Calendar
(The calendar which we have in use today is the Gregorian calender. The calendar has been changed twice in its history, but never was the order of the days of the week changed.)
The Julian [named after Julius Caesar] calender calendar was introduced about the 7th century B.C. But, the Julian calendar was 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year. So, in 1582 the vernal equinox eccured 10 days early and church holidays did not match their appropiate seasons. Pope Gregory XIII issued a decree to drop 10 days from the calendar . Since this change, it has been called the Gregorian calendar. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted in Britain in 1752, another correction was found to be necessary. The day after Sept. 2, 1752, became Sept. 14. In both of these instances only the number of the days was changed. Never was the order of the days of week disturbed. So, consequently the Sabbath still falls on Saturday and always has.)
Encyclopedia, Vol 9, p. 251, article Lilius: "Thus every imaginable proposition was made, only one idea was never mentioned; the abandonment of the 7- day week."
Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol 3, p. 740, article Chronology: "It is to be noted that in the Christian period, the order of days in the week has never been interrupted. Thus, when Gregory xiii reformed the calendar in 1582, Thursday 4 October was followed by 15 October, Friday. So in England in 1752 wednesday 2 September, was followed by Thursday, 14 September."
Things to consider tho
Sabbath and New Moon (Rosh Hodesh), both periodically recurring in the course of the year. The New Moon is still, and the Sabbath originally was, dependent upon the lunar cycle. Both date back to the nomadic period of Israel. Originally the New Moon was celebrated in the same way as the Sabbath; gradually it became less important, while the Sabbath became more and more a day of religion and humanity, of religious meditation and instruction, or peace and delight of the soul, and produced powerful and beneficent effects outside of Judaism." (Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 410 "Holidays"."
"Among ALL early nations the lunar months were the readiest large divisions of time...(and was divided in 4 weeks), corresponding (to) the phases or the quarters of the moon. In order to connect the reckoning by weeks with the lunar month, we find that all ancient nations observed some peculiar solemnities to mark the day of the New Moon." (The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, 1904, p.1497)."
"the Hebrew Sabbathon conveys the idea of propitiation or appeasement of divine anger and [it] is...the opinion [of Professor Jastrow] that the Hebrew Sabbath (i.e. CREATION SABBATH) was originally a Sabbathon -- i.e. a day of propitiation and appeasement; marked by atoning rites...it was celebrated at intervals of seven days, CORRESPONDING WITH CHANGES IN THE MOON'S PHASES, and was identical in character with the four days in each month, i.e. 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th! (Encyclopedia Biblica, The MacMillan Company, 1899. P. 4180).."
The Hebrew month is a lunar month and THE QUARTER OF THIS PERIOD -- ONE PHASE OF THE MOON -- appears to have determined the WEEK OF SEVEN DAYS" (Encyclopedia Biblica, The MacMillan Company. P. 4780).."
The New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia notes that "there is general agreement that the seven-day period [as observed by the Hebrews] was derived from Babylonia, where it was employed in pre-Semitic times -- this is confirmed by the fact that not only were the seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-eighth days of the month observed, but that the nineteenth was also a special day...(vol. VII, 1910. P. 492). The reason for the one-day discrepancy here as compared to the days God set apart in Exodus 16 is because the days 7, 14, 21 and 28 are reckoned from the first crescent of the moon, whereas the numbers 8, 15, 22 and 29 are reckoned from "day one" from the "dark" of the moon."."
States Assyriologist S. Langdon, "the weeks do not continue in a regular cycle regardless of the moon. Each month has four weeks, beginning with the new moon. Days 29 and 30, or in case of a 29-day month, day 29, are simply THROWN OUT of the four-week system. I have no doubt but that this was the old Hebrew scheme...In other words the fourth week has one or two extra days. Every month must begin with the first day of the first week [as determined by the new moon]" (Babylonian Menologies and the Semitic Calendars, p. 89).."
". . . while the week of seven days was connected with the lunar month, of which it is, approximately, a fourth. The quadripartite division of the month was evidently in use among the Hebrews and other ancient peoples; but it is not clear whether it originated among the former. It is unnecessary to assume, however, that it was derived from the Babylonians, for it is equally possible that observations of the four phases of the moon led the Hebrew nomads spontaneously and independently to devise the system of dividing the interval between the successive new moons into four groups of seven days each. There is ground, on the other hand, for the assumption that both among the Babylonians and among the Hebrews the first day of the first week of the month was always reckoned as coincident with the first day of the month." jewish encyclopedia, under "Week"."
The historian Josephus records Shabbats that can be pinpointed and they are on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th and the New moon was not counted as one of the six workdays. The Roman's saw that the Jews, on the Shabbat, did not fight unless attacked. They moved their engines and battering rams up to the walls on the Shabbat day, which otherwise they could not do, and on the next day, they battered the city. Josephus records that the 23rd was the “next day” after the Shabbat when the Romans battered them, or the day after the Shabbat when they had everything in place. (See page 369. Antiquities of the Jews Book 14, Chapter 4:3 and footnote on page 370). ."
In Philo's writings, he records that the feast of Unleavened Bread alone with the Feast of Tabernacles, were assigned to the weekly Shabbat day, which BOTH ARE on the 15th / Shabbat. Philo knew the 15th was a weekly Shabbat day, which began both of these Feasts of YaHuWaH, which lasts seven days. See Philo page 532 xxx (161) Philo knew the Israelites were given rest on the 15th from Mitzrayim's bondage and the Feasts in the 1st and 7th months have to do with their deliverance form Mitzrayim's bondage on the 15th, a Shabbat and these two feast were assigned to the weekly 7th day (15th) according to Philo who lived in the days of our Messiah, These are memorial days, which began these two festival weeks. ."
Although, Philo never came right out and said the seventh day is by the moon and is counted from the New moon; he had no need to, especially if it was common knowledge at this time. He did say "the fourth commandment has reference to the sacred seventh day, that it may be passed in a sacred and Holy manner. Now, some states keep the Holy festival only once in the month, counting from the New moon, as a day sacred to YaHuWaH: but the nation of the Jews keep every seventh day regularly, after each interval of six workdays." (Counting from the New moon). Philo page 526 xx (96). ."
But then again many say that the observance of the lunar sabbath was picked up from the Babylonian captivity, as the Babylonians were observing a lunat calendar.
Also some authorities claim that in Israel at the time of Yahshua there were in fact three calendars in use by different sects, such as the Essens, the Nazarenes, the Pharisees etc...
Why Do We Use the Hebrew Calendar by Ronald Dart
God's Calendar
Jeroboam and the Hillel Calendar
The Moon and the New Year
The New Moons
The New Moons of Israel
The Calendar and the Moon: Postponements or Festivals?
How to Determine the Day of the Next Conjunction, Easily
