03/11/2024
Dear Friends,
The crescent New Moon was sighted from Israel this evening, Sunday, 3 November 2024, thus marking the beginning of the 8th Biblical month!
The New Moon was sighted from:
* Jerusalem at 4:59 by Devorah Gordon, followed by Gil Ashendorf
* Tiberias at 5:15pm by Maureen Chkolnik, followed by Dennis Chkolnik
We don’t use optical aids to spot the moon, nor to confirm our sightings, as using such instruments can create a confirmation bias, which in our opinion would invalidate the sighting.
The photo at the top of this report was taken from our observation point in Jerusalem this evening. However, it’s important to understand that the crescent can be seen any time after conjunction, if the optical aid is strong enough. Therefore, a photo of the crescent doesn’t prove it’s the beginning of the month, it’s simply something which we think is nice to be able to share with you. Only a reliable witness can testify as to whether the moon was visible to the naked eye, without using optical aids to spot or confirm the sighting.
As days in the Biblical Calendar are from sunset to sunset (Gen 1:3,8,13,19,23,31), Rosh Chodesh (the first day of the month), begins when the crescent New Moon has been sighted, and continues until sunset the following day. Rosh Chodesh is a celebratory day (Num 10:10; Hosea 2:11), which was traditionally commemorated by blowing the shofar (Num 10:10; Psalm 81:4[3]), having a festive meal (1 Samuel 20:5, 24), and worshiping at the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) (Isaiah 66:23, Ezekiel 46:1-3) with a special sacrifice (Num 28:11-15, 2Chronicles 2:3, Ezra 3:4-5, Ezekiel 45:17, Ezekiel 46:6).
On behalf of all of us who keep the Biblical Calendar, we wish to thank everyone who looked for the New Moon from Israel this evening, and all of you who are supporting this important effort from afar.
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If you have a question regarding the Biblical Calendar, feel free to send it to us and we’ll do our best to try and answer it in a future newsletter. All of our answers are based on relevant Biblical verses, what we’ve seen in the Land over the past few decades, and much study and prayer.
There’s a lot that needs to be done in order to restore the Biblical Calendar. However, the reality is that the amount we’re able to invest into research, education, and inspections, depends on how much you’re interested in supporting our work. Please consider being a part of restoring the Biblical Calendar, by partnering with us to carry out this important mission. Contributions can be made easily and in any currency via Paypal https://bit.ly/3QSSXZ2 , Patreon https://www.patreon.com/datetree , or by sending a Check to Devorah’s Date Tree, POB 4263, Jerusalem 9104201, ISRAEL.
Together we can restore the Biblical Calendar!
Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
Copyright © 2017-2024 Devorah Gordon, All rights reserved.
Devorah's Date Tree (Judges 4:4-5) is committed to better understanding the Biblical Calendar and providing reliable first-hand New Moon Observation and Barley Inspection reports from the Land of Israel. This important effort is headed by Devorah Gordon, who has been living in Israel, and working on restoring the Biblical Calendar, for over 25 years. We are honored that our reports are considered the most reliable and respected New Moon and Barley Inspection reports from the Holy Land, and a blessing to countless people around the world. Thank you for partnering with us to restore the Biblical Calendar.