SIDE BAR NOTES
[1] To get the most out of this chapter, prereading the following Scriptures may be helpful: Ex 24:12-18, 32:1-20, 2 Sm 6:11-23, 2 Kgs 25:1-26, Mt 16:13-20, Mk 9:2-8, Lk 1:26-45.
[2] Ps 19:2, KLV but also Ps 50:6, 97:6. [3] Col 1:23 and the inspiration for the title of this book series..
[4] Jn 1:1-3, NASB. But see also Prv 8:12, 22-31 and Wis 7:17-29.
[5] Philo of Alexandria (ca. 40 AD), De Profugis, cited in Friedlander 1912, 114–5.. [6] … a description St. Paul was apparently well aware of, if Col 1:17 is any indication. [7] That belief came mainly from the Pythagorean school of clas-sical Greek philosophy (Hillar 2012). [8] See also Prv 8:12, 22-31 and Wis 7:17-29.[9] Heb 4:12,, NASB. [10] 2 Tm 2:9 NASB. [11] Ti 2:5, NASB.
[12] These are independent observances that are either A) specifically mentioned in Scripture, or B) derived from Scripture and specifi-cally mentioned in the Talmud. [13] It is not known when or where they originated. But given that they are all derived from Scripture and at least one of these Sabbaths (Shabbat Hagadol) is known, from Scripture, to have been established in New Testa-ment times it is not much of a stretch to assume they were all in force back then. [14] These obser-vances are explained in greater detail in Appendix C.
[15] The reader is en-couraged to consult these NASA affiliated tables to confirm that any conclu-sions drawn from them here are accurate and not exaggerated. (See Espenek 2014). Alternatively, for any that are interested, the dates of the new moons during the time of Christ calculated from those tables are also provided in Appendix B.
[16] Although it did not exist in the 1st century AD, the Gregorian calendar and the solar calendar that was in use back then, the Julian, are essentially the same in that century (in spite of their differences today). So either calendar, Julian for Gregorian, would equally apply for this table.
[17] Is 53: 9, for instance, seems to be in conflict with Mt 27:57-60 and Mk 15:43. And no consensus among Christians on the meaning of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9 has yet been accomplished.
[18] Zec 8:19, NAB.
[19] Maimonides (ca 1180) Mishneh Torah, Zemanim, Ta’aniyot 5:19.
[20] Mt 9:14-15, NABRE. See also Mk 2:18-22 and / or Lk 5:33-39.
[21] This is the conclusion reached by commentators, Matthew Henry (1706) and Keil and Delitzsch (1861), to name just two of many.
[22] Mt 9:16-17, NABRE.
[23] The four fasts are mentioned in Zc 8:19, the 5th month fast in Zc 7:3, 5, and the 7th month fast in Zc 7:5. But no details about them are given other than that they were all well-established fasts by the 4th year of the reign of the Persian king Darius the Great (whose reign began in 522 BC), Zc 7:1. [24] 2 Kgs 25:1-26.
[25] 2 Kgs 25:3-4.
[26] 2 Kgs 25:4-7.
[27] Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 28b.
[28] According to the Book of Exodus the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai Moses on the 1st day of the 3rd month (Ex 19:1) and were there for at least 3 days (Ex 19:11) before Moses ascended the mountain to commune with God. His departure is traditionally thought to have taken place on Pentecost (per Ex 24:14-18) and he was on the mountain for 40 days (Ex 24:18) before descending on the 4th month to witness the idolatry that was being committed in his absence (Ex 32:1-15). So in recognition of there being a range of error in the calculation of a day or two, 17 Tammuz is one reasonable possibility for the night Moses broke the tablets. But 16 Tammuz works just as well. [29] Wars vi, 2, 1. [30] 2 Kgs 21:7 speaks of the erection of the idol but nowhere gives the date when this happened. [31] Mishna Ta'anit 4:6. [32] 2 Kgs 25:8-10. [33] Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 26a-b. [34] 2 Kgs 25:8. [35] Jer 52:12. [36] As explained in the Babyloni-an Talmud, Ta’anit 29a, the Temple was captured on the 7th, torched on the 9th, but didn't finish burning until the 10th. [37] 2 Kgs 25:22-26. [38] 1 Kgs 6:1.
[39] The siege lasted from the 10th month of Zede-kiah’s 9th year until the 4th month of Zedekiah’s 11th year (2 Kgs 25:1-4, Jer 39:2). Assuming, therefore, that Zedekiah’s regnal years began on the month of Nisan (as per tradition) this computes to a 1½ year siege. [40] 2 Kgs 25:1-2.
[41] It ended initially due to a lack of priests to offer sacrifice. And with the Temple being essential to legally offer it, the cess-ation became permanent with its loss in the fol-lowing month
[42] Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 26a.
[43] The Hebrew calendar, being set up such that full moons always landed right around the 15th of every month, made that the most common choice for a new holiday. And since it has already been shown through Biblical Accounti-ng that the 17th of Tammuz (± a day or two) is likely when Moses first saw their debauchery, it is reasonable to assume that Aaron established the holiday for the 15th and what Moses caught sight of had been going on all day and into the evening, making it the 16th and well within the range of probability. [44] Mt 1:1-16, Lk 3:23-38. [45] 2 Sm 7:12-16. [46] Heb 9:11-14, Mal 1:11. [47] Mt 16:18. [48] Is 53:5, 1 Pt 2:24.
[49] Lk 1:36.
[50] In chapter 1 it was arbitrarily proposed to be January 5 to align it closer to the Feast of the Epiphany but January 4 is the better fit with the math and the Hebrew calendar
[51] Mal 3:23 (or 4:5), Mt 11:10-14, Lk 1:13-17.
[52] Lk 1:44.
[53] Mary’s identification as the Ark of the New Covenant is a belief going back to the early Church Fathers. And additional corroboration for this belief is found in chapter 6.
[54] The second book in this Series will, however, show in detail how this date was discerned. [55] 1 Kgs 2:11.
[56] 2 Sm 6:14 describes David's attire as a linen ephod (which was a type of apron worn by priests either externally or as an undergarment). But, be-cause of the disgust his wife, Michal, later ex-pressed on witnessing his behavior (2 Sm 6:20), Scripture suggests (as do many commentators) that that was all he was wearing. And that it should be an ephod is also prescient of John the Baptist who was a Levite and of the priestly class. [57] … or as some references (like “Human development of the unborn child." 2017) more conser-vatively estimate, it as the 23rd day within a range of ±2 days. [58] it also provides additional support for the Fast of Tammuz being observed on the 15th. [59] It is commonly thought to have occurred in the year the Temple was destroyed. But, as will be explained in the next installment of this Series, the 2/3rds Rule places it at 579 BC. [60] In accord with Ps 81:4, and affirmed by the Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 2a. [61] Erev Yom Kippur is the eve of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and since Yom Kippur is a fast day and celebrations are forbidden the eve is traditionally observed as a day to celebrate the atonement that is about to occur. This would make it a day that might be particularly suited for an assassination since it is likely a day people would be off their guard. [62] John's relationship to the holiday of Erev Yom Kippur will be discussed in chapter 4. [63] This is in reference to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea (reign: 4 BC - 39 AD), and not to be confused with his father, Herod, the Great (reign: 37 - 4 BC). [64] Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2. [65] Marinus 2014. [66] And to those who may wonder why there is no mention in Scripture of Peter’s selec-tion occurring on the same day as John’s death, the same can be said of all the added information the 2/3rds Rule provides. Whether the Gospel writers knew of this or not, if it did happen as is being claimed, the Holy Spirit has chosen to keep it from us until now. [67] Further corrob-oration for this assertion that Peter was named the lead Apostle on this day is provided in chapter 5.
[1]
In the last chapter a key was introduced that seemed to show great potential for opening up the Sacred Scriptures, giving us (among many other things) added clarity on their correct interpretation. But we are still a long way from demonstrating anything conclusively. And some may now also be wondering whether there is any actual biblical corroboration for the existence of this key. So let it be known, to start this chapter, that there are no direct references, but plenty of verses do allude to it.
In the Old Testament, for instance, the Psalms speak in several places of the heavens [declaring] the glory of God. [2] And in the New Testament we see the Apostle Paul telling us of the Gospel … which is preached to all the creation that is under heaven. [3] So that would seem to cover all the bases. But maybe the strongest allusion is found in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, (even though most translations today obscure the meaning). The “Beloved Apostle” began his Gospel by taking us once again to the dawn of creation. It reads …
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him
and apart from Him nothing came into being. [4]
And although most church going Christians have probably heard these beautifully sculpted verses hundreds of times and can recite them when requested without difficulty, it is questionable how many really grasp their full meaning. In English-speaking countries, the problem lies in our understanding of the word we’ve translated as Word. In the original Greek, it is Logos. And that had a much deeper meaning to the ancient ear than it does to us today.
But do not get this wrong. The substitution of the word, Word, for Logos is not an inaccurate translation. Logos, after all, comes from the same Greek root as our words dialogue (meaning two words) and prologue (meaning first word). But the misleading part is easily seen by the sheer number who think of it as just another name for the Bible. The Word, however, is not the Bible, any more than any creator can be one of his, or her, creations. A better understanding is that the Word can be found in the Bible. And indeed, the Word is found throughout the Bible and in the oral traditions too. But as it was originally understood, the Word can also be found in nature, in the arts, in music, and in general, wherever you look in Creation where there is evidence of truth, beauty, or divine inspiration.
The Word can, therefore, be proclaimed in many diverse languages, including those of science and mathematics. And this is where it is, maybe, more appropriate to switch our terminology from Word to Logos, since it is from that same source that we also get our word, logic, and the suffix, -ology (meaning science). And this also demonstrates why, to the ancients, the term Logos invoked a much broader understanding.
Aristotle applied it to the reasoned argument, as opposed to arguments of an emotional (Pathos) or ethical (Ethos) appeal. Back then, it was also seen as an intelligence interwoven into all of Creation giving logic and meaning to the original chaos, or as Philo described it, the bond of everything, holding all things together and binding all the parts. [5], [6] Some even saw in it a mathematical nature, as though it was some sort of ratio on a cosmic scale [7] So the best translation might simply be to leave it alone and let the word Logos become part of our English lexicon. In doing this we can more readily see John’s true intent in identifying Christ with the Logos.
So the background for the key being proposed in this book seems to pervade both the Old and New Testaments. [8] And it can reasonably be argued that understanding the Logos is the key to understanding both. But it needs to also be remembered that the Word (or rather, Logos) is a two-edged sword. [9] And it is not to be imprisoned, [10] or dishonored, [11] despite any attempt (intentional or unintentional) to limit its meaning. It is high time, therefore, that the rational, scientific and mathematical edge of that sword (which was well known to the early Church Fathers) was reintroduced, that the modern reader might have the same appreciation for the Word as the first Christians had.
That is the intent of this book, to bring logic, math and science back into the foreground of theological discussions. Demonstrating irrefutably that the conclusions of chapters 1 and 2 are true is the way being proposed to accomplish that goal. And from what has been presented thus far, the best way to do that, the way God seems to have set things up, is through the Hebrew calendar, or more specifically, the Jewish holidays. We see them referenced throughout the Old Testament. And in many cases, we see that God has commanded they be observed annually. With the precedents already set by the holidays of Passover (Pesach) and Pentecost (Shavuot) being fulfilled in the life and times of Christ, we also have a very good idea why. God commanded that we observe those holidays so that we might readily see their connection to Christ's life when they occurred.
This being true, a very natural question arises. What happened to the other holidays? This question was already raised in chapter 1. But given how many Christians have been jaded over the centuries into thinking those observances are no longer relevant, it bears repeating. There were somewhere between 16 and 18 independent observances on the Hebrew calendar that people living in 1st century AD Judea would have been familiar with. [12] Figure 3.1 lists them all. And of the 10 Special Sabbaths integral to Jewish worship today, it is not unreasonable to assume that their roots extend back that far, as well. [13] They are listed in Figure 3.2. [14]
Shouldn't all (or most) of these observances also find a connection to Christ’s life? Otherwise, what was God’s point in commanding that we observe them? And if they did find fulfillment but those connections are lost to us today (as some might suggest), does this paint a picture of an incompetent God incapable of getting His full message out? These questions have never really been answered by Christian apologists (at least not adequately) and constitute for some a very strong argument against Christianity.
But with the 2/3rds Rule, we may now have the means of resolving it. We’ve already seen a few of these lost holidays finding fulfillment in chapter 1. But it is admitted that that alone is still not enough to call this a conclusive proof, as there are many more dates that the 2/3rds Rule can find in the life of Christ. So if on examination they show no further connections to the Jewish holidays other than what sheer chance would predict, the favorable evidence discovered, thus far, will have been neutralized. This would relegate it to nothing more than a theological curiosity, just another red herring (as the title of this chapter suggests), like all the others throughout history, that led us nowhere. Conversely, if numerous connections are found … one would have cause to wonder if we haven’t just stumbled upon a holy relic after all. It would be tantamount to unearthing an ancient artefact, the Word’s Creation timetable.
And to be clear, we are not looking for merely an above average number of holiday connections, or even a lot of them. Our hypothesis is that it is God who created these connections. So we need to see the kind of score to be expected of a god, a perfect (or near perfect) score, a score where every holiday listed in Figures 3.1 and 3.2 has a mathematically generated New Testament counterpart that is also perfectly tailored to the event it is connecting to. Conversely it would also be a socre with no holes in it, a score where every event that can now be dated by this method finds an unambiguously appropriate Old Testament connection. And that leaves us with one excellent final test for determining, once and for all, the validity of the 2/3rds Rule. Before pursuing it, however, having a good working knowledge of the ancient Hebrew calendar is highly recommended. So for those who need to brush up, a brief summary is provided.
The Hebrew Calendar
Our modern Gregorian calendar and its predecessor, the Julian calendar, are solar calendars. They are both 365 days in length (which is the approximate time it takes the earth to orbit the sun). And to keep them synchronized with the true solar cycle an extra day is periodically added.
The ancient Hebrew calendar, however, was lunisolar. It consisted of 12 months and was also the approximate length of a solar year. But every month began with the new moon making each somewhere between 29 and 30 days long. (And, as a consequence, the full moon was always on or around the 15th). But, since 12 such months add up to approximately 354 days per year, every two or three years an extra month had to be added to bring the calendar back in sync with the seasons and to ensure that the harvest holidays of Passover (in the spring) and Sukkot (in the fall) were celebrated after their respective equinoxes.
As to the months, in New Testament times, no new month could be acknowledged until two reliable witnesses sighted the first sliver of the new moon at dusk. (Dusk is when each new Hebrew calendar day begins as well). And when they reported it to the Jerusalem Temple priests, an official proclamation of the arrival of the first day of the new month was made, the shofars at the Temple entrance were blown, and signal fires were set to alert all the outlying regions. They did this to ensure that the holidays were observed everywhere on the same day.
But problems arose after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. A new system was needed to ensure observance solidarity. So over the course of several centuries, the calendar was gradually revised such that it no longer relied on the Temple or sightings of the new moon. This standardized Hebrew calendar is what is commonly used today, and it is also available on the internet.
The point of this discussion, however, is to warn anyone wanting to use one of these standardized internet calendars to find Jewish holidays that the dates they may provide during biblical times are not likely to be accurate. And, there are also no records from the time of Christ to tell us when each new month was celebrated. We can, however, consult a catalog of lunar phases for the years in question (NASA has a nice one on the web) [15] and discern the dates of the holidays from there. Not knowing the weather back then, there is still a measure of uncertainty. But with each new moon the slate is wiped clean, and the error does not propagate. So the worst these predictions may be off is ±1 day (which isn’t bad considering).
It should also be pointed out that when looking at the Jewish holidays from the perspective of our solar calendars they fluctuate quite a bit from year to year. This is seen in the assignment of Easter, which (to keep it aligned with the holiday of Passover) may be in late April one year, and late March the next.
Figure 3.3 lists all the months of the Hebrew calendar and their approximate relation to Gregorian calendar months. [16] And although only the 12 standard months are shown, on leap years when a 13th month is needed, another month of Adar is simply added with the first becoming Adar I and the second, Adar II. That said, we can now jump back into these dates the 2/3rds Rule has given us to see what other secrets the
they may be hiding. And the four that we will be dealing with in this chapter are dates that have long been the subject of controversy.
Zechariah’s days of sorrow and joy
Christian evangelists are fond of proclaiming that the life of the man called Jesus of Nazareth fulfills everything foretold of the Christ to be found in the Old Testament. And they are correct in saying it. Nevertheless, those that are also well-versed in the Sacred Scriptures are not being totally honest when they say it, because by any comprehensive analysis there are some anomalies. The messianic prophecies in Isaiah 53 and Daniel 9, for instance, very closely approximate the life of Jesus as described in the Gospels. But neither is a perfect fit. [17] These are minor issues though, that can be rectified by more nuanced interpretations.
Much more difficult to explain away are that the High Holidays of Tishri, for instance, have not shown the same dramatic connection to the life of Christ as did the Passover. The same goes for all the other missing holiday connections. And maybe the most egregious example of these lapses is found in a prophecy made in the 8th chapter of the Book of Zechariah, which reads ...
Thus says the Lord of Hosts,“the fast days of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh and the tenth months shall become occasions of joy and gladness, cheerful festivals for the house of Judah, only love, faithfulness and peace." [18]
And these verses have long been held, in Jewish circles, to mean that with the coming of the Messiah, these four fast days will be turned somehow into festive holidays. [19] That is the plain understanding. Whereas the common Christian response is a referral to a similar query made to Jesus as recounted in the Synoptic Gospels. From Matthew it reads ...
The disciples of John approached him [Jesus] and said,
“Why do we and the Pharisees fast [much], but your disciples do not fast?”
Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. [20]
And it certainly must be true that much of the fasting mentioned in these verses is in reference to the four fasts. So that aspect of Zechariah's prophecy (the cessation of fasting) is fulfilled. It is also a clear fulfillment of Isaiah 35:10 and Jeremiah 31:13. But it is far too temporary and general in scope to be fully applied to Zechariah 8:19. Specifically, there is no indication of the four fast days being turned into holidays. So any honest reading of Matthew has to acknowledge that they are to go back to being fasts after Jesus has departed their company. And that, of course, didn't happen either. Those fasts just quietly disappeared from the liturgical calendar soon after the Ascension with nothing more said of them. Recognizing, therefore, the inadequacies of their initial argument many theologians will respond, if pressed, that it's likely just one of those things that will have to wait until Christ’s return to be fulfilled, or to, at least, be explained. [21]
But let’s not wait until then. Let’s see, rather, what can be discerned of it today. And we can maybe gain some insight into a solution for the problem from what Christ said immediately after excusing His disciples for their lack of fasting. To clarify His position, He continued …
No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,
for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse.
People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. [22]
Unfortunately, Jesus never told us clearly what He meant by this. So His words here have spawned many varied opinions. Some are certainly valid, some … not so much. But it’s important to note that Jesus is not casting aspersions on those who fast or presenting what His disciples are doing as somehow superior. He is merely saying that, in the context of fasting, the old ways are not compatible with His follower’s ways, as long as He is in their presence. And in the context of Zechariah’s prophecy Jesus might also be saying (just for us, today) that maybe we should be looking to the Old Testament for a solution to the problem, that the New Testament is not going to provide the patch that is needed.
Is that interpretation maybe a little too imaginative? Perhaps, but no matter. The key being proposed to solve this problem does lie within the pages of the Old Testament, in the first chapter of the first book to be precise. And this key has already not only given us the date of the Annunciation, it has also already connected it to one of the four fasts. It is not inconceivable, then, that all the events in Christ’s earthly life that will convert Zechariah's fasts to holidays can be discerned from that starting point. So let’s see if that’s true.
And the first step of this discernment has to be a thorough scouring of the Book of Zechariah for clues about the fasts, as that book contains their only biblical mention. But sadly, in doing that, nothing more turns up. [23] It tells us the months in which they were observed and that’s about it. So to find the reasons for the fasts and the actual dates they were observed we are forced to rely on Jewish tradition, the Talmud, in particular. That means, unfortunately, that there is going to be some inherent uncertainty involved. Nevertheless, from that quarter there is, at least, a consensus that they all have a connection to the traumatic final days of the Kingdom of Judah and the historical period known as the Babylonian Captivity that followed from its collapse.
As described at the end of the 2nd Book of Kings, [24] this sad time in Jewish history commenced when the last king of Judah, Zedekiah, rejected the counsel of the prophet, Jeremiah, and chose instead to defy the Babylonian Empire by not paying its rightful tribute. This incited the Babylonian emperor, Nebuchadnezzar, to lay siege to Jerusalem. And that in turn led to the city's ultimate defeat, Solomon’s Temple being destroyed, and the people being taken into exile.
With regard, though, to the fasts that define it, the first, according to Zechariah, is the Fast of the 4th month (Tzom B’Tammuz). This one was already touched on in chapter 1, but here it will be discussed again, in detail, for clarity. And of the 6th century BC events that apply to it, the Bible provides us with two strong possibilities. Most commonly cited for the fast is the breach of the Jerusalem city walls by the Babylonians on 9 Tammuz in 587 BC, which forced the defenders to retreat into the Temple for one final stand. [25] But the Scriptures tell of another incident that might fit here, as well. Therein we read that, shortly after Jerusalem's fall, the escaping Jewish king, Zedekiah, was captured with his sons (and heirs) being slain in front of him, making that his last visual memory before he, himself, was blinded and taken into captivity. [26]
But that was not the end of the catastrophes that occurred in this seemingly cursed 4th month. On 17 Tammuz in 70 AD, the Jerusalem city walls were breached once again, and this time by the Roman army. This resulted in the date of the Fast of the 4th Month being moved. To commemorate the first breach the fast had been observed on 9 Tammuz. But from here on it was changed to the 17th. [27] And to justify the move, the Talmud lists 4 other sad things believed to have happened on 17 Tammuz.
Biblical Accounting shows, for instance, that 17 Tammuz might have been the day Moses angrily broke the tablets of the Law on witnessing the golden calf. [28] And, as was mentioned in chapter 1, the breach of the Temple walls in 70 AD also marks the last day of sacrifice being offered in the Temple, owing to a lack of priests to offer it. [29] As to the other two sad events claimed to have occurred on 17 Tammuz, the erection of an idol in the Temple by the Jewish King Manasseh is one. [30] And the public burning of a scroll of the Torah by an otherwise unknown pagan general named Apostemos is the other. [31] The actual dates for those last two events, however, come to us solely from oral tradition with no corroboration from any other source. Nevertheless, the Talmudic Rabbis found plenty of reasons for observing this particular fast. And the calamities they referenced stretch all the way back to the time of Moses.
The next fast day cited by Zechariah (that of the 5th month) is said to commemorate the destruction of the First Temple (Solomon’s Temple) and the loss of its contents. [32] Traditionally, this occurred three weeks after the Fast of Tammuz and is observed on 9 Av (Tzom Tisha B’Av). It is considered the saddest of the four fast days, and for good reason. They lost on this day not only the Temple but also their most prized possession. The Ark of the Covenant was never seen again.
As for the exact day of the Fast, we are again reliant solely on oral tradition, [33] because from Scripture there are unfortunately different dates given. Second Kings says it happened on 7 Av, [34] whereas the book of the prophet Jeremiah places it on the 10th. [35] And that might have caused some real headaches for the Talmudic Rabbis, in their deliberations over when to observe the fast, had it not been rectified in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed their Temple, yet again, in the month of Av. Its occurrence this time on 9 Av seems to have set that date in stone for them. And you get the impression from reading their commentary that it had always been observed on that date. [36] So maybe it was.
Moving on to the Fast of the 7th Month, it seems to have always been traditionally observed, without controversy, as a commemoration of the assassination of the governor, Gedaliah, whom Nebuchadnezzar installed to oversee the remnant he’d allowed to stay in Judah after Jerusalem’s fall. [37] But there's more to the fast than just that. Due to their complicity (and or compliance) in the assassination, and the terrible repercussions they imagined might follow, all the remaining Judahites suddenly succumbed to fear and fled to Egypt to escape Nebuchadnezzar’s wrath. And so a fast was logically established because the Israelites had now gone full circle.
With God’s help in the 2nd millennium BC they had come out of Egypt to establish their own kingdom in the Promised Land. And by their own evil machinations in roughly the same amount of time, [38] not only had they lost that kingdom, they also found themselves returned in shame to subjugation by Egypt.
In regard to the date for the fast, it's been lost to history. Neither Scripture nor tradition can provide it. So this difficulty presents itself as a unique challenge in this discernment. But it may not be insurmountable. The issue will simply be shelved for now, to be taken up at the end of this chapter, with the hope that a clue to its resolution can be found through the precedents set by the others.
And that brings us to the last of Zechariah's fasts, the Fast of the 10th month (Tzom Asara B’Tevet), which from a chronological perspective is maybe better understood as the first, since it is observed as a commemoration of the onset of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege on Jerusalem in 588 BC. So it predates the eventual fall of Jerusalem on the 4th month of 587 BC by about a year and a half. [39] It also has the distinction of being the least ambiguous of the four fasts in that tradition does not assign any other event to it, and there is no dispute on when it occurred, either, It is stated unequivocally in Scripture as having happened on the 10th day of the 10th month, (Tevet). [40]
A timeline of these sad events during the Babylonian Captivity is provided in Figure 3.4, below.
So in search, now, of the New Testament events that might align with these fasts, we’ll start with the Fast of the 4th Month, since it was already shown, in chapter 1, to be associated with the Annunciation. But here we need to take a closer look so that whatever relationship it may have with the other three fasts can be better appreciated and drawn on for clues.
As to the exact calamity in Old Testament times that incited the need for this 4th month fast, many have already been proposed to choose from. But the following five are arguably the most catastrophic.
Tammuz, as has been noted, is the month in which the walls of Jerusalem were breached by pagan armies in two separate sieges.
It is the month that saw the end of Temple ritual sacrifice, [41]
It is the month that saw the last Davidic King being taken away.
And it is the month the Israelites, newly liberated from Egypt by the Hand of God, profaned themselves and all they had witnessed by constructing and worshipping a golden calf in God’s place.
So for the Jewish people there is a lot to mourn over in these sad events. But of them all, only one is also a source of extreme shame. That would, of course, be the golden calf incident. And you can see that very clearly in the way it is spoken of in the Talmud. That incident is said to be the reason gold was never worn in the Temple sanctuary. And it is also the reason that the shofars (ceremonial horns used at the Temple entrance) were constructed from the horns of rams rather than bulls. [42] It so embarrassed them they did not want there to be any vestige of that incident seeping into their worship, that God might be reminded of what they’d done. Even though, at the time of Christ, it was some 15 hundred years removed from their experience, the shame of the golden calf was still with them like a wound that had never healed. And it sorely needed healing.
And it did not help that, back when it happened, their idolatry was not intended to be a one-time celebration. The Israelites had forced Moses’s brother. Aaron. to create a holiday for the occasion, that they could do it every year. And given the customs of the day (together with the timeframe provided by Scripture) it was likely set up to be observed on 15 Tammuz. [43] The celebration was certainly never repeated after they understood, from Moses, the gravity of their sin. But holidays, once created, cannot be uncreated. (At least there is no precedent for such a thing in Scripture). So what became of it? Well, there is no written record to confirm this, but for the Israelites who’d committed the sin, it is possible (and more than reasonable) that for a time it would have been converted into a fast, that they might have a day each year to reflect and repent of what they’d done. And from that humble beginning the fast evolved to what it is today.
This is, of course, highly speculative. But whether it did become a fast, or remained a forgotten holiday, the Word becoming Flesh on 15 Tammuz in 9 BC did provide the healing that was needed. It was a holiday originally intended by the Israelites to be a celebration in honor of their liberator. And 1,500 years later that is exactly what it became. But in like fashion all the other subsequent ills of the formerly cursed 4th month were also irradicated by this new feast day of Christ Incarnate ...
the true Davidic heir, [44]
of a kingdom that will never fall, [45]
our perfect, one-time, sacrifice and perpetual offering, [46]
who came to give us a Church whose walls the gates of hell cannot prevail against. [47]
And so the covenant we’d thought we’d broken (as was suggested by Moses breaking the tablets of the Law on seeing the golden calf) was never really broken. God had come to keep His promise, that by His stripes we would be healed. [48]
So this turns out to be quite a fulfillment of prophecy. And as a side benefit, it also gives us a formula that should be applicable to all the fast days. It is not simply their connection to some wonderful event in the life of Christ that turns them to joy. The events they connect to need to also eradicate the sadness that prompted the fast in the first place. We are looking for a complete reversal of fortune in these fast day / holiday connections. And with that understanding we're ready to visit the first of the fasts, chronologically speaking, the Fast of the 10th Month.
And the solution to this one is now rather easy to find; for as was also shown in chapter 1, in knowing the date of the Annunciation we can now also deduce, from Scripture, the date of John the Baptist’s conception. It was 6 months prior. [49] And 6 months prior to July 4, 9 BC takes us to January 4, 9 BC, [50] which also happened to be 10 Tevet in that year. A perfect match to the only fast date we know with certainty from Scripture.
And how could it be more appropriate? On 10 Tevet in 588 BC, with the onset of Nebuchadnezzar’s siege, what appeared to be the beginning of the end of the Davidic Kingdom was at hand. But here, again, on 10 Tevet of 9 BC, the first act of a new beginning for humanity is seen. Elijah the prophet has returned to herald the arrival of an upgraded kingdom, a permanent and a just kingdom, the Kingdom of God. [51]
So we are off to a good start in what has just been found. It is exactly as might have been expected from the precedent just set by the 4th month fast. But it pales in comparison to what is found for the fast considered the saddest of the four, the Fast of the 5th Month. And the key to finding it is the recognition that in Jewish custom the fasts of the 4th and 5th months are traditionally linked by a period known as the Three Weeks of Mourning. In Hebrew it is known as Bein ha-Metzarim, which means between the straits. And it spans the time between the fall of Jerusalem on Tzom B’Tammuz and the destruction of the Temple on Tzom Tisha B’Av.
This strongly suggests a connection between the associated New Testament events, as well. So for this particular fast we should be looking for something related to the Annunciation that might have occurred roughly 3 weeks after. And the Bible provides us with but one possibility. It tells of Mary meeting her cousin Elizabeth at around this time having travelled to her at the request of the angel at the Annunciation. It is a meeting commonly referred to by theologians as The Visitation. And it is conceivable given the requirements of travel for young women in those days that it may have taken three weeks for her to get there. But the thing that makes this a particularly good candidate is that it is specifically connected in Scripture to joy.
According to Luke's Gospel, on hearing Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth tells her that the baby in her womb (John the Baptist) leapt with joy [52] And in appreciation for the fast, whose ill effects this event is erasing, we can understand why. John’s reaction symbolically reflects humanity’s realization that the Ark of the Covenant (which was lost on this day) has been returned to us in the form of a young maiden, Mary, the Mother of God. [53]
But there is a great deal more from the Hebrew calendar to recommend this event, because therein we find there were actually two observances associated with 9 Av in 9 BC. And the other is one of the ten Special Sabbaths that occur during the Jewish year. It's name is Shabbat Hazon (literally, the Sabbath of Vision) and it too is a lamentation over the loss of the Temple and the Ark. So what we have in the Visitation is a reversal of fortunes for not just one but two Jewish commemorations.
There is also an Old Testament prefigurement to further corroborate we've connected the correct event to the fast. It comes to us from the 2nd Book of Samuel. But before consulting that book, let it be known that the 2/3rds Rule supports its own method of Biblical Accounting. And it predicts (from Old Testament clues) that David’s kingship began in 1016 BC. This is not at all out of line with the most widely accepted biblical chronologies, so no time will be wasted defending this date here. [54]
But the Bible also says David ruled for 7 years from Hebron before he established the city of Jerusalem as the capital of his kingdom. [55] And one of the first things, we’re told, David did after this was bring the Ark into the city. In fact, he was so excited on seeing it, when it finally arrived, Scripture tells us, he ran out and leapt with joy in front of it ... in his underwear! [56] So when did all this naked joyous leaping in front of the Ark occur? If we can accept the 2/3rds Rule’s chronology it happened in 1009 BC and exactly 1,000 years (possibly to the day) prior to a similar reaction by John the Baptist to the tender voice of Mary. That is about as clear a prefigurement as prefigurements get and it really affirms the ages old Christian tradition that Mary be identified as the living embodiment of the Ark of the Covenant.
But even with all this corroboration there is one more witness to the Visitation that has yet to be heard from. It is Jesus, Himself, who would have been 23 days in Mary’s womb when this happened. So what can He possibly tell us of the event? Actually, a lot! For according to empirical studies of human gestation, on the 23rd day after conception the baby’s heart begins to beat. [57] And in this we find a most exquisite correlation. It implies that at the very moment John was leaping in Elizabeth’s womb to the sound of Mary’s voice, the Sacred Heart of Jesus began putting out its first tiny beats into our universe. Contemplating the beauty of this scene can take one’s breath away. [58]
And this brings us to the last of the four fasts, the Fast of the 7th month (aka Tzom Gedaliah). But as has already been mentioned in our initial analysis, a rather large problem presents itself, for we have no idea from Scripture, or even from tradition, when in the 7th month (Tishri) this assassination occurred. (We don’t even know the year). [59] Traditionally, it’s observed on 3 Tishri. But that’s well known to be an artificial assignment stemming from the propensity of Talmudic scholars to designate holidays (where the true date has been completely lost) to either the 1st or the 15th of the month. [60] But in Tzom Gedaliah’s case, 1, 2 and 15 Tishri were already taken by holidays, so it was simply assigned to the next available date, the 3rd.
Not to worry. The 2/3rds Rule provides us with an alternative means of determining the true date of the assassination. Accepting the validity of this method, we can expect that it might coincide with one of the dates the 2/3rds Rule has predicted in New Testament times that would have occurred during the month of Tishri. But it also needs to be connected to an event capable of turning the sadness of this fast into a joyous feast.
Referring back then, to Figure 2.9 at the end of chapter 2, there are three predictions shown on that table, during New Testament times, that would have fallen in the month of Tishri. But of those three, one stands head and shoulders above the rest as the best candidate. It is October 1, 32 AD, which coincided with 9 Tishri (Erev Yom Kippur) that year. [61], [62] And like the other fasts there are several theological arguments that support it.
For one, since it is 9 months after January 4, the date proposed for John the Baptist’s conception, it would have been right around his birthday (his 40th, to be precise). So in keeping with the ancient tradition that true prophets die on their birthdays (and the corroboration we’ve already found for that belief in chapter 1) it is reasonable to suspect that this may have been the day John was beheaded in Herod’s palace. [63] It would be both a foreshadowing of his cousin, Jesus’s death (which was right around His 40th birthday) and a commemoration of Gedaliah’s assassination some 600 years earlier.
But there is another, less speculative, argument that kind of seals the deal on this date. And it comes from the scriptural suggestion that on this day the Apostle, known as Simon Bar-Jonah, was renamed Peter (the Rock) and designated, by Christ, to be the earthly head of His Church. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark both tell us that this occurred 6 days prior to the Transfiguration. [64] And it was also determined (in chapter 1) that the Transfiguration occurred on 15 Tishri (the 1st day of the Feast of Booths) in 32 AD. The math, the lunar eclipse, and many Scripture scholars all affirm that this is the date that it happened, [65] as should we, since it provides us with an exact date for Peter’s selection: 9 Tishri!
So Peter, according to the 2/3rds Rule, was being named by Jesus to be John’s successor in one sense. [66] But in a far greater sense he was being named Gedaliah’s replacement. And what better way to reverse the effects of an assassinated governor than to appoint a new one, a permanent one, a governor that cannot be assassinated.
This being true, for Catholics it is an extraordinary discovery. On this one date in history, we see providential affirmation for two major Catholic beliefs, the Primacy of Peter and Apostolic Succession. And along the way we have also seen once again the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. [67] All four fast days are, indeed, turned to joyous occasions with the coming of the Messiah, and in a fashion that staggers the imagination.
For clarity, the findings of this chapter are summarized in Figure 3.5. And in the following chapter we’ll be looking for more of these fascinating holiday connections starting with John the Baptist and continuing into Christ’s ministerial years. And understand, there are still many dates uncovered in New Testament times that haven’t yet been examined. So we have still only scratched the surface of what we might potentially find.
REFERENCES
Espenak, Fred. December 21, 2014. "Six Millennium Catalog of the Phases of the Moon."
Astropixels.com. Accessed September 17, 2017. http://astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat
/phasescat.html.
Friedlander, Gerald. 1912. Hellenism and Christianity. London: Vallentine.
Henry, Matthew, 1706, "Concise Commmentary on the Whole Bible" excerpt on Zechariah 8
available online through biblehub.com at https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhc
Hillar, Marian 2012 From Logos to Trinity: The Evolution of Religious Beliefs from
Pythagoras to Tertullian - Chapter 1: The Logos in Greek Culture. Cambridge University
Press, 1-5. Excerpt avail. at https://www.snsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Logos-
in-Greek-Culture.pdf
"Human development of the unborn child." 2017. Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.
Accessed September 25, 2017. https://www.spuc.org.uk/abortion/human-development-of-
the-unborn-child.
Keil, Carl Friedrich and Delitzsch, Franz, 1861, "Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament"
excerpt on Zechariah 8 available online through biblehub.com at https://biblehub.com
/commentaries/kad/zechariah/8.htm
Marinus, Corvus. August 06, 2014. "In Horto Fragranti: On the Feast of the Transfiguration."
Sanctum in Heremis. Accessed September 14, 2017.https://pilgrimvisions.wordpress.com
/2014 /08/06/in-horto-fragranti-on-the-feast-of-the-transfiguration/.
ENDNOTES
[1] To get the most out of this chapter, prereading the following Scriptures may be helpful: Ex
24:12-18, 32:1-20, 2 Sm 6:11-23, 2 Kgs 25:1-26, Mt 16:13-20, Mk 9:2-8, Lk 1:26-45.
[2] Ps 19:2, KLV but also Ps 50:6, 97:6.
[3] Col 1:23 and the inspiration for the title of this book series.
[4] Jn 1:1-3, NASB. But see also Prv 8:12, 22-31 and Wis 7:17-29.
[5] Philo of Alexandria (ca. 40 AD), De Profugis, cited in Friedlander 1912, 114–5.
[6] … a description St. Paul was apparently well aware of, if Col 1:17 is any indication.
[7] That belief came mainly from the Pythagorean school of classical Greek philosophy
(Hillar 2012).
[8] See also Prv 8:12, 22-31 and Wis 7:17-29.
[9] Heb 4:12, NASB.
[10] 2 Tm 2:9, NASB.
[11] Ti 2:5, NASB.
[12] These are independent observances that are either A) specifically mentioned in Scripture,
or B) derived from Scripture and specifically mentioned in the Talmud.
[13] It is not known when or where they originated. But given that they are all derived from
Scripture and at least one of these Sabbaths (Shabbat Hagadol) is known, from Scripture, to
have been established in New Testament times it is not much of a stretch to assume they were
all in force back then.
[14] These observances are explained in greater detail in Appendix C.
[15] The reader is encouraged to consult these NASA affiliated tables to confirm that any
conclusions drawn from them here are accurate and not exaggerated. (See Espenek 2014).
Alternatively, for any that are interested, the dates of the new moons during the time of Christ
calculated from those tables are also provided in Appendix B.
[16] Although it did not exist in the 1st century AD, the Gregorian calendar and the solar
calendar that was in use back then, the Julian, are essentially the same in that century (in spite
of their differences today). So either calendar, Julian for Gregorian, would equally apply for
this table.
[17] Is 53: 9, for instance, seems to be in conflict with Mt 27:57-60 and Mk 15:43. And no
consensus among Christians on the meaning of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9 has yet been
accomplished.
[18] Zec 8:19, NAB.
[19] Maimonides (ca 1180) Mishneh Torah, Zemanim, Ta’aniyot 5:19.
[20] Mt 9:14-15, NABRE. See also Mk 2:18-22 and / or Lk 5:33-39.
[21] This is the conclusion reached by commentators, Matthew Henry (1706) and Keil and
Delitzsch (1861), to name just two of many.
[22] Mt 9:16-17, NABRE.
[23] The 4 fasts are mentioned in Zc 8:19, the 5th month fast in Zc 7:3, 5, and the 7th month
fast in Zc 7:5. But no details about them are given other than that they were all well-
established fasts by the 4th year of the reign of the Persian king Darius the Great (whose reign
began in 522 BC), Zc 7:1.
[24] 2 Kgs 25:1-26.
[25] 2 Kgs 25:3-4.
[26] 2 Kgs 25:4-7.
[27] Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 28b.
[28] According to the Book of Exodus the Israelites arrived at Mt. Sinai Moses on the 1st day
of the 3rd month (Ex 19:1) and were there for at least 3 days (Ex 19:11) before Moses
ascended the mountain to commune with God. His departure is traditionally thought to have
taken place on Pentecost (per Ex 24:14-18) and he was on the mountain for 40 days (Ex
24:18) before descending on the 4th month to witness the idolatry that was being committed
in his absence (Ex 32:1-15). So in recognition of there being a range of error in the
calculation of a day or two, 17 Tammuz is one reasonable possibility for the night Moses
broke the tablets. But 16 Tammuz works just as well.
[29] Wars vi, 2, 1.
[30] 2 Kgs 21:7 speaks of the erection of the idol but nowhere gives the date when this
happened.
[31] Mishna Ta'anit 4:6.
[32] 2 Kgs 25:8-10.
[33] Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 26a-26b.
[34] 2 Kgs 25:8.
[35] Jer 52:12.
[36] As explained in the Babylonian Talmud, Ta’anit 29a, the Temple was captured on the
7th, torched on the 9th, but didn't finish burning until the 10th.
[37] 2 Kgs 25:22-26.
[38] 1 Kgs 6:1.
[39] The siege lasted from the 10th month of Zedekiah’s 9th year until the 4th month of
Zedekiah’s 11th year (2 Kgs 25:1-4, Jer 39:2). Assuming, therefore, that Zedekiah’s regnal
years began on the month of Nisan (as per tradition) this computes to a 1½ year siege.
[40] 2 Kgs 25:1-2.
[41] It ended initially due to a lack of priests to offer sacrifice. And with the Temple being
essential to legally offer it, the cessation became permanent with its loss in the following
month.
[42] Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 26a.
[43] The Hebrew calendar, being set up such that full moons always landed right around the
15th of every month, made that the most common choice for a new holiday. And since it has
already been shown through Biblical Accounting that the 17th of Tammuz (± a day or two) is
likely when Moses first saw their debauchery, it is reasonable to assume that Aaron
established the holiday for the 15th and what Moses caught sight of had been going on all day
and into the evening, making it the 16th and well within the range of probability.
[44] Mt 1:1-16, Lk 3:23-38.
[45] 2 Sm 7:12-16.
[46] Hb 9:11-14, Mal 1:11.
[47] Mt 16:18.
[48] Is 53:5, 1 Pt 2:24.
[49] Lk 1:36.
[30] In chapter 1 it was arbitrarily proposed to be January 5 to align it closer to the Feast of
the Epiphany but January 4 is the better fit with the math and the Hebrew calendar.
[51] Mal 3:23 (or 4:5), Mt 11:10-14, Lk 1:13-17.
[52] Lk 1:44.
[53] Mary’s identification as the Ark of the New Covenant is a belief going back to the early
Church Fathers. And additional corroboration for this belief is found in chapter 6.
[54] The second book in this Series will, however, show in detail how this date was discerned.
[55] 1 Kgs 2:11.
[56] 2 Sm 6:14 describes David's attire as a linen ephod (which was a type of apron worn by
priests either externally or as an undergarment). But, because of the disgust his wife, Michal,
later expressed on witnessing his behavior (2 Sm 6:20), Scripture suggests (as do many
commentators) that that was all he was wearing. And that David should be wearing an ephod
is also prescient of John the Baptist, who was a Levite and of the priestly class.
[57] … or as some references (like “Human development of the unborn child." 2017) more
conservatively estimate, it as the 23rd day within a range of ±2 days.
[58] it also provides additional support for the Fast of Tammuz being observed on the 15th.
[59] It is commonly thought to have occurred in the year the Temple was destroyed. But, as
will be explained in the next installment of this Series, the 2/3rds Rule places it at 579 BC.
[60] In accord with Ps 81:4, and affirmed by the Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 2a.
[61] Erev Yom Kippur is the eve of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and since Yom
Kippur is a fast day and celebrations are forbidden the eve is traditionally observed as a day to
celebrate the atonement that is about to occur. This would make it a day that might be
particularly suited for an assassination since it is likely a day people would be off their guard.
[62] John's relationship to the holiday of Erev Yom Kippur will be discussed in chapter 4.
[63] This is in reference to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea (reign: 4 BC - 39 AD), and
not to be confused with his father, Herod, the Great (reign: 37 - 4 BC).
[63] Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2.
[64] Marinus 2014.
[65] And to those who may wonder why there is no mention in Scripture of Peter’s selection
occurring on the same day as John’s death, the same can be said of all the added information
the 2/3rds Rule provides. Whether the Gospel writers knew of this or not, if it did happen as is
being claimed, the Holy Spirit has chosen to keep it from us until now.
[66] Further corroboration for this assertion that Peter was named the lead Apostle on this day
is provided in chapter 5.
Published: January 26, 2024
Last Update: January 26, 2024