Rosh Chodesh (Head of the Month)

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Rosh Chodesh

(“Head of the Month”)

The Sun, Earth and Moon

Introduction

The Creator Elohim has given us a calendar in the sky by which we are to determine the seasons, days, nights and years (Gen. 1:14-19). He made his calendar with two great lights (v. 16): the greater light (Sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (Moon) to rule the night.[1] Mankind has developed a number of calendar systems over the millennia, which in part use Elohim’s created lights, but which also have introduced additional criteria to suit man’s perceived needs. Elohim created His calendar such that man could not corrupt the signs He placed in the heavens.

The commandments (e.g., Num. 10:10, 28:1-2, 11) of patterning Elohim’s Feasts, Holy convocations and celebrations after His calendar are for the purpose of constantly renewing man’s consciousness of His control over the universe.

In accord with Exodus 12:2, 13:4 “This month [Nisan/Abib or Aviv] shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This of course marks the time for determining when Passover (Pesach in the Hebrew) is to occur on Nisan 14 (Lev. 23:4-5).

There have been two principal methods for determining when the new (actually, renewed) Moon occurs, which is Elohim’s given sign for a new month, and thus when to observe Passover, and the ensuing annual Feasts of Leviticus Chapter 23. These two methods have been: 1.) Observation of the first appearance of the moon’s waxing (i.e., increasing) sliver, seen in the western sky shortly after sunset; and, 2.) Observation of the moon’s waning (i.e., decreasing) sliver, appearing in the early morning eastern sky, low on the horizon, just before sunrise. The question is: which of these methods is Biblically based?

Investigation of the Biblical Record

The Bible contains a number of clues as to when the New Moon is to be determined. For example:

Psalm 81:3-4: These verses tell us that we are to blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon. It then says, “At the full moon, on our solemn feast day (emphasis added).” The word full here, found in most English Bibles, is a poor translation. In the Hebrew, the word is Keh-seh, Strong’s No. 03677, whose root is No. 03680, a primary root meaning covered, hidden or concealed. Thus, the new (so-called) moon is actually unseen, or hidden (for usually two days, as we will see below). Yet, a full moon, by every understanding, is fully visible. In this same verse, “New Moon” is the Hebrew word chodesh, Strong’s No. 02320, which is a primary root meaning to renew or rebuild. A full moon, one fully visible, can only begin to wane or decrease in visibility, not renew or rebuild. Thus, the term “full moon” in verse 3 makes little sense, unless understood from the Hebrew Keh-seh, meaning hidden.

1 Samuel 20:5, 17, 27: This is the account of Jonathan’s loyalty to David. It reveals that the New Moon was observed as a religious festival, celebrated with a sacrificial meal and rest from ordinary work (see, e.g., 2 Kings 4:23; Isa. 1:13; Amos 8:5) Reading the account, we see that David knew in advance when the New Moon would occur (v. 5), and in verse 17 Jonathan reiterates to David the same fore-knowing. David’s desire, out of fear of Saul (v. 31), was to go to Bethlehem to celebrate the New Moon with his family, further confirms a way to know in advance of when the New Moon will occur. And, in vv. 27 and 34, we discern that the moon is indeed hidden for 2 days, and the celebration was observed sometime during this period.

Other Evidence

We read in the creation account itself that a number of new beginnings occur under a covering of darkness (e.g.., “so the evening and the morning were the first day”) . Within the Biblical record we see many other indications of new beginnings, renewals, births or sacrifices for new life, all occurring under a cover of darkness. For example:

Redemption began in darkness (Exodus Chapter 19)

The Covenant with Abram (Gen. 15:17-21)

Jacob wrestled with an angel of YHVH (Gen. 32:24-28)

Yeshua died under a covering of darkness (Mat. 27:45)

Life begins in the womb (darkness)

A seed geminates in the soil (under cover of darkness)

Extra-Biblical historical records indicate a fore-knowing of the new moon’s occurrence. For example, in the writings of the First Century Jewish historian, Philo, of Alexandria, Egypt, there is evidence of observing the waning crescent of the moon to determine the new Moon phase. And, the Essene Community of Qumran, in their writings of the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicate a determination of the New Moon by observation of the decreasing moon’s crescent. The ancient sages of Israel also indicate a covered or hidden moon for the time of determining the new month, as handed down orally, and eventually recorded in the pre-Talmudic writings beginning in about 200 A.D.

Astronomical Mechanics

With the advent of satellite geodesy, man’s ability to measure and accumulate data about the Earth and its neighboring planets within our solar system has vastly increased. From this wealth of information man has been able to learn much about his earthly environment, as well as the universe that Elohim has created. The Sun, Earth and the Earth’s moon have in particular been studied and mathematically evaluated. The mechanics of these three celestial bodies, and their inter-dependent, constantly moving positional relationships are well understood today. While science does not necessarily always acknowledge the source of creation, it certainly has observed and catalogued the wonder of Elohim’s marvelous creation. Perhaps the central source most involved in this knowledge base, and having made available data relating to the planetary movements, is the U.S. Naval Observatory, through its website, www.aa.usno.navy.mil/data.

In accord with the above cited information source, and astronomically speaking, the new moon occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned at their centers, on a line of conjunction, such that when observed from the Earth (with the exception of a solar eclipse), the Moon appears dark, or hidden (for typically two successive days) because its side facing the earth is shadowed from the Sun’s rays, while its far side facing the Sun is fully lighted (see attached diagrams). By the time a waxing crescent or sliver of the renewed Moon begins to appear in the western sky shortly after sunset, it has emerged from its hidden status by one to two days.[2]

The Earth and its Moon are constantly in motion. Both revolve in a counter-clockwise direction about their axes, both are in a counter-clockwise orbital (elliptical) pattern, the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun. Both revolve about their polar axes which, for the Earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees maximum from the vertical, and for the moon is tilted at an angle of 6.7 degrees maximum from the vertical. The Earth wobbles on its axis both sides of the vertical up to a maximum of 23.5 degrees from the vertical, four times per year, which is what makes the four seasons of the year (more on this below). The Earth is not a (perfectly mathematical) sphere, but instead is a sphereoid, or nearly spherical, being squashed at its poles by about one part in thirty. This then creates a slight bulge at the Earth’s equator and a flattening at the poles. These phenomena are caused by centrifugal forces of rotation and orbiting, plus gravitational pulls from the Sun and Moon. All of these forces at play, plus surface winds, create the tidal patterns observed around the globe, which cycle on a 19 year replication.

The Moon’s orbital pattern around the Earth creates a waxing (increasing) and waning (decreasing) exposure (lighted from the Sun) of variable percentages of the moon’s total surface, during the average 29.5 to 30 day cycle of the Moon’s phases. This cycle begins from the hidden new moon phase, increasing (waxing) to Full Moon (100% lighted exposure) at day 15, and then decreasing (waning) to the hidden phase again at approximately day 28-29. Just as the hidden moon phase occurs for two days, on average, so the Full Moon phase appears to last for approximately two days. This is because the percentage of the moon’s disk that appears illuminated changes very slowly around the time of the full moon. It is actually only 100% fully illuminated on one night,[3] but the night immediately before and after will appear 97-99% illuminated, depending on atmospheric visibility conditions. The U.S. Naval Observatory website contains actual photos of the nightly changing phases of the moon for a whole month, which is helpful to appreciate the gradual change that occurs over a one month’s period.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory publication, Phases of the Moon and Percent of the Moon Illuminated, the first time that a thin, waxing (increasing) crescent of the Moon becomes visible (low in the evening sky just after sunset) marks the beginning of a month in the Islamic Calendar. The icon of Islam is of course the crescent moon with a star shown near its interior. The historical background from an Hebraic perspective is found on the attached Appendix C: The New Moon, as found in the publication A Family Guide To The Biblical Holidays.[4]

Seasons and Leap Years

As previously mentioned, the Sun has the appearance of moving across the sky each day, when in fact it is the Earth which is revolving about it axis that creates this illusion. Likewise, because the Earth actually wobbles on its axis, the sun has the appearance of tracking across the daytime sky at differing altitudes during the seasonal changes. Again, this is caused by the changing angle of the Earth’s polar axis to the vertical, wherein the sun appears to cross over the equator four times annually, from a low of 23.5 degrees below the equator, to a high of 23.5 degrees above the equator. These changes are known as the Spring Equinox (Approx. March 20th), Summer Solstice (Approx. June 21st), Fall Equinox (Approx. Sept. 23rd), and the Winter Solstice (Approx. Dec. 21st). As the Earth wobbles on its changing axis of rotational angle from the vertical, the four annual seasons are created.

Because seasons and astronomical mechanics do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars having the same number of days for each year, over time, drift with respect to the event(s) that the year is supposed to track. By inserting (known as intercalating) an additional day (on the Gregorian Calendar – February 29), or an additional month (in the case of a luni-solar calendar), the objective is to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year (as dictated by the observable celestial bodies in motion). A year in which an intercalation is made is known as a Leap Year. A non-Leap Year is known as a common year.

Biblically speaking, Elohim’s calendar is a lunar calendar (not a luni-solar calendar). Although, within Judaism, and since Hillel II of the Fourth Century, the Jewish calendar has been of luni-solar design, with some variations, the details of which are beyond the scope of this paper. In the Jewish calendar an intercalation (of one month, known as Adar II) has been effected in the 3rd,6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of the 19 year cycle of replicating moon phases. Adar is of course the Hebrew month preceding the month of Nisan (also seen referred to as the month of Abib/Aviv – Ex. 13:4), the month in which Passover (Pesach) occurs (Ex. 12:2; Lev. 23:5). The tradition within some factions of Judaism has been to look in part to the ripening of the barley as a sign of whether to declare a leap year, and thus postpone Passover for another month – intercalating Adar II.

However, the Biblical record itself makes no reference to any agricultural signs as criteria for determining when Passover is to be observed.[5] Instead, it provides several clues that tell us that Passover cannot be observed before the Spring Equinox has occurred; that is, it is a Spring Feast and thus cannot be observed while still in Winter (which, speaking astronomically/Biblically, ends at the time of the Spring Equinox, March 20th). For example: Exodus 23:15 and 34:18 tell us we must observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which follows Passover by one day) in the month of Abib/Aviv/Nisan. Thus, the need for an intercalation is determined by observation of the New Moon as Biblically reckoned, and whether this places Nisan 14 in Winter, before the Spring Equinox, or after the Equinox, in the Spring.

Conclusion

The Biblical/historical evidence points to a New Moon occurring at the conjunctive phase of the Moon (the Moon being positioned between the Sun and Earth, and on alignment with them). Here, the side of the Moon facing the Earth is completely shadowed, and therefore concealed from visibility for most usually a two day period.. It appears that the Biblical evidence most closely concurs with the astronomical evidence known and available on the U.S. Naval Observatory website.

Finally, the reader is to note that the question raised above, as to which method of determining the New Moon is Biblical, is not something that should be allowed to become a divisive issue within any congregation. The most important aspect of celebrating the New Moon is that we are acknowledging that God is in control of all matters, including times and seasons, and that He has given us a calendar by which to conduct ourselves in accord with His will.

[1] The sun emits light energy, the moon reflects that light. [2] The number of days can vary, and is dependent on factors beyond the scope of this paper. [3] If one has a clear view of the horizon, both west and east, both the Sun and Moon will be seen simultaneously, only on the one night of Full Moon. By counting back 15 days, one can determine when the New Moon occurred. [4] By Robin Sampson and Linda Pierce, Heart of Wisdom Pub., 2001, ISBN 0-9701816-0-4. [5] The question that must be raised here is what did the House of Jacob do during the time of Joseph, for example, and the 7 year famine over the whole Earth? There was no barley to observe anywhere. And the Earth has experienced famines at other times as well. Would God provide a sign that is both variable and at times unreliable?