The conjuncture is the precise moment that the sun and moon are in line with each other horizontally, (where the moon has ended getting smaller called waning,, and is just about to start getting bigger again, called: waxing) In the modern world, this is the astronomical ‘new moon’, but nothing will be seen for about 36 hours.
Deuteronomy 16vs1 could be translated to read somewhat like “You shall be observant to lookout for, and take special note of the new moon that occurs during the time of the new green shoots of the barley, and then keep the festival of Passover.” The use of traditional methods, by the Sod Haibbur (Calendar Council) from about 516 B.C. till about 370 A.D., to intercalculate a leap year by inserting a month, during times of less accurate astronomical observation (barley harvest, roads dry, fruit, birds left their nest, spotting moon, etc), although perhaps a more pure and correct method, is not only awkward for the purposes of advanced planning in our modern world, but will no doubt lead to various different interpretations and then various calendars, differing from a few days, up to a whole month. These differing interpretations of the Word are subtle, and the scriptures urge us to maintain the unity of the brethren, (see 1 Corinthians 1vs 10; “ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Messiah Yeshuah, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you: but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment”). Yet as we well know, this is not so easy..
The Gregorian calendar follows only the sun cycle, and divides the days of the year into twelve months as equally as possible, of thirty or thirty one days. In every month the new and full moons accordingly occur at various different times all over the month. Conversely the Hebrew calendar follows both the solar and the lunar cycle, with the month being marked by the cycle of the moon. In very ancient times, the beginning of the ‘new’ moon was confirmed by the sighting of the thin crescent just after sunset. This marked the beginning of a new month. This could of course be problematic during heavy cloud cover or other adverse weather conditions. This lunar cycle was assumed to be 29 days, but no more than 30 days. However, over the centuries, astronomy advanced, and during about the Fourth Century after the Ascension of the Messiah, the Jews being dispersed, Rabbi Hillel the 2nd initiated the advanced calculation of the calendar to preserve the unity of Israel's observance of the New Moons and Appointed Times.
Now, yet many hundreds of years later, how do we obey the scriptures? Things have changed. Israel is being gathered back into the land. Global communications can transmit accurate messages within seconds, and astronomical predictions are within milliseconds. Do we use traditional methods, or do we use modern astronomy, or both? What does the scripture say regarding these matters, what does our Creator expect of us, and does this detail matter?
The modern understanding of the term; ‘new moon’ refers to the conjuncture, but many belief the scriptural reference refers to the crescent sighting. Here lies a difference of opinion that is usually two to three days different.
According to the commandment, we should celebrate on the day of the new moon (see also 2 Chron. 31:3; Ezra 3:5-6; Isaiah 66:23; etc) This is also assumed to be the beginning of each month, the “Rosh Chodesh”. New “month” really means new “moon”. However, if we are to celebrate on the day of the new moon, and regard this as the 1st day of the month, then we ought to do this in a consistent way. Unfortunately the Jewish calendar is undoubtedly inconsistent in this matter. Philosophically speaking, the precise astronomical moment of “new moon”, when the sun, moon and earth, in that order, are precisely in line with one another, as seen from earth, is actually a sort of “no moon”. One could then say that the thin crescent of the new moon only begins just after the sun has passed the moon in its orbit. (Relatively speaking, the sun and moon orbit the earth at almost the same speed, the sun only slightly faster, gets ahead and eventually overtakes or laps the moon as they re-align every 29 (-and-a-bit) days, or as we say, once a “moon-th” (month).
We could then say that in biblical times, that this period of “no moon” was a larger window of time, and that to the ancients, the re-appearance of the slightest crescent of moon, just after sunset, was truly an appearance of a “new moon”. However, as mentioned during the introduction, we now have global and outer space observation of the movement of celestial bodies and can predict their precise movements. What we are proposing is that the modern Jewish calendar is perhaps, at times, less consistent even than the ancient method! This “juggling” of the calendar is thought to be done in order that festive Shabbats do not occur just before weekly Shabbats, as two consecutive days of strict Rabbinical Shabbat observance would be quite difficult (e.g. no cooking. Note: we are not debating here whether this is right, or wrong).We have an example of two ‘new’ moons in the month of Sivan 6011 (Jewish month Sivan 5768), having 30 days, and the last day having its own new moon, pushes the month of Tammuz, the fourth month, forward and moves the traditional fast day of the 17th of Tammuz, from a Shabbat to the first day of the week. It may be some do not like to fast on Shabbat. Moving the month a day here or there to make it fit better, we do not see as a sin. As mentioned above, it does not clearly state in Torah how exactly this is to be calculated. Whatever the reasons, however, it would be better to be consistent.
Another point, naturally, is that sunset, sunrise and times of new moon should be as according to their observations in Jerusalem. We would gladly receive such a calendar from Zion if we were aware of one being available. May this provoke some to jealously to outdo us, make a better calendar, more accurate and praiseworthy to Hashem, and bless us all. So times of moon and sun are, as per Cape Town, South Africa time. S.A. “watch” time (set for Durban, 30°E) is the same as Israel, but our longitude is slightly different. Cape Town about 18°E and Jerusalem about 35°E (We look forward to when the charts are drawn with Jerusalem as the centre of longitude and latitude). That represents a difference of 17° (360° ÷ 24h = 15° an hour) so; the sun would rise almost an hour earlier in Jerusalem and set approximately an hour earlier. The new moon times we would imagine being the same.
Follow these examples from the Jewish calendar:
(These ‘facts’ are difficult to go through, so they have been paraphrased, after an i.e.: using the abbreviations NM for ‘new moon’, and RC for the celebration of ‘Rosh Chodesh”)
1st of 13th Month, Adar II (erev 7-3-2008)
sunset 19h15 | new moon 19h14 | (i.e.: NM at sunset of RC)1st of 1st Month, Nisan (dark morn 6-4-2008)
new moon 05h55 | sunrise 07h02 | (i.e.: NM early morn after RC)30th of 1st Month, Nisan (day 5-5-2008)
new moon 14h18 | | (i.e.: NM day before RC)1st of 3rd Month, Sivan (erev 3-6-2008)
sunset 17h44 | new moon 21h23 | (i.e.: NM erev of RC)30th of 3rd Month, Sivan (dark morn 3-7-2008)
new moon 04h19 | sunrise 07h52 | (i.e.: NM night before RC)29th of 4th Month, Tammuz (day 1-8-2008)
new moon 12h13 | | (i.e.: NM day before RC)30th of 5th Month, Av (erev 30-8-2008)
new moon 21h58 | | (i.e.: NM erev before RC)29th of 6th Month, Elul (day 29-9-2008)
new moon 10h12 | | (i.e.: NM day before RC)As you can see (comparing these days in the Jewish calendar) there are definite irregularities e.g.:
- 1st of 13th month new moon occurs at sunset and a new month is begun
- 1st of 1st month new moon occurs between sunset and sunrise during the “erev” of the 1st day of the month at 05h55
- However, when the same thing occurs later, it is called the 30th of Sivan, not the new month.
- The 30th of Nisan new moon occurs in the afternoon, which makes sense to call the following sunset the 1st of the next month, as celebrating “New Moon” or Rosh Chodesh the evening before would be strange, as it is definitely not a new moon yet.
- Then 30th of Av, with a new moon at 21h58, that erev is not made the 1st of the month as was the 1st of Sivan with a new moon at 21h25.
- And the list goes on…
Yet very strangely, this year 6014, that we have been working on, the Jewish/Hebrew calendar, as per Arthur Spier, has each month beginning about a day or two after the conjuncture, having most of the months closely within range of the crescent sightings. So this year is very different to the examples listed above
Here is a guideline proposed for consideration:
That if a new moon conjuncture occurs between sunset and sunrise of a particular day, that the erev (at night) in which it falls becomes the Rosh Chodesh (as is often the case). However, if the new moon conjuncture occurs during the day (usually the afternoon), after sunrise and before sunset, that the following sunset brings on the Rosh Chodesh. It seems simple enough, accurate enough and close as possible to what is already done on the Jewish calendar, but not always implemented. Unfortunately, to follow this guideline, the months of Tammuz and Elul will each have to be brought back a day, the calendars re-aligning on the 1st of Tishrei. This does not affect any of the Appointed times of YHWH, though it may have done, as mentioned for the fast on 17th Tammuz, but there seems no reason for change in ‘Elul’.
Consider that consistency is a form of faithfulness, and faithfulness the deed of faith. This calendar ought to be lived by faith, in faithfulness, consistently.
“Make straight the way of YHWH, as the prophet Yeshayahu said” YOHANAN 1:23 quoting ISAIAH/Yeshayahu 40:3.
This is just a proposal, however, to regard the conjuncture as ‘new’ moon, but we have not implemented it as it may cause confusion.
Another view is that the most scriptural method of using modern astronomy would be not to use the precise moment of sun and moon intersecting orbits, but to predict when the first crescent of the new moon would be visible at sunset and call that evening the Rosh Hodesh. This would be possible, as an astronomical new moon occurring about 18 to 30 hours (depending on the variables) or more before sunset would almost certainly give a glimpse of the crescent moon at sunset, should the night be cloudless.
[for more info, check out the many websites on this matter, none have direct connection to this particular edition of the calendar. E.g: www.cresentmoonwatch.org . You can also search for “visibility of crescent moon”; adding “messianic” to that search will bring links closer to home]
This method, however, although agreeably the most authentic, would most certainly be different to the current, active Jewish calendar. Yet the commands of God, on this matter are not directly clear enough to divide subtly of opinion. In this matter, to be different, would unlikely fulfill our tasks of provoking the Jews (or other Jews) to jealousy, (in order that some may be saved; see Romans 11:14). Our zeal to serve the ways of Elohim would then appear to be “out of line” even if it is actually “more correct”.
Then, having said all that, reviewing a broad range of opinion, having dug up all the ‘ifs’ and ‘maybes’ and ‘why not's’, we decided that year to follow the layout of the accepted Jewish calendar. The change often is so subtle that it is bound to lead to confusion without much point in the end, anyway.
Again, as discussed earlier, there are some who believe that the moon needs to be sighted in Jerusalem. This is more historically correct, it is not wrong, but neither is using known astronomy wrong. They are both right. We feel strongly that to avoid confusion, and division, over matters of minor detail, between people actually trying to obey Elohim, in a world where most people deny his existence, let alone seek repentance, we prefer at this point in time to go along with the accepted Jewish calendar. This decision has rested well thus far. However, we are seriously considering changing calculating the calendar in advance, using the time of the predicted crescent moon sighting in Jerusalem and your comments submitted in writing with Scriptural references would be much appreciated.
In Psalm 81 vs. 3 we read about the New moon and the full moon. In the Hebrew the word “Ba Keseh” is translated as “full Moon”. This word “Keseh” means “filled up” or covered, yet can also mean concealed. This verse therefore could read as it is commonly translated, but also read;
“At the new moon ….when the moon is concealed...”
In the context of the Psalm, perhaps either will fit. If it is full Moon, then the “festival” being referred to is either Pessach or Succoth. If the moon is concealed then the festival being referred to can only be ‘Yom Teruah.’
Some interpret this scripture to mean concealed and therefore justify the calendar calculation using the conjunction or ‘concealed’ moon as determining the start of a new month. Apart from such references in scripture we only have other historical records to consider which mostly seem to suggest that it was the crescent moon sighted from Jerusalem that was used. These matters are being continually reviewed and reconsidered for next year’s calendar.
If you have some informed comments to make, please send your opinions to the contact details attached, along with your Scripture, Hebrew and historical references.
The point is not that we should no longer observe the natural earth around us. The point is that the heavenly bodies are truly what is to be observed, with relation to the Appointed times, and the observation of their movements have been observed, and timed to a greater degree of accuracy, and following that, more accurate prediction of their continual and reliable motions. It is therefore possible, and practical, to calculate a Scriptural Calendar in advance, while closely following the scriptural instruction. (We do acknowledge that the predicted rhythms are prophesied to change, see notes on the thirteenth month)
If these notes don’t grab your interest, or if you find it all a bit complicated, do not fear. We suggest that you should rather be interested in the Scriptures anyway. As a “living temple”, we ought to be more interested in its purpose than the structural details, however important they may be. And, more important than calculating the dates we ought to be seeking to be filled with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.
