Message: 8
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 22:27:33 -0500
From: "chris and debbie nelson" <cdnelson@mcics.com>
Subject: Month of the Aviv...
The Month of the Aviv
The biblical year begins when the first new moon after the barleyin the land of Israel reaches the state in its development that the Biblecalls Aviv. Only by checking the state of the barley crop can wefulfill the Biblical commandment to "Keep the Month of the Aviv"(Deut 16:1).Only by fixing the calendar in harmony with the barley crop can we fulfillthe commandment to celebrate the Hag Ha-Matzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread)"at the time of the month of the Aviv, because in the month of the Avivyou went out of Egypt." (Exodus 34:18)
A commitment of Jewish Karaites throughout the generations was toobserve the Biblical precept to "Keep the Month of the Aviv". To this veryday, every Karaite takes an oath at the time of their marriage "to keepthe Holy Days of YHVH according to the observation of the Aviv in the HolyLand of Israel". Throughout the Middle Ages, a great effort was madeto send messengers to Israel to check on the state of the barley crop. It was not uncommon that Karaitic Jews celebrated the Holy Days one monthafter the Rabbinic Jews. As late as 1641, we learn from a CrimeanKaraite pilgrim that the Karaites of the Middle East still followed theBiblical calendar and in 1641 they celebrated all the Holy Days one monthafter the "Rabbinites".
The "19 year cycle" has been adopted by the majority of the Jewishpeople instead of fixing the first month according to the barley crop. This cycle was invented at a time when reliable reports of the barley cropin the land of Israel were difficult to obtain. It added the occasionallynecessary 13th month (7 times every 19 years), which keeps Aviv in thespring of the year in a logical, yet Biblically unauthorized pattern. The Rabbinites recognize that the state of the barley crop determines thedate of Passover (Sanhedrin 11a). Yet, since our return to the land,observation of the barley crop has proven that the rabbinic cycle is oftenin error, and obviously obsolete. Several times over the past decade,several Israelites have investigated the state of the barley crop at thetime that the modern Jewish calendar declared the month of Aviv (Nisan),but discovered that the barley was not Aviv.
It is a common occurrence for Rabbinic, Messianic, and even KaraiticJews to celebrate the Biblical Holy Days one month too early!
"...Whoever will not go up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalemto prostrate to the King, YHWH Tzevaot, there shall be no rain upon them...this will be the plague with which YHWH smites the nations that will notgo up to celebrate Hag Ha-Sukkot (Tabernacles)."
(Zechariah 14:18-19)
Tuesday, November 9, 1999 at sunset, Bruce Brill, Michael Rood, JamieLouis, my wife Devorah Gordon, and I sighted the eighth New Moon of theyear from Mount Scopus in Jerusalem. The moon was first sighted byDevorah Gordon at 16:51 and by the other observers a few minutes later. A second group of observers on the nearby Mount of Olives, including Dr.Roy Hoffman of the Israel New Moon Society, Baruch Ben-Yosef, and DavidPisanti, also concurred with the first sighting at 16:51. Sunsetwas observed at 16:42. About 40 witnesses enjoyed the festive traditionof a campfire barbecue to honor the „two witnesses‰.
Because of the rarity of occasions when the modern Jewish calendarcorresponds with the Biblical new month, the new moon sighting festivitieswere rehearsed on the correct day for the first time in nearly 2,000 years. Michael Rood distributed native Israeli barley seed to the participantsand, in accordance with the ancient practice of the Levites; we sowed barleyon the side of the Mount of Olives at the appearance of the 8th moon. In the deepening twilight, seeds of hope were scattered on the Mount ofOlives across the Kidron valley from the Temple Mount - the future locationof the 3rd Temple. Within the next few days, eight barley fieldswere planted in the land of Israel for the express purpose of determiningthe month of the Aviv barley the following spring. This year is thefirst opportunity for all of us to be on the correct calendar by the beginningof the Biblical New Year - Aviv 1.
Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
www.KaraiteKorner.org
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 22:40:17 -0500
From: "chris and debbie nelson" <cdnelson@mcics.com>
Subject: The Maiden Moon...
The Maiden Moon
The Mishnaic stipulations on a new moon witness were detailed andrigorous. The sighted new moon fixed the month's start, which inturn set the Hebrew Holy Days. Once the Sanhedrin certified the sightings,the news was communicated to far-flung Jewish communities throughout Israeland beyond.
The system of sighting, certifying and signaling continued for hundredsof years. After the Jewish revolts against Rome, most Jews were dispersedfrom Judea. By the middle of the fourth century the entire systemof sighting, certifying, and signaling new moons and months in what theRomans had renamed „Palestine‰, was in dissolution. A calendar forfixing our months became essential.
The Jewish calendar was established by Hillel the Second, in themiddle of the fourth century. Yet, the two reasons for its introductionare no longer relevant. Today, there are both enough Jews residingin and around Jerusalem to sight new moons, and ample means to communicatethe sightings. NASA claims to have improved on the amazingly preciselunar cycle of 29.53059 days used in the Jewish calendar. And eventhough the monthly moon cycle varies by as much as +/- 0.7 days per lunarcycle, it has never been adjusted.
There is yet another, more compelling reason to return to the ancientreckoning. The same reason that allowed profaning the Sabbath: thegravity of celebrating the Holy Days on the celestially correct day. The framers of the calendar were eminently aware of this. That iswhy Diaspora Jews celebrate two days for the major Holy Days. Itis also the reason that Yom Teruah, even in Israel, is a two-day festival.
Ironically, according to this writer's actual new moon sightingsfor the past almost-five years from the environs of Jerusalem, much ofthe time both days of the two-day holidays are incorrect. Could itbe that the Jewish people have been celebrating their Feasts and Fastson the wrong days? Could it be that this year, for instance, YomKippur was not on the day fixed by the Jewish calendar, but two days afterwards,according to the new moon appearance?
The new moon rarely appears before the calendar claims its due, butit usually appears one or two days after the calendar's assertion. Before the calculated calendar of Hillel, the Jewish month was always setwith the unmistakable first appearance of the new moon. Why not celebratethe Feasts at the celestially correct time as opposed to an incorrect calendar?
My personal sightings have been confirmed by other independent newmoon watchers. Yet, before the advent of modern super-computers,it would be difficult, if not impossible, to prove with absolute scientificcertainty that my personal sightings were correct.
Just this year, an American team, including astronomer Robert ScottWadsworth, has published a calendar of the projected monthly new moon appearancesfrom Jerusalem. The team's Michael Rood arrived in Israel recentlywith the express purpose of finding moon watchers to confirm his team'sexciting findings. His data from the Jewish New Year and this writer'ssighting agree, so far. If Rood's data scientifically confirms mynearly five-year's of observation, then the Jewish people are out of synch. Further, if this is true, then instead of a calendar on the wall, we shouldbe looking for the forlorn maiden moon each month in the twilight of thewestern horizon*
Bruce Brill
Independent press correspondent
Tekoa, Israel
--- Michael and Carol Ramp
<carolandmichael@n...> wrote:
> It took me awhile, and I realized that it is
> observed on the 1st day OF the 7th month. That would
> be in September. Please forgive my error. But there
> is still something there....????
> Michael
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael and Carol Ramp
> To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
> Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2002 9:00 PM
> Subject: [ISAMERICABABYLONTHEGREAT] Yom Teruah on
> the wrong month
>
>
> Hi all,
> I was looking over Michael Rood's site
> www.6001.com and noticed thathe gave
> dates(approximate)for Yom Teruah (or what some call
> Rosh Hashanah) being in September (the first weekend
> in September this year). He also gave a link to
> Karaite-korner, and on that site they have a page
> explaining Yom Teruah (http://www.karaite-korner.org/yom_teruah.shtml) If
> you are not familiar with these holidays, I would
> suggest going to these sites for better
> understanding.
>
> Now the exciting part....as at least some of you
> know, I look at the timing of things. Its just one
> of those things I feel led to do. As I was reading
> about Yom Teruah, I was thinking 'How does this fit
> with what the Lord gave me as far as October?' It
> then hit me.....to the point where my heart is
> almost pounding.
>
> Yom Teruah is supposed to be during the 7th
> month(Lev.23:24). Passover is during the first
> month. Passover occurred the last week of March(my
> feeling on the exact date is different than what was
> observed this year as well). Count the
> months.....and you will find that Yom Teruah this
> year is being celebrated on the SIXTH MONTH, NOT THE
> SEVENTH!
> I've checked this both with a calendar, and a day
> count(the lunar cycle is just short of 30 days, 30
> daysx7=210 days...March 14 was the new moon of the
> first month....the day count lands us on Oct.10, but
> 210 days would be too long...the new moon in Oct. is
> the 6th...the date that was given to me back in
> April). THEY ARE CELEBRATING YOM TERUAH ON THE WRONG
> MONTH!
> I find this totally amazing.....how is it they
> don't see this? September very well may be a month
> of sorrows....
> Michael