Our calendar seems simple enough. There are 12 months in the year and once in a while we have a leap year and add a day in February. Our system is completely based on the circuit of our planet around the sun. However, in Bible times, keeping track of calendar dates was much more complex---and always in need of correction. The difficulty the ancients faced came from basing their calendars on the phases of the moon. As far as we know, the Egyptians were the first to use the sun to mark calendar years. The earliest date known in the Egyptian calendar corresponds to 4236 B.C. in terms of our present day system.

The Babylonians, Hebrews, Greeks and Romans all had calendars based on the cycle of the moon. In the Roman Empire, by the time of Julius Caesar, the incorrect length of the Roman year made their calendar about three months ahead of the season. Winter came in September, and fall came in the month called July. So, how did it come about that the Romans almost had Christmas in July?

To begin, the Romans and others decided that every time the moon circled the earth, that would make one moonth or month. They also determined that after the moon had circled the earth 12 times that would make one year. Sounds simple, until you consider the finer points. Actually the moon circles our planet about once every 29-1/2 days. That adds up to only 354 days by the end of the year. Of course, the earth circles the sun about once every 365 days. Using the lunar month system, the calendar was about 11 days off every solar year. This would mean that the calendar, based on the moon, would be off three years every century. To correct this, the Jews, like the Babylonians, added an extra month 7 times in each 19 years. But that's not all.

To make the system even more difficult, someone had to determine when the month actually began. This task was done for a time in ancient Israel by the priests in Jerusalem. They would watch for the first glimmer of the crescent moon and then officially announce the beginning of the new month. Fire signals were repeated from mountaintop to mountaintop and thereby informed all of the outlying districts. But, to spoil the system,the Samaritans, the enemies of the Jews, lit false beacons a day early and caused the people to begin their month a day too soon. Fire signals were replaced by messengers.

So why would scholars spend time trying to unravel the puzzles of ancient calenders? In part, to help us better understand prophecies such as the one found in the 9th chapter of Daniel. The prophecy speaks of the coming Messiah the Prince (see Daniel 9:24-27), but it was written some 600 years before Christ. It also refers to a decree given by a king as the starting date of that prophecy (see Ezra 7:13). Today, we know that date as 457 B.C. because of the hard work of many Bible scholars and archeologists. Their work compounds the evidence that you can trust your Bible as a true and accurate guide from here to hereafter

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

There is never a charge for my articles, and if you have a good reason, there is no limit to how many you may request. However, if you find them valuable you may want to order my latest book, History, Mystery and Facts About the Bible. Order at 1-800-845-7618 (ext. 301). You may also order from Amazon.com. Proceeds from the book go to support this ministry.

Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

Http://www.biblehistory.com

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