History of the Jewish Calendar: Part II
Jewish scholars and historians have preserved both the Jewish Calendar and the history of that calendar. Some Sabbath-keeping Christian ministers have created a revisionist account of that history, ignoring most of what Jewish historians have written as well as information readily available in standard reference works, such as Jewish Encyclopedias.
People of the Jewish faith, according to their own writers, accept their calendar based solely on the authority of tradition and nothing else. Some, perhaps many Christians however, who seek to observe the feasts of God as given in Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, reject the major part of Judaism as traditions condemned by Christ in the Gospels. This creates a problem in that these Christians must find some other justification for using the Jewish calendar. Revisionist history and selective quotation, even misleading statements and false information, work as long as the membership does not bother to study to prove whether their church doctrines are true or not (1 Ths. 5:21; 2 Tim. 2:15).For the benefit of those who may not feel they have the time to look up the information for themselves, we provide the following quotes from Jewish historians and scholars. We encourage everyone to take some time to prove what is true.
Note that our comments are in brackets [. . . ].Origins of the Jewish Calendar ". . . the Gregorian calendar is solar, the Jewish one is lunar. The latter evolved over a period of many centuries, going through a number of formulations, much experimentation, and a great deal of controversy."
". . . especially after the final Dispersion, which began in 70 CE. A fixed calendar, formed on precise calculations, had to be created . . ."
"The study of astronomy for calendrical purposes became a necessary part of the rabbinic curriculum. [Note: This applies to the Jerusalem colleges. The study of astronomy began much earlier among the Babylonian Jews as the rest of this quote shows.] Many were the model calendars presented to the Sanhedrin by the scientific-minded among the [Babylonian] Sages. Rabbi Akiba attempted to draw up a uniform lunar calendar during the early portion of the second century C.E. by intercalating, or adding, an extra month, thus making for a leap year of thirteen months. This idea of a leap year almost caused a disastrous schism between the Jews of Judea and those of Babylonia. The quarrel was extremely passionate and lasted for a whole generation.
There were still other notable attempts at calendar-making. The Babylonian savant, Mar Samuel (c. 165-250), of the Academy of Nehardea [in Babylon], wrote several astronomical treatises on the calendar. He reckoned the length of the solar year at 365 days and 6 hours; his Rabbinic colleague, Adda ben Ahava (b.183) who followed Ptolemaic notions, placed it at 365 days, 5 hours, 55 minutes, 25/57 seconds.
Despite the fact that the Jewish calendar finally became fixed in 358 C.E., [only according to one author who wrote in the 11 Cent. AD, others say it was sometime after 500 AD] there was no end to the criticisms and disputes leveled at its inaccuracies for centuries thereafter. Among its critics were the illustrious scientist-doctor Isaac Israeli (North Africa, ninth century) and the foremost religious authority of the age, Saadia Gaon (Babylonia , tenth century). Many corrections were offered subsequently, but there was no unanimity among them. It is evident that there must have been a basic error somewhere in the computation."
(Source: The Book of Jewish Knowledge, An Encyclopedia of Judiasm and the Jewish People, pp. 70-71, Nathan Ausubel, 1964.)Point of Calculation There is some argument over whether or not the calendar should be calculated based on Jerusalem time. Those who favor Jerusalem refer to Micah 4:2, the law shall go forth of Zion . [Among non-Jewish groups this presents an ironic discrepancy in that they are "teaching" their strict interpretation of this statement from "outside" Palestine.]
It may be that some assume that the Jewish calendar was first published in Jerusalem and is calculated using Jerusalem time.
"After the destruction of the Temple (70 C.E.) Johanan ben Zakkai removed the Sanhedrin to Jabneh. To this body he transferred decisions concerning the calendar, which had previously belonged to the patriarch."
(Source: "Calendar, History of:", The Jewish Encyclopedia, pp.498-504, Funk and Wagnalls, 1903.)
"Jabneel, . . .A city on the SW boundary of Judah (Jos. 15:11) and probably to be identified with Jabneh, a Philistine city which was captured by Uzziah (2 Ch.26:6). . . . it was at this city that the Sanhedrin was re-formed after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.)
(Source: "Jabneel", The Illust. Bible Dict., Vol. 2, p. 726, Tyndale, 1980.)[Note: Actually the Jerusalem sanhedrin was abolished by the Romans in 70 AD along with the destruction of the Temple. The courts at Jabneh and later at Tiberias were Beth Din, scribal courts with much less power than a sanhedrin. The first Beth Din dates to 68 AD, prior to the abolishment of the sanhedrin. The modern equivalent would be the abolishment of the U.S. Supreme Court and for historians to ascribe the authority of that court to a Justice of the Peace in Canada. Note that both Jabneh and Tiberias were outside the land of Judah, and nowhere near Jerusalem. If a valid sanhedrin could be convened outside of Jerusalem, the Jews could have already corrected their calendar's inherent errors, by reverting to observation. Their adherence to traditions does not allow them to do this.]
"The question now arises, which is to be considered the first meridian. At which point of the circle do the twenty-four hours begin? The problem has been discussed by R. Judah ha-Levi in his Cuzari (ii. 11), and although he seems inclined to take the meridian of Sinai or of Jerusalem as the first, the meridian 90 degrees east of Jerusalem was accepted as the starting-point."
(Source: "Calendar, History of:", The Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 501, Funk and Wagnalls, 1903.)
In other words, the Jewish calendar is based on a meridian 6 hours east of Jerusalem (90 degrees = 1/4 of 360 degrees or 1/4 of 24 hours, or 6 hours).According to only one writer from the 11th Cent. AD, the calendar was first published in 359 AD by Hillel II, who was in Tiberias, the capital of Galilee, in Samaria. So, is the calendar calculated based on the latitude of Jerusalem, Jabneh, Tiberias, or Babylon?
". . . a day on the equator, which is equally divided between day and night--the night lasting from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.--being taken as the basis of the calculation."
(Source: "Calendar, History of:", The Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 502, Funk and Wagnalls, 1903.)
So the current Jewish calendar is calculated using the latitude of the equator and the meridian 90 degrees east of Jerusalem. These co-ordinates take us about 6,228 miles east and about 1,400 miles south of Jerusalem. This point is located in the Molucca Sea between the Philippines and Australia. The current Jewish calendar is not based upon the location of Jerusalem, except perhaps, in theory.
Inherent Error "That there is a slight error in the Jewish calendar--due to inaccuracies in the length of both the lunar and the solar years upon which it is based--has been asserted by a number of writers.
According to Isidore Loeb the Jewish cycle in 19 years exceeds the Gregorian by 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 15.3 seconds. This makes a difference in a hundred cycles (1900 years) of 8 days, 21 hours, 45 minutes, and 5 seconds ( Tables du Calendrier Juif, p.6, Paris, 1886).
The assumed duration of the solar year is 6 minutes, 39 25/57 seconds in excess of the true astronomical value, which will cause the dates of the commencement of future Jewish years, which are so calculated , to advance from the equinox a day in error in 216 years ( Encyc. Brit. s.v. Calendar, 9th ed. iv. 678).
. . . these differences . . . will cause a considerable divergence in the relations between Nisan and spring as time goes on, and may require a Pan-Judaic Synod to adjust."
(Source: "Calendar, History of:", The Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 500, Funk and Wagnalls, 1903.)Politics and the Calendar "Remember the Golden Rule, He who has the gold, makes the rules." (From the comic strip The Wizard of Id .)
"With the destruction of the Temple and the Sanhedrin abolished, the Palestinian leaders were facing total loss of control over world Jewry. They strongly felt that their lack of control would be a danger to unity.
When Hadrianic legislation made it impossible to issue new moon calendar proclamations from Palestine, R. Aquiba [in Babylon] did not hesitate to intercalate years and fix months abroad (Berakhot 63a). This set a dangerous precedent .
R.Hananiah, nephew of R. Joshua, who had settled in Babylon wanted to continue this practice in his adopted country which was becoming the major center of Jewish life. The Palestinian leadership immediately intervened. They sent messages to Babylon and by combining diplomatic persuasion with threats of excommunication, nipped in the bud that separatist move."
(Source: A Social and Religious History of the Jews, Salo W. Baron, Vols. I, II, Columbia U. Press, 1952, pp. 125-126.)[Note that the first attempt to publish calculated holy days (in lieu of depending on the proclamations from observations in Palestine) resulted in a threat of "excommunication" by the Jews in Palestine.]
"After 135 [AD], Palestinian leaders, combining persuasion with threats, frustrated R.Hananiah's attempts to proclaim independent regulations concerning the calendar and festivals.
The Palestine leaders continued to proclaim the festivals based on observation of the new moon each month . It was now tightly controlled by Palestinian Patriarchate, and observation was continued despite the availability of such reliable [sic] astronomic computations as were compiled by Mar Samuel.
With the conclusion of the Mishnah by Judah the Patriarch, [ca. 500 AD] Babylon was to win greater independence."
(Source: Baron's, p. 206.)"Mar Samuel, the Babylonian astronomer [165-250 AD], sent to the Palestinian Patriarch R. Johanan an astronomic computation of the Jewish calendar for 60 years in advance, refraining from making it public only so as not to interfere with the prerogatives of the patriarch. "
(Source: Baron's, p.307.)"At first, only the Patriarch and the Sanhedrin knew the details of the calendar. As these leading men were also involved in the colleges, the academic community began to assume control of the calendar. R. Nahman, son-in-law to the Exilarchate, claimed supreme jurisdiction in legal matters which included the calendar."
(Source: Baron's, p.198.)"The early Christian church [long after Paul, and after it became a dominating corporate force, in other words, "Catholic"] became upset whenever the Jews declared months, enabling Christian sects to set Easter under the testimony of observers [of the new moon] in accordance with Passover."
Roman officials were nervous over messages going into Persia to announce the new moon."When the half-measure of the advance proclamation of a whole cycle failed to remedy these problems, the patriarchs decided to make public a permanent [until the Sanhedrin could be reconvened] astronomic computation and thus gave up their most significant function for world Jewry. That the [Palestinian] Patriarchate had little time left was obvious."
(Source: Baron's, p. 209.)"With the pubic release of the calendar calculations, the rabbis were forced to study sciences including astronomy to answer legal questions."
(Source: Baron's, p. 206.)In Short: According to Jewish historians there is no evidence that the Jewish calculated calendar was in use prior to 500 AD. There is only one Jewish authority, who lived in 1038 AD, who claims that a calculated calendar was published 700 years before his time. He presented no evidence and it is simply alleged that he even made the statement.
The publication of a calculated calendar was an attempt to retain control over world Jewry (and the incoming temple tax money). It was a last-minute desperate action taken due to the increasing oppression of Rome which, in turn was a response to unceasing Jewish rebellions.
The calendar was originated by Jewish astronomers in Babylon and sent to Jerusalem. It contained errors due partly to the primitive state of astronomy at the time. Along with the increase in the knowledge of astronomy, the calendar was modified accordingly until the 1300's AD. Its present form is only about 600 years old.
It still contains an error factor which makes the feasts late by one month in some years. The Jews acknowledge this. Some church of God ministers ignore it.For additional information on how the Jewish calendar works and why the Jews look forward to abandoning it in favor of observation, as well as information on how to recognize God's Holy Days without a "calculated calendar", please see the articles following this one.
Bibliographies
For the article, "Calendar, History of:", pp.498-504, Funk and Wagnalls, 1903:
Writers on the Calendar: Mashallah, 754-813 [ all dates here are AD]; Sahl ben Rabban al-Tabari, 800; Sind ben Ali, 829-832; Shabbethai b. Abraham Donolo, 949; Hasan, judge of Cordova, 972; Abraham b.Hiyya, d.1136 ; Abraham ibn Izra, 1093-1168; Isaac b. Joseph Israeli, 1310; Immanuel b. Jacob of Tarrascon, 1330-1346; Elia Misrahi, d. 1490; Abraham b. Samuel Zacuto, professor of astronomy at Saragossa, 1492; Moses Isserles, d.1573; David Gans (d. 1613), a friend of Keppler and Tycho Brahe; Raphael Levi Hannover, 1734; Israel Lyons, 1773, . . . Besides the following works of the Talmudic period: Baraita of the secret of intercalation (R.H. xx.2); (Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer ha-Gadol b. Hyrcanus).
L.M. Lewisohn, Geschichte und System des Judischen Kalenderwesens, Leipsic, 1853; also the works of Steinschneider, Scaliger, and Ideler.Copyright M.H. and G.H. 2000. All rights reserved.