Is New Moon Full Moon?

Shalom. We should all have the unwavering desire to serve and please Alohym and keep his
commandments, (Ecclesiastes 12:13) for this is the duty of Man. In this note study we have supplied
Scripture as a first witness and several other witnesses of which are Historical and Scriptorial that
expose the theory of New Moon being Full Moon. As we continue to Learn, Study and Pray in truth we
move closer to Alohym and forward in service to him.

In the book of Beginnings we can see that Alohym made the Sun & Moon with a PURPOSE in
creation. The moon was created to divide the day from the night, to be a sign, to govern his
appointed time of meeting, to number days and years, and to rule over the night and stars. It
was called the lesser LIGHT, in comparison to the sun, the greater LIGHT.

What is New Moon:

In light of recent events, there seem to be somewhat of a confusion as to when New Moon
is, what Chodesh is and how this relates to the appointed times of our Creator.

So, to keep it very simple, let’s begin with New Moon.

In Hebrew, the word for NEW is: Chadash. This word varies depending on how it’s used.
When it’s used as a VERB, CHADASH H2318 is then used to describe the Verb.

When this verb is used in Conjunction with the Moon, its s describing an event that’s taking
place. The Moon is: REBUILDING AND/OR REPAIRNG its light.

When the Moon is repairing/rebuilding it’s light, it is first seen as a tiny crescent of light.
The astronomical term for this is ‘WAXING’ and by extension is CHADASH 2318. When
the Moon is REBUILDING its light, it CAN be seen. It begins to rebuild its light immediately
after Conjunction until it is FULLY rebuilt and FULL of LIGHT.

Another context of CHADASH, is CHADASH H2319. H2319 also varies as it also means
NEW, but when this word is used in conjunction with the Moon, it’s used as a Adjective.
Meaning that it describes the actual State of the Noun.

It Means: New Thing, Fresh New thing,.

While Chadash 2318 is used to describe the moon Rebuilding/Repairing/Waxing its light
which begins immediately after Lunar Conjunction, Chadash H2319 is used to describe the
Moon when it has come out of lunar conjunction. Thus when the Moon is seen, it is a Fresh
NEW thing and is rebuilding light.

And when this FRESH NEW thing is seen it is the moment of CHODESH H2320.
CHODESH 2320 has ‘2’ Meanings:

(1) A Month.

Chodesh 1st meaning is A MONTH. When Chodesh it’s used to reference a Month, it refers
to a Measurement of time within the Lunar Cycle. A Chodesh (month) of days" (Gen 29, 14;
Nu 11, 20-21) [meaning a period of 29 or 30 days] which is equivalent to the phrase "A Yerach
(month/ moon) which is a month of days"(Dt 21, 13; 2Ki 15, 13).

We can see this connection in a number of instances in which Chodesh (month) is used
interchangeably with the word "Yerach", the common Biblical Hebrew word for moon,
which by extension also means "month". For example:

We can see that Both Yerach and Chodesh are used in (1 Kings 6:1)

"...in the month (Yerach) of Ziv,

And together again in (1 Kings 8:2)

"...in the month (Yerach) of Ethanim... which is the Seventh month (Chodesh)..." (1Kings 8,2)

H3394. Yareach = Moon/Month

Yareach is the Hebrew word for moon, however it’s ROOT WORD: YERACH Means
BOTH Moon & Month and ONLY refers to Lunar Months.

H3391. Yerach = Moon

H3391. Yerach = Month

H2319. Chadash = New (VERB)

With CHADASH which means New, is related then Chodesh, which is related to "Yerach", which
itself literally means "moon".
The 2nd meaning of CHODESH is “NEW MOON”. It is the actual Moment that a New Month begins as it
relates to the Lunar Cycles. A New Month Begins after the old one. After the Moon has finished up its
previous cycles and after its conjunction with the Sun.

Within the Moment of Chodesh, the New Moon will appear on the Last Day of the Month for a very
short period of time. It appears about 20-30 minutes after the Sun has set, but before the Stars appear,
between the evenings.

On the Morning that the New Moon is to become Visible, the Sun will rise First. The Moon will rise
AFTER the Sun. The Moon will not be seen during the Daylight hours. As the Moon follows the Sun
across the Sky, it will be absorbing light from the Sun.

By the End of the last day of the month, it will contain 1% or 3% of Light. If the Month is 29 days long,
the Moon will become 1% lit. If it is a 30 Day Month, the Moon will contain 3% light. When the Sun sets,
it will take 20-30 minutes BEFORE the Moon can become Visible.

This is because the Light from the Sun has to fall below the amount of light absorbed by the Moon. This
Visibility will occur between the Time of Sunset and the appearance of the Stars. This is the Time known
as "between the evenings". Which is between Sunset and the Stars appearing.

Thus the Moment of Chodesh takes place Between the Evenings.

Is there any historical data on this theory of Full Moon being the Beginning of the Month? Is
Full Moon New Moon, or is this just a mere theory based on false assumption. One Historical
recordation of Full moon is the written work of Philo of Alexandria, Egypt.

Philo was born a Greek and became a Jewish Philosopher who lived from approximately
20 BCE until about 50 CE. Thus, he lived prior to the Messiah’s birth and also the years
following his death.

Here’s what Philo observed regarding the FULL MOON:

Philo gives a second witness in On Mating with the Preliminary Studies, XIX (102)…

“For it is said in the Scripture: On the tenth day of this month let each of them take a sheep
according to his house; in order that from the tenth, there may be consecrated to the tenth, that is
to Alohym, the sacrifices which have been preserved in the soul, which is illuminated in two
portions out of the three, until it is entirely changed in every part, and becomes a heavenly
brilliancy like a full moon, at the height of its increase at the end of the second week”.

**Note: Philo is talking about the Preparation of the Lamb that begins on the 10th Day of ABIB
as mentioned in (Exodus 12:3). In (Exodus 12:3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel,
saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the
house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: & Philo’s Notation: On Mating with the Preliminary
Studies, XIX (102) the 10th Day is recorded for the Sacrificing of the Lamb. According to Philo,
the Full Moon was at the END of the second week just as the Passover takes place at the End
of the Second week and is not related at all to CHODESH which is associated with the
beginning of the month.
In Special Laws I. (178), Philo writes…

“…there is one principle of reason by which the moon waxes and wanes in equal intervals, both as
it increases and diminishes in illumination; the seven lambs because it receives the perfect shapes
in periods of seven days—the half-moon in the first seven day period after its conjunction with the
sun, full moon in the second; and when it makes its return again, the first is to half-moon, then it
ceases at its conjunction with the sun.”

**Note: In clear detail Philo gives yet another depiction of the Moon Phases and by Observation,
Philo says the full moon takes place in the 2nd ‘Shauba’ or 7 Day period!! Philo describes the Lunar
phases as the moon perfects its own configurations on each seventh day.

Notice that Philo does NOT call FULL MOON New Moon and that the Full Moon takes place by
the 2nd Week.

Please let what Philo just said sink in. Philo was just observing what was taking place at that time in
Israel. His readers in those days understood that the weeks were by the moon, same as in Scripture,
and that at the end of the second week there would be a full moon. This statement needs no
interpretation and is impossible to misunderstand. What is left now is the willingness to accept the
truth and the truth is Full Moon is Not New Moon.

Psalm 83

There is no Scriptorial evidence to support the supposition that the Full Moon is the beacon for New
Moon Day. Those who teach that the Full Moon is the New Moon do so primarily based on assumptions
and misinterpretations.

Psalm 81:3

Some read Psalm 81:3 and conclude that the new moon is a holy feast day, and also (because of
mistranslation) that the new moon is the full moon and not the first light of Chodesh.

The KJV reads, “Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our
solemn feast day.”

**Note: Time “appointed” is the Hebrew Root Kacah H3680 (kä·sä)' and means “to plump, i.e.
fill up hollows” or to cover. This best describes the Moon being covered in Light and is used as a
VERB to describe the Moon when it is becoming FULL or being completely covered with light.

The Word that describes the Moon when t is FULL is: Kece H3677 (keh'·she).

Neither Kacha, nor Kece even slightly hints or Means Beginning or New. They both refer to the
Moon when it is FULL which takes place in the Middle of the Lunar Month.

(Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). This appointed
time is a full moon totally filled with light and on which a solemn Feast day occurs.
Does that mean that the new moon is the full moon? Most Hebrew words have multiple
meanings; some errors come from the fact that prior to the year 600 C.E. there were no
standardized vowel points. Other problems of translation come from the significant differences
between Biblical Hebrew and secular Hebrew, which have changed over the centuries as all
common use languages do.

The New King James and some other translations add to the confusion by not translating Psalm
81:3 precisely enough: “Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on
our solemn feast day.”

**Note: One immediate problem we note is that nowhere in Scripture is the regular monthly new
moon referred to as a Feast day, nor is it a full moon.

Other translations clear up the problem by showing two completely different and separate
observances in this verse: “Sound the ram’s horn at the new moon, and when the moon is full, at
the day of our feast” (NIV)

**Note: In Psalm 81:3 Alohym is speaking of a new moon as well as another observance or
appointed time that comes at a full moon. During each of these separate times the trumpet was to
sound.

The Hebrew

The Hebrew in fact reveals two distinct clauses in this passage, making a definite division of
thought. The first is the trumpet as applying to the new moon. The second is the trumpet as it
applies to a solemn feast day, which is by Biblical definition different from a regular monthly
new moon.

From the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, one would translate Psalm 81:3 this way: “Blow the
trumpet at the new moon, and in the fullness of our festival day.”

The Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament also makes a differentiation between the
two clauses of verse 3: “Sound the ram’s horn at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on
the day of our Feast.”

The Complete Jewish Bible reads: “Sound the shofar at Rosh-Hodesh [new moon], and at full
moon for the pilgrim feast.”

The Psalms for Today: A New Translation from the Hebrew into Current English
translates the verse: “Sound the trumpet at the new moon, and at the day of our festival, when
the moon is full.”

These Hebrew-based translations show that the new moon is different from the full moon
and different from a Feast day. The Hebrew shows that the new moon and the full moon
are not synonymous. The first is barely visible, the second totally visible. Different words
are used for each.
New Moon Day is nowhere called a Khagag in Scripture. Some who believe in this method would argue
that this is not true by quoting Hosea 2:11 and Ezekiel 45:17, but the "new moons" in these texts are
mentioned apart from the Sabbaths and khag(s). New Moon Day is primarily intended to be a Day of
Worship according to (Isaiah 66:23 & Ezekiel 46:1-5) just as the Sabbath is. Chodesh, on the other
hand, refers to the new moon and is never used for full moon.

APOCRYPHA on the MOON

Another historical point of reference is that of the Apocrypha. Whether one wishes to accept what is
commonly known as the apocryphal writings is of no consequence as they were once part of the
1611KJV as well as other accepted compilations. The Book Ecclesiasticus is a work from the early 2nd
century B.C.E. written by the Jewish scribe Joshua ben Sirach of Jerusalem who lived before Philo.

So let’s start off with Ecclesiasticus.

(Ecclesiasticus 43:7) From the moon is the sign of feasts, a light that decreaseth in her perfection.

**Note: In the Greek text:

(Ecclesiasticus 43:7) ἀπὸ ςελήνησ ςημεῖον ἑορτῆσ, φωςτὴρ μειούμενοσ ἐπὶ ςυντελείασ.

ἀπὸ=575-From, ςελήνησ=4582-Moon, ςημεῖον=4592-Sign, ἑορτῆσ=1859-Feast, φωςτὴρ=5458-Luminary,

**Note: In the Greek text: The Moon is a Sign of feast, a Luminary that Dimnisheth upon COMPLETION.
This outright refers to the transition from Light to darkness and the light dimnisheth or disappears when
its cycle is COMPLETE.

COMPLETION in Greek = ςυντελείασ 4930

COMPLETION in Hebrew = 3615. Kalah

**Note: Completion means that it is at its end. This verse speaks of the feast first and that the moon is
the sign of them but its light diminishes upon completion. This shows that the Full Moon is not the New
Moon as well as neither is the New Moon a feast/chag. This works in conjunction with all other Scripture
which show no proof of a Full Moon being neither a New Moon nor a New Moon being a feast/chag.
BOOK OF ENOCH

Another Biblical reference would be the Book of Enoch. Enoch mentions in full detail the
elements and behaviors of the Full Moon and how to determine when the Moon is Full. So, let’s
begin with the observation of the Full Moon.

OBSERVATION OF THE FULL MOON

(Enoch 73:8) Then it comes out and recedes toward the east away from where the sun rises,
continuing to be brighter in one sixth of one seventh of one half of the light of the sun during
the remaining days.

**Note: As a general rule, the Moon fill with 7% light on each day of a New Month. 7X14=98%
The rest of the light comes from the Last Day. It’s again, very clear that the Moon will travel
toward the east throughout the Month. Usually by the middle of the month, when it’s fully
Luminated, it’s going to be in the middle of the sky in the morning and then continue eastward.

HOW TO OBSERVE FULL MOON

-->(Enoch 78:13) She becomes full moon exactly on the day when the sun sets in the west, and
from the east she rises at night, and the moon shines the whole night through until the sun
rises over against her and the moon is seen over against the sun.

**NOTE: The 13th verse is stating when the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east,
this is how to determine when the moon is full.

The next morning the moon will be seen in the west when full, as the sun rises in the east. This
is showing the day of the full moon the middle of a month.

Both sources of Enoch and The Apocrypha refer to the Moons light as Full in the middle of the
Month and not the Beginning.
Conclusion

A very clear issue is presented when reckoning New Moon Day by the Full Moon, in that the
moon from day one is being torn down (losing light), not being renewed. Immediately after the
moon is full, it begins to yield light. This means that if you use Full Moon as New Moon,
between the evening that the New Moon is declared and the morning that is recognized as
"New Moon Day," the moon will have already lost light, and will continue to lose light until the
middle of the month, after which it will again begin to rebuild. The Full Moon reckoning defies
all logic and is not true to the meaning of word(s) - chodesh/chadash.

There is No Biblical OR Historical Data that even slightly suggest that New Moon s Full Moon.

There is Absolutely No Historical Evidence that suggest that ANY Nation in the Middle East
have every used A Full Moon as New Moon.

Many are trying to already push this unsound doctrine. Without Facts and without historical
data to validate such an illogical theory. This is clearly done out of a misinterpretation of
Scripture And of the components of Chodesh.

After watching many, many moon cycles on a daily basis year after year we see that the
disappearance of the moon for one or two days just before sunrise creates a natural kind of a
break.

Astronomically, the conjunction occurs during this time when you cannot see the moon. After
these one or two days, the crescent moon will be visible in the western sky between the
evenings.

Now this cycle, observed by men for centuries, begins again; hence this "reappearance" of the
moon as the crescent after one or two days of not being able to see it, is called the moment of
Chodesh "New moon” and will occur on the Last Day of the Month.

The Moment of Chodesh being the reappearance of the Moon in the form of a very thin
crescent proves that the Moment of Chodesh does not take place in the Middle of the Month.

Shalom,

Yoel Yahudah Ysrayl