How does one determine the beginning of the month from a scriptural perspective, especially for those who seek Yahweh’s truth?

Logic suggests that you add 28 days to the date of the last new moon. Then, go outside and look low toward the western sky at sundown. Keep watching for up to two hours.

If you do not see anything, repeat the process the next day and continue until you do. It seems simple, or so it should be.

However, it becomes complicated if, during this time, a friend calls and wishes you a “Happy New Year,” claiming to have seen the new moon.

Unfortunately, despite carefully observing the early evening sky, you somehow missed the thin crescent of the new moon.

Questions
Due to the precarious situation, you disagreed with your friend’s conclusion. You questioned whether he was wearing his glasses, using binoculars, or observing through a telescope. You even wondered if he had been drinking before his sighting. Many more questions arose, and needless to say, the conversation did not go well.

Later, you actually saw the new moon for the New Year and felt confident that you identified it correctly this time. That was until someone pointed out that you were mistaken because the barley wasn’t ripe enough; therefore, you were a month off. At this point, a slight sense of frustration set in, and you began to doubt your ability to figure these things out. You thought it might be best to rely on experts, such as religious leaders, to get it right.

To simplify matters, you consulted various religious leaders, elders, and teachers of Scripture. However, things became rather complicated, as virtually no one could provide a consistent answer.

You now face a stark reality: it’s been “New Moon Guesswork” all along.

You now come to the stark reality: It’s been “New Moon Guesswork” all along.

As a last resort in your search for the correct answer, you decided to find out which Sacred Name group had the most followers. This would be the best criterion for discerning Yahweh’s truth, as it seems improbable that large numbers of people could all be misled. After all, Yahweh would not allow such deception. With this understanding, you can now relax.

This situation is remarkable! The New Moon controversy has persisted for over 2000 years with no resolution. However, we can end the debate by carefully investigating the Scriptures with an unbiased perspective. Let’s proceed with that investigation.

New Moon Clarity
Let’s begin with the reasonable premise that Yahweh desires mankind to observe His commanded festivals and sacred days (Exod. 23:14-17; Deut. 16:16). Yahweh has also provided a system for determining the proper timing to observe these days. For example:

And eloahim said, Let there be luminaries in the open expanse of the heavens to divide between the daytime and the nighttime and let them be for signs and for moadim (appointed times) and for days and years; and let them be for illuminations in the open expanse of the heaven to give light on the eretz (land); and it was so. And eloahim made the two great luminaries: the great luminary for ruling the daytime and the smaller luminary for ruling the nighttime, and the stars. And eloahim set them in the open expanse of the heaven to give light upon the eretz and to rule over the daytime and over the night, and to separate between the light and the darkness. (Genesis 1:14-18)

Give thanks to Yahweh . . . to him who made the great lights; for his mercy is world-age lasting; the sun to rule in the daytime, for his mercy is world-age lasting; THE MOON AND THE STARS TO RULE IN THE NIGHTTIME, for his mercy is world-age lasting. (Psalms 136:1, 7-9)

Thus says Yahweh who gives the sun for a light by daytime and STATUTES OF THE MOON AND STARS FOR A LIGHT OF NIGHTTIME. (Jeremiah 31:35)

He (Yahweh) made the MOON FOR THE MOADIM (appointed times), the sun knows where he enters in. (Psalms 104:19)

Moon and Stars Rule Nighttime
It is quite clear that the phases of the moon, along with the stars, are used to determine Yahweh’s moadim (appointed times). Therefore, the legal authority of the moon and stars is recognized during the nighttime, while the sun holds authority during the daytime. In Scriptures, the days of the month and all the moadim are always counted according to the 24-hour legal days of the moon, which begin at sunset.

From Jerusalem
To effectively make calculations about time, we need to determine the specific location on earth from which these calculations should be legally considered.

For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Yahweh from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:3)

The scriptures are clear and unambiguous.

Most people understand that the moon’s phases are caused by the moon’s orbit around the Earth in relation to the sun. This lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days to complete, after which the process begins anew. Our current months are based on this lunar cycle.

The completion of the lunar cycle occurs when the moon is in conjunction with the sun. As the moon starts to move away from this conjunction, the process of renewing or rebuilding the lunar cycle begins.

Therefore, there is a relationship between the completion of the lunar cycle and the legal authority associated with nighttime. One might imagine that the visual sighting of the new moon crescent is required according to Yahweh’s statute, as this does not conflict with the concept of the lunar cycle’s renewal or the new moon itself.

No Scriptural Command to See Crescent
Nowhere in Scripture is there a command to actually see a visible crescent of the moon in order to determine the start of a new moon.

Consider a possible scenario where everyone in the area of Mt. Zion or Jerusalem eagerly looks for the moon’s visible crescent, only to be disappointed by clouds obstructing the view of both the moon and the sun.

An alternative option would be to rely on mathematical calculations, as one wouldn’t be searching for the crescent in the first place if there weren’t some straightforward arithmetic involved.

Additionally, there’s the challenge that simple math alone might not reveal a visible lunar crescent, especially if the moon and sun are too close together to be accurately distinguished.

Abraham Knew How to Calculate
You might argue that Yahweh had to simplify things for people who could not perform the complex calculations required to determine new moons. As a result, He established a simple visual rule. After all, we are discussing farmers, shepherds, and nomads of the desert.

Interestingly, even Abraham was able to follow Yahweh’s statutes correctly.

Because Abraham obeyed my (Yahweh’s) voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my STATUTES, and my laws. (Genesis 26:5)

Surely, Abraham could not have known about such things as mathematics and precise calculations. Unless, of course, there might be some evidence to the contrary. Josephus states:

HE (ABRAM) COMMUNICATED TO THEM (EGYPTIANS) ARITHMETIC, AND DELIVERED TO THEM THE SCIENCE OF ASTRONOMY; for before Abram came into Egypt they were unacquainted with those parts of learning; for that science came from the Chaldeans into Egypt, and from thence to the Greeks also. (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 1:8:2)

Many people are unaware that during the times of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses, the year consisted of 360 days, divided into 12 months of 30 days each. This structure meant that the solar and lunar years were in sync, allowing the Old Testament patriarchs to accurately calculate Yahweh’s Festival Days each year.

Yahweh’s Clock Always Works
So far, we have evidence that Yahweh established a clock for all of mankind to accurately keep the statutes of His festivals and sacred days. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that Yahweh would provide guidance in understanding the clock and its calculations.

This clock would be designed to function independently of human limitations, such as poor eyesight or cloudy skies obstructing the view.

Research indicates that the ancients and later Jewish factions recognized the scriptural validity of mathematical calculations used to determine the new moon.

For a more detailed discussion of this topic, please refer to the article by Qadesh La Yahweh Press titled Rules for the New Moon.

After reviewing the referenced article, you will find the following information easier to understand. Here’s how it works—good eyesight or clear skies are unnecessary.

How Yahweh’s Clock Works

To determine the first day of the month, it is essential first to establish when the last day of the month falls.

The primary objective of this conjunction is to identify the last day of the month, which is a lunar event that can only be legally counted during the nighttime of a 24-hour day as reckoned from Jerusalem.

If the conjunction occurs at night, that day is legally recognized as the last day of the month. The new month would begin at sunset the following day, which is designated as New Moon Day. In the rare case of sunset occurring just after the moon sets on the following day of the nighttime conjunction, then New Moon Day is relegated to the next day at sunset.

Conversely, if the conjunction happens during the daytime, the following day at sunset will be legally counted as the last day of the month. This is due to the “part of” rule, which is detailed in Rules for the New Moon. In this scenario, New Moon Day will commence with the second sunset after the conjunction.

It is important to note that New Moon Day is determined by the moon’s position relative to Mount Zion during the nighttime.

Some of you might be skeptical, thinking the information presented seems contradictory, mainly if certain new moons occur without a visible crescent after sundown.

If you are concerned about not being able to see the moon’s thin crescent, it is essential to note that nowhere in Scripture is there a command requiring someone actually to see a visible crescent to establish the New Moon.

This information should provide enough for you to consider for now. Additionally, the green ears of barley topic hasn’t even been addressed. This is believed to be necessary alongside a visible New Moon crescent to determine the New Moon day, which marks the beginning of the scriptural New Year.

For more details on the discussion regarding the “green ears of barley,” please refer to:

The Abib and Barley Error – Pt. 1
The Abib and Barley Error – Pt. 2

If you seek more informative material about Yahweh’s calendar, check out another publication from QLYP titled: The Festivals and Sacred Days of Yahweh.