Time’s Ancient Riddle: Decoding the Lunar-Solar Debate
Time’s Ancient Riddle: Decoding the Lunar-Solar Debate Time’s Ancient Riddle: Decoding the Lunar-Solar Debate For thousands of years, scholars and theologians have debated whether the Torah advocates a lunar or solar calendar for observing sacred times. You’d think by now we’d have it figured out, but the discussion remains lively! Today, I dove into this ancient debate, and I was blown away by what I learned. In this post, I’ll break down the strongest arguments for a lunar-solar calendar, offer my rebuttals, and present compelling evidence for a solar calendar, particularly the 364-day Qumran Calendar. Spoiler: many verses cited for a lunar calendar can just as easily support a solar one, but a few stand out. Let’s dive in! Understanding the Debate The lunar-solar calendar, used in traditional Jewish practice, relies on the moon’s cycles (29–30 days) with occasional intercalations to align with the solar year. The ...