The Jewish religious calendar is a combination of the lunar and solar calendars. It is called a lunisolar calendar. Typically, there are 12 months to a year, but an intercalary month of 30 days is added every 2-3 years to keep the harvests and religious holidays (Feasts of the Lord) in their proper seasons. A month will have 29-30 days, and a year will have 353-355 days (10-12 days shorter than the solar calendar). Over time, the lunisolar calendar, with the added intercalary months, will have the same number of days as the solar calendar.
The conjunction of the new moon (dark moon) determines a new month. Usually, the first day after the dark moon will be the first day of the new month on the lunisolar calendar. The middle of the month will occur on a full moon. This is when the start of Passover and Tabernacles begins.
The Metonic cycle is a period of 19 years, or 235 lunar months, after which the lunar phases (new moon, full moon, etc.) return to the same days of the year (within a couple of hours generally). For example, today, September 18, 2024, the first full moon conjunction of fall occurs at 02:34 Universal Time. Nineteen years ago, on September 18, 2005, the first full moon conjunction of fall occurred at 02:01 (U.T.). Seven Metonic cycles (133 years) from 2024, the full moon conjunction occurred on September 18, 1891, at 05:04 (U.T.).
According to a tradition quoted in the name of R’ Hai Gaon, the patriarch Hillel II introduced the present Jewish calendar in 358/359 AD. It has underfonged considerable “rule changes” since then. Adopting a fixed order of intercalation represents a considerable evolution in the solar regulation of the Jewish calendar. The present-day calendar is the calendar of the Babylonians since about 838 AD. This calendar did not change anymore after this. They reckoned a regular intercalation cycle (when an extra month would be added) every 3 – 6 – 8 – 11 – 14 – 17 – 19 years to keep Passover close to the vernal equinox (astronomical spring).
These embolismic lunar years of 383-385 days are the result of not starting the new year on the first new moon of the meteorological spring but the second one, which results in an extra new moon observation. Instead of the new year occurring after 12 observable (whether darkness or a crescent moon) new moons, it would occur after 13 new moons. Since there are never two embolismic years in a row, the following year would go from the second new moon of spring to the first new moon of the following spring.
The essential determining factor on whether to start the new year on the first or second new moon of spring is that Passover (Nisan 15 for the Jews) should occur on or after the vernal equinox (March 19 – 21 in the northern hemisphere). The new moon closest to the vernal equinox should be the first month of the new year.
In Deuteronomy 16:6, the LORD reiterated, “You shall sacrifice the Passover at twilight, at the going down of the sun, at the time you came out of Egypt.” At the original Passover, in 1446 BC, God changed the Hebrew calendar’s start so it would be permanently anchored to the Passover when the children of Israel came out of Egypt.
“Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season. In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, you shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall you keep it” (Numbers 9:2-3). The appointed season was the beginning of spring. The sun still determined the season, as the calendar’s first month would always occur around the vernal equinox (the first day of the astronomical spring) when the early barley crops were abib or aviv. The new moon would still begin the months, and approximately 14-16 days later, when the moon was completely full, the Passover would begin. Thus, Passover is tied to the vernal equinox and the full moon.
As the centuries and millennia have passed, this “fixed” intercalation by Hillel II and those who came after him is causing Passover to occur later in the year (toward late spring/summer) and needs to be revised (IMO). The best solution would be to not follow the Metonic cycle and just observe the moon’s phases from year to year. However, if following the Metonic cycle is necessary for some reason, the intercalation or embolismic years must be revised. The intercalation of 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19 worked out fine in the fourth century AD but has gotten out of sync now that the dates have drifted by several days due to the ecliptic nature of the moon in conjunction with the vernal equinox.
As I mentioned in The Passage of Time (rev310.net), the Metonic cycle correlates with the solar calendar dates after approximately 6939 days or 19 years. It’s nearly exact, but the Metonic cycle is 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 58 seconds (or approximately 2.083 hours) longer than 19 tropical years. So, approximately every 218.92 years, the dates will not align by one day. If the date of the full moon of spring changes and is now before the vernal equinox for that year, the Metonic cycle intercalation year would need to change. Let’s look at some examples of this phenomenon throughout history, starting with the time of Hillel II.
Tradition has it that Hillel II began the calculated Hebrew calendar based on the 19-year Metonic cycle in 358/359 AD. However, this year doesn’t align with the modern intercalation years of 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19, as we are now (in 2024) in the 14th year of our current Metonic cycle. The number 1 year in our current Metonic cycle is 2016-2017 AD. 1,653 years (or 87 Metonic cycles) from 2016-2017 AD would be 363-364 AD. 2016-2017 AD and 363-364 AD would be the 1st year in their respective 19-year Metonic cycles.
Without recording the dates within the following Metonic cycles (as you can go to AstroPixels – Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon and research for yourself as I have done), we will just look at the years to determine if they are a regular year (353-355 days/12 new moons) or if they are an embolismic or intercalary year (383-384 days/13 new moons). The golden rule is that the full moon of Passover (Nisan 15) should come on or after the vernal equinox. If it comes too early, then the second new moon of spring should be used for the first month of the year. In tandem with this rule, whichever new moon (first or second) of spring is closest to the vernal equinox for that year will be the first month of the new year.
In this article, we use the dates for the time of conjunction for new and full moons. Generally, Nisan 1 will be reckoned one day after the appropriate new moon conjunction. The charts in Astro Pixels before 1582 AD are Julian dates, so these dates must be converted to Gregorian dates using the proleptic Gregorian calendar (See Proleptic Gregorian calendar – Wikipedia). This is done so the new and full moon dates of spring can be compared to the vernal equinox, which is always March 19-21 on the Gregorian calendar. Every 400 years, going backward or forward, the vernal equinox falls on the same time and date.
HEBREW CALENDAR – METONIC CYCLE 1 (Embolismic years 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, 19)
The starting date is April 1, 363 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
1 – 363-364 (Regular)
2 – 364-365 (Reg)
3 – 365-366 (Embolismic)
4 – 366-367 (Reg)
5 – 367-368 (Reg)
6 – 368-369 (Emb)
7 – 369-370 (Reg)
8 – 370-371 (Emb)
9 – 371-372 (Reg)
10 – 372-373 (Reg)
11 – 373-374 (Emb)
12 – 374-375 (Reg)
13 – 375-376 (Reg)
14 – 376-377 (Emb)
15 – 377-378 (Reg)
16 – 378-379 (Emb)
17 – 379-380 (Reg)
18 – 380-381 (Reg)
19 – 381-382 (Emb)
The starting date for the next Metonic cycle (#2) is April 1, 382 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar). The start and end dates are for the new moon conjunction of spring. Depending on how you reckon it, you could add 1 or 2 days for Nisan 1 (first sunset after conjunction or observing the crescent moon. I prefer the former method).
The intercalary years for Metonic cycle 1 for the Hebrew calendar are 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, and 19. These are similar to the “fixed” intercalary years (3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 19) of the original Hebrew calculated calendar that continues to be used in the 21st century. The only difference I see between this Metonic cycle and Hillel’s is in 379 AD, when the date for Passover is one day shy of the vernal equinox, causing 378-379 AD to be an embolismic year (383-385 days) and 379-380 AD to be a regular year (353-355 days).
The tables below show how this “fixed” cycle of intercalary years needs to be revised. I believe the intercalary years for the Hebrew calendar should have been revised approximately every 25-28 Metonic cycles (475-532 years).
HEBREW CALENDAR – METONIC CYCLE 25 (Embolismic years 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 17, 19)
The starting date is April 2, 838 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
1 – 838-839 (Reg)
2 – 839-840 (Reg)
3 – 840-841 (Emb)
4 – 841-842 (Reg)
5 – 842-843 (Reg)
6 – 843-844 (Emb)
7 – 844-845 (Reg)
8 – 845-846 (Reg)
9 – 846-847 (Emb)
10 – 847-848 (Reg)
11 – 848-849 (Emb)
12 – 849-850 (Reg)
13 – 850-851 (Reg)
14 – 851-852 (Emb)
15 – 852-853 (Reg)
16 – 853-854 (Reg)
17 – 854-855 (Emb)
18 – 855-856 (Reg)
19 – 856-857 (Emb)
The starting date for the following Metonic cycle (#26) is April 2, 857 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
The intercalary years for Metonic cycle 25 for the Hebrew calendar are now 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 17, and 19. The change occurs in 846 AD when the full moon conjunction occurs on the 21st day of March on the proleptic Gregorian calendar. This is after the vernal equinox of March 20th of that year, so the first month can start on the first new moon of spring (March 5-6 on the proleptic Gregorian calendar) instead of the second one (April 3-4 proleptic Gregorian). That makes the following year of 846-847 AD an embolismic (or intercalary) year, which is the 9th year of the Metonic cycle. The same revision (from Metonic cycle 1) needs to be made in 854 AD.
The next change in intercalary years occurs 28 Metonic cycles (532 years) later.
HEBREW CALENDAR – METONIC CYCLE 53 (Embolismic years 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 17)
The starting date is March 6, 1370 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
1 – 1370-1371 (Emb)
2 – 1371-1372 (Reg)
3 – 1372-1373 (Emb)
4 – 1373-1374 (Reg)
5 – 1374-1375 (Reg)
6 – 1375-1376 (Emb)
7 – 1376-1377 (Reg)
8 – 1377-1378 (Reg)
9 – 1378-1379 (Emb)
10 – 1379-1380 (Reg)
11 – 1380-1381 (Emb)
12 – 1381-1382 (Reg)
13 – 1382-1383 (Reg)
14 – 1383-1384 (Emb)
15 – 1384-1385 (Reg)
16 – 1385-1386 (Reg)
17 – 1386-1387 (Emb)
18 – 1387-1388 (Reg)
19 – 1388-1389 (Reg)
The starting date for the following Metonic cycle (#54) is March 6, 1389 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
The intercalary years for Metonic cycle 53 for the Hebrew calendar are now 1, 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, and 17. The change occurs in the 1st and 19th years of this Metonic cycle. The second new moon of spring is used for 1371 AD instead of the first one for the reasons stated above. The first new moon of spring is used for 1389 AD, as it is closer to the vernal equinox than the second new moon of spring.
The next change in intercalary years occurs 28 Metonic cycles (532 years) later.
HEBREW CALENDAR – METONIC CYCLE 81 (Embolismic years 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 17)
The starting date is March 10, 1902 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
1 – 1902-1903 (Emb)
2 – 1903-1904 (Reg)
3 – 1904-1905 (Reg)
4 – 1905-1906 (Emb)
5 – 1906-1907 (Reg)
6 – 1907-1908 (Emb)
7 – 1908-1909 (Reg)
8 – 1909-1910 (Reg)
9 – 1910-1911 (Emb)
10 – 1911-1912 (Reg)
11 – 1912-1913 (Reg)
12 – 1913-1914 (Emb)
13 – 1914-1915 (Reg)
14 – 1915-1916 (Emb)
15 – 1916-1917 (Reg)
16 – 1917-1918 (Reg)
17 – 1918-1919 (Emb)
18 – 1919-1920 (Reg)
19 – 1920-1921 (Reg)
The starting date for the following Metonic cycle (#82) is March 9, 1921 AD, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
The intercalary years for Metonic cycle 81 for the Hebrew calendar are now 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, and 17. The change occurs in the 3rd and 4th years and the 11th and 12th years. The same intercalary years (1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 17) apply 114 years (6 Metonic cycles) later for Metonic cycle 87, which covers the years 2016-2035. The intercalary years are 2016-2017, 2019-2020, 2021-2022, 2024-2025, 2027-2028, 2029-2030, and 2032-3033.
The next change in intercalary years occurs 28 Metonic cycles (532 years) later from Metonic cycle 81.
HEBREW CALENDAR – METONIC CYCLE 109 (Embolismic years 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 17)
The starting date is March 11, 2434 AD (on the Gregorian calendar).
1 – 2434-2435 (Emb)
2 – 2435-2436 (Reg)
3 – 2436-2437 (Reg)
4 – 2437-2438 (Emb)
5 – 2438-2439 (Reg)
6 – 2439-2440 (Emb)
7 – 2440-2441 (Reg)
8 – 2441-2442 (Reg)
9 – 2442-2443 (Emb)
10 – 2443-2444 (Reg)
11 – 2444-2445 (Reg)
12 – 2445-2446 (Emb)
13 – 2446-2447 (Reg)
14 – 2447-2448 (Reg)
15 – 2448-2449 (Emb)
16 – 2449-2450 (Reg)
17 – 2450-2451 (Emb)
18 – 2451-2452 (Reg)
19 – 2452-2453 (Reg)
The starting date for the following Metonic cycle (#110) is March 10, 2453 AD, on the Gregorian calendar.
The intercalary years for Metonic cycle 109 for the Hebrew calendar are now 1, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 17. The change (from Metonic cycle 81) occurs in the 14th and 15th years.
THE FIRST PASSOVERS RECKONED FROM THE PROLEPTIC GREGORIAN CALENDAR
We can use the proleptic Gregorian calendar to go beyond the 4th-century start of the Hebrew calculated calendar and use the Astro Pixels website to determine a Metonic cycle timeline for certain biblical events such as the Hebrew Exodus, entering the Promised Land, and the crucifixion of Jesus. I believe the dates for these events, as calculated from the Bible and historical records, are accurately recorded in my chronology of mankind, Chronology of Mankind: 6,000 Years of History Pt 1:: By Randy Nettles – Rapture Ready.
Let’s examine some dates for Passovers (Nisan 14) mentioned in the Bible. These Passovers would have occurred during a full moon of spring. The original Passover in the time of Moses and the exodus from Egypt occurred in 1446 BC. However, let’s go back to the time of the beginning of the Hebrew people, to the original patriarch, Abraham. Abraham entered the Promised Land precisely 430 years earlier on Nisan 14, 1876 BC. “Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt (and Canaan – LXX) was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt”(Exodus 12:40-41).
The Metonic cycle intercalary years for the period from 1876-1406 BC are 2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 19, according to my reckoning. The first new moon of spring in 1876 BC was on March 8th on the proleptic Gregorian calendar (March 24th on the proleptic Julian calendar). Nisan 1 would have been on March 9, 1876 BC, and Passover, Nisan 14, the day Abraham entered the Promised Land, would have been on Thursday, March 22, 1876 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
430 years later, Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt in haste. A couple of weeks before they left, the first new moon of spring (meteorological) occurred on March 27, 1446, BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar (April 9th on the proleptic Julian calendar). One of the ten plagues of Egypt (probably the 7th one) was occurring at this time. Nisan 1 was on March 28, 1446 BC (IMO), so Nisan 14, the original Passover (Nisan 14), occurred on Thursday, April 10, 1446 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar. This was the day the children of Israel made their exodus from Egypt.
The Bible mentions one other Passover during the second year of their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land of Canaan. The children of Israel observed the full moon of Passover (Nisan 14) on Monday, March 29, 1445 (proleptic Gregorian calendar), of that year. They only had the astronomical signs of the sun and moon to determine Nisan 1 and Nisan 14 at this time (no aviv crops).
40 years after the Hebrews left Egypt (almost to the day on the Hebrew calendar), the children of Israel entered the Promised Land on Nisan 10 (Palm Sunday in the future), 1406 BC. Ten days earlier, the first new moon conjunction of spring had occurred on March 7, 1406 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar (March 18th on the proleptic Julian calendar). The full moon of spring occurred on Passover (Nisan 14), Thursday, March 19, 1406 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar (April 2, 1406, BC, on the Julian calendar).
These dates appear to align with Scripture. “Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5:10-12).
Here is how the Bible scholar Grant Jeffrey explains this timeline. “The Bible records that after forty years in the wilderness, they crossed over the Jordan River and ate the Passover Supper on the fourteenth of Nisan. The next day, on the fifteenth day of Nisan, the day after eating the Passover Supper, the Jews ate the old corn of the land. The next day, the sixteenth day of Nisan, was the last day in which God provided the supernatural manna as food.
Note that the manna ceased on the sixteenth of Nisan, the day after they ate of the old corn of the land. The day following was the seventeenth day of Nisan, the Feast of Firstfruits, and with no more manna available, the people began to eat of the fruits of the land of Canaan that year – the first fruits of the Promised Land.” {1} Armageddon: Appointment with Destiny by Grant R. Jeffrey, pg. 61.
Passover was on Thursday that year. They ate the old corn on Friday. On Saturday, they finished off the manna (no matter how good it was, they were probably getting tired of it after 40 years). On Sunday, the proper day of the Feast of Firstfruits (the Jews call it the counting of the Omer), the children of Israel ate of the first fruits (barley crop) of the land of Canaan. Did they wave a sheaf of the barley crop before eating of it? The Bible doesn’t mention it, but I imagine Joshua obeyed this commandment, as he was trained by the servant of the Lord, Moses.
The first Passover week in the Promised Land mirrored the Passover week when Jesus was crucified. The children of Israel entered the Promised Land on Sunday, Nisan 10, the same day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey as the king of the Jews (but was rejected). Joshua and Jesus ate the Passover meal under a full moon of spring on Thursday, Nisan 14 (separated by 14 centuries). Joshua and the Hebrews ate the last of the manna, the bread from heaven, on Nisan 16. Jesus, the true bread from heaven, was in the grave on this day. Joshua and the children of Israel ate of the fruit of the Promised Land on Sunday, Nisan 17, 1406 BC. Jesus was resurrected from the grave as the first fruits of those who have died in Christ on Sunday, Nisan 17, 33 AD.
The name Jesus is derived from the ancient Greek form of the Hebrew and Aramaic name Yehosua or Yeshua, which is etymologically related to Joshua. The name Joshua or Jehoshua means Jehovah (LORD or YHWH) is Salvation. Both the Hebrew word Yeshua and the Greek word Iesous (Jesus) means salvation. A Name Which is Above Every Name (rev310.net)
A few other Passovers that are mentioned in the Bible occurred during the 8 – 6th centuries BC. The intercalary years for this period are 2, 5, 8, 11, 13, 16, and 19. The righteous king of Judah, Hezekiah, kept the Passover in the first year of his reign. This Passover is recorded in 2 Chronicles 30. The Jews couldn’t keep the Passover in the first month, so they observed it in the second month, according to 2 Chronicles 30:2-3.
Hezekiah even sent letters to the northern tribes of Israel (who were still living in their ancestral lands after the Assyrians conquered them) that they should come to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner (2 Chronicles 30:50). According to my reckoning, this second full moon of spring, Iyyar 14, would have occurred on Friday, May 3, 715 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
The next Passover recorded in the Bible occurred during the reign of Hezekiah’s great-grandson, Josiah. He was another righteous king of Judah and one of the few that kept the Passover. One of the first things that Josiah did in obedience to God (and His commandments and statutes) was to celebrate the Passover Feast on the 14th of Nisan. “And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days. There had been no Passover kept in Israel like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah and Israel who were present and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the 18th year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept” (2 Chronicles 35:17-19).
Josiah became king of Judah in 640 BC, so he kept the Passover in the year 622 BC. The date, according to my reckoning, was Nisan 14, AM 3139 on the Jewish calendar and Saturday, March 26, 622 BC, on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
The next mention of the Passover Feast is found in the book of Ezra. The second temple’s construction was finished in the 6th year of King Darius in 516 BC. “And the descendants of the captivity kept the Passover of the fourteenth day of the first month. And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the King of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel” (Ezra 6:19,22). The dedication of the Second Temple occurred on Nisan 14, AM 3245 on the Hebrew calendar and Thursday, March 26, 516 BC on the proleptic Gregorian calendar.
Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14 in the year 33 AD (IMO). The 13th year of the calculated Hebrew calendar of the 1st century is 33-34 AD, the year (33 AD) Christ was crucified. It correlates with the 13th year of our 21st century Metonic cycle, 2028-2029 AD. The first new moon (conjunction) of spring occurred on March 17, 33 AD (proleptic Gregorian calendar). The following sunset would be March 18 (Nisan 1 on the Hebrew calendar). So, Passover, Nisan 14, would be on Thursday, March 31, 33 AD on the proleptic Gregorian calendar and April 2 on the Julian calendar. A partial lunar eclipse was seen from Jerusalem the following day, Nisan 15, or April 1, 33 (on the proleptic Gregorian calendar).
The 1st-century Metonic cycle for the years 21-40 AD has an intercalary cycle of 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 16, and 19, the same as the fourth-century Metonic cycle (see the chart above). The Passover Gregorian dates for the three years before Christ’s crucifixion in 33 AD are – 1) Sunday, April 11, 32 AD. 2) Monday, March 24, 31 AD. 3) Wednesday, April 3, 30 AD.
Interestingly, the pre-Passover of Abraham in 1876 BC, the original Passover of Moses in 1446 BC, the Passover that was observed when the Jews dedicated the second Temple in 516 BC, and the last Passover of Jesus in 33 AD (the most important Passover of all) all occurred on a Thursday. Also, Abraham’s pre-Passover in 1876 BC and Josiah’s Passover in 622 BC occurred in the 5th year of their respective Metonic cycles. Josiah’s Passover occurred 1,254 years (66 Metonic cycles) and 2 days after Abraham entered Canaan and God promised the land to him and his descendants (Genesis 12:7).
The next disputed year for the calculated Hebrew calendar is 2027, where April 8th is Nisan 1 and April 22, 2027 is Nisan 15. 2026-2027 is the 11th year of the current Metonic cycle and is an embolismic year, which means the second new moon of spring is being used to calculate the first month of the new year instead of the first one. It is my belief and many in the Jewish community (see One Faith One People Ministries | Teaching the unchanging word of our Father Yah, with Andrew Gabriel Roth) that the first new and full moon of spring should have been used to determine Nisan 1 and 15 for this year.
This calculated new month for 2027 goes against the rules for when the new month/year should be established. First, the date for the first new moon conjunction is March 8 at 12:29 pm Jerusalem time. The date for the second new moon conjunction is April 7 at 2:51 am. Nisan 1 should be approximately one day later, so the choice is March 9 or April 8. The vernal equinox occurs on March 20 at 11:38 pm. March 9 is closer than April 8 to the vernal equinox for 2027. Therefore, the first new moon of spring should have been used for the first month of the new year. Passover (Nisan 15 for the Jews) should occur on March 23 for 2027 instead of April 22.
The same problem regarding the calculated Hebrew calendar will occur again in 2035 and 2038. 2030 is questionable, as it is right on the borderline. Of course, this article just questions which new moon to use for determining each month. As I stated in my last article, The Passage of Time, the rabbinic Jews have added many rules for determining which days of the week the Feasts of the Lord can begin on. This is not biblical, and these rules and the calculated calendar should be revised before a new temple is built in Jerusalem and the sacrificial system is reinstated. The Feasts of the Lord should be observed on the exact day God ordained them to be by observing the heavenly luminary bodies.
As I have shown in the tables above, the Hebrew calendar’s Metonic cycle intercalary years have changed throughout the centuries when adhering to the cycles of the moon in relation to the vernal equinox. As it is fixed and unchanging, it can never be accurate over long periods of time. Regardless, I am sure the LORD will return on the correct “day and hour.”
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Randy Nettles