Jan. 30, 2020 Updated r.3.5.

WB#5 - Time, Calendar and Chronology

This is one of the supplements to IRENT, a new translation of the New

Testament. The text of IRENT and its associated files are open to the public
and available free to all for you to challenge and be challenged. Since 2004,
the text is continually updated, replaced, and uploaded at
http://tiny.cc/bostonreaders until time runs out.

Please make sure get the latest revision and be kind to send your e-mail for
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Alas, time and tomorrow do not wait for us!

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 IRENT Vol. III. Supplement

No. 1 (Words, Words and Words)

No. 2 (Text, Translation and Translations)
No. 3A (Name, God, and Person)
No. 3B (Man, Anthropology and Religion)
No. 3C (People and Persons)
No. 4 (Place, Things, and Numbers)
No. 5 (Time, Calendar and Chronology)
No. 6 (Passion Week Chronology)

WALK THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE

No. 5 Time, Calendar and Chronology

See the files in the Collections #5A (time + calendar),

Collections #5B (on Sabbath day)
and Collections #5C (When He was born)

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 No. 5. Time, Calendar and Chronology

See also:

Walk through the Scripture #5A - Festival, Feast and Passover

((WB#5A)) Appendix - Biblical Chronology.
((WB#5A)) Appendix - Calendation Practicum.

On the term 'calendar':

It is used for three things, more or less used synonymously:

1. Calendar tables (monthly or yearly).

2. Calendar systems.
3. Calendation; calendar calculation

To follow the narratives in the Bible

it is essential to read it with the true Biblical lunar
calendar.

The two calendars, rabbinic Jewish and Gregorian, actually cause

confusion. It is especially so for the chronology/timeline of the biblical
Passion Week, in contrast to the liturgical Holy Week of the Church.

It is also important to see that synonymous words are not to be taken

as samea and to make sure each word carry clear meaning and usage.b

a
E.g. Though is same Hebrew word (also corresponding Greek word), two English words 'feast' and
'festival' should be used differently – the first for a single-day occasion and the latter for 7-day event.
b
E.g. 1. 'Passover' is a memorial, not a feast. 'Festival of Passover' (not 'feast of Passover) is 7-day festival
of the Matzah (unleavened bread) from Abib 15-21, which corresponds to Pesach I to VII in the rabbinic
Jewish calendar. The day of Passover is Abib 14, which was the day of the Crucifixion of Yeshua. However,
nonresponding Nisan 14 in the Jewish calendar is Erev Pesach (eve of the Pesach), whereas the Passover
eve in the Biblical calendar is Abib 13 which was the day of Pilate's sentencing of Yeshua.
E.g. 2. Biblical sabbath is lunar sabbath, being kept for the daylight period, on the 7th day of 7-day lunar
week on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of the lunar month. Sabbath in Jewish calendar is solar sabbath on
every Saturday of the planetary weeks, keeping 24 hours from the preceding evening of Friday.
3
4
Basic points in using the true Biblical calendar:
(1) As in any study, one has to grasp the basic vocabulary of words and terms.
It is essential for understanding the biblical narrative correctly.a

(2) The word ‘day’ throughout the Bible is that which begins at sunrise,b either
as 'daylight period' or 'calendar day'. A calendar day may also be reckoned
to start at different point of time than sunrise (e.g. 12 a.m. in the Gregorian;
sunset in the rabbinic Jewish calendar).
Even with our use of the Gregorian calendar, we know and we say 'day
begins with sunrise in our language and speech. The problem is in the
Jewish mindset it is mixed up with the notion of their calendar day, which
they reckon to start at sunset, mistaking evening is at the beginning of first
part of their 'day', believe or not! The unconscionable part of the story is that
this is used even for scholars to follow through the timeline in the biblical
narratives.

(3) The word ‘hour’ in the Bible is a duration of ‘hour period’ on a sundialc,
not 'hour on the clock' which is for specifying the point of time. A day has 12
hour-periods for daylight period. [When with ordinal numerals, e.g. 3rd
hour which is a period from ≈ 8 to 9 a.m. By itself the number itself simply
represents the end point of an hour period, with '3rd hour' being comparable
to our 9 o'clock which is the time 9 on the clock. [Cf. four night-watches in
the Bible; cf. Roman 12 hour-divisions of a nighttime also.] There is no
notion of 'minute' (1/60 of 'hour'). In physical, a day is not equal to 24 'hours',
with the term hour given a precise definition.]

(4) The word ‘week’ in the bible is of lunar week with each day being
determined by the moon d , not the sun. which is. This is in contrast to
planetary week as in Gregorian calendar which is cyclic continuous,
independent of months or years. In the bible there is no such a vocabulary
of the 7 named days of the planetary week, Sunday to Monday’.

A full week is a period of six work days ending with a rest day on 7th day
[Ezk 46:1]. This follows the pattern of the Creation Week (Gen 1:3 to 2:4). A
biblical lunar month is non-continuous and, in addition to the New-Moon
day (Day 1) and, if present in the month, a transitional day (Day 30). Thus,
it has 4 'full weeks' with 4 sabbath days, fixed on 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th

a
https://youtu.be/4vCtsvlN7Uo Who Came Up With Days, Hours, Minutes and Seconds?
b
http://loveandtruth.net/sabbath-morning.html <When does Sabbath begin - Morning or Evening - by
Price (1995)> - a copy in <IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A - time + calendar)>
c
A sundial used in the ancient time would be a simpler design – (1) a base (surface) and (2) a gnomon with
a stylus w/ or w/o a nous and (3) hour lines engraved to divide the daylight period into 12 equal hour-
periods, - varies through the years; not fixed 12 60-min hours. [ /Sundial /History_of_sundials
/Schema_for_horizontal_dials ] /ancient-greek-sundials.html ] [Ancient Greek one has alphabet engraved
[Α Β Γ; Δ Ε Ζ; Η Θ Ι; Κ Λ Μ]
d
Psa 104:19 "[YHWH] made the moon to mark the set-times [H4150 moedim] seasons; the sun knows
its time for setting [H3996 mabo]."
5
 day of every month.
The last day of the lunar week coming after 6 working days is the rest day,
the day of biblical lunar sabbath. a It is not related to religious solar sabbath
[as kept by Saturday Sabbatarians]. 7th biblical day is unrelated to
Saturday of the planetary week. [Cf. Lam 2:6; Amos LXX 6:3 'attaching to
false sabbaths']

(5) The first one is the month of the Abib (6x - Exo 13:4). The corresponding the
month of Nisan (2x - Neh 2:1; Esth 3:7) is 7th month in the rabbinic Jewish
calendar. When reading any article on the Passion week with the term
'Nisan', it is most likely of sunset-to-sunset day. However, even when the
term 'Abib' is used, one has to check whether it is same as 'Nisan' with
sunset-to-sunset day reckoning.

a http://lunarsabbath.info/id19.html
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The true biblical calendara is concise, clear, and compact; with
simple no-nonsense 'scientific' calendation. It is beautiful and
elegant. It is easy to understand even for a child to come up a month
calendar table [the one shown here below], which is same for every month
and every year. All needed astronomic data (date and time) of the moon
conjunction to overlay the Gregorian calendar days/dates. [See elsewhere
on * how to determine the New-Moon day and the First month.]

In stark contrast, our modern pagan Gregorian calendar (for which 'Common Era
Calendar' may be a more neutral term) is artificial, complex, and inelegant. We have
no way to create a monthly calendar when we are left alone without any information to
find on what day/date we are today. With non-biblical calendars, it is impossible to find
what day it is when living without a calendar and without having marked off every day.
There is nothing to make it possible; no astronomical phenomena to help resolve it. All
we do is keeping track of day in order to create monthly and annual calendar. We may
reckon proleptically days and date back to the past, but there we will not find the very
beginning day of our existence on the earth. There, Saturday of the planetary week was
simply taken as 7th day of the week for Sabbath by the Saturday Sabbatarians, without
any scientific basis. For that matter, they are using seven named days of the planetary
week,b which has nothing to do with the 7 numbered days of the lunar week.

Note: The usefulness of the biblical calendar is in the correct and clear
understanding of the biblical narratives, especially of the Passion Week.
Some may find to need it for keeping certain days in their religious practice,
especially for lunar sabbath keeping. [See below in this file the 2017 Abib
calendar with the Gregorian days and dates are overlaid.]

a
'true biblical calendar' - 'Recovered Biblical Calendar' because it has to be recovered from the Biblical texts and
history. Named as 'Creator's Calendar' (www.thecreatorscalendar.com and www.worldslastchance.com ). [Note:
some are not true biblical calendars – https://aroodawakening.tv/biblical-hebrew-calendar/ (called 'Creator's
Calendar') and www.TorahCalendar.com (called 'Creation Calendar'), both with sunset-to-sunset reckoning of
Hebrew day.]
b In the early Julian calendar, it was 8-day week, simply labeled A to H. It's interesting to find where and when and

how the Jewish people in diaspora was forced to accept the Roman 7-day week with names after pagan gods, to settle
Saturday as their sabbath day.
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 Calendar Issue

ESSENTIAL POINTS

These are bare-minimal essentials for us to follow timelines and chronology

in the biblical narratives correctly and be freed from long-accumulated
confusion, contradictions and contentions from pseudo-scholarly works and
entrenched ecclesial traditions.

The calendar system used in the Biblical times is unrelated to Julian-Gregorian

calendar. It is also different from the rabbinic Jewish calendar which causes
confusion when inadvertently used to read the biblical narratives.

1. hour ░░ = a period (hour-period) as on a sundial with 12 periods in a day

(day light period). Not hour on the clock. (o'clock). In NT as well as OT, it is
counted from the sunrise; not by an alleged Roman reckoning from midnight.

2. 'Day' in the bible is that which begins at sunrise – either for a daylight period
or for a calendar day.

For a Gregorian calendar day, it is from 12 a.m. to 12 a.m. In the rabbinic

Jewish calendar, which is not what the Bible used, it is reckoned from sunset
to sunset. Moreover, they even erroneously claims 'day' begins with sunset.

3. In the Biblical times, 'week' is non-continuous lunar week. It has 7

numbered days with Sabbath to be on 7th day. The day before sabbath is 'eve
of sabbath' (on 6th day; not Friday). 'First day of the week' in the Bible is
unrelated to 'Sunday'. Passover is not something on Friday.

They do not correspond to the continuous cyclic planetary week in Gregorian

as well as Jewish calendar. The planetary week has 7 named days with
Saturday for Sabbatarian's sabbath. However, in the early Julian calendar (first
half of 1st century CE) it was an 8-day week system (labelled A to H); Monday
is the first day of the week in International standard ISO 8601.

4. 'month' is a lunar month (29 or 30 days) with the 'lunation' of 29½ + 'days'.
It begins with New-Moon day which comes after the lunar conjunction. First
month (Abib) is

5. 'year' is luni-solar of 12 months with 13th month added for the intercalary
(leap) year to prevent Passover coming before spring of the year. Passover
cannot be before the vernal equinox.

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General References on Jewish calendar:
(1) COGWA (2013) The Hebrew Calendar - Study Paper
https://members.cogwa.org/uploads/COGWA-The_Hebrew_Calendar-Study_Paper.pdf
[A copy in the folder 'On Jewish Calendar' in <IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A -
time + calendar)>]
(2) Nathan Bushwick (1989), Understanding Jewish Calendar

References on the biblical Calendar; luni-solar calendar

www.studiesintheword.org/original_calendar.htm (An investigation of The Calendar as Described
in The Bible by Wayne Bedwell 1993, 2007) [In Collections #5A see a copy: "Bedwell – The
Original Calendar for our Day"]
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html
www.quadibloc.com/science/calint.htm
www.quadibloc.com/science/cal02.htm [Luni-Solar Calendar]
http://www.pburch.net/lunarcal.html

References on lunar sabbath

Luni-solar calendar (www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar)
High Sabbath = www.worldslastchance.com/lunar-seventh-day-sabbath/what-does-the-high-sabbath-
have-to-do-with-defining-the-true-calendar-of-scripture.html
the following eighth day = www.worldslastchance.com/appointed-feasts/can-you-please-explain-the-
last-great-day-and-the-eighth-day-of-the-feast-of-tabernacles.html
Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) = www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/pentecost-calculation-
restoration.html
www.worldslastchance.com/biblical-christian-beliefs/the-weight-of-evidence.html
Feast of Unleavened Bread = www.worldslastchance.com/appointed-feasts/it-has-been-explained-to-
me-that-the-feast-of-unleavened-bread-can-begin-on-any-day-of-the-week-what-are-your-
thoughts.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/sabbath-at-sunset-absurd-and-impossible.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/date-line-deception.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moons-sabbaths-and-gregorian-calendar.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moon-day-the-dawn-after-conjunction.html
International Date Line (IDL)= www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/international-date-
line-sabbath-unchanged.html

Examples of erroneous doctrines perpetuated by proof texting:

• Saturday Sabbath
• Sunset to Sunset Reckoning of the Sabbath
• Sabbath & Feast Days Nailed to the Cross
Moon data:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php
www.timeanddate.com/moon/israel/jerusalem
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html

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A. Three Different Calendars

The word ‘calendar’ is used in several different senses:

(1) as calendar system = A system of reckoning time in which the beginning,

length, and division of a year are defined, sometimes along with multiyear cycles.
(2) as a calendar table = showing the months, weeks, and days in a specific year.
(e.g. monthly or weekly calendar).
(3) as calendation – calculation and mechanics of creating a calendar.

Three principal calendars (calendar systems) which are found in use around the world:
(1) Gregorian = 'common civil calendar', or 'common era calendar (CEC)';
Cf. Julian and Early Julian (w/ 8-day week).a
(2) rabbinic Jewish;
(3) lunar calendars (e.g. Islamic, Chinese, etc.) – last two groups are utilized for
their specific function – keeping religious or civil festivals.

Three calendars used in the study of the Bible:

(1) Gregorian – solar – for referencing
(2) rabbinic Jewish - lunisolar;
(3) the true biblical - luni-solar.

Just as the calendar day is reckoned to start at 12 p.m. in Gregorian calendar, there is
nothing wrong in the rabbinic Jewish calendar to reckon the calendar day to start at
sunset. Such calendation is a matter of convention, custom, and tradition.b Any group
of people can set up their own calendar system for their own use. It would require
how it is aligned with other calendars which they may have to be dealt with. For the
biblical calendar, its calendar day is reckoned same as ‘day’ begins – at sunrise. Note
how the words ‘day’ and ‘calendar day’ are different and, when these are mixed up in
the language of Jewish calendar, cause confusion. The only issue is that it is essential
to use the true biblical calendar to follow the biblical narratives, esp. of the Passion
Week. The two calendars not helpful and they often make people confused and
mislead into wrong interpretation of the Bible texts.

a https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1227757509 [conversion Julian-Gregorian]

b
Any people group may use it special calendar for their use, especially for religious use. The only
misgivings of using the rabbinic Jewish calendar are (1) that they use it as if it is the calendar used in
the Bible times for reading their Bible and (2) they have the notion of ‘day’ and ‘calendar day’ mixed
up, thinking that ‘a day begins sunset’, a linguistic and literary absurdity.
10
 To carefully remove the error and uncover truth, restoring it to its
full glory, requires much diligent, painstaking effort. The one
principle all truth seekers must keep in mind is that truth will
never contradict itself. What is in the Scripture can stand only in
harmony with each and all of parts together. If one passage of the
Bible appears to contradict another passage, it is a clear invitation:
Dig here! There is more truth to be discovered that will reconcile
what appears as inconsistency or contradiction. In reality, there is
no inconsistency. Truth never contradicts itself! That which
contradicts is not truth.

It is true that in this life not all questions will be answered. The author of life and the source
of the Scripture will never force people to believe if they do not want to believe. Thus,
there will always be hooks on which to hang doubts or even to repudiate the truth by those
who do not wish to believe. In such areas, it is the privilege of those who believe what is
told is true to put trust on the One who never lies. A few times the Scripture text is
somewhat frustratingly terse, not giving all the details about time-markers we like to have
as in narratives of our time and modern culture and doesn’t make temporal sequences clear
for us to follow easily. That said, careful examination of all the evidences reveals the
harmony of all four Gospel accounts. Each gospel provides parts of the whole, like pieces
of puzzle which, when properly understood, proves that there is no conflict.

Time-markers embedded in the biblical narratives, especially of the Passion Week, enables
the readers reconstruct the chronology and see events in sequence on a timeline correctly.
These will have a final say whether any scenario or explanation is correct or not.

The works of many scholars in their explanation and expounding regretfully bring the
readers to confront such confusion from conjecture and conflation. Instead of clarification,
contradictions are left to stand. All that God created – for us – follows how God is. What
we call the Law of God is not a set of rules or regulations, but the very logic of all things.
Logic exists only with reason and harmony. The Scripture, if it ever comes as the Word of
God, cannot stand contradictory to itself. Most has failed to adequately resolve difficulties
and discrepancies within the narrative itself. All the statements and claims are, when looked
in carefully, not original and most have not verified the source materials from which they
find support for their own half-cooked conclusions, often from arguments with circular
reasoning.

At the bottom of things there are a few stumble-blocks for them; thus, their claims are full
of confusion and contradiction. (Amazingly they don’t even get perplexed by their
obfuscation.) (1) that ‘hour’ ‘day’ ‘week’ ‘month’ in the Scripture text is not same as it is
used in English; (2) that ‘day’ in the Scripture is what begins at sunrise; not same as a
calendar day which is reckoned to start at an arbitrary point of time (such as midnight or
sunset); (3) that in a 7-day week there is only one sabbath day, on seventh day the lunar
week. It is defined in the Bible as the day after 6 work days (i.e. on the 7th day of full week);
(4) sabbath is not on every seven days in continuity, and (5) that it is not difficult to see the
validity of the claim that it is a lunar sabbatha (‘sabbath in the lunar week’= ‘lunar sabbath’)
which was kept in the time of the Scripture, with nothing common with a solar sabbath (that

a
lunar sabbath – there are volumes of articles written which feverishly try to refute the notion of lunar
sabbath. E.g. http://revelation1412.org/literature/lunar-sabbaths/
11
 is, Saturday sabbath in the planetary week).

A commonly asked question is ‘Was it on Friday that He was crucified?’ and on this there
are ardent arguments for their own answer, despite the fact that even the words such as
‘Friday’ are NOT in the Bible at all. With a closely related question ‘Was it Sunday when
he rose?’ we are peeking into the very chronology of the Passion Week. Only with proper
keys used to unlock at the start, one can dispel all the confusion, contradictions,
conjectures, and controversies. Scholars of anachronistic mindset looked for the year of
His crucifixion to happily find a year in which Nisan 14 fell on Friday (e.g. CE 33), where
there is no such vocabulary ever used in the Scripture of the named week of Gregorian
calendar.

One of the wrong keys is the use of Gregorian calendar system in understanding Biblical
narrative and timeline. The commonly used words and phrases, which are also used in the
Bible translations, are used in different sense from what should be in the Scripture.
Another one is the rabbinic Jewish calendation with sunset-to-sunset for its calendar daya
Like the Biblical lunar calendar it is also luni-solar but is with major differences. We need
a paradigm shift in approaching the problems of the Passion Week Chronology by shifting
from non-biblical to a Biblical lunar calendar system. Without it, all the right answers we
may find remain incomplete and arguments would be indecisive and remain subject to
another counter argument.

Now, with proper and correct understanding using the Biblical lunar calendar - a simple
and elegant and truly Scripture-based calendar. It depends on only the Sun and the Moonb
in their relation to be known. With this calendar on hand it is possible to see what day of
the modern Gregorian week was for His crucifixion (candidates have been Friday,
Thursday, and Wednesday). The year of His crucifixion is the first item which is needed
before all other questions can be answered. Possible years are CE 33, 31 or 32 from
dubious interpretations of some data they could find. Then one has to make sure what day
the Scripture tells – it is Abibc 14 of the Passover Week.

It is shown that the year of His Crucifixion was found to be CE 30 on the basis of several
conclusive and converging data. The Passover day Abib 14 of His crucifixion falls on
Wednesday when a correct method of determining New-Moon-day is applied to the
astronomical data. Not only arguments on various crucifixion day but also elaboration in
the timeline of the Passion Week needs to be scrutinized before accepting them. To say
that it occurred on a certain day of the week is anachronistic, putting the cart before the
horse.

Yes, His resurrection, which was on first day of the week (lunar week, not planetary
Gregorian) according to the New Testament records, is found to fall on Saturday in April

a
Problem of the mindset of reckoning a day as sunset-to-sunset which was of a Greek origin: Though
we may accept this Judaic convention for their calendar system such, like midnight-to-midnight
Gregorian, several commonsense questions arise. Not only there is no usefulness of such convention,
it borders on absurdity. (1) Is 12:00 midnight the middle of the night or middle of the day? Cf. 1Ki
18:26-29 ‘noon (tzerim) – middle of day – comes after morning (bqr). Some texts are misread as if
sabbath begins after sunset: (1) Neh 13:18-21; 7:3; (2) Jos 8:29; Mk 15:42; Deu 21:23. Cf. Expression
‘night and day’ 13x; ‘day and night’ 28x (e.g. Gen 8:22; Jer 33:20-21; 25-26; always ‘40 days and 40
nights’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtB5e-t981o
b
http://aa.quae.nl/en/antwoorden/maan.html#4 [Answer book on the Moon]
c
Abib 14 (in contrast to Nisan 15) – See Deu16:1.
12
 of the year 30 CE when followed on the basis of timeline narrated clearly in the Scripture.
The biblical phrase, 'preparation day' (rendered as 'eve' in IRENT), 'sabbath day' or ‘first
day of the week’, has nothing to do with 'Friday', 'Saturday', or 'Sunday' of our Gregorian
week.

As long as we have deeper understanding from the Scripture, how Sunday became a day
of worship for many since mid-4th century CE in the Constantine Catholic Church
tradition should not really be of concern. That they call Sunday is their <first day of the
week> (planetary week of our modern Gregorian calendar) is also not of our concern.
(Some countries in the word have Monday or Saturday as the first day). As they have
Easter in their liturgical week set to be on Sunday of a date calculated by a certain rule, it
is also not of our concern neither, since it is disconnected from the day of Resurrection,
historically and chronologically. Sunday by its name had a connection to the Sun which
is the figure for the Sun-god Mithra of the pagan cult which was popular in that period of
time of Roman Empire). Most Churches have it as a day of worship, however, they do not
worship Sunday (‘day of Sun’), but they gather to worshipa on Sundays. While ‘worship’
is an act in every day of a person’s life. Whether a formal corporate worship (as in a church
setting) has to be a certain day of the week, we find no command whatsoever in the
Scripture; all we read is about the practice of the followers of the Mashiah gathering on
the first day of the lunar week, which in the church history of rising of the Constantine
Catholic Church to settle on the day of Sun though it had surely nothing to do with the
then pagan practice of Sun-worship. If the church is decided to transfer worship day, say,
to Saturday, would it be blamed of worshiping Saturn-god? The names of the seven days
of the planetary week in use globally have nothing to with how the names originated at
the start. That people worship on a certain is nothing; that the Mashiah rose on a certain
of the week is nothing. These are all the shadows of things to come and should not affect
who we are in the Mashiah.

Such importance of having something on a certain day of the week or a certain day in the
year is only relevant in liturgical practice of religions, as people bind themselves to. It is
only for our modern mind set to associate a certain event with a particular day of the week.
Seeing that we have no such vocabulary of the named days of the planetary week, who is
going to pass judgment onto others regarding all these non-essential things in the life of
the whole body of the Mashiah? (Cf. Col 2:16). It really does not matter what day of the
week the Crucifixion was on, though Friday itself is not a possibility when we find CE 30
to be the year of His death. Same holds true for which day of the week was for His
resurrection. Instead, what is important is how to follow the timeline of the Passover-
Passion week as clearly as possible as narrated in the Scripture. [For details on various
issues, see the companion file in IRENT Vol. III Supplement – Walk through the Scripture
6 – Passion Week Chronology.]

So, in summary, it is incumbent for us in our thinking to abandon the ingrained practice
of reading the Scripture: mixing with man-made artificial calendar systems, which serve
a worship - Note the not on ‘worship’ in our religious practice does not have an exact counterpart in the
Scripture. A sabbath day was not a day of ‘worship’ as such. A closest to the word ‘worship’ in modern English
usage many be the ancient Judaic tradition of ‘holy convocation’ during the festivals and also on seventh-day
sabbath (Lev 23:3). Cf. the ancient Judaic practice of ‘[blood] sacrifice’, which has been done away with (1)
for the Judaic people when the Temple-based Judaism disappeared after the Fall of Jerusalem in CE 70 and (2)
for all humanity when Yeshua died as the Last Passover Lamb on that particular day of Passover in the human
history. Yeshua said “the hour is coming — indeed, it is here now — when the true worshiper will worship the
Father, yes, in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23 –IRENT translation). [Cf. Rm 12:1. latreia ‘service’ ‘worship’] [Cf.
individual and family worship as a basic unit; problems with ‘public service’.]
13
their own particular and peculiar needs, be it civilian (with our modern Roman Gregorian)
or religious (with rabbinic Jewish calendar for the Jewish people in keeping their festivals).
In that way many questions of the Passover Week chronology have been finally cleared
up – with His crucifixion on Abib 14th (= Day of Passover on CE 30 – Apr 5, Wednesday)
and resurrection on Abib 16th (= 1st day of the lunar week = Friday) at its dawning. More
importantly than just finding out what day of the modern week they fell on, the true
Biblical lunar calendar is something we should follow for understanding the Scripture
goes and scrutinizing the conventional calendar keeping such as the issue of keeping
sabbath and other festival days. I am confident that I have presented the topic so that the
readers can judge with a firm grasp of the various issues without difficulty, once they
cease to see things through their own glasses, colored by the diverse opinions and
conjectures.

[Please be noted: Even if all my arguments and conclusions are correct, there is always
one step more to the goal of reaching the truth. In addition, any source from which relevant
material, either as inaccuracies to be refuted or statements to give clear understanding, is
quoted in this article, should be treated as such. No endorsement is intended to give to the
whole article, or to the other content of their web sites, whether they deal with this issue
of Passion Week chronology, or other subjects, including their own beliefs and dogmas.]

Three major calendar systems compared:

[ www.calendar-origins.com/calendar-origins.html origins of calendars and other tidbits.]

A calendar system is based on three astronomical phenomena: the rotation of the Earth about its
axis (a day); the revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month); and the revolution of the Earth
about the sun (a year). These three phenomena are independent of each other, so there is no direct
correlation between them. On average, the moon revolves around the Earth in about 29½ days.
The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days, that is, about 12.4 lunar months.

The civil calendar used by most of the world, Gregorian calendar system, is a solar calendar
with no correlation between the moon cycles and the month, with arbitrarily setting the length of
months to 28, 30 or 31 days.

Calendar Biblical Jewish Chinese Islamic Gregorian

Type Luni-solar lunar solar
Day start at Sunrise at Sunset at Midnight at Sunrise at 12 a.m.
29 days (short), 30 12 months;
Month 12 months w/ 13th leap month days (long month); 29 to 30 days
in 15-mo or 17-mo cycle in a month
Embolic year with 13th mo. 13th mo. (after Feb). - Leap day Feb 29
Leap in 19-year cycle every 3 years nearly every 4 yrs.
7-day lunar week;
Week Non-continuous, 7-days planetary week, continuous, cyclic
Non-cyclic@
@ 4 full 7-day weeks in a month with extra 1 or 2 days for New-Moon day and transitional day.

The problem with a strictly lunar calendar that there are approximately 12.4 lunar months in
every solar year, so a 12-month lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than a solar year and a 13-
month lunar is about 19 longer than a solar year. The months are seen to drift around the seasons
on such a calendar: on a 12-month lunar calendar, a given month that is supposed to occur in the
Spring, would occur 11 days earlier in the season each year, eventually occurring in the Winter,

14
the Fall, the Summer, and then the Spring again. On a 13-month lunar calendar, the same thing
would happen in the other direction, and faster.

To compensate for this drift, the luni-solar calendar uses a 12-month lunar calendar with an
extra month occasionally added. E.g. In the rabbinic Jewish calendar, the month of Nisan occurs
11 days earlier each year for two or three years, and then jumps forward 30 days, balancing out
the drift.
In ancient times, this month was added by observation: The Sanhedrin observed the conditions of
the weather, the crops and the livestock, and if these were not sufficiently advanced to be
considered "spring", then the Sanhedrin inserted an additional month into the calendar to make
sure that Passover would occur in the spring (it is, after all, referred to in the Torah as Chag he-
Aviv, the Festival of Spring!).
A year with 13 months is referred to in Hebrew as Shanah Me'uberet, literally: a pregnant year.
In Gregorian calendar, the commonly called leap year is different in that February would have an
extra day (29 days). The additional month is known as Adar I, Adar Rishon (first Adar) or Adar
Alef (the Hebrew letter Alef being the numeral "1" in Hebrew). The extra month is inserted before
the regular month of Adar (known in such years as Adar II, Adar Sheini or Adar Beit). Note that
Adar II is the "real" Adar, the one in which Purim is celebrated, the one in which yahrzeits for
Adar are observed, …
In the fourth century, Hillel II established a fixed calendar based on mathematical and
astronomical calculations. This calendar, still in use, standardized the length of months and the
addition of months over the course of a 19-year cycle, so that the lunar calendar realigns with the
solar years. Adar I is added in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of the cycle. The
current cycle began in Jewish year 5758 (the year that began October 2, 1997).
[edited www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm ] This is the rabbinic Jewish calendar currently used in
modern times, which is not same as the biblical calendar. Note: Not all biblical calendars to be
easily found online in various names are same.

*Calendar systems – three systems needed for NT study.

1. Roman Calendar system – (Julian and Gregorian) – A solar calendar. Day is reckoned
from midnight in civil use; it was from sunrise in official calendar. Since this is the global
civil calendar, it serves as a reference one for comparison with the two following below.
[Note - it was 8-day week in the early Julian calendar system, labelled A to H – changed
with pagan 7-day planetary week.] [Cf. ‘Common Era Calendar’ is a neutral term in place
of 'Gregorian calendar'.] [Note: the calendar of the Roman Republic was luni-solar.]

2. Rabbinic Jewish calendar system – A luni-solar calendar used by modern Jewish

people is a fixed calendar established by Hillel II in the fourth century CE (around 351
CE) for the Diaspora Jews, based on mathematical and astronomical calculations (also
known as Conjunction calendar). [It is important to keep in mind that this is not the one
in use in New Testament times (of the first century). Much confusion, conflict,
contradiction, and controversy we have are the result of being unaware of this fact.]
(1) The seventh month of the Jewish year is Tishri (Tishrei); days are contiguous from
one month to next and 1st of the month does not reset to begin anew. The molad of
Tishri is the most important date in the Jewish calendar; it is the Jewish New Year.
(2) Day is reckoned to start at sunset; at sunset a new calendar day begins.
(3) Jewish Sabbath is on 7th day of the planetary week which corresponds to Saturday of
the planetary week of the Roman calendar system, which is their 7th day for most, but
for some 6th day. [Jewish calendar adapted Judaic festival days onto Roman calendar.]
(4) Affected by the non-biblical Postponement Rules to adjust the date of Rosh Hashana

15
 vis-à-vis certain days of the planetary week.a [None of the rules are found in the Bible.]
(5) "19-year Metonic cycle" was adopted from the Greek for Intercalation for leap year.

a
http://postponements.com/id57.htm Dehioth: The Rules of Postponement
/Mathematics_of_the_Jewish_Calendar/ four_postponements_of_the_New_Year
16
It is futile, neither feasible or useful, to try to draw up a calendar for the year of the Crucifixion
in a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar. Such thing is a bogus. In reading the Bible, any idea of
such non-biblical calendar system should be erased from one’s thinking in following timeline
and chronology.
A fundamental problem is that they assert as if such man-devised calendar system was in place
from Day One (Gen 1:5) of the Creation! of God’s creation and assume that they could arrive
that day proleptically on our modern calendar. If that’s true, what day of our calendar should
the creation Day One fall? They should show how precisely the earth is old and assume that
they can pinpoint the first day of the creation, by tracing back with our modern calendar!

[See for the subject See a separate file <((For WB #5 )) Gen 1.5 Day and Night – Text and
interpretation> in the folder Collections on Time, day, Hour for #5A in the zip file IRENT
Supplement III (Collections #5A)]

(For the leap year see * Metonic Cycle.)

17
 3. Biblical lunar calendar system – A luni-solar Scripture-based calendar which is
recovered from the Scripture itself is essential to follow the Biblical narratives. This is the one
which should be used in following the NT chronology, including that of the Passion-Passover
week. Calendars other than the true biblical calendar actually mislead and causing much conflict,
contradiction, and confusion.

(1) A day in the Bible is that which begins at sunrise for a daylight period or a biblical calendar
day (the duration of sunrise to sunrise).a
(2) A month begin with the New-Moon day [* How to determine the New-Moon day correctly
– see below.]
(3) 'Week' in the Bible is 7-day lunar week; the calendar does not have continuous cycle. The
weekly cycle restarts each month. There are always four complete ('full') 7-day weeks in every
month, on the same days 2 to 8; 2 to 15, 16 to 22, and 23 to 29 – with sabbath always fall on
8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. The 1st day which is New-moon day and, the sabbaths – all
dependent on the lunar cycle. If present, 30th (a transitional day) is not a sabbath, nor a work
day. All other calendars including the rabbinic Jewish calendar and the Common Era Calendar
(i.e. Gregorian) are of continuous cyclic weeks.
(4) The seven numbered days of the lunar week are unrelated to the seven named days of the
Gregorian planetary week. They do not correspond; though <first day of the week> for the
lunar week may coincidentally fall on the first day of the planetary week (Sunday) for
example.
(5) Sabbath is on seventh day of the complete (i.e. 7-day) lunar week. It is the day after 6 work
days. There is only one sabbath in a week regardless whether it is a regular week or a 7-day
long festival week. [Cf. Special *annual sabbaths unrelated to the weekly sabbath.]
(6) Observing the ‘turn of the year’ in the spring tells whether a leap month is added – to have
spring not to arrive too early. [see under the heading '* turn of the year']
(7) The first [lunar] month of the biblical (sacred) year is Abib. The calendar begins with the
New-Moon day nearest the vernal equinox. [Cf. Nisan is 7th month of a secular Jewish year]

Using only the lights [Sun and Moon] of the firmament, God’s calendar is renewed, reset, and
“zeroed out” every Spring at the observance of Abib (Deu 16:1). Every month is renewed and
reset likewise. At any locality it is a simple matter to construct the calendar (every month) by
observing rise and set of the Sun and the Moon, without being affected by the vagaries of the
time zone system (e.g. across the International Date Line). [Be aware that some has it with Abib
date with sunset-to-sunset days, same as Nisan of the non-biblical rabbinic Jewish calendar.]

a‘dawn’ as morning twilight (a short period before the sunrise) and dawn as ‘dawn watch’ (= 4th watch of
night Mt 14:25 //Mk 6:48. Gk. prōi only once in this specific sense in Mk 13:45). There belong to a night
period, just as dusk belongs to a night period. Cf. ‘morning’ ‘early morning’ ‘late morning’.
18
Table: Three major calendar systems compared:
Three major calendar systems
Roman
Rabbinic Jewish Biblical Lunar*
Julian Gregorian
In the Bible
Since BC 46 CE 1582 CE 4th century & throughout
Year solar luni-solar
Month solar lunar
Week solar lunar
Day@ MN-to-MN (12 a.m.) Sunset-to-sunset Sunrise-to-sunrise
Days of 8 days# 7 planetary days 7 planetary days + 7 numbered days
the week Hebrew names
Solar sabbath Lunar sabbath
Sabbath n.a. On Saturday as 7th day On Day 7 of the
of the planetary week lunar full week$
Sunset-sunset (24 hrs) Day-time period
1st day of Sat, Sun, or Mon% Yom Rishon (=Sunday) 1st day
the week
1st day of n.a. Dark Moon + From dawn after
the month calculation and rules conjunction
1st day of Rosh HaShana Abib 1
the month New Year Day on Tishri 1
* i.e. Recovered biblical calendar
& Because of different calendation, a proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar is not feasible in to
be applied on the biblical narratives.
% In modern times * first day of the week is 'Monday'. (Sunday is in the first column of the
calendar table; it does not make it first day), 'Saturday' (in Arabic countries). In late Julian
calendar with the planetary week, the one listed first was Dies Saturni (= of Saturn), not Deis
Solis (= of Sun).
@ A day-long activity in the biblical narratives may begin in the evening. This does not make
it a proof-text for sunset-to-sunset day reckoning as in Jewish calendation – 'day begins at
sunset'. [Cf. Lev 23:32; 'keeping sabbath from evening' = it is not of weekly sabbath, but about
sabbath-rest of the special annual sabbath. Note: 'sabbath keeping' is for the daytime period
only.]
# 8 days – labelled A to H.
$ Four sabbaths in a month – 8, 15, 22, 29th day of each month. The biblical Sabbath is lunar
Sabbath, not solar sabbath of Saturday (which in Jewish calendar on their 7th day of the
planetary week).

For the purpose of following the Passion-Passover Week timeline, the correct biblical lunar
calendar is essential. The dates on the proleptic Julian calendar is not possible to determine dates
on the proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar. [Gregorian dates = Julian – 2 for 100 BC to 100 CE.]

Cf. Qumran Calendar www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2003/qumran.html

The calendar had 364 days each year, beginning on a 4th day of a solar month (x: Wednesday – how so?)
every spring. [How was the first day of a month determined??] It had four quarters of exactly 13 weeks
each, so that every quarter-year began on a Wednesday (4th day of the week). Each quarter had three
months, the first two having 30 days, and the third having 31 days. The months were numbered from 1 to
19
12, beginning in the spring. Thus, … it was so tightly tied to the week that every day occurred on the same
day of the week every year. In particular, their sacred feast days always occurred on the fixed dates. [This
solar calendar cannot be applied to the chronology and timelines of the bible.]

http://www.kingscalendar.com/NEW-WP/

The Jubilee Calendar of the Essenes which measures 364 days per year, was artificially divided into
thirteen months (13) of four (4) weeks of seven (7) days, with the thirteenth month being ‘carried over’ so
to speak, so that every twelve (12) solar years, an extra year (13th) is created.

… The solar year was comprised of 364 days. These years were then artificially divided into periods of
seven (7) day weeks, four (4) week months, and twelve (12) month years. Each year created then totaled
only 336 days, effectively creating a thirteenth spare year for every Twelve solar year period.

A table: Names of Month of Hebrew Calendar

Months of Hebrew calendar
No. Name Length
1th Nisan 30
2nd Iyar [ziv] [bul – 1Kg 6:38] 29
3rd Sivan 30
4th Tamuz 29
5th Av 30
6th Elul 29
7th Tishrei 30
8th [Mar]Cheshvan 29/30
9th Kislev [chisleu – KJV] 30/29
10th Tevet 29
11th Shevat— 30
Leap month Adar [II] 29

Total 353, 354, or 355

12th Adar I 30

20
**Abib vs. Nisan:
**Abib – (8x) Exo 9:31; 13:4; 23:15; 34:18 (2x); Lev 2:14; Deu 16:1 (2x);
**Nisan – (2x) Neh 2:1; Est 3:7 – [the word was used in the post-Exilic period.]
It pays to think always in terms of Abib instead of Nisan to follow the biblical narratives.

Abib vs. Nisan

(late March - early April)

Abib Nisan
Biblical Calendar, luni-solar Rabbinic Jewish, luni-solar
Calendar
(throughout the Bible) (only after 4th century)
Month 1st month of the year 7th month of the year
Week non-continuous, non-cyclic continuous cyclic.
4 full-weeks in lunar month.
Day Sunrise to sunrise Sunset to sunset @
1st day With dawn after Dark Moon. Fixed by calculation
Fool moon On 14th Variable (14, 15, 16) *
Lunar sabbath (solar Sabbath)
Sabbath (for daylight period) (sunset to sunset 24 hours)
7th day of the lunar week Saturday day of the planetary week

[Twelve or Thirteen (in leap year) months a year. ‘Wave barley sheaf offering’ for Abib 16 needs
the month to be for barley harvest.]

* some years, full moon may be Nisan 14 or 16 in the rabbinic calendar – depending on how
the New-Moon day is determined?

Abib = the first month of the Scriptural year corresponds to Nisan (7th month in rabbinic Jewish
calendar). Abib 14 Daytime = Nisan 14 daytime, but they do not necessarily coincide.

Notable days in Abib:

• Abib 10, Day 2 of the lunar week. The day the Passover lambs were selected. [So-called
‘Palm Sunday’ in the artificially constructed liturgical ‘Holy Week’.]
[Why did Yeshua made His anti-triumphal entry into Jerusalem in the last week of His life on
Abib 10?
(1) Into the world He came to die – Mt 16:21; //Mk 10:32-34; //Lk 9:22;
(2) He was to die as the Passover lamb (1Co 5:7)]
• Abib 14 is the Passover day – with the Passover memorial meal. /x: Passover feast;
[daytime = Nisan 14 for the Crucifixion]
[evening = Nisan 15 for the Passover meal.]
• Abib 15, 7th day of the lunar week; day of sabbath; the first day of the Matzah festival
• Abib 16, 1st day the lunar week; the Wave Sheaf day of the firstfruits. 'Resurrection' at the
dawning of Day 1 (not 'in the fourth watch of night' 'dawn-watch') = Nisan 16 morning.

21
The Nisan date is 12 hours ahead and the Julian date is 6 hours ahead of the Biblical Abib date.
The difference of 12 hours btw Abib date and Nisan date becomes significant for dating of night-
time events which may cross two calendar dates. When Abib and Nisan are parallel, the date is
same for daytime period on both Abib and Nisan. As to night time events, Nisan would be one
day ahead.

Note that the difference between Abib and Nisan date is not just 12 hours when comparing dates
for a particular even in the Biblical calendar and the rabbinic Jewish calendar. Since the first
date of the Abib (1st month of the biblical year) and of Nisan (7th month of the Jewish year)
are by different calendation, the day may not be same btw the true biblical calendar and the
proleptic rabbinic Jewish calendar. Also, the month for Abib and of Nisan itself may not fall in
the same months in the year on Gregorian calendar, as how Nisan 1 is determined (along with
the fixed Metonic cycle) may not be same as how it is for Abib 1.

This is a source of much confusion, conflict and contradictions in understanding the timeline of
the Passion Week. Two calendar days are also involved for those midnight events in the Gregorian
calendar. Checking off dates and counting days are cumbersome, as is the case with the Friday
crucifixion scenario.

Table: Abib vs. Nisan vs. Julian Date:

@ conjunction – CE 30 Mar 22 Wed. 19:32 Jerusalem time

Mar 22 Wed Mar 23 Thu Mar 24 Fri

@
Abib 1 Abib 2
Nisan 1 Nisan 2 3

@ Passover – CE 30 Apr 5, Wed.

Apr 5 Wed Apr 6 Thu Apr 7 Fri

† † M 
Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16
Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 16 17

E.g. the Passover memorial meal M on Abib 14 evening falls on Nisan 15 evening.
Abib 14 daytime for the Crucifixion = Nisan 14 daytime ††
Abib 14 evening for the Passover memorial meal is on Nisan 15 evening.
Abib 16 dawn =Resurrection ; the Risen Lord to the disciples.

Cf. The early Julian calendar (1st c. CE) had 8-day week (labelled A to H) before 7-day planetary week.

22
[Diagram] – the biblical calendar overlaid with proleptic Gregorian dates

Monthly Calendar – Abib, 30 CE.

[Nisan dates shown only for 2 weeks of the crucifixion-resurrection.]

30 CE Abib [Mar–Apr]
New- Work Days
sabbath @
Moon Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

3/23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
☼
¡ † †
31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6

Nisan → 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 (16)

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Nisan → 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 (23)

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ◙ 21

CE 30; ◙ Dark moon – Mar 22 @ 17:47 UTC (@ 22:00 Jerusalem

CE 30; ◙ Dark moon – Apr 21 @ 09:37 UTC
CE 30; ☼ Full moon – Apr 6 @ 19:42 UTC (Apr 7 @ 01:00 ? Jerusalem)
Pilate's sentencing – ¡
Crucifixion – Abib 14 (Nisan 14) – Passover Day Apr 5, We d [† †]
Resurrection – Abib 16; Apr 8 Sat. Dawn 
http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0001.html data (UTC)

23
 New-Moon Day
First Month Nisan 1

in the Year 30 C.E. Mar 23

Abib 1
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
Nisan 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Mar 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Abib 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Nisan 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Mar 31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6
Abib 9 10 11 12 13 Passover 15
14
Nisan 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
 
Apr 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Abib 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Nisan 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

Apr 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Abib 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Nisan 30 Iyar 1 2 3 4 5 6

Apr 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Abib 30

Gray – Abib; Pale blue – Nisan; Red - Sabbath

[4 Sabbath days in a month = on 7th day of the lunary week, non-cyclic]

[Vernal equinox – Mar 22, 22:00 UTC; Mor 23, 00:00 IST; ; Dark Moon – Mar 22 (22:40)]

24
This difference shown in the table above provides a key to solve the enigmatic Passion Week
chronology problems. Abib is the first month of the sacred year with a sunrise-to-sunrise day in the
true biblical calendar; Nisan is the 7th month (eighth, in leap year) of the civil year in the rabbinic
Jewish calendar with a sunset-to-sunset daya. Here the date is same on both for day time events; only
night time events have one calendar day difference. It is true when two calendars happened to
correspond each other, since rabbinic Jewish calendar [which was not before 4th century] is
constructed on different principles and rules. This also affects how the 1st day of the new year is
determined.

The rabbinic Jewish Calendar devised in 4th c. (by Hillel II) [3761 BC = year 1 AM] is based
on the astronomical calculation only and follows the Rules of Postponement to determine the
1st day of the Tishrei, the 1st month of the Jewish secular year. This is not relevant to the Biblical
time period. The leap year is based on the fixed 19-year Metonic cycle (after the Greek). An
intercalary 13th month would have to be added on seven occasions during the nineteen-year
period (235 = 19 × 12 + 7).

Because of differences in calendation, dates of Nisan and Abib do not necessarily coincide. All the
dates in Nisan for the study of the Passover-Passion Week is for comparison purpose only as it is not
possible to find a proleptic rabbinic calendar of Abib in CE 30. It is prudent to stay away from using
the term ‘Nisan’ when studying the Passion Week Chronology. Biblical narratives cannot be followed
with the rabbinic Hebrew calendar which is not the one used in the Biblical times.

The proper key, the only key to work out clearly, is the very use of the true calendar system found in
the Scripture in order for us to read the Scripture narratives as it was to be read, not mixed up with
Rabbinic Jewish calendar system compounded with the Julian-Gregorian vocabulary. It will give a
tremendous help to enable the readers find host of other issues elucidated clearly – such as “Was the
crucifixion on Nisan 14th or, even, 15th?”, “Was the Lord’s Last Supper the specific Passover meal”,
“When and on what day and time was the Resurrection?”, etc.

So then, it is incumbent on our readers to pay attention to how different the calendar systems are. We
have to realize that words, phrases, and expressions as appear in the Scripture, which serve as the
time-markers in the narratives, do not have same meaning, usage, and connotation as in their modern
language.

Biblical lunar calendar system (a luni-solar calendar) alone provides the readers with a proper
guidance to follow any chronology of the events and narratives. This fits well the axiom of biblical
hermeneutics – let the Scripture interpret the Scripture. Only then, the dates may be located correctly
on the corresponding Gregorian calendar.b

On the other hand, we have to deal with rabbinic Jewish calendarc (a luni-solar one), one important
point which is a stumbling block to proper and clear understanding of the chronology in the biblical
narratives. This has been in use by the Jewish people ever since the calendar system as devised by
Rabbi Hillel IId in 4th century CE. It is NOT same as the Biblical lunar calendar. In addition to its

a
Note: when a day-long activity begins at sunset in the biblical narratives, this should not make one a
proof text to take a day in the Bile to begin at sunset as in the rabbinic Jewish calendar. (E.g. Lev
23:32).]
b
Julian and Gregorian calendars░░ [Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer, reformed in 46 BC the then
Roman Republic luni-solar calendar into a solar calendar of Julius Caesar, similar to the Egyptian calendar then
in use. This Julian calendar was adopted by Roman Emperor Constantine in 321 CE and further adapted by Pope
Gregory XIII in 1582 CE.]
c Ref. strictly on Jewish calendar – Remy Landau, http://hebrewcalendar.tripod.com Jewish calendar Science

and Myths
d Hillel II ░░ (359 CE) Ref. E.G. Richards (1998), Mapping Time – The Calendar and its History, p. 223.

25
reckoning of a calendar day from sunset (from Babylonians), it also uses planetary weeks, like Roman
calendars, with seven numbered days of the week corresponding exactly to the named days of the
Gregorian week. Man-devised calendar systems (Babylonian to Roman to modern astronomic-
mathematical construct) cannot be used to interpret the Scriptural narrative. The astronomers made a
mistake, not it was not in their calculation, but because of their assumption that the sixth day of the
Biblical week was identical to Friday of the modern week. The 14th of every lunar month in the
Scripture is always the sixth day of the lunar week, which is the sabbath eve (= preparation day just
before the Sabbath on the 7th day). As the Julian week at the time of Christ’s death was an eight-day
week, the Biblical week and the modern week do not align. Saturday has nothing to do with the
genuine seventh-day Sabbath. The true day of His resurrection happened to be on Sunday in a
proleptic Gregorian calendar; not that He was resurrected on Sunday.

Another great source of error is the notion of the ‘continuous weekly cycle’ on a solar calendar.

If any conclusion of one’s claims is to be valid it has to be able to have all the relevant texts in the
Scripture clearly understood and be able to explain what it is said and why it is said and it should
keep all things in harmony with each other and in the whole Scripture.

*Abib is the first month of the year in Biblical lunar calendar (Exo 12:1-2)

• It has the ‘Passover’ [memorial] [Abib 14]

• It has the Festival of the Matzah [Abib 15-21]
• It has the day of offering the firstfruits of the barley harvest [Abib 16] [Wave
sheaf offering; 1st day of Counting of the Omer ] [H6016 *omer – sheaf]
• It is named the month of the Abib (because the barley crops would be getting
brittle, generally yellow-streaked, and be roastable in this month)

Abib 14 is the day of Passover (from sunrise to sunrise). It is on 6th day of the lunar week
(which is the sabbath-eve (sabbath preparation day). This was the day of Yeshua’s
Crucifixion (from  9 a.m. to  3 p.m.). The Passover (memorial, not a ‘feast’) distinct from
‘festival’ which refers to the whole 8-day festival season including the 7-day Festival of the
Matzah) was during night time with the Passover memorial meal taken at the evening of the
very same calendar day of Abib 14. Note: The Last Supper was NOT this Passover memorial
meal (which was to come later on Abib 14).

What is special about this month? If I may forget all the dates, months, years, even
my birth date, — let all the holidays, memorial days, or festival days (including
Christmas, Easter, Yom Kippur, etc.) of our culture and religions may be forgotten
— I should never forget this month in CE 30. Why this month? It is the fateful, yea,
faithful month where the Passover Week of the Exodus deliverance of Israel and the
Passion Week of the Mashiah for our humanity’s deliverance, when the deliverance
of Israel as well as the plan of deliverance of all the humanity got accomplished. Ever
since the creation the humanity on the downhill, this month ascends up high on
Golgotha. Under the shade of the Cross, He, the Son of God, the self-expression of
God who reveals, He invites all of us from our sin, which our blindness to God’s love
is.

His calendation for the rabbinic Jewish Calendar was confirmed around 12th century - rabbi Maimonides).
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/constantine-hillel-two-men-who-deceived-the-whole-
world.html - Constantine (c. 272 – 337 C.E.) and Hillel II.
The period from 10 C.E. to 210 C.E. is known as the era of Tannaim (repeaters or teachers.) This is the
period in time when most of the rabbis mentioned in the Talmud lived.
26
www.setapartpeople.com/why-we-do-not-follow-the-jewish-calendar

Start of the year:

What is interesting is that it requires only two of the three conditions for them to delay the start of
the year. If the barley is Aviv but the fruit are not yet in the correct state and it is before the
equinox, the new year may not start. It is also specific that this is measured in Judea, Transjordan
and Galilee. Judea must always be one of the three where the conditions are favorable. Judea is
where the temple is. After the Bar Kokhba revolt in 132 – 135 C.E. the Jews were banned from
Jerusalem. Thus, they could no longer determine the condition of the barley in Jerusalem. They
could still use other parts of Judea. This practice is nowhere recorded in scripture and they do not
claim that it is scriptural. The introduction of the equinox for determining the new year is thus a
tradition of men. The first month is the only one named in the Scripture = 'Abib'.

Start of the month:

We know from the historical records that Judaism still used the sighting of the new-moon during the
Second Temple period. We also have proof that this practice continued even after the Romans destroyed
the second temple. A group of Jewish scholars, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai and his disciples, fled from
Jerusalem before the destruction. They settled themselves in a town called Yavneh (Yavne, Yabneh or
Jamnia). Rabbi Yochanan established a Sanhedrin there that could instruct the scattered communities.
This instruction included the setting of the date for new months. Rabbi Yochanan was the leader of the
council from around 70 to 80 C.E. He was succeeded by Gamliel II.

The Hillel II Calendar

… there were many changes to the reckoning of time before Hillel II. … the calculated calendar was in
use in the diaspora before 257 (death of Mar Samuel.) Why was it then necessary for Hillel to introduce
another calendar? … several of the Roman emperors started to persecute Judaism. They tried to prevent
the Jews from following their customs and traditions. These “customs” included keeping the
commandments of YHVH. We know that emperors like Hadrian, who reigned from 117 to 138 C.E.,
started to persecute the Jews. This was most likely also a result of the Bar Kochba revolt of 132 – 135
C.E. By the reign of Constantine the Great in 306 -337, Christianity became the official religion. The
differences between Christianity and Judaism became plain then.

In anticipation of what could happen, Hillel II decided to ensure that the nation could function without
the Sanhedrin. He did this to preserve the unity of the nation. To ensure that all the Jews throughout the
world celebrated the feasts on the same day, he decided to publish a calendar. Hillel II based this
calendar on the calculations that were already in use to anticipate the sighting of the moon. With this
calendar, Hillel formally sanctified all the months and the leap years.

This calendar standardized the length of months at 29 days, 12 hours, 793 parts. Thus, a month has 29
days (“haser” / defective) or 30 days (full). It also calculates the addition of months over the course of a
19-year cycle (mahzor). This allows for the lunar calendar to realign with the solar years. Adar II (13th
month) is added in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of the cycle. Common years (12
months) have 353, 354, or 355 days and leap years (13 months) have 383, 384, or 385 days. The effect
of these variations is the variation in the length of the months of Heshwan and Kislew. The calendar uses
the 1st of Tishri to calculate the start of the new year. The day that the conjunction of the moon of
Tishri happens determines the start of the new year. … Nowhere in Scripture is 1 Tishri called the “head
of the year” (Rosh haShannah.)

27
Meaning of abib:
The name of month Abib derives from Heb. word abib – to do with barley harvest in the
spring time ready for the Wave Barley Sheaf offering. [Twelve or Thirteen (in leap year) months a
year, as the ‘Wave barley sheaf offering’ to be on Abib 16 needs the month to be for barley
harvest.]
[‘Wave offering 'sheaf offering' 'omer offering' -- Lev 23:11on Abib 16, coming after the Passover
day on Abib 14 and the first day of the Matzah Festival on Abib 15 (= sabbath, 7th day of the lunar
week). It is kept on Nisan 16 with different regulations depending on whether it falls on sabbath
Saturday or not on their rabbinic Jewish calendar.]

The Hebrew word abib = (H24 ‘ripening ears’) Lev 2:13, 14, not 'green ears' as wrongly
translated in KJV, NWT, etc. /fresh ears – ESV; /fresh grain – NIV; etc. [JB shows no hint
of this word.] (same for a different Hebrew word karmel in Lev 23:14 (‫ כ ְַּרמִיאֵל‬H3759 field,
plantation, fruit; ears of grain, etc. – green ears in KJV; new grain in NWT).

[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abib
an ear of barley or flax (x: corn), the month of newly-ripened (not green as in KJV
translation) grain (Exo 13:4; 23:15); the first of the Jewish ecclesiastical year, and the
seventh of the civil year. It began about the time of the vernal equinox, on 21st March. It
was called Nisan, after the Captivity (Neh. 2:1). On the fifteenth day of the month, harvest
was begun by gathering a sheaf of barley, which was offered unto the Lord on the sixteenth
(Lev 23:4-11). - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary]

www.nazareneisrael.org/books/torah-calendar/aviv-barley-and-the-head-of-the-year/
Although modern agriculture uses different terms, for our purposes, barley and other
cereal grasses can be thought to pass through the following stages of growth:
• Vegetative (growth) stage;
• Budding and flowering (‘cotton’) stage;
• Seed pod formation stage;
• Milk stage;
• Soft dough (‘abib’) stage;
• Hard dough (‘karmel’) stage;
(H3759 ‘new or green ear of grain’ Lev 2:14)
• Ancient ripe.
After flowering, barley forms a seed pod, which soon fills with a milky fluid. This fluid
slowly becomes harder and more substantive, until finally it becomes more of a solid than
a liquid. Once the contents of the seed pod have solidified to the point that they resemble
bread dough, the barley has reached the stage where its development can be thought of as
being “in the ear” (‫)ָאבִיב‬, because the main development of the plant now takes place in
the fruiting ear.
Because abib barley has a soft dough-like consistency, it is still not as hard (or as
substantial) as it will be when it is fully ripe. For at least two more weeks abib barley still
needs to mature on the stalk before it can be harvested for long term storage, or used as a
Wave Sheaf Offering. However, even though it is still too moist to put into long term
storage without drying it first, abib barley is solid enough that one can make a meal out
of it if one first lightly roasts it in fire, a process known as ‘parching.’ Parching drives the
moisture out of the immature grain, and makes it hard enough that it can be cracked, or
ground into flour. Parched grains are mentioned in Lev 23:14, Joshua 5:11, 1st Samuel
17:17, 1st Samuel 25:18, and Lev 2:14. Lev 2:14 shows us that parched grains are even
substantial enough to be used as a firstfruits offering.

28
29
Basic features of the Gregorian calendar:

1. History from Julian calendar (since Oct. 1582).

2. Year is a solar year with 12 named months for 365 days (366 days in leap year every 4 year
or so).a
3. Month is a solar month with 30 days x 4 months; 31 days x 7 months; /28 days x 1 month (29
days leap month) for Feb. – The 4 seasons are rather constant in relation to the months.
4. Day as a calendar day is reckoned to start at 12 a.m. which is not same as 'midnight' (same for
'12 p.m.' vs. midday or noon).
5. Week is a solar, with 7 named days repeating without interruption (same in the rabbinic.
6. Saturday is the 7th day of the planetary week for most cultures (6th for some). It’s solar
sabbath which is kept by the Jewish and most other Sabbatarians. It contrasts the biblical lunar
Sabbath of 7th day of the lunar week with sabbath-rest for the daytime period only. Two are
unrelated. Days such as Saturday, Sunday, etc. are not in the Bible and cannot be used to
follow the biblical timeline.
7. The New Year’s Day is a civil date; it is simply from the ancient Roman custom.b
8. No astronomical indicator/sign to tell what day (on the calendar) a particular day (e.g. New
Year day or 'today') is.

Roman calendars -- Gregorian, Julian, and pre-Julian

Ref: Roman calendar
www.thoughtco.com/roman-calendar-terminology-111519 Roman Calendar Terminology -
Nones, Kalends, Ides, and Pridie
www.polysyllabic.com/?q=calhistory/earlier/roman/kalends
[A copy in the Collection]

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/roman-calendar.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_calendars#Roman_calendar
In AD 525 Pope John I asked Dionysius Exiguus, a Scythian monk, to prepare a calendar for the
Western Church. He dated Christ’s birth as Year 753 of AUC (ab urbe condita – ‘from Founding of
Rome’ – pre-Julian Roman calendar). January 1, 754 AUC became AD 1 (that is, CE in modern
term). Christ’s birth was thought to have occurred one week earlier, on December 25.

The years before were calculated at BC (abbreviation of the phrase ‘Before Christ’) and the years
after as AD (abbreviation of Latin phrase anno Domini, meaning ‘year of Our Lord’). In this
reckoning, there was no year zero. The calendar went from 1 BC directly to AD 1. There was only
problem with this scheme. Later research showed that Dionysius missed the date by at least four
years because he miscalculated the death of Herod. Our present calendar is four years off.

In modern times, the common notation of worldwide acceptance is C.E. (Common Era) instead of
AD; and BCE (Before Common Era) instead of BC www.religioustolerance.org/ce_info.htm
[Note: In IRENT-related material, BC is used instead of BCE; not as the abbreviation of ‘Before
Christ’, but as a simplified notation BCE.]

a Bissext, or Bissextus (Lat. bis, twice; sextus, sixth) was the day intercalated by the Julian calendar in the February
of every fourth year to make up the six hours by which the solar year was computed to exceed the year of 365 days.
The day was inserted after 24 February, i.e. the sixth day before the calends (1st) of March.
b In 45 B.C., New Year’s Day is celebrated on January 1 for the first time in history as the Julian calendar takes effect.

www.history.com/this-day-in-history/new-years-day http://earthsky.org/earth/why-does-the-new-year-begin-on-
january-1

30
31
Basic features of the rabbinic Jewish calendar: ‘peculiarities’

The current rabbinic Jewish calendar has to be examined on its own merits and should not be
the basis of the understanding timeline in the Bible, since it was simply not present to be
employed in the Biblical time period. Bringing into the Bible anachronistically and
proleptically would be founded upon assumption, presumption, presupposition, and
ignorance – these will wreak havoc to proper understanding of the timeline, with eventual
confusion and conflict in the readers’ mind.

1. History – Calendation by Hillel II at 4th century

2. Year is a luni-solar with 12 named months + 13 months for the leap year. A year has 353, 354
or 355 days [in which 30 days of the intercalary montha are added]
3. Month is a lunar month either with 30 days or 29 days. The leap month of 29 days when is
added before the last most Adar; two become Adar I and Adar II.
months; 31 days x 7 months; /1 x 28 days (29 days for leap year) for Feb. – The 4 seasons
are rather constant in terms of months.
4. A Hebrew day (as a calendar day) is reckoned to start at sunset.
5. Week is a solar, with 7 named days in Hebrew (as well as Gregorian), repeating without
interruption.
6. Jewish Sabbath is on 7th day of the planetary week and is taken to correspond to Saturday
in Gregorian calendar (beginning at sunset on the preceding day).
7. How was the New Year fixed? 19-year Metonic cycle. How did the cycle start in the current
pattern to tell a year fall in a certain year of the cycle (e.g. CE 30)?
8. Jewish New Year day is Tishrei b the 7th month in the biblical year. The New-Moon day of
this month ('Rosh Hodesh') is affected by man-made Rules of Postponement which was
imposed in order to avoid it to occur on certain days of the week, postponing one or two days.

Superficially the rabbinic Jewish calendar may look as a Biblical lunar calendar, but
fundamentally different. If, for a certain day on the Gregorian calendar, the date on both Jewish
and RBC happen to coincide or one-day’s difference, it would be just fortuitous. Comparing these
side by side would just give an idea of how they look contrastingly. Only for those using the
calendar of their choice for religious reason these luni-solar calendars are meaningful (e.g.,
Judaism or Seventh day Sabbatarians). Esp. meaningless is comparison between two for the year
30 CE in the study of the Passion Week Chronology of the Gospels in the New Testament.

Hillel's calendar is not, in every detail, the rabbinic Jewish calendar we have today, as the
postponement rules were not yet fully developed, but the dates and duration of the festivals and
length of months were firmly established (Segal, p. 307). So, the system of the fixed calendar was
not yet developed until about ad 485 (Maimonides, Intro., p. xli).
www.cogeternal.org/text/004hebrewcalreliable.htm#HebrewCalendarDevelopment

*(One month added towards the end of the year to prevent Passover from occurring in winter in
the following year – with Adar II appearing in March of next year, e.g. in 1929, …2005, …., 2011,
2014, 2016, 2019, … 2043.) Nisan 14 is when Jewish begins celebrating Passover Week. Date of
the 1st day of Jewish Passover festival, Nisan 15 (= ‘Jewish Passover day’?).

a
The term ‘intercalary month’, rather than ‘leap month’, helps avoid confusion of calendars, which
used a leap day instead. See http://calendars.wikia.com/wiki/Leap_month_calendar
b
The present Jewish calendar is interested in only one new moon (actually the molad), and that is
for the seventh month. All the other new moons in the year are totally ignored. But in New Testament
times the Jews actually had eyewitnesses watching out for EVERY new moon in the year. You
didn't need any calculations. You simply added 29 days.
32
Basic features in the Biblical Lunar calendar:

Summarized for the study of the Scripturea

1. Day is that which begins at sunrise. Used in the sense of both daylight period and a
calendar day. b
2. Year in the Bible is solar year. [The Sun governs seasons and four seasons are kept
constant as to the months.]
3. Month is lunar. [Determined by the Moon and its phases in contrast to the solar month
in the Gregorian calendar] A lunar month is 29 or 30 calendar days. (A leap month is
needed to keep the seasons with a solar year → 'luni-solar calendar'.)

The first month is called ‘Abib’ (of 30 days); the rest are by the ordinal numerals. The
beginning of the (Abib) of the Scripture resets every year and is determined by the
conjunction (astronomical new moon) closest to the equinox. [Exo 34:22 c ] (The
Passover cannot come before the equinox.) [Ref. WLC-biblical-calendation-reckoning-
the-new-year.html – a copy in Collections #5 for IRENT Vol. III - Supplement.]

4. Week is lunar and is numbered; not named as in the planetary week of Julian-Gregorian
and the rabbinic Jewish calendars. The weeks are noncyclic discontinuous with 4 full 7-
day weeks in a month. A full ('complete') week is seven days – the only thing common
with other two calendars. The first day (‘New-Moon Day’) as well as 30th day of the
month, if any (a transitional day), are not part of a week.

Biblical sabbath:
It is lunar sabbath on the Day 7 of the lunar week in the lunar month. [It is not solar
sabbath, which on Saturday of the pagan planetary week in the solar month, as is in
the rabbinic Jewish calendar. This is also followed by the 7th day Sabbatarians.]
Four sabbath days in a month – they are fixed as on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of each
month in the biblical calendar. Not related to Saturday of the planetary week – one of
greatest confusions in understanding biblical narratives.
Sabbath-rest is for the daytime period only; not for 24 hours as in Sabbatarian and Jewish
practice. Sabbath injunctions are not applicable outside daytime period.
Weekly sabbath is not to be confused with the annual day of sabbath rest

a
Calendar day of the Roman Gregorian Calendar is from 12 A.M. to 12 A.M. (not 'midnight'). The
rabbinic Jewish calendar day is sunset-to-sunset; they got mixed completely 'day' for daylight period and
'day' for calendar day. For the Recovered Biblical Calendar, see www.worldslastchance.com
http://creationcalendar.com/ http://thecreatorscalendar.com [Cf. http://torahcalendar.com/ is with
sunset-to sunset day – "Hebrew Month begins at the moment of sunset the evening the moon's crescent
first becomes potentially visible to the naked eye in Jerusalem, assuming ideal sighting conditions ;-<]
b
[cf. night begins at sunset with coming of evening. the dawn watch is last (4th) watch of night in the
Bible.]
c
Exo 34:22 "And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first-fruits of the wheat harvest, and
the Feast of Ingathering at the turn [H8622 tequphah] of the year."
33
 New-Moon day, first day of a lunar month, is the which begins with dawning after Dark
Moon at luni-solar conjunction (= ‘astronomical new moon’ – a moon phase, not to be
confused with 'New-Moon day'). With non-cyclic weeks in the Biblical lunar calendation,
every month resets itself with the New-Moon day.

When the old moon ends its lunar cycle of about 29 and ½ solar days, a new lunar cycle (or
new moon) automatically begins immediately after conjunction, and whatever solar day that
happen “in”, “that day” is the "DAY OF THE NEW-MOON" (yom haHōḏeš Ezk 46:1) or day
of the new cycle! This is the solar day in which you blow the trumpet “in”! (“in the beginning
of your mouths”, Num 10:10, which is referring to the day the month begins in, NOT the
next day, when the moon is hours old, not new) [fr. http://lunarsabbath.info/id50.html ]

*How to Determine the New-Moon Day: a

'sighting of the first crescent' (i.e. 'waxing crescent moon') method is impractical to
determine the New-Moon Day – host of questions on the sighting by whom, by how
many observers, where, how, and when. 'Crescent moon visibility' itself has to be
considered.
'Crescent Moon Visibility': "Although the date and time of each 'New Moon' can be
computed exactly, the visibility of the lunar crescent as a function of the Moon's "age" — the
time counted from New Moon — depends upon many factors and cannot be predicted with
certainty. During the first two days after New Moon, the young crescent Moon appears very low
in the western sky after sunset, must be viewed through bright twilight, and sets shortly after
sunset. The sighting of the lunar crescent within one day of New Moon is usually difficult. The
crescent at this time is quite thin, has a low surface brightness, and can easily be lost in the
twilight. Generally, the lunar crescent will become visible to suitably-located, experienced
observers with good sky conditions about one day after New Moon. However, the time that the
crescent actually becomes visible varies quite a bit from one month to another. Naked-eye
sightings as early as 15.5 hours after New Moon have been reliably reported …" [Here, 'new
moon' means 'astronomical new moon', i.e., 'dark moon' = the moon phase at the
conjunction.] [Ref. http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/crescent.php – (a copy in
Collection #5A)]

"Last day" of the [old] month can only be determined by a phase of the moon that is counted
during the night. If the conjunction occurs at night, then that night, due to the “part of” rule, will
determine that this 24-hour day is the last day of the month. If, on the other hand, the conjunction
occurs during the daytime, then that day of the conjunction cannot be counted until the following
night. In this latter case, that following night determines the last day of the month. [-- to be
checked for the term 'night' with the problem of a (Gregorian) calendar day change over at '12
a.m.']

a
For detail, see http://yahweh.org/publications/articles/rules/rules_new_moon.pdf - a copy in the zip file
'On 'new moon' and 'moon phase' in IRENT Vol. III Supplement (Collections #5A - time + calendar).
34
B. Notes on Terminologies related to chronology and calendar

We are endowed with the gift of language and thinking. Our statements are valid and
understandable only when bound by logic. When we are looking for reputing others’ claims
and resolve issues, the foremost requisite is precise definition of the words and terms. It
does not matter whether it is something theoretical or practical, be it religious, philosophical,
scientific, or literary fields.

As to words relevant to the Scripture it is so easy for us to automatically assume that they
mean and are used in the same way we use in modern English. These words are inevitably
colored and distorted, much more so by ecclesiastical traditions and practices of religions.

Without clear definition of words and terms, any argument or claim we come up will prove
to be useless and waste of our effort and we remain incapable to clearly understand and
explain all the relevant texts in the Scripture. Below in the following a few of important
words and phrases are dealt with for clarification.

Day of the week or date of the month belong are of calendar issues; year of the events is a
chronology issue (e.g. the year of His birth or His crucifixion).
• Calendars, Chronology; solar planetary week vs. lunar biblical week.
• Hour, Day, Night, Evening; Dawn, morning; day vs date.
• Week; month; New-Moon day; dark moon (moon at conjunction); full moon
• Sabbath, Shabbat = Day 7 of the lunar week for daytime period only
• Sabbaths = in the sense of ‘(7-day) week’ = Does not mean ‘Saturday’.
• Day 6 of the week [= sabbath-preparation day = sabbath eve]
• Day one of the week = Does not mean ‘Sunday’
• Weekend = (Sat.+) Sunday; first day of the week is not Sunday but Monday.a
• Festival vs. Feast – in English (– same word in Gk. or Heb)
• Shavuot (‘Pentecost’) & 'omer count'
• Passover ('Pesach') – Passover meal (a memorial meal) (x: Passover feast);
Passover [memorial] day; the Festival of Passover (Passover Festival = Festival of
the Matzah); Cf. 'eat for the Passover season', rather than 'eat the passover' (KJV)
or 'eat the Passover' (- most)
• Preparation day = 'the day before a special day'. IRENT renders it as 'eve', e.g. for
Sabbath eve, eve of the Passover day, etc. [same as in the expression 'Christmas
eve']. Does not mean “Friday”.
• ‘Christian Easter’ vs. ‘Jewish Passover’ vs. Biblical Passover. [Cf. 'Christian
Passover' (a church jargon)]
• 'annual sabbath' – scholar's jargon which does not appear in the Bible. The term
may be applied to the special sabbath rest on the Day of Atonement; unrelated to
7th day of the week. (Lev 16:29-31, 23:27) and Day of Shofar blowing [1st day of
7th month for sabbath – New-moon day – Lev 23:24-25 (Rosh Hashanah – Jewish
New Year].

a
See ISO 8601 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_week_date . That Sunday is in the first column of a
monthly calendar should not mean it is first day of the week. Calling it first day is mistaken from the Holy
Week of the Church calendar. https://youtu.be/qSQ3cU32ukw https://youtu.be/YFdmOBqqtAA
https://youtu.be/I59ZJQo1T68 https://youtu.be/g6sRKq5CHKU
35
[Time-related terms: See also in WB# 6 Passion Week Chronology]
‘day’; ‘date’; ‘dawn’; ‘twilights – morning and evening’; ‘midnight’ and ‘midday’;
‘hour period’ vs. ‘hour’; ‘week’; ‘month’.

1. Calendars, Dates, Chronology

Need to keep in mind are three different calendars – Roman (Julian and Gregorian) Calendars, rabbinic
Jewish calendar, and the Biblical lunar calendar.
To grasp the Passion narrative clearly it is essential to follow its internal chronology using the Biblical
lunar calendar. One cannot bring in an external chronology using the other calendar systems into the
Scripture narrative to understand and interpret.

The Scripture provides all the clues necessary for proper understanding. The calendar systems other
than the very Biblical lunar ones may only serve to show how the dates are to be aligned against each
other. Thus, necessarily any liturgical calendar currently in use does not correspond to that of the
Scripture, being having historically, chronologically and theologically dissociated from the Scripture
narratives.

Passover week, Passion week; Holy Week

The biblical Passion Week (with numbered days of the lunar week) does not match with the liturgical
Holy Week of Constantine Catholic Church tradition of planetary named days of the solar week. The Passover
Week is the week of the Passover festival season – From the Passover day (Abib 14) to the end of the 7-day
long festival of the Matzah (Abib 15-21) with Abib 15 = high sabbath (Jn 19:31).

Thematically and theologically the Passion Week cannot exist without reference to the Passover Week; hence
another inclusive term ‘Passover-Passion Week’.

Table: Julian vs. Gregorian calendars

Difference between Gregorian and Julian calendar dates
Julian calendar from BC 45; Gregorian from AD 1582
October 4, 1582 Thursday in Julian calendar was followed by October 15, 1582 Friday in
Gregorian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar

(For CE 28-70, proleptic Gregorian date = Julian date – 2) (For CE 2100 – 2200, G = J - 14)
Hebrew Year in CE Nisan 15@
3790 CE 30 Julian Apr 6, Thu
CE 31 Julian Apr. 25, Wed
CE 32 Julian Apr 14, Mon
CE 33 Julian Apr. 3, Fri
CE 70 Julian Apr 13, Fr
Gregorian Apr. 6, Fri
5772 CE 2012 (J = March 24)
5773 CE 2013 Gregorian Mar. 25, Mon
(J = March 12)
5774 CE 2014 Gregorian Apr 14, Mon
@ Nisan 15 (Pesach I) – conflicting and confusing data on CE 28, 30, 31, 32 on google search

36
www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3920-calendar-history-of

37
*OT Festivals/feasts:

Festival for a week long; feast for a day.

List of Festivals
Spring –Festival of the Passover; Festival of the Matzah; First-Fruits Feast
Day of Shavuot
Fall – Day of Shofar-blowing; Day of Atonement;
Fall – Festival of the Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents, Booths) [Cf. Heb. word /lulab for the festive palm
branch which was carried and waved on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot).] [Cf. Palm day in the
Passover-Passion week – Abib 10.]

Note: Shavuot is determined by omer counting; traditionally 50 days from the day after Abib 15 [High
Sabbath (Jn 19:31) – weekly sabbath falling on the first day of the 7-day festivals]; careful reading of
OT in Lev is needed to tell it is 7 full weeks + 50 days.

Confusion about the day omer counting begin – is it the day after the sabbath or Nisan 16

'Day of Firstfruits' (Abib 16) Lev 23:9-12

38
 The day following the first day of the Matzah Festival is called Reshit Katzir the "beginning
of the harvest" or Yom HaBikkurim "the Day of Firstfruits".

In ancient times, on this day a sheaf (omer) of barley (the first grain crop to ripen) was waved
before the LORD in a prescribed ceremony ["Wave Sheaf Offering"] to mark the start of the
counting of the omer, thereby initiating countdown to the harvest festival of Shavuot.

Cf. www.truthontheweb.org/sheaf.htm#5 Determining Elevation Sheaf Day & Pentecost

[Note: problem of fixing the beginning day for omer counting – confusion due to lack of
biblical calendar which leads to the wrong idea of Abib 16 not same as 1st day of the Lunar
Week. It also reads only Lev 23:15 but not also v. 16.

Jewish calendar system and names of the months:

What is Jewish calendar and its calendation? Inherent problems of the calculated rabbinic Jewish
calendar system unfit for a biblical calendar ( http://82.221.105.8/~theshini/?p=2922 )

A calendar system (other than the common civil calendar) is purely for use in a religious purpose, i.e.
dates of festival days.

www.goldensheaves.org/images/Hebrew-calendar-dvpmt-hc.pdf - Development of Jewish calendar

www.bethelcog.org/church/church-of-god-articles/can-we-rely-on-the-hebrew-calender
www.jewfaq.org/calendr2.htm - See how it is calculated. (See how it is different from the concise,
simple, and uncomplicated Biblical lunar calendar system as shown above.)

The rabbinic Jewish calendar (Jewish) has the following months: www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm

Name Number Length Civil Equivalent

Nisan 1 30 days Mar-Apr
Iyar 2 29 days Apr-May
Sivan 3 30 days May-Jun
Tammuz 4 29 days Jun-July
Av 5 30 days July-Aug
Elul 6 29 days Aug-Sep
Tishri 7 30 days Sep-Oct
Cheshvan 8 29 or 30 days Oct-Nov
Kislev 9 30 or 29 days Nov-Dec
Tevet 10 29 days Dec-Jan
Shevat 11 30 days Jan-Feb
Adar I (leap years
12 30 days Feb-Mar
only)
Adar (called Adar 12
29 days Feb-Mar
Beit in leap years) (13 in leap years)

39
Year; Intercalation; Calendar Eras

Biblical year = 360 days [Cf. Rev 12:6 (3.5 years = 1260) days]

In the Scripture, a year (which is lunar year of 354 days) begins with spring (in the month Abib). It
begins with summer (in the month of Tishri) for rabbinic Jewish calendar. Luni-solar calendars may
require intercalations of both days and months to follow the seasons or moon phases.

A year in the Julian-Gregorian calendar is a solar year of 365 days and it begins in mid-winter.

‘Calendar era’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_era

AUC - Anno Urbis Conditae: AUC or a.u.c. or a.u.), a Latin phrase meaning "from the founding of
the City (Rome)", traditionally dated to 753 BC
AM - Anno mundi ("year of the world") – Jewish calendar
AD - Anno Domini; = CE (Common Era) with BC (Before Christ) or BCE (Before Common Era))

2. Hour, Day, Night, Evening; Dawn, Early in the morning;

*Astronomical terms
https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.php

Definitions: Horizon; Rise & Set – Sun and Moon; Transit; Twilight

‘point of time’ vs. ‘period of time’

Words of time concept are related to ‘point of time’ or ‘period of time’, i.e. 'duration of time'. For
example, the English word ‘hour’ may be used in either sense. Some connotes only a point of time –
e.g. ‘sunrise’, ‘12 p.m.’, etc.; while some expressions are for a period of time – e.g. ‘dawn’ ‘morning’.
Note that here the point of time demarking the beginning and the end of a period may not be exact –
e.g. ‘dusk’ begins with sunset but ends when darkness sets in (with no precise time for it to be
pinpointed.)

Cf. ‘break of dawn’ is (twi)light appearing to bring dawn; break of morning is with sunrise to bring a
day. Day begins (as a biblical word) at sunrise (or ‘with dawning); it is incorrect to say day begins ‘at
dawn’.]

The use of the word ‘day’ and ‘hour’ in the Bible is not same as with the technical term day and hour
used as a unit of measurement for a period of time (with day in SI unit = 86400 seconds. Though not
SI unit, hour is defined as = 60 min = 3600 seconds). The word 'hour' in NT is a period of time 1/12
of the daylight period or the night period. Of Variable length; only roughly '60' minutes. E.g. 'hour' in

40
ordinal numeral, e.g. sixth hour, is the sixth hour period from the sunrise – an hour period before
midday (≈ noon).

Diagram of 'day' as daylight period

(get a diagram of a day (day + night) somewhere in www.worldslastchance.com/

http://themessianicfeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TMF_Between-the-Evenings.pdf
(erased is 6 p.m. as the end of day)

41
* hour
*hour: *hour-period vs. hour on the clock.

Related words:
• chronos (time); ‘en stigmē chronou’ (Lk 4:5);
• atom – (smallest indivisible unit); ‘en atomō’ (1Co 15:52) (‘in an atom of time’ -
IRENT; ‘in an instant’; ‘in a moment’); [Ref. I.M. History (1998), The Far Side of
Armageddon, p. 15]
• kairos – e.g. ho kairos mou (my time)

Whether it occurs as ordinal numeral (e.g. ‘third hour’) or as cardinal (e.g. 'two hours'), the
word ‘hour’ in the Bible is the etymologically related Gk. hōra.

An hour in the Bible is a period of time 1/12th of daylight period. It is for the duration of
‘hour-period’a on the sundial, not for 'hour' on the clock (= o’clock), which is for the point
of time). Used with an ordinal numeral, it may represent the hour at the end of the hour-
period.

A day has 12 hour-periods (not 12-hour period). The duration of an hour is not fixed but varies
depending on season and latitude. The word is not used as a unit of time, an hour of 60 min (in
physics).b

Note: All instances in NT were concerned with the daytime events, except one in Act 23:23
(‘to leave ~~ on third hour of the night’). This is also a single example in the Scripture of
Roman reckoning of night period into 12 hours. Cf. four night-watches.

Length of a biblical hour:

As the length of a daytime period varies depending on season and latitude, so does the
length of a biblical ‘hour’ (= hour-period). For a simplistic example, if we assume sunrise
was at 6 a.m. and sunset at 6 p.m. with daylight period of 12 hours, each with 60 min. Then
“third hour” (as on the sundial) is equivalent to a period of ≈ 8 to 9 a.m. and ninth hour ≈
2 to 3 p.m. Here midday (not 12 o’clock p.m.) is btw sixth and seventh hour-period.

[With approximate time in Jerusalem in the Passover festival season is given here to show
difference of time-reckoning by the sun-dial and by the clock:
sunrise is ≈ 6 a.m., sunset ≈ 6:00 p.m.
length of day 12 and 1/2 hours; length of ‘hour’ – about 62 min.
midday = btw sixth and seventh hour ≈ from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

a The length of this biblical ‘hour’, that is, 'hour period', varies since the daylight period by itself varies
according to the latitude and the season. [It is an expression somewhat analogous to an English adjective ‘hour-
long’.]
b
[in Physics] an hour = 60 min; a minute = 60 sec (a day = 86, 400 secs), with a second as a basic unit of time,
originally defined as 1/86,400 of the mean solar day; now a newly defined 1997 in SI system (ISO 1000:1992).
The terms ‘minute’ and ‘second’ are not of biblical vocabulary: a minute is a period of time equal to sixty seconds.
The second is the base unit of time in the ISO, which is precisely measured in physics using cesium-133 atom.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/second-s-or-sec . Cf. See *atom of time in the appendix.
42
(Ref. www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=110 )

43
'Hour' expressed in cardinal numbers:

For a certain point or duration of time (e.g. ‘at that hour’, ‘in the hour’, or for a duration (e.g. 'for
about two hours' hōs epi hōras duo Act 19:34). Often it is used figurativelya.

• "there are twelve hours in the day' – Jn 11:9; [i.e. twelve hour-periods as on a sundial in the daylight
period.]

'Hour' expressed in ordinal numerals:

With sunrise, we have first hour-period on a sundial with 12th hour-period before sunset.

During 'Day' (Daylight period) [Noon/midday is not same as 12 p.m.]

Passion week Outside Passion week

6th hour ≈ noon
– Jn 4:6;
In G-John 6th hour ≈ noon 7th hour ≈ 1 p.m.
–19:14@ – Jn 4:52;
10th hour ≈ 4 p.m.
– Jn 1:39;
3rd hour ≈ 9 a.m.
3rd hour ≈ 9 a.m. – Act 2:15;
– Mt 20:3; Mk 15:25@; 6th hour ≈ noon
Others 6th hour ≈ noon – Act 10:9;
– Mt 20:5; 27:45; Lk 23:44; 9th hour ≈ 3 p.m.
9th hour ≈ 3 p.m. – Act 3:1; 10:3; 10:30;
– Mt 20:5; 27:45, 46; Mk 15:33, 34; 11th hour ≈ 5 p.m.
– Mt 20:6, 9;

@ Jn 19:14 (Pilate's sentencing) and Mk 15:25 (Crucifixion) have been misread and
misunderstood to cause alleged contradiction in timing. Without realizing that they are
in two different dates a day apart, some tried to come up with G-Jn taking this as alleged
Roman time reckoning from midnight to read it as 6 a.m. – impossible to bunch together
all the evens from the Arrest to Crucifixion in to such a short period time (allocating
about 9 hours). No evidence of such time reckoning is in NT. All are biblical (Jewish).
Even the Romans did same, counting from sunrise.

Cf. During night period: [S5438 phulakē 'watch']

• 'third hour of the night' ≈ 9 p.m. – Act 23:23 (Roman reckoning of time counts
from sunset for the night)
• Four watches of night – Mk 13:35 “evening watch or midnight watch or *cock-
crow watch or dawn watch”
• “in the second watch or in the third watch [of night]” – Lk 12:38

aIt may be metonymic for undefined time point, phase, or period. [Translation does not need to go further; in few
places, it is rendered as ‘time’ which has different nuance (– e.g. hē hōra mou ‘my hour’ Jn 2:4), even paraphrase
as ‘moment’ (– e.g. Rev 3:3 in JNT).]
44
Diagram: Day and Hour.
[# A comparison diagram of ‘hour-period’ on the sundial vs. ‘hour’ on the clock]

[The diagram below needs to be corrected by placing ‘hour’ in a pie, not on the point in the circle. It
should be remembered that there is no number "0" in their numbering systems in the ancient Hebrew,
Greek and Latin (Roman) civilizations. There was no concept of ‘zero hour’.]

[This diagram needs re-drawing as shown on the right: repositioning of the labels 3rd, 6th and 9th hour
by one pie. To add 12th hour-period. Move the label four watches into the middle of pies. Replace
morning-watch with dawn watch. (need to change from rooster crows to ‘cock-crow watch’; also label
as ‘evening watch’ and ‘midnight watch’.]

Source – google image ( www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/you-asked-what-time-did-jesus-die )

Need to replace 9 AM to 3rd hour-period etc. Cock-crow > Rooster crows.

[This diagram needs re-drawing as shown on the right.]

Source: http://thecreatorscalendar.com/the-night-is-cut-off-as-in-circumcision-psalms-90-3-6/
[Needs conversion of 1st hour to 1st hour-period etc. No zero hour should be there.]

45
‘my hour’; ‘my time’; last day; last days; the end; eschaton; eschatology

G-Jn:
• my hour – Jn2:4; 7:6; Gk. hē hōra mou– (‘hour’ in figurative sense);
/mine hour – KJV; /> my time
• his hour– Jn 7:30; 8:20; /> his time
• my time – Jn 7:6 Gk ho kairos ho emos

[Ref: Adrio König (1989), The Eclipse of Christ in Eschatology – highly readable
and excellent, not a word to be missed.]
“on the last day” (/> at the last day; /> in the last day)
• en tē eschatē hēmera - Jn 6:39; 11:24 (resurrection); Jn 12:48; (judgment)
• tē eschatē hēmera Jn 6:40, 44, 54; (resurrection)
Cf. en tē eschatē hēmera (on the last day - great day - of the festival) Jn 7:37;
“the last days’”
• ep’ tais eschatais hēmerais (in the last days) Act 2:17;
• ep’ eschatais hēmerais (in the last day) Jam 5:3; 2Ti 3:1;
• ep’ eschatōn tōn hēmerōn touōn (in these last days) Heb 1:2;
• ep’ eschatōn tōn hēmerōn (in the last days) 2Pe 3:3;

46
*day;

What is day

Definition of 'day'

/a-day-is-not-24-hours [a copy in the collection]

Solar day = a period of daylight followed by a period without daylight = represents a rotation
of about 361 degrees, not 360 degrees of the earth's orbiting the sun.
- the length varies throughout the year, but the average length is 24 hours. However, the
midnight system exhibits considerably less variability in day length than either the dawn or
the dusk systems.

There can be a significant difference between true midnight and midnight according to
standard time. In the U.S., the difference can be as great as an hour — and during the months
of Daylight Savings Time, the difference can even reach two hours. In far western China, the
difference between standard time and true time is three hours, a result of stuffing the entire
country into a single time zone.

At any given location, true noon occurs exactly halfway between sunrise and sunset
(assuming a relatively flat horizon, without mountains). It is also the moment when the sun
reaches its highest point in the sky for that day. In the northern temperate regions of the world,
the sun is due south at true noon. In the southern temperate regions of the world, the sun is
due north at true noon. In the tropics — that is, any place in the world that is south of the
Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn — the sun will be either due north or
due south at true noon, depending upon which day of the year it is. Furthermore, twice a year
in the tropics the sun is directly overhead at true noon. The exact dates of this phenomenon
vary according to the latitude of the location.

Cf. one complete rotation of the Earth on its axis — a 360-degree spin — 23 hours, 56
minutes, and 4 seconds. Spins 366 1/4 times during a year.

A year is defined as the time takes one complete orbiting the sun ≈ 350 1/4 days.

/Stellar_day : any given star reaches its highest point in the sky at the same time each stellar
day; always 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds. [about 4 minutes shorter than a traditional
solar day]

a /Sidereal day for Earth's rotation period relative to the precessing mean vernal equinox,

When does a day begin? a

It depends of what is meant by 'day'.

What is day?

Throughout the Bible as well as in all the languages and cultures, ‘day’ is that which
begins at sunriseb

a See a zip file Collections on Time, Day, Hour for #5A for IRENT Vol. III Supplement.
b Cf. ‘dawn’ (4th watch of night) – it is followed by ‘morning’, the beginning portion of 'day'.
47
 It is most commonly used in the sense of a daylight period (Gen 1:5a; cf. Jn 11:9)a.
"from dawn [lit. "the rising of the morning"] to the coming forth of the stars" (Neh 4:15,
17).
Occasionally as a sunrise-to-sunrise calendar day, i.e. '24-hour day' with a daylight
period followed by a night period. E.g. in the phrase 'several days'. E.g. Exo 21:21 'survive'
[H5975 amad 'stand up'] a day or two'.
? 'day (as daylight period) = forenoon + afternoon"
As for duration, a part of a day may customarily be reckoned as one day when counting
a number of 'days' lapsed. Cf. inclusive vs. exclusive counting.

A calendar day is that which is reckoned at the arbitrary time artificially determined in
a particular calendar to start.

e.g. at 12 a.m. (not 'midnight') in the Gregorian calendar ['Common Era Calendar'].
e.g. at sunset in the rabbinic Jewish calendarb, which was brought from Babylonians
https://youtu.be/C9TwrazbbI0..

Greek & Hebrew words for ‘day:

Gk. hēmera (S2250)

[Related words: 'today' (sēmeron S4594); 'tomorrow' (epaurion S877 – Mt 6:34)]

Heb. yom H3117

Hebrew word yom is translated as 'day' in most places in OT with 'day' as a daylight
period, or occasionally as a calendar day). Metonymically as a space of time,

• the word may be used in the sense of a year,

Exo 13:10 ["year after year" (H3117)],
Lev 25:29 ["within a full year' (H3117) and will last a year (H8141 –shanah)]
Num 9:22 ["for two days (H3117) or a month (H2320 chodesh) or a year (H3117)"]
etc.
• It can be a month, Deu 21:13 ["mourn for a full month" (H3117) + (H3391 yerach –
month); Cf. Num 20:29 'mourn thirty days' (H3117)
• and it can be a week, Daniel 10:2 ["in those days" (H3117) ~ "for three full weeks"
H3117];

Heb. shakhar Neh 4:21 (- break of day – ISR; /daybreak – HCSB; /dawn – ISV, NET,
NASB; /rising of the morning – KJV; /x: rising of the dawn – Darby; x: break of dawn –
NWT, ESV)

Heb. word onah, which does not occur in the Bible, literally means "time period" or
"season".
In the context of the Jewish laws of niddah, it usually refers to a day (for daylight period)
or a night. Each 24-hour day thus consists of two onot (plural for onah). The daytime onah
begins at "netz hachamah" (Hebrew for sunrise, also commonly called "netz") and ends at
"shekiat hachamah" (Hebrew for sunset, also commonly called "shekiah"). The night-time
onah lasts from sunset until sunrise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onah

aIn Gen 1:5a (‘day-light period is called Day’) [the rabbinic Jewish tradition misinterprets this Genesis text to
support the notion of a day being sunset-to-sunset, resulting from confuision between 'day' and 'calendar day'];
Jn 11:9 (‘there are twelve hours in the day’)
b
This sunset-to-sunset day reckoning has caused in following Biblical narratives.
48
From CBL
1:5. God named the light "day" and the darkness, "night", no such a distinction had been made
before. Here day is used of the light portion of the 24 hours (the earth was probably rotating on its
axis from the beginning, thus giving 24-hour days). The reference to the evening and morning shows
the creative acts were distinct and separate from each other and were not part of a gradual
evolutionary process. "Evening" indicated God was through with that creative act. "Morning"
indicated God was ready to begin the next one. Bible believers give several interpretations to the
word "day" in this chapter. The twenty-four-hour day theory takes them be ordinary days and
nothing else. The interval and restitution theory (also called the "gap" theory) interprets verse 2 to
represent an interval after the original creation and shows them to be days of re-creation. The day-
age theory takes them to represent ages of various length, perhaps overlapping, with distinct creative
acts followed by periods of development. All these theories reject the theory of atheistic evolution by
purely natural means.

The Believer's Guide to Bible Chronology: From Man's Beginning to the End of Acts
Charles Ozanne (2011) p. 18

When did the day begin?

It is disputed by scholars whether the day in the Bible began in the evening or the morning. Many
would say it began in the evening, but here in Genesis 1 there can be little doubt that it begins in the
morning with the creation of light. Genesis 1 :3 goes on to mention the day before the night ("God
called the light Day and the darkness he called Night"), and concludes with the statement, "And there
was evening (terminating the daylight) and there was morning (terminating the darkness), day one."
The word translated "and there was" is the same as "came to pass" or "happened". First the evening
happened as the day came to an end, and then the morning happened as the night came to an end. It is
the same in verses 14 and 16: the day precedes the night and the creation of the sun precedes the
creation of the moon and stars. This appears to be the regular practice throughout the Bible, but with
regard to festivals and special occasions it is stipulated that they should commence the previous
evening. In Exodus 12:18 for example it says, "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month
at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread." The feast \Vas to begin in the evening preceding the.
fifteenth, but the day is still called the fourteenth day of the month. It is the same with regard to the
Day of Atonement: "On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening
shall you keep your Sabbath" (Lev. 23:32). Here also the evening before the tenth, when the Sabbath
began, is still called the ninth. There may be exceptions but this appears to be the general rule.

49
 Calendar day: a

Covering 24 hours (duration of a solar day) with a day (period of daylight period) and a night
(period of darkness) a calendar day is reckoned to startb differently in different calendarsc.
• In the Gregorian calendard ('Common Era Calendar') – at 12 A.M. e
• In the rabbinic Jewish calendarf – at sunset
• In the true biblical calendar – at sunrise

When some events occur during the change-over period (e.g. midnight in CEC; late
afternoon in the rabbinic Jewish calendar; at morning break in the biblical calendar) it is
somewhat confusing and difficult to fix a precise calendar date involved.

daytime period:

the time period between sunrise and sunset; the interval of light between two successive nights;

a period of time during which the Sun is above the horizon, the daylight hours from sunrise to
sunset (Gen 1:5) Opposite: night (time) – Gk. nux.

E.g. Exo 20:8 ‘… the sabbath day to keep’. Here ‘day’ does not mean a 24-hour calendar day,
but a daytime period, which is what is needed for rest from labor in sabbath keeping as night
time is naturally set aside as time for rest time. A biblical 7th day sabbath itself is concerned
with daytime only.

Noon: 12 p.m. is not identical to ‘midday’ (‘noon’) which is the mid-point of daytime when the
sun is at highest point.

midnight

The ‘true midnight’ is the midpoint between the sunset to sunrise. It is not same as 12 A.M.

There is no astronomical sign/pointer to tell when it is 12 a.m.g In the era before the modern
clock, a specific hour of the night could not be precisely known, whereas an hour of the day was
easily determined by sighting the position of the sun along with a sundial. Thus, ‘day’ had to

a It is in this sense the word day is used when expressed as days in ordinal numerals in a month or a week
and also when used to count off the number of days elapsed. (e.g. Deu 16:8). A comparable Gk. word for
this is nuchthēmeron (night + day). Note: Other languages may have different words for day as daytime
period - (Ko. 낮) and day as a calendar day (Ko. 하루).
b Note different nuance of two expressions: here ‘is reckoned to start’ instead of ‘begins’.
c “… We can consider ‘a new day’ as beginning at dawn, when the sunrises, or … with sunset, or … with

‘true midnight’ (halfway between sunset and sunrise). The midnight system is considerably less variable in
day length than either the dawn or the dusk systems. Duration btw 12 a.m. and midnight can be varied as
great as an hour in USA (up to 2 hours during the months of the Daytime Saving Time).”
https://medium.com/the-philipendium/a-day-is-not-24-hours-c36ee96078c6
d Cf. the early Julian Roman calendard with a calendar day of midnight-to-midnight (not 12 a.m.) had its

counting hours (as by the sundial) from sunrise (for daytime period) and from sunset (for night period), not
from midnight.
e 12 A.M. is not same as 'midnight' just as 12 P.M. is not same as 'noon'.
f since 4th century B.C. by Hillel II.
g
Likewise, it is not possible to tell when the new year day is. One cannot tell a given day is the
certain day on a Gregorian calendar by observing astronomical signs.
50
begin by something which is simple, reproducible and recognizable. This meant sunrise, and
nothing else. Often confusion arises when dealing with events occurring in the night because of
the date change occurring past 12 a.m.

http://archive.org/details/dailylifeinancie035465mbp
(www.beaglesoft.com/timehistoryroman.htm ) “… Hence a first discrepancy between the civil
day, whose twenty-four hours reckoned from midnight to midnight, and the twenty-four hours
of the natural day which was officially divided into two groups of twelve hours each, twelve of
the day and twelve of the night.” Capcopino (1940), Daily Life in Ancient Rome, pp. 148-9.

How long is a day?

If we define a day based on an actual, daily, observable physical phenomenon, then

we have two possible answers. If we define a day as one complete spin of the Earth
on its axis — a stellar day  sidereal day — then a day is about 4 minutes less than 24
hours.

If we define a day as the time between true noon one day and true noon the next
day — a  solar day — then the length of a day varies throughout the year, ranging from
21 seconds less than 24 hours to 30 seconds more than 24 hours.

But if we take the average length of all the solar days in a year, then the result is
exactly 24 hours, mean solar day. which is how we arrived at our standard day.
However, there are only 4 times each year when the standard day and the true solar
day have the same length. The upshot is that the standard 24-hour day is not
something found in nature, but a human invention that only roughly corresponds to
the real days — solar days or stellar days — that we actually experience on Earth.

https://medium.com/the-philipendium/a-day-is-not-24-hours-c36ee96078c6

51
*Diagram of 'day': (daylight period+ night period)

There should be no ‘zero hour’. ‘hour’ is ‘hour period’ (by arrows) on a sundial.
Expressed in ordinal numerals, 'hour' points the end of an hour-period.
www.thecreatorscalendar.com/day-genesis-genesis-1-1-5/

‘Day’ used figuratively:

[Note: No matter how it is used, the basic sense of the word ‘day’ is that which begins at sunrise.]
• A generic span of time (Gen 26:8; Num 20:15);
• A given point in time (Gen 2:17; Gen 47:29; Ezk 33:12).
• In the plural, the word may also mean the span of life (Psa 102:3 [4]) or a year (Lev 25:29;
1Sa 27:7).
• The prophets often infuse the word with end-times meanings or connotations, using it in
connection with a future period of consequential events, such as the "day of YHWWH"
(Jer 46:10; Zec 14:1) or simply, "that day" (Isa 19:23; Zec 14:20-21). So-called prophetic
days.
• ‘years’ in English idiom – e.g. Lk 2:3 ‘many days’ – many ‘years’ as of age.

52
Problem of sunset-to-sunset Jewish day

What is causing unnecessary havoc in following biblical narrative timelines?

Day in the bible, a on the other hand, is simply and clearly that which begins at sunrise
regardless the word is used in the sense of a daylight period b or a calendar dayc. E.g. 'three
days' may mean three daylight periods or three calendar days.

In the Gregorian calendar we use, it reckons a day to start at 12 A.M. It is a calendar day;
no one is confused of Gregorian 'calendar day’ and ‘day’. The word ‘day’ in everyday
usage in all languages and culture is that which begins at sunrise.

With the rabbinic Jewish calendar, a day is reckoned to start at sunset (after Greek). This
causes much confusion when following the timelines in the biblical narratives.

When they say a day begins at sunset, it is simply a linguistic nonsense. The Jewish way of thinking keeps
their calendar day confused with ‘day’. Someone even wrote ‘how natural a day begins at sunset’! To
say “a day begins at sunset”, then, means that the midday for them is strangely at sunrise, not around
noon!d The word ‘daybreak’ (Act 20:11) as such cannot be found in their vocabulary since it can only
mean ‘sunset’ to them, setting of a day! Why would Jewish people say ‘now a new day begins’ at sunset,
when they are moving into a period of time of rest and sleep? It’s an example par excellence of language
perversion, with no practical usefulness whatsoever outside a peculiar religious tradition

No one would and should ever read 'day' as something to begin at sunset in reading the narratives in the
New Testament. What about these examples: 'after some days' (Mk 2:1) or 'night and day' (Mk 4:27) for
example? . For sure, with our Gregorian calendar system, at midnight it becomes a new calendar day
('date'). No one, however, would think that it is at midnight that a new day ‘begins’.

Having a vocabulary with words clearly defined is an essential first step for understanding any subject
worthy of discussion and debate. For the biblical narratives, it is essential also to employ the very
calendar system used in the Bible and have to put other calendar systems aside as they actually get in
the way. [E.g. for the night time events, the dates in Abib are one day earlier in Nisan.]

a In the Bible, the word 'day' is not used as a unit of time equal to 24 hours, corresponding to the duration of a
rotation of the earth on its axis (‘solar day’) ‘day’ as a unit of time of 24 hours. With an hour being a period
of 60 minutes with a minute 60 seconds (a day = 86, 400 seconds), with a second as a basic unit of time,
originally defined as 1/86,400 of the mean solar day, now new definition 1997 in SI system (ISO 1000:1992).
The terms ‘minute’ and ‘second’ are not biblical vocabulary: a minute is a period of time equal to sixty seconds.
The second is the base unit of time in the ISO, which is precisely measured in physics using cesium-133 atom.
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/second-s-or-sec . Cf. See *atom of time in the appendix.
b = from sunrise to sunset. Syn. ‘daytime’ ‘daytime period’. The length of a daylight period varies by season

and latitude (btw 10 to 14 hours in Israel).

c = daylight period + night period = a 24-hour day on a calendar.
d Middle of a day is at midday (noon) in Gregorian; at sunset in the Biblical; at sunrise in the Jewish calendar.

53
Proof-texts used to justify sunset-to-sunset day of their calendar system:

*Gen 1:5
To assert that a day began in the evening they claim that the Bible says ‘evening and morning
makes a day’, writing:
<these words beginning in Genesis 1:5, “And the evening and the morning were the first
day”, are “always used to show when a day begins when it relates to a certain day”>. a
It seems that they may be actually trying to change the phrase ‘evening and morning’ to read as ‘night
and day’ (to make up a day).b The fact is, the Hebrew word ‘yom’ (‘day’) in the Genesis creation account
Gen 1:5 – 2:4 has nothing to do with the unit of time or duration (that is, 24 hours). It is simply a literary
term in reference to the God’s creative work. Hence, the so-called creation dayc is an appropriate term
as there was no notion of any calendar and notion of a calendar day until the fourth day of the Creation
in Gen 1:14-19.
It is simply absurd to say ‘a day is made up of ‘morning and evening’, nor ‘evening and morning’. A
day, by any means and in any languages, is that which begins with sunrise with the basic sense of a day
light period. It is also used as a calendar day (‘date’; made up of day + night), esp. when counting off
days.

But there is a natural way to read: it began with the morning with the creation of light. The text mentions
the day which came before the night (“Elohim called the light Day and the darkness he called Night”),
and concludes with the statement, "And there were evening (terminating the daylight) and morning
(terminating the darkness) – day one''.d
The word translated "and there were" is to be read same as "came to pass" or "happened". First, the
evening comes as the day came to an end, and then the morning comes as the night came to an end. It
is same in the verses 14 and 16: the day precedes the night and the creation of the sun precedes the
creation of the moon and stars.

Other OT texts where certain things/events begin with sunset are taken as the proof-texts the definition of
'day' to be that which begins at sunset, including sabbath day. The have confused the word 'day' with
'calendar day'.

a Quoted from Rabbi Nathan Bushwick (1989), Understanding the Jewish Calendar p. 4., which reads “…
the definition of a day is one complete cycle of setting, rising, and setting of the sun. It is not defined by time
on a clock or any other device. It is defined only by the sun.” – [this is a typical the Jewish mindset of a day
of sunset-to-sunset. – ARJ]
b When the phrase ‘(by) night and day’ always used in the context some activity that was done night and then

day, it never proves that night and day making up a day ‘night and day’: 1Sa_25:16; 1Ki_8:29; Isa_27:3;
Jer_14:17; Mk_4:27 (sleep and rises, night and day); Mk_5:5; Lk_2:37; Act_20:31; Act_26:7 (KJV error);
1Th_2:9; 3:10; 2Th_3:8; 1Ti_5:5; 2Ti_1:3; [Note: NWT has wrongly in Deu 28:66.]
c A so-called ‘creation day’ – The creation day by itself would be a ‘revelatory-day’ in the literary framework,

not ‘calendar day’, or a code for much longer periods (eons), e.g. 1000 years – all from attempted midrashic
eisegesis. A calendar system adopted in human civilizations, which is rooted in Gen 1:15, did not come into
existence at the time of Creation itself. See also ‘creation week’. Cf. ‘24-hour-day theory’ of ‘Creationism’. See
elsewhere ‘*religion vs. science’. Some takes it equivalent of an ‘epoch’, of which duration is not an essential
idea.
d The text was variously rendered: /And there was evening and there was morning, the first day – ESV; /xx: and

the evening and the morning were the first day - KJV; /There was evening, and there was morning, making the
first day – NET; /And evening passed and morning came, making the first day – NLT; /and there was evening
and there was morning, one day – NASB;
54
 • E.g. Exo 12:18 (‘eating unleavened breads for evening meal – on Abib 14); Deu 16:4, 6
(‘slaughter by the evening' – most read it as 'in the evening); Num 9:15 (‘what appeared
to be fire remained over the tabernacle until morning’) – specially claiming that sabbath
hours is reckoned from evening to evening!
• And when something is said as ‘evening and morning’ is taken as the proof that ‘day
should begin at evening’! – E.g. Dan 8:14, 26; 2Co 11:25.
• Something that ends at evening does not mean that it is ending at the end of a (24-hr) day.
Exo 12:18 “you shall eat the unleavened bread until evening of twenty-first day of the
month”.
• ‘Remain unclean (defiled) until evening’ (Lev 11:24, 25, 27) sounds for them same as
‘evening is beginning of day’!
www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/emails/Sabbathobservance.html
• Cf. Deu 21:23 – “his corpse shall not remain all night [H3885 luwn] hung on the pole but
shall bury him same day” – [‘day’ here cannot refer to that which begins at sunset.]
• Lev 16:29-31; 23:26-32 [not weekly but a special sabbath rest at Yom Kippur ('Day of
Atonement') (the only occasion in which the term 'annual sabbath' may be applied – the
phrase which by itself does not appear in the Bible) on 10th of the lunar month. It is with
fasting at evening, from evening [of 9th day] till evening [of 10th] to have sabbath-rest
for your sabbath'); www.jewfaq.org/holiday4.htm

Even with a biblical luni-solar calendar this Jewish notion of sunset-to-sunset day is advocated
with faulty interpretation of these OT texts. E.g.
www.yhrim.com/Teaching_Documents/The_Beginning_of_a_Day_~_2-5996_-
_may_2014.pdf An edited file is included in (Collection #5A) for IRENT Vol. III Supplement

55
*Genesis Days: Gen 1:3-5 -- Day and Night; evening and morning;

Edited on http://thecreatorscalendar.com/sunrise-or-sunset-when-does-the-day-begin/
• In the beginning were nothingness, emptiness, and darkness over the face of the waters.
• The first act was to reveal LIGHT (not 'create light') and the first thing named was
DAY. The LIGHT (period) was called DAY and it was distinctly separated from the
DARKNESS (period), which was called NIGHT. Each creative act was accomplished
during the DAY. Nothing was created in the DARKNESS of NIGHT.
• Following each DAY of Creation was the EVENING and DAWN of the NIGHT. The
DAY began fresh and new at each SUNRISE. Then came the EVENING and then came
the DAWN, which are the first and last watches of the NIGHT.
• The DAY was designed to begin at SUNRISE and end at SUNSET, containing no
portion of DARKNESS or NIGHT. Only a 24-hour cycle of time includes both the DAY
and NIGHT (as in a 'calendar day').

56
The text of *Gen 1:3-5.
*Gen 1:3
And Elohim says: [Psa 33:6, 9]
“There shall be lighta [come out and revealed]!”
And there light comes to be [revealed].
*Gen 1:4
(a) And Elohim sees the light — that it is good.1
(b) And Elohim divides between [the periods of]
the light and the darkness.
(a) Elohim calls the [period of] lightb <Day!c>
*Gen 1:5

and the [period of] darknessd He calls <Night!>.

(b) So then,e there comes evening [after the ‘daylight period’]
and there comes morning [after the ‘night period’] f
(c) [Thus is] Day Oneg [completed].2

a
1:3 light ░░ [not light from the sun, but of God’s glory itself.]
b 1:5 the light ░░ [Note: Darkness was there; the light came into this into Darkness (v.2)]
c 1:5a day ░░ [i.e. daylight period] [The Bible simply tells that the light period is called ‘Day’ – not that which begins
at sunset (evening or night) is included.]
d 1:5 the darkness ░░ [i.e., the period of darkness ‘that which begins at sunset’] [not ‘darkness’ (which is absence of

light) as such.]
e Gen 1:5 So then ░░ /Thus – ARJ; /So - Rhm, Geneva; /And [then] – ARJ; /And – most; /(omit) – HCSB, CEV, NET,

NLT, GNB, MSG, ISV, Fox; /

f Gen 1:5 So then there comes evening [ending the ‘day’] and there comes morning [ending the ‘night’] ░░ [‘day’

– daylight; ‘night’ – darkness – Ozanne] /'There was setting, there was dawning: one day' – Fox; /And evening passed
and morning came, marking the first day - NLT; / So the evening and the morning were the first day. – NKJV; /There
was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day – NET; /xxxx: The twilight and the dawn were day one. –
ISV; /And there was evening and there was morning, a first day – NWT;
[i.e. as work is done during day light period and then evening comes; a day is completed when morning comes for a
next day to begin – exactly as in 1:18]; [www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtB5e-t981o (WHEN DOES A DAY START -
MORNING OR EVENING? PART 4) Neh 13:18-21]
[“… and evening happened and morning happened, Petuha (‫)פ‬.]
[It’s not about the order of the word that the phrase should be ‘morning and evening’ instead of ‘evening and morning’
– as some argues for ‘a day begins at sunset’]
[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=z0ytVvRfXVgC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&authuser=0&hl=en&
pg=GBS.PP1 Charles Ozanne, Beginner’s Guide to Bible Chronology, From Man’s Beginning to the End of Acts, p. 18.
When does a day begin? – See in Appendix Gen 1:5 ‘evening and morning’; also in BW #4]
g 1:5 [thus is] Day One ░░ /(the twilight and the dawn were) day one – ISV; /(dash) day one - NIrV!, YLT; /xxx: were

the first day – KJV; /(dash) the first day – NIV; /(colon) the first day – HCSB; /(comma) the first day – ESV; /x: (comma)
one day – CJB, RSV, NASB, AMP, Rhm, ASV; /x: a first day – NWT; /x: that was the first day – GNB;
[Ref. Averbeck, “A Literary Day, Inter-Textual, and Contextual Reading of Genesis 1 and 2”, 7–34.
http://tgc-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/themelios/Themelios40-2.pdf#page=34 Richard Averbeck, "The Lost World
of Adam and Eve: A Review Essay" Themelios 40.2 (2015): 226–39.]
57
[See a separate in the zip file <Collections on Time, Day, Hour for #5A> in <IRENT Supplement III
(Collections #5A – time + calendar)
Gen 1:3-5 – its pattern repeats vv. 6-8; 9-13, 14-19, 20-23, 24-31. A day (=daylight period) for work →
evening to bring the night period of rest → morning to bring a new day. Not 'evening + morning = day'
(Cf. 'day' as a 'period of 24 hours' or as a 'calendar day'). The so-called 'Genesis Day' actually refers to
'day' as daylight period.

1:5a

Day! = that which begins at sunrise with morning to come.

Night! = that which begins at sunset with evening to come.

1:5b
there comes evening [= at the end of ‘daylight period’ of work]
and there comes morning [= at the end of the ‘night period’ of rest – to bring a new day for work.]

evening = [which comes with sunset for the night period. Cf. Heb. ereb – is it ever used in the sense of ‘[late]
afternoon’, esp. in Gen 1:5ff?]

1:5c
Day One – 'day' is as 1:5a = day-light period, not ‘a day and a night’. The text says ‘evening and morning’, not ‘a
day is from evening to morning’.] ‘Day one’, not ‘the first day’ in which Light came and the period of light and of
darkness divided.]

From EE:
a
1:5 day ░░ [H3117 yom] [that is, ‘day light period’ ‘daytime’, not 24-hour day (or calendar day)]
a
1:5 So then there comes evening [ending the ‘day’] and there comes morning [ending the ‘night’] ░░
[‘day’ – daylight; ‘night’ – darkness – Ozanne] [“… and evening happened and morning happened,
Petuha (‫)פ‬.][It’s not about the order of the word that the phrase should be ‘morning and evening’ instead
of ‘evening and morning’ – as some argues for ‘a day begins at sunset’]
[https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=z0ytVvRfXVgC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&authus
er=0&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP1 Charles Ozanne, Beginner’s Guide to Bible Chronology - From Man’s
Beginning to the End of Acts, p. 18.

H1242 (boquer) 'morning' – from sunrise to noon.

H3117 (yom) 'day' – from sunrise to sunset
H6153 (ereb) 'evening' – the period of darkness (night) from sunset (i.e. 1st watch of night)

When does a day begin? – See in Appendix Gen 1:5 ‘evening and morning’; also in BW #4]
a
1:5 – day one ░░ [Not ‘the first day’ nor ‘one day’] (Yom Echad, not Yom Rishon) (cardinal number; it
becomes ordinal from day two.) [‘echad’ – one; unity; with ‘day’ as a complete or full day. It does not
refer to ‘daylight’ of v.5a, but the whole day (= ‘day + night’ = a calendar day); - ISV, NIrV, YLT, MSG,
LXX (hēmera mia); /x: the first day – most; /xx: one day – JPS, RSV, UPDV,NASB, CJB, AMP, Rotherham, ACV,
ASV, DRB, WEB; /x: a first day – NWT; /dies unus – Vulg; /[so-called ‘creation-days’ is misleading. It’s not
days of something being created, rather, it is ‘6 days of making’ in the creation week, in which God’s
work is done in ‘establishing’ ‘arranging’ and ‘making’, etc.] [/> let there XYZ be; /let there comes to be
XYZ; /let XYZ come out to show itself;]
‘Day’ in v. 5 is in cardinal number (i.e. one, two, three … ‫( יום ֶאחָד‬yôm echad), that is, ‘Day One’.
The rest of them are ordinal numbers (second, third, fourth … ). Also, days 2–5 lack a definite
article ( ‫ה‬, ha, ‘the’) while days 6–7 have one. So correct translation of Creation Week would be
Day One, second day, third day, fourth day, fifth day, the sixth day, the seventh day.

58
 ‘day one’ (1:5) is a cardinal number. All others are ordinal numbers: ‘a second day’ (1:8), ‘a third day’
(1:13), ‘a fourth day’ (1:19), ‘a fifth day’ (1:23), ‘the sixth day’ (1:31), and ‘the seventh day’ (2:2).
Evening – x: sun setting’; morning - x: ‘dawning’.

The word ‘day’ as used in fixed expression

• sabbath day’ – day on which Sabbath falls, always refer to daytime
period.
• a feast day (cf. ‘festival days’)
• the Day of Atonement. Lev 16:29-31; 23:26-32

Note: That something was told to begin at the evening does not prove that a day begins
at sunset. E.g.

Exo 12:18 it says, "In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month in the
evening, you shall eat unleavened bread". It does not mean that the Festival of the
Matzah begins in the evening of Abib 14.
Lev 23:32: *Day of Atonement: "On the ninth day of the month beginning at
evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath." Here, it is not about
weekly 7th day sabbath which was to be kept for daytime period, but the only annual
sabbath rest which was told here to keep from the evening.

*midday; *noon

Midday: an arbitrary period (not 'point') of time in the middle of the day ('daylight period').
True ‘midday’ is ‘solar noon’ or ‘high noon’ when the sun is at highest point (halfway from sunrise
to sunset). Cf. ‘noon time’ (or ‘noon hour’) = 12 p.m.

Act 22:6 S3314 mesēmbria

Act 16:13 S3319 mesē + hēmeras

There is no such notion of 'middle of a day' at 'noon time' as of a 24-hour calendar day, which ever
calendar system is under consideration. In the Bible 'day' is that which begins at sunrise, be it of
a day as daylight period or of a day as a biblical calendar day.

Ref. www.worldslastchance.com/topical-biblical-studies/download/183 (Midday in the Bible: Was God

Confused? – See a copy and other related files in the folder <Collections on 12-hour sabbath and when day
begins> in the zip IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5B - Sabbath day)>

noon (n.) www.etymonline.com/word/noon

mid-12c., non "midday," in exact use, "12 o'clock p.m.," also "midday meal," from Old English non
"3 o'clock p.m., the ninth hour from sunrise," also "the canonical hour of nones", from Latin nona
hora "ninth hour" of daylight, by Roman and ecclesiastical reckoning about 3 p.m., from nona, fem.
singular of nonus "ninth", contracted from *novenos, from novem "nine" (see nine).
The sense shift from "3 p.m." to "12 p.m." began during 12c., … the meaning change from "ninth
hour" to "sixth hour" seems to have been complete by 14c.

59
midday or noon = Gk. sixth hour (Act 10:9; Jn 19:14) with a day into 12 hour-periods, counting
from sunrise in all the three calendar systems in consideration for the study of the biblical
narratives. Yes, it includes Roman reckon, not to be disturbed by an alleged Roman system used
in some places (- not all!) in G-John.
1Kings 18:26a "from morning [H1242 boqer 'morning' – Gen 1:5, 8, etc.]
until noon [H6672 tsohar '(24x) – ['noon', 'midday' – Gen 43:16, 1Kg 18:26, 27, 29, etc.] ['window' – Gen 6:16]
Psa 55:17 "evening [H6513 ereb] morning, and at noon"
Gen 19:15; 32:26; when the daybreak [H7837 shachar > 'dawn' – NIV; /x: morning – KJV] came up
[H5927 alah 'come up' 'arise']
Cf. Jos 6:15 [H7925 shakam – 'rise up early'] [H7837] x2?
"Day" (Hebrew, "yom"): In the Bible, the season of light (Gen. 1:5), lasting "from dawn [lit. "the rising
of the morning"] to the coming forth of the stars" (The Jewish Encyclopedia, 475.)
"Among the ancients the day was reckoned in a great variety of ways...'From dawn to dark'...was the
ancient and ordinary meaning of a day among the Israelites....
... The Israelites regarded the morning as the beginning of the day; in the evening the day declined 'or'
went down,' and until the new day ('morning') ... it was necessary to 'tarry all night' (cp Judg. 19:6-9) ...
Num 11:32 'all that day and all the night and all the next day'). Not till post-exilic times do we find
traces of a new mode of reckoning which makes day begin at sunset and continue till the sunset
following...
... Thus it was in the nature of things that morning, ...midday, ... and evening...should be distinguished,
and equally so that morning should be spoken of as the rising of the morning, the breaking of the day
(Gen. 19:15). ..." (Encyclopedia Biblica, 1035-1036.)
“When Hebrew writers refer to the only times of day recognized by them, they do so in terms of the
natural divisions of morning, noon and evening, times which, of course, varied in length depending
upon the actual seasons of the year.” (Life and Language in the Old Testament, 33, 36, 37.)

60
www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/about-sun-calculator.html
www.timeanddate.com/sun/israel/jerusalem

[www.gaisma.com/en/location/jerusalem.html as of Apr 3, 2015]

[Diagram]

[Daylight saving time]

[In the above diagram, daylight saving time effect has been removed.]

61
'day' in fixed phrases and expressions
See below – in Appendix for <*Counting days, ‘on the third day’; ‘three days later’ vs. ‘after three days’

‘for the day’

tē hēmera – (sufficient) for the day; Mt 6:34

“on that day”

en tē hēmera ekeinē Mt 13:1; Lk 10:12; 2Th 1:10; Act 2:41
en ekeinē tē hēmera Mt 7:22; 22:23; Mk 4:35; Lk 6:23; 17:31; Jn 16:23, 26; Act 8:1; 2Ti 1:18; 2Ti 4:8

‘in the day’

en tē hēmera Lk 4:16; 19:42; 1Co 1:8; 5:5; 2Co 1:14; Heb 4:4; Eph 6:13; 1Jn 4:17
en autē tē hēmera – Lk 13:31; 23:12, 13 (in/on the same day)
en tē hēmera autou – Lk 17:24 (in his day)

‘that day’
tē hēmera ekeinē –Jn 20:19; [‘that day’ = ‘the first day of the week’ - appositive];

'on the Sabbath';

tē hēmera tou sabbatu – on the day of Sabbath Lk 13:14, 16; (heal on),
tē hēmera tōn sabbatōn (pl) – on the Sabbath day Act 13:14 (entered into the synagogue)

‘on the third day’; 'on the eighth day'

tē hēmera tē tritē – ‘on the third day’ Lk 18:33 (to rise up); Jn 2:1 (marriage feast)
tē hēmera ogdoē – (circumcise on the 8th day) Act 7:8;

See Appendix below for <Counting days – inclusive vs. exclusive>

<* Counting days, ‘on the *third day’ vs. ‘after three days’>.

62
*evening
'Evening' is the first part of ‘night’ which begins at sunset. [Note: We cannot day 'day' begins at sunset
– linguistically and logically absurd, being result of confusion with the rabbinic Jewish calendar
system which traditionally reckons to start a day at sunset as ‘calendar day’.]

Confusion over the notion 'evening' as the beginning of a day for the Jewish mindset.
That something is done until, before, or on sundown does not prove that sunset brings a new
day.
Eph 4:26 (the sun sets);
2Sam 3:35 (before the sun goes down);
Jos 8:28-29 (until evening ~ At sunset);
Deu 21:23 (luwn ‘remain overnight’).
To see the words 'sundown' + 'Sabbath' in a verse does not mean that Sabbath itself begins when
the sun goes down. – (Neh 13:19).

The expression ‘night and day’ does not mean that a day is what consists of night followed by
day (2Tm 1:3; 2Co 11:25). Neither the phrase "evening (ereb) and morning (boqer) → day one"
in Gen 1:5 does mean that evening and morning consists a day, nor does it mean that a day
begins with evening and ends with morning!

www.etymonline.com/word/eve
*eve (n.)
c. 1200, eve "evening", especially the time between sunset and darkness, from Old English æfen, with loss of
terminal -n (which, though forming part of the stem, perhaps was mistaken for an inflection), from Proto-
Germanic *æbando- (source also of Old Saxon aband, Old Frisian ewnd, Dutch avond, Old High German
aband, German Abend, Old Norse aptann, Danish aften), which is of uncertain origin. Now superseded in its
original sense by evening.

Specific meaning "day before a saint's day or festival" is from late 13c. Transferred sense of "the moment right
before any event, etc." is by 1780. Even (n.), evening keep the original form.

evening (n.)
from Old English æfnung "the coming of evening, sunset, time around sunset," verbal noun from æfnian
"become evening, grow toward evening", from æfen "evening" (see eve). As a synonym of even (n.) in the sense
"time from sunset to bedtime", it dates from mid-15c. and now entirely replaces the older word in this sense.
Another Old English noun for "evening" was cwildtid.

even (n.)
"end of the day,", Old English æfen, Mercian efen, Northumbrian efern (see eve (n.)).

Cf. 'eve' (the day before – e.g. Christmas eve) is not 'evening'.

Note: Example of lexicographers’ error - a strange dictionary definition is added of evening:

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition: “Chiefly Southern U.S. the time
from noon to twilight” as a meaning for the word ‘evening’.
Merriam Webster Dictionary: “Chiefly Southern & Midland: afternoon”

A lexicography, not a mere dictionary, is needed. it should show evidence of the examples of
idiomatic phrase, since idiomatic usage by itself give the word a different (confusing indeed)
meaning.

63
evening’ in Heb '*ereb', evening, '*between the two setting-times' – [See the file <Study
on 'evening' and the Hebrew word 'ereb'>]

'evening' in Gk.
Gk. hesperan [S2073 – 3x] (Lk 24:29; Act 4:3; 28:23)
Gk. opse [S3796 –3x] Mt 28:1; Mk 11:19; Mk 13:35;
Gk. opsios [S3798. opsias – 14x; opsia – 1x] evening [Note: NWT erroneously renders
opsias Mt 27:57 and Mk 15:42 'when it was late on that day'.]

*night; *watches; *midnight

lā·yə·lāh (33x) ← H3915 layelah (233x) Gen 1:4,

‘by night’ Gen 31: 39; Exo 13:22; Num 9:16; 14:14; Deu 16:1; Jos 8:3; Jdg 6:27; 9:34;
20:5; 1Sam 28:8; 2Sam 21:10; Psa 91:5; 105:39; Isa 4:5; Jer 31:35 Hos 4:5;
'in the night' 'at night' - Num 11:9; Deu 23:10 (cf. v. 11 in Fox); 1Kg 3:19; Job 34:20;
'of the night' – Job 4:13; 20:8; Sos 5:2
'for 40 nights' – Gen 7:4; Exo 24:18

Deu 16:1b YHWH your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night [/at night – Fox]
[after Sabbath rest during daytime was over].
[QQ *Fox has different chapter break. Deu 22:29 (not 30); 23:26 (not 25)]
It has Deu 22:1-29 instead of 22:1-30; Deu 23:1-26 instead of 23:1-25]

ḇal·lā·yə·lāh (2x) Jer 6:5a Arise, and let us attack in the night

night – Gk. nux (S3571); Heb. layelah (H3915)

sunrise and sunset vs. dawn (before sunrise) and dusk (after sunset).

As day begins at sunrise with morning break, that which begins at sunset is ‘night’. See above under
the subheading *day for <the text of Gen 1:3-5> where the Scriptural definition of ‘day’ as well as
‘night’ is clearly stated. What we have from a Jewish interpretation over millennia goes simply against
what the text is truthfully saying.

It is divided into four watches; it is also divided by 12 (seen once in NT – Act 23:23 ‘third hour of
night’) having different length for ‘hour’ in daytime. Dawn watch is fourth watch of night, about 3
hours before day break.

Midnight – halfway between sunset and sunrise; however conventionally it is interchangeably used
same as 12 a.m. (= 12 o’clock in the night).

Night is divided into four watches. Three watches are found in the OT, entitled the first or "beginning
of the watches," (Lam 2:19) the middle watch, (Jdg 7:19) and the morning watch (Exo 14:24; 1Sam
11:11). Under the Roman influence, night is divided into four watches. E.g. "fourth watch" (Mt 14:25);
"evening", "midnight", "*cock-crow watch", and "dawn watch” (Mk 13:35).

'cock crow'; '*cock-crow watch'

[ quoted in http://themessianicfeast.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TMF_Between-the-Evenings.pdf ]

64
 "Jesus said Peter would deny him three times before the cock crows. In fact, that early
morning “cock crow” (“cock summons” in Greek) was not a rooster, as many suppose,
but the calling out to the priests to make ready for the morning sacrifice. There were three
callings (summons) that went forth: early, middle, and late. The Talmud shows that there
were twelve cocks (similar to faucets) at the laver in the Temple where the priests would
first wash their hands and feet to prepare for the sacrifices. [fn 365] The Jewish
Encyclopedia (under Gebini) says this Temple crier’s voice (cock crow) could be heard
for miles as he called the priests to prepare for the sacrifice [fn 365:The mention of the
cock crow appears in the Babylonian Talmud, Book 3, Tract Yomah, ch. 1, pp. 27–
28, http://sacred-texts.com/jud/t03/yom06.htm; the reference to the twelve cocks at
the laver where the priests would wash appears in Book 3, Tract Yomah, ch 3, pp. 51–
53, http://sacred-texts.com/jud/t03/yom08.htm]
dawn-watch = The last fourth watch of night. It belongs to the last part of a night in the Scripture.
(1Chr 23:30-31 ‘dawn’ and ‘dusk’). It is before a new date in Abib, but on the same date in Nisan. Cf.
The phrase ‘early morning’ should be located in the first half of the period from sunrise to noon (about
6 to 9 a.m.). Cf. The word ‘forenoon’ is a period before the noon from morning [break]. Cf. ‘afternoon’
– a period from the noon till evening.

*Morning
‘Morning’ is the first part of a day (= the daytime period as in the Bible); begins at sunrise
(= morning break) as dawn is dissipated (not ‘dawn break’ which refers to ‘beginning of
dawn’ with light hinted up in the sky. Opposite of ‘dusk setting in’. Thus, ‘morning’ (a period
belonging to ‘day’) is what comes after ‘dawn’,

[The Gk. prōi ‘early’ covers dawn and may include immediate morning part which comes
after sunrise. Same for Mk 16:2c (lian prōi)] [Cf. the Greek expressions in Lk 24:1 (orthrou
batheos) and Mk 1:35 (ennuchon) – in the sense of dawn period.] [Cf. //Mt 28:1 ‘in the dawn’ tē
epiphōskouē] [The word ‘morning’ is to be avoided in translation of these Greek words as it refers to
the period after sunrise itself.] [Not ‘early period of dusk right after sunset (- in rabbinic Jewish calendar,
at the time right after the Sabbath day was over).] [Jn 20:1c ‘prōi skotias eti ousēs’; Cf. Mt 28:1 ‘tē
epifōskousē eis mian sabbatōn’] (cf. orthrou Jn 8:2) (orthros – dawn – Danker)

The sense of morning is ‘end of night’, ‘coming of daylight’ (Gen 29:25), ‘beginning of day’
(Gen 29:25; Exo 10:13; 14:27; Jdg 19:25; Rth 3:13), ‘bright joy after night of distress
(figuratively) as well as ‘coming of sunrise’ (see next table).

*Sunrise:
'rising' H4217 miz-rə-ḥāh (Jos 12:1; Psa 50:1)
'coming out' H3318 kə-ṣêṯ (Gen 19:23; Jdg 5:31)
'rises' H2224 zā-rə-ḥāh (Gen 32:31; Exo 22:3; Jdg 9:33; 2Sam 23:4; Psa 104:22) etc.
See * sun goes down

Cf. An idiomatic expression of ‘3 in the morning’ for ‘3 A.M.’ is a phrasing less mathematically
sophisticated. However, such example of an idiom does not give another meaning of ‘A.M.’ for the
word ‘morning’. [a common lexicographer’s error.]

*morning; early morning, *forenoon (‘late morning’), A.M.; *midday, *noon, high
noon; noon time; noon hour; *afternoon; early afternoon; late afternoon; P.M;

65
Day and daytime begin at sunrise with morning; that which begins at sunset is night (it cannot be
called by any logic ‘day’); it begins with evening.

The word ‘morning’ may extend to forenoon (which means a period before midday). The word
‘evening’ may be used in dialect and in context to extend back to the afternoon period, but evening
does not begin at noon! How the word is being used differently in speech in dialects and idioms
does not make claim to have different meanings (a lexicographer’s fallacy). [See elsewhere in this
article on the problem of interpreting the Hebrew idiomatic phrase ‘between the two setting-times’
(/x: between the two evenings; /x: between the two twilights; /xx: at even; /xx: in the evening).]
An English translation word ‘noon’ (which is not used in IRENT) is used for ‘sixth hour’ (hēra
hektēs Mt 20:5; Mk 15:33; Lk 23:44; Jn 4:6; Act 10:9) and for ‘midday’ (mesēmbria – Act 22:6;
hēmeras mesēs – Act 26:13). Though it is synonymous with ‘noon’, the term ‘midday’ helps to avoid
association of the word ‘noon’ with ‘noon hour’ or ‘noon time’ which is 12 o’clock in the daytime.
So, the word ‘midday’ in biblical use approximates from sixth hour-period to seventh hour.

Psa 113:3 From sunrise until sunset YHWH’s name is to be praised.

[For ‘sunrise/sunset’, see http://youtu.be/GJ4Qp2xeRds How High Can We Build? (toward the end
from 05:00 on time-line).]

AM - Latin ante meridiem, lit. "before midday", i.e. morning or before noon.
M - Latin meridies, lit. "midday" [Cf. ‘noon’]
PM - Latin post meridiem, lit. "after midday", i.e. afternoon or evening.
MN - Latin media nox, lit. "midnight".

[Cf. ‘meridian’ meaning midday is an archaic English]

Cf. Noon and midday are not same: noon is conventionally referred to the time 12 o'clock
midday (12 p.m.); midday is used colloquially to refer to a range of time, often 11 a.m. to 1
p.m.

Solar noon is when the sun transits the celestial meridian –the time when it is highest above the
horizon (at its highest elevation in the sky) on that day, which is the basis of the terms ante
meridiem (a.m.) and post meridiem (p.m.)
The sun is directly overhead at solar noon at the Equator on the equinoxes, at the Tropic
of Cancer (latitude 23° 26′ 16″ N) on the June solstice, and at the Tropic of Capricorn (23°
26′ 16″ S) on the December solstice. In the Northern hemisphere the sun is directly to the
south of the observer at solar noon, and in the Southern hemisphere it is directly to the
north.
The clock time of solar noon depends on the longitude and date. 12 o'clock apparent solar
time, or around 12 – 1 p.m. local time, depending on daylight saving time and the moment
when the sun crosses the meridian.

Cf. At the change of the date in our common era calendars, the expression ‘12 midnight’ (12
a.m. midnight) still presents ambiguity regarding which specific date it refers to.
www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=noon
[mid-12c.] non "midday, 12 o'clock p.m., midday meal",
from [Old English] non "3 o'clock p.m., the ninth hour", also "the canonical hour of nones"
from [Latin] nona hora "ninth hour" of daylight, by Roman reckoning about 3 p.m., from nona,
fem. singular of nonus "ninth" (see nones).

66
 Sense shift from "3 p.m." to "12 p.m." began during 12c., when time of Church prayers shifted
from ninth hour to sixth hour, or perhaps because the customary time of the midday meal shifted,
or both. The shift was complete by 14c. (same evolution in Dutch noen).

Related word: Gk. augē (Act 20:11 daybreak. Cf. augazō 2Co 4:4 – ‘illumine’);
Related English expressions: ‘late morning’; ‘early afternoon’; ‘late afternoon’; early evening;
late evening; early night; late in the night; deep in the night;

*Dawn and *dusk

‘dawn’a (as 'in the dawning' 'at dawn' 'dawn break') in English – the first appearance of
light in the morning followed by sunrise. 'morning twilight' (before sunrise).

Cf. Not to be confused with 'fourth watch of night' (Mt 14:24; Mk 6:48) is called
‘dawn watch’ (Mk 14:25) = the last portion of a night (about 3 hours before day
break). It is ending the night with the sunrise as dawn breaking and is closing a
calendar day in the true biblical calendar).

= [H7837 shachar] e.g. Jos 6:15

'dusk' – Evening twilight (after sunset)

– a short period of time after sunset. No clear ending-time. [Note: sunrise follows
astronomical dawn; sunset follows dusk.]
[evening] twilight begins when the same limb sinks below the horizon ("sheḳi'at ha-
ḥammah"). … says: "Twilight begins with sunset and lasts as long as there remains
a glowing reflection in the east: when the lower part of the heavens becomes pale
and the upper part is still aglow it is twilight; and when the upper part likewise
becomes pale it is night."

“twilight,” beyn ha-shemashot, “between the suns.”

https://forward.com/articles/4471/between-two-evenings/

‘dawn break’ - light to begin shown in the sky as the dawn-watch comes to close. /x:
beginning of ‘dawn (watch)’.
‘morning break’ ‘daybreak’ – with sunrise; a new 'day' [identical with a biblical
calendar day] is brought in.
Cf. expressions: ‘dawning’ vs. ‘at dawn’ or ‘at dawn break’; 'day is dawning'
Cf. ‘crack’ as in ‘at the crack of dawn’.
Cf. ‘breaking’ = bursting forth onto the scene to make its presence
(www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/83038-Meaning-of-quot-Breaking-Dawn-quot )
https://youtu.be/vnjAfhPBg3I When Does a Day Begin? from www.worldslastchance.com/
(note: it’s got confused over ‘dawn’ vs. ‘sunrise’ – day begins at sunrise with morning coming
and dawn-breaking/dissipating/cracking)]
https://youtu.be/xDZNfUuqiE8 When does a biblical day begin? [reads the text of Mt 28:1 in
'the end of the sabbath day as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week' – the wrong
translation by KJV. @01:29]

a
Cf. ‘in the dawn’ vs. ‘at dawn’ – 'dawn' is a short period (before daybreak). Cf. dawn-watch (=fourth watch)
of night.
67
A related word: S2020 epiphōskō (2 x) – here Mt 28:1 and Lk 23:54
Mt 28:1 The verbal phrase tē epiphōskousē ('at the dawning') with the sense of ‘dawning
to bring the first day’.
Lk 23:54 ‘sabbath day was coming on’
[Note: The time setting has nothing to do with the twilight of dusk as placed in the popular
Wednesday crucifixion with the Resurrection being placed on Saturday evening or late afternoon.]

Some with Jewish mind-set of reckoning a day to start from sunset try to read this erroneously
as ‘beginning of a day at dusk’ (e.g. David Bivin), rather than a day beginning at sunrise.
[See a baloney work by Randall Buth, Cignelli & Buth_11-10-2005_Resurrection.pdf – a copy
included in this zip file: Appendix (Mt 28.1); Mt 28.1 Explained; on Gk. opse.
www.jerusalemperspective.com/13865/ ]
… Sabbath started a few minutes before sundown on Friday and ended a few minutes
after sundown on Saturday evening, with the beginning of first day of the week on
Saturday evening. You may wonder why the gospel writers would use an idiom
epiphōskein "to dawn, shine" to refer to sundown, evening, nightfall. Well, they did.
There is universal agreement in Luke's case. There was a Hebrew idiom along these
lines, first attested in the Mishnah as well as later Aramaic and Hebrew texts. No one
knows for sure exactly how the idiom developed (the evening star?) …

68
Diagram: Dawn and Dusk:

Cf. www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-dusk-and-vs-dawn;

Needs turn arrows to be smaller and placed closer to fit in the pies.
(Note: this diagram is from the Northern Hemispheric W-E orientation; left-to-right reverse
would make it as if on a clock face.)
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight
- at the top and bottom is true midday (‘noon’) and midnight; not 12 o’clock.
- ‘day’ is from sunrise to sunset; ‘night’ is from sunset to sunrise
- length of daytime and the time of sunrise and sunset do vary, depending on latitude and season

http://wordpress.mrreid.org/2013/02/05/dawn-dusk-sunrise-sunset-and-twilight/
Dawn occurs before sunrise, before the top of the Sun reaches the horizon. Astronomical Dawn
is the point at which it becomes possible to detect light in the sky, when the sun is 18° below
the horizon. Nautical Dawn occurs at 12° below the horizon, when it becomes possible to see
the horizon properly and distinguish some objects. Civil Dawn occurs when the sun is 6° below
the horizon and there is enough light for activities to take place without artificial lighting.
Dusk occurs after sunset, once the top of the Sun has passed the horizon. As with
dawn there is astronomical dusk, nautical dusk and civil dusk, occurring at 18°, 12°
and 6° below the horizon respectively.
Twilight is the name given to the period between dawn and sunrise, or between sunset
and dusk, when light is still visible in the sky due to sunlight scattering off the
atmosphere. It can also be separated in astronomical, nautical and civil sections by
how far below the horizon the Sun is.
Sunrise and sunset are the points at which the top edge of the Sun reaches the
horizon; the only difference between them is the direction in which the Sun is moving
at the time. It actually occurs when the top of the Sun is 0.57° below the horizon due
to refraction of the Sun’s light by the atmosphere.

Note: OED the entry ‘dawn’ (verb) – “intr. To begin to grow daylight: said of the day, morning,
light; also simply with it.” Here, the phrase ‘to grow daylight’ has an unclear picture.

‘dawn’ – (as morning twilight) a short period of time before sunrise (= morning break)
with appearance of light in the sky (= ‘dawn break’) with darkness of night giving way
to morning of a new day (Cf. early morning, morning, forenoon). In the biblical calendar
it is not the earliest beginning part of a ‘day’, but it belongs to the night period in its last
portion -- the closing part of the calendar day before a new day.

69
 By the morning those events of the dawn are a day older, while they are on the date
unchanged (in case of both Jewish and Gregorian calendars)a.

This effect on date has an important bearing on the temporal setting of events
surrounding the Resurrection. E.g. the resurrection of Yeshua was in the ‘dawn’ of Abib
16. The morning when He made his appearance to His disciples was next day Abib 17,
whereas the date does not change in Gregorian and Jewish calendars.

Another example - in Mt 28:1 ‘as dawn coming in the first day of the (lunar) week’
(IRENT rendering)b. Here it refers to dawn as the first day of the lunar week drawing to
close; not to the beginning (dawning) part of the first day of the planetary week (‘Sunday’
in the Friday Crucifixion scenario). After the Resurrection in the dawn of the first day;
soon the 2nd day of the week comes with morning break. It was when the risen Lord
appeared to the rest of His disciples after shown to a group of women (‘Sunday’). In the
RBC (Recovered Biblical Calendar), the Resurrection was Abib 16 (= first day of the
lunar week = ‘on the third day’ after the Crucifixion on Abib 14); the morning for His
disciples to see the Risen Lord was on Abib 17 (second day of the lunar week).
(Syn. morning twilight)
It belongs to fourth watch of night (dawn-watch) (Mk 13:35). It is closing part of a calendar
day in the Scripture as the night ends with dawn break – a new day to at sunrise when the
upper limb of the sun appears ("heneẓ ha-ḥammah").
www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14114-sun-rising-and-setting-of-the
[dawn vs. astronomical twilight (dusk) - 1 1/5 periodical hours]
Dawn Sunrise Sunset ‘twilight’ ends
Nisan 14 daytime
begins
1905 Apr 9 13 hr. 2 m. 05:30
1907 Mar 29 12 hr 30 m. 05:51
e.g. Apr 10 12 hr 59 m 03:58 05:31 18:30 20:05

a
In the Jewish calendar, the dawn sits in the middle of a day! – not at beginning.
b
[KJV translation ‘as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week’ is misleading. Cf. ISR rendering,
‘toward dawn on the first day of the week’.]
70
‘(very) early morning’; ‘dawn’, ‘fourth watch of night (dawn-watch)

‘fourth watch of the night’ Mt 14:25 (tetartē phulakē tēs nuktos); //Mk 6:48 (peri tetartēn
phulakēn tēs nuktos) = dawn-watch (dawn being the ending part.
prōi (‘early morning’) is used to refer to dawn-watch in Mk 13:35, equivalent lian prōi (Mk
16:2) and orthrou batheos (Lk 24:1 → S3722 orthros 3x daybreak, dawn, early morning) +
S901 bathus 4x ‘deep’]

Gk. ὀρθριναὶ
a group of Gk words:
orthrizō (verb) Lk 21:38
orthrinos (Adj) Rev 22:16
=orthrios (Adj) Lk 24:22
In Lk 24:22 (nom pl fem) orthriai
In Rev 22:16 (nom sing masc) prōinos/orthrios
orthros (Noun): Lk 24:1; Jn 8:2; Act 5:21
[orthōs (Adv) seems to be containing the root - (familiar with English ortho-)]
Danker p. 308 –
prōi
(1) early (in the morning) - Mt 16:3; 20:1; 21:18; Mk 1:35; 11:20; 15:1; 16:2(lian prōi), 9;
Jn 18:28; 20:1; Act 28:23.
(2) fourth watch of the night(‘dawn-watch’) Mk 13:35prōia
(early) morning. MT 28:18 v.l.; 27:1; Jn 18:28 v.l.; Jn 21:4;
prōinos
‘pert. to the morning’, early Rev 2:28; 22:16 ‘morning star’

Danker p. 255
orthrinos
early in the morning Lk 24:22 (? orthrios); Rev 22:16 v.l.
orthros
dawn Lk 24:1 orthrou batheos (very early morning = dawn); Jn 8:2; Act 5:21
[the verse in red word – not in Danker]
Note: G-Lk does not have vocabulary of ‘prōi-’.
Related word: aristaō ‘have a breakfast’ Jn 21:12, 15 (In Lk 11:37 ‘have a meal’).]
EE Jn 18:28 early in the morning ░░\prōi[a]

[See Mk 16:9EE for ‘prōi’. cf. ‘dawn’] [4th watch of night = dawn-watch - Mk
13:35] [cf. prōias in Mt 27:1 & epi tō prōi in Mk 15:1; there was a brief convening
of Sanhedrin to make a final move to send Yeshua to Pilate] Cf. ‘sixth hour’ in Jn
19:14 (Pilate’s sentencing) at noon – cannot be midnight.]; /early in the day – NWT;
/shortly before dawn – TNT; / [Not to be confused as ‘evening’ which would be early
in a rabbinic Jewish calendar day. QQ What is Gk word for ‘early’ in the evening?

S4404 prōi (12x)

(a) early in the morning Mt 16:3; 20:1; 21:18; Mk 11:20; Jn 18:28; Act 28:23;
(b) dawn Mk 16:9; 1:35 (+ ennucha still dark); Mk 15:1 (+ euthus early); Mk 11:35 (dawn-watch
=4th watch of night); Mk 16:2 (lian prōi ‘very early in the morning’); Jn 20:1 (+ skotias eti 'still
dark')] [See Appendix Mk 16:9 ‘early in the morning; dawn’.]

71
Mk 16:9 [very] early morning░░ [+that is, on the dawn of] [Gk. word prōi construes
anaphorically to ‘having risen’.] [prōi here in Mk 16:9 and 13:35 is in the sense of ‘dawn’ =
lianprōi16:2 ‘very early morning’dawn = orthros Lk 24:1].

\prōi [≈ v. 2 lian prōi ‘very early morning’ = ‘dawn’ = Mk 13:35 (4th watch of the night)] [‘Dawn’ or
‘4th night watch’ belongs to the preceding calendar ‘day’ in the Biblical lunar calendar; while it is on
same day as the subsequent morning-day in rabbinic Jewish and Roman calendars. The time setting is
in Abib 16, with sunrise becoming Abib 17 (second day of the week). Cf. In Mt 20:1 – hama prōi it may
mean simply ‘early in the morning’, not necessarily as ‘dawn’. Cf. Lk 24:22 ‘orthrios (early in the
morning) the women came to the tomb’.]; [i.e. before the morning break as narrated in v. 1, not just ‘in
the morning’ which would be 2nd day of the lunar week after morning break.]; [the word construes
anaphorically to ‘having risen’. Some try to disconnect unnaturally, inserting a comma before it, and
read kataphorically in order to prove that the resurrection was sometime before (i.e. around the preceding
late afternoon or evening) for a Wednesday crucifixion scenario.] [A Wednesday crucifixion scenario –
in an effort to prove their claim of late Saturday resurrection (late afternoon to evening), they are reading
this participle anastas to stand alone and are taking the phrase ‘prōi prōtē sabbatou’ to construe to the
verbal clause ‘efanē ~’’ by artificially disconnecting (either with a comma or by transposing the phrases)
and also take PRWTH as adv. ‘before’] /x: early – ARJ, GNB (the rendering as ‘early’ alone is not
clear enough to serve as a time-marker);
(1) /Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared – KJV, (most);
/But when he rose from the dead on the first day of the week, he appeared – Delitzsch;
/
(2) /Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared … - NET; /Early on
the first day of the week, after He had risen, He appeared – HCSB; /And having risen
early, on the first day of the week, he appeared – Noyes; /Very early on the first day of
the week, after Jesus had risen to life, - CEV; /Now when Jesus was risen early, the first
day of the week, he appeared – Webster; /Now when he had risen very early, the first
day of the week, he appeared – Darby; /Having risen to life, early on the first day of the
week, Jesus appeared, - Cassirer; /

72
3. month; year
*year and *month - defined

‘Month’ in the Scripture is a lunar month (29 or 30 days); with its first day to begin a
month with ‘new-moon’ [which literally means ‘new month’]. [See References on
Moon Phase]. The word ‘month’ in our modern solar calendar has nothing to do with
moon and moon cycle.
After ‘dark moon’ a (which occurs at lunar conjunction and may be precisely
determined by astronomical calculation – the astronomical 'new moon' should not to
be confused with the New-Moon day (the first day of a lunar month), the crescent of
the rebuilding (‘waxing’) moon light then becomes visible [how many hours later?].

Moon vs. month – see **moon for Hebrew words chodesh, yareach, lebanahp

[Nathan Bushwick, p. 5]

A year is defined as one cycle of long and short days, or one cycle of the seasons. You
can start on any day, as long as you go through all the seasons and come back to a day
of the same length. The period from the longest day of summer to the longest day of the
next summer is one year. Similarly, the period from the shortest day of winter to the
shortest day of the next winter is also one year. The relationship between years and days
is not like the relationship between days and hours. An hour is defined as one twenty-
fourth of a day, but a day is not defined as one 365 1/4th of a year. Days and years are
independent. Each is defined by a motion of the sun, one by its rising and setting, and
the other by its changes through the seasons. By careful measurement we are able to
determine a relationship between these two units of time. That is, that a year equals
approximately 365 1/4 days. But that relationship is neither the definition of the year nor
of the day.

A month, [as to its duration ARJ], is defined as the time between a dark moon to the
next. [It is a lunar month; not to be confused with the calendar month of the solar
calendar.] This is, on the average, a little more than twenty-nine and a half days. But the
month is not defined in terms of days just as the year is not. The month is defined only
by the cycle of the moon. It is possible through many observations and great effort to
determine how long this period is in terms of days, hours, minutes, and seconds, but that
is not the definition of a month. It is just a relationship between two independent units
of time, days and months.

When one unit of time is defined in terms of another, as an hour is defined in terms of a
day, the relationship between them is exact. An hour is exactly one twenty-fourth of a
day and a day is exactly twenty-four hours. It is true because they were defined that way.
But if two units of time are independent, as the day and the month are, it is necessary to
determine by observation what the relationship between them is. As we carefully count
the days from one new-moon to the next, month after month, we determine more and

a
= so-called ‘astronomical new moon’
73
 more accurately the exact length of a month. Similarly, we can count the days from one
season to the next to determine the length of the year.

There are three independent units of time, the day, the month and the year. The first step
in understanding the calendar is understanding the relationships between them, and how
a unified system can be formed from them. The great civilizations of the world have
struggled with this problem. For us, the answer has always been found in the Torah,
handed down from generation to generation, and forms the basis of the Jewish calendar
to this day.

Calendar year; BC and AD; BCE and CE;

Note: there was no number "0" in their numbering systems in the ancient Hebrew, Greek and Latin civilizations.
In the different context, we have no year 0 for CE or BC. After BC 1 comes CE 1.

For neutral terms – CE for 'Common Era'; BC for 'Before Common Era'; not as 'Before Christ',
rather than BCE (Before Common Era). Cf. 'Common Era Calendar' is preferred to 'Gregorian
Calendar' – neutral from religious history.

74
*Month; New Moon; New-Moon day

Month in the Scripture is lunar month. [Gen 7-8] It can only be 29 or 30 days. Its first day is
‘New-Moon day’. It is associated and determined by moon cycle, quite unlike a solar month
as in the solar (Gregorian) calendar system.

Lunation = the mean time for one lunar phase cycle (i.e., the synodic period of the Moon).
It is about 29.5 days (on average 29.530589 days, or 29 days + 12 hours + 44 minutes and 3
seconds). The actual time interval between consecutive new moons varies greatly. (e.g. 29 d
+ 6.5 hrs to 29 d + 20 hrs). http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/Lunation.html
In a lunar or luni-solar calendar each month corresponds to a lunation, i.e. lunar month.

Moon phase; waxing and waning; full moon and dark moon

[See under ‘* Moon Phase: Terminology’]

Once the moon wanes again into total darkness, people would begin to look in the sky for the
moon to reappear. Since a month cannot be shorter than 29 days, moon is expected to
reappear not sooner than sunset ending day 29, and not later than sunset ending day 30. It is
tied the visibility of a new young crescent moon; it is not dependent on its observability by
human eyes. Eyewitnesses cannot possibly be used to determine when the New-Moon day
actually is – all depending on locality (cannot be applied outside Palestine!), visibility,
observability, and verification of eyewitness, etc. It must have worked for the people in the
ancient time and in the ancient Palestine, but a sighting of the crescent moon, which cannot
be reliable, cannot be now applicable worldwide.

*New-moon day – How to determine the beginning day of a month:

[Heb. chodesh; (lunar) month; Heb. rosh chodesh (head of the month) 1st day of the month]
Like the transition day (Day 30 of the month), the New-moon day (= 1st day of the lunar month),
does not belong to work day or sabbath day. No restriction to work on the new-moon day.a

Not to be confused with astronomical new moon, which is really be called 'dark moon'
– at luni-solar conjunction – about 30 hours of darkness – Colin Humphreys. The main
point is to determine what day we take as first day of the lunar month, not at what precise
moment a new month begin.
http://members.cogwa.org/uploads/Hebrew_Calendar_-_Study_Paper.pdf
www.karaite-korner.org/new_moon.shtml
•

5-Stern (2001), Calendar and Community [Ch. .3 The New Moon, p. 99] – (A copy in IRENT Vol. III
Supplement – Collections #5A)

a
E.g. Exo 40:2. 'On the first day of the first month you shall erect the tabernacle [H4908 mishkan], the tent [H168
ohel] of meeting [H4150 moed 'set-time']'.
Jos 6:15 "On the seventh day [of the month] the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had
done before. But this time they went around the town seven times." The battle of Jericho was a seven-day event. they
were battling 7 days but no sabbath day was involved (← New Moon day + 6 work days).
www.creationcalendar.com/AnsweringObjections/Objection26.html

75
 First day of a lunar month ('New-moon day').

The month begins with the first dawn immediately after the moon begins receiving its earliest
light from the sun and ends when the moon is completely void of light at the conjunction. [See
how this is determined according to the interpretation – some by the crescent moon observed,
etc.]
(1) as the day following the first visible crescent, [by sighted new crescent - a first sighting
of the new moon could occur any time between about 15 and 48 hours after a
conjunction. www.joybysurprise.com/First_Day_Of_The_Month_.html ]

(2) commences at first dawn after conjunction of the moon with the sun. "New-Moon day:
The Dawn After Conjunction." [www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-
lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html]

This is important the beginning of a new month is correctly determined because each month
it determines the actual date of the annual holy days which occur in that month. The annual
holy days fall in first month (Passover Day and Days of the Festival of the Matzah), fourth
month (Feast of Shavuot – in the summer harvest season for summer wheat, grapes, etc.),
and seventh month (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Festival of Sukkot, and Shemini
Atzeret – the “Eighth Day”).

Note: ‘New-moon (day)’ in the Scripture should not be confused with the so-called astronomical new
moon which is at luni-solar conjunction with the moon itself not visible (‘dark moon’). Note also in
the lunar month of 30 days, 30th day (as last day of a lunar months) belongs to ‘new-moon celebration’
but not to be confused as the New-Moon day, the first day of the lunar month.

“Blow the shofar at the time of the NEW-MOON (Chodesh); at the full [keseh] moon, on our
solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a LAW of the God of Yaakob” (Psa 81:3-4). The
new-moon was reckoned by actual personal observation, not by astronomical calculation.
(‘Observe [Abib =] the month of abib …’– Deu 16:1)

Nehemiah Gordon:
“The Crescent New Moon* is called Hodesh [< Chodesh?] because it is the first time
the moon is seen anew after being concealed for several days [how many?? – ARJ] at
the end of the lunar cycle. At the end of the lunar month the moon is close to the sun and
eventually reaches the point of ‘conjunction’ when it passes between the Sun and the
Earth. As a result, around the time of conjunction very little of the moon’s illuminated
surface faces the Earth and it is not visible through the infinitely brighter glare of the
sun. After the moon moves past the sun it continues towards the opposite side of the
Earth. As it gets farther away from the sun the percentage of its illuminated surface
facing the Earth increases and one evening shortly after sunset the moon is seen anew
after being invisible for 1.5 to 3.5 days. Because the moon is seen anew after a period of
invisibility the ancients called it a ‘New Moon’ or ‘Hodesh’ (from Hadash meaning
‘new’).”

76
 wlc/new-moon-day-the-dawn-after-conjunction.html
" …The reason for taking the day after conjunction as New-Moon day, as opposed to
the actual day that conjunction takes place, is because a day cannot simultaneously be
part of the old month and part of the new month. Therefore, the first dawning after
conjunction takes place is the beginning of the new month. There are two main
arguments, which have compelled us to make the shift from the [Sighting] First Visible
Crescent to First Dawn After Conjunction: …"

Reckoning the day after conjunction as New-Moon day, however, places the full moon
on the 14th/15th of the month, which is in harmony with Psalm 81:3.
The astronomical full moon does not consistently fall at the exact midpoint between two lunar
conjunctions. The full moon may follow the lunar conjunction by 4/6 as little as 13 days, 21
hours and 53 minutes, or by as much as 15 days, 14 hours and 30 minutes. That is why months
vary in length between 29 and 30 days. This anomaly is because the moon’s orbit is not perfectly
circular.

Cf. Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah by other names as well. It is known as Yom HaDin (Day of
Judgment), Yom HaDat Olam (Day of the Birth of the World, or the Ages), Yom Zikhron Teruah (Day
of Memorial of Shouting, Blowing or Sounding the Ram’s Horn). But perhaps most interestingly, it is
known as Yom HaKeseh (Day of Concealment).

www.rmg.co.uk/explore/astronomy-and-time/time-facts/equinoxes-and-solstices

The Earth takes approximately 365.25 days to go around the Sun. This is the reason we have
a leap year every four years, to add another day to our calendar so that there is not a gradual
drift of date through the seasons. For the same reason the precise time of the equinoxes are
not the same each year, and generally will occur about 6 hours later each year, with a jump
of a day (backwards) on leap years.

*Determining a New Year and a new month for the Biblical luni-solar calendar:

See a separate file <Calendation Practicum>]

See below for 'biblical calendation system'.

https://youtu.be/cTZ4qBGWvO4 How to Determine the 1st Day of the 1st Month

4. ‘Week’

The term /week is a /time unit equal to seven /days

(1) any of a series of 7-day cycles used in various calendars; especially

(2) a period of any consecutive 7 days.

In the Gregorian calendar and also in the rabbinic Jewish calendar, it is planetary week
which is a 7-day period beginning on Sunday and ending on Saturday (with weekdays
+ weekend) in continuous cycle, without interruption through Julian to Gregorian
changeover.

77
In the bible it is lunar week, not planetary week. The 7-numbered days of the lunar week do
not correspond to and independent of the 7-named days of the planetary week of the
Gregorian calendar with Saturday as the first day.a Note: a week in early Julian calendar was
8-day (labeled A to H), not 7-day week. Biblical lunar weeks are discontinuous and non-
cyclic The numbered 7 days of a week remain unchanged with calendar dates in a month.
E.g. Day 8 in a month is always on 7th day of lunar week (sabbath day in the Scripture). In a
lunar month (either 29 or 30 weekdays) there are four full 7-day weeks. (4x7 days). Not being counted
as weekdays are 1st day of the month (= New-Moon day) and, if present, 30th day is a transitional day;
they belong to a separate category from workdays and sabbath days. Thus, the lunar week is non-
continuous and non-cyclic. lunar weeks.

The biblical lunar week, as in the Scripture-based calendar, is a 7-day period.

A full weekb = 7 week-days
(1) 6 workdays from Day 1 (1st day) to Day 6,
and plus (2) one Sabbath day on Day 7 (7th day).

Thus, seventh day of the lunar week for * sabbath does not correspond to Saturday of the
planetary week of our Gregorian calendar. Likewise, first day of the lunar week does not
correspond to Sunday. People think or even read something like Saturday, Sunday, etc. is in
the Scripture when actually none is there! A few modern easy-read Bibles have them,
committing a great error, patently anachronistic.

Sabbath falls on 7th day in the lunar week; four sabbaths on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th day of every
month. Only the day coming after 6 workdays is sabbath day. Sabbath-rest is only for the daytime
period, not 24 hours.

In contrast Jewish Sabbath day is Saturday and it is solar sabbath that they keep from Friday sunset to
Saturday sunset for 24 hours according to their calendar with sunset-to-sunset day reckoning.

As long as Sunday is at week end, ** first day of the week in the Gregorian calendar (i.e.
planetary week) is Monday. It is Monday (월요일)., not Sunday (일요일), that is the first
day. That we have Sunday on the first column [left-most] of the calendar in USA (and others)
does not mean that it is first day of the week. Please don't confuse (1) the day of the beginning
of the week which is Monday throughout the world with (2) the day of the week on the first
column of monthly calendar (Monday or Sunday). Noteworthy is the Islamic religious
calendar has their weekend correspond to Thu-Friday of Gregorian calendar with the first
day of their week to fall on Saturday, which is on the right most column. Sunday is not first
day of the week in any calendar system.

First day of the week of the luni-solar calendar in the Bible does not correspond to Sunday
of the planetary week of the solar calendar. Two calendars can be aligned to compare days
of a week but does not remain equated through a month or year. [Note: The Easter is Sunday

a
The original order was Saturn (Saturday 土), Sun (Sunday 日), Moon (Monday 月), Mars (Tuesday
火), Mercury (Wednesday 水), Jupiter (Thursday 木) & Venus (Friday 金). Moreover, some
countries have other than Sunday as the first day of their week – e.g. Saturday in Islamic countries;
Monday as in ISO 8601 standard, in Eastern Asia and European countries.
https://youtu.be/qSQ3cU32ukw
[ www.cjvlang.com/Dow/SunMon.html ]
b
'full 7-day week' = 'complete week', that is, having 7 days. ['seven complete weeks'. The translated
phrase 'seven complete sabbaths' would be nonsensical. 'complete (i.e. all or entire) seven sabbaths'
would be also nonsensical.] See elsewhere for * plural sabbaths.

78
on Church calendar; it has nothing to do with the day of the actual resurrection. In 30 CE, it
was Saturday; the crucifixion was Wednesday (Not Friday).]

When the Julian calendar changed over from 8-day week (labeled A through H) to 7-day
week, the first day of such a week was actually assigned as Dies Saturnis (day of Saturnus,
of Saturn, a Roman god → Saturday).a This is planetary week which the Romans copied from
Persian tradition. Later on, in the history of Diaspora Jews, they were compelled to adopt the
solar week. b

Note: In NT 9 places - Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2, 9; Lk 18:12; 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19; Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2 – all
as in the phrase ‘on the day one of the [lunar] week’, with the word ‘week’ is sabbatōn (plural) in
Greek and etymologically related to the word for ‘sabbath’ - sabbath rest).

In OT, the Hebrew word for ‘week’ appears only three times (in 2 places) – (1) Gen 29:27, 28
‘week (of wedding festival of Yaakob and Rachel), and (2) Dan 9:27 (as a prophetic week).

Note: The term ‘creation week’ is coined to refer seven days in the literary framework of
the Creation pericope (Genesis 1:4-31 – 2:4). This should not be confused with a calendar
week. God’s creation act did not come with any preconceived calendar. A Biblical lunar
calendar system for human society man had to devise for use on the basis of Gen 1:14 with
the sun and the moon serving as sign-posters. It should be noted that ‘Day One’ of the
creation in Gen 1:4 does not connote first day of the week – with ‘week’ as spoken in our
modern solar calendar. By the same token, neither the first day nor the last day of the God’s
creation work to prepare the earth for humanity can be located in any man-devised
calendar. To claim God did something to fit a human devised calendar [as in an attempt to
support ‘Saturday sabbath’] actually borders on blasphemy. The so-called ‘young earth
theory’ of the Creationism is another example of religious, doctrinal and ideological
product of human minds, with total disregard of the literary nature of the Scripture – the
Scripture taken as if a sacred book of the codes to decipher for a religion and reinterpreted
by using language of science.

'eight days' 'eighth day'

‘eight days’ –Lk 9:28 (about 8 days later); Jn 20:26 (eight days later);

for brit milah: ‘on the eighth day’ (Lev 12:3); ‘eight days came to the full’ (/x: 8 days later; /x: after 8 days)
(Lk 2:21); ‘eighth day’ (Lk 1:59; Act 7:8; Phi 3:5)

a
The Roman named seven days of the planetary week (introduced in the 1st century CE):
1. dies Saturni (Saturn); 2. dies Solis (Sun); 3. dies Lunae (Moon); 4. dies Martis (Mars); 5. dies
Mercurii (Mercury); 6. dies Jovis (Jupiter); 7. dies Veneris (Venus); [Arranged in the order of their
periodic times (Saturn taking the longest and the Moon the shortest time to complete the round of the
heavens by their proper motion) www.newadvent.org/cathen/03158a.htm Christian Calendar]
b
Pompey's Siege of Jerusalem (Pempey the Great) 63 BC during the Festival of Passover, it
happened that the day of Saturn in the planetary week of the pagans corresponded to the
Sabbath, 7th day of biblical week.Cf. Dios Cassus, Roman History (222-33 CE). (Roman historian)
www.livius.org/articles/person/cassius-dio/
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/37*.html
(typo "excavation" < exception )
http://history-world.org/dio2.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey#Judea
79
'Eighth day' in OT with something to do with scarifies [Exo_22:30; Lev_9:1; Lev_12:3; Lev_14:10;
Lev_15:14; Lev_15:29; Lev_22:27; Lev_23:36; Lev_23:39; Num_6:10; Num_7:54; Num_29:35; 1Ki_8:66;
2Ch_7:9; 2Ch_29:17; Neh_8:18; Eze_43:27] [See in the file <OT Texts on Time, Calendar, Festivals>]

*Sabbath, sabbaths

**sabbath; *sabbaths; week, weeks in Heb;

www.the13thenumeration.com/Blog13/2018/01/01/7-weeks-until-the-messiah/

The word ‘sabbath’ is usually metonymical for ‘sabbath day’, which is on 7th day of the
lunar week. [It is not of the planetary week. As appear in the Scripture ‘7th day of the
lunar week’ does NOT correspond to ‘Saturday’ which is an unbiblical term. The seven
named days of the week in Gregorian calendar has no correspondence to the seven
numbered days of the biblical week.] The fixe phrase ‘the day of the sabbath’ is found in
Lk 13:14, 16; 14:5. [Exo 29:8; 31:15; 35:5; Lev 23:3; Deu 5:12; Num 15:32; 28:6, 9; Neh
13:17, 22; 17:27, etc. 'day of the sabbath' > the sabbath day']

• Sabbath day begins at sunrise, just as any day in the Scripture does, unlike
a day in rabbinic Jewish calendar (reckoning to start at sunset), or
Gregorian (at midnight).
• Sabbath rest applies to daytime, since the night is already time for rest.

This cannot be overemphasized enough to relieve confusion, contention, and contradiction

in the various arguments related to the Passion Week chronology: There is NO more than
one sabbath in a week. There is no additional sabbath day in the 7-week long Festivals –
the false idea brewed by misunderstanding of the true Biblical lunar calendar vis-à-vis the
rabbinic Jewish and the Julian-Gregorian Roman calendars. [See Clarifying the Passion
Week Chronology.] To reiterate: there is only one sabbath day in a 7-day long week, that
is, on seventh day. The first day and last days of seven-day long Festivals are special.
Since sabbath is on the first day of the festival, the sabbath day is called ‘High Sabbath’
(Jn 19:31).

Scriptural and non-scriptural words and phrases – Shabbat; sabbath; sabbath rest; sabbath
observation; sabbath day keeping; festival sabbath, weekly sabbath, Saturday sabbath.
80
6th day of the lunar week = Heb. Ereb shabbat = Gk. S4513 prosabbaton; Gk. S3904
paraskeuē; (both in Mk 15:42);

Related words:
sabbatical year [Heb. shmita, shevitt] (the seventh year of the seven-year
agricultural cycle mandated by the Torah for the Land of Israel. The land is left
to lie fallow and all agricultural activity, including plowing, planting, pruning
and harvesting, is forbidden by halakha (Jewish law) [Exo 23:10-11; Lev 25:1-
7; 20-22; Deu 15:1-6; 31:10-23]
jubilee year (50th year – after 7 cycles of sabbatical years) – Lev 25:10
annual sabbath – a day of sabbath rest - Lev 23:27, 32 on the day of Yom-
Kippur, tenth of the seventh month (Tishri) with the fasting itself from the
evening of 9th to sunset of 10th. [Often misunderstood to read wrongly as
sabbath itself is something from the evening to evening (to justify Jewish
reckoning of a calendar day).]

81
lunar vs. solar sabbath; 'Seventh day of the week' vs. 'Saturday'

Many languages including European and Arabic have their word for Saturday which is
etymologically from Sabbath. Some tries to find this as a proof of the biblical Sabbath
is on Saturday. Actually, it is the result following the wrong tradition of taking 'Saturday'
as 7th day of the week in the Bible.]
• The biblical Sabbath is on Day 7 of the lunar week. It is not on Saturday of the
planetary week, as in Sabbatarian and Jewish sabbath which is from sunset of
Friday to sunset of Saturday.
• The days of Sabbath are only in full 7-day weeks (4 times – on 8th, 15th, 22nd
and 29th day of the month, every month of the lunar calendar); not continuously
on every 7 days as in the solar calendar.
• Sabbath rest which is for a daytime period only. It is meant resting from daily
labor. The expression ‘keeping Sabbath’ is to have Sabbath rest for the daytime
period on the Sabbath day. Sabbath rest for the night time is conceptually and
linguistically contradictory. It is on the 7th day;
Our common words Friday, Saturday, Sunday to Thursday of the named days of the
Gregorian planetary week do not belong to the biblical vocabulary. To use such non-
biblical terms to follow and examine the biblical narratives is anachronistic and causes
misunderstanding of the timelines in the biblical narratives.
[As to sabbath keeping it is said “without sabbath, no Judaism”. However, the concept
of sabbath predates Judaism all the way up to Adam’s and Noah’s time. Keeping of
sabbath on Saturday of the planetary week in Judaism (on 7th day on their calendar)
is not based on the Scripture. The picture we find in the biblical narratives and histories
is not same as in Sabbatarian practices and traditions of ‘Saturday Sabbath-day keeping’,
as handed down in Judaism.]
[Cf. ‘to profane Sabbath’ – Mt 12:5[] [Cf. ‘keep sabbath (regulation)’ – esp. more on
somethings not to be done.] [Sabbath violation accused by Yehudim for Yeshua’s
healing ministry could have avoided simply by having waited sundown.]

When everyone knows that it is on the seventh day of the week; but it remains a useless fact; such a
statement is ambiguous and misleading without qualifying on which kind of week (lunar vs. solar) and
on which calendar in use. In the Scripture, the 7th day for Sabbath is of the lunar week, not of the
planetary week. It does NOT correspond to Saturday of the planetary week in Roman (late Julian and
Gregorian) calendars. The seven named days of the week in Gregorian calendar has no correspondence
to the seven numbered days of the biblical week. The Jewish people forced into such a compromise to
adopt solar calendation; the 7th day of the planetary week that had become Saturday become their 7th
day of the week for Sabbath since 3rd century CE. Such religious solar sabbath has become the tradition
of the Sabbatarians (including Christians) almost two millennia. The truth of the biblical calendar with
the non-cyclic lunar week is completely forgotten — 7th day of biblical lunar week is unrelated to
Saturday.

[Note: ‘sabbath keeping’ is of the Mosaic covenant. The date of historical Exodus of Israel people was
on Abib 15 (on 7th day of the lunar week), however the practice of sabbath-keeping as a law did not
exist until the giving of the Law at Sinai.a
a
Some claims that [Saturday] sabbath keeping predates Judaism! Adam, Noah, Abraham kept it? How did
they? With what rules and regulations for ‘not do this’ and ‘not do that’? Or with worship – what is
worship for them? With sacrifice? What sacrifice and where and how?]
82
 Seventh day of the week; day of sabbath. [Cf. sabbath year; jubilee year; eve of the sabbath
(Gk. the Preparation day).]

It is vitally important for everyone to recognize that ‘sabbath’ (Heb. shabbat) in the Scripture is
not just a day of worship as such (whatever is meant by the word ‘worship), but specifically a day
of rest from labor. Since any labor of man ceases in the night time, Sabbath rest has to be effected
only for during daytime period.a Note: 'Christian Sabbath' is an oxymoron. When they become
to worship on Sunday (from Constantine Catholic era), the word sabbath itself is used other than
the biblical Sabbath.

Sabbath day in the Bible is simply and unequivocally the day after 6 work-days, i.e. the 7th
day of the complete week. b There is only one sabbath day in such a 7-day long week. Of in
the 7-day long Festivals, first day and last days are special ('set-apart' / 'keep holy') with no
work to be done but the text does call the last day as 'sabbath'. Exo 12:16. It has nothing to do
with 'Saturday' of the planetary week of the Gregorian calendar, which the Jewish calendar
incorporates.
Sabbath day is not on EVERY seven days in succession. It is the day of rest and ‘holy
assembly’, not in order to abstain from certain activities. It is Sabbath rest in the Lord, to be
effective specifically for the daytime, as the night time is always a period of rest. Psa 113:3
From sunrise until sunset YHWH’s name is to be praised.
Since in the Scripture the day for Sabbath comes once in a full lunar week, it is not to be
forgotten that the named days of the planetary week do not correspond to the numbered day of
the week. Hence, 7th day may fall any named days of the planetary week, Saturday or any
other named day. Biblical 7th day sabbath is not same as Saturday sabbath. The convention of
Saturday sabbath-keeping, which is in practice by Jewish tradition and by most of Sabbatarian,
is not supported in the Scripture.
As for the first day of 7-day long festivals in the Biblical lunar calendar it always falls on
sabbath (7th day of the lunar calendar,), it is called ‘High Sabbath’ (Jn 19:31). It is not that
there are two different sabbaths which happen to fall on the same day. Nor there is a special
annual festival sabbath in the festival in addition to a weekly sabbath.

Not to be confused with the scholar's jargon 'annual sabbath', the phrase which is not found in
the Bible. The term may be applied to special sabbath rest on the Day of Atonement – Lev
16:29-31; 23:26-32 and sabbath for the Feast of Shofar-blowing (Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New
Year) Lev 23:24-25.]

Day One of the lunar month is called ‘New-Moon day’c and if there is Day 30 in the month, it is
a transitional day. They belong to a third category, being neither work-day, nor sabbath day.

a
Ref. www.12hoursabbath.com/ A Case for the 12-Hour Sabbath – Its collected files are in the Supplement
Vol. III (Collections #5).
b
complete week ░░ (Lev 23:15 'seven weeks (> sabbaths) complete' [H8549 tamim]); /full week; />> perfect
week (- wrong connotation and word picture) ['full week' = 6 work-days followed by Sabbath day] ['complete
sabbath' is non-sensical. 'complete 7 sabbaths'? 'seven complete sabbaths'? 'all seven counted'?]
c
In the N.T. the word 'New Moon' appears only once in Col 2:16.
83
*Special sabbath-rest day – Yom Kippur [See WB#1 Appendix]
Lev 16:29; Lev 23:24; Lev 23:27; Lev 23:32; Num 29:7

‘sabbath-rest from evening’ with fasting.

Lev 23:32 This [on the day of Adonement] is
a [special] sabbath of sabbath-rest for you
And you are to deny your [mortal] soul
On the ninth day of the [lunar] monh;
In the setting-time from eveing to [next] evening
Compare with the weekly Sabbath – lunar sabbath (cf. solar sabbath in the rabbinic Jewish
calendar), Note: only one sabbath day a week. The first day of 7-day festivals fall on the
weekly sabbath – called 'High Sabbath'.

Lev 23:3 "For six days, work may be done, but on the seventh day
there must be a Sabbath of complete rest, a sacred assembly.
You are not to do any labor;
it is a Sabbath to the Lord wherever you live.

*High Sabbath vs. a myth of ‘two Sabbaths in a week’:

Two sabbath theories – variously concocted:
(1) a festival sabbath followed by a weekly sabbath, back to back;
(2) a festival sabbath followed by a work day followed by a weekly sabbath;
(3) two sabbaths doubled up in the year 33 CE.

In contrast to High Sabbath (Jn 19:31) – the first day of 7-day long festivals falls on 15th day (a lunar sabbath) of the
month.

Additionally, the last day of a 7-day long Festival week is a special day as well. With laborious works
to be ceased, however, this should not be confused with ‘sabbath-rest’ of sabbath day. [See a further
discussion on the wrong idea of having two sabbaths in the festival week. If they claim is correct, we
have, according to their logic and since they are using (proleptic) rabbinic Jewish calendar system,
Nisan 15 (Thu) as Sabbath (because it’s the first day of the Festival. They label it ‘annual festival
sabbath’ and call Nisan 17 as regular weekly sabbath (because it’s Saturday), plus, they read Nisan 21
the last day of the Festival as 'sabbath'). Here, they wind up having not just two, but three sabbath
days in a week! What an idea to shoot oneself in the foot!

Cf. The plural word 'sabbaths' in Mt 28:1 is used in the sense of ‘week’. It does not mean there were two sabbaths
in a week:

‘Sixth day of the week’:

'Sixth day' (of the week) as appears in the Scripture is of the lunar week. [Repeat, it is not of the
planetary week]. The day is one before the Sabbath. It is a day of preparation (for sabbath). In other
words, eve of sabbath. It does not correspond to Friday, which is of the planetary week, both in
Gregorian and rabbinic Jewish calendars.

With Biblical lunar calendar, there is only one (and one kind of) sabbath in a 7-day full week – on its
seventh day. The week-long Festivals are scripturally designated with its first day to begin on 7th day
sabbath. In such a week, there is no ‘festival sabbath’ as such distinct from the weekly sabbath; there
are no two sabbaths, neither ‘double sabbath’ (falling on same day), nor two sabbaths back-to-back —
but only one which is called High Sabbath. It should not be confused with the word ‘sabbath’ by itself,
which means ‘sabbath-rest’, not related to the weekly sabbath day. (e.g. at the Day of Atonement).

84
*Preparation day vs. Friday:
In the rabbinic Jewish since 4th century CE, with its the continuous cycles of 7 days
influenced by 7-day planetary week of the Julian calendar system, 7th day became equated
with Saturday. Hence Saturday Sabbath keeping. So is the preparation with Friday of
planetary week.

As eve of the 7th day Sabbath 'Preparation' has become synonymous with 'Friday' of our Gregorian
calendar. Thus, the word related to 'preparation' has long been the word for Friday in the Greek
language (down to Modern Greek) and other modern European languages. This is men's
tradition; not by the New Testament usage. So are in related.

Similarly, the word for ‘Saturday’ in these languages are derived etymologically from the
Hebrew word 'shabbat'. Likewise, first day of the week in the Bible does not correspond to Sunday.
[Cf. it is referred as ‘the eighth day’ – which is the day following seven days of Creation.]

This convention causes a havoc for proper understanding of the Biblical chronology, by
introducing into the Scripture something which is alien, because all this is late developed,
disconnected from the Scripture based calendar system. As a note, when they do in terms of
our modern Gregorian named days of the planetary week (Sun to Sat) and, moreover, without
giving clear definitions of the words and terms, any writing or claim on the Passion Week
chronology and timeline to describe days and dates should be questioned. By consistently
rendering it as 'eve' in IRENT, a major source of confusion and misunderstanding the Passion Week
narrative is removed, cutting off association of the word 'Preparation' with 'Friday'.

Problem of ‘*Sunday’ vs. <*first day of the week>a:

(as to the day of His resurrection):

'first day’ – concordance search in N.T.

ahttps://youtu.be/qSQ3cU32ukw <한주의 시작, 일요일일까? 월요일일까?> [the beginning day of the

week – Sunday or Monday?] www.timeanddate.com/calendar/days/monday.html
85
 ‘*first day – concordance search in NT
1. The expression ‘first day of the month (or the year)’ does not appear in NT text.

2. 'first day since' (2 x with prōtēs)

Phi 1:5 apo tēs prōtēs hēmeras from the first day (when you heard the Gospel)
Act 20:18 apo prōtēs hēmeras from the first day (when I arrived)

3. ‘the first day of the week’ (6 x with mia; 1 x with prōtē) [note: of the lunar week, not
solar].
kata mian sabbatou 1Co 16:2 every first day of the week
eis mian sabbatōn Mt 28:1;
tē mia tōn sabbatōn //Mk 16:2; //Lk 24:1 //Jn 20:1
tē hēmera ekeinē tē mia [tōn] sabbatōn; Jn 20:19 (‘following that first day of the week’)
prōtē sabbatou //Mk 16:9 (‘the first day of the week’)

Cf. Act 20:7 (‘one of the sabbaths’);

4. ‘cf. 'at the beginning day for the unleavened bread’ [not 'the first day of the
Festival of the Matzah’]
//Mk 14:12 tē prōtē hēmera
//Mt 26:17 tē prōtē);

'first day of the week'

• Mt 28:1; Mk16:2, 6; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19 – in the Passion Week narrative;
• Acts 20:7 – 'breaking bread' (cf. Lk 24:30; Act 2:46; 27:35) (In Lord's Supper 1Co 11:24)
• 1Co 16:2
www.sabbath.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Basics.FAQ/ID/135/Is-Sunday-Worship-
Mentioned-in-New-Testament.htm

[See Appendix – (('first day of the week' in Gospels & Acts)) – included in the zip file
<IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A - time + calendar)>.]

In the early days when the Julian Roman calendar began adopting 7-day week system in
place of its original 8-day week (labeled A through H in nundinal cycle), this phrase ‘<first
day of the week> (of the lunar week) became mistaken same as ‘1st day of the planetary
week’; thus, apparently becoming to be equated as ‘Sunday’. [As to the days of the week in
Roman calendar, it was day of Saturn, not day of Sun, which was the first day.]

It became apparent as shown in the works of Church Fathers who wrote 1st day of the week
as Sunday – Justin Martyr (CE 140 – Apology, Ch. 67); Irenaeus (CE 178 – Lost Writings
of Irenaeus, seventh fragment); Cyprian (about CE 255) [Source - Ralph Woodrow (2004),
Three Days & Three Nights – Reconsidered in Light of Scripture, (ISBN 0-916938-11-5)
pp. 29-30.]

However, while in modern times Gregorian calendar is universally adopted for the civil use,
some countries have Monday as the first day of their week (East Asia), while a few have
Saturday (Arabic countries).
86
Most erroneously take this as that of the Gregorian week and equates it with ‘Sunday’ of the planetary
week. Many have carried over such a convention into reading the Scripture itself. Almost all
commentaries and exegesis mistake this Scriptural expression ‘first day of the week’ simply
as Sunday of the Gregorian week, an example of anachronism par excellence.
E.g. A margin note at Jn 20:19 – in Michael Magill, TransLine, p. 385 “Some takes
the phrase as ‘Sunday’ by a Roman reckoning.”
E.g. In a manner of cultural and historical anachronism some recent English Bibles
translate it unabashedly or nonchalantly as ‘Sunday’ in the various places of NT
inconsistently (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2, 9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1, 19; Act 20:7; 1Co 16:2; Rev
1:10) as below:

Sunday or other such named days of the week have nothing to do with the numbered days of the week
in the Scripture.
‘Sunday’ in NT English translations:
JNT Mk_16:9;
GW Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2, 9; Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1, 19; Act_20:7; 1Co_16:2;
GNB Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2, 9; Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1, 19; 1Co_16:2;
CEV Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2; Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1, 19; 1Co_16:2;
ERV Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1; 19; Act_20:7;
NLT Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2, 9; Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1, 19;
MSG Mk_16:2, 9; Lk_24:1; Act_20:7; 1Co_16:2; Rev_1:10;

Put 'Sunday' in the intra-text explanatory notes

ALT Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2,9; Lk_24:1; Jn_20:1; Act_20:7 1Co_16:2;
AUV Mt_28:1; Mk_16:2, 9; Lk_24:1, 22 Jn_20:1, 19, 26; Act_20:7 1Co_16:2; Rev_1:10

Mk 16:9(early morning) on the first day after sabbath░░ \ (anastas de prōi) prōtē sabbatou
[The word sabbatou (sing. genitive) ‘coming after sabbath’ = ‘from Sabbath’. The phrase prōtē
sabbatou only once here in NT but should be taken same as ≈ ‘the day one (or, first day) of the
week’ Mk 16:2= Lk 24:1= Jn 20:1(tē mia tōn sabbatōn); Mt 28:1 (tē ~ eis mian sabbatōn) –
sabbatōn is plural and in the sense of ‘week’.] [Cf. A similar syntax in ‘deutera sabbatōn’ ‘day
two of the week, (as ‘Monday’), in Didache 8:1.]’
[= Abib 16. Soon morning is to break at sunrise for Day 2 of the week. The ‘Feast of Firstfruits’
on Day one was during the preceding daytime.]
/= on the first day from Sabbath - ARJ; /on the first day ~ of the week – ARJ; /xxx: on Sunday – GNB, JNT!!;

[For Mk 16:9 Syntax issue of the expression of <having risen up early morning on the
first day after sabbath> (anastas de prōi prōtē sabbatou), see also ‘Examining Time-
marker Biblical Passages’ in WB #6 ‘Passion Week Chronology’]

Sabbath to *Sunday:
From /who-changed-the-sabbath-to-sunday/

Watering Down of the Sabbath in the First 300 Years: The Christians during the
apostolic era, from about 35 to 100 AD, kept Sabbath on the designated seventh day of
the week. For the first 300 years of Christian history, when the Roman emperors
regarded themselves as gods, Christianity became an “illegal religion,” and God’s
people were scattered abroad (Acts 8:1). Judaism, however, was regarded at that time
as “legal,” as long as they obeyed Roman laws. Thus, during the apostolic era,

87
Christians found it convenient to let the Roman authorities think of them as Jews,
which gained them legitimacy with the Roman government.

However, when the Jews rebelled against Rome, the Romans put down their rebellion
by destroying Jerusalem in AD 70 and again in AD 135. Obviously, the Roman
government’s suppression of the Jews made it increasingly uncomfortable for
Christians to be thought of as Jewish. At that time, Sunday was the rest day of the
Roman Empire, whose religion was Mithraism, a form of sun worship. Since Sabbath
observance is visible to others, some Christians in the early second century sought to
distance themselves from Judaism by observing a different day, thus “blending in” to
the society around them.

During the Empire-wide Christian persecutions under Nero, Maximin, Diocletian, and
Galerius, Sabbath-keeping Christians were hunted down, tortured, and, for sport, often
used for entertainment in the Colosseum (Coliseum).

Constantine Made Sunday a Civil Rest Day: When Emperor Constantine I — a

pagan sun-worshipper — came to power in AD 313, he legalized Christianity and made
the first Sunday-keeping law. His infamous Sunday enforcement law of March 7, AD
321, reads as follows: “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people
residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” (Codex Justinianus 3.12.3,
trans. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, 5th ed. (New York, 1902), 3:380,
note 1.)

The Council of Laodicea in AD 364 decreed, “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle
on Saturday but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s day they shall especially honour,
and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are
found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ” (Strand, op. cit., citing Charles J.
Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, 2 [Edinburgh, 1876] 316).

88
“Lord’s Day” in Rev 1:10
en tē kurikē hēmera ('on the day belonging to the Lord') (not ‘of LORD’ ‘of the Lord’).

"Lord's Day" is not first day of the week, neither of Gregorian planetary week (i.e. Sunday), which
itself has nothing to do with the first day of the lunar week in the Scripture.

Neither it refers to "Sabbath … a holy day of YHWH" (Isa 58:13). The context of Yohanan’s vision
shows that he wasn't referring to a day of the week at all. Instead, he wrote that the vision transported
him forward into that time the Bible elsewhere calls the "day of YHWH," "day of the Lord Yeshua
the Mashiah" and "day of Mashiah":

• Jer 46:10 'that day belongs to Adonai YHWH of the Armies'

• Zep 1:14 the great day of YHWH is near
• the day of Lord Yeshua the Mashiah – 1Co 1:8
• the day of the Lord Yeshua – 1Co 5:5; 2Co 1:14;
• the day of the Mashiah – 2The 2:2
• the day of YHWH – 1The 5:2; 2Pe3:10;
• the great and notable epiphanēs day of YHWH – Act 2:20
These terms are not speaking of a specific 24-hour period. Instead, they refer to the end-time events
surrounding the return of Yeshua the Mashiah, when He will personally and directly intervene in
human affairs. Thus, these terms indicate the end of the age of man's rule and the beginning of the age
of Yeshua the Mashiah. This is the theme of the book of Revelation and "the Lord's Day" which
Yohanan saw in vision.

89
'*Preparation'; '*eve'
The Gk. word for ‘preparation’a – metonymic for 'preparation day' – the day before a special
day, i.e. 'eve'– mostly eve of sabbath. It is not another term for Friday. It is also for 'eve of the
Passover in Jn 19:14 ‘eve of Passover day’ (= Abib 13). This should not be confused with ‘eve
of High Sabbath’ (which is the Passover day = Abib 14).
‘preparation (day)’ as sabbath eve is the day before the sabbath of seventh day of the lunar
week, not of the planetary week (in Gregorian and rabbinic Jewish calendars). As such, it
does NOT correspond to Friday. However, the word ‘preparation' became synonymous
with Friday. In fact, the word for Friday is paraskeuē in modern Greek and the words
derived from it for other related European languages,
Same is true ‘Saturday’. The word for Saturday in those languages is derived from ‘sabbath’
itself. The consequence is that, in Catholic Constantine Church tradition, the Resurrection for
them is on ‘Sunday’, not because they were able to prove it was so, but their tradition has
‘first day’ = ‘Sunday’. [It is noteworthy that many countries have <first day of the week>b on
Monday instead. It is on Saturday for Islamic reckoning.] And likewise, the Crucifixion for
them is on ‘Friday’, but without anything to do with whether the day fell actually on Friday,
or not. In other words, the Crucifixion is claimed to be on Friday, because that’s the way their
tradition says, albeit incorrect.

Gk. S3904 paraskeuēc 'preparation' – ('preparing'; 'making ready') use as metonymic for
preparation day which refers to a day before a special day. (6x in NT all in the Passion
narratives in the Gospels). Here, ‘the day before’ = ‘eve’d. IRENT renders it consistently
as 'eve', not 'Preparation' as most do. 6th day of the lunar week =; Gk. paraskeuē; (both in
Mk 15:42);
(A) as eve of sabbath (= Day 6 of the lunar week); the context tells paraskeuē is 'sabbath
preparation'. (→ Heb. Ereb shabbat = Gk. S4513 prosabbaton) (e.g. Abib 14)
• Mt 27:62 tē de epaurion meta tēn paraskeuēn
On-the next-day after the sabbath <preparation>
• Mk 15:42 epei hēn paraskeuē ho estin prosabbaton
Because it was <preparation>, that is the day before sabbath
• Lk 23:54 hēmera ēn paraskeuēs kai sabbaton epephōsken
The day was <preparation> and sabbath was-coming.

a
cf. unrelated words translated as ‘prepare’:
‘ἑτοιμάζω (Mk 1:) prepare /make ready’;
ἑτοιμασία (Eph 6:15); preparing/making ready’
ἐνταφιασμός (Mk 14:8; Jn 12:7) ‘burial (preparing)’]

bhttps://youtu.be/qSQ3cU32ukw <한주의 시작, 일요일일까? 월요일일까?> [the beginning day of the

week – Sunday or Monday?] www.timeanddate.com/calendar/days/monday.html
c

Danker p. 269 paraskeuazō – [par, skeuazō ‘fit out, prepare’] prepare – a. act Act 10:10; 1Pt 2:8 v.l. –
b. mid. of being ready, for war 1Co 14:8; for carrying out a collection 2Co 9:2f.] παρασκευή [formed
in association w. paraskeuazō] in NT only a period of preparation for a festival: day of preparation Mt
27:62 (the preparation); Mk 15:42 (anarthrous); Lk 23:54 (anarthrous); Jn 19:14 (anarthrous), 31
(anarthrous), 42. (the preparation)

d
as in 'Christmas eve'
90
 • Jn 19:31a epei paraskeuē hēn
because it was sabbath <preparation>
• Jn 19:42 dia tēn paraskeuēn tōn ioudaiōn
because of the sabbath <preparation > of the Yehudim

(B) as eve of the Passover [memorial] day (i.e. Abib 13)

• Jn 19:14 ēn de paraskeuēs tou pascha
it was <preparation> of the Passover.

The sabbath eve in the Bible does not correspond to 'Friday' of our Gregorian calendar
which is also used in rabbinic Jewish calendar (taking their 7th day to be Saturday).
Likewise, the first day in the lunar week in the Bible does not correspond to 'Sunday',
which is sometimes polemically referred as ‘the eighth day’ – which is beyond the
seven days of Creation. A lack of such calendar knowledge has been one of a few main
causes of contention, conflict, and contradiction in the Passion Week chronology.

FF Bruce has it as 'eve' in his The Gospel & Epistle of John (1983). So does Cassirer (1989)
God's New Covenant – A New Testament Translation.

When it refers to preparation for ‘sabbath’ the word occurs by itself without a qualifier (Mt
27:62; Mk 15:42; Lk 23:54; Jn 19:31, 42). In the Passover festival season (= Passover day +
7-day Festival of the Matzah) it is * High Sabbath, that is, the first day of the Festival on the
7th day of the lunar week, only one sabbath in a week, whether it is a regular week or a
festival week.

[See also in the file ‘Examining Time-marker Biblical Passages’ in WB #6 ‘Passion Week
Chronology’ for Jn 19:14 ‘eve of the Passover [memorial] day’.]

5. *seasons; *harvest

Written in Paleo-Hebrew, the Gezer Calendar dates from the 10th century BC, the time of the
construction of Solomon's Temple. It contains the following text:
www.yrm.org/conjunction-equinox.htm

"Two months of harvest

Two months of planting
Two months are late planting
One month of pulling flax
One month of barley harvest
One month of harvest and feasting
Two months of pruning vines
One month of summer fruit"

John Beck (2015), Discovery House Bible Atlas

a
Jn 19:31 – 'sabbath eve' ('the Preparation' – most); [Curiously, Carrier mistranslates as 'the eve of the Passover']
91
92
[what happened to 'two wheat harvests'?]

www.gci.org/law/festivals/harvest

www.joybysurprise.com/Harvest_Times_In_Israel_.html

From the above, one can see that the harvest season in ancient Israel began in
Adar (Feb/March) and continued by stages into autumn. The barley harvest
began in March-April: the first sheaf being cut and waived in the middle of Aviv,
which could be any time between 21st March and the middle of April. It is the
same in modern Israel.

93
Summary and conclusion remark on the biblical monthly calendars:

It is easy to look up the Gregorian calendara to make every day civil use of it.
Lunar calendars such as the rabbinic Jewish calendar serves only for religious
purpose in the church liturgy and for the Sabbatarians. Since both are now
fixed by calculation, they remain that way until eternity! As for the BCL, a
monthly calendar for each year has to be drawn up, and moreover, it needs to
be checked and verified in order to follow the principles of fixing the New
Year day and the New-Moon day for every month. It has to be determined
what year should have a leap month. The purpose of searching for a Scripture-
based calendar – (1) To study and compare how different calendar systems
which materially affect understanding of timelines in the Bible and (2) to find
the very calendar used in the Scripture to help us follow the Passion Week
narrative clearly and accurately, no confusion or conflict among different
Crucifixion day scenario.

A lunar calendar has only use for special purpose – for religious or civil festivals inn
different cultural traditions. When we have the accurate Scripture-based calendar it
is essential to have the true Biblical lunar calendar in order to understand the whole
Passion Week narrative and its timeline. The traditional Gregorian calendar, which
is the international civil calendar, is not only unhelpful but actually misleading,
hence misinterpretation. We are to find the date of the Crucifixion with help of the
biblical lunar calendar. Whether the date searched out may be found to fall on
Wednesday or Thursday (with Friday ruled out) when aligned with Gregorian
calendar, it is not an iota of importance for us, except for its implication on the
Church liturgy and Sabbatarian tradition.

What is important and essential is that it was as the Passover [sacrifice] for YHWH
Elohim Yeshua the Mashiah died on the Passover Day of Abib 14. It cannot be on
any other day to serve the fundamental OT typology (historically and theologically
the only connection OT to NT). What day of the week it was is not relevant to the
Biblical narrative and chronology, since the named days of the planetary week is
alien to the Biblical times.

Abib 14 was the day of Passover [event] in Exodus; has been the day of Passover
[memorial] with a Passover sacrifice (lamb slaughtered) in the midafternoon for
Passover meal in the evening. Not to be confused rabbinic Jewish Passover of Nisan
15 (which should be clearly called as 1st day of their 7-day long Passover festival),
which corresponds to first day of the 7-day long Festival of the Matzah (as in
Gospelsb and OTc).

One has to see how immensely important it is to grasp the Biblical Lunar Calendar
to help understand the Biblical narrative in correct timeline. It is not much of

a
A better name for globally minded millennium would be International Civil Calendar (ICL).
b
Mk 14:1; Lk 22:1;
c
Exo 12:14b-20; 13:3-7; 23:15; Lev 23:6-8; Num 28:17-25; Deu 16:3-4, 8, 16; 2Ch 8:13;

94
significance of having the certain day of the week which the Crucifixion or the
Resurrection has to be, except religious liturgical traditions. The salient points are
again listed: (1) that a biblical day begins at sunrise; (2) that Sabbath is on the 7th
day of the lunar week which is not related to our Saturday (despite Sabbatarian
practice); (3) that there are four sabbath days in one lunar month; (3) that Sabbath
rest was effected on daytime period only, as the night period itself is for the time of
resting, and (4) that we have to have our vocabulary in which the all the words or
terms related to time, date, and festivals require unambiguous definition to bring out
their meaning clearly in the text. [E.g. Passover (memorial) – with the Passover meal
(a memorial meal) on Abib 14 evening – is not same as the 7-day long Passover
Festival (= the Festival of the Matzah; Abib 15 to 21.]

It is prudent and sensible to follow the timeline in terms Abib dates and the numbered
days of the lunar week. However, below is a diagram for those insist to compare the
two scenarios in term of the named days of the planetary week.
from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection

A biblical Scenario (Wed vs. Thu)

† † 

Tue/Wed Wed/Thu ᄉ Thu/Fri Fri/Sat  Sat/Sun 

Abib 13 Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16 17

Day 6@ Day 7 Day 1

Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 16 Nisan 17

The Friday Scenario

† † 

Wed Thu Fri Sat  Sun

 To Golgotha; † † Crucifixion;
 Resurrection;  wrong resurrection time in the non-biblical Wednesday scenario;
ᄉ– Passover meal; @ Day of the lunar week
[With this simplified diagram above it is to be seen how the Matthean phrase ‘3 D and 3 N’
(Mt 12:40) has been interpreted to fit in various Crucifixion-Resurrection scenarios.

A sensible interpretation takes it not as the duration of his being buried or remained dead with
'the middle of the earth' as same as 'underground', but if His suffering and death with the phrase
as a Hebrew idiom of 'Yerusalem': Three days, that is, Abib 14 (day + night), 15 (day + night),
and 16 (day + night). It is full three days’ duration for His suffering AND death; from His
picking-up His Cross early morning – till the Resurrection dawn.]
Cf. a diagram in http://jesus-messiah.com/studies/resurrection.html
Cf. That Abib 14 falls on Wednesday in the proleptic Gregorian calendar is derived from the
accurate astronomical data on the conjunction date and time, and the sunrise time of that date
in 30 CE. Then the next step is to determine what date to be the New-Moon day for beginning
of Abib, which then the date for Abib 14 Crucifixion day. In the ancient time, if people relied
on the sighting of the first crescent, the date could fall on a day later. In that case, the day of
95
Crucifixion would fall on Thu (Apr. 6) as in the Thursday Crucifixion scenario, though no
astronomical and calendric consideration were ever clearly presented and analyzed by the
proponents of the scenario.

96
 Passover and Unleavened Bread

Roman reckoning of hours and the significance of Jn 19.14 'about sixth hour'

Though the Roman legal day began at midnight, yet, the official Roman reckoning hours in the
daytime was from sunrise, not from midnight as often quoted.

This fact has not been well searched for. Thus, some claims that what G-John used a different Roman
reckoning method – civil one – counting hours from midnight. They find this to help resolve what
they see as contradiction in the Passion narratives - the time of the Crucifixion (‘third hour’ in Mk
15:25) vs. the time of Pilate’s sentencing (‘sixth hour’ in Jn 19:14).a [Not to be confused with
reckoning ‘calendar day’ to start on different times should not be confused with erroneous thinking
a day begins any other time than sunrise as is in the Jewish mindset – mixing up a day as a calendar
day with a day that which should begin at sunrise.]
[See details in the companion file <Walk through the Scripture # 6 - Passion Week
Chronology’>.]

The biblical very crucial to solve the Passion Week timeline is Jn 19:14 ‘hōra de hōsei hekstē–
'about sixth hour' for the time when Pilate was handing down sentencing on Yeshua.

It is not same a notion as ‘noon’ (JNT, NET, NRSV, NIrV, TNIV, GNB, TCNT, ISV, NLT)
or ‘twelve o’clock noon’ (AMP expansion) in our modern expression.

It is neither ‘six in the morning’ (HCSB), or worse, ‘six o’clock in the morning (GW, AUV,
WNT) which is based on erroneous interpretation. Cf. PNT has it ‘towards midday’ which is
quite accurate and easy to grasp – the only acceptable paraphrase close to the sense in the text.
Note that there is a separate Greek word for ‘midday’. [See ‘* midday’ below.] [It would be
theoretically possible rather precisely match ‘sixth hour’ with ‘11 a.m. to twelve o’clock noon’
— only if in the case of the daytime length of 12 hours with sunrise at 6 a.m.]

The expression ‘about in sixth hour’ is in the sense of ‘sometime within the sixth hour’; it does
not mean to be somewhere in-between (middle of) fifth hour and (middle of) seventh hour.

A ‘sixth hour’ as on a sundial is an hour period just before the midday. The verse is a crucial
one to help clarify the Passion Week timeline. The context for the time setting of Pilate’s
sentencing tells not only what date his sentencing was, but also what date the Crucifixion was.
Narrative tells us that the word 'day' is that which begins sunrise throughout the bible.
Unfortunately, it is easily confused with a ‘calendar day’, which may be reckoned to start at
the arbitrary time such as 12 a.m. (in the Gregorian calendar) and, more problematically, at
sunset (in the rabbinic Jewish calendar). The sad result: the biblical key for the timeline in the
Pasion Week narrative is missed.

aAfter James Hastings, et al (1904, 1912), A Dictionary of the Bible – Extra Volume
https://ia800505.us.archive.org/29/items/DictionaryOfTheBibleExtraVolume/DictionaryOfTheBibleExtraVolu
me.pdf
https://ia600505.us.archive.org/29/items/DictionaryOfTheBibleExtraVolume/DictionaryOfTheBibleExtraVolu
me_text.pdf (OCR’ed) [Caution: Kindle edition is unreadable from being copied from OCR]
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ahdVAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=
GBS.PA477
https://ia700407.us.archive.org/35/items/cu31924029271223/cu31924029271223.pdf (Original volume)
97
Matzah Festival; unleavened bread

The Festivals of the Matzah; the Matzah Festival

[Heb. Chag Matzoth. Exo 12:17; 23:15; 34:18; Lev 23:6; Deu 16:16a; 2Ch 30:21; Cf.
three pilgrimage festivals: 2Ch 8:13]
Only for the name of the Festival itself IRENT uses the Hebrew word matzah (singular
form) is used, instead of a common English rendering of ‘Unleavened Bread’ (which is
often capitalized). b The expression ‘unleavened bread’ or ‘Festival of the Matzah’ (Mt
26:17; //Mk 14:22; //Lk 22:7) does not appear in G-John. Variously translated as ‘the
Festival of the Unleavened Bread’ – NWT-4, NIV; ‘the Feast of Unleavened Bread’ –
ESV; ‘the feast of unleavened bread’ – KJV.

A 7-day festival (Abib 15th-21st) after the Passover day. Only unleavened bread is
allowed and is taken from Abib 14 evening (Exo 12:18). In this week, Abib 15 is high
sabbath (Jn 19:31); Abib 22nd is 7th day of the lunar week = sabbath (unrelated to
Saturday). – Abib 21st (7th last day of the festival) a special day??

While the expression ‘the days of the Matzah’ (in Act 12:3; 20:6) refers to the festival
season of Passover, the exact phrase ‘the Festival of the Matzah’ occurs only once (Lk
22:1b) where it says “… the so-called Passover [Festival]”. c

Note: unleavened bread (matzah) itself is eaten necessarily from Abib 14 [as explicitly
stated in Exo 12:18] with the very Passover meal. Thus, the day of the Passover (Abib
14 with Passover lamb slain) itself is the ‘first’ day of eating the unleavened bread during
the 8-day long Passover festival season (which is Passover day + Festival of the Matzah).
This fact should help understand that the expression ‘at the beginning for the unleavened
bread’ (Mt 26:17 IRENT) and 'at the beginning day for the unleavened bread' (//Mk
14:12 IRENT) do not refer to the festival itself as most translates it as the "first day of
the Festival' of Unleavened Bread. In addition, IRENT renders Gk. prōtē S4413 as ‘the
beginning, not as ‘first’ to make it clearer that the day is Abib 12 – the day of Last Supper.
[Note: Seder in rabbinic Judaism is in the evening of Nisan 15 in their calendar.]

a
For interpretation on Deu 16:8, see the section Examining Scripture Passages with Time-marker to
follow below in this paper.
b
[Cf. http://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A2791820 The History of Bread Yeast.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread#Steam_leavening
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_rising_bread
www.associatedcontent.com/article/1409609/oldfashioned_saltrising_bread.html?cat=22 ]
c
Ref. Josephus, Wars II.I.1-3 “And now that the festival of unleavened bread had already come, which
is called Pesach [Passover] by the Jews, one that contributes such a large number of sacrifices,
countless people, on the one hand, stream in from the country for the ceremony, while, on the other
hand, those mourning for the doctors stood in the temple procuring recruits for their faction.”
Josephus, Antiquities, XIV.II “as this happened at the time when the feast of unleavened bread was
celebrated, which we call the Passover.”
Ref. The Feast [sic] of Passover consists of two parts: the Passover Ceremony and the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. Originally, both parts existed sepa-rately, but at the beginning of the exile they
were combined” (The Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol. 13, “Passover,” p. 169). Cf. pesach sheni (‘second
Pesach’, which was a month later - Num 9:9-13) – discontinued since the destruction of the Second
Temple.
98
<*Passover, *Pesach>
For Vocabulary, See <Walk through the Scripture #5A - Festival, Feast and Passover>
See also BW #6 for Passion Week Chronology.

Related words: 'Passover Festival', 'Passover feast', 'Festival of the Matzah' = 'Festival of the Unleavened
Bread'; Passover (festival) season; Passover celebration; 'the Passover meal', Seder.

Text verses in times reference to the Passover

The Phrase in the Passion narrative

Mk 15:6; the Festival of the Passover
Jn 12:1 six days before the Passover [Festival]
Jn 13:1 before [coming of] the Festival of the Passover
Jn 13:29 for the upcoming Passover Festival
Jn 19:14; eve of the Passover memorial [day]
Mk 14:1 'Passover and the Festival of the Matzah'
Lk 22:1 Festival of the Matzah, called Passover [Festival]
Mt 27:15; Jn 12: 20 the Festival

The Phrase outside the Passion narrative

Jn 4:45; Jn 12:12, 20 the Passover Festival
Jn 2:23; the Passover [Festival]
Jn 6:4; the Passover, the Festival of Yehudim
Lk 2:41; the Festival of the Passover

99
[festival hē heortē S1859] [The word 'Passover' - all are in reference to Passover Festival,
except Jn 19:14 as a singular example of 'Passover memorial', i.e., the day of Passover
sacrifice to YHWH.]

*eve of the Passover’ vs. ‘preparation day’ (< 'eve')

Jn 19:14 eve of the Passover (Gk. paraskeuē tou pascha; Heb. Erev Pesach = Gk. prosabbato
(to check reference) ░░ ("eve" = the day before a special day; not to be confused with
'evening'). This is a very important day in the Passion Week narrative which is the day of Trial
of Yeshua before Pilate. It was Abib 13, the day before the Passover day, not Abib 14, the day
of the crucifixion. [See ‘Appendix - Jn 19:14 ‘eve of the Passover day’]

It should not be confused with the sabbath-preparation day of the Passover Festival. Thus, the
expression ‘preparation of the Passover’ a is ambiguous and may mislead in our following
narrative timeline. Hence IRENT translation in order to avoid confusion.

Greek word paraskeuē (‘preparation’) is used as metonymic of ‘preparation day’ (i.e., ‘eve’).
Though it is used in the NT mostly in reference to preparation for sabbath (as ‘day before
sabbath’ as in customary expression)b, there is a single instance, however, here in Jn 19:14, the
context tells that it should be understood as its basic meaning – that the word preparation here
is not of preparation for sabbath day in the Passover festival season (Jn 19:31), nor about
preparing the (Passover or Matzah) Festival as such, but it is for the Passover memorial day.
IRENT renders it here as ‘eve’ (instead of ‘preparation’). This way it helps avoid misleading
association of ‘preparation’ with ‘preparation for sabbath’. That is, ‘preparation day' is simply =
eve. Note: 'eve' is not to be confused as 'evening']

[Cf. In the rabbinic Jewish calendar the ‘Passover festival’c (from Nisan 15). Nisan 14 is labeled
Erev Pesach. It is the eve of their Passover festival' (= the Matzah Festival), (not the eve of
biblical Passover), beginning at sunset the evening before the date on the Gregorian calendar,
whereas Abib 14 is the day beginning at sunrise.]

a
[One instance needs a scrutiny: What is usually translated as ‘the preparation of the Passover’ in Jn 19:14 is not ‘the
sabbath-preparation’ of the Passover [festival] (= Festival of the Matzah), but ‘eve of Pesach [day of sacrifice and
meal]’ – this verse has been the source of much confusion because apparent contradiction between the Synoptics and
G-John could not be reconciled for conflicting time/date of the Crucifixion/death (Mk 15:25 and Mt 26:45) and the
time/date of Pilate’ sentencing here in G-Jn.]
b Several European languages have the word etymologically derived from Gk. word to what is ‘Saturday’ in

English.
c Comparable to the Festival of the Matzah (Abib 15-21) in the Synoptic account is the ‘Passover Festival’ of rabbinic

Jewish calendar, which is 7-day long from Nisan 15 to 21, labeled as Pesach I to VII. The Festival in the Diaspora
community is 8 days from Nisan 15 to 22, labelled as Pesach I to VIII.
100
Abib 12 Before coming of the Passover Festival (Jn 13:1);
Day of the Last Supper]
Abib 13 Eve of Passover day (Jn 19:14); [= Day of His Trial]
Abib 14 [= Day of Crucifixion] = Passover Day – the lamb to be slaughtered – eve of High
afternoon Sabbath (Jn 19:31);
Abib 14 Passover memorial meal –
evening
Abib 15 High Sabbath of the Matzah Festival; 7th day of the lunar week.
Wave Sheaf offering [Lev 23:10-11]
Abib 16
Resurrection day at dawn, closing part of the calendar day]
Festival of the Passover (Jn 13:1) = Festival of the Matzah (Lk 22:1) = 7-day (Abib 15 – 21); its 1st
and last days as special days.
Note: Evening of Abib 12 for the Last Supper would be reckoned as Nisan 13 (different calendar
date for night-time period).
Abib 13 for Yeshua’s Trial would be Nisan 13 (same date for both for daytime period.)
unleavened breads to be eaten during the entire festival season (8 days); (Passover day + 7-day
Festival of the Passover (=Festival of the Matzah) cf. Mat 14:1.)

101
 Calendation

Summary chart: The Last Part of the Passion Week

Here is a summary horizontal chart for the Last Part of the Passion Week.

Last Part of the Passion Week

˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅ ˄ ˅
● ☼ ● ☼ ● ☼ ☼ ●

LS TR CX ET R

*Nisan 13 Nisan 14 Nisan 15 Nisan 16 17

Apr 4 (Tue) Apr 5 (Wed) Apr 6 (Thu) Apr 7 (Fri) (Sat)

12 Abib 13 Abib 14 Abib 15 Abib 16

˅ sunrise; ˄ sunset; ☼ midday; ● midnight
LS Last Supper; TR Trial; CX – Crucifixion; ET – Entombed; R - Resurrection

Here S-W scenario (Abib 14 on Apr-5 Wed) is used. See how the reckoning by Abib is the only one to
make the timeline in the Passion narratives coherent without confusion or contradiction, when we read
that He was to be raised in seemingly conflicting time-marker expressions such as ‘on third day’ and ‘in
three days’ with Day 1 of Abib 14; Day 2 of Abib 15, and Day 3 of Abib 16. The names of the days of a
Gregorian week, such as Fri, Sat, and Sunday, non-biblical and anachronistic, only make the readers of
the Passion narrative befuddled.

102
Vocabulary:

space-time; dimensions, (universe, physics, cosmology); space of time; duration of time

Computus
• [Late Latin]: computation, calculation; reckoning
• determining (Lat. computare) of dates.
• A medieval set of tables for calculating astronomical events and movable dates in the
calendar.
• In ecclesiastical usage it covers the ensemble of rules by which the date of Easter is
reckoned.

www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/computus

*time

[See an attached file, “On the Substance of Time”.]

Problem with the word ‘time’ – a notion, a concept, an idea, a (technical) term, etc.

Such a mysterious thing is! [From Wikipedia: time is a dimension in which events
can be ordered from the past through the present into the future, and also
the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them. Time
has long been a major subject of study in religion, philosophy, and science,
but defining it in a manner applicable to all fields without circularity has
consistently eluded scholars…]. In the well-quoted Einstein's statement,
"time is what clocks measure", it is actually about ‘duration of time’, not
the notion of ‘time’ per se. Newtonian time – time as a dimension,
independent of events, in which events occur in sequence. Another view is,
it is, instead, a part of a fundamental intellectual structure (together with
space and number) within which humans sequence and compare events.
This second view, in the tradition of Gottfried Leibniz and Immanuel Kant,
holds that time is neither an event nor a thing, and thus is not itself
measurable nor can it be travelled. Time is one of the seven fundamental
physical quantities in the International System of Units] – here time is a unit
of duration of time.

Does the idea that time is a dimension really help us comprehend and feel what this thing called
‘time’? What about the way we perceive that time flows – and flows continuously without ‘time
freeze’?

As time, space, energy and matter – the whole shebang of physics and physical reality – is just a
God’s creation work by His fiat, the God of the Scripture is supra-temporal (beyond the time
dimension) though He intimately relates to it, especially for humankind, a creation after His own
image. Any statement which tells about God is necessarily anthropomorphic.

Like ‘energy’ in physics, which exists in discrete quanta, time itself may be seen to exist in
discrete time quanta. See Appendix below for ‘atom of time’

103
 Without movement, time cannot be measured. The modern calendar is a solar
calendar, which bases its days and years exclusively upon the sun. On the modern
calendar, weeks and months are not based on anything in nature. They are
completely arbitrary. This is different from the luni-solar calendar established by
Yahuwah at the creation of the world.

“Time is an abstraction at which we arrive by means of the changes

[motion] of things.” Austrian Physicist, Ernst Mach (1838-1916)

‘atom of time’:
Gk. word atomos (English word ‘atom’ is derived from it) would be an indivisible
smallest discrete unit. It was used to describe theoretically the smallest indivisible unit
of matter (Leucippus, 460 BC). It carries the idea of "indivisible," and the
speaker/writer is free to supply any category/object. This is a rather common
characteristic of any language.

BDAG cites Aristotle, Physics 236a en atomō as referring to an instant of time.

Symmachus's translation of Isa. 54:8 uses the same phrase to indicate an instant, but
he's late 2nd century CE. (from Webb Mealy)

1Co 15:52 en atomō, en hripē ophthalmou “in an atom of time, in a blink of an eye”.
KJV and others translate the phrase as 'in a moment'. [See an attached file ‘On the
Substance of Time’ for its intuitive and interesting presentation.]

There is no reason not to apply this word to ‘time’ in addition to ‘matter’ (down to
atom before its internal structure further became known – nucleus and electrons, etc.),
as the concept of quantum for ‘energy’ in modern physics. The term ‘atom’ as an
indivisible unit of time, is comparable to ‘quantum’ in modern physics parlance. A
discrete smallest unit of time which runs in succession, giving illusion of continuous
and ever-flowing. In between the atoms of time would be ‘absolute void, emptiness,
absence, 無 (kanji ‘mu’); 无 (simplified Chinese, ‘wu’). [See a further development of
the idea in this line in Ref. I. M. History (1998), The Far Side of Armageddon. (ISBN:
5550116049)]

[The philosopher Whitehead] suggests that all created entities are made up of drops of
experience, and that existence itself, life itself for us humans, is an ordered series of
extremely brief occasions of experience. Ref. Korsmeyer JD ‘Evolution & Eden’ p. 97
(1998 Paulist Press). Prob. from ‘Process and Reality’ (Alfred North Whitehead).

104
Calendation based on the Scripture

Vocabulary

Calendar, calendation, lunar cycle, lunation. Epact (age of the Moon in phase).
‘embolic month’ ‘intercalary 13th month’. Synodic months (lunar phases).

'tropical vs. sidereal year for intercalary month. Metonic cycle.

*Embolic years (with a leap month) in the rabbinic Jewish calendation (*leap
year; ‘pregnant year’ Shanah Me'uberet) in 19-year Metonic cycle keeps the
spring season on time; barley harvest for the Passover season is assured.
[Note: the Metonic rule itself does not apply to the calendar in the biblical times.]

Ref:
www.worldslastchance.com/creation-week-/if-unbroken-chains-of-weeks-are-not-the-evidence-for-
the-creation-week-then-what-is.html
www.creationcalendar.com/CalendarIssue/28-8-15-22-29_Proof.pdf
www.creationcalendar.com/GraceAmadon/GreatCalendarControversy.pdf
[not to be confused with a bogus web articles on www.torahcalendar.com/ ]

Based on the article On Jewish calendar – a COGWA study paper

https://web.archive.org/web/20150323154037/http://members.cogwa.org/uploads/Hebrew_Calendar
_-_Study_Paper.pdf (2013 Church of God, a Worldwide Association); accessed 2016/6/6 (a copy is
found in the IRENT Supplement III (Collections #5). It is not aware of difference of solar vs. lunar
year for 7th day of the week.

It should include those details, arguments and conclusions to search and recognize the true Biblical
lunar calendar – these are found here and there in this very PDF file. The aim is to help the readers
understand the Scripture text related to the chronology and festivals, rather than to come up such a
calendar to be employed by the modern readers of the Bible.

www.yhrim.com/The_7_Day_Continuous_Cycle_from_Creations_Myth.pdf

Genesis 1:14-18 And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the shamayim
/heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs /Sabbaths and for
moadim /Feast, and for days, and years:

I’m only using the 14th verse, you can read the 15th through the 18th verses for yourself
If people could only understand, this is referring to the sun and moon; they would be
able to see from just this one verse, that YHWHs Calendar is Lunar-Solar by looking at
His Two Heavenly Witness, the sun and moon.
There is no such thing as a 7-day Continuous cycle from creation, that is a “myth”, and
we will prove this. In this document, The Word will prove to you how that YHWHs
Calendar is a Solar- Lunar Calendar just as it states in Genesis 1:14-18 and many other
verses and was put enforce in the very beginning.
YHWH /Yahuah instructs Moshe to make two silver trumpets

105
Numbers 10:1 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, 2 Make two trumpets of silver; of a
whole piece shall you make them: that you may use them for the calling of the
congregation, and for the journeying of the camp.
Numbers 10:10 Also in the day of your Simcha / joy, and in your moadim /Feast, and in
the beginnings of your chodashim /month, you shall blow with the trumpets over your
burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your shalom /peace offerings; that they may
be to you for a memorial before your Elohim: I am YHWH your Elohim.

YHWH said that two silver trumpets were to be blown in the beginning of your months.
Every month in those days had 30 days. Then a new month was to begin. This shows us
a very important point; time was not set on a Continuous 7-day cycle. It was set by the
new moon each month, called Rosh Chodesh.

We take 30 days and divide it by the so called 7-day cycle from creation and what do we
get? 30 divided by 7 = 4 weeks and 2 days. This gives us four 7-day weeks with 2 days
left over at the end of the month. This proves that it impossible to have a 7-day
continuous cycle from creation. People are trying to use and to defend the pagan
Babylonian/Julian/roman/Gregorian calendar to show a continuous 7-day cycle that does
not exist.

Also with the pagan calendar, the days of the week float all over the place. A roman
calendar which has a Saturday or Sunday on the 17th of this month, might be the 14th
next month. The days of the week move and change every month when compared to
what days of the month they land on. This is what happens when satan changes
anything! This is exactly the opposite from what YHWH's Word States.

All throughout YHWH's Word, He shows that His Weekly Shabbats, are always the 8th,
15th, 22nd, & 29th Days of the month, EVERY Month. The 7th Day Shabbat of each
week does not change or float!! You will never find a Shabbat in YHWH's Word that
occurs on any other day other than the 8th, 15th, 22nd, & 29th. This Alone destroys the
roman calendar.
We will begin to prove a 30-day month using the sun and moon, YHWHs Solar Lunar
Calendar. You must understand how to read YHWHs Calendar, the sun and moon, in
order to know the 30-day months.
Now let’s begin to understand YHWH's Calendar, that it is a Solar Lunar Calendar, and
NOT a 7-day continuous cycle “Myth”

The Word teaches that new moon / Rosh Chodesh is similar to a Shabbat Day. Let’s
read one of many verses about Rosh Chodesh in Amos 8:5
Saying, When will the Rosh Chodesh be gone, that we may sell our corn? And the
Shabbat, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel large,
and falsifying the balances by deceit?

Some of the Torah - Breaking Israelites wanted Rosh Chodesh / new moon and the
Sabbath to go by quickly, so they could sell their merchandise to the people. Both Rosh
Chodesh and the Sabbath is being shown as set apart days. Set apart for what? Set Apart
Days unto Yahuah, when we are to Worship Him and eat of His Word! His Sabbath day
is a day of Worship, Teaching and a day of rest.
We will go to the Book of Sefer Yahshar/Scroll of ….
(note here: they take sunset-sunset calendar)

106
* Biblical Calendation for New-Moon day and the New year

Visibility of the new moon crescent

The term ‘astronomical new moon’ is synonymous to (lunar) conjunction. It does not mean the first
visible crescent moon, nor the biblical word 'New-Moon' (day).

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/crescent.php (Crescent Moon Visibility)

"Generally, the lunar crescent will become visible to suitably-located, experienced observers
with good sky conditions about one day after New Moon. However, the time that the crescent
actually becomes visible varies quite a bit from one month to another. Naked-eye sightings as
early as 15.5 hours after New Moon have been reliably reported while observers with telescopes
have made reliable reports as early as 12.1 hours after New Moon."

Determining the New-moon day: "Dawn After Conjunction" method

In the Bible, first day of the lunar month is called the New-Moon day.

Ref: (WLC - New-moon-day-the-dawn-after-conjunction) The "dawn after conjunction" method for

a specific location is the only method to allow properly determine the biblical New-Moon day of
a month (Day 1) with the day to begin with sunrise. The ancient tradition of "observing first visible
crescent" method is impractical, being affected by the observers' visibility problem and requires
the day after the first visible crescent.

To determine the New-Moon day is by the 'dawn after conjunction' crescent' method. 'sighting
of the first visible crescent in Jerusalem cannot be used to determine the New-Moon day which
should be applicable on the global basis. It is NOT just the day after the first visible crescent, with
the observers' visibility problem.

[Note: the article says 'the Beginning a Day at Dawn': Instead of 'sunrise and sunset' for a day
(light) period (= 12 hour-periods), the author uses 'dawn and dusk'. Here, 'dawn' as 'dawning'
synonymous with 'sunrise', not as a time period or as 'dawn watch' (4th watch of night).]
https://youtu.be/tZGkk3yahAU How to Identify New-Moon day

107
Astronomical data needed:
'dark moon', 'astronomical new moon' – moon at conjunction.
Vernal equinox date and time
• Dark moon date and time – conjunctions before and after equinox
• Sunrise time
[Ref: wlc/calculating-the-conjunction-no-computer <https://youtu.be/YnBokmH49VA> -
Calculating Conjunction - No Computer, No Problem

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php
VERNAL EQUINOX; FULL MOON [On or next after date of equinox]; NEW
MOON [On or preceding date of equinox & Following equinox]
wlc/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html

A related question:

A scenario – we are stranded in an island with inhabitant and have no record of what
day/month it is. How do we create a calendar of a month if we do not know how to determine
what day/date is today when we are isolated from outside world with no way to communicate
- computers with various programs, telescopes clocks, watches, etc.

*turn of the year; *equinox

*Equinox

[adopted from www.iahushua.com/ST-RP/Calendar2.html ]

https://web.archive.org/web/20160209062052/http://www.iahushua.com/ST-RP/Calendar2.html
It is the sun and the moon that determine days, months, years, and set-times (* moed ) ; / (Gen 1:14
“and let them (luminaries – sun and moon) be as signs for set-times and days and year.”).
░░ [H4150 moed – appointed time, place; meeting] /designated times; /appointed times – Jubilee2k; /xx:
festivals – HSCB ('religious ~' – GW); /xx: seasons – KJV, NASB, ESB, most; /xx: sacred times – NIV; /[set-
times include sabbaths and festivals (Lev 23:1-44) which are governed by both the sun and the moon (as in a
luni-solar calendar). The rabbinic calendar is a half- baked luni-solar, having luni-solar months, but solar
weeks.]

Only in the settled agricultural societies harvest can be tied to their festivals. E.g. Israel after Exodus.
Thus, it is not the green ears of barley, but sun and moon which determine the calendar and therefore
the year. If not the barley harvest, what then signals the beginning of one year after the end of the
other? The equinox and the New-Moon day do this.

The *equinox occurs because of the (apparent) action of the sun. The earth, which is tilted 23.5
degrees, orbits the sun, creating our seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter). The equinox occurs
when the sun "crosses" the equator. [ /Ecliptic_coordinate_system ]
Cf. ‘astronomical equinox’ vs. ‘ecclesiastical (approximation) of equinox’]
Cf. /Equinox 'vernal (spring) equinox' Mar 20; 'autumnal or fall equinox' Sep 23.

108
Equinox:
… Anciently there were several different means of computing the equinox. There was the method of
picking a date between the solstice dates. There was a method of picking the midpoint between the
solstice points. There was the method of using an equinox ring. There was the method of using a date
calculated in the past and still adhered to by tradition. There was the method of calculating the date.
The most ancient method, however, was to locate the cardinal point of west. The day upon which the
sun set due west or very slightly north of due west became the first day of the year. This is the simple
observational method of finding the equinox. …
www.torahtimes.org/writings/an-ancient-tradition/article.html

The Hebrew word for it is tekufah, and refers to the solstices as well as to the equinoxes.
Tekufot (plural) means "seasons"; literally, "circuit, to go around" ... tekufah refers to the true equinox,
not the mean equinox. [Encyc. Judaica, Vol. 5; Article: Calendar, p 46.]
• The tekufah (singular) of Nisan denotes the sun at the vernal equinox.
• The next tekufah denotes the summer solstice.
• The third tekufah denotes the fall equinox.
• The fourth tekufah denotes the winter solstice.
Tekufah appears in the Scriptures four times, and relates to the calendar at least three times.
• "And it came to pass at the end [tekufah] of the year that the Syrians came up against
him: ..." (2Chr 24:23). This refers to the end and, therefore, the beginning of another
year, demarcated by the Vernal Equinox and the New-Moon day.
• "And you shall observe the feast of weeks, even the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and
the Festival of Ingathering (syn. Festival of Sukkot; not a day of 'feast') at the year’s
end [tekufah] (Exo 34:22). This refers to the fall equinox, the end of the summer
growing season.
• "In them [the heavens] he has set a tent for the sun, which comes forth like a
bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. It's
rising is from the end of the heavens and its circuit [tekufah] to the end of them, and
there is nothing hid from its heat." (Psa 19:4, 5 RSV). This speaks of the sun's daily
course, or its yearly circuit through the equinoxes and the solstices, or both.
• "And it came to pass, when the time was come [tekufah] about, that Hannah
conceived, and bore a son; ..." (1Sam 1:20). This may indirectly allude to the calendar
year.
In any case, the above Scriptures indicate that the ancients had understanding on the equinox and its
place in the calendar.

109
wlc-biblical-calendation-reckoning-the-new-year.html

(1) spring equinox: in the beginning of the biblical year. [Passover Festival; barley
harvest – 2Ch 24:33]
(2) autumnal equinox: in the middle of the biblical year. [The Sukkot Festival; wheat
harvest –Exo 34:22], [Lev 23:34 'On the fifteenth day of this seventh month']

H8141 shanah 'year'

H8666 tekufa 'turn' -- "at the turn of the year" [(5x) 2Sam 11:1; 1Kg 20:22, 26; 1Ch 20:1;
36:10 – all spring time]
H8622 tequphah or tekufa (4x) 'turn' 'coming around' – "at the turn of the year" – [2Ch 24:23
(spring); Exo 34:22 (autumn – the only example)]
Exo 34:22 [in the fall] at the turn of the year ░░ /at the turn of the year - NRSV, CJB, NASB, NWT,
ISR, NIV duo, BBE, ISV, MSG, LITV, Darby; /x: at the end of the year – NET; /xx: at the year’s end –
most, KJV++, ASV, MKJV; /at the turn of the agricultural year- HCSB; />> in the autumn – GNB; />>
in the fall – NIrV, ERV; /xxx: at the end of the season – CEV; /xx: at the end of the harvest season –
NLT;

1Kg 20:22 at the turn of the year ░░ - NASB, YLT; /x: at the return of the year – KJV, ASV; /next
spring – NIV; /in the spring – ESV, HCSB; /x: early this next year – ISV; /the next year – Douay;

cf. Jos 3:15 'harvest time; /harvest season [H7105. qatsiyr + H3117 yom]

msn.com/fall-equinox-2019-not-as-equal-as-you-may-think/

www.gci.org/law/festivals/harvest
www.zimbio.com/pictures/ht0wjSaeeub/Wheat+Harvest+Begins+In+Israel ]

110
 …. What time of the year should we be looking for this event of ‘turn of the year’
to begin Abib 1st to occur? (cf. such as Exo 34:22 which was at Fall)

It should occur toward the end of the year (not after). Why? Because this event is
telling us when the next year begins, so it must occur before the current year
ends. You do not need to know an Exact Day when the Turn of the Year occurs,
as you do with equinox. Only which Month, either the 12th or 13th month, the
Turn of the Year occurs in.
What time of the month should we be looking for this event? The 15th day of the month
as it is the only time of the month that both witnesses, the Sun and the Moon, are visible
at close to the same time of day, at sunset. At this time of the month, the moon is full.
Therefore, the moon is directly across from the Sun, and the moon is rising as the sun is
setting. It, being the 15th day of the last month of the year, also gives any Yisraelite enough
notice ahead of time, when they are required to be at Yerusalem for Passover]
www.yhrim.com/The_Turn_of_the_Year.pdf (a copy in the collection)
www.yhrim.com/Hizqiyahu_the_Sun_Dial_of_Ahaz___the_29-30_day_month_-
_Updated_12-5994.pdf]

A simple observation of the sunset and the moon rising to tell the turn of the
year. www.yhrim.com/The_Turn_of_the_Year.pdf which dictates whether
13th month is required. [Q: Any formula to determine without observing
sunset and moonrise relationship?]

Reckoning the New Year

How is the first day of a new year determined on the Gregorian calendar system? Any astronomical
consideration?

How to determine 1st day of the 1st Month in the Biblical calendar: = Method to determine
the New Year day:
The Passover should not come before the equinox and the season should be in line with
spring harvest (barley).

New-Moon CLOSEST to the equinox

wlc-biblical-calendation-reckoning-the-new-year.html
– a copy in Collections #5 for IRENT Vol. III - Supplement.]
"The Biblical New Year is reckoned by the New-moon closest to the vernal
equinox. (at the *turn of the year in the beginning of a biblical year) ["closest but it
should not bring Yom Kippur of Tishri 10 before the Fall equinox" – to check for
an article on this issue. If the one coming after the equinox is chosen, how far late
the Passover would come in April?]
(1) What does the Bible say or indicate about the New Year? Exo 12:2, Gen 1:14-15
(2) What do 1st century historians tell us about the New Year? Philo; Flavus Josephus;
Vernal equinox AD 31 – Mar 22.
Passover cannot fall before the equinox
Passover full moon must occur after equinox.

111
 (3) Scripture indicates that the sun, moon, and stars are to be used for timekeeping. (Gen
1:14-16; the sign of Aries)
(4) According to the Metonic Cycle, there are seven embolismic years within a 19-year
cycle:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1 Exo 9:31 records that the barley and the flax were nearing maturity when they were
destroyed by the plague of hail. By this, we know that it was springtime, or nearing
springtime.
2 There are approximately 180 days between the autumnal equinox and the vernal equinox.
3 The First Fruits offering was to take place on the 16th day of the first month, following the

Sabbath of Unleavened Bread. (See Lev 23:9-11.)

"The year began with the month of Abib (or Nisan) (Exo 12:2, 23:15, Esther 3:7) with the
new-moon nearest the vernal equinox." [It keeps the 1st month be the month of aviv (green
ear of barley) with the Wave Sheaf Offering of Aviv 16th.] [Ref. William F. Dankenbring,
When Does the Biblical year begin? www.triumphpro.com/year-new-look-at-beginning-
of.pdf ]

Compare this with the unattainable argument below:

New-Moon come AFTER the Vernal Equinox
www.hope-of-israel.org/barley.htm [A copy in the Collection]
<John D. Keyser, "Does YEHOVAH God’s Year Start with the Barley Harvest?">
“…
If we hope to choose the New Moon nearest (either before or after) the equinox, we may
fail because of the uncertainty in the length of the lunar month. Suppose we choose a
New Moon, 15 days before the vernal equinox on the assumption the month will have
30 days. However, suppose it turns out to have only 29 days -- we will not have chosen
the New Moon nearest the equinox since there are 15 days before, but only 14 days after!
We must wait until the equinox is established, and only then can we choose a New Moon
-- the New Moon next after that event. [this argument is not convincing - AJR]
Because of the uncertainty regarding the length of the month (and other reasons) the year
should always begin with the New Moon next AFTER the Vernal Equinox -- rather than
the New Moon nearest the equinox.”
[If we take an extreme case, suppose New-Moon day falls as many days (29 days) after
equinox (Mar 20), that is, Apr 18, Passover would be as late as May 1! On the other hand, NM
may occur only as many as 13 days (Mar 6) before Equinox in order to keep Passover after
Equinox.
www.yhrim.com/The_Turn_of_the_Year.pdf (in the Collection #5 for IRENT
Supplement III) – Dark Moon Day comes after Equinox for Aviv to arrive.

112
A *work sheet for Passover date

Mar 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31 Apr 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 May 1 2

[simplistically New-Moon day (Abib 1) is taken a day after the conjuction]

Equinox – March 20; Passover day = Abib 14.
1. Passover cannot be before the Equinox. Suppose Passover w/ Full noon is on the day of Equinox,
New-Moon day would be Mar 7. (Conjuction on Mar 6 earliest).
2. Suppose Conjuction is on the day of Equinox w/ New-Moon day on Mar 21.
Passover would be Apr 3.
3. How late in Apr the Passover can come? with full moon on Equinox, next full moon - Apr 18 or 19
with lunation of 29 or 30 days. The latest date for Passover would Apr 19. Conjunction on Apr 4 latest.
The question is: Passover can be on 2nd Full Moon after equinox?? Cf. In rabbinic Jewish calendar – the
Passover (Nisan 15) comes later than this when the previous month is Adar II. E.g. 2016 – Apr 22; 2005 –
Apr. 23; 2024 – Apr 23. Cf. 2000 & 2008 – Ap 19; Cf. 2011 – Apr 18 – after Adar II but Full moon on
Mar. 19.

113
 In CE 30 in the year Yeshua was crucified
Vernal Equinox: → Mar 22 Wed 22:37 [UTC]
Conjunction closest to Equinox: → Mar 22 Wed 19:46 [Jerusalem time]
Abib 1 (New-Moon Day) → Mar 23 Thu;
Abib 14 (Passover Day) → Apr 5 Wed [= the Crucifixion day]

Earliest and latest date for Jewish Pesach I (Nisan 15):

Case study: 2014 CE (w/ Adar II in 2013)

Nisan 15, Pesach I –– Apr 15 Tue
Easter – Apr 20

Case study: *2015 CE

Vernal equinox: Mar 20 UT 16:57; (EST 11:57) www.archaeoastronomy.com/2014.html

moon conjunction: Mar 20 UT 18:00; Israel 20 (CST 12:35; PST 10:36)
sunrise: Mar 20 (UT 13:54) (Israel 14:54; CST 06:53)
http://www.timebie.com/timezone/utcidt.php
Dawn after conjunction – Mar 21 – Abib 1
Apr 3 – Abib 14 - Biblical Passover

Nisan 15, Pesach I -– Apr 4 Sat; (Note: leap year 2013)

Easter – Apr. 5

114
www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/first-day-of-passover

Apr-25 in 2043*, 1929*

Mar-26 in 2013, 1899; 2089

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2029&country=34
http://lunaf.com/lunar-calendar/2029/04/13/ 13 April 2029 @ 21:40 UTC.

In the example of the year 2013/2014 CE = AM 5774 (leap year 17th in the 19-year
Metonic cycle): 2015/2016 CE = AM 5776 (leap year – year 19 of the 19-year
Metonic cycle):

• sunrise time 07:09 (Chicago) on Mar-11

• conjunction time 19:51 on Mar-11,
• the New-Moon day (Abib 1) is thus to be Mar-12 (for Abib 14 = Mar-25).

As to the beginning of Abib for the New Year, this conjunction on Mar-11 which is
closest to the equinox is what determines. Here the conjunction comes about 10 days
before the equinox. (www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-
lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html ).

2013 2014 2015 2016

115
A Comparison between different methods:

https://sites.google.com/site/calendarstudies/bible-
studies/bible_study_year_of_crucifixion

Note: The author takes AD 33 as the year of the Crucifixion, along with Nisan date –
starts at sunset on the day before on Gregorian date

New Year: there are two different ideas for when a new year begins.
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/biblical-calendation-reckoning-the-
new-year.html
• The first argues it begins with the moon conjunction closest to the vernal
equinox (but not more than 14 days earlier, i.e., one that would not result in
Passover occurring prior to the vernal equinox). [This ensures the Festival of
Ingathering to be very near, but not before, the fall equinox.]
• The second argues the new year begins with the first moon conjunction after
the vernal equinox (i.e., the post-equinox moon conjunction) – untenable.

New Month: there are two different ideas for when a new month begins.

• The first argues a new month begins on the day immediately following the
conjunction.
• The second argues it begins on the day following the conjunction plus 24 hours
(a period of 24 hours allows time for an observable crescent moon to form).

Various methods:

New year New month

using the conjunction starting on the day
Method 1: post-equinox immediately following the conjunction
Method 2 following the conjunction plus 24 hours
Method 3: closest to equinox immediately following the conjunction
Method 4: following the conjunction plus 24 hours
1 = post-equinox; the day after the conjunction
2 = post-equinox; the day + 24 hrs after conjunction
3 = closest to; the day after conjunction
4 = closest to; the day + 24 hours after conjunction

https://web.archive.org/web/20130605215923/https://www.worldslastchance.com/calendar-app-qaa-
general/which-dawn-and-dusk-times-should-we-follow--astronomical-nautical-or-civil.html

Which Dawn and Dusk times should we follow - Astronomical, Nautical, or Civil?

Question: Which Dawn and Dusk times should we follow when reckoning the parameters of day -
Astronomical, Nautical, or Civil? What does the Calendar App use?

116
Answer: Scripture is abundantly clear that a day begins at dawn and ends at dusk. The WLC
Calendar Application reckons the parameters of a day by astronomical twilight (of dawn). This is
because there is absolutely no trace of sunlight before or after this period. In order to carefully keep
the Sabbath day holy, all who love the Sabbath and the Creator will be vigilant to guard these times
of transition from dark to light and light to dark that begin and end each day.
Note: This particular point may be considered a 'grey area' where we believe some flexibility can be
applied. Therefore, where technology is unavailable or personal observation is preferred, the
following may be used:
• End of the day: the beginning of nautical twilight (when the stars appear)
• Beginning of the day: the end of nautical twilight (when the stars disappear)

For More on the Biblical Parameters of a Day:

• When Does a Day Begin? (Video)
• When Does a Day Begin? (Article)
• When Does a Day Begin? (eCourse)
• When does a Day Begin & End? (Luni-Solar: You Ask, We Answer)
You can learn more about the civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight here:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.php

His Worksheet to find dates with different methods for Abib 1 & 14
https://sites.google.com/site/calendarstudies/bible-
studies/bible_study_year_of_crucifixion
Year →
1st month ↓ 30 30 31 33

Vernal Equinox Mar 22 Wed 3/21 (12:28) 3/21 (06:16) 3/20 Sun (17:50)
20:00

pre-equinox 3/20 (19:46) 3/10 (00:19) 3/17 Thu (12:38)

Closest Mar 22 Wed
Conjunction 21:09
post-equinox 4/19 (11:36) 4/08 (13:32) 4/15 Fri (21:09)

1st day _ 4/20 4/9 4/17

Method 1
14th day _ 5/3 Fri 4/22 Tue 4/30 Sat

1st day _ 4/21 4/10 4/18

Method 2
14th day _ 5/4 Sat 4/23 Wed 5/1 Sun

1st day Mar 23 Thu 3/22 3/11 3/18

Method 3
14th day Apr 5 Wed 4/4 Thu 3/24 Mon 3/31 Thu

1st day _ 3/23 3/12 3/19

Method 4
14th day _ 4/5 Fri 3/25 Tue 4/1 Fri

Day of Crucifixion – 14th Correct data ↑ all data is his table - incorrect @

117
 Method 1 = post-equinox; the day after the conjunction
Method 2 = post-equinox; the day + 24 hrs after conjunction
Method 3 = closest to; the day after conjunction → the only acceptable method.
Method 4 = closest to; the day = 24 hours after conjunction

@ All data wrong even different from the references he cited. – See copies below.
However, it does show how different dates from different methods.

The author claims: His table has been shown that AD 33 is the only year that satisfies all
the relevant scriptures for the Crucifixion!! Other possible years can be excluded based on
either not satisfying a Friday Passover crucifixion, or for being too early to allow a
sufficient length for Jesus' ministry. [His problem was that of the traditional Friday
proponents – misreading the Gospel texts to read first day of the week as Sunday.]
As shown here, other possible methods of calculating new years and new months can
therefore be excluded since they do not come up with the final conclusion of a Friday
Passover on the 14th day of the 1st month for AD 33 with the Method #4.
… the Method #4 should be the appropriate method for determining a new year is to use
the moon conjunction that occurs closest to the vernal equinox, and that the first day of a
new month is one that follows the moon conjunction plus 24 hours (time to permit a
visible formation of a crescent moon).

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php GMT Julian

Julian Spring Equinox Dark Moon Full Moon

@
3 BC Mar 23 Sat 04:00 Mar 16 Sat 19:00 Mar 31 Sun 18:00
30 CE# Mar 22 Wed 20:00 Mar 22 Wed 18:00 Apr 6 Thu 20:00
31 Mar 23 Fri 03:00 Mar 11 Sun 23:00 Mar 27 Tue 11:00
33 Mar 22 Sun 15:00 Mar 19 Thu 10:00 Apr 3 Fri 15:00

@ - 3 BC, early Abib (Late March) - birth of Yeshua as a Passover lamb.

Cf. 3 BC Abib 14 (Mar 30 Sat)
# - 30 CE Abib 14 (Apr 5 Wed) - death of Yeshua as the Passover sacrifice.

118
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat5/LE-0099-0000.html

Lunar eclipses [BC 5 to CE 5]

https://web.archive.org/web/20090403060141/https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html
<Phase of the Moon 1 to 100 CE>
Year 30 CE

119
www.judaismvschristianity.com/passover_dates.htm [Passover Dates 26-34 AD]

The following astronomical data in the first three columns below was obtained from
the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department. The pertinent
file may be accessed at https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php.

Note. The times of day given in the second and third columns have been adjusted
+2 hours from U.S. Naval Observatory figures to account for the difference between
Jerusalem Israel and Greenwich England (universal) time.
It should also be noted that the first evening of a visible crescent moon (column 4)
always occurs only minutes after sundown, which is at the very beginning of a new
day on the Hebrew calendar. This Hebrew day correlates to the following day on
our Gregorian calendar as noted in the chart below (column 5). Column 6 is
Passover dates for the given years.

Conjunction 1st evening of visible 1st Nisan 14th Nisan

crescent (Passover)
CE Vernal equinox
Near or first after Gregorian; Beginning at sundown
equinox midnight to midnight the evening before)

= 30 AD – Abib 1 = Fri Mar 24; Abib 14 = Thu Apr 6. [i.e. Thu]

Note: 31 AD is astronomically wrong for the Passion date. 33 AD was based on the
wrong idea of the translation word 'Preparation' = Friday, whereas the word means
nothing more than 'eve' of a certain day (sabbath for most of examples).

120
Diagram from New-moon day: The Dawn After Conjunction
[here 'dawn' means sunrise, not dawn watch of the night]
{data translated to CE 30}
(A) 'Day after Conjunction' New-Moon Day reckoning:

[Note: the noon to midnight axis (yellow to blue) needs to be redrawn

with 2-hr counter-clockwise rotation – marked with red arrows.]

(B) 'Dawn after Conjunction' New-Moon Day reckoning:

This method allows the entire world to begin their New-moons, Sabbaths, and Feast Days on the
same 24-hour Solar Revolution.

121
Leap years and Metonic cycle
Q: At what year does the cycle begin? How has it been determined in the beginning?
Historical? What part of the 19-year cycle are we in now?
www.ahavasisraelgr.org/rabbi-q-and-a/648-jewish-calendar
The 19th and last year of a 19-year cycle is a leap year.
AM 5758 – 5776* [AM 5776 = 2015 – 2016 CE] – This year.
AM 5777 – 5795* [AM 5795 = 2034 – 2035 CE]

Ref. Arthur Spier, The Comprehensive Jewish Calendar, (a 400-year Gregorian/Jewish

calendar, along with all of the rules and calculations that determine the Jewish calendar.)

Cf. on Calendation - google book reading –

Fasti temporis catholici, and Origines kalendariæ. [With] ... =
https://ia801403.us.archive.org/23/items/fastitemporisca00unkngoog/fastitemporisca00unk
ngoog.pdf
Cf. the Jewish calendation; with counting for Tishri Oct-4-Thu to derive Passover to be on 31 CE Apr-
25-Wed (instead of Mar-27-Tue ???)
www.franknelte.net/pdf/pdf.php?article_id=111 Passover_dates_for_30_ad_and_for_31_ad. (A copy
in the Collection)

*Metonic cycle
What year is a leap year in Jewish calendar? What makes it that to begin with?

2015 – 2016 (for the Jewish Year - AM 5776)

--- A Hebrew Leap-Year of 13 months - 385 days ---
From September 14, 2015 ---Through--- October 2, 2016

[Jewish] scholars eventually declared years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 of the 19-year cycle
to be leap years of 13 months each. … A given Hebrew year is a leap year whenever its
value divided by 19 leaves a remainder that is 0, 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, or 17. For example, the
year 5757H (1996/1997 CE) is a leap year because after division by 19, the remainder is
0. That by the way also makes it the last year of the 303rd 19-year cycle.

In a Hebrew leap year, a 30-day month is added to the year. This month is today known as
the month of Adar I and is inserted immediately after the Hebrew month of Shevat. In our
times, the insertion tends to take place in the February/March period of the Gregorian
calendar year. …

[Quoting from Jonathan Hirshon (ed.), Hebrew Calendar Science and Myths
http://old.templesanjose.org/JudaismInfo/time/Hebrew_Calendar.pdf

QQ: How does the leap year cycle in the Biblical calendation compare with the Metonic cycle used in
the rabbinic Jewish calendar?

122
Mnemonic aid for Jewish leap years
[ http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/6376/how-do-i-know-if-its-a-hebrew-leap-
year ]
• 3, 6, 8, 10+1, 10+4, 10+7, and 10+9. (7 numbers to memorize).
• A piano keyboard arrangement (not actual number of keys to account for
the digits in there.)

[Edited on the Table 4.3 in Tom Anthony (2010), Crucified in Passover, pp. 62-63.]

Dates for Jewish Passover in a 19-year cycle

Year Order # of months Nisan 15$

in the year @
1997 1 12 Apr-22
1998 2 12 Apr-11
1999 3 13 Apr-1
2000 4 12 Apr-20
2001 5 12 Apr-8
2002 6 13 Mar-28
2003 7 12 Apr-17
2004 8 13 Apr-6
2005 9 12 Apr-24
2006 10 12 Apr-13
2007 11 13 Apr-3
2008 12 12 Apr-20
2009 13 12 Apr-9
2010 14 13 Mar-30
2011 15 12 Apr-19
2012 16 12 Apr-7
2013 17 13 Mar-26
2014 18 12 Apr-15
2015 19 13 Apr-4
2016 1 12 *Apr-23 Sat
‘Jewish Passover’ is on Nisan 15
[beginning from sunset on the Gregorian day before]
2016 is Hebrew Year 5776.

123
 Q: How did a certain year got settled on position 0
in the cycle at the beginning?
*: Cf. Biblical Calendar
– Abib 14 is on Apr-21-Thu, not Apr-22-Fri.
Some variance is due to how the New-Moon day is being fixed
for Abib 1 and adjustment by the leap month.

@
One month added towards the end of the year to prevent Passover from occurring in the
winter in the following year – with Adar II appearing in March of next year, e.g. in 1929, ….,
2011, 2014, 2016, 2019, … 2043.)
$ Nisan 15 is for First day of the Festival of the Passover = of the Matzah. Cf. ‘Date of Passover

= Nisan 14' in his book, listing correct Gregorian dates for Nisan 14.

Note: The Rule of Postponements has no place in the biblical lunar calendar. But
how is the Metonic cycle applied to the biblical calendar? Where does 30 CE fall in
the cycle?

Metonic cycle [a cycle of 235 synodic months after which the phase of the moon
recurs on the same day of the year. (approx.) 19-year cycle.] [Meton of Athens (4th
c. BC)a

[www.astrologyweekly.com/dictionary/metonic-cycle.php The discovery about 432

BC by Meton, a Greek astronomer of Athens, of the moon's period of 19 years, at
the end of which the New-moon occurs on the same day of the year. Upon this he
based certain corrections of the lunar calendar. He figured the 19-year cyclic of 235
lunations (254 orbits) to consist of 6,939d, 16.5h. This he divided into 125 full
months of 30 days each, and 110 deficient months of 29 days each. (v. Lunar Month.)
the 235 full months, of 30 days each, totaled 7,050 days; hence it became necessary
to suppress 110 days or 1 in 64. Therefore, the month which contained the 64th day
became a deficient month. As the true Lunation period is 6,939d, 14.5h, his
calculations showed a deviation of only two hours.] [29.5 d /mo = 354 days/yr (12 mos).
https://youtu.be/diWyneRGgyk The 2000-Year-Old Computer - Decoding the Antikythera
Mechanism (2012)]

[The 19-year cycle does not cause the Jewish calendar to repeat itself every 19
Hebrew years. The 19-year cycle only refers to the positions of the 13-month years
in those cycles. These years are the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years
of the cycle. Any of those years can be either 383, 384, or 385 days long.
http://hebrewcalendar.tripod.com/#19 <The Jewish Calendar Repetition Cycle>]

There are seven embolismic years within the 19-year cycle – years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19. The
pattern of common versus embolismic years is as follows. Embolismic years (years containing 13
months) are shown in red: two regular years 7 & 18 sandwiched [Ref. The Metonic Cycle Made Simple
wlc.com - a copy of the file is Collections #5 for IRENT Supplement III.]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
There are never two embolismic years in a row.

a
cf. A mechanical computation of this cycle was built into the Antikythera mechanism, which dates from
around the end of the 2nd century B.C.
124
 There are never more than two common years before there is another embolismic year.

• There are never two embolismic years in a row.

• There are never more than two common years before there is another
embolismic year.

A 13th month is needed a little more than every third year. The pattern has been
from Hillel and holds now; but it cannot stay unchanged after a long span of time.a

[To determine whether a Jewish year is a leap year, one must find its position in the
19-year Metonic cycle. This position is calculated by dividing the Jewish year
number by 19 and finding the remainder. For example, Jewish year 5771 (2010-2011
CE) divided by 19 results in a remainder of 14, indicating that it is Year 14 of the
Metonic cycle.]

E.g. Year 2015/16 CE = AM 5776 – divided by 19 = remainder 0. That means it is

ear 19 of the cycle, i.e. leap year.b

www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/the-metonic-cycle-made-simple.html

The biblical calendar also requires intercalation. This is done by the addition of an extra month, a
13th month, in an "embolismic year". A strictly lunar calendar, such as that used by Muslims, floats
backward through the year. Thus, Ramadan sometimes occurs in the fall, but a few years later in the
summer, and a few years after that in the spring, and so forth. A luni-solar calendar, on the other
hand, anchors the lunar months to some event within the solar year. (For more on the Biblical New
Year, refer to "Biblical Calendation: Reckoning the New Year.")

The Biblical calendar is luni-solar and begins with the New Moon nearest the vernal equinox.
Because the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, it is sometimes necessary to add a 13th
month to realign the lunar year with the solar year. Years containing 13 months are called
"embolismic years." These embolismic years fall into a very predictable 19-year cycle. Meton, a
Greek astronomer, is typically credited with being the first to discover this cycle. In actuality, he
merely introduced to the West the astronomical principles discovered by Kidinnu (or Cidenas), a
Babylonian astronomer from around the same time period.

…
You will need to check conjunction times3 and dawn (astronomical twilight) times4 for your specific
location to ascertain the Gregorian dates on which New-moon day will fall in your area.

a
A small amount (1 hour 26 min. 56 2/3 sec.) of difference in time between 19 years of Metonic
cycle vs. 19 solar years] cannot be ignored indefinitely. While it does not affect the pattern of leap
years from year 20 to 38, nor even from year 39 to 47, these extra hours eventually add up to a day,
and then to two days and more. In some years these extra days will effect whether the tekufah falls
before or after the sixteenth of the month, and therefore whether the year is a leap year or not. This
would alter the entire pattern. [infra, Bushwick p. 62]
b

Better forget about a mathematical (complicated!) formula to find the leap or regular year, performing
calculation on the Hebrew year in AM. And just enjoy http://betterexplained.com/articles/fun-with-
modular-arithmetic/
(7y+1) mod 19 < 7
If the remainder is less than 7, it's a leap year.
If it's 7 or greater, it's a regular year.
http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/6376/how-do-i-know-if-its-a-hebrew-leap-year
Or http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/46964/formula-for-occurrence-of-leap-years-in-the-
jewish-calendar

125
In order to identify the start of a new year (Abib 1), we must locate the New Moon closest to the
vernal equinox. (Using this method typically places the start of the year between Mar 7 and Apr 6.)

Note: When we have correctly identified the New Moon closest to the vernal equinox, the following
criteria will be met:

The vernal equinox will take place before Passover (the 14th day of the lunar month).
The vernal equinox will take place before the full moon.

https://www.worldslastchance.com/topical-biblical-studies/download/185 <A “thirteenth month” is

located in Scripture>
Ezk 1:1-2 5th day of 4th month, 5th year of king Jechoaichin's captivity
Ezk 3:15 dwelt by the river for seven day- (to 11th day of 4th month)
Ezk 4:11 to lie on his left side 390 days and then on his right side 40 days (== 430 days)
Ezk 8:1 sitting on 5th day of 6th month in 6th year. [i.e. instruction to lie down on his sides
finished.
If a strictly solar calendar was used, he could not have possibly obeyed YHWH’s instructions by the
time reference given in Ezekiel 8:1. The days are accounted for only 403 days – which is 27 days
short.
The scriptural months are lunar, and that the new year is determined by the spring equinox it is a
necessity that a 13th month be added approximately every two to three years (7 times in 19 years).
If this is not done the festivals will be 11 days shorter every “strictly-solar year” that goes by, placing
the festivals out of their seasons in short order. This is exactly what happens with the Muslim
calendar which ignores the 13th month. Their festivals travel throughout all seasons of the year.

126
 Bushwick (1989), Understanding the Jewish Calendar.
[Left half from Bushwick; Right half – ARJ]

The column ‘Example of the current year’ is added to the table 7.1 in p. 58.
Blue shade: Conjunction precedes Equinox; Orange shade – same day;
Bold – this yeara; Δ p = difference in days from the previous Nisan 15.

(p.58)
Here, in the 20th year the tekufah and the molad fell at almost the same moment as they did in the first
year. … The 20th year is a regular year like the first year, the 21st is regular like the second, and the
22nd is a leap year like the third. The 20th through 38th years repeat the pattern of regular years and
leap years of the first nineteen years. In the first nineteen years we found that years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17,
and 19 were leap years and the rest were regular. In the 20th through 38th the corresponding seven years
– 22, 25, 27, 30, 33, 36, and 38 – are leap years and the rest regular.
(p. 57)
“… Whenever the difference between the tekufah (vernal equinox) and the molad (conjunction) is less
than 16 days, the year is regular. Whenever the difference is more, it is a leap year. …”

a
E.g. Gregorian 2015-2016 CE = Jewish YEAR - AM 5776 [from Latin Anno Mundi]
(= September 14, 2015 through October 2, 2016) [19th year in the Metonic Cycle]
--- A Hebrew Leap-Year of 13 months - 385 days
--- 2016 is coincidentally a Gregorian Leap-Year of 366 days (with 29 days in Feb.)
127
This would allow us to see the year is a leap year or regular year. It can be seen that the 19-year cycle is
dependent on one factor, the temporal relation of the vernal equinox and the closest conjunction. This
factor is factored in the rabbinic Jewish calendation. For the biblical lunar calendar, it does not rely on
the rabbinic Jewish Metonic cycle;  with leap years, the pattern would not match with it.

Ref. Bushwick (1989), Understanding The Jewish Calendar, pp.55-56. 0A copy of the
pages is included in the <IRENT Supplement III Collections #5>.]

www.avoiceinthewilderness.org/saccal/calbook.html#question1
www.hope-of-israel.org/crescentmoon.html

*Molad
a Hebrew word (meaning "birth") that also generically refers to the time at which the New
Moon is "born". The word is ambiguous, however, because depending on the context it could
refer to the actual or mean astronomical new moon (= lunar solar conjunction) (calculated
by a specified method, for a specified time zone), or the molad of the traditional Hebrew
calendar (or another specified calendar), or at a specified locale the sighting of first visible
crescent after a lunar conjunction.

128
*

*Sun, **Moon; *luminaries; *new-moon (*new moon), 'month'; *stars;

Star H3556 kokab; Gen 1:16; S6798 astron Lk 21:25; Act 7:43, etc.
Morning star S5459 phosphoros 2Pe 1:19;
H1966 hele – 1x – Isa 14:12 /Lucifer -KJV; /morning star – NIV; /star of the morning – NASV; /Day Star –
ESV, ISV; /day-star -JPS; /shining star – NLT; /shining one – YLT; /
Planets –S4101 planētēs 1x Jud 1:13 /planets; /wandering stars - most; /xxx: wayward stars – NET; /xxx:
stars gone astray – YLT;
Constellation
Job 38:32 H4216 mazzaroth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazzaroth
2Kg 23:5 H4208 mazzaloth [/>> planets –KJV, EV, ASV, GNB, WEB, YLT; /xx: zodiac – GW;]
Both in LXX mazourōth
Aries – related to Vernal Equinox

Luminaries ░░ Gen 1:14, 15, 16 - YLT!, CJB; /xxx: lights – most; [H3974 maor 'luminary' should
not be rendered as 'light', which is for H216 or (Gen 1:3). Cf. H215 or 'give light' (Gen 1:16)]
[two great luminaries – not to be called the sun and the moon in Gen Ch. 1. Gen 1:15-17 is the basis of a
Scriptural luni-solar calendar system, looking at two heavenly witness, the sun and the moon – no support
for 7-day continuous cycle as in the rabbinic Hebrew, Roman (Julian & Gregorian) and Babylonian
calendar systems.]

The sun was called 'greater luminary' (Gen 1:16 – haGadol haMaor). Heb. word for 'sun' appears first
time in Gen 15:12 [H8121 shemesh];

Sunrise and sunset – (every day) is a local phenomenon at the same moment along the same longitude.
The sunrise time is time-zone dependent. It gradually varies day by day in keeping with season change.
sunset and sunrise time

The Sun rises due east and sets due west only on 2 days of the year – the spring and fall equinoxes. On
other days, the Sun rises either north or south of "due east" and sets north or south of "due west".
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/AO/sunrise.html (Where does it rise and set?)

The **moon is called 'lesser luminary' (Gen 1:16 – haqqaton hamaor). Heb. word yareach for
'moon' appear first time in Gen 37:9.

H3394 yareach (26x)

(1) 'moon' Gen 37:9; Deu 4:9; 33:14; Isa 60:20;
(2) '(lunar) month' Exo 2:2; Deu 21:13;
H3842 lebanah (3x) 'moon' – SoS 6:10; Isa 24:23; 30:26.
H2302 chodesh
(1) mostly '(lunar) month' (260x) – Gen 7:11; Exo 12:2, 1Kg 6:1, 37, 38; 8:2, etc.;
(2) 'new moon day' (23x) – Num 29:6; 1Sam 20:5, 18, 24, 27, 34; 2Kg 4:24; 1Ch 23:31; 2Ch 2:4;
8:13; 31:3; Ezr 3:5; Neh 10:33; Psa 81:3; Isa 1:13, 14; 47:13; (66:23); Ezk 46:3, 6; Hos 2:11;
(5:7); Amos 8:5]
Cf. rosh chodeshim 'New-Moon day' Num 10:10.
S4582 selēnē (9x) Mt 24:29; Mk 13:24; Lk 21:25, Rev 6:12, etc.
S3561 noumēnia (1x) 'new moon (feast)' Col 2:16

H3677 keseh (2x) Psa 81:3; Prov 7:20; 'full moon' (xxx: the time/day appointed - KJV), [Job 26:9 'the
face' is rendered as 'the face of the full moon' – NIV, NASB, NET; Cf. 'the face of his throne' – KJV]
[poss. From H3680 kasah 'to cover' Gen 7:19; Exo 24:15)
H7720 saharon – translated as 'crescent' is for an ornament (Jdg 8:21, 26; Isa 3:18). This word is not
associated with 'new moon' or 'month'.

129
*full moon www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/full-moon-daytime.html It is during the daytime at the
exact moment of that particular full moon alignment. (= "syzygy of the Sun-Earth-Moon-system"). At the
precise moment, the Moon is only visible in the night part of Earth, with a few exceptions.

Around the full moon phase, the Moon is visible in the sky approximately from sunset to sunrise. In very
special cases, you can see both the full moon and the Sun, as it rises or sets, at the same time, in opposite
directions.

Cf. full moon is on 14th or 15th day of a lunar month.

*New moon and New-Moon day

Psa 81:3 <blow the shofar on the new-moon day a, on the full-moon day, for our feast.> b,
Num 33:3 – This day refers to the day of the Exodus (on the fifteenth of the first month, the
day after the Passover);
Lev 23:5 – the fourteenth day of the first month at evening = Passover of YHWH
Lev 23:6 – the fifteenth day of the same month = 1st day of the Festival of the Matzah.
Exo 12:2 – this month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month
of the year to you.
1Sam 20:24, 27 ‘when the new moon was come …, and, next day = 2nd day of the month’
Num 10:10 – ‘blowing shofar on the solemn days and in the beginning of your months.
Sirach 43:6-8 – ‘moon – a light that decreases in her perfection’ (i.e. from the full-moon);
increase from new-moon.

H2320 chodesh (over 270x) c 'new moon' or month'. Not used even once to denote seeing
something (i.e. the visible moon, the crescent, etc.). [← H2318 chadash ‘renew/rebuild’ 1Sam
11:14; Psa 51:10; Isa 61:4]

Cf. 'feast day' [H2282 chag + H3117 yom). [‘feast day’ Psa 81:3] [Neh 8:18; Num 28:17
'festival' for 7 days]
Cf. 'set-day day' (H4150 moed + H3117) [Lam 2:7; Hos 9:5] [Cf. 'good/beautiful day' (H3117
+ H2867 dowb) 1Sam 25:8] [Cf. H2146 zikkaron – remembrance, memorial Exo 12:14]

a Psa 81:3 on the new-moon day ~~ ░░ ba-chodesh (H2320) [Num 10:10] [some takes 'in this month'] /at the new
moon – NASB; /in the new moon – KJV; /on the day of the new moon and on the day of full moon – NET; /during the
new moon and during the full moon; /on the new moon, blow the horn; On the full moon, for the day of our festival –
NWT; /x: at Rosh-Hodaesh and at full moon for the pilgrim feast – CJB; /Blow the ram’s horn on the day of the New
Moon Feast. Blow it again when the moon is full and the Feast of Booths begins – NIrV; /Sound the trumpets and start
the New Moon Festival. We must also celebrate when the moon is full – CEV; /Blow the ram’s horn at new moon, and
again at full moon to call a festival! – NLT; /xx: v.3 Trumpets and trombones and horns: it's festival day, a feast to God!
– MSG (baloney); /x: when the moon is new and when the moon is full – GNT; /x: during the new moon and during the
full moon – HCSB;
b Psa 81:3 for our feast ░░ (H2282 chag) /on our feast day;
c 1kg 6:37 In the fourth year ~~~ in the month Zif.
6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month,
the month Zif ~~ the month Bul ░░ [H3391 yerach (13x) (calendar) month Exo 2:2; Deu 33:1, etc.; (duration of)
month 2Kg 15:13; Job 3:6, etc.]
the eighth month ░░ [H2320 chodesh (283x) 'month' 'new-moon' Gen 7:11; Exo 12:2, etc.]
130
Lunar conjunction (lunar-solar conjunction) – date and time –

The [perfect] conjunction occurs at the same moment over the earth – at different local times.
Different dates for a conjunction are depending on the time when it is around 12 a.m. See
'(astronomical new moon)' https://youtu.be/uW6QqcmCfm8 (Strangest Time Zones of the
World). Not to be confused with the biblical one – it is hyphenated and capitalized as 'New-
Moon' throughout this paper in order to distinguish between them.

Ref.
https://youtu.be/c0mchnrKRYo The Full Moon is Not the New Moon [Psa 81:3 " in the new moon, in the full
moon …" the two are not appostive]
https://youtu.be/gciHdZIqeg8 [New Moon is not Full Moon].
https://youtu.be/k3ovFkL7x78. 'Full Moon is the New Moon'
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moon-day-the-dawn-after-conjunction.html
http://earthsky.org/space/astronomical-phenomena-events-for-this-year [Note - data are inaccurate.]
http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phasescat.html [Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon]

Sabbath days and Moon phase

Why don’t the moon's primary phases always line up directly with the Sabbath days: 8th,
15th, 22nd, and 29th?

www.worldslastchance.com/lunar-seventh-day-sabbath/why-dont-the-moons-primary-phases-
always-line-up-directly-with-the-sabbath-days-8th-15th-22nd-and-29th.html

There are about 29.5 days between one conjunction and the next. Because months
cannot have 1/2 days, each lunar month is either 29 or 30 days.

The lunar-solar conjunction can occur anytime during the day or night. New-moon day,
however, always commences at the first dawn after conjunction. This means that
sometimes the month will begin more than 23 hours after conjunction, while at other
times, the month will begin only a few moments after conjunction.

The perfect phases of the moon are achieved in an instant, but it takes 24 hours for
everyone on earth to see the moon. While some will see the perfect phases, others will
see the moon just before or just after it has achieved its perfect shape.
It should be noted here that there are occasional anomalies in the moon’s behavior,
meaning there are times when the moon will not become 100% full until the 16th day of
the lunar month. For example:

In Brisbane, Australia, the moon will not reach 100% illumination (Full Moon) until the
morning of July 2 (2015), which is the 16th day of the lunar month there. The moon,
during this particular lunation, takes longer than usual to become full, but then takes less
time to return to new moon.
New Moon = June 16 (2015) @14:05
It takes 15 Days, 12 Hours to get to…
Full Moon = July 2 (2015) @02:20
It then takes only 13 Days, 23 Hours to get to…
New Moon = July 16 (2015) @01:24

131
Reference resources on calendar:
www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/soft-calc2.htm
www.crescentmoonwatch.org/nextnewmoon.htm - provides very accurate predictions of lunar
crescent visibility around the world.

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonFraction.php (United States Naval Observatory

www.truthofyahweh.org/moon.htm
This website posts the date and time the first visible crescent was observed around the world.
Additional observers willing to share what they have seen would be appreciated.

www.lunawheel.com
This website offers products for perpetual lunar calendars in the form of a compact, easy-to-use,
circular slide rule, etc.
www.celestialproducts.com This website sells a variety of moon calendar products.
www.4angelspublications.com/videos/#
Lecture II - "Continuous Weekly Cycle" Fact or Fiction? Part I, II, III.
http://thechronicleproject.org/PDF1/calendarfraud.pdf
www.4angelspublications.com/resources.php

http://www.math.harvard.edu/~knill/3dprinter/exhibits/bc/Meeus1988.pdf Jean Meeus (1988) Astronomical

Formulae for Calculators (4th ed.)
3. Julian Day and Calendar date
4. Date of Easter 67

http://www.willbell.com/math/mc1.htm Astronomical Algorithms - 1999 2nd Ed

Relevant chapters:
7. Julian Day 59
8. Date of Easter 67
9. Jewish and Moslem Calendars 71
10. Dynamical Time and Universal Time 77
11. The Earth’s Globe 81
47. Position of the Moon 337
48. Illuminated Fraction of the Moon’s Disk 345
49. Phases of the Moon 349
53. Ephemeris for Physical Observations of the Moon 371

Calendar conversion programs

Create a Calendar for any year: www.hcidata.info/cgi-bin/calendar.cgi?year=30&sun-
mon=&GJ=&ok=Generate+the+Calendar&.cgifields=sun-mon&.cgifields=GJ

Calendar conversion programs: btw Gregorian and Julian

Calendar conversion programs: btw rabbinic Jewish and Julian (such as
www.hebrewcalendar.net/htdocs/main.en.html – and Jewish calendar shows same result as in the
calendar
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=4&country=34 –
to show CE 30 Apr 6 = Thu = Nisan 15 (Passover I) (AM 3790)

132
References on the Moon and Moon Phase
www.judaismvschristianity.com/passover_dates.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20140909184037/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html
www.astro.com/swisseph/ae50/ae__50_m0000.pdf
www.worldslastchance.com/ecourses/lessons/12-criteria-of-true-crucifixion-date-
ecourse/22/criteria-7-12.html
www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/spring-phenom
http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phasescat.html
www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar.html
www.moongiant.com/full_moon_calendar.php (not working)
www.timeanddate.com/moon/israel/jerusalem
www.universetoday.com/99588/full-moon-dates/
www.moonphases.info/moon_phases.html#phases_of_the_moon_calender_2007
www.moongiant.com/moonphases/April/30/
www.moonconnection.com/quickphase/ QuickPhase software. 13437915335006001
http://catholicism.about.com/b/2009/04/16/reader-question-is-the-date-of-easter-related-to-
passover.htm
http://aspire.cosmic-ray.org/Labs/LunarPhases/lunar_phases_main.html
www.timeanddate.com/calendar

http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon (a table of the month showing Mo on each day)

http://time.unitarium.com/moon/where.html (animation video of moon phase; date-time of next 1st
quarter, full moon, third quarter, and next dark moon)
http://legacysite2.timeanddate.com/calendar/ (moon phase date seems approximate without precise
reference to the time)
www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/qanda.html various articles

Ref. Henry Bowney (1844), Ordo Saeclorum: A Treatise on the Chronology of the Holy
Scriptures, and the Indications Therein Contained of a Divine Plan of Times and
Seasons; Together With an Appendix (London: J. W. Parker, 1844), (p. 523 for full moon
date on Passion week.) https://books.google.com/books?id=KpIFMV0ChR8C free
google ebook. Esp. Appendix p. 455-481 for §395 (Intro) to §400 Julian Calendar and
§403-423 Ancient Hebrew Calendar; §423-425 Paschal Calculation to §433.

133
134
www.jstor.org/stable/3262201 Grace Amadon, "Ancient Jewish Calendation" J. of Biblical
Literature Vol. 61, No. 4 (Dec., 1942), pp. 227-280:

(note: inaccurate astronomical data (p. 232) quoted from some source!

p. 252 footnotes:
#Hevelius insists that the first appearance of the moon does not commonly happen even on the
first day after conjunction: Selenograpia, Gedani, 1647, 273. Geminus: "When the moon is
in perigee and her motion quickest, she does not usually appear until the second day" - Cf.
note 62. The ancient Karaites did not begin their new month unless the interval between
conjunction and the subsequent sunset was over 22 hours: (!!)
#F. K. Ginzel, Handbuch der mathematischen und technischen Chronologie, 1911, 11, 82 f.

Note: Abib 1 (Nisan 1) should not be Mar 26, but Mar 23, day after the conjunction.

135
Biblical Lunar Calendar system:

A calendar of the Scriptural month

[Source Ref.: Troy Miller – http://creationcalendar.com/]

[Concept of biblical lunar sabbath should be kept in mind to follow this calendar system in
reading the biblical narratives, which is in contrast to non-biblical solar Sabbath of rabbinic
Jewish calendar. Usefulness:
(1) to correctly follow the timelines in the Biblical narratives, which is impossible with
the rabbinic Jewish calendar;
(2) to fine correct date for the major biblical events and festivals,
(3) to find correct biblical lunar sabbath in keeping Sabbath, not religious Sabbatarian
traditions.

[Only one single calendar table is all there we need to follow the biblical narratives. To draw
the table with the Gregorian calendar overlaid, we need to know how to fix the New-Moon
day for each lunar month, how to fix the first day of the year, and how to adjust for
intercalation. Then it is possible to superimpose with the Gregorian calendar.] [See collected
reference material is IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A - time + calendar)]

Lunar
New- Work Days
sabbath
Moon D
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 (30)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 (New-Moon day); 30 (transitional day); ☼
(full moon); ◙ (dark moon)

1st day (4-27-2017) is New-Moon day:

8th day (5-4-2017) is the First Sabbath of the Lunar Month:
The First Quarter Phase
15th day (5-11-2017) is the Second Sabbath of the Lunar Month:
The Full Moon
22nd day (5-18-2017) is the Third Sabbath of the Lunar Month:
The Third Quarter (aka Last Quarter) phase
29th day (5-25-2017) is the Last Sabbath of the Lunar Month:
The Waning Sliver, just prior to conjunction, can sometimes be seen but it will be
lost in the sun's glare at other times.
30th day: a transitional day: The 30th day of a lunar month (if it is a 30-day
month) is part of the New Moon celebration -- no moon is seen that day. This is
also of the dark phase of the moon [cf. 'Dark moon' = astronomical new moon']

136
The first day (e.g. 8-8-2013) is New-Moon Day: New-Moon Day is a holy gathering day,
not a Sabbath.

In the evening at the end of this day, you will see the new waxing crescent moon (a thin
sliver) low in the western sky just after sunset. This first crescent announces that Day 2 of
the month (the first work day of the week) will begin the following day. [Cf. In the rabbinic
Jewish calendar, the first time that the waxing crescent moon is announced to have become ‘officially’
visible (from Jerusalem) with witnesses marks the beginning of a new month – what time does it occur?
before or after sunset?] [Only the seventh New-Moon Day is for Sabbath rest, the Feast of
Trumpets.

The 8th day (e.g. 8-15-2013) is the First Sabbath of the Month:
The First Quarter Phase appears at sunset on the evening of the Day 7 day of the month
(e.g. 8-14-2013). This quarter phase announces that the Day 8 is Sabbath. In the northern
hemisphere if you are facing south, the moon will be seen at sunset overhead. This is the
waxing first quarter moon which is usually neither convex nor concave (but sometimes can
be slightly so), and with the flat side perpendicular to the earth.

The 15th day (e.g. 8-22-2013) is the Second Sabbath of the Month:
The full moon of the month can be seen rising in the eastern sky about the time the sun
sets in the west on the 14th day of the lunar month (e.g. 8-21-2013) (cf. 7-22-2013). This
full moon announces the next day (the 15the day) of the lunar month as Sabbath. The same
day the moon becomes full, it starts waning. The moon can look full for 2-3 days. The real
moon normally rises at or after sunset.

The 22nd day (e.g. 8-29-2013) is the Third Sabbath of the Month:
The Third Quarter (aka Last Quarter) Phase is a waning quarter moon which is usually
neither convex nor concave – but most importantly, with the flat side perpendicular to the
earth.
It can be seen early in the morning, with the rising of the sun with the moon directly
overhead, straight up when facing south in the northern hemisphere. Reason--the sun is
moving at right angles to the earth every quarter, so the moon at sunset on the 21st day of
the lunar month will be straight below the feet (on the other side of the earth) of the
viewer. If you wait until dawn, viola, the third quarter moon will be seen before the Sabbath
begins with dawning (as a new day). This announces the 22nd day of the lunar month as a
Sabbath day.

The 29th day 29 (e.g. 9-5-2013) is the Last Sabbath of the Month:
The Waning Sliver, just prior to conjunction, can sometimes be seen but it will be in the
sun's glare at other times. If you don't see it, watch each evening at sunset until you see
the new thin crescent low in the western sky at sunset announcing the first work day. It will
only be one or two days until you see the crescent.

Sabbaths moons are normally seen before the Sabbath begins. The first two will be seen at
sunset the evening before, the last two will be seen at or before dawn before the Sabbath
begins.

The 30th day is a transitional day:

The 30th day of a lunar month (if it is a 30-day month) is part of the New-Moon celebration.

137
No moon is visible. This is also the dark phase of the moon. [→ 'astronomical new moon',
that is, the moon at luni-solar conjunction]. There will be no day 30 in a 29-day month

New Moon counts as neither as one of the 6 work days nor a Sabbath. It is a third
category of day; they do not constitute a week. Both 30th day and day 1 of the month
are part of a New Moon celebration. So there are either one or two new moon days each
month. The 29th or 30th day ends the month and the 1st day begins every new month.
On the evening of the 1st day, the first new crescent (waxing sliver) can be seen about
35 to 45 minutes after sunset just to the left of where the sun went down, low in the
western sky. This announces the beginning of day 2 of the new month, which is the first
work day of the first week of the new month. They are for holy gathering to worship
YHWH (Isa 66:23). [Cf. The New-Moon day of the 7th month is for the Feast of Trumpets
which is for sabbath-rest.]

A lunar week in the lunar months is not seven days but 6 work days followed by 1 sabbath
day. 2nd to 8th days of the month are the seven days of the first week of the lunar month.
The 2nd day through 7th day are work days, so are 9th through 14th, 16th through 21st,
23rd through 28th of the four weeks of the lunar month.
Sabbath days are on Day 7 of the lunar weeks - on 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th days of the
month; four sabbath days in each month.

The gate to inner court of the ancient Tabernacle is shut on all six work days, but open only
on the New-Moon days and the Sabbath days (Ezk 46:1) the gate is not to be shut until
evening (Ezk 46:2). At the entrance of the Tabernacle (Ezk 46:3) people worshiped on their
worship days (the New-Moon days and Sabbath days). (Amo 8:5, Isa 66:23, 2Kg 4:23).

The REASON for any exceptions to the above is because the moon is not in a circular
orbit around earth. The egg-shaped orbit sometimes causes the moon to get to the next
phase more quickly (6 days instead of 7) if the moon is in apogee, the narrow pointy part of
its egg-shaped orbit; or causes the moon to delay getting to the next phase (8 days instead
of 7) if the moon is in perigee, the wide part of the egg-shaped orbit. [Typically, the average
length of time between phases is 7.3 days.] This can affect any of the 4 phases of the
month, but normally affects either the first or third quarter phase and only affects ONE
phase in a month. [That said, even when a phase seems to be early or late, the moon that
announces the Sabbath will be in the right place in the heavens and the flat part will be
perpendicular to the earth, just may look a little skinny or a little pregnant. Remember a
clock on the wall tells time by location, not just appearance.] This does not occur every
month, maybe 4-5 times a year. When the moon was on a 30-day lunar cycle, these things
did not happen.

Troy Miller admin@creationcalendar.com

(edited on the material from www.creationcalendar.com )

138
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_month

The orbit of the Moon is elliptical; the non-circular form of the lunar orbit causes variations in
the Moon's angular speed and apparent size as it moves towards and away from an observer on
Earth. [cf. 'lunar orbit' of something around the moon vs. 'the moon's orbit around the earth']
Apsis is an extreme point in the orbit of an object: perigee, the point of least distance; apogee,
of greatest distance.
The term lunar month usually refers to the synodic month because it is the cycle of the visible
phases of the Moon.

The synodic month (Greek: συνοδικός, sunodikos, meaning "pertaining to a synod, i.e., a
meeting"; in this case, of the Sun and the Moon) is the average period of the Moon's orbit with
respect to the line joining the Sun and Earth. This is the period of the lunar phases, because the
Moon's appearance depends on the position of the Moon with respect to the Sun as seen from
the Earth.

While the Moon is orbiting the Earth, the Earth is progressing in its orbit around the Sun. After
completing a sidereal month, the Moon must move a little further to reach the new position
having the same angular distance from the Sun, appearing to move with respect to the stars since
the previous month. Therefore, the synodic month takes 2.2 days longer than the sidereal month.
Thus, about 13.37 sidereal months, but about 12.37 synodic months, occur in a Gregorian year.

Since Earth's orbit around the Sun is elliptical and not circular, the speed of Earth's progression
around the Sun varies during the year. Thus, the angular rate is faster nearer periapsis and slower
near apoapsis. The same is so for the Moon's orbit around the Earth. Because of these variations
in angular rate, the actual time between lunations may vary from about 29.18 to about 29.93
days. The long-term average duration is 29.530587981 days[4] (29 d 12 h 44 min 2.8016 s). The
synodic month is used to calculate eclipse cycles.[5]

Anomalistic month (See also: Lunar precession and Apsidal precession)

The Moon's orbit approximates an ellipse rather than a circle. However, the orientation (as well
as the shape) of this orbit is not fixed. In particular, the position of the extreme points (the line
of the apsides: perigee and apogee), rotates once (apsidal precession) in about 3,233 days (8.85
years). It takes the Moon longer to return to the same apsis because it has moved ahead during
one revolution. This longer period is called the anomalistic month and has an average length of
27.554551 days (27 d 13 h 18 min 33.2 s). The apparent diameter of the Moon varies with this
period, so this type has some relevance for the prediction of eclipses (see Saros), whose extent,
duration, and appearance (whether total or annular) depend on the exact apparent diameter of the
Moon. The apparent diameter of the full moon varies with the full moon cycle, which is the beat
period of the synodic and anomalistic month, as well as the period after which the apsides point
to the Sun again.

An anomalistic month is longer than a sidereal month because the perigee moves in the same
direction as the Moon is orbiting the Earth, one revolution in nine years. Therefore, the Moon
takes a little longer to return to perigee than to return to the same star.

www.universetoday.com/20053/lunar-month/
A lunar month is the duration it takes for the Moon to pass through each of its phases (new
moon, half, full moon), and then return back to its original position. It takes 29 days, 12
hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds for the Moon to complete one lunar month. ['duration' >
'amount of time'] [Q: how is it determined for a month to have 30 days? Should Abib have
always 30 days? / as it depends on the mothed of determined the new-moon day.

You might have heard that the Moon only takes 27.3 days to complete one orbit around the
Earth. So why is a lunar month more than 2 days longer than the orbit of the Moon?

139
 A lunar month is the duration it takes for the Moon to get from a specific phase, like a new
moon, back to the same phase. In other words, the Moon has to get back to the point in its
orbit where the Sun is in the same position from our point of view. Since the Moon is going
around the Sun with the Earth as part of its orbit, the Moon has to catch up a little bit on
each orbit. [???] It takes 2.2 additional days each orbit of the Moon to catch up.

This method of measuring a lunar month, from new moon to new moon, is known as a
synodic month. A [astronomical] new moon is defined as when the Moon has the same
ecliptic longitude as the Sun, as seen from the center of the Earth; when the Sun, Moon and
Earth are perfectly lined up.

www.universetoday.com/19725/lunar-day/
A lunar day is the duration it takes for the Moon to make one complete rotation on its axis
compared to the Sun. This is important because the Moon is tidally locked with respect to
the Earth. So it always points the same face towards the Earth as it goes around the planet.
So, how long is a day on the Moon?

The lunar day lasts 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes. And this the same time it takes for the
Moon to orbit around the Earth.

With respect to the background stars, however, the Moon only takes 27 days and 7 hours for
the sky to completely rotate back to its original position.

So why is there a difference? As the Earth and Moon are orbiting around the Sun, they
complete a circle over the course of the year. Each time the Moon goes around the Earth, it
needs to go a little further to get the Sun back into the same position.

If you ever get the opportunity to stand on the surface of the Moon, and look at the Earth, our
planet would always remain in the exact same position in the sky. The Sun, on the other hand,
will still rise, move across the sky and then set. Of course, an average day will last 29 days, 12
hours and 44 minutes until the Sun returns to the same position in the sky.

Astronomers say that the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth. At some point in the distant past,
the Moon rotated more rapidly than it currently does. The Earth’s gravity caused part of the
Moon to bulge out. The pull of gravity caused the rotation of the Moon to slow down until this
bulge was pointing directly at the Earth. At this point, the Moon was tidally locked to the Earth;
this is why it shows the same face to us.

And it’s also why a lunar day lasts the same as it takes the Moon to go around the Earth.

140
The Biblical calendar table (diagram)

Note: 'Sabbath' rest is for 12 hours – daytime period only. Sabbath day is on 8th, 15th, 22nd,
and 29th day every biblical lunar month (not same as is the case in the rabbinic Jewish calendar).
The Day of Atonement (vide supra) – 'sabbath of sabbaths' – is on the 10th of the 7th month of
the biblical calendar ('Tishri', the first month of the Jewish civil year). It is not weekly sabbath,
but annual sabbath with fasting from the evening of the day before until the evening of 10th
day.]

www.worldslastchance.com/luni-solar-calendar-with-feasts-days.html

Creating a monthly calendar is simple. Use the biblical calendar as the base and
overlay the Gregorian dates on it. Examples are below for 2107 Abib; 2017 – 7th
month; and 2018 Abib.

The only change to make in the table month after month is the Gregorian
date/day in green.
141
Drawing up monthly calendar of the true Biblical Calendar:

The true biblical calendar is concise, clear, and simple. Only one
single monthly calendar table is all you need to draw straightforward.
[See the Biblical Lunar Monthly Calendar template below in this file.]

The need of the biblical calendar, not the rabbinic Jewish calendar, is
(1) to correctly follow chronology and timeline of the Biblical narratives,
especially the Passover-Passion Week, and (2) to use it to follow special
biblical days as the Bible dictates, not after the modern ecclesial
calendar. The examples are: lunar sabbath (not 'Saturday sabbath'),
memorial days of the Lord's Last Supper and the Passover Memorial
Day (not feast day) as well as other biblical festivals. It is not much of
use unless the dates are correctly 'translated' into our Common Era
Calendar (i.e. Gregorian).

Data and rules to draw a calendar table:

• Location and time zone as Yerusalem time is the one to be used. Cf. UTC time offset
between local time and UTC.
• Date of the Vernal Equinox of the year.
• 'Conjunction closest the equinox' – date time and the local sunrise time – to fix the
head of the New Year.
• Determine the date of the New-Moon day with 'dawn after the conjunction' method.
[The ancient 'sighting of the first visible crescent' method is impractical and
inapplicable.]
• 30-day month (to set to begin with Abib); alternates with 29-day month. Total 254 days
/year.
• 12 months or 13 months per year [to compensate 11 days per year short of a solar year
of 365 days]. Q: Which year would be set for year 1 of the cycle? A leap year in the
biblical calendar is determined by the temporal relation of the equinox and the closest
equinox – independent to the Jewish 19-year Metonic cycle. a
• Find the Gregorian date to fall on Abib 1 and Abib 14. To check with the date for Nisan
15 on the rabbinic Jewish calendar.

[See a separate file <Calendation Practicum> in the zip file <IRENT Vol. III – Supplement>.

a[The true Biblical calendar is free of the so-called ‘Postponement Rules’ after Hillel II for the rabbinic Jewish
calendar, which fixes the day of Rosh Hashana with the 7th month Tishri as the 1st month of the secular year.]
142
Monthly Calendar template w/ Biblical Lunar, Gregorian & Jewish calendars.

Below is the only calendar table you need to have for the Biblical Lunar Calendar of
its intended purpose and usefulness. To draw up a monthly calendar may then be
drawn with the Gregorian dates overlaid.

7 named days of a planetary week Gregorian dates

Rabbinic Jewish calendar dates

[ ] Month 1

Work Days sabbath

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 (30)

1 (New-Moon Day); (30) (transitional day);

full moon ☼

(Dark moon ◙ for Yerusalem; ◙ for other places, such as Chicago)

"Day" in the Bible is that which begins at sunrise.

[image to be copied to p. 6]

143
 Relation between a day in three different calendars:

(1st row) Recovered Biblical Calendar,

(2nd row) Gregorian Calendar, and
(3r row) rabbinic Jewish calendar

13 14 15 13

Wed Thu Fri

14 15 16

144
Calendar of 2017 Abib to 3rd Lunar Month) [Biblical+Gregorian]
[Gregorian days and dates in Green – overlaid on the Biblical Calendar]
Grayed area for dates – for the following month.
Copied to WB#6.

1st Lunar Month - Abib [2017]

New- Work Days Lunar

@
Moon D. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 sabbath
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Mar 28 29 30 31 Apr 1 2 3 4

◙ Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

5 6 7 8 9 10 ☼
11

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 ◙

1 (New-Moon day); 30 (@ transitional day); ☼

(full moon) ◙ (dark moon)

Dark Moon – Mar 28, 05:00 IST; Apr 26; Apr 26, 14:00 IST
Full Moon – Apr 11, 15:00 (IST)
Passover Abib 14 2017 Apr 11
Easter – Apr 16; Sat – Sabbatarian's solar sabbath

Note: Jewish Passover [Nisan 15 (Apr 11) – Nisan 21 (Apr 17)] [Full Moon – Apr 11]
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2017&month=3&country=34
5, 15, 22, 29 – lunar sabbath (Day 7 of the full Week)
1 – New-moon day
30 – transitional day
Dates in black – Lunar calendar
Dates & days in green – Gregorian
Sat – solar sabbath

Note: The Gregorian Dates are placed in the left corner of the boxes, indicating that they are 12 hours
ahead of the Abib dates.

145
 New- Work Days Lunar
@
Moon D. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 sabbath
1 (New-Moon day); @ 30 (transitional day); ☼
(full moon)
1st Lunar Month - Abib [2017]

Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
◙Mar 28 29 30 31 Apr 1 2 3 4

9 10 11 12 13 14 ☼
15
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26◙
2nd Lunar Month

Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

27 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ◙

3rd Lunar Month

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
26 27 28 29 30 31 Jun 1 2
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
10 11 12 13 14 15 16

23 24 25 26 27 28 29
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
1 ◙24

146
Calendar tables with overlay – Gregorian, Biblical & Jewish

One could use the Gregorian as the base and overlay the Biblical dates to
create a monthly calendar as shown below.

Because of 1st and 30th of the Lunar month the table is complicated for the
column alignment; the New-moon day as well as the Transitional Day does
not belong to the Week Days.

The only row which remains constant in the calendar table month after month
is the row for the days of planetary week. It is time-consuming to create the
calendar tables.

Legend for calendar tables

5, 15, 22, 29 – lunar sabbath (Day 7 of the Week)
1 – New-moon day
30 – transitional day
Dates in black – Lunar calendar
Dates & days in green – Gregorian
Sat – solar sabbath
Grayed area for dates – for the following month.

147
Calendar table (Gregorian + Biblical) 2017 – First 3 Lunar months

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

Abib in 2017
28 29 1 2 3 4 5
3/26 27 ◙28 29 30 31 Apr 1
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
9 10 ☼
11 12 13 14 15
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
27 28 29 30
23 24 25 26 ◙
Second Lunar month
1 2 3
27 28 29
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
30 May 1 2 3 4 5 6

11 12 13 14 15 16 17
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
25 26 27 28 29
21 22 23 24 25 ◙
Third Lunar month
1 2
26 27
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
28 29 30 31 Jun 1 2 3
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
4 5 6 7 8 9 10☼
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
14 25 26 27 28 29
18 19 20 21 22 23
1 ◙24☼

148
A calendar table (Gregorian + Jewish) for March-May 2017
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=2017&country=34

149
[See the data on QuickPhase Pro program www.quickphase.com/ ]

150
Calendar of 8th lunar month of 2017

[Gregorian days and dates in Green – overlaid on the Biblical Calendar]

Grayed area for dates – for the following month.

8th Lunar Month [2017]

New Work Days Lunar

@
Moon Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 sabbath
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Oct 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

28 29 30 31 Nov 1 2 3

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

4 5 ☼
6 7 8 9 10

23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18◙

1 (New-Moon day); @ 30 (transitional day);

◙ (dark moon) – Oct 19, 21:00 IST; Nov.18, 13:43

☼
(full moon) – Oct 5, 16:00, IST

151
Calendar of 2018 Abib (1st Lunar Month)
[Gregorian days and dates in Green – overlaid on the Biblical Calendar]
Grayed area for dates – for the following month.

1st Lunar Month - Abib [2018]

New Work Days Lunar

@
Moon Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 sabbath
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Mar 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

9 10 11 12 13 14 ☼ 15

26 27 28 29 30 31 Apr 1

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

◙ 16 17

1 (New-Moon day); @ 30 (transitional day); ☼

(full moon)

Note: Jewish Passover [Nisan 15 (Mar 31) – Nisan 21 (Apr 6)] [Full Moon – Mar 31]
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2018&month=3&country=34
◙ Mar 17 @16:12 Apr 16 @04:11. (w/ DST)
Easter – Apr 1. Sat – Sabbatarian's solar sabbath

152
Check with the calendar below
www.yhrim.com/Calendars/5999sc/5999_CST_-8th__Month_-_Corrected.pdf

(otherwise biblical calendar, but, sadly, the author is stuck with sunset-to-sunset day as in
rabbinic Jewish calendar.)

153
Calendar eras, Time Standard; and Time format

A calendar era. (cf. comparable terms – epoch, age, period, saeculum, aeon) for the year
numbering system. E.g.
AD (Latin: anno domini "in the year of the Lord"
(cf. BCE and CE http://calendars.wikia.com/wiki/Common_Era ; BCE itself be abbreviated as BC without
connotation of ‘before Christ’.) [‘Common Era Calendar’, a more neutral term, may be used in place of the
Gregorian calendar, without any conflict, confusion or ambiguity.]
AUC (Latin: anno urbis conditae "in the year of the founded city, Rome" from 753 CE)
AM (Latin Anno Mundi, meaning "in the year of the world" from 3761 BC.)

Time format
In Time in 24-hour format –no need to add p.m. E.g. 21:30.
However, a.m./p.m. needs to be indicated to clarify for the numbers less than 13 to 24 – e.g. 11:30
gets confused without explicit a.m. or p.m. indicator.

*Time Standard; *Time Zone

https://savvytime.com/converter/cst-to-utc CST to UTC converter

UTC – location-independent
UTC + 9 = Korea (15 hours ahead of Chicago)
UTC + 2 = Israel
UTC – 6 = CST (Chicago) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UTC_time_offsets

UTC – location independent. Not same as GMT and British S.T. (with DTS)
For Local time, beware of DST [differently in different country]
www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/history.html

[Cf. Local time zone vis-à-vis UTC. The problem with a single time zone for a large country like
China; in contrast to the problem with multiple time zones for a large country like USA.]

154
Difference Between GMT and UTC
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is often interchanged or confused with Coordinated Universal Time
(UTC). But GMT is a time zone and UTC is a time standard.

Although GMT and UTC share the same current time in practice, there is a basic difference between
the two:
• GMT is a time zone officially used in some European and African countries. The time can be
displayed using both the 24-hour format (0 - 24) or the 12-hour format (1 - 12 am/pm).
• UTC is not a time zone, but a time standard that is the basis for civil time and time zones
worldwide. This means that no country or territory officially uses UTC as a local time.
Location independent.

UTC, GMT and Daylight-Saving Time

Neither UTC nor GMT ever change for Daylight Saving Time (DST). However, some of the countries
that use GMT switch to different time zones during their DST period.
For example, the United Kingdom is not on GMT all year, it uses British Summer Time (BST), which
is one hour ahead of GMT, during the summer months.
www.convertunits.com/dates/ [Date calculator for number of days btw 2 dates.]
www.calendar-12.com/moon_phases/2014
www.calendar-12.com/moon_phases/2016
www.fullmoon.info/en/fullmoon-calendar.html
www.newmoon.info/en/newmoon-calendar.html
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html

(Q: difference in the minutes on Mar 9 01:54; Apr 7 11:24 for conjunction – any error on fixing date
of Abib 1, when seeing to the sunrise time?)
www.timeanddate.com/moon/usa/chicago?month=3&year=2016]
2016 Mar 8 – Dark moon–;
Mar 23 – Full moon
Nisan 1 – 2nd full moon after Equinox – Apr 22.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304204141/http://museumvictoria.com.au:80/planetarium/discover
ycentre/moon-phases/moon-phases-2016/
Moon Phases 2016
UTC is 11 hours behind AEST. So, when it is 11:00 am AEST, it will be 12:00 am in UTC.
New Moon Full Moon

Time Time
Date Date
AEST < UTC AEST < UTC

Tue Feb 9 00:39 <13:39 Tue Feb 23 04:20 <17:20

Wed Mar 9 11:54 < 00:54 Wed Mar 23 22:01 <11:20

Thu Apr 7 21:24 <05:24 Fri Apr 22 15:24 <04:24

Sat May 7 05:30 < 18:30 Sun May 22 07:15 <20:15

www.timebie.com/timezone/londonchicago.php
www.almanac.com/astronomy/moon/calendar moon phase calendar
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2014&month=4&country=34 calendar for Israel
2014

155
Time standard conversion programs
Determine the difference between your local time and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) From
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-dates.html
• http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
• http://www.thetimenow.com/time-converter.php
• http://www.thetimenow.com/utc/coordinated_universal_time
• http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_UTC.aspx
• http://whatismytimezone.com/

*moon phase
Q: where in the sky can the moon be seen at a given date and time?

• www.moongiant.com/phase/9/5/2018
• https://futureboy.us/fsp/moon.fsp (Moon Locator)
• http://stellarium.org/ (v. 0.18.2).
After installion, it need reset location. F3 for search the object – 'moon'. If the moon is
not seen on the sky, it has probably set below the horizon. Click on F5 (time/date) -
Scroll to different dates or different time to check to see the moon up in the sky and to
flollow moonrise to moonset. To check the moon phase, zoom up.
• www.quickphase.com Moon Phase Calendar (QuickPhase Pro v. 4.1.1) – The vertical
axis of the crescent and the gibbous is diagrammatical shown as vertical in the
monthly calendar. The appearance of the moon in the monthly calendar is set for the
northern hemisphere; unfortunately, it remains same even if the location is chosen for
the southern hemisphere.
Moon phase - Astronomical data
www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/future-lunarsolar-conjunction-
dates.html
Conjunction date and time (in UTC)

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/MoonPhase.php
www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml
www.wikihow.com/Tell-Whether-the-Moon-Is-Waxing-or-Waning
http://lunaf.com/lunar-calendar/2016/06/11/#next-7-days-moon-phases
www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit2/phases.html
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.php

www.lpi.usra.edu/education/skytellers/moon_phases/about.shtml

156
Moon phase data: 30 – 33 CE (UTC):

(A) & (B) - data are very similar with minor number difference:

(A) http://web.archive.org/web/20140909184037/http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html

(B) http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0001.html (year 1 to 100 CE;)

• www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=4&country=34
CE 30 Apr-6-Thu = Nisan 15; full moon Apr 7-Fri

157
Moon phase:
The revolution of the Moon around the Earth causes the Moon to appear to change shape in the sky.
These apparently different shapes are called "phases" of the Moon. The Moon passes through a cycle
of eight phases which repeats itself every 29.5 days. There is no definite starting point for the cycle,
but phases follow one behind the other in a strict order.
Moon rise time is not a factor for lunar calendation.
How long does it take our Moon to go around Earth?

It takes 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes (27.32+ days) for our Moon to complete one full
orbit around Earth. This is called the sidereal month and is measured by our Moon's position
relative to distant “fixed” stars. However, it takes our Moon about 29.53+ days to complete
one cycle of phases (from new Moon to new Moon). This is called the synodic month. The
difference between the sidereal and synodic months occurs because as our Moon moves
around Earth, the Earth also moves around our Sun. Our Moon must travel a little farther in
its path to make up for the added distance and complete the phase cycle.

Appearance of the Moon; waxing and waning

https://youtu.be/9Fyn9dCv3E0 (The Moon Cycle)
A waxing moon will be illuminated on the right side and a waning moon will be illuminated
on the left side. [It is reversed in the southern hemisphere.]
• Waxing = Growing biGGer [as on successive days]
• Waning = shrinking smaller;
• Crescent = 'sickle-shaped' (smaller than half appears lighted)
• Gibbous = bulging (bigger than half appears lighted); ['humped']
• New moon [not to be confused with New-Moon day of a lunar month]

Illuminated Moon seen from the Earth

(area of the moon illuminated as in the Northern Hemisphere)

↓ Full Moon↑
(lighted side of the Moon faces toward Earth.) [Cf. lunar eclipse]
↓ Waning moon - the left half lighted ↑ Waxing moon - the right half lighted

↓ Waning Gibbous (G shape) ↑ Waxing Gibbous

↓ Waning Half-moon (3rd/Last Q) ↑ Waxing Half-moon (1st Q). (D shape)

↓ Waning Crescent. (C shape) (그믐달) ↑ Waxing Crescent ('new moon') (초생달)

Dark Moon ↑
= hidden moon (not visible) = 'astronomical new moon' = moon & sun in conjunction.
The lighted side of the Moon faces away from the Earth.

158
 Mnemonic with alliteration
Left Moon – Last moon – Leaving ↓↓ First Moon – Right Moon – Rising ↑↑
waning/weakening; /become Leaner. Waxing/Gaining (Getting biGGer)
(decreasing diminishing disappearing) to Full Moon
to Dark Moon (to Banish to Black Moon)

159
 [fr. www.astronomycafe.net/qadir/q1295.html ]

www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml

160
www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/moon/hemispheres.html
Does the moon look the same all around the world?

The first quarter: In the northern hemisphere looks like a growing D,

while in the southern hemisphere it looks like a C.

The last quarter: In the northern hemisphere looks like a C, while in

the southern hemisphere looks like a D.

In the Northern Hemisphere the sunlit part of the moon

moves from right to left:

D O C (D first quarter; O full Moon; C last quarter)

In the Southern Hemisphere the sunlit part moves from the

left to the right:

C O D (C first quarter; O full Moon; D last quarter)

The side of the Moon and its phases vary depending on our location on Earth.

Northern Hemisphere – Clockwise

The moon is seen in the south. East, where the sun and moon rises, is to the left, and
west (sunset and moonset) is on the right. In the northern hemisphere the apparent
movement of the sun and the moon is from left to right throughout the hours.

Southern Hemisphere – Counterclockwise

The moon is seen in the north. Facing the moon, the east is on the right and west on the
left. The sun and the moon seem to move across the sky from right to left.

161
 Northern Hemisphere Equator Southern Hemisphere

Young Moon

Old Moon

www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/moon/moon-sw.html
A simplified animation of the tilt of the waxing or waning Moon in different parts of the world
A simplified model of the tilt of the waxing or waning Moon in different parts of the world

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/46-our-solar-system/the-moon/o
OBSERVING THE MOON
Why is the Moon higher in the sky in winter and lower in the summer?
Does the Moon look different in the northern and southern hemispheres?
162
 Does the direction of the moon's crescent change through the night?
On which days can I see the Moon in the evening / morning and why is this so?
How does the position of Moonrise and Moonset change?
Is the Moon always visible during winter on the North Pole?
How can you tell if a crescent moon is preceding or following a new-moon phase?
Is the Moon seen as a crescent (and not a "boat") all over the world? Is the same phase of the moon
visible from the Northern and Southern hemispheres?
A line drawn perpendicular to a line through the tips of the horns of the crescent moon doesn't point to
the Sun! Why not?

www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/what-are-the-phases-of-the-moon/

The axis of the crescent change (vertical-horizontal):

How differently does the crescent look each month through a 12-month lunar cycle?
How much different btw the waning crescent and waxing crescent in a lunar cycle?
How differently in Northern vs. Southern hemispheres? At equator?
Illustration with diagrams
Counter-clockwise progress. Position of the sun – arbitrary on the diagram.
https://youtu.be/9Fyn9dCv3E0 (The Moon Cycle) – illustration

Appearance of the crescent or 'boat':

The orientation of the crescent moon depends on the season and the latitude of the observer;
the size of the crescent, however, is the same wherever you are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lunar_libration_with_phase2.gif

In the Northern hemisphere it is as "right-side up", the concave part of the crescent points
"left". For those in the southern hemisphere it is "upside-down", pointing "right".

Since the transition must be smooth from a "left" pointing crescent to a "right" pointing one,
we require that the Moon be a "boat" instead of a crescent at the equator.

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/our-solar-system/46-our-solar-system/the-moon/observing-the-
moon/124-is-the-moon-seen-as-a-crescent-and-not-a-boat-all-over-the-world-is-the-same-phase-of-
the-moon-visible-from-the-northern-and-southern-hemispheres-advanced

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/crescent.php
http://earthsky.org/?p=2447
www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/thinnest-crescent-moon/

163
www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/thinnest-crescent-moon/

A day-old crescent isn't too difficult to see and a worthy goal for the naked-eye observer. The
visibility of young (or old) crescents has much to do with the angle the Moon's path makes to
the horizon.

The Moon basically follows the ecliptic, the same path traveled by the Sun and planets. From
mid-northern latitudes in late summer and fall, the ecliptic tilts upward at a very shallow from
the sunset horizon, so thin crescents barely escape the solar glow and are difficult or
impossible to see.

From winter through mid-spring, however, the lunar byway tilts upward at an ever-steeper
angle from the western horizon, placing the Moon higher up in the sky and offering us a better
view. The opposite situation rules at dawn, with summer and fall the best times to seek the
waning crescent.

Because the Moon's orbit is tipped relative to the plane of Earth's orbit, it can range up to 5°
north or south of the ecliptic. If the crescent occurs around the northern extreme, visibility is
improved for mid-northern latitude observers and similarly for southern observers at its
southern extreme.

Even though summer and winter crescents have identical elongations from the Sun, as shown
in this illustration, the late summer Moon's path more nearly parallels the horizon after sunset,
so it's low to begin with and sets early.
By late winter, the Moon's steeper path places it more directly above the Sun, bumping up its
altitude. Your latitude also factors into the Moon's altitude — the farther north (or south) of
the tropics, the lower the crescent Moon's path across the sky. Stellarium / Bob King

164
http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~fv/sky/moon-general.html

The Moon rises and sets every day, like the Sun. But the Sun always rises in the
morning and sets in the evening; the Moon does it at a different time every day.

At New Moon, the Moon lies in the same direction as the Sun. But the Moon is
orbiting around the Earth; every day, it moves eastwards (further left from the
Sun) by about 12 degrees. This means that it increasingly lags behind the Sun, by
about 50 minutes a day.
At New Moon, the Moon rises in the morning; it's at its highest, in the south,
in the middle of the day and it sets in the evening - just like the Sun. Of
course, this is academic, since we can't see the Moon when it's New!

Over the next few days, as the Moon grows to a crescent, it moves further left, and
lags more and more behind the Sun. Soon we can see it in the evenings, still above
the western horizon when the Sun has already set.
By First Quarter, the Moon is one-quarter of the way around its orbit (and
half illuminated). It is now 90 degrees to the left of the Sun, and lags behind
it by 6 hours. So, it rises in the middle of the day, it's high in the south at
sunset, and it sets in the middle of the night.

Over the next few days, as the Moon grows to a gibbous phase (more than half-
illuminated), it continues to lag further behind, rising later each afternoon and
setting later each night.
At Full Moon, the Moon is opposite to the Sun - 180 degrees away, and 12
hours behind it. So, the Moon rises as the Sun is setting; it's high in the south
at midnight, and it sets in the morning, at sunrise.

Over the next few days, as it shrinks back to gibbous again, it rises later in the
night.
By Last Quarter, the Moon is 270 degrees to the left of the Sun - or 90
degrees to the right of it; and it lags 18 hours behind the Sun - or it's 6 hours
ahead. So, it rises in the middle of the night, it's high in the south at dawn,
and it sets in the middle of the day.

If you know how many days it is since New Moon, multiply that by 50 minutes,
to find out approximately how much the Moon is lagging behind the Sun.

165
A first crescent in Northern vs. Southern hemisphere in December.

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question43.html
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071126091757AAi3xUG

Appearance of the moon in different seasons

This diagram shows typical paths for the Moon during the year (and the resulting look of the
waxing crescent Moon) for a specific latitude in the northern hemisphere. Notice that during
winter, the Moon sets north of west and follows a path almost straight down to the horizon.
During the summer, the Moon sets south of west and follows a slanted path down to the
horizon

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/technology/ask-fuzzy-does-the-moon-rise-and-set-in-the-
same-place-20140515-zrdpj.html

Does the moon rise and set always at the same place relative to a
stationary observer?

Note that where the moon rises and sets has no connection to its phase. So on a
given day a crescent moon, for example, can rise either north or south of east.

166
Like the sun, rising in the east and setting in the west? In reality the moon
generally rises either north or south of east and sets either north or south of
west.

The movement of the daily rise and set directions along the horizon form an
interesting and predictable pattern:

The sun – Sunrise and set directions have a similar but simpler pattern that
is easier to consider. As the Earth circles the sun it has a tilt of 23.5 degrees,
which gives rise to the seasons: in the summer half of the year the sun
appears in the southern part of the sky, while in the winter half it appears in
the northern part. Hence, in summer the sun rises south of east and sets
south of west and in winter it rises north of east and sets north of west.

The moon shows a similar pattern to the sun but, instead of taking a year, it
runs through the pattern in a month of 27 days, which is the time the moon
takes to circle the Earth.

For half the month the moon rises south of east and sets south of west.
During the other half it rises north of east and sets north of west.

If that seems complicated, there are simple aspects to it. In summer, as

mentioned earlier, the sun rises south of east and sets south of west. Since the
full moon is always opposite the sun, in summer months the full moon rises
north of east and sets north of west. Similarly, in winter the full moon rises
south of east and sets south of west.

167
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/46-our-solar-system/the-moon/observing-the-
moon/128-how-does-the-position-of-moonrise-and-moonset-change-intermediate

Season Position of Sunrise/Sunset

Winter Southeast/Southwest
Spring East/West
Summer Northeast/Northwest
Autumn East/West

Only on the equinoxes (Sept/Mar 21st) does the Sunrise/set at due East/West. At the
solstices (Dec/June 21st) the position is its furthest South/North of East/West. How far
to the North or South, it is depends on your latitude.

The time of day that the Moon rises or sets depends on its phase:
This should be obvious when you remember that the phase of the Moon
depends on the relative positions of the Sun, Moon and Earth. For example,
when the Moon is Full it is opposite the Earth from the Sun, so when the Sun
sets, the Moon must rise and vice versa. Here is a table summarizing that:

Moon Phase Moonrise Moonset

New Sunrise Sunset
1st Q Local noon Local midnight
Full Sunset Sunrise
Last Q Local midnight Local noon

By local noon and local midnight, I mean the points when the Sun crosses the
meridian, and exactly 12 hours later. This can be different from the time on your
watch because we define time zones which all use the local time at the center of the
zone.

So when the Moon is new, it rises and sets with the Sun, and the position of
Moonrise/set varies just like that of Sunrise/set. When the Moon is full however the
pattern is inverted. To be more explicit (again here this is for the Northern
hemisphere, for the South exchange North for South):

Position of Moonrise/set
Season
NEW 1st FULL 3rd
Winter SE/SW East/West NE/NW East/West
Spring East/West NE/NW East/West SE/SW
Summer NE/NW East/West SE/SW East/West
Autumn East/West SE/SW East/West NE/NW

Like the Sunrise/set positions, the amount of variation depends on your latitude.

168
 www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/sunrise-moonrise-east/

Why does the Moon rise later every day?

As both Earth and the Moon are moving in their orbits, moonrise occurs later
every day. Just as Earth spins counterclockwise when viewed from the North
Pole, the Moon also orbits Earth counterclockwise. Therefore, every time we
spin 360° with respect to the stars, completing a sidereal day (23 hours and
56 minutes), the Moon has moved a little in its orbit around Earth. The Moon
orbits Earth every 27.32 days with respect to the stars, marking a sidereal
month, so the amount it moves in one sidereal day is (360/27.32) degrees,
about 13°. Earth turns 360° every sidereal day, so it will take about
13*(23.9/360) hours to make up the remaining 13°: 52 minutes. Each
moonrise, then, will occur roughly 52 minutes later than the one before it.

Because the phase of the Moon also depends on its position relative to Earth
and the Sun, the phase will change along with the time that the Moon rises and
sets. Read more about the hows and whys of the phases of the Moon here.

A Supermoon www.space.com/26503-supermoon-full-moon-rises-saturday.html

169
Remember D, O, C.
www.wikihow.com/Tell-Whether-the-Moon-Is-Waxing-or-Waning [A copy in the Collection]

Determining Moon Phases in the Northern Hemisphere: Hold out your right hand with your
thumb out, palm facing the sky. The thumb and forefingers make a curve like a backward C.
If the moon fits in this curve, it's a waxing moon (increasing).
If you do the same with your left hand and the moon fits in the "C" curve, then it is waning
(decreasing).

Since the moon always follows the same illumination pattern, you can use the shape of the letters D,
O, and C to determine if the moon is waxing or waning.
During the first quarter, the moon will look like a D.
When it’s full, it will look like an O.
And when it’s in the third quarter, it will look like a C.
• A crescent moon in the shape of a backwards C is waxing
• A half or gibbous moon in the shape of a D is waxing.
• A half or gibbous moon in the shape of a backwards D is waning.
• A crescent moon in the shape of a C is waning.

Determining Moon Phases

in the Northern Hemisphere in the Southern Hemisphere

waxing Right Half ↑ Full ↓ waning Gibbous 1st Crescent ↑ Full ↓ waning Left Half

170
 https://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/moon_phases.php
New Moon - The Moon's unilluminated side is facing the Earth.
The Moon is not visible (except during a solar eclipse).

Waxing Crescent - The Moon appears to be partly but less than

one-half illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the
Moon's disk that is illuminated is increasing.
First Quarter - One-half of the Moon appears to be illuminated
by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is
illuminated is increasing.
Waxing Gibbous - The Moon appears to be more than one-half
but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of the
Moon's disk that is illuminated is increasing.
Full Moon - The Moon's illuminated side is facing the Earth.
The Moon appears to be completely illuminated by direct
sunlight.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon appears to be more than one-
half but not fully illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of
the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.
Last Quarter - One-half of the Moon appears to be illuminated
by direct sunlight. The fraction of the Moon's disk that is
illuminated is decreasing
Waning Crescent - The Moon appears to be partly but less
than one-half illuminated by direct sunlight. The fraction of
the Moon's disk that is illuminated is decreasing.

Moon phase in the Passover season

*Full moon; Full moon at Passover

The full moon comes in the middle of month – 14th Abib night-period [= Nisan 15 night-period]. The
calendar in the first century as in the Scripture is not same as the modern rabbinic Jewish one. The
date of Full Moon may vary depending on the location of the observer when the time is close to 12
a.m.

[Note: A lunar eclipse occurs at night at full moon, when Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon
with the Earth’s shadow falling on the full moon. A solar eclipse ccurs in the daytime at dark moon,
when the Moon is between Earth and the Sun. So-called Crucifixion_darkness (Mt 27:45-50; Mk 15:33;
Lk 23:44) cannot be accounted for on the basis of solar eclipse. http://earthsky.org/space/why-isnt-
there-an-eclipse-every-full-moon ]

171
Full Moon date: Astronomers define when a Full Moon occurs by its phase as seen at the
so-called Standard Meridian on Earth which passes through Greenwich England.
(‘astronomical full moon’). Because of time zone difference, though the Full Moons occur at
the same evening [at the same moment over the Earth], do not have to occur on the same
calendar date.

www.astronomycafe.net/FAQs/q1465x.html [Is the Full Moon seen the same everywhere on the
same date? No.]
www.astronomycafe.net/FAQs/q1038x.html [Why does the moon rise 50 minutes later each day?]

Is the full moon always on the 15th [of Nisan = 14th of Abib - ARJ]?
From “THE HEBREW CALENDAR – Study Paper” (2013 COGWA)
http://members.cogwa.org/uploads/Hebrew_Calendar_-_Study_Paper.pdf

… the mean length of a lunar month is approximately 29.5 days, which means the middle of
the month (the full moon) is at the 14.75-day mark. So, day 15 of the month would be the
approximate halfway point. This means that on the evening of the 15th day of the month, we
should expect to see a full moon in the sky, since the full moon falls halfway during the moon’s
monthly cycle. But the 15th day may or may not be the time when there is a 100 percent, fully
illuminated moon.

One must realize that, in general, “full moon” is a reference to one of the phases of the moon
that lasts for approximately three nights. Most almanacs and calendars have the full moon listed
on the day that the sun, moon and earth align and the moon is fully illuminated. This can be
calculated precisely to the minute. But, just as the astronomical new moon is only one way to
define the new moon, so the astronomical full moon is only one way to define the full moon.
The best way to look at it is that the new moon and the full moon are phases of the moon’s
cycle rather than exact moments in time (the astronomical new moon and full moon).

When the moon is between 95 percent and 100 percent full, it is difficult for one to tell the
difference with the naked eye. The 15th day of the seventh month will always begin on one of
these three evenings during the full moon phase on the Hebrew calendar. This will also be true
of the Night to Be Much Observed, which is the evening of the 15th day of the first month. It
should be kept in mind that there is no scripture that requires there be a “perfect” full moon
(100 percent illumination) on the night of the Feast of Tabernacles or the Night to Be Much
Observed. In fact, the moon may not even be visible at the time when it is perfectly full (100
percent illuminated). Since the moon continues through its phases whether it is day or night, if
the astronomical full moon occurs during the daytime, then technically you will already be
looking at a waning moon, with less than 100 percent illumination, by that night.

This quote from the U. S. Naval Observatory may be helpful:

Although Full Moon occurs each month at a specific date and time, the Moon’s disk
may appear to be full for several nights in a row if it is clear. This is because the
percentage of the Moon’s disk that appears illuminated changes very slowly around
the time of Full Moon (also around New Moon, but the Moon is not visible at all then).
The Moon may appear 100% illuminated only on the night closest to the time of exact
Full Moon, but on the night before and night after will appear 97-99% illuminated;
most people would not notice the difference. Even two days from Full Moon the
Moon’s disk is 93-97% illuminated.

Passover (Abib 14) is 14 days after the first New Moon after Vernal Equinox (i.e. Abib 1).

Passover full moon = the equinoctial full moon (that which occur after equinox) of the Passover season.
172
Cf. ‘Paschal full moon’ – refers to the ecclesiastical full moon (defined as 14th day of the ecclesiastical
lunar month (not same date of astronomical full moon, differing up to two days) in an ecclesiastical
lunar calendar of the northern spring used in Computus (determination of the date of Easter).

Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon and Planets by Jean Meeus (2nd edition)

For 30 CE, the crescent of the moon could have been seen Mar 23 or 24
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=30&month=3&country=34
(Mar 23 Thu as Nisan 1 → Apr 5 Wed as Nisan 14.)
[some discrepancy in the time of the new moon (dark moon) in different reference sources.]

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php accessed 07/12/17

Julian date; Jerusalem time (= 2 + GMT)
CE full moon@ dark moon% dark moon$
30 Thu Apr 6 22:00 Mar 22 Wed 20:00 Apr 21 Fri 11:00
31 Tue Mar 27 13:00 Mar 12 01:00 Apr 10 14:00
33 Fri Apr 3 17:00 Mar 19 12:00 Apr 17 21:00

@ on or next after equinox; % on or preceding equinox; $ following equinox

Green – for Nisan 1 & 14

http://web.archive.org/web/20090301015349/http:/eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/phase/phases0001.html
(Julian date; Jerusalem time = 2 + UT)
CE full moon dark Moon dark moon
30 Thu Apr 6 21:42 Mar 22 19:46 Apr 21 11:36
31 Tue Mar 27 12:55 Mar 12 00:10 Apr 10 13:32
33 Fri Apr 3 16:52 Mar 19 12:38 Apr 17 21:09

173
Location dependence: Time Zone conversion

TIME ZONE Conversion: https://savvytime.com/converter/utc-to-cst

Jerusalem location = 31.7833° (46 min 59 sec) N, 35.2167° (13 min 0 sec)
(elevation of 2,550 feet above sea level. Cf. Jericho is about 1,200 feet below sea level. Dead Sea
1400 feet below)
Jerusalem Time = UTC + 2
CST = UTC - 6
[Cf. Korea (KST)a + 9; US (EST) – 5]
[Cf. IST, CST - affected by DST → IDT, CDT]

Note: full moon time show some discrepancy among the various astronomical data sources;
however, it is in the night time of Abib 14 (Nisan 15).

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=2011&month=4&country=34
30 CE Dark Moon Full Moon
Jerusalem Mar-22 (Adar 29) Apr-7 (Nisan 16)
Chicago Mar-21 Apr-6
31 CE Dark Moon Full Moon
Jerusalem Mar-12 (Adar 29) Mar-27 (Nisan 15)
Chicago Mar-11 Mar-27
[The Conjunction and New-Moon Day – date is location-dependent.]

Year Dark Moon Full Moon

CE
Israel USA Jerusalem USA
2017 Mar-28 Mar-27 Apr-11 -
(Nisan 1) (Nisan 15)
2016 Apr-7 - Apr-22 -
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 14)
2015 Mar-20 - Apr-4 -
(Adar 29) (Nisan 15)
2014 Mar-30 - Apr-15 -
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 15)
2013 Mar-11 - Mar-27 -
(Adar 29 (Nisan 16)
2012 Mar-22 - Apr-6 -
(Adar 28) (Nisan 14)
2011 Apr-3 - Apr-18 Apr-17
(Adar II 28) (Nisan 14)
2010 Mar-15 - Mar-30 Mar-29
(Adar 29) (Nisan 15)
2009 Mar-26 - Apr-9 -
(Nisan 1) (Nisan 15)

ahttps://youtu.be/5ZJ7lqav55E [팩트체크] '표준시' 변경한 북한…한국은 못 바꾸나?

www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44010705 [For North Korea changed back to KST May 5, 2018.
174
Data from Herman H. Goldstine (1994), New and Full Moons, One Thousand and One BC to AD
Sixteen Fifty-One (p. 86)

Note: This is the reference source mentioned in the Hoehner’s book (p. 100) which has this
reference in a footnote, confusingly in conjunction with a Thursday crucifixion scenario:

The year of AD 30 [for the crucifixion year] has also been debated, but is
reasonably certain that Nisan 14 was a Friday that year [fn]. [How could he say
‘reasonably’? Was it from his gut feeling?]

[fn] Jeremias, Eucharistic Words, pp. 39-40. “A new work containing the
computer print-out of the occurrence of the new moons further questions that
Nisan 14 in AD 30 occurred on Friday. According to the computer Nisan 14 in
AD 30 occurred on Thursday. See Herman H. Goldstine (1973), New and Full
Moons, 1001 BC to AD 1651.”

Hoehner quotes mistaken data by Goldstine who gives astronomical data only and nowhere
suggest that Nisan 14 in AD 30 occurred on Thursday.

175
Fixing the first month [Abib] of a Biblical year

In order to identify the start of a new year (Abib 1), we must locate the New Moon closest
to the vernal equinox. (Using this method typically places the start of the year between
March 7 and April 6.) www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/the-metonic-cycle-
made-simple.html.

Fixing the New-Moon Day and the Passover Date:

With the accurate astronomical data on the conjunction ('dark moon' or 'astronomical new
moon'), how is the New-Moon day of the month placed on the calendar? How did the 1st
century people actually determine the New-Moon day in that very month?

The New-Moon day determines the date of the Passover of CE 30, the day of the Crucifixion.
That will then show why it was on Wed, not Thu.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luni-solar_calendar
https://yrm.org/biblical-new-moon/(‘what is the biblical new moon’)
www.triumphpro.com/calendar-god_s-true-calendar-new-expanded-book.pdf [God's True
Calendar by Dankenbring]
The New-Moon day is the biblical day (sunrise-to-sunrise) starting on dawn after the conjunction.
The Gregorian date for it is then to be located when the New-Moon day falls.

For the Month of Abib: When the New-Moon day Abib 1 was determined to be on Mar 23 Thu,
the Passover (Abib 14) is on Apr 5 Wed.
# dawn; conjunction – Mar 22 Wed. @19:32 ◙ Jerusalem time, CE 30
visible crescent – probable earliest time on the next Gregorian date

Mar 22 Wed Mar 23 Thu Mar 24 Fri Apr 5 Wed

◙ # # #

Abib 1 Abib 2 Abib 14

Nisan 1@ 2 3 14 15

Abib 14 (Passover day) cannot be Apr 6 Thu [as in a Thursday Crucifixion scenario] unless it
is fixed by the visible crescent method and if it were seen on Mar 24 Friday.
The Nisan date is 6 hours ahead of the Gregorian date; thus 12 hours ahead of the Biblical calendar date
(with same date for the daytime event). Here it is shown for comparison purpose only, as the rabbinic Jewish
calendation does not apply in the biblical times and narratives. Also, the fixing of the new-moon day in the
Biblical times was by the "sighting first crescent" method.

To fix Abib 1 on Mar 23 Thu or Mar 24? → the Passover on Apr 5 Wed or Apr 6 Thu.

176
The calendar of the month Abib: New-Moon day Mar 23 Thu and the Passover Apr 5 Weda

New- Work Days Lunar

Moon Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 sabbath

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu
Mar 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
30
21

Since the conjunction occurred Wednesday evening, the crescent moon for the new month coming –
Abib – could not possibly have been seen before Thursday evening. One cannot see the crescent the
same evening the conjunction occurs. Normally it is visible about 24 hours later.

a
Not to be confused with the unbiblical Wednesday scenario with the Resurrection in the Sat afternoon.
177
 If, however, one claims for the visible crescent method and would find it on Mar 24 Fri instead
of Mar 23 Thu as shown below, a day later than the it should, the Passover would then fall on
Apr. 6 Thu, which is as in a Thursday Crucifixion scenario.

Mar 22 Wed Mar 23 Thu Mar 24 Fri Apr 6 Thu

◙ # # #
Abib 1 Abib 2 Abib 14

www.waoy.org/How_Long_Was_Yeshua_Really_in_the_Grave.pdf by William Dankenbring

Here the author was shown to take the New-Moon day to be one day later (Mar 24 Fri) (without
giving why it should be) – to arrive Apr 6 Thu as the Day of Crucifixion (= Nisan 14).

• See also www.waoy.org/How_Long_Was_Yeshua_Messiah_in_the_Tomb.pdf by Rand Ben

Joseph (a copy in the collection).

The would-be calendar to fit for a Thursday crucifixion scenario.

New-Moon D. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Lunar

sabbath
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Mar 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Mar 31

- 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Apr Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/new-moon-day-the-dawn-after-conjunction.html
New-Moon Day Commences at the Dawn After Conjunction.

Earliest visible crescent – Mar 23 evening – should that be Abib 1? or why a day later Mar 24 by the
Thursday proponents? William F. Dankenbring, "Jesus’ LAST WEEK" – says it has to be Thursday –
how so? www.triumphpro.com/newsflash_002.htm

http://triumphpro.info/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/jesus__last_week____new.htm

Referring to Jean Meeus (1995), Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon and Planets (2nd ed.). Part
4 “Phases of the Moon.” a
[try it on https://archive.org/details/astronomicaltabl00meeu (1983 ed.)]

"… This remarkable work provides tables which shows the phases of the moon, including the New
Moons (molads) with an accuracy within 10 minutes or less, for any year from 1500 BC to 2999
AD) and shows the conjunction of the dark (new) moon for March, 30 AD, was on the 22nd day of
the month (Wednesday), at 17:32 GMT– that is, 5:32 PM, Wednesday evening! (about 7:32
Jerusalem time).

a
Cf. However, in the 3rd ed. 2016. www.willbell.com/almanacs/AstroTables.htm Part 4: Phases of the
Moon 1970–2050 – is there data on 30 CE?
Also includes Part 7: Other Tables
• Table for calculating the Julian Day
• Perpetual Calendar
• Date of Easter Sunday, 1583–2119
• Jewish Calendar, 2010–204
178
 Since the conjunction occurred Wednesday evening, the New Moon crescent for the month just
beginning – Abib – could not possibly have been seen before Thursday evening. [But what about
Thursday evening?? - ARJ] You cannot see the crescent the same evening the conjunction occurs!
Normally it is visible about one day or 24 hours later – which fits the picture perfectly.]
This information means that Abib 1 was a Friday that week, and Abib 14 – the day of the crucifixion
– had to be on a Thursday, not a Wednesday or a Friday! [Is he using Abib date of sunrise-to-sunrise
day, not Nisan of sunset-to-sunset day? - ARJ] There is no disputing these f acts – and the Jews
plainly state that in those days the months were determined by the sighting of the New Moon
crescent by confirmed, authorized witnesses who were posted to watch f or it. …"
Note: The conjunction may occur before the dawn.
E.g. ◙ Dark moon – Aug 11, 2018 @ 04:48 CST DST.
The New-Moon Day falls on Aug. 11, the same Gregorian date as for Dark Moon.
Aug 11 Sat Aug 12 Sun Aug 13 Mon
◙
Biblical D. New-Moon D. 2 3
Jewish day 1 2 3

If the conjunction is after dawn,

E.g. ◙ Dark moon – Mar 17 @ 08:12 CST DST
The New-Moon Day falls on Mar 18, the next Gregorian date coming after Dark Moon.
Mar 17 Sat Mar 18 Sun Mar 19 Mon
◙
Biblical D. New-Moon D. 2
Jewish day 1 2

Biblical day mean a day reckoned as sunrise-to-sunrise.

Jewish day means a day reckoned sunset-to-sunset.

179
moon phase in the current years:
@www.moonconnection.com/quickphase/ QuickPhase software.
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/SpringPhenom.php Spring Phenomena 25 BCE to 38 CE
www.timeanddate.com/moon/israel/jerusalem
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html?year=2000&n=110
www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=1818&month=4&country=34
http://moonstick.com/moonstick.htm
http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0001.html (Phases of the Moon: 0001 to 0100)

A table of Vernal Equinox; dark moon, full moon, Nisan 15, Easter Sundays
[in Jerusalem time]
A table to cover dates for equinox and conjunction in UTC time (1802 to 2048) in The Metonic Cycle
Made Simple - World's Last Chance.com. [@ ‘Easter Sunday’ in the church liturgical Holy Week
does not correspond to the Biblical ‘Resurrection Day’.]

Spring @Easter Sunday

Dark moon Full moon Nisan 15 %
Equinox (Eastern)
Mar-11 Sat 06:30 Mar-26 Sun 05:21
1967 Mar-21
Apr-10 Mon 12:20 Apr-24 Mon 14:04 Apr-25**

2008^ Mar-20 Apr-6 Sun 5:56 Apr-20 Sun 13:27 Apr-20 Mar-23 (Apr-27)
Mar-15 Mon Mar-30 Tue Mar-30
2010 Mar-20
Apr-14 Wed Apr-28 Tue –

2011a Mar-21 Apr-3 Sun 16:33 Apr-18 Mon 05:45 Apr-19 Apr-24 (same) #

2012 Mar-20 Mar-22 Thu 16:38 Apr-6 Fri 22:20 Apr-7 Apr-8 $ (Apr-15)
Mar-11 Mon 21:52 Mar-27 Wed 11:29 *Mar-26
2013 Mar-20 Mar-31 (May 5)
Apr-10 Wed 11:36 Apr-25 Thu 22:59 –

2014 Mar-20 Mar-30 Sun 20:45 Apr-15 Tue 10:44 Apr-15 Apr-20 (same)

2015 Mar-21 Mar-20 Fri 11:37 Apr-4 Sat 15:07 Apr-4 Apr-5 (Apr-12)
Red color – Apr 20 = for Abib 15

a
??? http://artscalendararticles.mysite.com/blank_7.html When the dark new moon appoints Passover to occur on
or after the date of the new solar year in March. The new solar year began on Mar 17, 2011, the date of the equinox
when the sun and moon divided night and day with 12 hours of darkness and daylight at Jerusalem, Israel location;
not at the man devised invisible equator. The Abib 1 dark new moon date is Mar 4, and it appointed the Passover
date, Mar 17, 2011, to begin in the beginning of the fourteenth day at evening or dusk, at the setting of the sun.
180
Conflicting data below on these 1818 and 1897 in different data sources: what was the source for
this??
Spring @Easter Sunday
Equinox Dark moon Full moon Nisan 15 % (Eastern)
1818 Mar-20 Mar-7 01:10 Mar-22 Mar-21 Mar-22 (Apr-30)
(13 mos) (21 ?) Apr-5 … 15:46 Apr-20
Mar-14 Sat 12:47 Mar-29 Sun 07:21 –
&Mar-21 Fri
1897 Mar-20 Apr-5 Sat Apr-5
Mar-3 + Apr-2 Apr-27 (Mon) 15:47?? –
Apr-13 Mon 06:22?
Red color – Apr 20 = for Abib 15

www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/the-metonic-cycle-made-simple.html

A case study: 1818 CE

Easter = Mar 22 !!! www.dr-mikes-math-games-for-kids.com/easter-date-

tables.html?century=19 (earliest day for the Easter was Mar 22 – 1761 & 1881)

Equinox = Mar 21 Sat

Dark moon = Mar 24 Sun; Apr 23
Abib 1 = Mar 25; Abib 14 =
Full Moon =Apr 9 Tue = Nisan 15 = Passover

Israel 1818 CE March / Apr

www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=1818&month=3&country=34

181
 See different data: Dark moon Apr. 5!!
• www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/the-metonic-cycle-made-
simple.html

• Check with 'moonstick' www.moonstick.com/moonstick.htm

% The Jewish Passover in the rabbinic Judaism is Nisan 15 on their calendar which is
not based on the Scripture. It is the first day of Passover Festival (= 1st day of the
Matzah Festival) This calendar day begins at sunset of the day before the Gregorian
date, whereas the Passover Day in the Scripture is on Abib 14, which is the eve (>
preparation day) for the High Sabbath (Jn 19:31). (Cf. for daytime events, date in Abib
and Nisan is same.)
& A different data - Mar 21 – dark moon; Apr 5 – full moon = Nisan 15 in the year
with Adar II month)
[ www.timeanddate.com/calendar/monthly.html?year=1897&month=4&country=34 ]
** (year with Adar II month – in rabbinic Jewish calendar)
^ (When Did Month 1 Begin in 2008 CE? - Torah Calendar
www.torahcalendar.com/ -- note: this is with sunset-to-sunset rabbinic Jewish day;
not true biblical calendar.]

#http://5ko.free.fr/en/easter.php Eastern Orthodox Easter (called Pascha) comes

usually on different days since the basis of calculation is with different calendars.
It is never celebrated before the Passover on the same date (2010, 2011, 2014,
etc.)
$ Easter fell in the Passover Week. It may rarely fall on Abib 14 (Nisan 14). Easter
day and Passover are thematically unrelated since Passover and Resurrection are
two different events of days apart.
* Abib 15 on Apr 24. [Compare a similar situation in C.E. 31. Cf. Abib 14 on Apr
24 (with Dark Moon on Apr 10).

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1925MNRAS..85.1000C
http://ns1763.ca/equinox/vern1788-2211.html

182
3. The Julian-Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar locked with the seasons, having no relationship
with the movements of the moon. Gregorian one is a reform of Julian calendar from October 4, 1582
C.E. (the "10 Day Gap").The early Julian used 8-day weeks (A to H). Therefore, the Gregorian
calendar is of no relevance with respect to times and dates in the Scripture.
It is possible to check to see which proleptic Gregorian date and day of the planetary week that Abib
14 (Passover day) falls on; it has to be independent of the modern rabbinic Jewish calendar (since 359
C.E. – Hillel II)a. Such a Jewish calendar did not exist at any time in Israel's history prior to it and
cannot be used proleptically to construct a biblical calendar used in the first century CE.

5. To say He was crucified and resurrected on the certain named days of the planetary week may serve
only for the purpose of the liturgical Holy Week of the Constantine Catholic Church tradition.
However, it is rather meaningless for the Biblical narrative itself. especially so when it is disconnected
chronologically from biblical timeline, resulted from misunderstand of the biblical phrase ‘1stday’ to
be Sunday, ‘7thday’ to be Saturday, etc. Whatever date the crucifixion happens to fall on in a proleptic
calendar, it has nothing to do with Friday in the church liturgical Holy Week.

a
Calendation by Hillel II, confirmed around 12th century - rabbi Maimonides.
183
List of articles in www.worldchance.com

www.worldslastchance.com/about-us/wlc-content-directory.html

Creator's Calendar
• Heaven's Holy Days (>>Video)
• The Creator's Calendar (>>Video)
• Three Months in a Row | Part 1 to Part 7
• Creation Week (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)
• Appointed Feasts (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)
• Luni-solar Calendar (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)
• Objections of other Ministries Answered (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)
• Astronomical & Mathematical Calculations (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)

New-moon day:
• New Moons & Translation Days
• New Moon Day: When & Why (eCourse)
• New Moon Day: Gift of the Creator (>>Video)
• New Moon Day: The Dawn After Conjunction
• New Moons & Manna | The Pattern in the Wilderness
• When was the Moon Created? Does the Day Really Matter?
• Calculating the Conjunction: No Computer? No Problem! (>>Video)
• New Moon Day (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)

Scriptural Beginning of the Day:

• When Does a Day Begin?
Related Content:
When Does a Day Begin? (Video)
When Does A Day Begin? (eCourse Lesson)
Dispelling the Darkness: When Does a Day Begin?
Yahuwah's Calendar Videos
Manner of Observing the Sabbath
Reasons for Sabbathkeeping
Institution of the Sabbath
How Do I Keep the Sabbath?
Lunar Sabbath | The Defense - Part 3
• Sabbath at Sunset? Absurd and Impossible! (>>Video)
• Dispelling the Darkness: When Does a Day Begin? (>>Video)
• When does a Day Begin & End? (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer)
• When Does A Day Begin? (eCourse lesson)

Biblical New Year:

• The Metonic Cycle Made Simple
• Biblical Calendation: Reckoning the New Year
• A 13th Month?? The Divine Precision of the Luni-Solar Calendar
• Biblical New Year (Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answe
How exactly can we find the correct vernal equinoctial point at our location?
Why doesn't WLC begin the New Year when the sun is in Aries?
• True New Year: When is it? (eCourse)

Creator's Calendar vs. Rome's Calendar (The issues at stake...):

• The Way Divides
• The Restorers of the Breach
• Warning! An End Time Message
• What is Armageddon? (>>Video)
184
 • Papacy Boasts of Calendar Change
• Armageddon: The Battle Over Worship
• Babylonian Mysteries: The Hidden God
• Mystery Babylon: The Origins of Saturn
• Changeling: Christians becoming Pagan
• When to Worship | The Battle for Your Soul!
• New Moons, Sabbaths, & the Gregorian Calendar
• Babylon is Fallen: Come Out of Her, My People! (>>Video)
• Guardian of History's Largest Religious Lie eCourse (eCourse)
• Pagan Origins of the Modern Calendar (eCourse)
• 12 Criteria of the True Crucifixion Date (eCourse)
• Changing Weeks: Hiding Sabbath (eCourse)
• The Battle Over Worship (eCourse)

The fallacy of a continuous weekly cycle:

• Continuous Weekly Cycle Proven False
• 8 Days a Week? Julian Calendar History (>>Video)
• The Crucifixion: Disproving the Continuous Weekly Cycle
• The Modern Seven Day Week: Exploring the History of a Lie
• International Date Line Change: The Sabbath Unchanged? (>>Video)
• Catholic Scholar Verifies Neither Saturday nor Sunday is Biblical Sabbath
• Date Line Deception: What it is & Why it matters! [MUST READ: SDAs]
(>>Video)

For more on the Seventh-Day Sabbath and the Annual Feasts:

• #Annual Feasts
• #Seventh-Day Sabbath

Resources:
• WLC Calendar App
• Worship & Job Conflicts
• WLC Sabbath Challenge
• Printable Luni-Solar Calendar
• Luni-solar: You Ask, We Answer
• Luni-Solar Calendar with Feast Days
• Testimonies of Luni-solar Sabbatarians
• Yahuwah's Calendar (Non-WLC Videos)
• Future Lunar-Solar Conjunction Dates (2013-2023)

When does a Day Begin & End? (Luni-Solar: You Ask, We Answer)

What about Nehemiah 13:19? It gives support to sunset to sunset day length.
If the Biblical Sabbath is only 12 hours long, how long is you Sabbath if you live in the
Arctic?

I have a Jewish historian's testimony that the Sabbath during the days of Yahushua
commenced on “Friday” at sunset and ended “Saturday” at sunset. Certainly he would
have knowledge of the true hours of the holy Sabbath, don’t you agree?

Whatever the Jews, at the time of Yahushua, were keeping as the Sabbath hours, must
have been correct. Question: If they were keeping a 12 hour Sabbath only, then it must
have changed some time later to a 24 hour Sabbath? Is there evidence for this?

I was taught that the Yahushua was crucified on a Friday, rested in the Tomb on a
Saturday and rose from the grave on Sunday morning. Isn’t this empirical proof that
Saturday is the seventh-day Sabbath?

185
 The word 'morning' in Genesis 1 is defined as being sunrise, or day. Isn’t it obvious
that Yahuwah is declaring the order of a day when He says, 'the evening and the
morning were the first day', second day, etc?

It seems to me that the context of the word 'day' in Genesis chapter 1 is meaning the
entire 24 hour period.

My Church teaches that the day begins at sunset. This comes from Leviticus 23:32
where it says, 'from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath'. This was a
command from Yahuwah via Moses.

[End]_

186
 Biblical Chronology

‘/*Chronology

1. the sequential order in which events occur.

2. a table or list of this order.
3. the science of arranging time in fixed periods and for the purpose of ascertaining the
dates and historical order of past events.
4. a reference work/book organized according to the dates of events.

Chronological synchronism

www.oocities.org/in2ourpast/Dating.htm DATING METHODS IN ARCHAEOLOGY

https://youtu.be/jIIVtysxuM0 David Rohl ~ The Bible - Myth or Reality? A New Chronology

Study Day with David Rohl (DVD). https://youtu.be/M0Eo7l_6yDA THE TROUBLE WITH
EGYPTIAN CHRONOLOGY!

Historical timelines
## ##
http://considerthegospel.org/what-was-the-history-of-the-jews/

### ###

https://amazingbibletimeline.com/ https://amazingbibletimeline.com/timeline_online/
[Note: wrong data with Birth 4 BC; Death 33 CE for 'Jesus']

187
## ##

Historical timeline of with major biblical characters

Year of the Exodus; Year of Babylon Deportation, Year of Rome; Fall of Jerusalem to Romans,

188
Historical timeline of Jewish people

189
Date of the birth of Yeshua:

Relevant time-markers in G-Mt

'Star of Bethlehem' Mt 2:1-6;
'Death of Herod' Mt 2:19

Relevant time-markers in sequence in G-Lk narrative:

1. Lk 1:8-9 'Zechariah' (Zekharyah) in 8th priestly division of 'Abijah (Abiyah)' (1Chr 24:10, 1).
- that it was his 2nd annual priestly service is to be verified by time-marker #7.
2. Lk 1:24 'Elisheba's conception of Yohan the immerser';
3. Lk 1:26 'In the sixth month' (of Elisheba's pregnancy, not 6th month of the year), Gabriel
announces of Mariam's conception of Yeshua. *
4. Lk 1:57 Birth of Yohan the immerser'. [enate of Yeshua; cf. agnate]
5. Lk 2:1 the special census on the Silver Jubilee (25th year – BC 3) of the reign of Augustus
[as Caesar, 27 BC to 14 CE at his death] [Succeeded by his son – Tiberius Caesar (Lk 3:1)]
[different from the usual Roman census (in 28 BC, 8 BC, 14 CE).]
6. Lk 2:4 Birth of Yeshua' – in Bethlehem. Literally and symbolically, Yeshua was born as a
Passover lamb 3 BC Early Abib. [Cf. died on the Passover (Abib 14) as the Passover lamb.]**
7. Lk 2:8 Shepherds watching over the flock of sheep [lambing season is in the spring; cf. a
year-old lambs for Passover sacrifice in the Temple – https://youtu.be/ptlsXtTf6n0 Jonathan
Cahn (note: it has a wrong year of 6 BC for His birth)]

*Her conception by the power of the holy Spirit, divine intervention:

(not that 'God the Son' 'the 2nd Person of Trinity God' being put into the womb of Mary Ever-Virgin,
impregnating Immaculate Virgin – Father is God the Father or God the Holy Ghost?).
**Calculated on the basis of Lk 1:26 the archangel Gabriel’s announcement to Mariam, wife of Yosef,
of her coming conception and a median gestation period of about 40 weeks, the month of His birth
would come in the next year — in the Passover time (in the first lunar month of the year). The priestly
service rotation (Lk 1:8-9) was his 2nd annual rotation.

Different ideas on Day of his birth: For various positions, see the files in:
IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5C - When was He born)
<Priestly Divisions and their rotation +d.pdf> and <Lk 1.26 'in the sixth month'
of what - r.4 +d +a.pdf> in the zip file <Lk 1.26 'in 6th mo.' + Priestly Division>
If the priestly service of Zechariah is taken to be his first annual rotation (not the
second) as many others do, Yeshua's birth would fall around the Sukkot.
www.thecreatorscalendar.com/our-messiahs-true-prophetic-birthday/ [See
'CreatorsCalendar.com - True Birth day of Yeshua +d' in a zip file <Jesus born in Fall
(Sukkot)>] https://youtu.be/jUJUhZEUXa0
An astrological-theological interpretation of Rev 12:1-6.
EL Martin (1996), The Star of Bethlehem: The Star That Astonished the World]
www.askelm.com/star/star008.htm (in http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/Martin, Ernest L
Ch 5. The Time of Jesus' Birth and Ch. 6 The Birth of Jesus and the Day of Trumpets.

The birth date proposed by some as Sept 11, BC 3! Rosh Hashanah = Tishri One, the Jewish
New Year day (The Festival of Trumpets).]

190
Year of death of Herod:

Full lunar eclipse- Jan 9, 1 BC would well be the one referred to by Josephus in his Antiquities of the
Jews (book xvii, chapter 6).
Astronomical discoveries – lunar eclipses visible in Jerusalem during the nine years from 5 BC – CE
4: March 23, 5 BC; Sep 15, 5 BC; March 12, 4 BC; and Jan 9, 1 BC. [Ref: Rev. Samuel Fallows,
Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary p. 423]

Year of birth of Yeshua:

@ - 3 BC, early Abib (late March) - birth of Yeshua as a Passover lamb.

Cf. 3 BC. Abib 14 (Mar 30 Sat)
# - 30 CE Abib 14 (Apr 5 Wed) - death of Yeshua as the Passover sacrifice.

• Year of death of Herod – BC 1. [Not BC 4]

• Year of Yeshua’s birth – BC 3 [Not BC 4-6]
• Archelaus becomes Herod's successor in Judea.
• Archelaus deposed (6 CE)
• Quirinius as the Governor of Suria; Census 6 CE (Act 5:37)
G-Matthew (Mt 2:19) associates the birth of Yeshua with Herod’s reign. For the latter,
Josephus wrote in that there was a lunar eclipse shortly before Herod died (Jewish
Antiquities 17.6.4) and Herod died shortly before a Passover (Jewish Antiquities 17.9.3,
The Jewish War 2.1.3).
Some claims that a lunar eclipse in March (the time of the 4 BC eclipse) was much
more likely than one in December as it was close to the Passover. This is traditionally
ascribed to the eclipse of March 13, 4 BC after Emil Schürer (1896), A History of the
Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ. However, this eclipse was visible only very
late that night in Judea and was additionally a minor and only partial eclipse.

There were no lunar eclipses visible in Judea thereafter until two occurred in the year
1 BC. Of these two, the one on December 29, was the one most likely to be seen and
remembered. That then dates the death of Herod the Great into the first year of the
current era, which is four years after the usual accepted date. a

Birth of Yeshua in BC 3b is with BC 1 [not BC 4] as the year of the death of Herod.

athe December 29, 1 B.C. eclipse was the most likely to have been widely observed. (Pratt, John P. Yet Another
Eclipse for Herod. Reprinted from The Planetarium, Vol. 19, No. 4, Dec. 1990, pp. 8–14.
www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/herod/herod.html [a copy in < IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5C -
When was He born>]
Ref. Paul Maier, "Sejanus, Pilate, And the Date of the Crucifixion", Church History, Vol. 37. No. 1 (Mar., 1968),
pp. 3-13 [a copy in the collection]
W. E. Filmer, "The Chronology of The Reign of Herod The Great", The Journal of Theological Studies, Volume
XVII, Issue 2, Oct 1966, Pages 283–298,
b
Year AD 1 in our modern calendar has nothing to do with the actual year of His birth. The origin of
B.C. and AD in Julian-Gregorian calendar – www.livescience.com/45510-anno-domini.html.The idea
of counting years has been around for as long as we have written records, but the idea of syncing up
191
where everyone starts counting is relatively new. Today the international standard has been to designate
years based on a traditional reckoning of the year Jesus was born — the “AD” and "B.C."
"AD" stands for anno domini, Latin for “in the year of the lord,” and refers specifically to the birth of
Jesus Christ. "B.C." stands for "before Christ". In English, it is common for "AD" to precede the year,
so that the translation of "AD 2014" would read "in the year of our lord 2014". In recent years, an
alternative form of B.C./AD has gained traction. Many publications use "C.E.," or "common era," and
"B.C.E.", or "before common era". IRENT has it ‘B.C.’ or BC to stand for ‘Before Common era’; ‘C.E’
or CE for ‘Common Era’ – along with 'Common Era Calendar' instead of 'Gregorian Calendar'.
192
 www.truebiblecode.com/BLCTable.html

Table of Gregorian New Moons, Vernal Equinoxes and Nisan1 year start dates from
2400 BC to 3100 AD. The data based upon the algorithms of Jean Meeus (1998, 2nd
ed.); converted to Gregorian.

Year; GMT Dark Moon Nisan 1 Vernal Equinox

3 BC (Gregorian) Mar 14 @19:57 Mar 16 Mar 21 @07:23
3 BC (Julian) Mar 16 Sat Mar 18 Mon Mar 23 Sat
30 CE (Gregorian) Mar 20 @17:47 Mar 21 Mar 21 @01:21
30 CE (Julian) Mar 22 Wed Mar 23 Thu Man 23 Thu
31 CE (Gregorian) Mar 9 @22:20 Mar 11 Mar 21 @07:09
31 CE (Julian) Mar 11 Sun Mar 12 Mon Mar 23 Fri
33 CE (Gregorian) Mar 17 @10:39 Mar 18 Mar 20 @18:47
33 CE (Julian) Mar 19 Thu Mar 20 Fri Mar 22 Sun

Cf. discrepant from the above for spring equinox)

www.beda.cz/~jirkaj/seasons/seasons.pdf [in UTC]
Spring Equinox
3 BC Mar 23 @04:25
30 CE Mar 22 @22:37

https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1227757509 [calendar conversion Julian-Gregorian]

193
References:

[@ Copies of these are found in the zip file ‘Year of Birth of Jesus and death of Herod’
included in IRENT Vol. III Supplement - Collections #5A.]

• www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/romancensus.html
• @ www.hope-of-israel.org/herodsdeath.html
• www.askelm.com/star/star011.htm Ch. 9. The Lunar Eclipse of Josephus
[EL Martin (1996), The Star that Astonished the World – found online in
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Martin%2C%20Ernes
t%20L%2E

• Edwards, Ormond. "Herodian Chronology", Palestine Exploration Quarterly 114 (1982)

29–42
• Keresztes, Paul. Imperial Rome and the Christians: From Herod the Great to About 200
AD (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1989), pp.1–43.
• Vardaman, Jerry; Yamauchi, Edwin M., eds. (1989). "The Nativity and Herod's Death".
Chronos, Kairos, Christos: Nativity and Chronological Studies Presented to Jack Finegan.
Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns: 85–92.
• Finegan, Jack (1998). Handbook of Biblical Chronology, Rev. ed. (p. 300, §516).
• B. Mahieu (2012) – Between Rome and Jerusalem. Herod the Great and his Sons in their
Struggle for Recognition in: Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 208 pp. 235-243.

• @ Q&C, BAR, January/February 2014

https://members.bib-arch.org/biblical-archaeology-review/40/1
Which Eclipse? When Was Jesus Born? When Did Herod Die?

• @ www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-
jesus/herods-death-jesus-birth-and-a-lunar-eclipse/ Herod’s Death, Jesus’ Birth and a
Lunar Eclipse (03/02/2017)

• Andrew E. Steinmann (2011), From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology (pp.

235–238)
• @ — (2009) “When Did Herod the Great Reign?” Novum Testamentum 51 pp. 1–29.

• Schürer, Emil (1896). A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, 5
vols.

The following references – data based on Schürer’s claim ??]

• Bernegger, P. M. "Affirmation of Herod's Death in 4 BC.", Journal of Theological
Studies ns 34 (1983), 526–531.
• Barnes, Timothy David. "The Date of Herod's Death," Journal of Theological Studies
ns 19 (1968), 204-219.
• Morten Hørning Jensen, “Antipas—The Herod Jesus Knew”, BAR,
September/October 2012.

194
Star of Bethlehem

Mt 2:2 – ‘star of Bethlehem’ = planet Venus at heliacal rising:

Conjectures of fantasy– comet, supernova.
www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/12/26/amazingly-astronomy-can-explain-
the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem/

http://theconversation.com/can-astronomy-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem-35126 (a
copy in the collection)
www.alcyone.de/plsv/documentation/compphen.html <Computation of Visibility Phenomena>
The Venus-Jupiter conjunctions take places in 3 & 2 BC.
[compatible with BC 1 as the year of the death of Herod.
Cf. https://gilgamesh42.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/the-star-of-bethlehem-documentary-the-
death-of-herod-and-josephus-account-2/ (a copy in the collection)]

http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2011/12/26/searching-for-the-star-of-bethlehem/
Roger Sinnott …was the person who first suggested the June 17, 2 BC, Venus-Jupiter
conjunction as a possible explanation for the Star of Bethlehem in a Sky & Telescope article
that appeared in December 1968 (pp. 384-386).

David Hughes (1980), The Star of Bethlehem Herod's death BC 4. Birth of Jesus – Sep 5 Tue 7 BC!!! [p.
169 data after Sinnott for twin planet conjunctions btw 12 BC and 7 AD. for Jupiter-Venus conjunctions in
3 BC 12 Aug (heliacal); /2 BC 7 June (acronychal) – in the constellation of Leo on each side of the brightest
star in that constellation, the star Regulus or Alpha Leonis - the "Royal Star".]

Magi's visit –2 BC (Dec.)

[Yeshua was about 1 1/2-year-old. cf. Birth of Yeshua – 3 BC (early spring – Abib 1); Death of Herod (1
BC spring, not BC 4).]

www.torahtimes.org/writings/an-ancient-tradition/article.html
<Wise Men Time Line, New Moon Dec 28/29, 2 BC. /x: Yeshua 4th mo.>

195
*Christmas; Date of Christmas

[ Christmas – annual celebration (not commemoration) of the birth of 'Christ' in Constantine

Catholic Church tradition. ~ Day; ~ Festival/Festivity; ~ season]
From an Old English Cristes Maesse or “Christ’s Mass,” term for “celebration for Christ.”

Cf.
[Custom of Christmas holiday –
/celebrating-christmas-and-the-holidays-then-and-now/
True_meaning_of_Christmas

December 25th might have also been chosen because the Winter Solstice and the ancient
pagan Roman midwinter festivals called 'Saturnalia' and took place in December around
this date - so it was a time when people already celebrated things.

Christmas (wlc/christmas-origin-history-and-traditions.html )
www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm
Origin – Saturnalia: a week-long Roman carnival celebrated between December 17-25
(Winter solstice). In the 4th century CE the Roman Catholic Church continued to celebrate
on the Saturnalia’s concluding day, December 25th called it as the Jesus’ birthday. It is
simply the day of Church Christmas on Gregorian Calendar. The first mention of a Nativity
feast appears in the Calendar of Philocus, a Roman document from 354 CE, which gives a
festival of "Natalis Invicti" on Dec. 25. 'Dies Natalis Solis Invicti' and lists December
25th as the day of Jesus’ birth. Consciously or not, the majority mistakes it to be the actual
date of his birth.

196
The first recorded date of Christmas being celebrated on December 25th was in 336,
during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine (he was the first Christian Roman
Emperor). A few years later, Pope Julius I officially declared that the birth of Jesus would
be celebrated on the 25th December.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

Dates other than December 25

May 20, April 18 or 19, March 25, January 2, November 17, and November 20 have
been suggested. [Ref: Elesha Coffman, "Why December 25?". Christianitytoday.com.
August 8, 2008. www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/why-december-
25.html ]

The Gospel of Luke of the New Testament provides important texts which give
pertinent time-markers: Luke 1:1–7, 8–9, 24, 57 (on 'John the baptizer') and 1:26, 13,
36; 2:6–7, 8–13 (on 'Jesus'). When carefully read, these texts point His birth to be in
the spring lambing season. These lambs were born in Bethlehem region to be raised for
Passover sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple next year. His birth date should then fall on
first few days of Abib -- born to be a Passover lamb (in 3 BC) and died historically as
the Passover lamb (in 30 AD).

• Bethlehem: there, King David himself was a Bethlehem shepherd (1 Samuel 16:19).
• Abib = 1st month of the biblical year = Nisan, 7th month in the rabbinic Jewish Calendar.
• Jonathan Cahn –https://youtu.be/9dcy1VF3OOk <When was Messiah Jesus born>
https://youtu.be/kSXSbbRXLJg <Christmas Mystery: Messiah's Birthday is Nissan 1>
According to him the date of birth is to be typologically determined as the first day
of Abib, the beginning of the new year – renewal. [Cf. the year of birth is wrongly put
on BC 6.

197
Journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem

Nazareth to Bethlehem – 80 miles as the crow flies.

About 110 miles journey – 'went up' (i.e. towards Jerusalem) along the east of the Jordan river → cross back the
Jordan River → Jericho → Bethphage → (7 miles) Bethlehem. [Not straight south through Samaria and then
Judean Highland.]
Travel – about 6 days 20 miles/day on foot or by a donkey; 3 miles/hour;

Duration of Yeshua's ministry; Three vs. four Passovers

Lk 3:1 – Yohanan the immerser began his ministry [CE 27 – some argues CE 26!!;
some CE 29!] in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign [CE 14 – 37].
Lk 3:21-22 – Immersion of Yeshua

Total of four festivals in Yeshua's ministry:

(1) Jn 2:13, 23 (28 CE) – ('Temple Incident' – this pericope is translocated in the
Synoptics to the Passover Week)
(2) Jn 5:1 – 'a festival of the Yehudim' – unnamed.
(3) Jn 6:4 (29 CE);
(4) Jn 11:55; 12:1 (30 CE) – the Crucifixion was on the Passover day.

[Note: The duration of His ministry and the year of His Crucifixion are the subjects
of chronology, whereas the day/date is a subject of timeline.]

Three-Passover Four-Passover
scenario scenario
Duration: 2+ years 3+ years
Beginning $ Lk 3:21-22 27 CE 27 CE
1st Passover Jn 2:13 27 CE
<time-marker> Jn 4:35%
'a festival' @ Jn 5:1
The one before last Jn 6:4
Passover/ Jn 11:55; 12:1 30 CE 30 CE
Crucifixion Lk 23:46
$ shortly before the 1st Passover
@ Some takes it as Passover
% “Do you not say that there are yet four months before the harvest comes?” [Cf.
barley harvest at Passover time; wheat harvest to follow in the summer.]

Cf. Passover -- the festival is important enough to require Yeshua's presence at

Jerusalem. The other two annual festivals when he was present at Jerusalem came
later in the year after the Passover:
Festival of Mishkan Dedication (Hanukkah) (Jn 10:22) – Late Sept.
Festival of Sukkot (Jn 7:2) – mid-Oct.
Cf. Some argues for CE 33 or CE 31 for Crucifixion.

198
‘*Passover' 'Festival of the Matzah'

'Passover' – 'Passover' event, sacrifice, meal, and vigil in the Exodus history. Later
comes 'Passover [memorial] to keep', 'Passover meal to eat', 'Passover Festival to
celebrate'.

'Pesach' (Passover) in the rabbinic Jewish calendar is for the Festival (Pesach I to
VII/VIII) which is equivalent to the biblical Festival of the Matzah.

Passover as a memorial. Passover day = Abib 14. Passover eve = Abib 13.
Passover memorial meal (Abib 14 evening)

Cf. In the modern Rabbinic Judaism: ereb Pesach Nisin 14, with 'Pesach' =
Festival of the Pesach (Pesach I to VII to VIII) (≈ Festival of the Matzah). The
ritual Seder (Nisan 15 evening – 1st day of Pesach Festival)

Festival of the Passover – Exo 34:25;

The Passover, a festival – Ezk 45:21
The Passover Festival – 2Ch 35:17
The Passover – Exo 12:43; Num 9:5
The Passover sacrifice – 2Ch 35:1 (lamb)

Festival of the Matzah (6x in OT) – Lev 23:6; Exo 23:15; 34:18; 2Ch 8:13;
30:13; 35:17) Cf. Exo 12:17 'Festival of the Matzah'

'the Festival of the Matzah' (1x in NT) – Lk 22:1

Cf. Mk 14:1 'the Passover day and the Matzah Festival']

day of eating the unleavened bread'
Cf. Act 20:3, 6 'the days of eating the unleavened bread';
Cf. 1Co 5:8 'keep a festival with leaven of'.

The following 'the unleavened bread' does not refer to the festival itself, but for
preparing. [IRENT uses 'Matzah' in reference to the Festival; otherwise as
'unleavened bread' to help distinguish.]

Cf. Mt 26:17 'at the beginning for the unleavened bread'.

Cf. Mk 14:12 'at the beginning day for the unleavened bread'
Cf. Lk 22:7 'there coming was the day for the unleavened bread'

199
<*Easter’ vs. ‘Passover' (vs. 'Pesach') vs. 'Pascha’>
See in the file <Walk through the Scripture #6 - Passion Week Chronology>

<Dates of Easter Sundays>

See in the file <Walk through the Scripture #6 - Passion Week Chronology>

*Daniel 9 – Daniel’s 70-week prophecy; Daniel’s 70th week

Interpreting Daniel 9 from Jewish perspective:

[See elsewhere on Hebrew words for 'seven' 'sevens' 'seventy' 'week' 'weeks'
'sabbath' 'sabbaths'] – Lev 23:15 The Feast of Shavuot

Matter of fact, all Christological readings of Daniel 9 take it as a Messianic prophecy

on coming of ‘Messiah’ (as in KJV translation of Dan 9:25, 26). Here, the Hebrew
word [H4899 mashiach (39x) 'an anointed one'] should, as elsewhere in OT, be
translated as ‘an anointed one’. To fit this line of interpretation, they take 69 weeks of
one undivided period, instead of artificially dividing up as the text reads ‘7 weeks; and
62 weeks’.

[https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/answers/jewish-
polemics/texts/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ ]

An awareness of these eight mistranslations is essential to understanding the

ninth chapter of Daniel. To recap:
1. (‫ )קדשים קדש‬mean “holy of holies” (the Most Holy Place), not the “most holy one”
2. (‫ ~ דבר‬Devar) that means “word” not decree.
3. (‫ ~ משיח‬Moshiach”) means “anointed” not “Messiah” v. 23
4. (‫ ~ משיח‬Moshiach”) means “anointed” not “Messiah” v. 24
5. “seven weeks and sixty-two” means two events one at 7 weeks and the other 62
weeks later not one event after a cumulative 69 weeks
6. (Hey ~ ‫ )ה‬mean “the”
7. (V’ayn Lo ~ ‫ )לו ואין‬mean “will be no more” not “not for himself”
8. (kares ~ ‫ )כרת‬means death to a transgressor the cuts off their relationship to God.

Various interpretations failed to provide any useful data related to the Passion Week
chronology, as everyone comes up an interpretation to suit for their idea on the crucifixion
year.
30 CE (e.g. www.nowtheendbegins.com/pages/rapture/daniels-70th-week-
explained.htm),
31 CE (e.g. http://biblelight.net/dan927.htm),
32 CE (e.g. www.khouse.org/articles/2004/552/),
33 CE (e.g. www.fulfilledprophecy.com/page/the-70th-week-of-daniel/ . www.pickle-
publishing.com/papers/harold-hoehner-70-weeks.htm
It is obvious that such a prophecy in the OT cannot offer anything to prove their claim for
the certain year of His death.

200
*Daniel 9 and the year of the Crucifixion
A typical Christian pesher.

Some use this for CE 31 or CE 33. Here is an example of interpretation in attempt to interpret
Daniel 9 to support CE 30 as the year of His Crucifixion:
www.nowtheendbegins.com/pages/rapture/daniels-70th-week-explained.htm

The 70 weeks explained

The expression "Seventy Weeks" should read "Seventy Sevens". Whether those "sevens" are
days, weeks or years is to be determined by the context. The "Period" of the "Seventy Weeks"
is divided into three periods of "Seven Weeks", "Threescore and Two Weeks", and "One
Week", and it was to be 7+62--69 weeks from the going forth of the "commandment" to
restore and build Jerusalem unto "MESSIAH THE PRINCE".

The date of the "commandment" is given in Neh. 2:1 as the month "Nisan" in the twentieth
year of Artaxerxes the king, which was the 14th day of March, BC 445. The day when Jesus
rode in Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem as "Messiah the Prince", was Palm Sunday, April 2,
AD 30. Luke 19:37-39. But the time between March 14, BC 445, and April 2, AD 30, is more
than 69 literal "weeks." It is 445+30=475 years. What explanation can we give for this? It is
clear to every careful student of the Word of God that there is a "Time Element" in the
Scriptures. We come across such divisions of time as "hours"; "days"; "weeks"; "months";
"years"; "times"; "time and the dividing of time". To be intelligible and avoid confusion they
must all be interpreted on the same scale. What is that scale? It is given in Num. 14:34. "After
the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days-Each Day FOR A
YEAR, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years" See also Eze. 4:6 .

The "Lord's Scale" then is: "A Day Stands for a Year".

Let us apply this scale to the "Seventy Weeks." We found that the time between the
"commandment" to restore and build Jerusalem, and "Messiah the Prince, " was to be 69
weeks, or 69 X 7 = 483 days, or if a "day" stands for a year, 483 years. But we found that
from BC 445 to AD 30 was 475 years, a difference of 8 years. How can we account for the
difference?

We must not forget that there are years of different lengths. The Lunar year has 354 days. The
Calendar year has 360 days. The Solar year has 365 days. The Julian, or Astronomical year,
has 365 1/4 days, and it is necessary to add one day every 4 years to the calendar.

Now which of these years shall we use in our calculation? We find the "Key" in the Word of
God. In Gen. 7:11-13; Gen. 8:3, Gen. 8:4, in the account of the Flood, we find that the 5
months from the 17th day of the 2nd month, until the 17th day of the 7th month, are reckoned
as 150 days, or 30 days to a month, or 360 days to a year. So we see that we are to use in
"Prophetical Chronology" a "Calendar" year of 360 days.

According to ordinary chronology, the 475 years from BC 445 to AD 30 are 64 "Solar" years
of 365 days each. Now counting the years from BC 445 to AD 30, inclusively, we have 476
solar years. Multiplying these 476 years by 365 (the number of days in a Solar year), we have
173,740 days, to which add 119 days for leap years, and we have 173,859 days. Add to these
20 days inclusive from March 14 to April 2, and we have 173,879 days. Divide 173,879 by
360 (the number of days in a "Prophetical Year"), and we have 483 years all to one day, the
exact number of days (483) in 69 weeks, each day standing for a year. Could there be anything

201
more conclusive to prove that Daniel's 69 weeks ran out on April 2, AD 30, the day that Jesus
rode in triumph into the City of Jerusalem.

We must carefully notice that nothing is mentioned as occurring between the "Seven Weeks"
and the "Threescore and Two Weeks, " is and that Daniel was to understand that the latter
followed the former without a break. The words that follow, "the street shall be built, and the
wall, even in troublous times, " doubtless refers to the "first period" or 49 years, occupied by
Ezra and Nehemiah in the work of restoring and rebuilding the City of Jerusalem.

We see from this that if the "students of Prophecy" of Christ's day had been on the alert, and
had understood Daniel's prophecy of the "Seventy Weeks, " they would have been looking for
Him, and would have known to a certainty whether He was the Messiah or not.

While there was no break between the "Seven Weeks" and the "Threescore and Two Weeks,
" there is a break between the "Sixty-ninth" and "Seventieth Week, " in which several things
were to happen.

First, we read that "Messiah Was to Be Cut Off, But Not for Himself." This refers to Christ's
rejection and crucifixion. He died for others. Then we read that the people of the "Prince That
Shall Come' shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary. Note that it does not say that the "Prince"
will destroy the City and Sanctuary, but the People of the Prince. The people who destroyed
the City of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70 were the Romans, therefore the "Prince
(Antichrist) must be a Roman Citizen. This does not mean that he cannot be a Syrian Jew, for
Syria will then be a part of the revived Roman Empire, and Saul of Tarsus was a Roman
citizen as well as Jew.

We are then told that the desolation of the land of Palestine shall continue until the "End of
the War" (probably Armageddon). As this "desolation" still continues we see that the "GAP"
between the "Sixty ninth" and "Seventieth Week" takes in the whole of this PRESENT
DISPENSATION.

The next verse (vs. 27) introduces the "Seventieth Week."

"And He (the "Prince"-Antichrist) shall confirm the Covenant with many for ONE WEEK
(the Seventieth Week); and in the MIDST (middle) of the Week He (the Antichrist), shall
cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, " etc. For a description of the "Seventieth Week" see
the chapter on "The Tribulation."

[Source: Clarence Larkin www.raptureforums.com/ClarenceLarkin/chap10.cfm ]

An example of a Christian pesher:

Daniel’s 70 weeks [‘seventy of seven-unit periods’] – this may concern us as it prompts an
eschatological theory and provides chronological data on 'Jesus' in his coming and crucifixion.
• The 7 weeks - This 49-year period is the time where the 'commandment to restore and
to build Jerusalem' was given. It would take 49 years to accomplish this, and it began
in 445 BC
• The 62 weeks - From the end point on the rebuilding of the walls, until Messiah was to
be revealed, it would be 62 weeks, or 434 years. (475 years d=41)
• The last week - various interpretations.

[With interpretations galore we find on this, it is hard to believe one of them be right. Rather,
it is much more sensible to see that they all are wrong.]

202
:
Appendix

*Counting days, ‘on the *third day’; ‘*three days later’ vs. ‘after three days’

Ref. www.academia.edu/1040897/The_third_day_or_two_days_later [Iver Larsen, "On the Third

Day", Notes on Translation, No. 108 (August 1985):18-22.
Ref. www.ubs-translations.org/tbt/1979/03/TBT197903.html
David Clark, “AFTER THREE DAYS”, The Bible Translator, Vol. 30 No. 3, July 1979. pp. 340-
343
Ref. What is Inclusive Reckoning? - Wednesday Crucifixion Theory – it is followed by another
article on ‘three days and three nights’ of Mt 12:40
(www.wednesdaycrucifixion.com/threedaysandthreenights.html )]
Ref: www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=756&topic=139# <Did
Jesus Rise “On” or “After” the Third Day? By Eric Lyons> – with many irrelevant arguments]

[Copy of these four ref. are in the folder <Counting days – ‘After three days’ or ‘On the third day’>
in the file <IRENT Vol. III - Supplement (Collections #5A - time + calendar)>

[Cf. English idiom – 'three day later' (NLT, CEV, ISV) is by inclusive counting (= ‘three
days passing’). Cf. 'after three days' is by exclusive counting (= ‘three days past’)
'in three days', ‘by three days’, 'within three days']

*Counting days – ‘on the third day’, ‘three days later’ & ‘after three days’ in the
Passion narratives

When dealing with duration of days or counting off days, it is important to have in mind
what initial and terminal points for counting in the narratives are. Also, a subtle difference
between the phrase ‘three days later’ and ‘after three days’.

See <Walk through the Scripture #6 – Passion Week Chronology> for further details on
Pilate’s sentencing on Abib 13.]

[This is not really related with the issues of inclusive counting vs. exclusive. See below ↓
<Counting days – inclusive vs. exclusive>]

‘On the third day’:

• tē tritē hēmera "(to rise after death) on the third day" – //Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:19;
//Lk 9:22; 24:7, 46; (//Mk 9:31 v.l.; 10:33 v.l.); (Cf. Hos 6:2); Act 10:40; [i.e. Abib
14th (sabbath eve; Passover) → Abib 15 (7th day of the lunar week; sabbath) →
16th (1st day of the lunar week; Day of Firstfruits)]
• tē hēmera tē tritē Lk 18:33; Jn 2:1 (‘marriage feast’)
• tē tritē Act 27:19 "on the third day"; Lk 13:32 "today and tomorrow and on the third
day I'm to complete"

203
with S3326 meta [Note: Many, esp. WNT, is not consistent in rendering.]
• meta treis hēmeras (with the resurrection as the terminal point of counting) [‘three
days later’ – donates ‘three days passing’. Cf. ‘after three days’ as translated by
most, denotes ‘three days past’.]
Mk 8:31 /three days later – NIV, NLT, CEV, GNT; /in three days – Aramaic in PE;
/x: after two days – WNT!
Mk 9:31 /in three days – WNT!; -/three days later – HCSB, NLT, CEV, GNT
Mk 10:34 / /three days later – NIV, GNT, CEV. [Some reads mss - /third day –
NKJV, KJV; on the third day – WNT!, Berean Literal]
Mt 27:63; /x: after three days – most; /after two days – WNT!; /in three days – CEV;
/three days later – GNT;
• meta treis hēmeras (Act 25:1 – no context for the initial point of counting) /two days
later – WNT; /after three days – most;
• meta hēmeras treis (three days passing) Act 28:17 /xxx: after one complete day –
WNT!; /x: after three days' – most;
• meta hēmeras treis (three days passing) Lk 2:46 (Boy Yeshua in Jerusalem) /on the
third day – WNT!);
• meta treis mēnas (three months later) Act 28:11 /it was three months after the
shipwreck – NLT; /at the end of three months – NASB; /three months later –
CEV, ISV; /x: after three months – most;
• meta duo hēmeras “the Passover day to come” (after the Olivet discourse); /in two
days; /> after two days; /x: two days later; Mt 26:2; //Mk 14:1;
• meth' hēmeras hex (‘six days later’) Mt 17:1 //Mk 9:2; [six days later – also in
WNT!] /x: after six days – most; /[cf. //Lk 9:28 'about eight days (after these words)'
hōsei hēmerai oktō (meta tous logous)]
• Jn 20:26 <meth' hēmeras oktō> (eight days passing; in eight days; on eighth day.)
[it was on 1st day of the week counting from first day of the previous week, but not
eight days already past] /≈ on the eighth day – JFB; /eight days later – ESV, NET,
NWT; /x: after eight days – NASB, KJV, NKJV; /x: a week later – NIV, TEV
(GNB), CSB, GW, ISV, SENT, SourceNT; /≈ after a week – none;

Cf.
• heōs tēs tritēs Mt 27:64 "(secure the place) until the third day" –
• (ēdē) hēmerai treis Mk 8:2 "(already) for three days" /x: this is now the third day
– WNT;
• en trisin hēmerais ‘in three days’ Mk 15:29. //Mt 27:40 (‘within three days’ – WNT)
dia triōn hēmerōn ‘by three days’ (/= in three days – most) Mt 26:61 //Mk 14:58; (Cf.
en trisin hēmerais //Jn 2:19, 20) -- (3 days afterwards – WNT);

Other phrases with 'day' and 'days':

• Act 9:9; 28:12 hēmeras treis "for three days"; /x: for two days – WNT;
• Lk 24:21 tritēn tautēn hēmeras agei "today is third day (since these)"
• Act 10:30 apo tetartēs hēmeras; ('from 4th day ago'; /'three days ago' – NIV, GNT,
WNT; /x: 'four days ago' – most; [See Appendix - ((Act 10.30 'four days ago' or
three days ago'))]
• Lk 2:22 "the (forty) days for purification had come to the full (i.e. had ended)"
• Act 7:8 tē hēmera ogdoē – (on the 8th day) – brit-milah of Isaac.

204
 • Lk 2:21 "eight days came to the full for the brit-milah for child"
[i.e. when 8-day old = 1:59 en tē hēmera tē ogdoē ‘on the eighth day’]; /on the eighth day, when it
was time to circumcise – NIV, SourceNT; /a week later, when the time came for – GNT; />> when
eight days were completed for circumcision – NKJV; /x: at the end of eight days, when he was
circumcised – NET; /xxx: when eight days had passed, before His circumcision – NASB; [S4130
eplēthō 'fill' (Lk 2:22, 1:41)] [Cf. S4137 plēroō 'fulfill' Lk 1:20]

Act 10:30 (Note: this a case of counting backwards)

from fourth day ago, (until this very hour,) ░░ \apo tetartēs hēmeras, (mechri tautēs tēs horas,);
/x: Four days ago – most; /> three days ago – NIV, WNT; /it has been four days now since I was
fasting – Aramaic PE; /
[counting back – Counting Day 4 as one day; all Days 1-4; = 72 hours before ≠ not 4 days before
– as opposite of ‘4 days after or after 4 days. Counting as ‘four’ days not as duration, but four
counted dates’]
Day 1 "ninth hour of the day" – Act 10:3 [≈ 3 p.m.]
Day 2 "on the next day ~~ sixth hour" – Act 10:9 [≈ noon]
Day 3 "on the next day" – Act 10:23
Day 4 "on the next day" – Act 10:24
[→ Day 1] "from fourth day ago" – Act 10:30

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Act 10:3 Act 10:9 Act 10:23 Act 10:24
Begin
Today
English idiom 3 days ago 2 days ago 1 day ago
Text reads Inclusive
of today -- counting 4th D 3rd D 2nd D 1st D
backward’
Duration = 3 days
Involved days are ‘four’; but counting days is as follows: Day 4 is the current day; Day 1 1
is three days ago in English idiom. Here Act 10 it is ‘]

[*problem of difference in ‘duration’ ‘interval’ ‘number of days counted’, ‘counting forward or

backward’ ‘inclusive or exclusive of the event day’ ‘event day as Day 0 or Day 1’.
Vincent's Word study
Four days ago (apo tetartēs hēmeras)
Lit., from the fourth day; reckoning backward from the day on which he was speaking.
Meyer's NT Commentary
apo tetartēs hēmeras is quarto abhinc die, on the fourth day from the present (counting
backwards), and the expression is to be explained as in Jn 11:18; Jn 21:8; Rev 14:20 (see Winer,
p. 518 f. [E. T. 697 f.]. Comp. Exo 12:15, apo tēs prōtēs hēmeras: (?) from on the first day
before. apo tēs hēmeras prōtēs
JFB Commentary
Acts – p. 69
'Four days ago' – If the messengers were dispatched on the first day, and on the second reached
Joppa, started for Caesarea on the third, an on the fourth arrived, this would make out the four days.
– 'total involved days are four, but it cannot be said 'four days ago' - ARJ

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 WNT (Weymouth) fn: 'Just at this hour, three days ago' (purple letter by ARJ)
['three days' – Lit. ‘four days’. The details given in this chapter show that the interval, when stated
in idiomatic English, was three days.
Supposing (in order to make this clear) that the angel appeared to Cornelius on the sabbath
(Saturday) [day 1] (10:3) the messengers, starting the same evening and doubtless
sympathizing with their master’s eager haste, completed their forced march of 34 miles [afoot]
by about 1 PM on the Sunday [day 2] (10:9). The remainder of that day, and the night
following, they rested and enjoyed Peter’s hospitality (10:23). With him and six other
believing Christian [Mashiah-believing] Jews in their company, they set out on the Monday
[day 3], probably early in the morning, on their return journey (v. 23); and on the Tuesday
[day 4] (10:24), about 3 or 4 PM, the party reached the Centurion’s quarters.
This interval from Saturday evening to Tuesday afternoon, according to the Greek, Roman and
Hebrew mode of reckoning, is four days, both the first and the last of the days being included. We
English are mathematically more correct in calling it three days. So, what the French call fifteen
days (quinze jours) we more accurately name a fortnight (fourteen-nights). Cp. Lk 2:46 fn.

Fn. Lk 2:46 On the third day

Lit. “After three days.’ One day was occupied by the journey from Jerusalem, the second by the
return journey, and on the third He was found. It is not the English, but the Hebrew, idiom that
must control our interpretation of such expressions of time. See also 24:21.; Acts 9:9; 10:30.
Fn. Lk 24:21 The day before yesterday
Lit., in accordance with the Hebrew reckoning, ‘it is the third day since.’ Cp. 2:26.
Act 9:9 For two days
Lit. 'for three days'. The blindness lasted the latter part of the first day, the whole of the second, and
the morning of the third. Cp. 10:30, n.; Lk 2:46, n.
Jn 11:17 Three days
Lit. ‘four days.’ Cp. Acts 10:30, n.

Jn 11:39 'It is three days' [cf. 'he has been four days' – most]
See Westcott’s valuable note.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 3326: μετά (+ accus)
II.2.b. in order of Time; after
(other examples):
after quite a few days Act 9:23
after these days Lk 1:24;
after not many days Lk 15:13;
after some days Acts 15:36; Acts 24:24;
not long after these days (A. V. not many days hence), Acts 1:5
after three months meta treis mēnas Act 28:11
after three years meta etē tria Gal 1:18,
after much time, Mt 25:19;
After so long time, Heb 4:7
not long after (R. V. after no long time), Acts 27:14;
shortly after (A. V. after a little while), Mt 26:73 = Mk 14:70; Lk 22:58;
after the passover, Act 12:4
after the days of the Matzah festival Act 20:6

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 STRONGS NT 575: ἀπό I 4 b. of distance of Time
— of the temporal terminus 'from which'

apo tēs hōras ekeinēs Mt 9:22; 17:18; Jn 19:27

ap' ek tēs hēmeras from that day Mt 22:46; Jn 11:53
apo prōtēs hēmeras Act 20:18; Phi 1:5;

*Counting days – inclusive vs. exclusive

Cf. counting days of duration vs. counting off days (dates).

Check Lev 23:15-16; Exo 2:12-13; Lev 19:6 [Unlike Exo 19:10, these three are not
directly relevant to the problem of correctly understanding and translating two different
phrases — ‘on the third’ vs. ‘three days later’ —as they occur in the Passion Week
narrative.]

To count days of a period, for example, a part of a day may be customarily counted as a
full day for the days of first and last, which may be a portion of [calendar] day. However,
it does not mean that a part of day equals a full day, when the duration of an elapsed is to
be reckoned.

Cf. For the biblical narratives,

• Do not reckon days using a day from 12 a.m. to 12 a.m. with Gregorian planetary
week (e.g. Friday, Sat, Sun, etc.). [‘midnight’ is not 12 a.m.]
• Do not reckon days using the sunset-to-sunset day by the rabbinic Jewish calendar.

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*three days and three nights; Jonah’s sign Mt 12:39-40
[See the Zip file <On 3D & 3N > in <IRENT Vol. III – Supplement (Collections #6 –
Passion Week Chronology)>.]

12:39
But in reply he said to them,
“An evil and adulterous generation –
it keeps on looking for a sign [+ of coming of the Kingdom reign]!
No, no [such] sign shall be given to it
unless it be such sign as Yonah the prophet was:
12:40
Indeed, just as Yonah was three days and three nights
in the belly of the whale;
so shall the Son-of-man be in the very heart of the earth
three days and three nights
[+ putting Himself there through His suffering].

Mt 12:40 ‘in the heart of the earth three days and three nights’
This much-debated Matthean unique phrase which expresses a duration of a period
was in the Yeshua's quotation from the Book of Jonah in OT. It has been misread,
misunderstood and miscalculated.

The quoted OT text does not say long Jonah was dead. Jonah was in the belly of the
whale. He was NOT dead. It is not a sign Jonah gave. It is Jonah as a sign. It is not
Yeshua's own prophecy for the purported sign of His messiahship.

Most fails to pay attention to the fact that the pericope is outside the Passion
narrative. The expression is different from and unrelated to the Passion narrative
expressions, ‘on the third day’ and ‘after three days’.

The phrase is 'three days and three nights'. It does not say 'three nights and three
days'; nor does it hint that a small portion of a day can be counted as a day.

The phrase 'in the heart of the earth' does not mean that 'being remained dead buried
in a grave'. He was place in a tomb, not buried in a grave. The expression 'the heart
of the earth/land' alludes to Jerusalem {Ezk 38:12; 5:5}. In Hebrew mindset,
Jerusalem was regarded as the navel, center or heart of the earth.

Nor it does provide any clue on what day of the week the Crucifixion day.

This text was provided the proponents of a popular Wednesday crucifixion scenario
to counter the traditional Friday-Sunday scenario in the church liturgical Holy
Week. With their eisegesis and precision math, they came up with Saturday
resurrect in the late afternoon or evening, in order to make it 72 hours from His
death to resurrection.

Like many, this biblical text should be understood expressing in a figurative

language, alluding to His suffering in the hands of the power – suffering and
death [Abib 13, 14, 15]. It is parallel to his prophetic statement “Destroy this
temple, and I will raise it again in three days” in Jn 2:19.

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 [Cf. Ralph Woodrow (2013) – The beginning of this period was the night
before his crucifixion. The end of this period, when the Divine protection was
restored, was clearly demonstrated by his resurrection! (cf. Acts 1:3)
https://web.archive.org/web/20170506094633/www.ralphwoodrow.org/articles/three-
days.pdf

http://biblelight.net/pasover.htm#
… So the phrase "in the heart of the earth" does not begin with burial in the tomb,
as some suppose, but rather with Christ being betrayed into the hands of sinners
for trial, on what we would call Thursday night (by Jewish reckoning the early
evening hours that began Friday, 14 Nisan, Passover). That was the beginning of
the 3 days and 3 nights.

[Below is for End-notes]

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1
*Gen 1:4 good ░░ [What God calls good, is good; i.e. pleasing to God] from Day one to 6th day, but not
appeared after making the groundling. It was good – pleasing to God and for the sake of mankind.]

From CBL
1:4. God, being the personal God He is, made a judgment and saw the light was "good". By "good",
He meant it was perfectly suited for His purposes and would benefit and bless the creation of the
earth that He had made. The separation of light from darkness was good for humankind, giving
opportunity for rest. –

Leon Kass (2003), The Beginning of Wisdom – Reading Genesis, p.39 'Good' as used throughout
Genesis 1 cannot mean morally good …
Cf. p. 63 ff. He takes the traditional 'good and evil' Gen 2:9 as 'good and bad'. [ what does it mean
by 'bad'?? It should rather be 'right and wrong' – ARJ]

‘be pleased’ - ARJ

Note: ‘was good’ as to Light (1:4); Land and Sea (1:10); Plants (1:12); Luminaries (1:18); Sea
and air animals (1:21); Land animals (1:25).
Note: ‘good’ was not ascribed to ‘Expanse’ (1:6-8) and to ‘man/adam’ (1:26-27).
Note: ‘very/exceedingly good’ (1:31) ascribed to everything He had made.
Note: What does it mean ‘good’ to God? Compared to an artist (a creator)? Pleasing ? Cannot
be ‘working, having purpose’ as in (Bill Moyers: Genesis p. 6?)
Note: What about ‘not good that the earthling should be alone’ in the following 2:18.
2
*Gen 1:5 [thus is ~~ being completed] ░░ [i.e. as work is done during daytime and thus evening comes;
and morning comes for a next day to begin] [This does not tell that a day is to begin at sunset, as
misinterpreted by rabbinic Judaic tradition.] /~ [thus having been finished]; /~ [thus being finished]; /

‘Day’ in v. 5 is in cardinal number (i.e. one, two, three …‫( יום ֶאחָד‬yôm echad), that is, ‘Day One’. Not ‘the first day’
nor ‘one day’] (Yom Echad, not Yom Rishon)) [‘echad’ – one; unity; with ‘day’ as a complete or full day. It does not
refer to ‘daylight’ of v.5a, but the whole day (= ‘day + night’ = a calendar day); - ISV, NIrV, YLT, MSG, LXX
(hēmera mia); /x: the first day – most; /xx: one day – JPS, RSV, UPDV,NASB, CJB, AMP, Rotherham, ACV, ASV,
DRB, WEB; /x: a first day – NWT; /dies unus – Vulg;

[The rest of them are ordinal numerals (second, third, fourth … ). Also, days 2–5 lack a definite article ( ‫ה‬, ha, ‘the’)
while days 6–7 have one. So correct translation of Creation Week would be Day One, second day, third day, fourth
day, fifth day, the sixth day, the seventh day.]
[so-called ‘creation-days’ is misleading. It’s not days of something being created, rather, it is ‘6 days of making’ in
the creation week, in which God’s work is done in ‘establishing’ ‘arranging’ and ‘making’, etc.] [/> let there XYZ be
– (a biblical parlance, not a common English phrase); /let there comes to be XYZ; /let XYZ come out to show itself.]

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