258

 Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, p. 125. 

259

 New moon and solar transit data from: RedShift 3, astronomy software, (Kingston, UK: Maris Multimedia 

Ltd., Maris.com, 1998). 

    In 16 

B.C.

, Tishri 1 coincided with Sept. 4, which was a Monday. This date is based on the conclusion of 

chapter 17 that the ancient Jewish calendar during this time period was determined by calculation, not by 

observation. The new moon for that month was Sept. 3 at 13:58 Jerusalem Standard Time. The first day of 

Tishri would then most likely have been Sept. 4, since the new moon began after solar transit (apparent solar 

noon; the sixth hour). This places Tishri 10, the Day of Atonement, on Wednesday, Sept. 13; Tishri 15 on 

Monday, Sept. 18; and Tishri 22 on Monday, Sept. 25. Tishri 15 is the start of the Feast of Tabernacles and 

Tishri 22 is the last day of the Feast. 

    In the modern Jewish calendar, Tishri 1 is delayed to the next day if the new moon occurs after noontime, 

or if the new moon occurs on Sun., Wed., or Fri. In the first century 

B.C.

, these rules were not yet in place. 

But, I argue that these rules must have developed over a period of time, based on the experience of the Jewish 

leaders in making decisions about the calendar. The decision to keep certain holy days from interfering with 

the Sabbath, by preventing the start of the calendar year on Tishri 1 from falling on Wed., or Fri., is likely to 

have been one of the earliest insights which the Jewish leaders had about the calendar, since the keeping of the 

Sabbath was of the utmost importance. See chapter 17 for details. 

    During the time that the start of each month was determined by calculation, there had to have been a 

determination as to the time (not just the day) of the  new moon. Also, it would have been necessary to 

determine a cut off point, so that, if the time of the new moon fell after a certain hour of the day, not that day 

but the next would be the start of the month. In later times, at least for the determination of the start of Tishri, 

the cut off point was noontime (apparent solar noon). Since the new moon for Tishri 1 of 16 

B.C.

 fell on 

Sunday and in the afternoon, the start of Tishri 1 that year was most probably the next day, Monday, Sept. 4 

of 16 

B.C.

260

 Zechariah was not the high priest, nor would he have had to be high priest in order to offer sacrifice on the 

Day of Atonement. It may well have been the custom in that ancient time for a priest to be chosen by lot to 

offer the sacrifice of burning incense on that day. 

261

 Days of the week determined using:  Universal Calendar Calculator, (Clarksville, Tennessee: Cumberland 

Family Software, 1999), Astronomical Algorithms by Nachum Dershowitz and Edward M. Reingold. 

262

 Emmerich, The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, p. 125; The Life of Jesus Christ and Biblical Revelations, Vol. 1, 

p. 179. 

263

 Hammond's Atlas of the Bible Lands, ed. Harry Thomas Frank, (Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond, 

Inc., 1997), p. 12. Distances are given as the straight line distance. A traveler might have to take a longer route, 

in order to follow roads or avoid geographical obstacles. 

264

 The new moon for that month was Sept. 3 at 13:58 Jerusalem Standard Time. The first day of Tishri would 

then have been Sept. 4. This places Tishri 10, the Day of Atonement, on Wednesday, Sept. 13. 

265

 Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology, revised edition, no. 233, p. 127 128. 

266

 In the ancient Jewish calendar, AdarI could have 29 or 30 days. In 15 

B.C.

, AdarI probably had 30 days. 

The new moon occurred Jan. 28 at 22:14 hours Jerusalem Standard Time (JST), so that the first day of AdarI 

was January 29 of 15 

B.C.

 The next new moon was Feb. 27 at 12:24 hours JST. Since the new moon began 

after noon solar time (solar transit was 11:56 hours that day), the first day of the month of AdarII would be the 

next day, Feb. 28 (actually, the day began Feb. 27 at sunset). Thus AdarI that year had 30 days. AdarII that 

year had 29 days, from Feb. 28 to March 28, inclusive. The next new moon was March 29 at 03:41 hours JST. 

This places the start of the month of Nisan on March 29. New moon and solar transit data from: RedShift 3, 

astronomy software, (Kingston, UK: Maris Multimedia Ltd., Maris.com, 1998). See chapter 17 for details. 

267

 The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Home Edition, (Whitehouse Station, N.J.: Merck Research Lab, 

1997), p. 1139. 

268

 The new moon of Oct. 22, 15 

B.C.

, at 01:51 hours JST places the first day of Heshvan on Oct. 22 (actually, 

the day starts Oct. 21 at sunset). The next new moon was Nov. 20 at 12:45 hours JST. Since this time is after 

solar transit (noon sun time; the sixth hour), the first day of Kislev would be the following day, Nov. 21 

(beginning at sunset on Nov. 20). New moon and solar transit data from RedShift 3. See chapter 17 for details. 

304