The Biblical "Month"

FROM THE BOOK OF HENOCK

The book of Henock contains descriptions of the movement of heavenly bodies and of the firmament, and the articulation of the months in the 364-day original calendar. Being divided in four equal seasons of ninety-one days each, each season is composed of 3 equal months of 30 days, plus an extra day (Tekufah) at the end of each quarter.

The most remarkable piece of information concerning the composition of a "month" is retrieved from the book of Henock chp 72. The author clearly describes as being composed of “thirty mornings in succession” vs 8, confirmed again on vs 9 with the annotation “to the thirtieth morning.”.

Henock 72:8-11 (Ethiopien Text, numbering by R.H Charles):

8. When the sun rises in the heaven, he comes forth through that fourth portal thirty mornings in succession, and sets accurately in the fourth portal in the west of the heaven. 9. And during this period the day becomes daily longer and the night nightly shorter to the thirtieth morning. (…) 11. And the sun rises from that fourth portal, and sets in the fourth and returns to the fifth portal of the east thirty mornings, and rises from it and sets in the fifth portal.

FROM THE PARCHMENTS OF QUMRAN

Four fragmentary editions of the Astronomical Book, 4Q208-211. 4Q208 and 4Q209, have been found at Qumran, anchoring the Astronomical Book of Henock into the canon literature of the antique Hebrews. Furthermore, Qumran other findings bring a second solid witness corroborating that the month is composed of 30 days.

Calendrical Document C (4Q326):

In the first month] 30 (days).

On the second (day) in it: [Sabbath.

On the ninth (day) in it: Sabbath.

On the 16th (day)] …

FROM NOAH'S CALENDAR

Genesis 7 and 8 confirm that the original biblical month was composed of minimum 30 days. During the chronology of the flood narrative, the Calendar of Noah describes the duration of the flood using years, months and days.

A comparison of Genesis 7:11 with Genesis 8:4 reveals that 5 months had elapsed from the start of the flood to the shut off the outpouring. Genesis 8:3 adds that 150 days had elapsed in that amount of time. Therefore, by dividing 150 days by 5 months, we discover that each month had 30 days. The Tekufot were numerically accounted for separately.

Since Moses wrote the book of Genesis, the 30 day-month Calendar was also used at the time of Moses. Thus the same Calendar was used at the time of the flood and at the time of the 10 commandments. The dates associated to YHWH's feasts as spelled out correspond to the same original Calendar.

These elements are enough to question the moon as a marker of the biblical month. Indeed, the length of a lunar month varies from 29 to 30 days, yet the 30 day consistency of Henock & 4Q326 would make the discrepancy with the moon cycle impossible to compensate.

FROM JUBILEES

The book of Jubilees brings a particular insistance on the Calendrical dates and admonishes severely those that wil err concerning the months:

Jub 1:14-15 And they will forget all of my laws, and all of my commandments and all of my judgments, and they will err concerning months, sabbaths, festivals, jubilees, and ordinances.

(6:32-38) "And you, command the children of Israel so that they shall guard the years in this number, three hundred and sixty-four days, and it will be a complete year. And no one shall corrupt its (appointed) time from its days or from its feasts because all (of the appointed times) will arrive in them according to their testimony, and they will not pass over a day, and they will not corrupt a feast. But if they are transgressed, and they do not observe them according to his commandment, then they will corrupt all of their (fixed) times, and the years will be moved from within this (order), and they will transgress their ordinances. And all of the sons of Israel will forget, and they will not find the way of the years. And they will forget the new months and (appointed) times and sabbaths. And they will set awry all of the ordinances of the years. For I know and henceforth I shall make you know – but not from my own heart, because the book is written before me and is ordained in the heavenly tablets of the division of days – lest they forget the feasts of the covenant and walk in the feasts of the gentiles, after their errors and after their ignorance. And there will be those who will examine the moon diligently because it will corrupt the (appointed) times and it will advance from year to year ten days. Therefore, the years will come to them as they corrupt and make a day of testimony a reproach and a profane day a festival, and they will mix up everything, a holy day (as) profaned and a profane (one) for a holy day, because they will set awry the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees.Therefore, I shall command you and I shall bear witness to you so that you may bear witness to them because after you have died and your sons will be corrupted so that they will not make a year only three hundred and sixty-four days."

Indeed, correct reckoning of calendrical time is required for Israel to scrupulously observe & maintain the divinely revealed laws of the Torah, especially the Festivals. Error in the monthly reckoning leads to failure to uphold Israel’s side of the covenantal relationship with God.

NOT A LUNAR MONTH: "HODESH" vs "YARACH"

The Hebrew word for "month" is "hodesh" חדש. Its etymology shows that it means “renewal” or "calendar month".

In biblical interlinear numbering, the Hebrew word חדש is registered as follows according to their translations :

Hodesh H2318 – used 10 times – translated as « renewal »,

Hodesh H2319 - used 53 times – translated as « new »,

Hodesh H2320 - used 283 times – translated as « month » (263 times « month », 20 times « new moon »)

Hodesh H2321 - used 1 time – used as a first name.

Here are a few examples of the word “Hodesh”, as it is used in Scriptures:

Gen 8:5 And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month (hodesh): in the tenth month, on the first day of the month (hodesh), were the tops of the mountains seen.

Ex. 19:1 In the third month (hodesh), when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.

Lev. 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month (hodesh) at even is YHWH's Passover.

The Hebrew word for "moon" however is "yarach". The Hebrew word "yarach" (moon) has no direct or indirect connection with the word "hodesh" (month).

Let us now take a look at the Hebrew word for “moon” in the Hebrew Bible :

“Yarach” H3394, H3391 is used 28 times, translated as « moon »,

“Yarach” H3392, is used twice, translated as the first name "Yerack", meaning « moon »,

“Yarach” H3391 & H3393, is translated 12 times as « month », that is a « lunar cycle ».

We will here take a look at a few scriptures to show the use of the word Yarach in context :

Jer 31:35 « the fixed order of the moon (Yarach) and the stars »,

Joel 2:10 « the moon (Yarach) will grow dark »,

Gen 37:9 « behold, the sun and the moon (Yarach) and the eleven stars made obeisance to me”,

Deut 17:3 “And has gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon (Yarach), or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded”

Out of 40 times, 12 times the word Yarach is linked to a length of time linked to the lunar cycle:

Exodus 2:2 the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months lunar cycles (Yarach)

Deut 21:13 and she shall put the clothes of her captivity from off her, and shall abide in thy house, and bewail her father and mother a full month lunar cycle (yarach), and afterwards thou mayest go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

Deu 33:14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon / month lunar cycle (Yarach).

1Ki 6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Zif

1Ki 6:38 And in the eleventh year, in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Bul, which is the eighth month (Hodesh), was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof, and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

1Ki 8:2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Ethanim, which is the seventh month (Hodesh).

2Ki 15:13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month lunar cycle (Yarach) in Samaria.

Job 3:6 As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months lunar cycles (Yarach).

Job 7:3 So am I made to possess months lunar cycles (Yarach) of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

Job 29:2 Oh that I were as in months lunar cycles (Yarach) past, as in the days when God preserved me;

Job 39:2 Canst thou number the months lunar cycles (Yarach) that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

Zec 11:8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month lunar cycle (Yarach) and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.

It is important to note that not once does the word "moon" is ever linked to YHWH's calendar dates.

It is also important to note that not once, does the word « Hodesh » ever means « moon ».

As the word "hodesh" is translated correctly as "month" 263 times, it is however translated about 20 times, in seldom passages or even in certain biblical dictionaries, as "new moon", because of the predominant rabbinic influence.

A word study, however, quickly clarifies the true meaning of the word "hodesh". Textually, "hodesh" simply means "month" (never "moon").

1 Kings brings further evidence that the Hebrews had to translate their religious numerical Calendar into the imposed pagan calendars labeled with names.

As it is done today, the biblical Calendar has to be transposed into the commonly used Gregorian calendar. Likewise, the Hebrews had to transposed the original Calendar into the civil calendar of the time, in order to accommodate their audience:

1Ki 6:37 in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Zif

1Ki 6:38 in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Bul, which is the eighth month (Hodesh)

1Ki 8:2 in the month lunar cycle (Yarach) of Ethanim, which is the seventh month (Hodesh).

The lunar months (Yarach) are herein clearly differentiated from the calendrical months (Hodesh), bringing another evidence that the original Calendar was never lunar.

Consequently the biblical "month" is textually confirmed to being mathematical & not lunar.

- A biblical "month" is composed of 30 days, and a season of 91 days (30, 30, 30+1).

- The Hebrew word “hodesh” (or “month”) has nothing to do with the Hebrew word “yarach” (or « moon »).

- The word “hodesh” (or “month”) is correctly translated 254 times as “month”.

- The word “hodesh” (or “month”) is erroneously translated 20 times as “new moon” in certain versions