LATE PASSOVER 2008

PASSOVER AND HOLY DAYS FOR 2008

HOW TO ESTIMATE WHICH DAY IS THE TRUE NEW MOON

Estimating The Observable New Moon Crescent

From Jerusalem For Each Month

Using The Best Available Astronomical

Data From The U.S. Naval Observatory

And H.M. Nautical Office.

1). New Moon Conjunctions For Years 2008-2009 (Spring To Spring) In G.M.T. (Greenwich Mean Time) or Universal Time.

2). Two Hours Must Be Added To Bring The Conjunction To Jerusalem Time.

3). Another Twenty Four Hours Must Be Added, Because According To The U.S. Naval

Observatory, The First Visible Crescent Of The New Moon Cannot Be Seen For

About 24 Hours After The Conjunction, But Sometimes Slightly Less Or Slightly

More. There Is Now Computer Software Available Called “MOONCALC”, Which

Can Help In Determining Whether Or Not A “Possibility Of Sighting” Or “Potential

Visibility” Exists On A Given Night. However It Is Not Simply The Amount Of Time

Which Has Passed Since The Conjunction, But Other Technical Factors Such As

“Declination”, “Lagtime”, “Altitude” And “Azimuth”, MUST Be Taken Into Account.

N.B. Even If 24+ Hours Have Passed Since The Conjunction, A High Southerly

Declination Could Well Mean That The New Moon Would NOT Be Visible

From Jerusalem Until The Following Evening.

Declination:- The angular distance of the Moon either North or South of the Equator.

Lagtime:- The span of time between Sunset and Moonset.

Altitude:- The height of the Moon above the visible horizon.

Azimuth:- The angular distance of the Moon from True North.

4). The New Moon Crescent Is Usually Visible Just Above The Western Horizon During

Dusk (Between Sunset And Total Darkness) And VERY RARELY A Few Minutes

Before Sunset. In Either Case The “New Moon” Is Declared The Day Just Beginning.

5). In Temple Times, According To Alfred Edersheim, “It Was Ruled That A Year

Should Neither Have Less Than Four Nor More Than Eight Full Months Of Thirty

Days”. (A Lunar Month Can Only Have Either 29 or 30 Days.)

6). A Year Should Neither Have Less Than Twelve Months Nor More Than Thirteen

Months.
7). On Certain Occasions, A New Moon May Be Declared Without A Sighting, If For

Instance The Skies Over Jerusalem And The Land Of Israel Happen To Be Overcast.

This Would Happen In The Case Of “Potential Visibility” Where There Was No

Doubt That The New Moon Crescent Would Be Visible Given Clear Skies.

On Other Occasions However, A “Borderline” Case Could Exist, Where It Cannot Be

Absolutely Certain That The New Moon Crescent Will Be Seen On A Given Evening.

NOTE:- As we grow in grace and knowledge, this material may need refining in the future, but we are doing the very best we know how, to get back to “The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints”.

Interestingly, in some years if both NISAN and IYAR have 29 days, then PENTECOST will be on SIVAN 7. Alternatively, in some years both NISAN and IYAR may have 30 days, in which case PENTECOST will be on SIVAN 5. Although these scenarios for PENTECOST can happen occasionally, the most common occurrence for PENTECOST is to be on SIVAN 6.

Unger’s Bible Dictionary under the article heading “Festivals” – sub-heading “Pentecost” states:- “…the Jews, who during the SECOND TEMPLE kept Pentecost fifty days after the 16^th Nisan, rightly interpreted the injunction in Lev. 23:15-22. The fiftieth day, according to the Jewish canons, may fall on the 5^th, 6^th or 7^th of Sivan…”

The month of NISAN or ABIB is declared according to the state of the barley crop in the fields around Jerusalem. If the barley is not in an ABIB condition then the month should be ADAR II. There can be little doubt that this is the primary determining factor regarding the declaration of the “New Moon Of Abib”. If the barley is not ready then obviously no “Wave Sheaf Offering” would be possible, and a thirteenth month would be inserted.

There is however another important factor which has to be considered, and this is that the Holy Days must be kept in their correct seasons. According to Josephus in “Antiquities Of The Jews” – Book 3 – Chapter 10 – Section 5 we read,

“……In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when THE SUN IS IN ARIES, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians), the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the PASSOVER………”

Note that the Sun is in ARIES from 21^st March through to 20^th April and for the Passover to be in the Springtime, it must fall either on or after the Spring Equinox. If the Passover fell earlier than this it would still technically be in the winter, but it would also pull the Autumn/Fall Holy Days out of their season and into the Summer. Conversely if the Passover fell more than 30 days after the Spring Equinox, this would also push back the Autumn/Fall Holy Days further away from the Autumnal Equinox.

An interesting point to note is that the “Fixed” Jewish Calendar sometimes declares a New Moon day beginning, EVEN BEFORE the time of conjunction. This is obviously a nonsensical notion, and another simple “Proof” of the errors and inaccuracies of the “Fixed” Mathematical Jewish Calendar. In actual fact the “Fixed” Jewish Calendar cannot be used in its present form indefinitely. The further into the future the “Fixed” Calendar is projected, the Passover moves slowly but inexorably further away from the Spring Equinox and towards the Summer Solstice. Given a few thousand more years, Passover would move through the Summer and towards the Autumn Equinox, while Tabernacles would move through the Winter towards the Spring Equinox. This is not supposition, but an irrefutable fact of the “Fixed” Mathematical Jewish Calendar.

An easy way to keep track of the True Calendar throughout the year, is to mark the Hebrew days onto our standard Roman Calendar. In other words when we know that the New Moon of a particular month has been declared then we can mark off 29 days in succession, because we know that a lunar month has either 29 or 30 days. This should bring us up to the 29^th day. All we now need to do is wait and see if the New Moon Crescent is sighted in Jerusalem that evening, in which case the following day will be marked as New Moon Day of the next Month. If the New Moon Crescent is not sighted in Jerusalem that evening, then the following day will be the 30^th day and then the day after that will be marked as New Moon Day. As we can see there is sometimes an element of uncertainty over the exact appearing of a New Moon, which should help to train us all to WATCH very carefully and STAY ALERT.

God’s True Calendar is so simple a child can understand it. No need for esoteric and complicated mathematical formulae which only the “initiated” can understand fully.

“This month (ABIB) shall be your beginning of months, it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

Exodus 12:2.

“Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month ABIB.”

Exodus 13:3-4.

“Observe the month (Hebrew CHODESH - NEW MOON) of ABIB, and keep the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of ABIB the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.”

Exodus 16:1.

“These are the FEASTS of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their APPOINTED TIMES (i.e. IN THEIR CORRECT SEASONS).”

Leviticus 23:4.

Month Days Hours Minutes

APR-08 06 03 55 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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06 05 55 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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07 05 55 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 7^th April Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON ABIB à TUESDAY 8^thAPRIL 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon ABIB à Sunday 6^th April 2008]

N.B. With The New Moon Of ABIB On Tuesday 8^th April, Passover Will Fall AFTER The Spring Equinox In 2008 And Be In Its Season. However It Will Also Fall ONE Day Outside The Sign Of Aries.

Month Days Hours Minutes

MAY-08 05 12 18 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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05 14 18 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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06 14 18 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 6^th May Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON IYAR à WEDNESDAY 7^th MAY 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon IYAR à Tuesday 6^th May 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

JUN-08 03 19 23 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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03 21 23 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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04 21 23 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 4^th June Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON SIVAN à THURSDAY 5^th JUNE 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon SIVAN à Wednesday 4^th June 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

JUL-08 03 02 19 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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03 04 19 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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04 04 19 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 4^th July Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON TAMMUZ à SABBATH 5^th JULY 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon TAMMUZ à Friday 4^th July 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

AUG-08 01 10 13 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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01 12 13 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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02 12 13 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 2^nd August Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON AV à SUNDAY 3^rd AUGUST 2008 *** Borderline ***

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon AV à Sabbath 2^nd August 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

AUG-08 30 19 58 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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30 21 58 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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31 21 58 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Will Not Be Seen From Israel Just After Sunset On 31st August Due To High Southerly Declination

But The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 1^st September Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON ELUL à TUESDAY 2^nd SEPTEMBER 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon ELUL à Monday 1^st September 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

SEP-08 29 08 12 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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29 10 12 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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30 10 12 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Will Not Be Seen From Israel Just After Sunset On 30^th September Due To High Southerly Declination But The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 1^st October Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON TISHRI à THURSDAY 2^nd OCTOBER 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon TISHRI à Tuesday 30^th September 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

OCT-08 28 23 14 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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29 01 14 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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30 01 14 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 30^th October Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON CHESVAN à FRIDAY 31^st OCTOBER 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon CHESVAN à Thursday 30^th October 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

NOV-08 27 16 55 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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27 18 55 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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28 18 55 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Will Not Be Seen From Israel Just After Sunset On 28^th November Due To High Southerly Declination

But The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 29^th November Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON KISLEV à SUNDAY 30^th NOVEMBER 2008

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon KISLEV à Friday 28^th November 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

DEC-08 27 12 22 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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27 14 22 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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28 14 22 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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Astronomical Data From MOONCALC Confirms That The Crescent Should Be Visible From Israel Just After Sunset On 28^th December Therefore Estimated

NEW MOON TEVET à MONDAY 29^th DECEMBER 2008 ** Borderline **

[Jewish Fixed Calendar New Moon TEVET à Sunday 28^th December 2008]

Month Days Hours Minutes

JAN-09 26 07 55 Conjunction GMT

Add 02

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26 09 55 Conjunction Jerusalem

Add 24

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27 09 55 New Moon Visible Jerusalem

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