A) INTRODUCTION.

B) ENGLISH UNDERSTANDING.

C) TO THE MOON.

D) THE NEW MOON.

E) NASA AND THE MOON.

 

 

A) INTRODUCTION

 

 

It all starts with Genesis 1:14:  “Let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years.”

 

 

B) ENGLISH UNDERSTANDING

 

 

The English words “moon” and “month” have the same root.  And before the advent of the Babylonian calendar, which was based upon the movements of the sun instead of the moon (which is why our calendars correctly have “sun,” or Sunday as the first day of the week), months were determined by the movement of the moon.

 

 

C) TO THE MOON

 

 

The approximate movement of the moon around the earth in one full cycle (equaling one month), is 29.530587981 days, as of 2020 A.D.  The month begins just after the new moon is sighted just after sunset.  Although most prefer to call the moon at this stage, “The New Moon,” it is actually more precisely named, “The Renewed Moon,” because the light is said to reaper on the face of the moon after a period of darkness.  From that “Renewed Moon,” it will be either 29 days, or 30 days before the next “Renewed Moon” is sighted.  If for any reason the “Renewed Moon” is not sighted at the end of the 29th day, in the Hebrew culture, it is then declared to be a 30-day month (or what they would call, “A complete month.”).

 

 

D) THE NEW MOON

 

 

The modern term for “New Moon,” is the Astronomical Conjunction for the moon not being able to be observed, only calculated.  This is when the modern Jewish calendar was accepted in 359 A.D.  This coincides with being at the end of the 12th month of this Hebrew calendar, which would be in early spring in the land of Israel.  It is at this time that the nation was instructed to inspect the barley crop (2Sa. 21:9), to see if it was ready for harvesting.  And in Deuteronomy 16:1, we are instructed to “observe the month of Abib.”

 

When barley reaches the state of being harvestable, it is then considered to be harvestable by hand and by sickle.  And the moon at that time is called the “New Moon,” or the month of the “Abib” (Hebrew, “Aviv”).  Again, this would be the first month of the year.  Within this month, is the month we celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  During the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first-fruits of the barley is presented.  Only after this presentation is made should we eat of the new barley of the land.

 

 

E) NASA AND THE MOON

 

 

In an interesting fact, during one of the lunar lands, astronauts placed mirrors upon the moon’s surface.  From these, NASA has been able to send out laser beams to then, in order to calculate the precise lunar period.  Thus, the lunar cycle can now be correctly known.

 

Therefore, the lunar cycle can now be reverse calculated in order to determine certain time periods in Jesus’ ministry.  In other words, we can now know that Christ was crucified in 31 A.D.