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The New Moon Series Part 4 חֹ דֶ ֶש ֶ חֹ דֶ ֶש the New Moon Series

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Calendars Including the Metonic Cycle The New Moon Series Part 4 חֹ דֶ ֶש ֶ חֹ דֶ ֶש The New Moon Series • The New Moon Series Contains 5 parts: 1. The New Moon’s Significance 2. Historical Practice and Debate of the New Moon 3. Astronomy 4. Calendars Including the Metonic Cycle 5. A Calendar for YHVH’s People 2 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • In this presentation, we will examine several solar and lunisolar calendars being used by YHVH’s people today. • It is important that any calendar used by YHVH’s people take into account the sun, moon, and stars. • YHVH’s people must find a lunisolar calendar that uses the movement of the sun through the stars, which are markers for the months of the year and the location of the equinox. 3 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Key Verses for YHVH’s Calendar: • Genesis 1:14-18 • Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for moedim, appointed ;מוֶֹ ֲעדדֶיםֶ) otot) and seasons ; אֹתֹת) signs ”;(shanim ; ָש ֶנ י םֶ) yamim) and years ;יָמ י םֶ) times), and for days 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 4 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Key Verses for YHVH’s Calendar (continued): • Genesis 1:14-18 (continued) • 16 Then 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. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 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. 5 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Key Verses for YHVH’s Calendar (continued): • Psalm 104:19 ,לְמוֶֹ ֲעדדֶיםֶ) yareach) for seasons , יָרֶחַ) He appointed the moon • le-moadim); The sun knows its going down. 6 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • These verses indicate that the primary factors that determine the calendar are the sun, moon, and stars. • As we learned in the last presentation, the sun, moon, and stars operate together as an astronomical clock. 7 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • That being said, there is an extremely long-standing history of debate over what the correct calendar is for the correct observance of the feasts of YHVH. 8 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • It would be nice if we could know what calendar was in use after the Babylonian captivity, but we do not know the correct or exact astronomical nature of the Jewish calendar that existed before the Seleucid empire. 9 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Daniel 7:25 prophesied that the little horn would attempt to change .zimniym, times or seasons) and law ;ז ֶמְנ ין) times • 2 Maccabees 6:6 indicates that it was not lawful for Sabbaths to be observed or to profess to be a Jew during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes IV, the Seleucid little horn. The Jews were certainly not permitted to keep the rest of the feasts of YHVH. • Clearly, calendars were affected by history. 10 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Measuring Time (p. 85) indicates: • The Seleucid calendar was a luni-solar arrangement. • The decrees against the Jewish religion’s calendar were not revoked until 162 BCE. 11 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • We do know that in Yeshua’s day, the new crescent moon was considered to be the new moon, and that witnesses were received and questioned prior to the court sanctifying the new moon each month. 12 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • The Dead Sea Scrolls contained many calendrical texts. • Despite more than one calendar existing at Qumran, those who did not agree with the Qumran group were considered to be disobeying God and violating His covenant. • We will briefly explore some of these calendars as they apply to our study shortly. 13 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Despite the ancient practice of observing a new crescent moon, any time you see new moon in this particular presentation, think conjunction unless otherwise indicated because we are talking about astronomy. • The debate over this definition of the new moon was discussed in part 2 of this new moon series. • I’ve demonstrated support for a new crescent moon to be followed by YHVH’s Torah observant community due to the significance of the new moon presented in part 1 of this series, as well as ancient practice during the 1st century. 14 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Calendars are either: • Solar (tropical or seasonal) – an example is the Gregorian calendar. • Lunar – an example is the Islamic calendar. • Lunisolar – an example is the Hillel II calendar. 15 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Solar (tropical or seasonal) calendars do not attempt to keep months synchronized with the lunar phases. • They are based on the progression of the seasons as the earth orbits the sun. • A solar year is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds (about 12.37 synodic months) long. 16 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Lunar calendars are based on the monthly cycles of the moon’s phases (synodic months). • A lunar year is 354 days, 8 hours, 48 minutes 34 seconds. This is 10 days, 21 hours, 0 minutes, and 12 seconds short of a solar year. • Not being the same length of a full solar year will cause the lunar calendar to quickly become out of step with the seasons of the year. 17 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Lunisolar calendars indicate both the time of the solar year and the lunar phases. • They require a periodic intercalation (addition) of days at the end of the year in order for the lunar year to be in step with the solar year, which includes keeping in step with the seasons. 18 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Calendars 19 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Calendar Comments Solar year Approximately 365.242189 days (Tropical) Julian year Averages 365.25 days/year Gregorian year 365.2425 days/year The Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar because it is closer in length to the solar year. Even the tiny difference between these calendars eventually causes problems with the seasons occurring at their appointed time. 20 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Intercalation Days/Months Calendar Julian Leap day in February every 4 years. 365 days/year Gregorian Leap day in February every 4 years. 12 months Years divisible by 100 are not leap years; however, years divisible by 400 28-31 days/month remain leap years. An intercalation is necessary every 4 years to make these years as equal to the solar (tropical) year as possible so that the seasons continue to occur in their appropriate places during the year. 21 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • It’s okay to make small intercalations like these in solar calendars because they are not based on lunar months. 22 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Intercalation Days/Months Calendar Enoch None documented. 364 days/year Jubilee None documented. 12 months/year It is not permitted. 4 quarters with 91 days each (2 months of 30 days, 1 month of 31 days per quarter). Over time, there would be a need for intercalation to keep up with the true length of the solar year. 23 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Calendar Comments Enoch There is no indication in the Book of Enoch that (The Book of Enoch lunar calendars were felt to be inferior to solar was written about calendars; they were simply juxtaposed to each 3rd century BCE) other instead of being lunisolar. Its followers did document how much their solar calendar differed from the lunar calendar. The Astronomical Book from Enoch never mentions the feasts of YHVH. 24 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • It is possible that the Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish priest in the mid-second century BCE. 25 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Calendar Comments Jubilee Generally speaking, lunar calendars in the Book of Jubilees (The Book of were considered inferior to solar calendars; therefore the Jubilees was moon’s role in the calendar was rejected. (This rejects written mid- Psalms 104:19 and Genesis 1:14-15.) second century BCE). The 1st month of each quarter begins on a full moon on Wednesday because that is when the heavenly lights See chapter 6. were created. A new season and day of remembrance begins each quarter. There is a heavy emphasis on weeks (7 seasons of 49 days) and focus on the observance of the feasts which fall on the same day each year. 26 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle • Abu-Isa Alwarrak speaks in his Kitab al-Makalat of a Jewish sect known as the Maghariba, who claim that festivals are legal only when the moon appears full in Palestine in the night of Wednesday which follows the day of Tuesday, after sun-set. This is their New Year’s Day. It is from this day that the days and months are reckoned and that the annual cycle of festivals begins. For God created the two great givers of light on a Wednesday. Likewise, they do not allow that the Pasch [= Passover] fall on any day other than Wednesday. • From Vestiges of the Past which is quoted in Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls, p. 40. 27 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Jubilee Calendar Day of the Month #s Month #s Month #s Week 1, 4, 7, 10 2, 5, 8, 11 3, 6, 9, 12 Wednesday 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 Thursday 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 Friday 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 Saturday 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 7 14 21 28 Sunday 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 1 8 15 22 29 Monday 6 13 20 27 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23 30 Tuesday 7 14 21 28 5 12 19 26 3 10 17 24 31 28 The numbers in each row are the dates of the month; they correspond to the days of the week shown in the first column.
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