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Home , Full moon, Lunisolar calendar, Metonic cycle, New Moon

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

• The New Moon Series Contains 5 parts: 1. The New Moon’s Significance 2. Historical Practice and Debate of the New Moon 3. 4. Calendars Including the Metonic Cycle 5. A 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 , moon, and stars.

• YHVH’s people must find a that uses the movement of the sun through the stars, which are markers for the of the and the location of the . 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 from the night; and let them be for moedim, appointed ;מוֶֹ ֲעדדֶיםֶ) otot) and ; אֹתֹת) signs ”;(shanim ; ָש ֶנ י םֶ) yamim) and ;יָמ י םֶ) ), and for days 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the "; and it was so.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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 .

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• That being said, there is an extremely long-standing of debate over what the correct calendar is for the correct observance of the feasts of YHVH.

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• 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.

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• 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 to be observed or to profess to be a Jew during the 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.

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• 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.

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• We do know that in Yeshua’s day, the new moon was considered to be the new moon, and that witnesses were received and questioned prior to the court sanctifying the new moon each .

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• 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.

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• Despite the ancient practice of observing a new crescent moon, any time you see new moon in this particular presentation, think 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 .

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• Calendars are either: • Solar (tropical or seasonal) – an example is the . • Lunar – an example is the . • Lunisolar – an example is the Hillel II calendar.

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• 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 , 48 , 46 (about 12.37 synodic months) long.

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• 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 to quickly become out of step with the seasons of the year.

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• 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 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 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 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.

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• It is possible that the Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish priest in the mid- 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 on Wednesday because that is when the heavenly lights See chapter 6. were created. A new and day of remembrance begins each quarter. There is a heavy emphasis on (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 ’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 [= ] fall on any day other than Wednesday.

• From Vestiges of the 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 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. Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The first column of the previous calendar contains the days of the week. Recall that the 1st day of each quarter (indicated by the next column) begins on a Wednesday because that’s when the heavenly lights were created.

• The next three columns contain the dates of the month listed vertically to correspond to the days of the week.

• Months 1, 4, 7, & 10 have 30 days, the last day being on a Thursday. Months 1 & 7 correspond to and Tishrei; therefore, those

months always begin on a Wednesday. 29 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The next column is for months 2, 5, 8, & 11. They pick up with Friday as the first day of the month and have Saturday as the last day of the month.

• The last column is for months 3, 6, 9, & 12. These months have 31 days. The first day of the month is on a Sunday and the last day is on Tuesday so that the months 1,4, 7, & 10 begin once again on a Wednesday.

• This is obviously a fixed calendar that has nothing to do with the phases of the moon for the reckoning of the months.

30 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Comments Calendar Qumran There are about 20 calendrical texts from Qumran that deal with a 364-day solar calendar.

The calendar has 30-day months. In addition, 4 days are added, 1 for each of the and , for a total of 364 days.

The months of the year are set up like the Jubilee calendar so that each quarter begins on a Wednesday.

There is no documentation of intercalation. 31 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Comments Calendar Qumran As a 364-day calendar, the Qumran calendar appears to be in the same calendrical tradition as that of Enoch and Jubilees.

It does not seem to be opposed to a lunar calendar.

The Qumran calendar considers the full moon to be the beginning of the new month despite the Astronomical Book in Enoch locating it at the new crescent moon when 1/14 of it is illuminated.

32 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Solar Comments Calendar Qumran The inhabitants living at Qumran anticipated a return to the priestly service in Jerusalem; therefore, they dated the festivals according to the mishmarot (priestly divisions) of 1 24:7-18.

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• The problems with the previously mentioned solar calendars used by YHVH’s people: • They ignore Genesis 1:14-15 and Psalms 104:19 by ignoring the role of the moon and stars in determining the signs, seasons/appointed times, days, and years. • Qumran and Jubilee calendars count the days of the month from the full moon instead of the new crescent moon, which affects when the appointed times will be observed. • The lack of intercalation causes appointed times/feasts to eventually be observed at the wrong time of year.

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• The Book of Sirach (43:6-7) authored in c. 175 BCE emphasizes the role of the moon in relation to the feasts:

• “He made the moon also, to serve in its season to mark the times and to be an everlasting sign. From the moon comes the sign for feast days, a light that wanes when it has reached the full.”

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• A lunisolar calendar is the only calendar that fulfills the role of the sun and moon in determining the signs, seasons/appointed times/feasts, days, and years as described in Genesis 1:14-15 and Psalm 104:19.

• Unfortunately, most people who observe a lunisolar calendar ignore the role of the stars because of precession.

• We will address this issue later in the last presentation.

36 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Lunar Calendars • I have not found any lunar calendars used by Israel.

37 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Lunisolar Calendars

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• We will look at 3 lunisolar calendars: • World’s Last Chance • Hillel II • Karaite

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Lunisolar Calendar Intercalation Days/Months World’s Last Chance Additional month is 29-30 days/month Hillel II added in leap years of the 19-year cycle. 12-13 months/year Karaite

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• Adding a few days here and there to a lunisolar calendar cannot actually lengthen a particular .

• Lunar months are always 29 or 30 days long. The days of each month are set by God and can’t be changed.

• Because lunisolar calendars are partially based on lunar cycles, intercalations must be the length of the lunar cycle – either 29 or 30 days long.

41 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Lunisolar New Moon & Days Intercalation Calendar World’s Last Months begin at dawn following the Additional month is Chance moon’s conjunction with the sun added in 7 leap years of Hillel II Calculated conjunction = new moon the 19-year cycle. (Previously, they observed the new crescent moon as the new moon.) Leap years are fixed and occur in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, The day is reckoned “evening to 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th evening” ( to sunset) year of the 19-year according to Exodus 12:18, Leviticus cycle. 23:32. 42 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Exodus 12:18 • In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month (referring to Pesach and Chag HaMatzot) at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

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• Leviticus 23:32 • It (referring to the Yom HaKippurim) shall be to you a of ;נַפְ ֹש ת י ם ) solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls naphshoteychem; your appetites, desires, emotions); on the ninth day ב ֲָע ר ב מ ֲע רב ) of the month at evening, from evening to evening .ba-erev me-erev ad erev), you shall celebrate your sabbath ֲעַד־ֲע רב

;beyn ha-arbayimְ) ב ין הֲָעַרְ ב ֶָי םֶ This is not to be confused with between the evenings, between the 6th and 12th of the day), which is the time of the slaying of the Passover Lamb.

44 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Lunisolar New Moon & Intercalation Calendar Days Karaite A sighted new Some Karaites consider the leap years of the crescent moon Metonic cycle to be in error. is the first day of the month; They feel the additional month of can only it can be to determined by observing the barley to verify calculated. it is in the green of aviv for Nisan. This often causes Nisan to occur later in the year. The day begins and ends at Despite this, many Karaites observe the Hillel II sunset. calendar. 45 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle Lunisolar Comments Calendar World’s There are 4 weeks and 4 Sabbaths per month. Last Chance The new moon (1st day of the month) and any translation days (30th days of the month) are not counted as part of a week. The New Moon is observed like a Sabbath day.

Sabbaths occur on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th days of every month.

The Sabbaths float throughout the month and fall on the same day as the New Moon for that month. They do not occur on Saturdays

unless the New Moon is on a Saturday. 46 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Lunisolar Comments Calendar Hillel II Seasonal calendar drift; calendar runs 1 month late more than 21% of the time due to being prematurely added.

Wikipedia states this is in years 3, 8, 11, & 19. (I agree there has been a drift; however, I do not agree with these year numbers.)

There are 4 rules of postponement applied for Tishrei 1.

Days of the month are set and do not always match actual

new moon cycle. 47 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Lunisolar Comments Calendar Karaite Seasonal calendar drift is avoided by those who do not follow the Hillel II calendar. In addition, the 4 rules of postponement are not applied.

There have been problems with false positive new crescent moon sightings and declaration of a new year when there may not be enough barley in the state of aviv for an omer offering.

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Calendar Start of the Year World’s Last The new moon closest to the March (/vernal) Chance equinox. Hillel II The calculated calendar is fixed.

However, at some point in the past, the and agricultural factors were taken into account to determine the month of aviv (spring). Karaite Observes barley to see if it is in the stage of aviv to determine the beginning of the year.

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• Now that we have an overview of these lunisolar calendars, let’s take a closer look at the Hillel II calendar and the Metonic cycle.

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• Generally, Rosh Chodesh is now instituted on the day of conjunction instead of the first sighting of the crescent moon on the 29th or 30th day of the month as it was done in Yeshua’s day.

• With no Sanhedrin in the land of Israel, the monthly calendar is established according to a fixed calendar based on the Metonic Cycle.

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• Even though Hillel II (330-365 CE) is considered the creator of the , it was based on the 19-year Metonic cycle, which is named after a Greek astronomer named Meton. This cycle is believed to have been devised around 433 BCE, but it was already known by Babylonian astronomers at that time.

• By the 12th century CE, these calculations were codified by Maimonides (Rambam) in the Mishneh Torah (Kiddush HaChodesh in Sefer Zemanim).

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• According to the Hillel II Calendar, the new moon refers to a calculated mean conjunction value based on 235 lunar cycles over a 19-year period.

• This mean value is based on the mean of an epicycle (a circle within a circle), which was the kind of planetary motion believed to be accurate at the time the calendar was created.

• Kepler’s laws of planetary motion replaced this Ptolemaic model in 1609 CE.

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• The Hillel II calendar is lunisolar.

• It indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year.

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 1 • The years we follow are solar years, as [implied by Deuteronomy 16:1]: "Keep the month of spring."4

• 4.Sanhedrin 13b (cited by the Rambam, Chapter 4, Halachah 1) explains that this verse is a charge to arrange the calendar so that the vernal (spring, March) equinox always falls in the month of Nisan.

See also Calendar (Hebrew, “Luah”=Table): Jewish Encyclopedia 55 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Despite this footnote for the March equinox to always fall in the month of Nisan, the Hillel II calendar often has the March equinox preceding the month of Nisan.

• Even in the calendar I am proposing for YHVH’s people, the March equinox can fall in the latter portion of Adar. In those months, the Chag HaMatzot will fall in the early part of April.

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• As the sun travels through the , it passes over the equatorial plane that extends from the equator of the earth on the March equinox.

• This is a spiritual parallel to YHVH and his armies of destruction leaving the heavenly realm, crossing into the earthly realm, and passing over the homes where the Passover Lamb was applied to the doorways of His people (Deuteronomy 16:1; Psalm 78:49-51).

• After this point in time, the people went out of Egypt in the month of spring on Nisan 15.

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• The Stone Edition of the Chumash for Deuteronomy 16:1 is translated this way: • You shall observe the month of springtime and perform the pesach- offering for HASHEM (THE NAME), your God, for in the month of springtime HASHEM, your God, took you out of Egypt at night.

• Nisan, the month of springtime, falls in March/April.

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• RASHI commentary for The Stone Edition of the Chumash for Deuteronomy 16:1 explains that: • Pesach is to be in the month of springtime; • It’s a primary rule for the calendar; • When necessary, the Sanhedrin was to add a month to the calendar to prevent Nisan from occurring in winter (as defined by the Hebrew calendar).

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• The Hebrew phrase that is translated as “the month of springtime” is: .(in the month of the aviv (abib = ב ְחֹ דֶ ֶש הָאָב יב •

• See Exodus 13:4, 23:15, 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1

60 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle abiyb' אָב יב 0024 • • 1) fresh, young barley ears, barley • 2) month of ear-forming, of greening of crop, of growing green Abib, month of exodus and Passover (March or April)

As a result of this definition, many in the Hebraic roots movement have come alongside the Karaites who insist on checking the stage of the barley to determine if it is a leap year or not.

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• This is really when the barley was mature enough -- have enough starch in it, to be parched.

• This compares with the -day Zadok code of 87.

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• Normally, they would collect 10 omers (1 ephah) of barley, thrash the grain, parch it, grind it, and wave an omer of ground barley according to Leviticus 2:14-16 and 23:9-14).

• The rest of the harvest was not completely reaped until sometime in Iyyar.

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• The corresponding Greek phrase for “in the month of the aviv” is: • ἐν μηνὶ τῶν νέων (en mani ton neon)

• Νέων (neon) is an adjective; it is the possessive (genitive) form of νέος (neos) which means: • New • Fresh • Young or younger.

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• Νέος (neos) is not used in the Brit Chadashah. It is found 7 times in the Tanach, 3 times in 2 Maccabees, and twice in Sirach.

• Νέος is used as an adjective in the above books to modify a month, day, harvest, or people. (It can be used with a noun or substantively [without a noun]).

• Νέος is not used to specify a certain stage of barley maturation. It modifies the word for month.

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• According to The Temple, its Ministry and Services (Chapter 13) by Alfred Edersheim, barley was planted 70 days prior to Passover. It was not wild. By Passover, it would be at the aviv stage of development.

• The Scriptures do not command us to check the stage of barley maturation.

• However, this is a one of a few secondary factors that were used to determine if a year should be made full or not.

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• If the sun is in the correct position by Nisan 15, we should not have to get too consumed with checking the aviv stage of barley growth.

• In March 2019, fruit trees were in bloom, and the equinox occurred just a day or two prior to Nisan 16.

• A week prior to that, there was enough wild aviv barley reported in Israel, but the Hillel II calendar said Passover was not until April 19th.

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• The aviv stage of barley growth, as well as the budding of fruit trees, is simply evidence of the beginning of spring.

• We will soon see that there were other factors the Jews considered before sanctifying the new moon of Nisan as well.

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• Let’s see what Kiddush HaChodesh says about the .

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 8: • Based on Sanhedrin 13a,b, the Ramah (cited in the gloss of the Kessef Mishneh on Halachah 15) notes that our Sages required that the festival of occur after the autumnal equinox. If the vernal equinox falls on the fifteenth of Nisan, it is possible that the autumnal equinox will not take place until the twenty-first of Tishrei, six days after Sukkot begins.

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 8 (continued): • Several different perspectives are offered to resolve this point. Among them: The Or Sameach maintains that the Rambam's text originally contained a reference to the autumnal equinox, and it was omitted by the later printers. Aruch HaShulchan, by contrast, maintains that, according to the Rambam, the entire discussion in Sanhedrin is not accepted as halachah. We are not at all concerned with the autumnal equinox; all that is significant is that Pesach fall after the vernal equinox. • Since Israel is in the , the vernal equinox is in March. 71 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• As I mentioned earlier, the calendar I am proposing has the March equinox falling on or before Nisan 15; if it falls on the 16th or later, a month must be added to make the year full.

• If the March equinox falls on Pesach (Nisan 14), the September equinox can fall in Tishrei after Chag HaSukkot and Shemini Atzeret.

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• The reason for this is because at this point in the year, the sun has significantly slowed down as it moves along the ecliptic. Bear in mind that the actual speed varies slightly from year to year.

• This slow-down begins as early as Av and is most apparent in Elul in regular years; it is very obvious in leap years by the month of Elul.

• We will discuss this again in the final presentation of this series entitled A Calendar for YHVH’s People.

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• The Hillel II calendar is a 19-year cycle in which:

• An ordinary lunar year of 12 months is 354 days, 8 hours, and 876 units.

• A leap year of 13 months is 383 days, 12 hours, and 589 units.

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• The Hillel II calendar is a 19-year cycle in which:

• An hour is divided into 1080 units (This number was chosen because it can be divided into fourths, eighths, thirds, sixths, ninths, and tenths).

• A solar year is 365 days and 6 hours. This exceeds a lunar year by 10 days, 21 hours, and 204 units.

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• Today’s astronomical new moon is the time of conjunction based on Kepler’s laws of planetary motion.

• This is different from the mean conjunction calculation of the Hillel II calendar.

• This may cause some of the difference we see between the new moon of the Hillel II calendar and the astronomical new moon, which often precedes the new moon of the Hebrew calendar by about 1-2 days.

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• The determination of the day of the week for Tishrei 1 and the number of days for the year establish the Hillel II calendar for the year.

• The day of Tishrei 1 is not only determined by the mean conjunction value, but also by 4 rules of postponement that are not found in Scripture. This can cause Tishrei 1 to be postponed a few days.

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 7 • The day of the conjunction will be the day of Rosh Chodesh, except in the following instances • a) [The conjunction] takes place on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday; • b) The conjunction takes place at noon or after noon; • c) In an ordinary year, [the conjunction] takes place on the night of the third day, after 204 units of the tenth hour have passed, or later [that day];

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 7 • d) In an ordinary year that follows a leap year, the conjunction takes place on Monday past 589 units of the fourth hour after daybreak has passed or later [that day]. • If the conjunction occurs in one of these four instances, [Rosh Chodesh] is not established on the day of the conjunction, but rather on the day that follows, or on the day following that.

• These non-Scriptural rules are not observed by Karaites who observe the barley and should not be used by us either.

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• A lunar month (synodic month) is the time between 2 successive new , which are defined as conjunctions and no longer defined as new waxing crescent moons.

• The lunar month takes about 29.5 days. Therefore, months can be either 29 or 30 days.

• Specifically, the time of the mean movement of the moon between conjunctions is 29 days, 12 hours, and 793 units.

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• A standard year of the Hillel II calendar has 12 months, and a leap year has 13 months.

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• The Hillel II calendar has 7 leap years that occur in the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of the Metonic Cycle to make up for the difference between a solar year (365.24 days) and a lunar year (354 days).

• These leap years are fixed and occur in a span sequence pattern of 3- 3-2-3-3-3-2.

• These do not always coincide with the sun being between 0-30 degrees of right ascension.

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• Due to the variation in the number of days in certain months and the addition of a month in a leap year, the number of days in a Hillel II calendar year can be significantly different.

• Standard and leap years can be classified as deficient, regular, or complete.

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Type of Year in the Hillel II Calendar Type of Year Deficient Regular Complete (Cheshvan and (Cheshvan has 29 days and (Cheshvan and Kislev have 29 days) Kislev has 30 days) Kislev have 30 days) Standard 353 days 354 days 355 days (12 months) Leap 383 days 384 days 385 days (13 months)

These additional days come from postponements built into the calendar for Tishrei 1.

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Hillel II Calendar # Season Gregorian Month # Days 1 Spring Mar-Apr Nisan 30 2 Apr-May Iyar 29 3 May-Jun Sivan 30 4 Jun-Jul Tammuz 29 5 Jul-Aug Av 30 6 Aug-Sep Elul 29

Above is the number of days of the months of the Hillel II calendar which is based on the Metonic Cycle. The ACTUAL days per lunar month DO NOT reliably alternate like this; although, they can be either 29 or 30 days. 85 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Hillel II Calendar # Season Gregorian Month # Days 7 Sep-Oct Tishrei 30 8 Oct-Nov Cheshvan 29/30 9 Nov-Dec Kislev 29/30 10 Winter Dec-Jan Tevet 29 11 Jan-Feb Shevat 30 12 Feb-Mar Adar 29 (II)/30 (I)

Above is the number of days of the months of the Hillel OO calendar which is based on the Metonic Cycle. The ACTUAL days per lunar month DO NOT reliably alternate like this; although, they can be either 29 or 30 days. 86 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• An additional month, Adar I (consisting of 30 days), is added in the leap years to make up for the approximate 11-day difference between the lunar and solar calendars.

• The addition of Adar I between Shevat and the original Adar (Adar II) is to ensure that Pesach falls in the month of spring (aviv).

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• According to Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, three factors required the addition of Adar during the time period when the court used to meet to make a decision on whether or not to make the year full: 1. Without it, the vernal equinox would fall on Nisan 16 or later. (Note that Israel is in the northern hemisphere.) 2. The barley crop is late sprouting and has not ripened in 1 of 3 areas (Judea, Transjordan, and the Galilee). 3. The fruit trees have not bloomed.

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 2: • What is implied? When the court calculates and determines that the vernal equinox will fall on the sixteenth of Nisan or later, the year is made full. The month that would have been Nisan is made the second Adar, and thus Pesach will fall in the spring. This factor [alone] is sufficient for the court to make the year full; other factors need not be considered.

Citation numbers removed. 89 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 3: • Similarly, if the court sees that [the barley crop] has not ripened, but that it is late in sprouting, or that the fruit trees that usually bloom at the time of the Pesach holiday have not bloomed, these two factors are sufficient, and the year is made full, even though the vernal equinox will fall before the sixteenth of Nisan. • [The reason the year is] made full [because of these factors] is so that there will be [an abundant quantity] of ripened [barley] accessible, so that the wave offering of the omer can be brought from it on the sixteenth of Nisan, and so that the fruits will bloom, as they always do in the spring.

Citation numbers removed. 90 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 7: • There are factors that, in and of themselves, are never sufficient cause to make the year full. They are, however, mentioned as contributing factors when a year must be made full so that [Pesach will fall after] the vernal equinox, because of [the barley that has not] ripened, or the fruit trees. • These factors are: That young goats or lambs have not been born, or are merely few in number, or that young doves have not [matured to the point where they can] fly.

Citation numbers removed. 91 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 7 (Continued): • We do not make the year full so that the goats and the lambs will be available for the Paschal sacrifices, and the doves will be available for the pilgrimage sacrifice, or for those individuals who are obligated to bring doves as a sacrifice. Nevertheless, these are mentioned as contributing factors [to make] the year [full].

Citation numbers removed. 92 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 16: • It appears to me that our Sages' statement that a leap year should not be declared in a year of famine and in the Sabbatical year means that a leap year should not be declared because of the condition of the roads or the bridges, or because of factors of this nature. If, however, it is appropriate to declare a leap year because [Pesach will fall before] the vernal equinox, because [the barley has not] ripened, or because the fruit trees [have not bloomed], a leap year is declared always.

Citation numbers removed. 93 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• According to Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 9 and 10, only the judges who were invited by the head of the court to participate in deliberations over adding a leap month had the authority to declare a leap year. They began with 3 judges. If 2 out of 3 declare a leap year, the decision is made. If not, 2 more judges are added to participate in the debate. The majority decision is followed.

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• Kiddush HaChodesh Chapter 4, section 13: • The court has the authority to calculate, institute, and decide which year(s) shall be full whenever it desires, even several years in advance. Nevertheless, a particular year is not declared a full year until after , at which time a public statement [can be] made [to the effect that] the year has been made full.35

• 35 Shorshei HaYam cites the fact that the year can be declared a leap year well in advance, as support for the Rambam's thesis (Halachah 2) that the fact that Pesach would be celebrated before the vernal equinox is, by itself, sufficient cause to declare a leap year. At the beginning of the year, it is impossible to know the state of the barley harvest, or the fruit trees. 1 citation number removed. 95 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Clearly, these criteria for declaring a leap year were in place during the time when calculations were being done while the court was still receiving witnesses for the new crescent moon.

• Some time later, the Hillel II calendar became fixed so that the leap years were fixed in their specific years of the 19-year cycle.

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• The following chart contains the positions of the Mazzarot as they are referenced in the Talmud.

• A red E or S marks the months containing the equinox and solstices.

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Hebrew Month Astronomical Hebrew Mazzarot Names NisanE Aries T’leh Iyyar Shor Sivan Gemini Teomim TammuzS Cancer Sartan Av Leo Ari Elul Virgo Betulah

Mazzarot is a Hebrew for the in the belt. It is mentioned in Job 38:31-32. 98 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Hebrew Month Astronomical Hebrew Mazzarot Constellation Names TishreiE Libra Moznayim Cheshvan Scorpio Akrab Kislev Sagittarius Keshet TevetS Capricorn Gedi Shevat Aquarius D’li Adar Pisces Dagim

99 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• These locations are NO LONGER ACCURATE due to precession of the equinoxes.

• During Nisan, the sun should be in Pisces and no longer in Aries. • This was discussed in the Astronomy presentation, and we will discuss this further in the next presentation.

• Let’s see what’s going on with the Hillel II calendar.

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• The next 2 slides are based on the Hillel II Calendar (www.hebcal.com) and NASA – Sky Cal – Sky Events Calendar.

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Year of 19-Year Cycle of Hillel II New Moon Date of Astronomical New Moon 1 5777 3/28/2017 3/27/2017 2 5778 3/17/2018 3/17/2018 3 5779 4/6/2019 4/5/2019 4 5780 3/26/2020 3/24/2020 5 5781 3/14/2021 3/13/2021 6 5782 4/2/2022 4/1/2022 7 5783 3/23/2023 3/21/2023 8 5784 4/9/2024 4/8/2024 9 5785 3/30/2025 3/29/2025 Both of these date columns are based on the conjunction of the sun and moon for Nisan. Remember that in Biblical times, the new moon was based on sightings of the new crescent moon. 102 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Year of 19-Year Cycle Date of Hillel II New Moon Date of Astronomical New Moon 10 5786 3/19/2026 3/18/2026 11 5787 4/8/2027 4/6/2027 12 5788 3/28/2028 3/26/2028 13 5789 3/17/2029 3/15/2029 14 5790 4/4/2030 4/2/2030 15 5791 3/25/2031 3/22/2031 16 5792 3/13/2032 3/11/2032 17 5793 3/31/2033 3/30/2033 18 5794 3/21/2034 3/20/2034 19 5795 4/10/2035 4/8/2035 Note that these dates can vary up to 3 days. 103 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The next few slides are based upon information gathered by using a virtual planetarium program called Stellarium 0.17.0. for the current 19-year Metonic Cycle.

• Dates for the 15th of Nisan for the current 19-year cycle were collected from the Hillel II calendar (HebCal www.hebcal.com) and examined visually to see which constellation the sun was in on those days.

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• If Nisan 15 was/is in the constellation of Aries and/or if the date for Nisan 15 fell on or after April 20, the previous additional Adar was/is not needed.

• If this is corrected (removed), this will cause the need for an additional Adar in the following year.

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# Heb. Nisan 15 Zodiac Degree Comments For Cascade of Correction Year Hillel II of (HebCal) Ascen. 1 5776 4/23/2016 Aries 30-45 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0-15. 2 5777 4/11/2017 Pisces 15-30 Add additional Adar to have Nisan in Pisces 15-30. 3 5778 3/31/2018 Pisces 0-15 No change needed. 4 5779 4/20/2019 Aries 30-45 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0-15. 5 5780 3/2/2021 Pisces 15-30 Add additional Adar to have Nisan in Pisces in 0-15. 6 5781 4/16/2022 Pisces 0-15 No change needed. 7 5782 4/6/2023 Pisces 15-30 Leap year is appropriate; keep additional Adar. 8 5783 4/25/2024 Pisces 15-30 No change needed. 9 5784 4/13/2025 Aries 30-45 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0-15. 10 5785 4/2/2026 Pisces 15-30 Add additional Adar to have Nisan in Pisces 15-30.

Original Hillel II leap years are noted in regular or light red. Blue years should be leap years instead of light red years.106 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

# Heb. Nisan 15 Zodiac Degree Comments For Cascade of Correction Year Hillel II of (HebCal) Ascen. 11 5786 4/2/2026 Pisces 0-15 No change needed 12 5787 4/22/2027 Aries 30-45 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0-15. 13 5788 4/11/2028 Pisces 15-30 Add additional Adar to have Nisan in Pisces 15-30. 14 5789 3/31/2029 Pisces 0-15 No change needed 15 5790 4/18/2030 Pisces 15-30 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0. 16 5791 4/8/2031 Pisces 15-30 Add additional Adar to have Nisan in Pisces 15-30. 17 5792 3/27/2032 Pisces 0-15 No change needed 18 5793 4/14/2033 Pisces 15-30 Leap year is appropriate; keep additional Adar. 19 5794 4/4/2034 Pisces 15 No change needed 20 5795 4/24/2035 Aries 30-45 Additional Adar is not needed; remove it so Nisan is in Pisces 0-15.

Original Hillel II leap years are noted in regular or light red. Blue years should be leap years instead of light red years.107 A Calendar for YHVH’s People

• According to HebCal, Adar II 15, 5790 is 3/20/2030, which is the equinox.

• Based on our cascade of correction, this leap month, which caused Nisan 15 to fall on 4/18/30, was not needed.

• If this Adar II was removed, March 20, 2030 would become Nisan 15th on the Hillel II calendar. The corresponding conjunction date on the Hillel II calendar would be March 6, 2030, and Adar II should be added to the following year, 5791.

108 A Calendar for YHVH’s People

• However, the astronomical conjunction date on the NASA SKYCAL Events Calendar is really March 4, 2030 at 01:35 AM.

• With the day of the new crescent moon therefore being March 5, 2030, this would really make Nisan 15th March 19, 2030.

• Since the equinox is not until March 20, 2030, Adar II should really be retained in 2030 and not be in 2031 for our corrected calendar since Nisan 15th would not technically be in spring.

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• As you can see, the current 19-year Metonic cycle of the Hillel II calendar not only has the new moon on different dates from the astronomical new moon and actual new crescent moon, it has leap years occurring or not occurring in such a way that the sun is sometimes in Aries instead of Pisces. It should be in Pisces because of precession of the equinoxes.

• In other words, this can cause the feasts to be celebrated not only a few days off, but a whole month off!

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• Assemblies, as a whole, must decide together as to whether or not they are willing to break free from such gross error or not.

• Remember, our goal is unity in the body, not individuals going off and doing their own thing.

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• We, as individuals, can easily try to do what’s right as we study Scripture and discover overlooked commandments; however, when it comes to holy convocations, this requires us to agree on a date and assemble as a body, not as individuals.

• Because of the typology of the feasts being rehearsals for YHVH’s people as a grand whole, it would be better if many assemblies can also agree and gather together on the same date for the same reasons.

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• Good things about the Hillel II calendar: • It’s lunisolar. • It’s intercalation is a full month following the fall feasts; therefore, it does not interrupt the observance of YHVH’s feasts in their appointed times. • It can be easily modified to be in-line with Scripture. • Once modified, there would be no need for assemblies to rely on an Israeli source or another assembly to set holy convocations for feasts.

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• Problems with the Hillel II calendar: • There seems to be approximately 165 years missing from the Jewish calendar, but not knowing the actual year numbers is not really a hindrance to us. • Four postponements are integrated into the calendar for Tishrei 1. • The set number of days for each month do not match the actual number of astronomical days per month. • It is based on mean rates of lunar movement for conjunction (old Ptolemaic model) instead of the astronomical conjunction, which is based on Kepler’s law of planetary motion.

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• Problems with the Hillel II calendar (continued): • It is no longer based on the new crescent moon being the beginning of the month. • The fixed calendar has leap years occurring when they are not always needed, which also causes leap years to not occur when they should. • As the sun appears to move through the constellations each month, the constellations are no longer in the same locations in regular years and leap years as they were in Yeshua’s day due to precession of the equinoxes. The fixed calendar is not taking the new position of the constellations into account to determine the addition of leap years.

115 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Problems with the Hillel II calendar (continued): • In other words, the sun is not always in the correct constellation for spring; sometimes it is delayed so that the sun is in Aries instead of Pisces due to precession of the equinoxes. • According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Hebrew Calendar in 19 years exceeds the Gregorian calendar. This will cause a considerable difference between Nisan and spring as time goes on. This may eventually require a Pan-Judaic Synod to adjust it. (See Jewish Encyclopedia, Calendar, History of:)

116 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The problems specific to the Karaite calendar: • We are commanded in Scripture to observe Passover in the month of ha-aviv (the “spring”). (See Exodus 23:15 and 34:18 and Deuteronomy 16:1) • Because this is a lunisolar calendar and because it should be based on Genesis 1:14, the arrival of spring should be determined by the position of the sun in the zodiac belt and the March equinox. • The Karaites look only at the barley in the green stage of maturation (also a definition of the term “aviv”) to determine the month of the aviv. This definition is not the same as “neos” (new or young).

117 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The problems specific to the Karaite calendar (continued): • Remember, the original goal of looking at the stage of the barley by the Jews was to ensure there would be enough for a firstfruits offering. However, without the temple, we can’t offer and eat these firstfruits at the Temple as Scripture commands. • There is the question of whether wild or domesticated barley should be examined. These may mature by different dates. • Most people do not have personal barley fields. • People have to rely on reports from Israel regarding the stage of the barley.

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• The problems specific to the Karaite calendar (continued): • Barley covers about 10% of the total small grain production in Israel today. It is sown in November, and the harvest is around the end of April or early May. Maturation varies throughout the country and is dependent on the weather. Harvest practices were different in ancient times versus today. See The Timing of the Barley Harvest in Israel listed in the reference section for more details. • If we wait too long for barley to ripen, the sun may no longer be in its astronomically correct position, and the whole year will be off, which will have to be adjusted for.

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• The problems specific to the World’s Last Chance calendar: • There can actually be more than 4 Sabbaths in a month. • Scripture does not tell us that a new moon that falls on a Sabbath is not a regular Sabbath. • The day begins at dawn which is not the same as “evening to evening,” which is found/commanded in Scripture (Genesis 1:5, Exodus 12:18, Leviticus 23:32).

120 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• The problems specific to the World’s Last Chance calendar (cont.): • The Sabbaths on this calendar float to different days of the week from month to month; the Sabbaths become the same day of the week as that of the new moon for that month. This causes the Sabbaths to not occur every 7th day from month to month. Since creation days 1-6 were numbered, and the 7th day is the only day with a name – “Sabbath.”

121 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• In this presentation, we examined 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. These are the primary factors that govern YHVH’s calendar.

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• Solar calendars (364-day calendars) do not consider the role of the moon and stars in YHVH’s calendar; therefore, they are unsuitable for YHVH’s people.

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• Lunisolar calendars (365-day calendars) are better suited for YHVH’s people; however, they require a lunar intercalation at the end of the year when the apparent position of the sun in the constellations requires it.

124 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• Most lunisolar calendars in use today do utilize intercalation; however, it is not done based on the correct position of the sun in the constellations.

• Instead, these calendars ignore the role of the stars in YHVH’s calendar and focus on secondary factors to determine the beginning of the year.

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• In addition, these lunisolar calendars have various cons that make them unsuitable for YHVH’s people.

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• In our final presentation, A Calendar for YHVH’s People, we will look at how we can create a lunisolar calendar that also utilizes the role of the stars, so that YHVH’s feasts can be celebrated in their appointed times.

127 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle •Appendix • If you are looking for additional information that was not covered in this presentation, take time to look here.

• This appendix contains slides that were removed to limit the length of this presentation, as well as slides to provide additional information regarding calendars and the Metonic cycle.

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• Priestly Service in 1 Chronicles 24:7-19 referred to in the Book of Jubilees:

• 7 Now the first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, 8 the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, 9 the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, 10 the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah, 11 the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah, 12 the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim, 13 the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab, 14 the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, 15 the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, 16 the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel, 17 the twenty-first to Jachin, the twenty- second to Gamul, 18 the twenty-third to Delaiah, the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

• 19 This was the schedule of their service for coming into the house of the Lord according to their ordinance by the hand of Aaron their father, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded him.

129 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• For those observing the Hillel II calendar:

• When people want to know whether or not a particular year of the Hebrew calendar is a leap year or not, they can do a calculation.

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• The Hebrew year 5776 (Gregorian Fall of 2015 to the Fall of 2016) was the last year of the last 19-year cycle because 5776 is divisible by 19 with no remainder.

• The leap year can be determined by taking the number of the Hebrew year, multiplying by 7, adding 1, dividing by 19, and finding the remainder. If the remainder is less than 7, it’s a leap year. If it is 7 or greater, it’s a regular year.

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• Example:

• ([5778][7] + 1) / 19 = 2128 with remainder of 15. • Therefore, it is not a leap year.

• ([5779][7] + 1) / 19 = 2129 with remainder of 3. • Therefore, it is a leap year.

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Year # in Cycle Hebrew Year (7H+1)/19 Remainder Leap Year Span 19 5776 2128.05 1 Yes (2) 1 5777 2128.42 8 1 2 5778 2128.79 15 2 3 5779 2129.16 3 Yes 3 4 5780 2129.53 10 1 5 5781 2129.89 17 2 6 5782 2130.26 5 Yes 3 7 5783 2130.63 12 1 8 5784 2131 0 Yes 2

Span is the span between the number of years since the last leap year. The 19th year of the cycle (5776) ended a 2-year span. Counting the years to the next leap year is 3, then 2, then 2. The sequence in this chart is 3, 3, 2. 133 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

Year # in Cycle Hebrew Year (7H+1)/19 Remainder Leap Year Span 9 5785 2131.37 7 1 10 5786 2131.74 14 2 11 5787 2132.11 2 Yes 3 12 5788 2132.47 9 1 13 5789 2132.84 16 2 14 5790 2133.21 4 Yes 3 15 5791 2133.58 11 1 16 5792 2133.95 18 2 17 5793 2134.32 6 Yes 3 18 5794 2134.68 13 1 19 5795 2135.05 1 Yes 2 The span sequence here is 3, 3, 3, 2. This completes the full sequence of 3, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 2. 134 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• REFERENCES: • Calendar (Hebrew, “Luah” = table) http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3921-calendar • Calendar, History Of: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3920-calendar-history- of • Calendars by L. E. Doggett. https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/calendars.html • Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Measuring Time by James C. Vanderkam. Published by Routledge 1998.

135 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• REFERENCES (CONTINUED): • Chart for Hebrew Months with Gregorian Equivalents http://jewishroots.net/library/calendar-reference/chart-for-hebrew- months-and-gregorian-equivelants.html • Hebrew Calendar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar • Hillel II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillel_II • Kiddush HaChodesh (in Sefer Zemanim of Mishneh Torah). English translation by Eliyahu Touger. Published and copyright by Moznaim Publications, all rights reserved. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/947915/jewish/Kidd ush-HaChodesh.htm

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• REFERENCES (CONTINUED): • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_phase • Missing Years (Jewish Calendar) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_years_(Jewish_calendar) • NASA’S SKYCAL EVENTS CALENDAR https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html. • Stellarium 0.17.0 -- downloadable from Stellarium.org. • Sun, Rising and Setting of The: Jewish Encyclopedia http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14114-sun-rising-and- setting-of-the

137 Calendars Including The Metonic Cycle

• REFERENCES (CONTINUED): • The Constellations of the Zodiac http://astronomyonline.org/observation/zodiac.asp • The Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East by Mark E. Cohen CDL Press Bethesda, Maryland 1993. p. 4. • The Hebrew Calendar: A Marvel of Ancient Astronomy and Math https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-the-secrets-of-the- hebrew-calendar-1.5304911

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• REFERENCES (CONTINUED): • The Temple, Its Ministry and Services by Alfred Edersheim. https://archive.org/details/templeitsministr1800eder/page/n8 • The Timing of the Barley Harvest in Israel https://franknelte.net/article.php?article_id=43 see same letter here: https://www.assemblyofyah.com/set-apart-days/calendar/342- barley-letter-from-israel-ag-minister

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The New Moon Series Part 4 חֹ דֶ ֶש ֶ

Compiled by: Beth C. Mehaffey https://holyhiway.wordpress.com Contact: betmeh2 at gmail.com

Prepared for: fotVA 2018 HODF

140 חֹ דֶ ֶש The New Moon Series

• The goals of this series are: • To teach the significance of the new moon.

• To fully educate YHVH’s people who desire to walk in obedience to His commandments regarding the new moon’s role in observing the feasts of YHVH.

• To introduce and address the debate over conjunction versus new crescent moon.

141