Part 2 ... File 5 of 10
Question 5
Why do some years in the Sacred Calendar have 13 months?
Answer
In the Sacred Calendar normal years have 12 months
and leap years have 13 months. The extra month is periodically
added to keep Yahweh's Festivals in step with the agricultural
seasons in Israel (Deut.16:6). Agricultural produce (flocks,
grain, fruit, wine, oil etc.) are shadows and types of the spiritual
realities and fruit Yahweh is producing in the lives of His people.
In order to keep these spiritual lessons in mind the Most High
arranged for His Festivals to coincide with the agricultural seasons
in Israel.
| Lev.23:4
| These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations,
which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
|
| Exo.34:22
| And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the
firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at
the year's end.
|
But what have these facts to do with adding a 13th month? To
explain further. The moon orbits the earth in just over 29.5
days. A twelve lunar-month year totals about 354 days.
This is about 11.25 days short of a 365.25 day tropical
(sun) year. If a 13th month were not added periodically, Abib
would begin about 11 days earlier each year. The month would
retreat to winter, then autumn, then summer and Yahweh's festivals
would not occur 'in their seasons' as required
by the law. For example, the Feast of First Fruits (Pentecost)
could then occur in the middle of winter, when there would be
no fruit in the field. In the 12 lunar-month Islamic calendar
the festivals occur about 11/12 days earlier each year. This can
be seen in the chart below:
| Civil Year | Islamic New Year | Ramadan
| | 1988 | 14 August | 18 April
|
| 1989 | 4 August | 7 April
|
| 1990 | 24 July | 28 March
|
| 1991 | 13 July | 17 March
|
| 1992 | 2 July | 5 March
|
In the sacred calendar the festivals must coincide with
the agricultural seasons: Passover in spring, First Fruits
in the summer and Tabernacles (ingathering of the main harvest) in the autumn. To maintain this order, a thirteenth month
must be added periodically to make up for that annual 11.25
day loss.
Author: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
e-mail: sbs777@rmplc.co.uk
www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/sbs777/saccal/calbook/part2-5.html
Updated: August 1998