Biblical New Moon Celebration

 

By: Richard N. Sison

 

The world has two time measuring cycles, the sun and the moon. The sun takes some 365 and a quarter days to make a yearly cycle while the moon, on the other hand, makes a cycle every 29 and a half days. This means that it is more complicated to measure years using the lunar cycle.
The world is divided as to how to use these two cycles. The western world uses the solar year, while the Muslim world (and some other non-Muslim countries) uses the lunar year.

The system of keeping time by the Jewish people is also based on the cycles of the moon rather than a solar calendar like we use today. In fact, the Hebrew term for “month,” chodesh, means “new [moon],” referring to the new moon that began the month. The lunar cycle played a significant role in the cultural and religious life in ancient Israel so that time could be counted by the cycles of the moon (Ex. 19:1). The New Moon was a festival day, observed by burnt offering and sacrifices as well as banquets (Num 29:6, 1 Sam 20:5, 1 Chron 23:31). The New Moon festival was often listed along with Sabbath as an important religious observance (2 Kings 4:23, Ezek 45:17). Like Sabbath and other rituals, it also came to symbolize empty and self-centered religion when not accompanied by faithfulness to God in other areas (Isa. 1:14, Amos 8:5). Likewise, the middle of the month or the Full Moon was an important marker of the passing of time. Two of Israel’s most important festivals fell in mid-month (Passover, Tabernacles; cf. Psa 81:3).

In ancient times, they had a court that would declare the new month according to the sightings. This court was made up of judges who were empowered through a direct chain from Moses. Today, no one has such authority to declare a new month. A prominent Jewish rabbi, Hillel, who was believed to be the last of the princes from the house of David, formulated a calendar that has all of the months and holidays figured until the Jewish year 6000. According to the Jewish tradition, the Messiah will come by the year 6000 and the continuation of the calendar will be addressed then.
Rabbi Hillel, who lived during the turbulent time of the destruction of the Temple, saw that the troubles of the Jewish people were increasing and the ability of the courts became diminished. Using the calculations that were known to the Jewish sages from the time of Moses, he publicized the calendar through his efforts it was accepted. This calendar is the one being used today. This calendar basically uses a 19-year cycle of twelve regular (12 month) years and seven intercalated (13 month) years.