New Year Day?

The Scriptures establish three new year days, but one of them is not on the first of January. January 1 was celebrated by the Romans as the first day of the new year, so our celebration is merely a continuation of their peculiarity. However, the three days set forth by Scripture have a better claim to being the true beginning of the year.

The first of these days is Tu B'shvat. In the times of the Hebrew Monarchy, there had to be a day upon which to cut off the previous year from the coming year so that taxes could be collected on the crops and cattle traded, grown or born during the year. The scripture sets forth the 15th day of the month of Shevat as that day. It is known as the New Year of the Trees. In modern times, this day has become a combination Earth Day and Arbor Day.

The second of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Nisim. This is the month in which spring begins, a logical and reasonable time to begin the new year. The month of Nisim begins when the new moon appears around the spring equinox. This year it will begin on the 15th of March. This day was the secular new year in Davidic times and throughout the long history of the Jewish people which is now in its 5770th year. This date was the first day of the new year for most people other than the Romans in the ancient times.

The third and last of these days is the first day of the Jewish month of Tishri and is called Rosh Hashanah or Head of the Year, New Year Day. It is also called Yom Terumah or Day of the Trumpet because it is believed by the Jewish people that the world was created on this day 5770 years ago, more or less, give or take a few billion years, by the blowing of a divine trumpet. This day occurs on the new moon closest to the autumnal equinox. On this day, Jewish people blow trumpets, wish each other happy new year, make resolutions to do better, and try to be good for at least 10 days until G-d makes up his mind whether to punish us or not. Also on this day Jewish people eat lots of carrots because the word for carrot and the word for plenty are the same in Hebrew and hopefully if we eat lots of carrots G-d will think we are wanting lots of money.

It seems strange to me that the people of Earth except Israel have adopted this pagan New Year rather than the Scriptural New Year and date their era from a mythical birth in 1 A.D. even though no reputable scholar believes that Jesus was born in 1 A.D. The reason for this certainty is that Herod the Great died in 4 B.C.E. and if he was killing all the boys under two before 4 B.C.E. it would mean that Jesus was probably born in 6 B.C.E. We are still following the mistakes of a seventh century monk.

On this new secular year, I resolve to remember that it is the 5770th year of the Jewish dispensation; that in 230 years the Messiah will appear; that we will have a 1000 year Sabbath rest; and that on Rosh Hashanah of 6,000 this 1000 years of peace will begin. I resolve to bring more light into the world through this blog. I resolve to be present for the Lord to work through me in re-establishing the Nasorean Orthodox Qahal to its former glory. I resolve to live a life in constant harmony with my Creator.