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Celebration of 50 Years
Sequel to “A Significant Jubilee Cycle”
Article Preview: “More primal priest-astronomers could have celebrated a full 50-year cycle. As is shown in subsequent chapters, it is certain that later dynasties of priest-kings came to reckon the jubilee cycle by a rather diverse method. The jubilee schedule was revised to become that of a count of only 7 sets of 7 years, or 49 years—which is 7 weeks-of-years. (Essentially, a 50th year appears to have no longer been celebrated once astronomer-priests adopted a solar-based method of reckoning the jubilee cycle)”.
As shown in the previous chapter, it is clear (on the basis of astronomy) that Israelite priests could have once adhered to a lunar-based definition of the jubilee cycle.
The current chapter will turn to the historical record in an attempt to more firmly establish that the primal or more original definition of the jubilee cycle may have been based upon a lunar-based interpretation. The current chapter will also attempt to more firmly establish that the original definition of the jubilee cycle was that of a 50-year cycle.
More primal priest-astronomers could have celebrated a full 50-year cycle. As is shown in subsequent chapters, it is certain that later dynasties of priest-kings came to reckon the jubilee cycle by a rather diverse method. The jubilee schedule was revised to become that of a count of only 7 sets of 7 years, or 49 years—which is 7 weeks-of-years. (Essentially, a 50th year appears to have no longer been celebrated once astronomer-priests adopted a solar-based method of reckoning the jubilee cycle).
A 50-year calendar
In substantiation that the earliest method of reckoning the jubilee cycle may have been that of a longer schedule of 50 years, the previous chapter has shown that one of the early-used methods of reckoning the jubilee cycle could have been based upon the reckoning of lunar weeks—as documented. (It is here significant that the cited method of reckoning a lunar sign would have required that a full 50-year cycle be reckoned).
The possible use of a lunar-based method of reckoning the 7-year cycle is also alluded to in certain of the Canaanite texts. These texts indicate that a jubilee year was once counted in ancient Palestine (even prior to the time of the Israelite occupation).
“... the jubilee year followed seven sabbatical cycles.... A Ugaritic liturgical text specially designed for this phenomenon aims at terminating a sabbatical cycle of privation and ushering in one of fertility by celebrating the birth and triumphal entrance of ... Shahar (“Dawn”) and Shalim (“Dusk”), whose advent [both together] brings an abundance of food and wine.” —Britannica.com: Middle Eastern Religion).
The Ugaritic source—as quoted above—is of pagan origin. Nevertheless, the quote seems to illustrate well enough that the primal 7-year cycle might have once been reckoned in association with the lunar cycle. [The respective reckoning of sets of 7-year cycles included both the rebirth or conjunction of the following two cycles: 1. A time cycle ruled by the god of the “dusk”; and: 2. A time cycle ruled by the god of the “dawn”.]
Another possible indication that the Moon might have been reckoned by ancient priests in association with a 50-year cycle can possibly be extracted from the War Scroll—as follows:
“... their new moons and their Sabbaths and all the days of the year those of fifty years....” —2:1-6, translation borrowed from ‘Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Measuring Time, Vanderkam, P.49.
The exact interpretation of this passage from the War Scroll is in considerable doubt. It does seem unusual that noted divisions of the ‘new moons’ and divisions of the ‘Sabbaths’ (which may actually refer to lunar Sabbaths) are listed in correspondence with 50 years.
Biblical sources
The special celebration of each 50th year in a 50-year cycle is explicitly detailed in the book of Leviticus (one of the canonized books of the Bible). The description of a fully counted cycle of 50 years appears in the book of Leviticus—as follows:
“And the Lord said to Moses on Mount Sinai, Say to the children of Israel, When you come into the land which I will give you, let the land keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years put seed into your land, and for six years give care to your vines and get in the produce of them; But let the seventh year be a Sabbath of rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord; do not put seed into your land or have your vines cut. That which comes to growth of itself may not be cut, and the grapes of your uncared-for vines may not be taken off; let it be a year of rest for the land. And the Sabbath of the land will give food for you and your man-servant and your woman-servant and those working for payment, and for those of another country who are living among you; And for your cattle and the beasts on the land; all the natural increase of the land will be for food. And let seven Sabbaths of years be numbered to you, seven times seven years; even the days of seven Sabbaths of years, that is forty-nine years; Then let the loud horn be sounded far and wide on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of taking away sin let the horn be sounded through all your land. And let this fiftieth year be kept holy, and say publicly that everyone in the land is free from debt: it is the Jubilee, and every man may go back to his heritage and to his family. Let this fiftieth year be the Jubilee: no seed may be planted, and that which comes to growth of itself may not be cut, and the grapes may not be taken from the uncared-for vines. For it is the Jubilee, and it is holy to you; your food will be the natural increase of the field. In this year of Jubilee, let every man go back to his heritage.” —BBE text of Chapter 25:1-12
Remarkably, the Leviticus definition of a 50-year jubilee cycle closely parallels the jubilee calendar (as is documented in the previous chapter). It is evident from the cited rate of lunar weeks that a time track of 7 sets of 7 years is quite literally defined ... as is also an additionally counted jubilee year defined (or a 50th year).
[Here, it is a bit puzzling that Scroll 4QOtot (as previously cited) seems to contain a slightly defective description of the jubilee cycle. It seems that the respective scroll refers to a 49-year jubilee cycle (instead of a fully counted 50-year jubilee cycle). The reason why a jubilee cycle of only 49 years came to be counted is more thoroughly explained in subsequent sections.]
A cycle of 50 years
In consideration that the full count of 50 years is detailed in certain ancient literature—as cited—it seems to be especially significant that a grid of lunar weeks can be used to define no less than a full cycle of 50 years. Essentially, a count of lunar quarters cannot effectively be used to define a shorter cycle of only 49 years.
Throughout a jubilee cycle of 50 years, the boundary of the lunar quarter (or lunar week) can be recognized to perpetually reoccur in interface with the boundary of each solar year (on the average).
The following calendar chart is equivalent to the previous diagram in showing that a cycle of 50 years can precisely be defined through a time track of the lunar week:
A JUBILEE CALENDAR OF LUNAR WEEKS
Note that a leap week each 3rd year is not shown in the following calendar chart.It should be clear from the presented diagram that a grid of lunar weeks rather perfectly overlays a solar-based time grid of 50 years. Thus, the 50-year cycle--and associated lunar sign--described in anciently written literature points to the possibility that primal priests did once reckon the unit of the lunar week.
Through the recognition that the jubilee cycle can be cross-referenced to a grid of lunar-week units, the possibility that Israelite priests did once time track a full 50-year cycle seems rather more certain.
For additional information that substantiates the priestly adherence to a cycle of 50 years, refer to the following two online publications— 1. Chronology of Jubilees 2. Tracking the Day-of-the-Sun. [off site].
Priestly Reformation
The earliest celebration of the 7-year cycle may have been that of 7 times in 50 years (as cited). It appears that after counting out 7 sets of 7 years, primal priests celebrated each 50th year, or jubilee year, separate and apart from the 7 cycles of 7 years. The indicated count of a 50-year cycle further indicates that the more primal method of reckoning each 7th year (and ultimately the jubilee year) may have been lunar based.
Of related significance is that a 50th year, or a jubilee year, appears to have no longer been celebrated by priests in the late Second-Temple Era.
If, and when, and the reason for why the 50 count was no longer adhered to by the priests, is somewhat uncertain.
The remainder of the current section represents only an educated guess as to when/why the priesthood elected to no longer observe a jubilee cycle of 50 full years.
A plausible explanation is that a degree of religious reform appears to have occurred in Judea in the late Second-Temple Era.
It seems that in the year 167 BCE a change in the priesthood suddenly occurred. At this respective time a number of changes were abruptly enacted (as explained below).
To make clear the historical circumstances that led up to the respective time of the religious reform, it would appear that the jubilee cycle was not celebrated on a routine basis (at least not in Judea). This especially seems to be the case during the Kingdom Era of ancient Israel.
From the historical accounts of the kings of Judah—as is recorded in the books of the Kings and Chronicles—it would appear that many of the Judean monarchs entirely neglected the Temple system. It further seems that certain of the Jewish kings may have politically opposed the priesthood.
For a brief period, King Hezekiah (one of the kings in a long line of the Judean monarchs) restored the Temple system. Evidently, a number of kings who preceded King Hezekiah had all but suspended Temple services. By the time of King Hezekiah’s reign, the doors to the Temple were closed ... the lamps were out ... and the presentation of burned offerings had ceased (refer to 2 Chronicles 29:3-7).
The successor to King Hezekiah was King Manasseh, and after him King Amon. Both of these kings—according to the biblical accounts—opposed the Temple system.
Thus, not only was the Temple system neglected under the Judean monarchs but it seems that a degree of active political effort was expended in an effort to lessen the influence of the priest class.
It is significant that the rule of the Neo-Babylonians eventually came over Judea. The Babylonian rule (which lasted for 70 years) is indicated to have ended the reign of Jewish monarchs in Judea (which was the dynasty of David-Solomon).
In an ironic sense—perhaps for the very first time—Sabbatical years were at last observed throughout Judea. It seems that during the time of the Neo-Babylonians (or for the duration of 70 years) the land of Judea remained uncultivated. The biblical account wryly states that for the duration of 70 years the land “enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she [= the land] lay desolate she [= the land] kept sabbath”. (Refer to 2 Chronicles 36:14-21).
Eventually, several thousands of Jews are indicated to have returned to Judea (after about 70 years of Babylonian rule).
The new government that rose-up in Judea was more democratic in that it did not operate under the auspices of only a family of monarchs. Essentially, the former kings (or descendants of Judah) were no longer inaugurated to rule over civil affairs (as they were in the previous government).
The new government was—in general—administered by the priest-class. The heritage of the Levite priest-class—which extended back to the time of Moses—gave them preeminence in the new government. The descendants of Zadok continued to ascend to the office of the high priest (just as they had throughout the First-Temple Era).
Under the leadership of the priesthood, the law books attributed to Moses (or Torah) became constitutional. These books became the very basis of the court system under the Second Temple. The Jewish historian, Josephus, noted that the national court (the Sanhedrin) and even the village courts were all required to include a specified number of Levites (as jury members). Throughout the Second-Temple Era, the Torah was studied ... interpreted ... and was cautiously applied in just about every judicial decision made. (The enormous significance of the Torah is rather well mirrored in the writings of the New Testament).
It is thus clear that the Judean nation—which rose up following the Babylonian conquest—held a much greater regard for the instructions contained in the Torah than did the former nation (or the Jewish kingdom headed-up by the monarchs).
The respective Sabbatical law for the land (which was neglected by the kings of the Jews) would have therefore assumed a meaning that was fully electric to those who endured the Babylonian captivity. This respective law was very literally a part of the constitution of the new government—or the government that ultimately came under control of the Levite priests.
Of significance is that—throughout more than half of the Second-Temple Era—the jubilee cycle was probably celebrated as a cycle of 7 sets of 7 years. This celebrated set of 49 years probably included the additional celebration of a jubilee year—or a 50th year. (Note that the celebration of a 50-year jubilee cycle is rather clearly reflected in the Hebrew Torah—refer to Leviticus 25. The requirement to celebrate a jubilee cycle of 50 years is also explicitly described in the Septuagint version). Because the Torah (as we now read it) was once the literal national law (under the priestly government) it is evident that a jubilee year (a 50th year) would probably have been celebrated in the timeframe when it was written.
Therefore, a jubilee cycle of 50 full years may have been celebrated at the beginning of the Second-Temple Era. The celebration of a long cycle of 50 years would have been sanctioned under the Temple system for a time-span of about 350 years—or for as long as the Zadoks retained control of the government.
Late in the Second-Temple Era, it appears that a shorter jubilee cycle (of only 49 years) was ultimately adopted. This change in celebrating the jubilee cycle ensued a time when reform minded priests assumed control of the Temple system. A reformation of the Temple system occurred abruptly in about 167 BCE when control of the Judean capital at Jerusalem was given up to Grecian rule.
