The Mesopotamian Calendar Ancient Mesopotamia was of the first civilization in world history. All later civilizations were built on the foundations laid down here. Bordered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the middle east is a fertile plain once known as Mesopotamia. The Ubaidian inhabitants of Sumer, otherwise known as the Sumerians, first settled in this region about 4,000 to 3,500 BC., in the city states of Ur, Babylon and Urak. Ur was one of the first settlements to be established in this area, and was located on the border of the al-Hajar Desert, just south of the Euphrates River. Ur became one of the most prosperous Sumerian city states. Ur Kaśdim or Ur of the Chaldees (GEN 11:28-31). The Bible mentions that Abraham, the first Hebrew, was called by our Creator to leave Ur of the Chaldees and to journey to a land that our Creator would show him. The southernmost portion of ancient Sumer was called Chaldea, and the most important Sumerian city was located on the western portion of the Euphrates River and it was called Ur. Around 2000 BC there was a man named Abram living in Ur of the Chaldees who was a descendant of the Mighty line that descended from Adam, the ones who were making sacrifices to our Creator . Our Creator appeared to Abram while he was living in Ur of the Chaldees and promised him that if he would leave his country and journey to a land that he had never seen he would make his descendants outnumber the sand on the seashore, and the stars in the sky. Our Creator promised Abram also that from his descendents one seed would be the Savior of all mankind. Abraham obeyed. LUNAR CALENDAR Sumer was an area located in Mesopotamia. The Sumerians were the first to develop a 30-day lunar calendar. This lunar calendar was developed by the priest-astronomers who interpreted the movement of the stars. The Sumerians not only invented the lunar calendar, they also invented the first writing system, cuneiform. Mesopotamia calendars had alternating months of 29 and 30 days. NEW MOON The months began at the first visibility of the New Moon. In Ur, numerous annual and monthly festivals were held, including a feast to celebrate the first sighting of the New Moon. To the Sumerians, the months began with the emergence of the New Moon Otherwise knows as the FVC (First Visible Crescent) in the heavens and ended with its disappearance at the next New Moon. The observation of the New Moon or FVC was prominent throughout the ancient Near East. Months began with the first crescent moon. The fact that most cultures worshiped the moon as a god does not detract from the convenience of the use of the moon as an instrument for keeping time. No matter WHICH phase was observed. It was the Creators intent that the moon be used by mankind for the purpose of marking time. (See Gen.1:14-16; Psa.104:19.) Not worship, (See Deuteronomy 4:19). Thus, If the shape of the crescent moon is associated with one or all of the moon gods, this is only because the crescent is the most familiar and easily represented phase of the moon. It is also the most distinguishing element of the moons character. If it were portrayed in its full form, it might be mistaken for the sun, which does not go through phases. And there is absolutely no historical data that substantiates the usage of Lunar Conjunction (Or Any Conjunction type) as New Moon until about 359 A.D. On a side note, even the Canaanites of Ugarit worshiped the moon as Prince Yarih, which is cognate to the Hebrew yareah. This word defines the moon as a thing that moves through the sky and goes through phases. Thus, the Canaanites of Ugarit appear to have worshiped the moon as a single entity throughout its phases. The same applied to the Egyptian moon-god, Thoth, and the Babylonian moon-god, Sin. For them, the New Moon was also the FVC (First Visible Crescent). The months were about 30 days long, with the first quarter occurring on the 7th, and the Full Moon on the 15th. This resulted in 12 months or moon cycles occurring each year, which resulted in a year of 360 days. They also divided the day into 12 periods, and further divided these periods into 30 parts, (4 minute increments). We can see in the Sumerian calendar two concepts that were also followed by all later surrounding cultures: use of the Moon to determine the length of a month (which began with the crescent first visible after a New Moon), and periodic adjustments to realign the lunar months with a solar calendar. These extra months are known as intercalations. Note the enduring connection of the Moons orbit with our calendar month, even to these modern authors. For back in antiquity, Most important of all in ancient times was the lunar cycle, which [today] lasts around 29.5 days between each time the crescent of a new Moon appears in the western evening sky (p. 31). (The Arrow of Time, 1990, by Covveney and Highfield) Notably, even with a calendar of 360 Days and 12 months of 30 days, they still observed the FVC as New moon and did so on the very LAST DAY of the Month. More then likely, they did this because after not seeing the Moon for a few Days during conjunction (END of the Month), the FVC signaled that the beginning of a New Month is come. While some will attempt to shun this data, I personally believe its crucial to notice that We see striking similarities that are also elements in Scriptures: (1) A Lunar Calendar was observed (2) New Moon was FVC (3) New Moon Festivals were conducted. (4) 12 Months per year (5) 360 Day years (6) 30 Month Days One does not need to promote a Calendar of another nation of people or even observe their calendar to notice these similarities. And these similarities does not mean that the biblical elements are false or pagan, but that historically we were all connected in HOW WE OBSERVED TIME to some degree. Shalom Brian, New Moon Calendation
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 17:54:45 +0000
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