Biblical Hebrew Forum

[MarianneLuban AT aol.com]

In a message dated 8/27/2004 2:09:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
kwrandolph AT email.com writes:


> What did Josephus know about the Hebrew calandar? We have indication that 
> it had ceased to be used 500 years before Josephus. Even in Tanakh, the 
> post-exilic writings named the months according to Aramaic names, 
> indicating that 
> the Hebrew calandar was already then not being used, let alone centuries 
> later. That will also explain why for your claim that most historical 
> mentions of 
> Hebrew religious feasts don’t coincide with the first and seventh months.

This is easily answered.  The Torah does not mention any months by 
names--only numbers, just as the ancient Egyptians did until quite late.  
However, 
Josephus can have known that the month once known by a number came to be 
called 
"Pharmouti" and the new calendar of the Hebrews, which was both a lunar and a 
solar one, had a month with a number that later came to be called "Nisan".  
"Aviv" perhaps refers to the spring soltice, although I have nothing firm to 
say 
about that subject.