"G-DS' APPOINTED TIMES"
Is the Essene Solar Calendar what Yeshua (Jesus) and the Disciples followed and not the rabbinic? Are some modern-day "Biblical Feast-Keepers", not to mention mainstream Churches and denominations that believe in Yeshua actually Observing the wrong Calendar? The calendar that "Biblical Feast-Keepers" are currently Observing, Yeshua Himself and the Disciples themselves rejected? Scroll down to see why we believe this is exactly the case. Provided we are correct, this information could rock the "Biblical Feast-Keepers" and the denominations to their very foundations.
Can the Essene Solar Calendar from the Books of I Enoch, Jubilees and the Dead Sea Scrolls be deciphered? Below you will find a fully reconstructed Essene Solar Calendar based on these writings (correctly) Assigning the Seven Feasts (The Biblical Feasts, Feasts of Noah and Fast of Yom Kippur), all in red letters. The 31st Day of the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12fth Months (also in red) were added to make the Calendar have exactly 52 Weeks and the required number of Days. The Calendar began in the first Sunday when the sun entered Nisan in the Mezzaroth (on or after March 20th), what is call the Constellation Aries. Festival times were calculated from the following Wednesday (the 4th day) after that full Sunday because Torah says that the stars were made on the 4th day to reckon "times". Thus the whole astronomical issue of 365 1/4 days was not ever a factor in calculating the Biblical Feasts or Fasts.
As is to be expected, the Essene Solar Calendar is totally in disagreement with the rabbinic lunar calendar. In 1999, (and this also hold true for other years) all those that Observed the lunar calendar Observed the Feast of Tabernacles, Feasted during the Essene Solar Calendars' Fast Day of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)!!!
Discussion Regarding Observance of the Day of Atonement on a different day was recorded in the Talmud By this we do know that there was more than one Calendar.
Further, what of the "Fundamentalist New Testament Churches" and every single mainstream denomination that we have researched? Currently, they take for granted that the rabbinic lunar calendar is correct and use it to determine their holidays, and place the Resurrection of Yeshua on the following Sunday after Jewish (Pesach) Passover according to their lunar calendar. Would a closer look at the Essene Solar Calendar reveal that they too are Observing Yeshuas' Resurrection on the wrong Day?
In 1999 for instance, the Resurrection of Yeshua on the Essene Solar Calendar was a week later than when the mainstream Churches celebrated it!
THE BOOK OF JUBILEES
Not much is said about the Book of Jubilees and the Essene discoveries. However, more copies of the Book of Jubilees were found at Qumran than any other Book outside the Torah! The Essenes were considered Prophets in their own day, and they revered the Book of Jubilees as authoritative. So when the Book of Jubilees warned that those following any lunar calendar would end-up celebrating Biblical Festivals on the wrong days, it appears indeed Prophetic concerning modern-day Churches too? If they do Observe it correctly in any year, it would be therefore out of chance, and not design?
Let's examine the Essene Solar Calendar
Their year began on the first Wednesday AFTER the sun entered the Constellation Aries, about March 20th. Pesach was always Celebrated on a Wednesday by those Observing the Essene Solar Calendar. Also, other Biblical Holidays were on set days, such as Shavuot (Pentecost); always on a Sunday in the Third Month, and Yom Kippur; always on a Friday. [1]
THE ESSENE SOLAR CALENDAR
Holidays in Red
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat |
������ 5� 12� 19� 26 ������ 6� 13� 20� 27 ������ 7� 14 �21� 28 �1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24 �4� 11� 18� 25������������� |
������� 3� 10� 17� 24 ������� 4� 11� 18� 25 ������� 5� 12� 19� 26 ������� 6� 13� 20� 27 ������� 7� 14� 21� 28 �1���� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2���� 9� 16� 23� 30�������� |
�1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24� 31 �4� 11� 18� 25� �5� 12� 19� 26� �6� 13� 20� 27 �7� 14� 21� 28� |
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat |
������ 5� 12� 19� 26 ������ 6� 13� 20� 27 ������ 7� 14� 21� 28 �1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24 �4� 11� 18� 25� |
������ 3� 10� 17� 24 ������ 4� 11� 18� 25 ������ 5� 12� 19� 26 ������ 6� 13� 20� 27 ������ 7� 14� 21� 28 �1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 |
�1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24� 31 �4� 11� 18� 25� �5� 12� 19� 26� �6� 13� 20� 27 �7� 14� 21� 28� |
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat |
������ 5� 12� 19� 26 ������ 6� 13� 20� 27 ������ 7� 14� 21� 28 �1����8� 15� 22� 29 �2����9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24 �4� 11� 18� 25� |
����� 3� 10� 17� 24 ����� 4� 11� 18� 25 ����� 5� 12� 19� 26 ����� 6� 13� 20� 27 ����� 7� 14� 21� 28 �1���8� 15� 22� 29 �2���9� 16� 23� 30 |
�1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24� 31 �4� 11� 18� 25� �5� 12� 19� 26� �6� 13� 20� 27 �7� 14� 21� 28� |
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat |
�������5� 12� 19� 26 �������6� 13� 20� 27 �������7� 14� 21� 28 �1����8� 15� 22� 29 �2����9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24 �4� 11� 18� 25� |
������ 3� 10� 17� 24 ������ 4� 11� 18� 25 ������ 5� 12� 19� 26 ������ 6� 13� 20� 27 ������ 7� 14� 21� 28 �1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 |
�1��� 8� 15� 22� 29 �2��� 9� 16� 23� 30 �3� 10� 17� 24� 31 �4� 11� 18� 25� �5� 12� 19� 26� �6� 13� 20� 27 �7� 14� 21� 28� |
SOME MAJOR HOLIDAYS FOR THE ESSENES [2]
There are Seven Major Feasts listed. The Essene Calendar was a Solar Calendar [3] (1QH:XII:1-10) and began on Wednesday because G-d Created the "lights in the firmament" for "signs and seasons" on the 4th Day. (Genesis 1:14,15) They also believed that the Solar Calendar was "the certain Law from the Mouth of G-d" and to be Obeyed (1QH XII,9), (1QH IV,7-12).
15th Day of the 1st month for Pesach (Passover)
15th Day of the 3rd month for Shavuot (Pentecost, Feast of Weeks, Renewal of the Covenant) (Book of Jubilees 6:1-31)
1st Day of the 7th month (also Rosh Hashanah, New Years')
10th Day of the 7th month for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement, Sabbath of Repose)
15th Day of the 7th month for Sukkot (Tabernacles, Booths)
THE FEASTS OF NOAH
Essenes also celebrated each Equinox and Solstice on the first day of those months (The 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th months). These Holidays were Ordained by Noah.
"They are Written and Inscribed for an Eternal Witness."
1st Day, 1st month*: Noah was told to make the Ark. Also on this Day, Noah opened the doors of the Ark and saw the land.
[*NOTE: The Essene Celebration at the Spring Equinox was not a commemoration of a "pagan holiday": see also [*NOTE] on Winter Solstice below.]
1st Day, 4th month: "the mouths of the deeps of the abysses which were beneath were shut."
1st Day, 7th month: "all the mouths of the depths of the earth were opened, and the water began to go down into them."
1st day, 10th month: "the heads of the mountains appeared, and Noah rejoiced."
[NOTE: The 1st day of the 10th month corresponds to the Winter Holiday Season around December 25th, or the Winter Solstice. According to the Book of Jubilees therefore, it is not some "pagan holiday" as some "Biblical Feast Keepers" and even denominations wrongly assert, but a yearly Celebration Ordained by Noah, and Celebrated every year by the Essenes at this very time and season!]
ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF JUBILEES NOAH ORDAINED THESE FEASTS
"And therefore he Ordained them for himself as Feasts of Remembrance Forever, and thus they are Ordained. And they set them upon the Heavenly Tablets." (Book of Jubilees 6:32-38)
THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT JEWISH CALENDARS
The Essene Calendar is not in agreement with the rabbinic lunar calendar, even to this day [4]. Did Yeshua and the Disciples follow the Essene Calendar, and not the one that is still followed today in Judaism? Because of this difference, the Scrolls say that those that follow any lunar calendar are wrongly observing a Gentile, pagan holidays. (4Q166-7:15)
The Essenes warned those that would follow any lunar calendar with such passages as this:
"And they withold from the thirsty the drink of Knowledge, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze upon their straying, on their folly concerning their feast days, on their fall into their snares." [5]
"If one accepts the possibility of the Essene Quarter and the place of the historical Last Supper were situated very close to each other, then there is a further reason to suppose that the Last Supper of Jesus was the Passover meal of the priestly calendar (the Solar Calendar of the Essenes, ed.)." James H. Charlesworth, "Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls", Doubleday, 1992, p. 218
So if the location of the Essene Quarter was near the Last Suppers' location, that would be further reason to suppose that Yeshua and His Disciples were Observing the Essene Calendar? Then we should take a look at the ESSENE QUARTER and see the newest evidence of just such a set of circumstances?
This same Solar Calendar is found in the Book of I Enoch, Book 3:72, line 32. A passage from the Book of I Enoch is quoted word-for-word in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) in Jude 14,15. The Book of I Enoch was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran. Many scholars say this is not just a "coincidence".
Recently discovered fragments, in Hebrew, of the Book of Jubilees, have been conservatively dated at 100 B.C. Other fragments were also found at Masada. (O. S. Wintermute, from "Jubilees" in "The Old Testament and Pseudepigrapha", Vol. II, Doubleday, 1985, p. 43)
Here are Selections from THE SCROLLS!
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
� Copyright 1999-2004 People of G-d Ministries, Inc. Not for dissemination or reproduction without Permission of People of G-d, Inc.
FOOTNOTES
[1
[2
Channukah 1999, began on 25th Kislev, Wednesday, December 15th, and ended the 1st of Teves, Wednesday, December 22nd; 8 Days, according to our Essene Solar Calendar. On 1st of Teves, Wednesday the 22nd, is a Feast of Noah.
All of the Essene Feasts and Fasts disagree with the rabbinic lunar calendar (which most Churches also follow) just as the Book of Jubilees indicates they will. Likewise, every "popular observance" of these Holidays kept by the majority of Christians and "Biblical Feast Keepers" disagree with the Essene Solar Calendar. Let us repeat: the vast majority of Churches and "Biblical Feast Keepers" today follow the rabbinic lunar calendar which the Book of Jubilees rejects as unreliable, inaccurate and declares is just plain wrong.
The Resurrection ("Easter") observance is connected, right or wrong, to the rabbinic calendar. The traditon of most Churches is to set the first Sunday after Jewish Pesach as the Resurrection Day, unless there are significantly less than enough days to fulfill the "3 days and 3 nights" Prophecy of Yeshua, in which case it is set on some other Sunday.
The Essene Calendar contains 365 days. The actual time for a complete revolution is approximately 365 1/4 days, however. The Observance of the Sabbath Year every seven years (Exodus 23:11) we believe, would have been the time to reset the Calendar to agree with the Mezaroth.
[3
[4
[5
Biblical Archaeological Review.
Brenton, Sir Lancelot C. L. The Septuagint with Apocrypha. Hendrickson. 1997
CenturyOne Foundation
Charlesworth, Dr. James H. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Vols. I and II. Doubleday. 1983.
ibid. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Doubleday. 1992.
Olipheus Inc.
Pixner, Bargil
Tabor, Dr. James
Vermes, Geza. The Dead Sea Scrolls in English. Penguin Press. Fourth Edition. 1995.