Recently we started studying the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essene Community to better understand differences between themselves, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. This is important to discuss because maybe, you like us, would value an uninhibited commitment and lifestyle dedicated to Abba for His Good Will And Pleasure! We are new to the Zadok calendar as this is our first year of practice, although we are eleven years into Torah Observance. So far it makes sense after all, and we truly welcome the Shalom from following His Ways. If you too have been studying the Essenes, contact us because we would like to increase our fellowship, but only in ways to Yah’s satisfaction. As we move forward our goal is to move upward through Yeshua and the Ruach.
FORMULA TO CALCULATE
It’s starts with the VERNAL (SPRINGTIME) EQUINOX:
- Use Solar sites to locate the date that at the beginning of spring when day and night hours are equal are equal. This is the Vernal Equinox. (Google when is the vernal equinox in year ______________________).
- Find this date on your current years calendar and MARK THAT DATE.
- USES the literal calculation as each year begins on the FOURTH day of the week–which is a WEDNESDAY. So each month follows suit and begins on a WEDNESDAY. This method of calculation does not apply knowledge of the conjunction nor sliver of the moon. It is based solely on the fourth day of the week.
- For instance in 2021 the vernal equinox is MARCH 20, 2021.
- So the beginning date of the first month is MARCH 24, 2021. People who follow this method of Calendar use Genesis 1:14-19 to justify that decision.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. - Therefore, Sabbath falls on the 7th day of the week perpetually. I have no problem with Sabbath being the 7th day each week.
- The Zadok calendar follows a specific counting pattern for days of the month. Spring the first month is 30 days, then 30 days, then 30 days and one day which is termed INTERCALARY DAY. DEFINITION: interpolated; interposed. inserted or interpolated in the calendar, as an extra day or month. having such an inserted day, month, etc., as a particular year. In other words to maintain proper pace of the calendar 1 day is inserted at the end of each quarter year.
- According to Ken Johnson, at the end of the year, you adjust to start the new year according to the equinox. So far it is working well because we make adjustments to account for drift as per his suggestion.
- Utilizers of this calendar seem to attribute correctness of calendar because a pattern occurs throughout the year to mark Shabbats.
- Shabbat falls on first month of quarter as: 4, 11, 18, 25, the second month is 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 the third moth in the first quarter is 7, 14, 21, 28. The cycle restarts each quarter.
- People who follow this calendar eat their Passover/Pesach Meal on Tuesday the 14th day of the month.
- They begin the Omer count of the 26th day of the month.
- There seemed to have been controversary over which day the Omer Count starts between all three Israelite factions, Essenes, Pharisees and Sadducees so we’ve tried it the traditionally way – now we are reaching back and digging deeper to compare. How else can you get to truth? We depend on the Ruach (Spirit) to correct our path.
- Shavuot is on the 15th of the Third month always.