Studies in the Prehistory of the Jewish Calendar (original) (raw)
Jewish Time: First Stages of Seasonal Hours in Judea
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 2018
It has long been known that the Astronomical Book of Enoch (AB) uses Mesopotamian astronomical knowledge. Among the Mesopotamian texts researchers have highlighted as influencing AB are MUL.APIN and Enuma Anu Enlil XIV, which were both composed hundreds of years prior to AB. The earliest versions of the Aramaic Astronomical Book (AAB) were composed during the fourth to the third centuries, though except for the concept of the zodiac, its authors do not seem to have had any knowledge of the advanced mathematical astronomy developed in Babylonia at this time. In this paper, I will demonstrate that a new understanding of the time units used in the AAB demonstrates that their astronomy was more accurate than previously thought, and was influenced by Neo-Babylonian astronomical texts as well. However, unlike their Babylonian peers, they used seasonal time units, dividing each day and night into 14 seperate parts. This first division of the day into hours in Judean culture was an original creation of the Jewish Aramaic astronomers who authored the AAB, and who may have been influenced by the Egyptian concept of seasonal hours. Their aim in this development was both theological – to develop a Jewish time system based on the number seven – and astronomical – to represent astronomical accuracy with their limited mathematical skills.
Chapter Thirteen. Theory, Practice, And Polemic In Ancient Jewish Calendars
Legal Fictions
Although a solar year is implicitly acknowledged by the need to maintain the festivals in their proper ''seasons,'' as James VanderKam (Calendars, 8) states, ''[N]o scriptural statements assert the role of the sun's course in defining a year. Despite its greater size, it seems to be the lesser light in the Bible.'' 4 The translation is from The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H.
The institution of the Jewish fixed calendar has provoked much controversial discussion not only among Jewish, but also Christian scholars. The significant contributions to the subject by two of the great sixteenth-century polymaths, the Jew Azariah de' Rossi and the Christian Sebastian Münster, pinpoint the delicate nature of calendrical investigation. Münster's frequent use of one particular piyyut (a religious poem) to undermine the basis of the Jewish fixed calendar is intended to defend the contradictory calendrical data in the Gospels. De' Rossi implicitly attacks Münster for his recourse to this unhistorical text. Yet de' Rossi himself is intent on proving that the Jewish fixed calendar is a late post-talmudic convention, an iconoclastic approach which was not welcome in certain rabbinic circles.
THE ANCIENT ISRAELITE CALENDAR
Trinity Journal, 2022
This essay asks what kind of calendar would have been used by ancient Israel from the time of its inception in the second millennium BC through the Second Temple period and explores the extent to which it was still utilized in the early centuries of the Common Era. Days, months, and years are the building blocks of calendars; understanding how divisions were made between them is crucial. How did the Israelites distinguish between the end of one month and the beginning of the next? What phenomenon signalled the end of their day? And what criterion determined when the twelfth lunar month fell too short of the solar year, thus requiring the insertion of a thirteenth month?
New Haven : Connecticut- the our race company + The New Alexandria Library of Texas, 1890
Another rare book added to The new Alexandria Library features the realms of theology, astronomy, and historical chronology to present a bold defense of two miraculous events described in the Bible: the "long day" when the sun and moon are said to have halted during Joshua’s battle (Joshua 10:12–14) and the backward movement of the shadow on the Dial of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:8). Totten meticulously applies 19th-century scientific methods, including celestial mechanics, soli-lunar cycles, and eclipse calculations, to argue for the literal historical accuracy of these phenomena. The book is divided into three parts. The first discusses the biblical texts, astronomical principles, and the mechanics of time, offering mathematical justifications for the intercalation of a “missing day” in ancient calendars. The second provides corroborative appendices, referencing ancient texts like the Book of Jasher, and explores the interplay between astronomical cycles and biblical prophecy. The third section focuses on the chronology of world history, harmonizing biblical timelines with secular records, such as those of Babylon and Assyria, to underscore what Totten perceives as a divinely orchestrated historical pattern. Designed for readers from advanced scholars to beginners in theology or astronomy, the book offers both rigorous arguments and accessible summaries. At its core, it is an apologetic work seeking to demonstrate that the Bible’s miraculous accounts are not merely symbolic but align with the observable laws of nature when viewed through the lens of divine providence. Totten's eschatological undertone further elevates the work, linking these celestial events to the unfolding of prophetic history and the impending culmination of human epochs. While modern readers may find Totten’s methods and assumptions rooted in the limitations of his time, the work remains an intriguing example of the 19th-century attempt to synthesize faith and science, offering insights into the era's intellectual landscape. Whether approached for its theological insights, historical interpretations, or astronomical calculations, this book challenges its audience to explore the boundaries between the sacred and the scientific. Contents Preface and Introduction The book begins with a Preface (xi) and an Introduction (xiii), providing the author’s purpose, scope, and methodology in addressing the miraculous events described in the Bible. The Biblical Record This section establishes the scriptural foundation for the discussion, covering The Biblical Record (1), the event of Joshua’s Long Day (5), the phenomenon of The Shadow on the Dial (11), and The Elements as Verified (17), which examines natural elements involved in the described miracles. Part I — Discussion This part delves into the interpretation and scientific analysis of the events. Topics include The Argument (23), Secular Corroboration (25), the Inception of the Problem (27), and the anomaly of the Reference to Moon (31). The section explores The Real Effect of Stoppage (33), Soli-Lunar Cycles (36), and the True Origin of ‘Time’ (37). It also covers The Intercalated Day (38), The Site Unique (41), and concludes with The Battle Described (45) and Without Sunset, No Sunrise (49). Part II — Appendices The appendices provide additional historical and scientific context. They include The Book of Jasher (95), Casual Eclipses (97), Earliest and Latest Eclipse (97), Times and Seasons Changed (101), and Biblical Cycles are All Astronomical (105). Further topics cover Chronological Eras Harmonized (110), Astronomical Forecast (1891–2) (115), Caiaphas and Leo XIII (117), and Judah Homeward Bound (120). Part III — Chronological Appendices This section harmonizes biblical and historical timelines, starting with The Chaldee-Babylonian Era (141) and Preliminary Chronological Outline (143). It discusses the Origin of ‘Times of the Gentiles’ (155), the Chronology of Jeremiah Vindicated (175), with a Preliminary Outline (179) and Chronological Arrangement (187). The section culminates with The End of the Age (201) and The Conclusion of the Matter (209). Tables and Illustrations The book includes detailed tables and charts such as The 176th Metonic Cycle (69), Synchronization of Years (113), Chronology of the Assyrian Empire (141), and Hoshea’s Reign Harmonized (145). The General Chart of the 2,520 Years (215) aligns biblical and secular chronology. Illustrations include The Battle of Beth Horon (Military Map) as a frontispiece and a Diagram of Astronomical Elements (16). Miscellaneous Topics Other subjects discussed are A Military Commentary (82), The Conquest of Palestine (85), Corroborated by Eclipses (97), and Verified by Equinoxes (101). It addresses Shadowed on the Dial (105), Proved from the Almanac (110), The Apologists Arraigned (115), The Sword of Damocles (120), and The True Chronology (141). Additional discussions include Creation’s 6,000 Years (145), Joshua, Christ, Columbus (155), The Key to Chronology (175), and The Week Unbroken (179). It concludes with The End of the Age (201), A Significant Year (205), A Solemn Warning (207), Jewish Irredentalism (215), The Last King of the Franks (217), The Controversy of Zion (220), and A Midnight Cry (225). Tags related to the book- Biblical Events and Themes: Joshua's Long Day, Dial of Ahaz, Old Testament miracles, biblical chronology, solar miracles, moon anomalies, Hebrew history, Book of Jasher, prophetic timekeeping, eschatology, biblical cosmology, Jewish sacred texts, biblical battles, divine intervention, angelic warfare, Israelite conquest, time in the Bible, ancient prophecy, Hebrew kings, Jerusalem history, Messianic prophecy. Astronomical and Scientific Themes: astronomical vindication, intercalated days, celestial mechanics, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, soli-lunar cycles, Metonic cycles, astronomical anomalies, ancient sky observations, equinoxes, solstices, planetary alignments, ancient almanacs, premodern astronomy, astronomical prophecy, zodiac history, heliacal risings, astronomical timekeeping, seasonal changes, celestial spheres. Historical and Cultural Contexts: Chaldean astronomy, Babylonian calendars, Assyrian history, ancient Near East, Babylonian chronicles, Gentile times, ancient Israelite warfare, Egyptian chronology, Ugaritic texts, Sumerian influence, Hebrew calendars, ancient time reckoning, Phoenician records, ancient Persian history, Akkadian texts, Mesopotamian timelines, Babylonian kings, Zoroastrian timelines, Neo-Assyrian period, biblical archaeology. Chronology and Timekeeping: time harmonization, biblical cycles, creation’s timeline, 6,000-year history, chronological eras, times and seasons, Jeremiah’s chronology, Judean kings, time of the Gentiles, prophetic time spans, precession of the equinoxes, calendar adjustments, ancient time units, Jewish intercalation, Hebrew feast cycles, creation chronology, sacred weeks, Sabbath cycles, ancient chronometry, chronological reconciliation. Theological and Apologetic Themes: biblical inerrancy, divine providence, Old Testament literalism, creationism, scientific creationism, biblical cosmology defense, miracle apologetics, Christian eschatology, biblical miracles explained, prophecy fulfillment, Bible-science harmony, prophetic symbolism, Old Testament apologetics, literal Bible interpretation, typology in scripture, divine time adjustment, miracle legitimacy, God's intervention, theology of time, biblical history. Historical Figures and Texts Referenced: Caiaphas, Leo XIII, King Ahaz, Joshua of Israel, Sennacherib, Jeremiah the prophet, Nebuchadnezzar, Assyrian rulers, Babylonian scribes, ancient astronomers, Jewish high priests, Moses, Noah, Enoch, Adam and Eve, early Christian apologists, Ezra the scribe, Daniel the prophet, Isaiah’s prophecies, Zedekiah. Rare and Obscure Topics: missing day legends, shadow phenomena, midnight cries, Jewish irredentism, lost time myths, sword of Damocles symbolism, ancient eclipse records, Jewish diaspora, Judean exile, kingly chronologies, neo-Babylonian influence, Assyrian conquest accounts, Jericho’s walls, eclipses in prophecy, sundials in scripture, divine calendar shifts, pre-exilic Israel, Jewish apocalypticism, Phoenician timekeeping, star prophecy. Philosophy and Symbolism: time symbolism, shadow as metaphor, divine clocks, heavenly signs, cosmic prophecy, time and eternity, symbolic numbers, lunar metaphors, esoteric time concepts, prophetic astronomy, sacred geography, cycles of history, apocalyptic signs, messianic timelines, shadow and light, cosmic battles, biblical symbology, numbers in scripture, eternity in time, sacred astronomy. Related Scholarly Disciplines: chronology studies, biblical apologetics, theology and science, astrotheology, ancient calendars, comparative religion, historical astronomy, biblical archaeology, Near Eastern studies, Hebrew studies, ancient historiography, prophetic literature, astronomical anthropology, sacred text studies, historical theology, Semitic studies, sacred timekeeping, eschatological studies, intertestamental research. Eschatological and Prophetic Ideas: end of the age, prophetic warnings, apocalyptic calendars, messianic age, creation’s birthday, end-times chronology, last king prophecy, controversy of Zion, millennium theories, eschatological cycles, final week symbolism, Daniel’s prophecy, Revelation connections, doomsday cycles, prophetic reckonings, final countdowns, sacred warnings, cosmic transitions, Zionist prophecy, future signs. Miscellaneous Rare Tags: military maps in scripture, sundial mechanics, horizon science, astronomy in antiquity, Hebrew mythos, time dilation myths, non-linear time, ancient prophecy cycles, Jericho’s significance, archaeoastronomy, Hebrew battle traditions, time distortions in myth, solar halts, God’s clock, signs in heavens, Assyrian conquest echoes, neo-Babylonian lore, shadow time physics, astronomical folklore, divine celestial patterns.