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The Temple Calendar and the Sanhedrin


Table 1, Original Second Temple Calendar With Three Biblical Pilgrimages

7. Tishrei (SUCCOTH)
8. Cheshvan
9. Kislev
10. Tevet
11. Shevat
12. Adar
1. Nisan (PESACH)
2. Iyyar
3. Sivan (SHAVUOTH)
4. Tammuz
5. Av
6. Elul

The Temple Calendar regulated the exact dates of the three Biblical Pilgrimages: Succoth (Tabernacles), Pesach (Passover) and Shavuoth (Pentacost) holidays, see Table 1. During the Second Temple period, there would be an aliyat regel or pilgrimage of hundreds of thousands of Jews and non-Jewish Temple sympathizers from Israel, Rome, Persia and Arabia to the Temple Mount for sacrifices and festive meals on these holidays.

The beginning of the new month was determined by visual sighting of the crescent moon, as cross-examined by the High Priest or his emissaries. It was at the High Priests discretion that an additional month was inserted to keep the calendar from drifting over the solar year. A month called Adar Sheni or Adar II was added during leap years which occured roughly every third year. In addition, other changes were made every 19th year.

Based on the lunar sightings an ordinary (non-leap) year may contain 353, 354, or 355 days. A leap year with an additional month may contain 383, 384, or 385 days. The three lengths of the years are termed, "deficient", "regular", and "complete", respectively. A deficient month chodesh chaser has 29 days. Full month chodesh maleh has 30 days. If clouds did not hinder the sighting of new moon then the deficient and full months alternated in order.

In the second century BCE, when Israel was under Egyptian Ptolemic rule, this function was taken over from the High Priest by the President or Nasi of the Sanhedrin. Upon the death of High Priest Shimon HaTzaddik, his brother Elazar became High Priest. The spiritual or Rabbinic leadership, including the declaration of new months and additional months, was inherited by Shimon's disciple, Antigonus of Socho.

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