It’s strange that January is the first month. Something isn’t quite right about it. Perhaps you haven’t paid it much thought, but consider for a moment how hard and unnatural it feels to set new years resolutions, and year plans in the month when the rest of the natural world is in temporary or full hibernation mode.
It is winter, in fact the middle of winter, and for most of the world living int he northern hemisphere, it is cold. The ground is hard. The fields are bare. Those with weaker immune systems are most vulnerable to illness and infection and quite frankly the wold is still sleeping. Any biologist will note the day-like nature of the annual cycle. No matter where you live in the world, the fours seasons dive naturally into two: a night and a day.
There are in fact many object lessons in the natural world to strengthen a case about the annual rhythms. There is also a wealth of evidence enough to build a case from the study of celestial objects such as the stars and sun too. However, that is not the debate here. what we want to know is, where do we start?
Of all the calendars in the world, most fall into one of three categories. Calendars in beginning in January, calendars beginning in March and Calendars beginning in September.* Ethiopian orthodox, Byzantine, and modern Rabbinic Jewish calendars are observed from early Autumn (September/October). Early evidence suggests this originated during the Babylonian captivity. from the ancient babylonians. Calendars such as the Julian, and subsequent Gregorian – currently used across much of the modern world – begins in January. The word January originates from the Janus who was named in Greek folklore as the god of beginning. ‘Unus’ slightly resembling janus, means one in latin. However, the language of a number of other Gregorian month names in the indicate that January was not always regarding the month of beginnings. March was! The word ‘Septem’ is latin for seven. The word ‘Octō’ is latin for eight – think octopus and octagon both having parts. The word ‘Novem’ is the latin for Nine. the word ‘Decem’ is lain for Ten, think of decimal being a division of ten. January would then be the eleventh month followed by February the twelfth and final month. There is enough there to wonder why things ever shifted to a mid winter in the first place.
In the natural world, Springtime marks the beginning of the cycle of life for a vast majority of plant and animal species. Seeds that were deactivated de to cold weather now start germinating, bulbs that lay dormant throughout winter now start spouting. The bare arms of trees now break out in blossom, birds brood, nest, before laying and hatching their eggs. Rivers team with new life, triggered by the temperature change much like the mammals on all continents. Spring equals new life. It is on the vernal equilux that the hours of daylight now start to outweigh the hours of night time affecting temperature. (The equilux is equal to the equinox for those living on the equator but it will vary for those living above or below it.) Consequently equinox means equal night and was originally perceived as what we today describe as equilux.
In ancient Israelite culture, the Spring time of year was held as the first month of the year.
‘Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month
will be the very first month of the year for you.”‘‘…Today in the month of Abib you are leaving Egypt.’
EXODUS 12:1-2, and 13:4, KJV
In Hebrew, the letter ‘B’s are pronounced as ‘V’s if there are not at the beginning of the word, so “Abib” is pronounced “Aviv”. You may be familiar with the place Tel Aviv? This well known city of Israel means Spring [Abib] Hill [Tel]. You may also be familiar with the name Avva which means “alive”, derived from the word aviva which means Spring often associated with new life. Like with many words, the etymology of these latin words go back beyond the greek more ancient languages like Hebrew. Abib has been linked to the Egyptian month name ‘Epip’ which happened to be their 11th month starting their year in the mid May.
I am curious why it was necessary to rest Israel to the Spring Calendar and what difference it would make to them. Knowing the upheaval it would be to create a new time system, I wonder what the key reasons were to switch to an alternate calendar. Could it be perhaps for for their overall health and wellbeing like what is referred to as the reasons they are given laws?
‘He said, “If you will listen carefully to Yahweh your Elohim and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer, because I am Yahweh Ropheka”
EXODUS 15:26, NOG
If you have got this far, and want to know, smash the subscribe cos I want to tackle other topics such as:
Why are there 13 moons, why don’t the moons align with the solar cycle, and how do Christians make sense of the meanings of months and seasons without getting swamped by non Christian influence on the zodiac? Lessons from the non-human natural agricultural cycles (natures farmers, Biorhythms and the Bible, exploring gut health, menstrual cycles, circadian rhythms and more. Why the day is divided into twelve hours? What living by a sundial would do for us? Under the Stars: a closer look at patters and stories they tell us. The forgotten Sabbaths and their function in our. What does it mean to understand time? What value does it bring? Why was it important to Noah to document the times things happened during the year of the flood and what those days could mean.
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