My apologies for not checking this sooner. Some people are saying that Passover is in March this year instead of in April. You may know that there are many controversies over which calendar is the Creator’s calendar. Some zealots go so far as to declare you a heretic for not following the calendar they follow. It’s a sad state of affairs for followers of the Most High. For that reason, I encourage everyone to follow the Hillel II calendar as that is the last authoritative calendar set up for those in the diaspora. By following Hillel II, everyone will be celebrating the Feasts of God at the same time, in unity, as the Father intended. I don’t know why that is controversial, but it is. But let’s get to the reason why Hellil II doesn’t cut it this year.
For a few years, my job allowed me the luxury of getting off work early in the morning and watching the cresent moon rise just before the sunrise. It is evidential to how they determined the new moon in ancient times, and then the witnesses would report their sightings to the ruling authority who would announce the new month. I realized that my calculations weren’t totally accurate because I am not in Israel where the true declaration of the new month should be made. And, after several unfruitful debates about the calendar with others online, I abandoned it all to follow Hillel II. But there is a caveat.
A few years ago, I came across a passage from Josephus where he was talking about the Passover. He mentions exactly when it should be, and his explanation tells us when the 13th month should be added to the calendar. This is not one of those years needing the 13th month, but the Hillel II calendar does add it. Here’s the passage from Josephus.
“In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians,) the law ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Passover; and so we do celebrate this passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following.”
– Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 3, Section 248
Did you catch it? Josephus said that the Passover is on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, WHEN THE SUN IS IN ARIES. The constellations determine the beginning of the year, and Josephus says that the Passover is during the time of Aries. The window of Aries is from March 21 to April 19 every year. According to the Hillel II calendar, the Passover would be on April 22, which is outside of that window. The 13th month isn’t needed this year, and the Passover would be on March 24. Now, an argument could be made that Josephus was saying that the first month of the new year was in Aries, which would mean the 1st of Nisan could not begin in Pieces. In that case, the 13th month would be necessary. But, this English translation leans toward Josephus saying that the Passover was in the time of Aries. It appears that Hillel II missed the calculation this year and everything should be shifted to a month earlier. The 13th month should be added next year.
Anyway, Passover is less than three weeks away!
For reference: It should be noted that Hillel II is based on the Julian calendar whose timing was corrected by the Gregorian calendar in the 16th century by adding ten days. That was over 400 years ago. If another 3-4 days were added because of the difference between the J and G calendars, That would make the Hillel calendar off by almost two weeks in its 19-year cycle. That may be the reason why it is off this year and has probably been off before.
