THE HOUSE OF YAHSHUA

In keeping with our continued effort at providing as much of God's truth as possible to those who seek it, the House of Yahshua now provides a Scripturally based calendar, beginning with the first Biblical month of Abib in each year, and based on the sighting of the new moon sliver each month of that year. In addition to this calendar, we will also be posting the times/dates/locations of new moon sightings as they are reported to us.

Our goal in providing this information is not to create a calendar which is binding for every believer in the world, nor to use sightings in other parts of the world as a substitute for our own. Instead, we wish to offer objective, accurate, and impartial sighting information which is uninfluenced by any pre-calculated Holy Day schedules or hidden agendas. Our calendar will be primarily based on sightings local to our area (Groves, TX) and augmented by reliable outside reports and/or calculation based on previous observation when necessary.

We ask any of our visitors who wish to report a sighting to e-mail us at the address at the bottom of this page, and please include the date, time, and location of the sighting, as well as the number of sighters and the means of sighting - naked eye, binoculars, etc. An excellent tool for those wishing to keep track of the moon phases, sunrise/sunset, and moonrise/moonset times in their area is https://sunrisesunset.com/ (Keep in mind that the new moon sliver appears each month after the conjunction, or complete darkness of the moon). An excellent resource for sighting information is https://www.truthofyahweh.org/moon.htm. The website www.moonsighting.com has some good sighting projection charts, but be advised that as of 3/24, we've seen a drop in the upkeep and quality of the written info on this site: beware their interpretation of the data. If this continues, we'll be removing recommendation for this site.

We pray that this information will be useful to all and that participation in this effort might bring novices and the undecided to a greater understanding of God's calendar. Please bear with us as we strive to provide this information as clearly and accurately as possible. May our Father's blessings be on us all as we strive to follow His will in this matter as in all others.

Notice: Due to a widespread and growing practice of forsaking visual sighting for calculation, our assembly has become wary of some of our usual sources of sighting information. Because of this, we now rely more heavily than ever on our own sightings and reports, using other sources for verification when possible. When there is any doubt concerning new moon sightings - primarily due to local weather conditions which prevent our own sightings, and/or extremely close timing of moonset versus sunset - our policy is now to defer judgment until the 30th day of the month when necessary and if sighting is still impossible, to declare the next day the first day of the month, using the previous month's sighting as a basis for this judgment. This is a self-correcting system which still relies on sighting of the new moon crescent rather than calculation based on the darkness of the conjunction.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 11	March 12
Month 2	April 9	April 10
Month 3	May 8	May 9
Month 4	June 7	June 8
Month 5	July 6	July 7
Month 6	August 5	August 6
Month 7	September 4	September 5
Month 8	October 4	October 5
Month 9	November 3	November 4
Month 10	December 2	December 3
Month 11	January 1	January 2
Month 12	January 30	January 31
Month 13	March 1	March 2

March 2024: The new crescent moon signalling the beginning of Abib and the Biblical year was sighted on Monday, March 11, all around the world, including in Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas, USA, by multiple adult believers, between 6:52 p.m. and 7:31 p.m CST.

April 2024: On Tuesday, April 9th, the new moon sliver was sighted in Rhode Island, Virginia, Florida, Michigan, and Missouri, USA, as well as other locations across the country.

May 2024: The new moon starting the third month of the Biblical year was sighted on Wednesday, May 8, in Florida and Michigan, as well as other locations across the US.

June 2024: On Friday, June 7, 2024, the new moon was sighted in Turkey and from the US east coast across the country.

July 2024: The new moon sliver was sighted in Florida and Tennessee, USA, on Saturday, July 6.

August 2024: On Monday, August 5, the new moon was sighted in Puerto Rico, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

September 2024: The new moon signaling the first day of the seventh Biblical month and the Feast of Trumpets was sighted in South Africa, Ohio, and Texas on Wednesday, September 4th.

October 2024: The new moon beginning the 8th month was sighted at 7:19 p.m. on Friday, October 4th, by one adult in Groves, Tx.

November 2024: On Sunday, November 3rd, the new moon was sighted at 5:27 p.m. in Port Allen, La. by one adult.

December 2024: Two adults sighted the new moon sliver on Monday, December 2nd, in Port Allen, La. and Groves, Tx.

January 2025: The new crescent moon was sighted in Port Allen, La., by two adults on Wednesday, January 1st, at 5:46 p.m.

January 2025: On Thursday, January 30, the new moon was sighted in Florida, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico.

March 2025: The last new moon of the Biblical year was sighted on Saturday, March 1st, all around the globe, including 2 sightings in Texas and one in Louisiana, USA

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 22	March 23
Month 2	April 21	April 22
Month 3	May 20	May 21
Month 4	June 19	June 20
Month 5	July 18	July 19
Month 6	August 17	August 18
Month 7	September 16	September 17
Month 8	October 16	October 17
Month 9	November 14	November 15
Month 10	December 14	December 15
Month 11	January 12	January 13
Month 12	February 10	February 11

March 2023: The new moon sliver which marks the beginning of Yahweh's Biblical calendar was sighted by two adults at 7:32 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, in Port Allen, La., as well as in Georgia, USA, and numerous other locations around the globe, beginning in Nigeria.

April 2023: On Friday, April 21, the new moon was sighted from Australia to India and around the world.

May 2023: A sighting of the new moon was reported by one adult in Groves, Tx. at 8:50 p.m. on Saturday, May 20th. There were also reports from Albania, Lebanon, the UK, Florida, Georgia, and other states across the US.

June 2023: The new moon sliver was sighted on Monday, June 19, at 8:33 p.m. by one adult in Groves, Tx., and one adult in Port Allen, La.

July 2023: Beginning in India on Tuesday, July 19, the new crescent moon was sighted across the globe.

August 2023: On Thursday, August 17, the new moon was sighted at 8:00 p.m. by one adult in Port Allen, La., and by a second adult at 8:09 p.m. in Groves, Tx.

September 2023: The new moon signalling the beginning of the 7th month of the Biblical calendar and the start of the fall Holy season was sighted on Saturday, September 16, first in Australia, then in India, Lebanon, and across the USA.

October 2023: Sightings of the new moon sliver were reported on Monday, October 16, including in Port Allen, La., at 6:52 p.m., through Groves, Tx. and stretching across the globe,

November 2023: The new moon crescent was sighted on Tuesday, November 14 from Australia to Mauritius and South Africa.

December 2023: On Thursday, December 14, the new moon sliver was sighted by one witness in Converse, La., and one witness in Groves, Tx.

January 2024: Sightings for the new crescent moon began in Australia and spread around the world to North Carolina and Louisiana on Friday, January 12.

February 2024: The new moon sliver was sighted on Saturday, February 10, in Guyana, Grenada, the Bahamas, Florida, and Missouri

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	April 2	April 3
Month 2	May 1	May 2
Month 3	May 31	June 1
Month 4	June 30	July 1
Month 5	July 29	July 30
Month 6	August 28	August 29
Month 7	September 27	September 28
Month 8	October 26	October 27
Month 9	November 25	November 26
Month 10	December 24	December 25
Month 11	January 22	January 23
Month 12	February 21	February 22

April 2022: The new moon signaling the beginning of the Biblical new year and the month of Abib was sighted at approximately 7:42 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 by two adults in Converse, La., one adult in Port Allen, La., and one adult in Groves, Tx.

May 2022: On Sunday, May 1st, the new moon was sighted in Virginia and Tennessee, USA.

May 2022: The new moon crescent was sighted on Tuesday, May 31, from Kenya and across the United States from Florida westward.

June 2022: Despite reports of binoculars-only sightings on June 29, there are no verifiable naked eye sighting reports for that date east of Groves, Tx., therefore our determination is to rely on the clear certainty of sighting on June 30.

July 2022: On Friday, July 29, the new moon was sighted in Virginia, Florida, and Texas.

August 2022: The new moon sliver was sighted on Sunday, August 28th, in Virginia, North Carolina, and Louisiana in the US, as well as at several other locations around the world.

September 2022: On Tuesday, September 27, the new moon was sighted in Port Allen, La., Groves, Tx., Converse, La., and multiple other locations around the world.

October 2022: The crescent new moon was sighted in Port Allen, La., on Wednesday, October 26th, by two adults.

November 2022: On Friday, November 25, the new crescent moon was sighted from Australia to the entire US.

December 2022: The new moon sliver was sighted across the US and around the world on Saturday, December 24.

January 2023: On Sunday, January 22, sightings of the new moon crescent began in South Africa and spread across the globe.

February 2023: The new moon crescent for the last month of the Biblical year was sighted by two adults at 6:18 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21, in Port Allen, La.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 14	March 15
Month 2	April 13	April 14
Month 3	May 12	May 13
Month 4	June 11	June 12
Month 5	July 11	July 12
Month 6	August 9	August 10
Month 7	September 8	September 9
Month 8	October 7	October 8
Month 9	November 6	November 7
Month 10	December 5	December 6
Month 11	January 3	January 4
Month 12	February 2	February 3
Month 13	March 3	March 4

March 2021: On Sunday, March 14, the new moon sliver marking the beginning of the Biblical year was sighted from Perth, Australia, across the world even to Port Allen, La., USA., making Saturday, March 15 the first day of Abib.

April 2021: The crescent new moon was sighted on Tuesday, April 13, in South Africa, the Netherlands, and across the United States.

May 2021: On Wednesday, May 12, the new moon sliver was sighted in Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee, USA, as well as many points west of these states.

June 2021: From Mombasa, Kenya, to Florida, Texas, and many other states in the US, the new moon sliver was sighted on June 11.

July 2021: Despite searching, the new moon was not sighted in Groves, Tx., on July 10, but was sighted in South Africa, Paraguay, Columbia, Mexico, and numerous locations in the US on July 11.

August 2021: The new moon crescent was sighted from India and Indonesia, in South Africa, and across the United States on Monday, August 9th.

September 2021: On Wednesday, September 8, the new moon was sighted at 7:28 p.m. by two adults in Port Allen, La., one adult in Converse, La., across the US, and around the world.

October 2021: The new moon was sighted by three adults on Thursday, October 7 in Port Allen, La., Converse, La., and Groves, Tx.

November 2021: On Saturday, November 6th, the new crescent moon was sighted in Victoria, Australia; Kentucky; Texas; Cancun, México; and Cuernavaca México.

December 2021: The new moon sliver was sighted in Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, and across the US on Sunday, December 5th.

January 2022: Two adults sighted the new moon crescent on Monday, January 3rd, at 5:49 p.m., in both Port Allen, La. and Groves, Tx.

February 2022: The new moon crescent was sighted across the world on Wednesday, February 2nd.

March 2022: On Thursday, March 3rd, the crescent new moon was sighted by one adult in Groves, Tx. at 6:28 p.m., and one adult in Converse, La. minutes later.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 25	March 26
Month 2	April 24	April 25
Month 3	May 23	May 24
Month 4	June 22	June 23
Month 5	July 21	July 22
Month 6	August 20	August 21
Month 7	September 18	September 19
Month 8	October 17	October 18
Month 9	November 16	November 17
Month 10	December 15	December 16
Month 11	January 14	January 15
Month 12	February 12	February 13

Sighting reports for 2020-2021

March 2020: The new moon crescent signaling the beginning of Abib and the Biblical year was sighted in Port Allen, La., by two adults at 7:42 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25. The sliver was also sighted in Australia, Converse, La., and San Antonio, Tx., as well as numerous other sites around the world.

April 2020: On Friday, April 24th, the new moon was sighted from Australia around the globe to multiple sites in the United States.

May 2020: From South Africa and across the U.S., the new moon sliver was sighted on Saturday, May 23.

June 2020: The earliest sighting of the new moon was on Monday, June 22, in Australia; other sightings followed across the world.

July 2020: The new moon was sighted around the world on Tuesday, July 21, including India, Spain, the UK, and Florida and Texas in the USA.

August 2020: On Thursday, August 20, the crescent new moon was sighted in Port Allen, La., as well as in numerous locations around the world.

September 2020: On Friday, September 18, sightings of the new moon were reported from Australia across the globe to Indiana and beyond.

October 2020: The new moon sliver was sighted on Saturday, October 17, from the continent of Africa and all across the USA.

November 2020: One Monday, November 16, the crescent new moon was sighted all around the world.

December 2020: From Perth, Australia, to all across the US, the new moon was sighted on Tuesday, December 15.

January 2021: The new moon sliver was sighted beginning in New Zealand and spreading all across the globe on Thursday, January 14th.

February 2021: On Friday, February 12, the emerging new moon was sighted from India to South Africa and across the USA.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 7	March 8
Month 2	April 6	April 7
Month 3	May 5	May 6
Month 4	June 4	June 5
Month 5	July 3	July 4
Month 6	August 2	August 3
Month 7	August 31	September 1
Month 8	September 29	September 30
Month 9	October 29	October 30
Month 10	November 27	November 28
Month 11	December 27	December 28
Month 12	January 26	January 27
Month 13	February 24	February 25

March 2019: The new moon signaling the beginning of Abib was sighted in India, Canada, Florida, and Texas on Thursday, March 9.

April 2019: On Saturday, April 6th, the new moon crescent was sighted all across the globe.

May 2019: The new moon was sighted with the naked eye in several locations in the US on Sunday, May 5.

June 2019: The crescent new moon was sighted around the world on Tuesday, June 4.

July 2019: On Wednesday, July 3, the new crescent was sighted in Chile, Lebanon, Morocco, South Africa, and across the US.

August 2019: The new moon sliver was sighted on the US east coast and elsewhere around the world on Friday, August 2nd.

August 2019: On Saturday, August 31, the new moon signaling the beginning of the 7th month was sighted by two adults in Groves, Tx., at 7:55 p.m.

September 2019: The crescent new moon was sighted around the world on Sunday, September 29.

October 2019: On Tuesday, October 29, the new moon was seen across the globe.

November 2019: The new moon was sighted on Wednesday, November 27th, from Mauritius to Jamaica and across the United States.

December 2019: On Friday, December 27, the crescent moon was sighted from Australia and around the world.

January 2020: The new moon silver was visible across the globe on Sunday, January 26th.

February 2020: From Trinidad, South Africa, and Barbados to Florida and other states in the US, the new moon was sighted on February 24, 2020

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 18	March 19
Month 2	April 17	April 18
Month 3	May 16	May 17
Month 4	June 14	June 15
Month 5	July 14	July 15
Month 6	August 12	August 13
Month 7	September 10	September 11
Month 8	October 10	October 11
Month 9	November 8	November 9
Month 10	December 8	December 9
Month 11	January 7	January 8
Month 12	February 6	February 1

March 2018: Despite local cloudy skies on March 18, the new moon sliver was sighted across the world, including Israel, Nigeria, Australia, and numerous locations across the United States.

April 2018: There was no reliable naked eye sighting of the new moon east of our location on Monday, April 16. The beginning of the second Biblical month is based on sightings from around the world on Tuesday, April 17.

June 2018: On Thursday, June 14, the new moon crescent was sighted in South Africa and multiple locations in the U.S.

July 2018: The new moon sliver was sighted all across the globe on Saturday, July 14.

August 2018: From Australia across the world and the United States, the new moon was sighted on Sunday, August 12.

September 2018: The new moon was sighted around the world on Monday, September 10.

November 2018: The new moon was sighted from Zimbabwe westward on Wednesday, November 7.

December 2018: On Saturday, December 8, 2018, the new moon was sighted from Australia and westward.

January 2019: The new moon was sighted in numerous locations across the world on Monday, January 7, 2019.

February 2019: All reported naked eye sightings were reported west of our location on February 5th, therefore the House of Yahshua has determined to accept the sightings on February 6th as the benchmark for the beginning of the 12th month.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 29	March 30
Month 2	April 27	April 28
Month 3	May 26	May 27
Month 4	June 25	June 26
Month 5	July 24	July 25
Month 6	August 22	August 23
Month 7	September 21	September 22
Month 8	October 20	October 21
Month 9	November 19	November 20
Month 10	December 19	December 20
Month 11	January 18	January 19
Month 12	February 17	February 18

March 2017: On March 29th the new moon was visible across the world and sighted Livingston, Tx., as well as in Australia, France, South Africa, and numerous other locations.

April 2017: The new moon sliver was sighted in Converse, La. and in Livingston, Tx. on Thursday, April 29th at 8:06 and 8:09 p.m., respectively.

May 2017: Reports are that the new moon crescent was sighted on Friday, May 26th, 2017.

June 2017: Around the world and across the US, the new moon was sighted on Sunday, June 25th.

July 2017: The new moon sliver was sighted on Monday, July 24th, in Cleveland, Tx., as well as in many places across the globe.

August 2017: On August 22nd the new moon was sighted by one adult in Cleveland, Tx., as well as across the US, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, and many other locations around the world.

September 2017: The new moon signaling the beginning of the 7th Biblical month was sighted around the world on Thursday, September 21.

October 2017: Across the US and the world, the new moon crescent was sighted on Friday, October 20th.

November 2017: The new moon sliver was sighted across the globe on Sunday, November 19, including Trinidad, Tobago, Chile, Morocco, South Africa, and the USA.

December 2017: On Tuesday, December 19, the new moon was sighted at 5:49 p.m. in Converse, La., by two adults.

January 2018: The crescent new moon was sighted around the globe on Thursday, January 18th.

February 2018: The new moon was not verifiably sighted east of Groves, Tx., on Feb. 16, so sighting reports for Saturday, February 17th were used, which were worldwide.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 9	March 10
Month 2	April 8	April 9
Month 3	May 7	May 8
Month 4	June 6	June 7
Month 5	July 5	July 6
Month 6	August 4	August 5
Month 7	September 2	September 3
Month 8	October 2	October 3
Month 9	November 1	November 2
Month 10	November 30	December 1
Month 11	December 30	December 31
Month 12	January 28	January 29
Month 13	February 27	February 28

March 2016: The new moon crescent signalling the beginning of Abib was sighted in Virginia and Florida on Wednesday, March 9th.

April 2016: On Friday, April 8th, the new moon sliver was sighted across the USA and around the world.

May 2016: The new moon was sighted all across the globe on Saturday, May 7th.

June 2016: On Monday, June 6th, the new moon sliver was sighted in Cleveland, Tx., as well as in numerous locations across the country and around the world.

July 2016: Across the world on July 5th the new moon was sighted, including in Australia, Kuwait, South Africa, and many US states.

August 2016: The new moon sliver was sighted all across the globe on Thursday, August 4.

September 2016: On Friday, September 2nd, the new moon was sighted by one adult in Converse, Louisiana, at 8:05 p.m.

October 2016: The new moon was sighted in many location around the world on Sunday, October 2.

November 2016: On Tuesday, November 1, the crescent moon was sighted in numerous locations across the globe.

November 2016: The new moon crescent was sighted across the U.S. and the world on Wednesday, November 30.

December 2016: On Friday, December 30, the new moon sliver was sighted across the globe.

January 2017: The new sliver moon was sighted in Bridge City, Texas at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, January 28.

February 2017: Across the world, from Morocco to South Africa, through the UK and into the US (Florida and Texas, among other states), the new moon was sighted on February 27.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 21	March 22
Month 2	April 19	April 20
Month 3	May 19	May 20
Month 4	June 17	June 18
Month 5	July 17	July 18
Month 6	August 16	August 17
Month 7	September 14	September 15
Month 8	October 14	October 15
Month 9	November 12	November 13
Month 10	December 12	December 13
Month 11	January 10	January 11
Month 12	February 9	February 10

March 2015: On Saturday, March 21, the new moon was sighted in numerous locations throughout the world, including Florida, Virginia, and Kentucky.

April 2015: The new moon crescent was sighted on Sunday, April 19, all around the world, including in Canada, Morocco, Indonesia, and in Florida and California in the United States.

June 2015: Around the world the new crescent was sighted on June 17, including in the United States, Australia, Chile, Guyana, and Kenya.

July 2015: On Friday, July 18, the new moon was sighted all across the world.

August 2015: The new moon crescent was sighted on Sunday, August 16, in the West Indies and in Virginia, and Missouri.

September 2015: On Monday, September 14, the new moon signaling the first day of the 7th Biblical month was sighted at about 7:50 p.m. in Converse, La. and Lufkin, Tx., as well as in numerous locations across the globe.

October 2015: The new moon sliver was sighted around the world on Wednesday, October 14.

November 2015: On Thursday, November 12, the new moon was sighted in Morocco and in Virginia, Illinois, and California in the USA.

December 2015: The new moon was sighted all across the globe on Saturday, December 12, including in Florida, North Carolina, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Virginia, USA

January 2016: On Sunday, January 10, the new moon sliver was sighted in two locations in Missouri and in Oklahoma.

February 2016: The new moon sighting for this month was verified on February 9th across the world.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 31	April 1
Month 2	April 30	May 1
Month 3	May 30	May 31
Month 4	June 29	June 30
Month 5	July 28	July 29
Month 6	August 27	August 28
Month 7	September 25	September 26
Month 8	October 25	October 26
Month 9	November 23	November 24
Month 10	December 23	December 24
Month 11	January 21	January 22
Month 12	February 19	February 20

March 2014: The new moon sliver which marks the beginning of the month of Abib was sighted at 7:54 p.m. on March 31 in Bridge City, Tx., by one adult. This was verified within minutes by another adult in the same location, as well as by two adults in Converse, La.

April 2014: On Wednesday, April 30, the new moon was sighted by two adults at 8:12 p.m. in Bridge City, Tx.

May 2014: One adult sighted the new moon crescent in Bridge City, Tx., on Friday, May 30.

June 2014: Due to overcast conditions, the new moon was not sighted on June 28. No reports were made to the east of our location, therefore the new moon sighting will be on June 29, making June 30 the first day of the 4th month.

July 2014: The new moon crescent was sighted in numerous locations throughout the world on July 28, including Arkansas, Florida, and New York in the U.S., as well as Australia, India, and New Zealand.

August 2014: Although overcast skies prevented a sighting in Bridge City on August 27, the new moon sliver was sighted on that date in New Zealand, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Virginia, USA.

September 2014: Again prevented from sighting by overcast skies in the Bridge City area; however, the new moon was sighted in Florida, Georgia, and Virginia, as well as in numerous other locations across the country and the world on September 25.

October 2014: The new moon sliver was sighted in Evadale, Tx., on Saturday, October 25, at approximately 7:30 p.m. by two adults.

November 2014: On Sunday, November 23, the new moon crescent was sighted in locations from Europe and Africa to the US, including Sanford, Fl, and Houston, Tx.

December 2014: The new moon crescent was sighted in numerous places around the globe on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

January 2015: On Wednesday, January 21, the new moon sliver was sighted in numerous locations around the world, including Sri Lanka and Jamaica, as well as North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia in the United States.

February 2015: The new moon was sighted all over the world on February 19, including France, Barbados, and numerous loctions within the United States.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 12	March 13
Month 2	April 11	April 12
Month 3	May 11	May 12
Month 4	June 10	June 11
Month 5	July 9	July 10
Month 6	August 8	August 9
Month 7	September 7	September 8
Month 8	October 6	October 7
Month 9	November 4	November 5
Month 10	December 3	December 4
Month 11	January 2	January 3
Month 12	January 31	February 1
Month 13	March 2	March 3

March 2013: The new moon crescent marking the beginning of Abib and the new Biblical year was sighted in Bridge City, Tx., by two adult witnesses at 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. This sighting was confirmed by sightings from several witnesses in Converse, La., and Baton Rouge, La., on the same date, as well as by other sightings around the world.

April 2013: On Thursday, April 11, the new moon sliver was sighted by one witness in Bridge City, Tx., at 7:58 p.m., and by two witnesses at the same time in Converse, La.

May 2013: The new moon sliver was sighted in Bridge City, Tx., on Saturday, May 11, at 7:55 p.m. by two adult witnesses.

June 2013: Due to overcast skies and lack of sightings to the east of our location on June 9th, the House of Yahshua deferred the beginning of the 4th month to June 10th.

July 2013: The new moon crescent was sighted by two adults in Bridge City, Tx., on Tuesday, July 9th at 8:39 p.m.

August 2013: Due to extreme haze caused by dust in the atmosphere, a sighting was not possible locally on Thursday, August 8; however, numerous sightings were reported around the world on that date.

September 2013: The new moon marking the beginning of the 7th month was sighted on September 7th in Bridge City, Tx., and Converse, La., as well as in India and Lebanon.

October 2013: On Sunday, October 6, the new moon sliver was sighted in numerous locations throughout the world.

November 2013: The new moon crescent was sighted in Georgia and West Virginia on Monday, November 4, as well as in other locations around the world.

December 2013: On Tuesday Decembr 3rd the new moon crescent was sighted in Orlando, Fl., as well as in Colombia, Mo., Jamaica, and other sites across the globe.

January 2014: The new moon sliver was sighted by two adults on Thursday, January 2, between 5:20 and 5:40 p.m. in Bridge City, Tx., and Beaumont, Tx.

January 2014: After the second conjunction in January the new crescent moon was sighted on Friday, January 31, and was sighted and photographed by one adult in Converse, La., at 6:15 p.m.

March 2014: Although overcast conditions prevented sighting locally, the new moon crescent was sighted in India, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Florida on Sunday, March 2.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 23	March 24
Month 2	April 22	April 23
Month 3	May 22	May 23
Month 4	June 21	June 22
Month 5	July 20	July 21
Month 6	August 19	August 20
Month 7	September 17	September 18
Month 8	October 16	October 17
Month 9	November 14	November 15
Month 10	December 14	December 15
Month 11	January 12	January 13
Month 12	February 11	February 12

March 2012: The crescent new moon marking the beginning of the Biblical year was sighted in Bridge City, Tx., on March 23rd, 2012, by three adult witnesses at 7:43 p.m.

April 2012: Two adult witnesses sighted the new moon crescent at 7:55 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, in Bridge City, Tx.

May 2012: On Tuesday, May 22, the new moon was sighted by two adults at 8:14 p.m. in Bridge City, Tx.

June 2012: The new moon was sighted on June 21 at 8:23 p.m. by two adult witnesses in Bridge City, Tx.

July 2012: Although local conditions prevented sighting the new moon on July 20 in Bridge City, the new crescent was sighted in numerous locations across the world on that date, including Australia, Africa, and the eastern U.S.

August 2012: The crescent new moon was sighted by two adults at 7:56 p.m. in Bridge City, Tx., on Sunday, August 19.

September 2012: On Tuesday, September 17, at 7:20 p.m., the new moon signalling the beginning of the 7th month was sighted in Bridge City, Tx., by two adults.

October 2012: The new moon sliver was sighted in many locations throughout the world on Tuesday, September 16, including the U.K., Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

November 2012: The crescent new moon was sighted in Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas on Wednesday, November 14.

December 2012: On Friday, December 14, the new moon was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., by three adult witnesses at 5:47 p.m.

January 2013: Local weather conditions prevented sighting in Bridge City, but the new moon sighting was reported across the world in many locations, including Kuwait, Morocco, the UK, and Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida in the United States on Saturday, January 12.

February 2013: Although overcast skies prevented sighting in Bridge City, the new moon was sighted in numerous locations around the world on Monday, February 11, including India, Pakistan, and Qatar.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	April 4	April 5
Month 2	May 4	May 5
Month 3	June 3	June 4
Month 4	July 2	July 3
Month 5	August 1	August 2
Month 6	August 30	August 31
Month 7	September 28	September 29
Month 8	October 28	October 29
Month 9	November 26	November 27
Month 10	December 25	December 26
Month 11	January 24	January 25
Month 12	February 23	February 24

April 2011: The new moon crescent was sighted in the Netherlands, the UK, Virginia, North Carolina, Israel, and the West Indies on Monday, April 4, 2011. This sets the beginning of the month of Abib on Tuesday, April 5th.

May 2011: On May 4th, the new sliver was sighted around the world, including in India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Canada, and the US.

June 2011: The new moon was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., by two adults at 8:32 p.m. on June 3rd.

July 2011: Two adult witnesses sighted the new moon crescent in Baton Rouge, La., at 8:25 p.m. on Saturday, July 2nd.

August 2011: In addition to overcast conditions making sighting impossible in Baton Rouge, La. on July 31, there were no naked eye sightings reported east of Baton Rouge on that date within our range of possible visibility. On August 1 there were numerous sightings reported around the world, making Aug. 2nd the first day of the 5th month.

August 2011: Smoke haze prevented crescent sighting in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, August 30, but numerous reports from the eastern United States from Florida to New York verify that the new moon was visible on that date.

September 2011: On September 28, the new moon sliver was sighted by three adults at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Converse, La. Additional sightings were reported in Malaysia, Mauritius, Panama, South Africa, and Virginia.

October 2011: The new moon was not sighted in Baton Rouge, La., on Oct. 27 despite very clear skies on that date. The new moon crescent was sighted in numerous locations on October 28, including India, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.

November 2011: On Saturday, November 26, the new moon crescent was sighted in numerous locations along the eastern U.S. and around the world.

December 2011: The new moon was sighted in numerous locations on the U.S. eastern seaboard on Sunday, December 25, as well as in other parts of the country.

January 2012: Although heavy rain prevented sighting on January 24th in Bridge City, the new moon was sighted in Georgia, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and numerous other locations across the U.S. and around the world on that date.

February 2012: Because the new moon was not sighted in Bridge City, Tx. on February 22 or reliably reported as sighted east of that location on that date, the month was allowed to fulfill 30 days with sightings for certainon February 23.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 16	March 17
Month 2	April 15	April 16
Month 3	May 15	May 16
Month 4	June 13	June 14
Month 5	July 13	July 14
Month 6	August 11	August 12
Month 7	September 10	September 11
Month 8	October 9	October 10
Month 9	November 7	November 8
Month 10	December 7	December 8
Month 11	January 5	January 6
Month 12	February 4	February 5
Month 13	March 6	March 7

March 2010: On March 16, the new moon was sighted in Massachusetts, Virginia, and Minnesota, making March 17 the first day of Abib, 2010.

April 2010: The crescent moon was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., at 7:49 p.m. on Thursday, April 15 by one adult.

May 2010: Sightings of the new moon crescent were reported in numerous locations throughout the world including Australia, the Middle East, and South Africa on Saturday, May 15.

June 2010: On Sunday, June 13th, at 8:32 p.m. the new moon sliver was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., by three witnesses. In addition, the new moon was sighted in many locations throughout the world on this date.

July 2010: The new moon sliver was sighted at 8:21 p.m. on July 13 in Baton Rouge, La. by two adult witnesses.

August 2010: Although the new moon was not sighted in Baton Rouge due to poor weather, the crescent was sighted in many places across the world including Australia, Indonesia, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.

September 2010: The new moon crescent was sighted by two adults on Friday, September 10, in Baton Rouge, La., at 7:24 p.m.

October 2010: On Saturday, October 9th, the new moon was sighted in Canada, through India and Pakistan, and in the eastern United States as well as other locations throughout the world.

November 2010: One adult witness sighted the new moon crescent on Sunday, October 7, at 5:41 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La..

December 2010: The new moon sliver was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., on Tuesday, December 7, at 5:20 p.m. by one adult witness.

January 2011: On Wednesday January 5th at 5:43 p.m., the new moon sliver was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., by one witness.

February 2011: Due to overcast skies in the Baton Rouge area on Feb. 3, no reported sightings east of us, and a very low chance of sighting in our area on that date, it is our judgement to accept the sightings of the new moon crescent across the globe on Feb. 4th, thus fulfilling 30 days for the 11th month.

March 2011: To our knowledge there were no reported sightings of the new moon east of Baton Rouge on March 5th, and as sighting was made impossible by completely overcast skies, it is again our judgement to fulfill 30 days for the 12th month and begin the 13th month on March 7.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 27	March 28
Month 2	April 26	April 27
Month 3	May 25	May 26
Month 4	June 23	June 24
Month 5	July 23	July 24
Month 6	August 21	August 22
Month 7	September 20	September 21
Month 8	October 19	October 20
Month 9	November 18	November19
Month 10	December 17	December18
Month 11	January 16	January 17
Month 12	February 15	February 16

March 2009: The new moon crescent signaling the beginning of Abib and of the Biblical new year was sighted on March 27 at 8:29 p.m. EST in Michigan by two adult witnesses. In addition, the new moon was sighted on this date in Europe and Africa.

April 2009: On Sunday, April 26, the new moon sliver was sighted by two adult witnesses in Baton Rouge, LA, at 7:49 p.m. The crescent was also reported sighted in numerous areas around the world on this date.

May 2009: Although there were overcast skies in Baton Rouge, the new moon crescent was sighted in numerous locations throughout the world on Monday, May 25.

June 2009: The new moon was sighted in numerous areas across the globe on Tuesday, June 23rd, including Israel, Africa, Georgia, Virginia, Florida, and Arkansas.

July 2009: In numerous locations both in the USA and across the world, the crescent moon was sighted on July 23rd.

August 2009: While skies were completely overcast in Baton Rouge on Friday, Aug. 21, the new moon was sighted in many places around the world on that date, beginning in Australia and including Florida in the USA

September 2009: Due to dense cloud cover, the earth's tilt, and the closeness of moonset to sunset, the new moon was impossible to sight on Sept. 19. The House of Yahshua will complete 30 days and begin the 7th month on Sept. 21, observing the Feast of Trumpets on that day. Despite the continued presence of cloud cover in the Baton Rouge area which prevented sighting on the 20th, the new moon was sighted in Indonesia, India, and Vermont on that date.

October 2009: The new moon was sighted on October 19 in Sri Lanka, Guyana, Indonesia, Florida, Georgia, and Virgina.

November 2009: On Wednesday, November 18, the new moon was sighted in Baton Rouge, LA, by one adult at 5:33 p.m.

December 2009: From Europe and Africa to the eastern U.S., the new moon crescent was sighted on December 7.

January 2010: On Saturday, January 16, the new moon sliver was sighted by one adult witness at 6:00 p.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio, in addition to other sightings in Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Pakistan.

February 2010: The new moon crescent was sighted at 6:05 p.m. by two adults in Baton Rouge, LA, on Monday, February 15.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 8	March 9
Month 2	April 6	April 7
Month 3	May 6	May 7
Month 4	June 4	June 5
Month 5	July 4	July 5
Month 6	August 2	August 3
Month 7	September 1	September 2
Month 8	October 1	October 2
Month 9	October 30	October 31
Month 10	November 29	November 30
Month 11	December 29	December 30
Month 12	January 28	January 29
Month 13	February 26	February 27

March 2008: On March 8 the new moon crescent was sighted in multiple locations along the U.S. east coast, making March 9 the first day of Abib.

April 2008: The new moon crescent was sighted by two adult witnesses at 7:55 p.m on Sunday, April 6, 2008, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition, two witnesses reported a sighting at Toledo Bend River in Louisiana, and in Montgomery, Texas, the crescent was sighted by four witnesses.

May 2008: As far east as Indonesia, the new moon crescent was sighted on the evening of Tuesday, May 6. Sightings were reported across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the eastern United States.

June 2008: The new moon sliver was sighted at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

July 2008: Two witnesses sighted the new moon crescent at 8:13 p.m. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Friday, July 4.

August 2008: The new crescent was sighted in Baton Rouge at 8:06 p.m. on Saturday, August 2. In addition, the crescent was sighted first in Australia and then across the globe also on August 2nd.

September 2008: Due to hurricane Gustav's imminent arrival in the Baton Rouge on Sept. 1 which will prevent any actual sighting in our area for several days, we have opted to resort to projection of the best likelihood of the new moon sighting based on last month's sighting, recent observation of the waning moon, and the actual time of conjunction: this combination gives us a sighting date of Sept. 1, which will make Sept. 2 the first day of the seventh month and the date of the Feast of Trumpets for 2008. If this is proved wrong by actual sightings east of us on Sept. 1, this fact will be posted on the home page of this site as soon as possible.

October 2008: On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the new moon was sighted at 7:35 p.m. in Baton Rouge, LA.

October 2008: The new moon crescent was sighted by two adult witnesses in Baton Rouge, LA, on Thursday, October 30 at 6:50 p.m.

November 2008: Due to poor weather conditions in our area and questionable sighting reports elsewhere for Nov. 28, our assembly has made the decision to allow the month to fulfill 30 days, resting on the surety of a sighting on the 29th instead.

December 2008: At 5:31 p.m. the new moon crescent was sighted in Baton Rouge, LA on Dec. 29.

January 2009: Due to overcast conditions for both the 29th and 30th day of the 11th month and uncertainty of a sighting possibility on the evening of the 29th, the decision has been made to fulfill the 30th day of the month on January 28 and begin the 12th month on January 29.

February 2009: On February 26, at 6:03 p.m., the new moon sliver was sighted in Baton Rouge, LA by one adult.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 19	March 20
Month 2	April 18	April 19
Month 3	May 17	May 18
Month 4	June 16	June 17
Month 5	July 15	July 16
Month 6	August 14	August 15
Month 7	September 13	September 14
Month 8	October 13	October 14
Month 9	November 11	November 12
Month 10	December 11	December 12
Month 11	January 9	January 10
Month 12	February 8	February 9

March 2007: On March 19, the new moon sliver was sighted at 7:57 p.m. in Houston, Texas. Also sighted in Lufkin and Conroe, Texas, on the same evening.

April 2007: Two witnesses sighted the new moon at 7:58 p.m. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 18.

May 2007: The new moon was sighted on Thursday, May 17, at approximately 8 p.m. in Bolivar, Louisiana by one witness.

June 2007: In Montgomery, Alabama, the new moon was sighted by two witnesses at 7:50 p.m. Crescent was also sighted on the same day in Ohio and elsewhere around the world.

July 2007: Because of overcast and rainy weather on July 15 which is expected to last through July 18, we must resort to the count from the last sighting, the time of the conjunction on the 14th and sun/moon set times on the 15th, and outside reports. Our determination is that the new moon was visible on July 15, making July 16 the first day of the fifth month.

August 2007: Once again we must rely on our count and outside reports of sightings because of poor weather in our area. Numerous sightings were reported across the world on August 14, which agrees with our count and expectations based on the time of conjunction, therefore day one of month six is deemed to be August 15.

September 2007: Again, due to poor weather conditions, we were unable to sight the new moon on Sept. 12; however, consideration of conjunction and sunset/moonset times for our area and of sighting reports from outside sources indicates that a naked eye sighting in our area would have been impossible on this day. Reports to the west of us reveal that naked eye sighting will be possible in our area on Sept. 13, therefore it is our determination that Sept. 14 will be the first day of the seventh month for 2007.

October 2007: Despite clear skies and excellent visibility, the new moon was not sighted in either Baton Rouge, La. or Memphis, Tn. on October 12. Sightings were reported as far north and east as Pennsylvania on October 13, so the first day of the eighth month falls on October 14.

November 2007: The new moon crescent was sighted in the Middle East and the eastern U.S. on Sunday, November 11, as well as in other parts of the world.

December 2007: At 5:15 p.m. on December 11, the new moon was sighted in Baton Rouge, La., by one witness. Although there were sightings in other parts of the world on Dec. 10, none were reported in even the westernmost parts of the U.S., supporting the fact that sighting was impossible in those upper latitudes.

January 2008: The new moon was sighted in many locations in the eastern U.S., as well as elsewhere in the country and in other countries, on January 9, 2008.

February 2008: On February 8th, at 5:53 p.m., the new moon sliver was sighted in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by one witness.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 30	March 31
Month 2	April 28	April 29
Month 3	May 28	May 29
Month 4	June 26	June 27
Month 5	July 26	July 27
Month 6	August 25	August 26
Month 7	September 24	September 25
Month 8	October 23	October 24
Month 9	November 22	November 23
Month 10	December 22	December 23
Month 11	January 20	January 21
Month 12	February 18	February 19

March 2006: On March 30, 2006, the new moon crescent was sighted in Houston, Texas, at 6:44 p.m., beginning the first month of Abib on March 31.

April 2006: The new moon crescent was visible on Friday, April 28, in Virginia and South Carolina.

May 2006: At 8:30 p.m. on May 28, 2006, the new moon was sighted outside Buffalo, Texas.

June 2006: The new moon crescent was sighted by at least three witnesses in Austin, Texas, as well as in Germany.

July 2006: On July 26 the new moon crescent was sighted in Kuwait and South Africa, and in many locations in the United States.

August 2006: The new moon was visible to the naked eye on August 25 in Pakistan, Israel, and numerous locations in the U.S.

September 2006: On September 24, 2006, the new moon crescent was sighted both in Kuwait and Jerusalem.

October 2006: At 6:45 p.m. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the crescent new moon was sighted on October 23, 2006.

November 2006: The new moon crescent was sighted by two witnesses at 5:37 p.m. on November 22, 2006, in Houston, Texas.

December 2006: Weather conditions prevented a sighting in Baton Rouge on Dec. 21, and there were no reports to us of any sightings. Skies continue to be overcast on the 22nd, however, it is our judgment that the new moon crescent would certainly be visible on Dec. 22 if weather permitted: therefore, we declare Dec. 23 to be day one of the tenth month.

January 2007: No sightings reported in or to the east of the Baton Rouge area on Jan. 19; according to conjunction information and sighting information west of Baton Rouge, the first day of the 11th month was deemed to fall on January 21.

February 2007: On February 18, 2007, the new moon crescent was sighted at 6:09 p.m. by two witnesses in Baton Rouge, LA. The crescent was well up in the sky and clearly visible with the naked eye.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 11	March 12
Month 2	April 9	April 10
Month 3	May 9	May 10
Month 4	June 7	June 8
Month 5	July 7	July 8
Month 6	August 6	August 7
Month 7	September 5	September 6
Month 8	October 5	October 6
Month 9	November 3	November 4
Month 10	December 2	December 3
Month 11	January 1	January 2
Month 12	January 30	January 31
Month 13	February 28	March 1

March 2005: The new moon crescent was sighted in Houston, Texas, on March 11, 2005, at 6:28 p.m. and after by three witnesses. In addition, the crescent was sighted in other places throughout the world, including Australia, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

April 2005: On April 9, 2005, the crescent moon was clearly sighted by two witnesses in Houston, Texas, at 8:13 p.m., and by four witnesses in Jacksonville, Texas.

May 2005: The new moon crescent was sighted in the Middle East, Europe, and at least two locations in the United States on Monday, May 9, 2005.

June 2005: At 8:45 p.m. the new moon sliver was sighted by two adults in Houston, Texas, on June 7, 2005. Sighting by several witnesses was also reported in Conroe, Texas, at approximately 8:55 p.m.

July 2005: The new moon crescent was sighted in Israel on July 7, 2005, as well as in Africa, Florida, and other US states.

August 2005: At approximately 8:45 p.m. on August 6, the new moon crescent was sighted in Conroe, Texas, by an excess of 5 witnesses. In addition, the new moon was sighted at other U.S. locations and in Israel on the same date.

September 2005: On September 5th at 7:48 p.m., the new moon sliver was sighted by two adults and one child in Houston, Texas.

October 2005: The new moon sliver was sighted on October 5, 2005, in both Houston and Tomball, Texas, at approximately 7:07 p.m. by an excess of 6 witnesses.

November 2005: In both Houston and Tomball, Texas, at approximately 5:36 p.m. the new moon sliver was sighted by two witnesses on November 3.

December 2005: The new moon crescent was sighted in Oman and two locations in South Africa, as well as in Virginia and South Carolina, USA, on Friday, December 2, 2005.

January 2006: At 5:39 p.m. two witnesses sighted the new moon crescent in Houston, Texas, on January 1, 2006.

January 2006: The second new moon sighting for the month of January, 2006, occurred at 7:06 p.m. on January 30. The new crescent was sighted by two adults in Houston, Texas, in addition to sightings in Nigeria and South Africa.

February 2006: On February 28 at 6:39 p.m. the new moon sliver was sighted by one adult in Houston, Texas. Approximately five minutes later the sighting was verified by two additional adults at the same location.

	New moon sighted	First day of Biblical month

Abib	March 21	March 22
Month 2	April 20	April 21
Month 3	May 20	May 21
Month 4	June 18	June 19
Month 5	July 18	July 19
Month 6	August 17	August 18
Month 7	September 15	September 16
Month 8	October 15	October 16
Month 9	November 13	November 14
Month 10	December 13	December 14
Month 11	January 11	January 12
Month 12	February 9	February 10

March 2004: The new moon sliver was sighted in Nacogdoches, Texas, on March 21 at 6:56 by one adult and one child, and was sighted in Houston, Texas, by two adults and one child at 6:57 p.m.

April 2004: The new moon sliver was sighted by two adults and one child on Tuesday, April 20th at 8:18 p.m. in Houston, Texas.

May 2004: The new moon crescent was clearly sighted in Houston, Texas at 8:23 p.m. on May 20 by two adults.

June 2004: On June 18 skies were overcast in Houston, Texas, so no sighting possible; however, there were several sighting reports in the U.S. for that day.

July 2004: The new moon crescent sighting was reported from several locations around the world on July 18, no report from Houston.

August 2004: The new moon was sighted in Houston, Texas, on August 17 by two adults.

September 2004: The new moon was sighted in Houston, Texas, at 7:40 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2004, by three adults and three children. Very small, low on the horizon, barely visible in the evening haze

October 2004: The new moon sliver was sighted in Houston, TX, on Oct. 15, at 6:52 p.m. by one witness.

November 2004: Although skies in Houston were completely overcast, sightings of the new moon sliver were reported east and west of Houston on Nov. 13, 2004.

December 2004: The new moon crescent was sighted in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 13 at approximately 5:25 p.m. by two adults.

January 2005: In addition to sightings from Malaysia to the eastern US, the new moon was sighted with the naked in Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, January 11. The sighting in Houston was at 6:44 p.m.

February 2005: While overcast conditions prevented sighting in Houston, sighting of the new moon sliver was reported in South Africa and several cities in the United States on Wednesday, February 9th, 2005.

OUR CALENDAR

Because of the debate within may Sabbatarian churches concerning the Biblical calendar, the beginning of the Biblical year, and when to observe Passover, we at the House of Yahshua have determined to explain here our proofs and reasoning for the reckoning of our yearly calendar.

We believe that first and foremost we should let Scripture instruct us on this matter. Only after we have examined Scripture should we look to any other sources for information, and the most logical outside source of information is Jewish history and tradition, rightly interpreted.

To begin with, Deut. 16:1 tells us, "Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto Yahweh thy God: for in the month of Abib Yahweh thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night." (The word "abib" means "to be tender; green; a young ear of grain" - Strong's Concordance". Numbers 9:1-3 says, "Yahweh spake...in the first month...saying, Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season. In the fourteenth day of this month...ye shall keep it in his appointed season..." These passages tell us two very important things: that Abib, the first month of the Biblical year, is obviously a spring month when plants begin to turn green, as the Jewish calendar bears out; and that it is Passover that should be kept in its season, not the month of Abib. Regardless of any debate on this matter, Scripture is very clear about this.

How do we know when spring starts? In Genesis 1:14-16, God says, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years...and God made...the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.." Of course this refers to the sun and the moon, and it is by the sun that we reckon our seasons. The vernal (or spring) equinox - the first day of the year when daylight and dark are of equal duration - is considered the first day of spring throughout the world.

The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1944 edition, vol. 4, states under "Calendar - Ecclesiastical Calendar" that "The Jews celebrated their Passover on the 14th day of the first month, that is to say, the lunar month of which the 14th day either falls on or next follows the day of the vernal equinox." Later in this same volume, under "Calendar - Jewish", it is stated that "The Feast of Passover, on 14 Nisan (Abib) could not begin before the spring Tequfah." (emphasis ours). The term Tequfah is defined as "the mean beginning of the seasons" - so the "spring Tequfah" referred to here is the vernal equinox. This information supports what we've already gleaned from Scripture - that it is only Passover which is to be kept in the spring season, not the entire month. It also gives us a clear standard to use for determining the first month of the year: The Biblical year starts with the lunar month in which Passover (the 14th day of the month) falls on or after the spring equinox.

Because a lunar month is shorter than our standard calendar months, each yearly cycle of lunar months pulls Passover backwards through the spring season. If no adjustments were made, eventually Passover would occur in the winter season. For this reason, a 13th month is inserted at intervals in order to keep Passover in spring, falling on or after the vernal equinox.

Some people dislike using the spring equinox as a basis for the Biblical calendar because of its pagan connotations. Unfortunately, many parts of Scripture have been co-opted and twisted by unbelievers for their own purposes. That misuse of Scripture does not render the original truth invalid - it simply makes us more wary of such misuse ourselves.

Some people say that we should judge the beginning of spring by the appearance of green ears of barley or some other crop in Jerusalem (or elsewhere) in the spring. Our position in the House of Yahshua is that we must have a standard that applies for everyone at the same time and information that is commonly available to everyone. Also, we prefer our reasoned standards based on Scripture rather than second-hand reports from thousands of miles away.

We do not closely follow the present Jewish calendar because it is not based on the sighting of the new moon sliver each month, because it is based on calculation and includes unnecessary adjustments and delays, and because it does not follow the standards cited above found in the encyclopedia . We can see the truth in Matt. 23:2-3: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses, seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." We have seen in past years that the present Jewish calendar has not followed its own rules, thereby throwing it off from the true Biblical calendar by a full month.

As members of Yahshua's body and His church, we must come to an understanding of new moons: their importance, their symbolism, what constitutes them, and how to find them. In order to do this, we must establish our reasons for going by the sighting of the new moon sliver as opposed to using the conjunction, or invisibility, of the new moon as our basis. Then we may go on to the particulars of the sighting itself.

In considering the sliver versus the conjunction, it must be stated from the outset that there is no clear Scriptural information to support either position. Our best source of Scriptural information which implies that the new moon is the beginning of the month comes from 1 Samuel 20:18-27, in which the day after the new moon is referred to as the "second of the month", but this passage is unclear as to whether the new moon spoken of is the conjunction or the sliver. Those who argue that it speaks of the conjunction say that this is how Jonathan was able to tell David with apparent certainty that the next day would be the new moon day. Those who are familiar with the sighting of the sliver know that if they have searched for the new moon the day after the invisibility and were unable to sight it, they can state with certainty that the next day will be the new moon day. Because of the two plausible interpretations of this passage, it cannot be used as a clear proof of anything except that the new moon day is the first day of Yahweh's months.

The House of Yahshua holds that the sighting of the new moon sliver is the requirement for judging the new moon and the beginning of the month. Our reasoning is based on several primary factors, which are listed below. Obviously, due to the lack of clear Scriptural instruction on this subject, much of the following information is based on extra-Biblical sources and human reasoning: however, we feel that the information provided is reliable and worthy for this use.

It is the above reference to not knowing the day or time, with its accompanying exhortation to watch always, that removes one of the last criticisms of new moon sighting. There are those who object to the "unreliability" or uncertainty of using the sighting of the sliver as a basis for judging the months, usually on the grounds that it can lead to different groups keeping the Holy Days on different days. These people prefer the regularity and ease of using the calculation of the conjunction to judge the beginning of their months, as well as the uniformity of observance gained by using calculation.

The problem with this is that it misses the point of personal authority: everyone bears the heavy responsibility for his or her own readiness or unreadiness before God - hence the repeated urging by our Saviour to watch and be ready. This desire for uniformity also misses the significance of the very uncertainty they decry: this uncertainty is the primary reason we're adjured always to watch, to be alert, to be ready. It is in dealing with the unexpected or unpredictable that we learn vigilance. Taking responsibility for sighting the new moon sliver requires so much more of us than simply looking at a calendar to find out on which day the conjunction falls. What better way is there to emphasize this lesson of individual vigilance and responsibility?

As to other symbolism connected with the new moon itself, this subject is filled with depth and richness and is far too extensive to go into here in any detail. However, even casual examination shows us Yahshua symbolized in the new moon in many contexts: we see Him revealed in the light which appears to us with the new moon's appearance; we see His word pictured in the moon's phases; we see His death and coming return in the moons connected with the Holy Days. A study of this subject is highly recommended for the enrichment that comes with an understanding of it.

The assembly of the House of Yahshua holds to the knowledge that the new moon occurs when the first sliver of light appears after the complete darkness of the moon. We cannot simply use the new moon noted on calendars or in almanacs because their definition of a new moon is the invisibility of the moon, not the first light. We also cannot use the modern Jewish calendar to reckon the Holy Days because it merely uses calculation rather than visual verification and errs by up to three days from the sighting of the new moon sliver. Within our congregation we are of one mind that the new moon is reckoned by the first light: we are children of light, not of darkness and we seek the light of the new moon, not its invisibility or darkness.

We also believe that each individual or group is responsible for the sighting which goes on in their area: to simply accept a declared sighting in Jerusalem, as many do, is to renege on the concept of personal responsibility and authority mentioned above. If scattered groups prefer to accept the report of a sighting made by one group which others were unable to see, this is acceptable, but not required. Even if these groups lose uniformity by determining to keep the new moon/Holy Days on different days due to different sighting dates, they gain much more by exercising their judgment and personal authority as sons of God. In the end, they gain a unity of spirit which overshadows the physical issues of dates and uniformity.

It is our experience that our search for the new moon should begin one to two days before the new moon noted on calendars or in almanacs in order to be familiar with the moon's position in the sky. The best time to observe the new moon sliver is in the evening just after sunset, one or two days after the invisibility (conjunction) of the moon. Understand that if the new moon is seen after sunset on any day, the next day is considered the first day of the month. Practice is essential in order to gain familiarity with the variable appearance of a new moon and with its position in the sky from month to month.

Search the Scriptures concerning new moons - convince yourself of their importance and meaning. Let Yahshua's spirit lead you to the truth and fulfillment found in an understanding of this subject.

"In the tenth day of this month...take a lamb...and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening...And they shall eat the flesh in that night...and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh's Passover." (Ex. 12:3-11)

"Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel, [and] Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses...ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread." (Ex. 12:15 & 19-20)

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is Yahweh's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto Yahweh: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work, [and] in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein." (Lev. 23:5-8)

These passages lay the groundwork for our observance of Passover and the Feast of Unleavening: we clearly see that the 14th day of the first month of the Biblical calendar is Yahweh's Passover and the 15th day of that same month is the first day of the Feast of Unleavening. The Feast of Unleavening lasts for seven days, and the first and last days are Holy Days of rest for God's people: these days are considered annual Sabbaths or High Days.

As clear as these passages are as given in the Old Testament, when we come to the Gospels in the New Testament we find references to these feasts which have caused confusion for many in their study of the events surrounding Yahshua's last day on this earth. Some of the most confusing references are those which speak of "preparation day": what day is this and how does it fit into the sequence of events before and during Yahshua's crucifixion? This study is provided in order to shed light on this issue and perhaps remove some of the confusion surrounding it.

To begin with, we may begin to set the time frame for Yahshua's last day with John 12:1 - "Then Yahshua six days before the Passover came to Bethany..." We see that the counting which John uses revolves around what he refers to as Passover. This time frame with reference to Passover continues in Matthew 26:2, where Yahshua says, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."

From here we find confusion arising, for Matthew then goes on to report, "Now the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Yahshua, saying unto Him, 'Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Passover?'" (Matt. 26:17). According to the rules given in Exodus, the Passover lamb was to be slain on the 14th of Abib: the Feast of Unleavening didn't begin unto the 15th. If this passage is to be taken at face value and judged by the standards given in the Old Testament, then we find a disturbing problem, for it presents the disciples as coming to Him on the day after Passover (on the first day of Unleavening) with questions concerning His observance of Passover. This obviously cannot be the true meaning of the passage, so we must look for another interpretation. Fortunately for us, this first hint of confusion also gives us a clue to the solution of the problem.

If we look to Mark 14:12 we find a parallel passage which reads, "And the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover, His disciples said unto Him, 'Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that Thou mayest eat the Passover?'" This passage, taken together with the one in Matthew 26:17, shows us that by the time the Gospels were written, the Jews had begun to consider Passover as part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Support for this comes from Luke 22:7 & 8: "Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat.'" It is clear from the above passages that by Yahshua's time, the 14th had come to be considered part of the Feast of Unleavening that actually began on the 15th.

As we move more deeply into the subject of the preparation day, we may look at John 19:14, which in speaking of Yahshua's crucifixion says, "And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour..." Now we come to the true question: what is preparation day and how does it relate to Passover and the Feast of Unleavening? Does this passage indicate that Yahshua was crucified on the 13th of Abib, a day John considered a preparation day for observance of Passover on the 14th? No, fortunately John gives us more information in verse 31: it tells us that after Yahshua's death, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that bodies should not remain upon the stake on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an High Day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." By John's report, we see that he was referring to the 14th of Abib as preparation day, because the day immediately after it is a High Day and annual Sabbath: the first day of Unleavening.

A vital piece of information is given to us by Luke in chapter 22, verse 1: "Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover." This is testimony outright that by Luke's time the word "Passover" had become a term that not only referred to the 14th of Abib, but for the combination of the 14th and the entire seven day period after which made up the Feast of Unleavening. In fact, it appears that the terms "Passover" and "Feast of Unleavened Bread" are considered interchangeable by all the Gospel writers, and that they all considered the day of Passover, 14 Abib, to be the "preparation day".

Some, claiming that the "preparation" was the preparing of the Passover lamb to be slaughtered, believe that the term "preparation of the Passover" referred to the time span between the 10th of Abib and the 14th of Abib, when the lamb was selected and held until its slaughter. This interpretation not only strains common sense (it is difficult to consider penning a lamb for four days as any kind of actual preparation of the lamb), it also completely ignores the fact that the term "preparation day" in the Gospels is always either directly linked to the events just before Yahshua's crucifixion on the 14th (John 19:14), or mentioned after it in connection with the High Day immediately following it (Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:4; John 19:31 & 42).

So, we might ask, exactly what was being prepared on this day? This information is not presented to us clearly, and several possibilities present themselves: the slaughter and preparation of the Passover lamb; preparation of the people themselves for the upcoming High Day; or preparation for the Feast of Unleavening which required the people to carefully remove the last traces of leavening from their homes and to prepare unleavened bread to be eaten on the 15th. In considering the first two possibilities, we know that the Jews prepared and ate the Passover lamb later on the 14th and that they took care that they might not be defiled and prevented from eating it (John 18:28). However, in light of the strict instructions given in Exodus 12:15, 19 & 20, we believe that the focus of the "preparation day" was primarily the removal of leavening from the people's homes and preparation of unleavened bread for the beginning of the Feast of Unleavening. This does not contradict John's mention of "the preparation of the Passover", since we now understand that the term "Passover" was used interchangeably with the term "Feast of Unleavened Bread" by the Gospel writers.

In light of all of the above information, a clear understanding of the term "preparation day" emerges: By Yahshua's time, Passover was considered to be part of the Feast of Unleavening and both these terms were used interchangeably by all the Gospel writers. "Preparation day" was a term used for the 14th of Abib when speaking primarily of the preparations made by the people on that day in order to be ready for the first day of Unleavening (which was a High Day and annual Sabbath) and perhaps also preparation for their observance of the Passover meal. This information enables us to avoid confusion as we pursue our studies of Yahshua's last meal, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and entombment, bringing us to a better understanding of the time frame of these very important events. May we all benefit and grow from that understanding.

In Deuteronomy 16:9 & 10 we are introduced to the Feast of Weeks: "Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the Feast of Weeks unto Yahweh thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give according as Yahweh thy God hath blessed thee." Leviticus 23:15 & 16 speaks of the same feast in this manner: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto Yahweh."

From the passage in Leviticus we get the name Pentecost - a Greek word meaning "fiftieth", which refers to the fifty days of counting to this Feast. This is the name for this Feast used in the New Testament (Acts 2:1 & 20:16; I Cor. 16:8), the most commonly used name in the New Testament church, and the name used in this article hereafter.

Because of the common debate and questions concerning when to begin the counting to Pentecost, the House of Yahshua explains here our method and reasoning in how we count to Pentecost. We hope this will adequately explain our position and provide ample Scriptural support for that position. We have three primary passages to which we appeal for instruction and understanding of this matter.

The first passage we use in examining the question of when to begin the count to Pentecost, is in Leviticus 23: verses 10-14 show us the key to the matter, which is the wave sheaf. After giving instructions concerning Passover and the Feast of Unleavening, Yahweh instructs Moses, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it: And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish...for a burnt offering unto Yahweh...And the meat offering...and the drink offering...And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.'"

This passage, in conjunction with verses 15 & 16, tells us that the beginning of the counting for Pentecost begins on the day after the Sabbath connected with Passover and the Feast of Unleavening, on the day that the wave sheaf is offered. There is some debate as to whether the Sabbath is question is a weekly Sabbath or the first Day of Unleavening, which is considered an annual Sabbath, but the information to follow settles that debate.

Since the instructions for the reckoning of Pentecost in Leviticus are given in terms of Israel coming "into the land which I give you" - that is, Canaan - an examination of the events surrounding Israel's entry into Canaan sheds considerable light onto this subject.

Josh. 4:19, our second proof passage, tells us, "And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho." After Joshua's circumcision of the people in ch. 5:5, we find in verses 10-12 that "the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover (that is, on the 15th), unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year."

Here we find a vital piece of information: On the day after they kept Passover - that is, on the 15th day of the month, the first Day of Unleavening, and an annual Sabbath - the children of Israel ate parched corn and unleavened bread, the "old corn of the land". This passage alone destroys the argument that the wave sheaf is offered and the counting for Pentecost begins on the day after the first Day of Unleavening: if it were true that the wave sheaf was to be waved and the counting was to begin on the day after the first Day of Unleavening, then the Israelites immediately committed a grievous error in their first observance, for they ate parched corn and bread on the very day of the annual Sabbath, not on the day after it. In this case they would have eaten these things before the wave sheaf had been offered, which was forbidden. Since this could not possibly have been the case, it is clear that the Sabbath connected with the counting for Pentecost is not an annual Sabbath, but a weekly Sabbath.

With this information in mind, we can deduce the days of the week when Israel entered into Canaan, kept Passover, and waved the sheaf. The entry into Canaan on the 10th occurred on a Tuesday. Four days later, on the 14th, the children of Israel kept Passover - this was a Saturday. On the next day, Sunday, the wave sheaf was offered, thereby freeing them to eat parched corn and bread. This not only establishes that a weekly Sabbath is the marker for the counting of Pentecost, it also clearly shows us that the counting begins with the first Sunday following Passover.

The last Scriptural information on this subject that we must consider is recorded in the New Testament in connection with Yahshua's death and resurrection. Each of the Gospels clearly tells us that Yahshua was crucified on the day of Passover (the 14th of Abib), the day before the first Day of Unleavening. Matt.27:62 tells us, "Now the next day (the day after Yahshua's crucifixion), that followed the day of the preparation (for the Feast of Unleavening), the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate." Mark 15:42 & 43 says, "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation (for Unleavening), that is, the day before the (annual) Sabbath...Joseph of Arimathaea...went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Yahshua." Luke 23:54 tells us, "And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on" - again the preparation for the beginning of the Feast of Unleavening, and the annual Sabbath. The women, after marking the location of the sepulchre, returned and observed the High Sabbath, then on the day after prepared spices and ointments and "rested on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment." (vv. 55 & 56). Finally, we learn in John 19:42 that "there laid they Yahshua therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." Yahshua was entombed hastily late on the 14th because an annual High day - which was a Sabbath - was at hand, a day when no work was to be done.

Further examination of these passages reveals to us that the day of Yahshua's crucifixion, the 14th, was a Wednesday. He was entombed late on the 14th before sunset. He then lay in the tomb for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40). This brings us to His resurrection, late on Saturday, before sunset. Very early on the first day of the week after Yahshua's resurrection, "when it was yet dark" (John 20:1), He appeared first to Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9). After His identity was revealed to her, He said, "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, 'I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." (John 20:16 & 17) Yahshua was clearly not to be defiled by human touch before His ascension to the Father.

Very soon after this exchange between Mary Magdalene and Yahshua, we see that "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week", Mary was joined by "the other Mary " (Matt. 28:1). After their conversation with the angel at Yahshua's sepulchre, they "departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Yahshua met them, saying, 'All hail.' And they came and held Him by the feet, and worshipped Him." (Matt. 28:8 & 9) Obviously in the time between His appearance to Mary Magdalene alone and His appearance to her and the other Mary, He had accomplished His ascension, thereby enabling the women to safely touch Him. If Yahshua truly was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, including the symbolism inherent in the Holy Day observances, then it is clear that His ascension was the fulfillment of the wave sheaf offering - "a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest" - waved before Yahweh; that is, presented to the Father on the day after the weekly Sabbath.

All of these above passages taken together provide us with more than sufficient information with which to determine how the counting for Pentecost is to be determined. From the witness of these passages, we learn the proper method for counting to Pentecost, which we present clearly here: Our counting begins on the first Sunday following Passover. From there we count seven Sabbaths plus one day, which equals fifty days. By this method of counting, our observance of Pentecost always falls on a Sunday. Our hope is that this information will make this matter clear to those seeking a purely Scriptural understanding of the subject. May Yahshua bless all those who seek His face.

In 2025 the conjunction for Abib will occur on March 29th at 5:59 a.m. CST in Groves, Tx. The new moon signaling the beginning of Abib should be sighted on March 30th, placing Abib 1 on March 31st. This will set 14 Abib on April 13th, causing our Passover observance to be held late on April 12th, after sunset. The first Day of Unleavening will fall on April 14th, and the last Day of Unleavening on April 20th. The Wave Sheaf will be offered on April 20th, and beginning with this counting, our Pentecost observance will fall on June 8th.

The second conjunction of the Biblical year will occur on April 27th at 2:32 p.m. The second new moon should be sighted on April 28th, making the first day of the second month April 29th. Second Passover would then be observed on May 11th, after sunset.

The fall Holy Days in 2025 should be as follows: The conjunction for the 7th month will occur on September 21st at 2:55 p.m. CST. The new moon marking the first day of the 7th month should be sighted on September 23rd, giving us September 24th as our observance of The Feast of Trumpets. The Day of Atonement would then fall on October 3rd, and the Feast of Tabernacles would begin on October 8th. The last day of the Feast of Tabernacles should fall on October 14th, and our observance of the Last Great Day should be on October 15th.

Please keep in mind that the projected dates for the annual Holy Days are based on estimated sightings - we do not know the actual Holy Day dates until the new moon is sighted in the first and seventh months.