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  • From: MarianneLuban AT aol.com
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Thera quote
  • Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 19:26:57 EDT

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.




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