Time in Antiquity

Zodiac Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Their Reception

“…3:9-12134 and the eating of forbidden fruit on 17/ii (the 17th day of the second month). 135 Charles had also observed that a 28-day month was used to reckon the 50-day period Introduction between the Waving of the Sheaf and the Feast of Weeks.136 More recently, Segal noted that the calendar of Jub. 6 cannot fit the sequence of events of although he explains the discrepancy on exegetical and theological grounds .137 Rook's hypothesis was immediately rejected by both J.M.…”

“…140 Baumgarten, "Some Problems," 487. (See 4Q320 4 iii 3,4 iv 8,4 V 2,4 vi 7;4Q321 frags 4,5 vi 7;4Q325 1 3,4Q326 4,in Talmon et al,(56)(57)(57)(58)59;(77)(78)(126)(127)(135)(136). 141 Baumgarten, "Some Problems," 487 states: "He [Epstein] took it as a matter of course that 'les jours de l'Omer ne peuvent pas commencer plus tard que le 21 du premier mois ' (p. 11).…”

“…145 The Ethiopic Astronomical Book as whole is not discussed in this investigation; the main focus is on 1 En. 72 and where some parts of 1 overlap with the calendrical material in the Qumran Astronomical Book (4Q208-4Q211).…”

“…The seventh Sabbath from 26/I in 4 x 91 days calendar is 14/iii, hence the "morrow," the Festival of First Fruits, is the 15/iii]. 145 146 Vanderkam lists the similar material for the synchronistic calendar at Qumran and in 1 En. as follows: 4Q208, 4Q209 frgs. 1-22, 26, 29-41 [?…”

“…44 Hunger and Pingree,Astral Sciences,65;Hunger and Pingree,MUl.APIN,11;see also B.L. van der Waerden, "History of the Zodiac," AfO 16 (1952AfO 16 ( -1953, 216-230 (at 221). 45 Rochberg,Heavenly Writing,133;Neugebauer,hama,594 n. 10 . Rochberg,Heavenly Writing,132, states the counting of zodiac signs from Aries is a consequence of the relationship between the constellations and "the twelve schematic months of the year", while acknowledging that the stars "in the path of the moon" began at the end of Aries with the Pleiades, following P.J.…”