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






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