One Guy's Viewpoint

Today, the Fourteenth of the First Month

According to the modern Jewish calendar, today is the 14th of Nissan, a Babylonian name I'm told but the first month of the year Biblically. The calendar is modern in the sense that it was developed in the fourth century A.D. (sorry, guys, but C.E. just doesn't do much for me) and remains in use today. It is attributed to Hillel the Second and was intended to make it possible for Jews around the world to celebrate the feasts and holy days on the right days. No doubt, the calculations this calendar is based upon stem from the conjunction of lunar and solar movements over a nineteen year period.

The fourteenth day of this month is the day when the passover lamb was killed (Exodus 12:6, Luke 7.22). As our passover (I Corinthians 5:7), according to the Jewish calendar, today, then, is the day our Lord died on the cross. Last night after sundown in Jerusalem, at the beginning of the fourteenth, was the Last Supper. Today is also preparation day for the feast day beginning the feast of unleavened bread or the feast of the passover, an annual sabbath occurring on the fifteenth. Thus, Jesus had to be off the cross and in the tomb before sundown.

But this calendar wasn't the one in use at the time of Jesus' crucifiction. Also the one in use now is based on calculation while the one in use then was based upon observation. A few years ago a diverse group of Jewish rabbis got together to reestablish that old calendar. This group included Messianics and Karaites along with the better known sects. They planted barley on and around the Temple mount and later checked it to see if it was mature. For this maturity determines whether this month would be the thirteenth month of the old year or the first month of the new year, the "month of Abib" as the King James puts it. New months begin on the evenings when the new moon is first seen over Jerusalem.

Depending upon the state of the barley, these two calendars can vary by a month. Often they're a day apart during a month. This year, this month, however, they are right together. This is the fourteenth day of the first month. It is a very solemn day for me.

posted by Burt @ 6:41 AM