Simchat Torah v’Mashiach
Here is the patience of the holy ones – here are they that keep the mitzvot of Elohim and have faith in Yeshua HaMashiach. (Rev 14:12) Simchat posts line by line commentaries on the weekly Parashat readings, both the Tanakh and the NT (see introduction, right sidebar, for details). The Torah cycle goes round and round – hop on!

Leap Years

Karaite Korner Newsletter #368

Aviv Search and Leap Years

Recently I received the following question which I thought it
worthwhile to share:

<<<Has there ever been 2 13 month years in a row and is that a common
occurance?

Rick C—
In Spokane, WA>>>

Presumably Rick is asking this question because last year was a Hebrew
leap year with 13 months and he wants to know if this year can also be
a 13-month leap year. The short answer is: Yes, it can. Here is a more
detailed answer:

Hebrew years have either 12 or 13 months depending on when the barley
becomes Aviv in the Land of Israel. If the barley is Aviv at the end
of the 12th month, then the following month becomes the 1st month of
the new year. If the barley is not Aviv, then the following month
becomes the 13th month of the old year. There is nothing in Scripture
that precludes having two 13-month years in a row.

In modern times, the Aviv barley has been sought out since 1988 and in
all that time there have never been two 13-month years in a row.
However, 21 years is not long enough to rule out this scenario and
there is evidence from medieval sources that this did in fact happen.
Furthermore, the ripening of the barley in the Land of Israel is
dependent on many factors including complex weather patterns that may
vary dramatically over hundreds of years. This year, for example,
there was very little rain throughout most of the winter but in the
last couple of weeks there has been a large amount of rain. This
undoubtedly will have an impact on the ripening of the barley and may
result in another 13-month year. We won’t know for sure until we
examine the barley at the end of the 12th month during the Aviv Search
on March 26 and 27.

For more information, please see:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib_faq.shtml

To support the Aviv Search, please send checks to: Makor Hebrew
Foundation, PO Box 769, Pineland, TX 75968. Remember to include a note
indicating that the donation is for “Aviv”. Donations can also be made
by credit card through PayPal by clicking on the donate button at:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/donate.shtml

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

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