Analysis of the Passion Week Timeline (PART 3): Second Temple Period Structure of Calendar Days, Nights, Dates, and Times -1

Navigate here to help you follow along with the calendars that I built for this episode of Real Israel Talk Radio. OR go to www.cominghome.co.il and click on "Free Resources." Then click on "Podcast Extras."

If you are a detail and numbers person, you will want to listen to this Real Israel Talk Radio program.  This is Episode 116 and PART 3 in my continued analysis of Yeshua’s last Passover week timeline related to the time and date structures of the Jewish and Roman Second Temple Period. With today's episode, we'll learn some core concepts about three principle calendars competing with each other in the time of Yeshua. The three calendars I am speaking about are:

• A) The Secular Roman Calendar
• B) The "Official" Religious Judean Pharisaic Calendar
• C) The "Unofficial" Tzadok Sevens Calendar of the Qumran Priestly Community

On this podcast, we will also learn some details about the Roman counting and naming of day and night hours while comparing this to the Jewish counting and naming of day and night hours.

We'll also learn about the Passover terminology "Beyn HaArbayim," often translated into English as "twilight." But is this a reference to twilight? Not according to the Hebrew language. It specifically refers to the structure of each day comprised of two evenings. The first evening begins after 12-noon and the second evening begins with sunset at 6:00. The Hebrew term "Beyn HaArbayim" defines that time as about 1500 hours or 3:00, when Yeshua died on that Roman crucifixion tree, fulfilling the command of the slaughter of the Passover lamb in Exodus chapter 12.

If you like details and numbers then you will appreciate all this and a lot more coming at you with today's podcast program on the structure of Second Temple Period time and date, day and night. And to help you along, follow along with the transcription of the show contents.   

Transcript

This is Real Israel Talk Radio. I’m Avi ben Mordechai. This is Episode 116 and a PART 3 analysis of Yeshua’s Passion Week Timeline:  The Second Temple Period Structure of Calendar Days, Dates, and Times. With this study, I hope to offer some plausible answers to the somewhat problematic timing and chronology of Yeshua’s “Passion Week” (as it’s called).

With today's program, I want to prepare us for a detailed journey ahead, which will immerse us into the disputed calendar issues of the time. Understanding these core issues will help you tremendously in following all that I will be presenting to you on today’s program and in upcoming episodes. Many are not aware of the time and date calendar disputes that were predominant in the days of Yeshua.

At the time of his ministry, there were actually three different calendars that were operating simultaneously, one Roman secular calendar and two Jewish religious calendars. Consequently, when reading through the narratives of Yeshua’s last Passover week, many will miss what’s going on behind the scenes because they don’t know the workings of those calendars as well as Second Temple Period Jewish religious culture and law. The result is that this can lead to lots of mistakes when seeking to understand what was really going on during Yeshua’s last Passover week according to the gospel narratives. If all of us can become knowledgeable in the workings of the calendars in the time of Yeshua and understand Second Temple Period Jewish religious culture and law, we will gain a good working understanding of how the events likely played out in those final seven days before Yeshua’s crucifixion.

To follow along with this study, I suggest that you access the two calendars that I built for this program series. I have labeled them Exhibit “A” and Exhibit “B.” Both calendars can be found on my website. You can access them online or you can download and print them at your leisure. Also, if you wish, you can freely distribute them to others that you think might find some interest in the chronology that I will be presenting here. The address where to find the two calendars is www.cominghome.co.il.

On my last Episode number 115 and Part 2 in this podcast series, I went through 27 chronological events that I believe might be the correct timeline that played out in that final week of Yeshua leading to his crucifixion and his third-day resurrection. If you wish, go back and replay my last episode Part 2 in this program series if you want a refresher of the information that I presented. In the meantime, however, I am going to move forward and speak about the era of the Roman, Judean, and Qumran Second Temple Period calendars and how they were joined to Jewish religious culture and law. 

STRUCTURES OF THE JUDEAN “OFFICIAL” (PHARISAIC) CALENDAR: ROSH CHODESH

The traditional Jewish calendar in Yeshua’s day, henceforth, the Judean “official” calendar, for lack of a better term, was determined based on the testimony of two witnesses who were summoned to appear before the Jewish religious high court to give eyewitness testimony of the arrival of the new month. The declaration of each new moon was always announced by the Jewish Sanhedrin or religious high-court of the land who would receive the testimony of the status of the moon based on the testimony of those two witnesses. Immediately after the high court declared a new moon, the first day was referred to as “Rosh Chodesh” – the beginning of the months” as it is written in Exodus 12:1-2.

• Exodus 12;1-2. Now Yehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This Chodesh (month) shall be your beginning (head) of the chodeshim (months); it shall be the first Chodesh (month) of the year to you.”

Once again, the Jewish high court called the first day of each sighted new moon by the term “Rosh Chodesh” meaning a “new moon.” Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, the traditional and typical way of scholarship was to simply translate "Chodesh" as "moon" or sometimes as "month" because this is all that any among the biblical scholars knew or understood at the time. After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in November of 1947, the real meaning of “Rosh Chodesh” came under academic scrutiny.

In the late 1990s after nearly fifty years of scholarly research into the Dead Sea Scrolls, the idea that “Rosh Chodesh” meant a new moon came to be understood as "old school thinking." Scholars and Dead Sea Scrolls researchers began to accept that "Chodesh" does not actually have the same meaning as year’ayach, which is the Hebrew word for the "moon." Instead, many scholars began to adopt an updated meaning. Based on this fresh research, I am therefore suggesting that Rosh Chodesh should be understood as the “beginning of a new month” of 30 days, as a reset of the previous 30-day moon cycle, irrespective of how much physical light actually reflects off its surface, whether it is a ¼, ½, ¾, full, or dark moon. 

In a given cycle of one year, the Judean authorities counted 12 cycles of new moons, each with a moon cycle that alternates between 29 or 30 days. Obviously, this had its problems because counting days based on this method means that a lunar year is 354 days whereas a solar year is 364 days (or 365 days by today’s reckoning). To correct the timing between the sun and the moon, the thirteenth month of 30 days was added to the religious calendar every few years in order to compensate for the time-traveling differences between the movements of the two orbs. Technically, this is called intercalation; that is, to add a “leap month” to the Jewish calendar so that the seasons would always remain in their place. To make certain that the Passover season would never drift from where it is always supposed to be according to the divine command to do the Passover in the Spring, a traditional search for Aviv barley took place every year at the end of 12 moon cycles.  This was one of several methods to always keep the Passover festival synchronized with the correct season for its celebration in the spring according to Exodus 12:1-2. 

DEFINING THE JUDEAN PERIODS OF DAY AND NIGHT

According to Jewish daytime reckoning: 

• The first hour was 0600 or 6:00 am sunrise 
• The third hour was 0900 or 9:00
• The sixth hour was 12-noon 
• The ninth hour was 1500 or 3:00

Following an end-of-day sunset at 1800 hours on a 24-hour clock or what was called the 12th hour, daytime reckoning shifts to nighttime reckoning. Ancient biblical nighttime reckoning was split up into three watches. 

• The first watch was approximately 1800 to 2200 or 6:00 to 10:00 
• The second watch was 2200 to 0200 or 10:00 to 2:00
• The third watch was 0200 to 0600 or 2:00 to 6:00.

Then, with the arrival of the sunrise, nighttime reckoning shifts to daytime reckoning with the first hour of the morning at about 0600. 

THE JUDEAN MIXTURES OF LIGHT AND DARK, EVENING SUNSET

When the orb of the sun rises to its zenith and passes through the mid-point of the day, in English, we call this “afternoon.” Today, what we know as midday or afternoon was to the ancients the idea of “solar noon.” Of course, they didn't call it this as modern-day astronomers refer to it today. This is when the sun begins descending into the west until it finally disappears below the western horizon in what we call sunset. In Hebrew, sometimes it's written as u’vaerev – ba’erev from the verb l’ahrov, “to blend” or “to mix” two evenings. This was always a special time of the day. For example – 2 Chronicles 13:11. 

• 2 Chronicles 13:11. And they burn to Yehovah every morning (the 3rd hour) and every evening (u’vaerev – ba’erev – the 9th hour). 

However, most of the time in the biblical Hebrew texts, the term sunset is referred to as “Bo Hashemesh” = The Coming of the Sun.” For example: 

• 2 Chronicles 18:34. The battle increased that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening (erev -1); and about the time of sunset (erev-2) he died.

   Also, there is this:           

• Joshua 10:26-27. And afterward, Joshua struck them and killed them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging on the trees through the evening (erev-1 Afternoon = "tzhorayim" ). So, it was at the time of the setting of the sun  (erev-2  Coming of the Sun= "bo hashemesh") Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees. 

These passages contain two different dayparts as referencing what we would call 1500 hours meaning the 9th hour or about 3:00 and 1800 hours meaning the 12th hour or about 6:00. It was a timeframe of about six hours meaning a day always has two evenings: 

• The afternoon descent of the sun into the west is referred to as erev in what we might call “evening-1”  or afternoon (Hebrew: tzhorayim).

And

• The setting of the sun on the western horizon is referred to in Hebrew as erev in what we might call "evening 2" or the coming of the sun (Hebrew: bo hashemesh). 

One day was understood as encompassing one morning and two evenings referring to a six-hour period of “double shine” from about noon to sunset or as it is written in Hebrew: beyn ha’arbyim – “in between the evenings.” 

Another term referring to the setting sun is this from Psalm 141:2, written in Hebrew as “minchat erev” oftentimes translated to English as a midday evening sacrifice or offering, 

• Psalm 141:2. Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

This refers to a biblical timeframe that we know to be 1500 hours or 3:00, which is halfway between the two evenings  = erev 1 and erev 2. So, for example, in regards to the divine law of the Pesach or Passover:

• Exodus 12:6. Now you shall keep him (the Passover lamb) until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill him (the lamb) beyn ha’arbyim = "twilight" or in-between the evenings. 

Also, there is this in

• Numbers 28:4. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer beyn ha’arbyim  = in between the evenings. 

This Hebraic background should help us to understand 

• Amos 8:9 - And it shall come to pass in that day, says Yehovah Elohim that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight. 

I think should totally help us to understand the crucifixion narrative of Yeshua: 

• Matthew 27:45-50 (abridged). Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour (beyn ha’arbyim – in between the evenings), Yeshua cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.” And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit (about the 9th hour – in between the evenings). 

Within one 24-hour day, there were five defined dayparts in Hebrew scripture. 

• Morning boker from sunrise 0600 (6:00) to 1200 (12-noon)
• Evening (erev -1 = tzorayim) from about 1200 (afternoon) to 1800 (6:00
• Evening (erev - 2 = bo hashemesh) – the coming of the night 1800 (6:00) sunset to about 1900 (7:00) three stars
• Night (lailah) from about 1900 (7:00) three stars to 0500 (05:00)
• First light (shachar)  from 0430 towards 0500 which is called “dawn” or "break of day."

This can help us to understand and compare the calendar of the Pharisaic Judeans – “the Jews” who embraced the construct of a “new day” beginning with the “coming of the sun” or when the sun drops below the horizon – “sunset.”

DEFINING THE DEFINITION OF A ROMAN DAY, NIGHT, AND A WATCH

During the first-century Roman period, a new day always began at 0000 hours or what we call 12-midnight.  Of course, it is the same reckoning that most of the world still uses today, unlike religious Jewish reckoning when a new day always starts six hours earlier with sunset and always ends 24 hours later with the next sunset. Then, under typical Roman reckoning, 12-noon or 1200 hours was called the first hour of midday. So, we have this: 

• 0000 – the first hour (the beginning of the new Roman day).
• 0600 – the sixth hour of the morning.
• 1200 – the twelfth hour of midday.

Then, with sunset, the day system of numbered hours shifts to four numbered night watches, unlike the three night-watches of religious Jewish tradition under the Pharisees. We learn this from Roman church historian

• Jerome: Epistles 140.8. The night is divided into four watches of which a single one is reckoned to be a period of three hours. 

The four Roman night-time watches were:  

• 1800 to 2100 or 6:00 to 9:00 = the first watch of the evening.
• 2100 to 0000 or 9:00 to midnight = the second watch of the night.
• 0000 to 0300 or midnight to 03:00 = the third watch of the dawn.
• 0300 to 0600 or 3:00 to 6:00 was the fourth watch of the morning.

DAYLIGHT HOURS AND NIGHTTIME WATCHES ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES

When reading through the gospel narratives, it is important to pay attention to what we are told about the numbered hours of the day or night reckoning to determine whether the given interval was either according to religious Jewish tradition or Secular Roman counting. For this, I once again suggest that you go to my website at cominghome.co.il and click on the available Free Resources on the homepage menu. Then on the dropdown menu, click on Podcast Extras and follow along with me using the information that I’ve posted on the site to help you track my explanations. To begin, let’s start with

• Mark 6:48. Then he saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.

The reference to the “fourth watch” of the night is written according to Roman reckoning rather than Jewish reckoning. Likely because in the Second Temple period, Judea was influenced by Graco-Roman culture and under the Roman system of authority. Therefore, it is fair to say that the fourth watch of Mark 6:48 is speaking about 0300 hours to 0600 hours during the darkness of the night. 

COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW PROGRAMS...

And this is where I must bring our episode to a close because I’m out of time for today. Yah willing, when I return next week, we’ll pick up with this detail relating to the daylight hours and the night-time watches as they are written about in the gospel narratives.

In our next study, we’ll learn about the overnight watch called the “cockcrow” or the “rooster crow.” This is important to understand as it is directly connected to Peter’s denials of Yeshua. Briefly, we’ll find out that the night-time rooster-crow or cock-crow is not such an easy interpretation to make or to understand because it is not just about something historical but it’s also about the local Jewish and Roman culture of the Second Temple period. We’ll come back to this story next time and I’ll explain it in greater detail. 

Also, in the next episode, we’ll have a close look into some of the more prominent features of the two Jewish religious calendars of the Second Temple period; calendars I’m referring to as “Official” and “Unofficial.” At the time when Yeshua was doing his ministry, the “unofficial” reckoning of the days was based on the Qumran Tzadok Sevens calendar. This calendar relies on the Sun upon his testimony to regulate the observances of all the biblical moedim or festivals, whereas “official reckoning” was based on the Pharisaic lunar-solar system with the Moon regulating the biblical moedim or festivals of Yehovah. 

With our next analysis, we’ll have a look at the Second Temple Period definition for the term “hour” as it was used by Yeshua in his ministry. Obviously, the term “hour” had multiple meanings – physical, spiritual, and prophetic. But as a literal timekeeping expression for the hours of a day in the ancient physical world, one hour did not necessarily mean 60 minutes as we know it. Of course, today, we have precise computer technology to tell us when we have passed through 60 minutes. However, in Hebrew biblical days, one hour could mean as little as 40 minutes or as much as 75 minutes, depending on the season of the year. 

So, how is it that Yeshua could say that there are twelve hours in a day in John 11:9-10? The simple answer is that he didn’t say that. Back in the time period of Yeshua, the 24-hour period of sunrise to sunrise or sunset to sunset was calculated by what we would call divisions of time. I’ll explain this to you next time. 

And finally, in what year did Yeshua fulfill his ministry? I will attempt to show you that based on a side-by-side comparison between the two different religious calendars of the time, there really appears to be only one possible year where all the biblical timing works out perfectly. That would be in what we would refer to as “Year 27” C.E. of this common era.

In Yeshua’s day, all the Passover week events that he fulfilled nearly converged in that particular year – Year 27. I realize that not everyone agrees with the exact year of Yeshua’s crucifixion and resurrection with many pegging their dating of Yeshua’s crucifixion and resurrection to dates between 29 C.E. and 33 C.E. However, according to my knowledge and research, it appears Yeshua began his ministry at Passover in what we would call Year 26. Then, he completed his ministry 52 weeks at Passover in the Year 27 C.E. I have plenty of good reasons why I think this is accurate and I’ll be sharing those details with you. 

Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for joining me today. You have been listening to Episode 116 and Part 3 in my series on the timeline of Yeshua’s Last Passover week. With this episode, I was speaking about some of the core principles of the Second Temple Period Time and Date structures in Day to Day Time reckoning.

If you have any questions or comments about any of these episodes, navigate over to our website at www.cominghome.co.il; again, cominghome.co.il. Yah Willing, see you next week! 

I’m Avi ben Mordechai, and this is Real Israel Talk Radio.