Footprints of Sun Worship in the Equinox

While in Egypt, the life of the Hebrews was structured by the Egyptian Calendar. During this time (several hundred years), they were exposed to the idolatry of sun worship through the Egyptian god, Ra and goddess, Hathor. It seems that the worship of the Golden Calf at Sinai was connected to Sun Worship. How so? And why, if they had just heard the voice of the Almighty speaking from Har Sinai, would they revert to the worship practice of Egyptian religious culture?  We remember that the Hebrews had not been long into the Exodus at this time. It would be natural for them to look to the Egyptian gods when they were in dire circumstances, i.e. their leader has disappeared up into the fiery mountain and has delayed nearly 6 weeks. 

So it is not surprising that they demanded a golden calf to lead them. Here is a depiction of an Egyptian calf god.

Oblations to a Cow-Goddess (See link)

Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology (see link), shows the connection between sun worship and the Golden Calf that was worshiped at Sinai. The incident at Sinai, if not understood from a learned cultural perspective, could be a bit confusing, happening as it did, just after the ten commandments were given by the voice of YHWH. Why should this even happen among the chosen people? Did they somehow not get it?  I mean, why would they worship a calf anyway? Is there evidence that the Hebrews in Egypt were involved in Sun Worship? Is there a connection to the Egyptian calendar, which at the time was a solar calendar? Historians assert (see here) that this calendar was established during the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE. 

“The Egyptians appear to have been the first to develop a solar calendar, using as a fixed point the annual sunrise reappearance of the Dog Star—Sirius, or Sothis—in the eastern sky, which coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River.” Britannica

From the National Museum of Denmark:

“It is believed that there were four fixed blót (blood) sacrifices a year at the following times: winter solstice, spring equinox, summer solstice and autumn equinox. The Vikings also held additional blót sacrifices, for example, if a crisis arose that required help from the gods.” See Natmus.dk.

The Vikings
Though historically, Egypt was the first to use the Solar equinox based calendar, they were not alone. Many ancient cultures used the equinox as a part of their religious worship, among them are the Druids of England (Stonehenge), the Celts, India, Persia and now Iran, The Mayan’s of Mexico, Aztecs of South America. The ruins of the pyramids in Latin America reveal the measurement of the sun’s travels through the sky, allowing them to mark the beginning of their solar year at the equinox. The stones were lined up to cast the sun’s rays through into a chamber exactly on the morning of the equinox. On these days the pagan ceremonies would go wild in parties, dancing, feasting and in some cultic traditions, there would be a human sacrifice to the god’s. Check out this article: Nine Spring Equinox Rituals

The Chichen Itza Equinox
“The equinox was very important to the Mayan civilizations as it marked the beginning of their planting season. While preparing to build the Temple of Kukulkan, they tracked the movement of the sun. Using their astounding comprehension of geometry and astronomy, they constructed the temple, also known as ‘El Castillo’ or ‘The Castle’ or ‘The Pyramid of Kukulkan,’ to produce a wondrous light show at each equinox.” Read here to discover the human sacrifices offered at this place. I have personally visited this site near Cancun, Mexico and seen where the bodies of the slain were thrown into a pit. 

Were all the Hebrews sun worshipers at that time? From the Torah reading of the incident, the tribe of Levi avoided the calf worship.  They were the only ones who, as a tribe, refused to dance around the golden calf. (See Exodus 32: 26-27.)
Shavuot not Sinai
If we use the common understanding of Jewish sages who point to Shavuot, the day of the celebration of weeks, which happens 7 weeks and one day after the Shabbat of Pesach, we may accept that as a timeline. The tradition is that on that day, the law was given from Sinai. However, Jewish sages disagree and certainly the Bible disagrees, for the timing from the Shabbat of Pesach until Shavuot, though consistent, does not usually add up to fall on Shavuot. How so? The variability of the Shabbat of Pesach one year is not the same the next year. Shabbat runs on a different schedule. Of course, Rabbinic tradition is that the “Shabbat” of Pesach is not really a Shabbat, but the last holy day of Pesach, which could fall on any day. However, none of the holy days, except Yom Kippur, are ever referred to as Shabbat. 

There are problems associating other holy days as Shabbats because the Torah allows cooking on those days, but not on the weekly Shabbat and not on Yom Kippur. So our orthodox friends, by declaring these days Shabbat, will not do any type of work on any of these days. They do not turn on lights nor use the oven or cook top. For these days, Torah requires abstaining from going to a job, or “servant’s work!” 

I sigh as I think about how much slavery is generated by exalting the rabbis and following their skillfully woven webs of subservience!

But, and back to the biblical account, even with the date of Sinai being different from Rabbinic calculation, we can be assured that the Hebrews knew very little of the ways of the Eternal when they came to Sinai. When was it actually? According to Exodus 19:1, it was “the third month…on that very day.” (That is almost always a few days different from Shavuot). Does YHWH fudge on time? I think not! 

One thing I must give the rabbinic calendar credit for, is starting the months of the Hebrew calendar with the New Moon. However, that being said, the New Moons on the Rabbinic calendar are rarely when the New Moon is sighted. So they are usually a day or two off each month. Is there a reason for this other than convenience and a desire to keep all Jews on the same calendar and the same holy days?  

Science-minded persons have argued that the real calendar should be based on the equinox because its position in measurement of time is clear. However, after seeing the horrific pagan festivals and human sacrifices performed on the equinox, which even then was understood scientifically to a point–I mean how did they construct massive structures like Stone Henge and Chichen Itza to measure the sun’s movements, if they were Stone Age dummies? And what of the Naza Lines in Peru? This was not shoddy work. So what was the Creator thinking when He set the time of the Aviv Barley as the indicator of the next New Moon–the one that would begin the festal cycle of the Biblical Holy Days? Doesn’t it seem a bit “unscientific”? 

I would say, science aside, the people of the Book were extremely influenced by the nations all through history. And is that a good reason? I say so! And what does G-d say?

“This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them. For the practices of the peoples are worthless…” – Jer 10:2-3 

So to protect His people from the ways of the surrounding pagans, YHVH specified a different way to count time and begin the year. And by the way, this really is not far-fetched because the Aviv Barley in Israel happens right around the time to keep the calendar in balance, sometimes, like this year, it was a month later, allowing for an extra month so that the year is not off balance. And by the way, the Rabbinic Calendar did the same thing this year, but based on their timing and not the Biblically specified time.  

So what does the Bible say?

Genesis 1:14-18:

  וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים יְהִי מְאֹרֹת בִּרְקִיעַ הַשָּׁמַיִם לְהַבְדִּיל בֵּין הַיּוֹם וּבֵין הַלָּיְלָה וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים׃

“And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs ( לְאֹתֹת), and for festivals (לְמוֹעֲדִים ), and for days, and years:” – “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And God made the two great lights–the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night–and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,” “to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:14-18

Genesis 1:14 when read alone is not clear as to which lights do which job. However, there are two lights mentioned here. The greater light, the sun, and the lesser light–the moon.  But in the context of other verses in the Bible we see a clear connection. Hold on!

What other Bible verses help to shed light on this?

עָשָׂה יָרֵחַ לְמוֹעֲדִים שֶׁמֶשׁ יָדַע מְבוֹאוֹ׃

“He appointed the moon for seasons (festivals מוֹעֲדִים–): the sun knows his going down.” – Psa 104:19 

How do we know that Moedim, which is what the moon establishes, is connected with Festivals and appointed times? If we look at the usage of the word Moed (Moedim) throughout Tanakh, we can see how it is applied contextually.  

“Is any thing too hard for YHVH? At the ‘time appointed’ (Moedim), I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” – Gen 18:14 

We remember that the moon was to establish the seasons, set times or festivals.

Speaking of the Passover festival: “And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.” – Exo 13:9

וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־הַחֻקָּה הַזֹּאת לְמוֹעֲדָהּ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה׃ 

“Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season (מוֹעֲדִ) from year to year.” – Exo 13:10 

“Blow up the trumpet in the new moon (Hodesh or month), in the time appointed (מוֹעֲדִ), on our solemn feast day.” – Psa 81:3 

This appears to be speaking of the first day of the seventh month called Yom Teruah (the day of the trumpet), or Yom Kippur when also the Shofar was to be blown. 

The command as to observance of Yom Teruah?

“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a shabbaton, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.” – Lev 23:24 

So it seems we have plenty of evidence for the New Moon sighting being an indicator of the first of the month!

“And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish.” – Eze 46:6 

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts [Moedim] of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. [moedim]” – Lev 23:2 

“These are the feasts [Moedim] of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. [moedim]”
– Lev 23:4 

“These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, [moedim] beside your vows, and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.” – Num 29:39 

“And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts [moedim] of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD.” – Ezr 3:5 

“Your new moons and your appointed feasts [moedim] my soul hates: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.” – Isa 1:14 

1 Samuel 20 speaks of David when he was expected to be in the New Moon feast of King Saul. 

Was this observance of the monthly new moon something done as custom, or something required as the observance of the beginning of the month? 

“And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.” – 1Sa 20:5 

From the way this is written, it was customary during the reign of King Saul to observe the New Moon for two to three days. Was this because the moon was not always spotted the first day? Why three days? And was this in honor of the new month? It seems so. 

Among the first commandments the Israelites received before Sinai was the command to establish the date of the first month. This command was based on: 1. The Aviv Barley and 2. The new Moon. The Aviv Barley established that the season would not roll around the calendar as a normal lunar calendar would. It meant that some years the time would appear later than others when measured by the equinox. This year at the Equinox there was no ripe barley found in Israel. This added a month to the calendar. Some say this is not precise and that the Creator must be precise. But if we use Human intelligence to establish Divine science, then we are setting up the heavens as we design and not as the Creator designed. 

Genesis 1:14, which we saw above, with all the other texts that corroborate this, is clear that the Moon was to set the times of sacred events and thus with all the references to new moons and the happenings during those times, the Bible is clear that we are not to dismiss the moon as the Divinely appointed marker for months. 

From Wikipedia: (Link Here)

“The Book of Exodus establishes the new moon of Nisan, which is the first month of Aviv, as the beginning of the Hebrew calendar:”And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: “This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.  Exodus 12:1-2[3]. In the Book of Numbers, the Eternal speaks of the celebration of the new moon to Moses: “And on your joyous occasions—your fixed festivals and new moon days—you shall sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and your sacrifices of well-being. Numbers 10:10. In Psalm 81:4, both new and full moon are mentioned as a time of recognition by the Hebrews:Blow the horn on the new moon, on the full moon for our feast day.[3][4]In the Bible, Rosh Chodesh is often referred to simply as “Chodesh”, as the Hebrew word “chodesh” can mean both “month” and ‘new month’.[5]”

History of the Declaration of the New Moon: Wikipedia Link

“Judaism uses a lunisolar calendar, so Rosh Chodesh is celebrated in connection with the date of the new moon. Originally, the date of Rosh Chodesh was confirmed on the testimony of witnesses observing the new moon, a procedure known as kiddush hachodesh (sanctification of the month).[6] After the Sanhedrin declared Rosh Chodesh for either a full (30-day) or defective (29-day) month, news of it would then be communicated throughout Israel and the diaspora. This system was dependent on the functioning of the Sanhedrin to declare the month, and to communicate this month to far-flung Jewish communities. In the 4th century CE, this became impossible and instead a fixed calendar of 29- and 30-day months (see Hebrew calendar for details) was instituted by Hillel II.[7] At the end of a 29-day month, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for one day, on the first day of the new month. At the end of a 30-day month, Rosh Chodesh is celebrated for two days – the 30th day of the previous month, and the first day of the new month.[2]”

The meaning of Aviv: Wikipedia (link)

“The basic meaning of the word Aviv is the stage in the growth of grain when the seeds have reached full size and are filled with starch, but have not dried yet. During the plague of hail (Exodus 9:31), the barley was said to be [in the] aviv [stage] and the flax [in the] giv`ol. This resulted in their destruction.

The month in the Hebrew calendar when the barley has reached or passed this stage is called Aviv, or the “month of the aviv”.[1] This month is considered the first month of the ecclesiastical civil year (see Hebrew calendar#Months).[2] It begins about the time of the March equinox (March 21). Since the Babylonian captivity, this month has mainly been called Nisan.[3] On the “day after the Shabbat” (the 16th of the month of Nissan according to the rabbis, and the first Sunday of Passover according to the Karaites[4]), the harvest was begun by gathering a sheaf of barley for the Omer offering,[5]”

So as we have seen, the Eternal YHWH structured His Holy Days based on His own Calendar which it seems that none of the nations followed. There is much to be said about the pagan calendars that outline times for pagan festivals and even go to the extent of offering up human sacrifices to the gods of those nations. We have an awesome Elohim who knows what his chosen people need and provided instructions to keep us from observing the ways of the heathen. He has carefully protected us from falling into their traps through use of times that seem illogical and unscientific. But who are we to question the ways of the Almighty G-d of Israel?

Ariella Casey

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