations – one example is Exod 12:18 ?
Exo 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
If we use inclusive reckoning, then the first day of "unleavened bread", must be the 14th day of Aviv. Although I personally agree with this idea, this differs with the way that most people understand it.
A second possible problem with declaring the New Moon day as the day of the conjunction is that many, if not all of these New Moon days, contain part of the old month as well as part of the new month.
Q: Does it seem logical and/or reasonable, that Yahweh would start His biblical months with part of a previous or old month ?
A: I personally have a problem with beginning a new biblical month with part of the previous month.
Q: Matt 9:17 & Luke 5:37 all make statements by Yahushua about not putting new wine in old wine skins. Does it seem logical that Yahweh would reverse this principle by determining the start of a biblical month, with part of an old month ?
Mat 9:17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
Luk 5:37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.
In terms of the choice between declaring a new moon day as (a) the day of the conjunction, or (b) is it the first biblical day after the conjunction, my conclusion follows :
The above method, can be applied using observation alone. Ancient Israelites most likely only had observation & simply calculations. They had no accurate method of determining the precise timing of the conjunction. This method has a practical accuracy of at least 90%.
Since the inclusive reckoning method relies on knowing precisely when the conjunction is, the only way this can be done accurately, is using advanced calculations using a computer. This is totally impractical for an ancient Israelite.
Even though this point is significant, the fact that for this method, a new biblical month must begin with part of an old month, is a strong reason to not use this method.
The above observation method is the most practical way to determining the New Moon Day.
Which possibility was more likely used for determining the start of a biblical month :
(a) using the sighted first crescent or (b) using the conjunction
I ask you to do your own analysis of the information presented BEFORE scrolling down to read what I have concluded.
Based on the type, and amount of evidence presented above, it seems much more likely that a biblical month has a conjunction start, rather than a sighted first crescent start. I personally determine the start of a new biblical month, by going to the biblical day, AFTER, the day of the conjunction.
I hope this study has been of assistance to you. If you find any errors of logic and/or of scriptural interpretation, because I never want to believe a lie, or be in error about Yahweh's Calendar.
If you would like more information, or have any questions, please let me know. You can contact Peter at askseekknockandtest@gmail.com