People of the Jewish calendar in the Context of the Old Testament

People of the Jewish calendar in the Context of the Old Testament 

     Actually there is no Hebrew word which means exactly the same with the Latin word calendarium , Indonesia ' calendar ' . Those parts of the Hebrew year mark by pointing to the months , seasons or celebrations of agricultural goods .

     a. Year ( Hebrew syana - so called because of seasonal changes or sequence ) is calculated first start with the autumn months ( the seventh ) , the month Tisyri ( Exodus 23:16 , 34:22 ) , also the beginning of the Sabbath ( Leviticus 25:8 -10 ) . When the Hebrews in Egypt, they probably receive in the sun , consisting of 12 months , 30 days each , plus five days , so 365 days ( Herodotus , 2.4) . If such changes become later and the ' beginning of the month 'or the first month of the year it was established in spring ( Exodus 12:2 , Deuteronomy 16:1,6 ) . After that year the West Semitic Hebrew calendar followed by one year consists of 12 months according to circulation of the month , instead of by circulation of the earth ( 1 Kings 4:7 , 1 Chronicles 27:1-15 ) . It is not certain whether the beginning of the year in the spring ( Nisan ) is only used for religious ceremonies , there are some guidelines that cater for the civil year , which is sometimes calculated from the month of spring, months Tisyri .

     b. Months ( see table calendar on the title " People of the Jewish calendar in the Context of the New Testament " ) . Hebrew year consisted of a few months . The calculation followed the circulation of the month , starting from the lowest levels since the first crescent appears after sunset . The first day of the new moon appears thus considered sacred ( * month). Month calendar ( Hebrew yerah , 'moon ') is computed 29/30 days. Because of that calculation is based on lunar approximately 11 days shorter than the year based on the circulation of the earth, then periodically didisipkan thirteenth month , so that day new year falling on the day before the spring of that year ( March to April ) . details are not yet known method used by the Hebrews to match the seasons of agriculture by the year based on lunar calculations . Maybe they put a month of Adar ( 12th month ) the second, or the month Elul ( 6th month ), the second of each 3,6,11,14,17 , or 19 years .

     Observed during the daytime and night time greeting one autumn day , ie on the ' end of the year ' ( 2 Chronicles 36:10 ) is important for setting the calendar, and thus also for setting holidays . So the year begins with new moon nearest the time of day and night are equal in spring , ie, if the sun was in Aries ( Jos , Ant ; 3,8,4 ) and Easter on the fourteenth day of Nisan coincided with the first full moon ( Exodus 12:2-6 ) . 

     The names used to refer to older months , perhaps sebuatn - term is local from the Palestinian people to refer to the seasons , which vary with the names of the months mentioned in the manuscript that came from Syria ( Ras Siambra , Alala , Mari ) . Abib , ' wheat yellowing ' ( Exodus 23:4 ) ; Ziv ( 1 Kings 6:1 , 37 ) ; Etanim ( 1 Kings 8:2 ) and arose ( 1 Kings 6:38 ), meaning can not be ascertained , is the origin of names from this era . At all times those months are usually referred to by numbers; first ( Exodus 12:2 ) ; second one ( Genesis 7:11 ), third ( Exodus 19:1 ), fourth ( 2 Kings 25:3 ) ; fifth ( Numbers 33:38 ), sixth ( 1Tawarikh 27:9 ) ; seventh ( Genesis 8:4 ) ; eighth ( Zechariah 1:1 ) ; ninth ( Ezrah 10:9 ), tenth (Genesis 8:5 ) ; eleventh ( Deuteronomy 1 : 3 ) ; twelve ( Esther 3:7 ) . In the days after the disposal of the names of the months of Babylon followed .

     c. Seasons and years of agriculture. Although the Hebrew calendar is based on using the months that follow the lunar calculation , but they , as farmers , tend to call the parts in the season than with the names or month numbers . Thus , the years in Palestine is divided roughly into the dry season ( April to September ) and rainy season ( October to March ) , in general can be subdivided into ' winter sowing ' ( November to December) and ' season ' ( April to June ; Genesis 8:22 ) . But the names are more specifically used by the local population , pointing to the exact month , for instance wheat harvest ( Genesis 30:14 ; Judges 15:1 ) , or the barley harvest ( 2 Samuel 21:9 ; Ruth 1 : 22 ) refers to the months of March to April ; ' harvest ' ( Exodus 34:21 ) should be in March ; and seasons ' upstream of the grapes ' ( Numbers 13:20 ) , the month of Tamuz (June to July ) . ' The rain started ' ( which is based on an ancient civil calendar began in Tisyri ) fell in September to October and the ' wet end ' in March to April. ' Summer Fruits ' ( qayits ) of August until September , giving his name on the season ' summer ' . Months of Tevet and Shevat is the months cool ' . 

     Old Testament references mentioned above can be compared with the agricultural calendar , which roughly written on a tablets , which perhaps is an inscription written by a student in the 10th century CE , found at Gezer in 1908 . Translation can not be ascertained the truth , but the inscription was recorded for the twelve -month implementation of agriculture that year starting from the autumn . ' Two months of storage. Two months for sowing . Two months for growth in the spring. One month revocation of hemp . One month of barley harvest . One month reap everything else. Two months of pruning ( grape vine ) . One month of summer fruits ' ( cf. DOTT , pages 201-203 ) . 

     d. Other ways to mention the time and the season is wearing common words for 'time' or special holidays (' iddan , Daniel 7:25 ; mo'ed , Daniel 12:7; Zeman , Ecclesiastes 3:1 , Nehemiah 2 : 6 ) , compare Psalm 104:27 , * Time . historical events are usually given a date by year - year reign of kings or a national event to remember , for instance Exodus ; while in Egypt ( Exodus 12:40 ) ; construction of the first Temple ( 1 Kings 6:17 ) or seventy -year captivity in Babylon ( Yeheskiel 33:21 ) ; or an earthquake during the reign of Uzziah ( Proverbs 1:1, Zechariah 14:5 ).

Main sources: the Bible Encyclopedia The present Volume I , July 2002.