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But, added
ro
rhese 48 weeks are 3
extra weeks in che year duri ng which
ALL 24 of che courses served rogerher.
These
3
weeks were during che rhree
major Holy Day periods: rhe Passover
in che beginning of spring, Penrecosr
in lace spring, and Tabernacles in che
early amumn. Because multi tudes of
people were always in J erusakm ar
rhese three times of rhe year, all 24
courses of the priesrs stayed on in
Jerusalem and served together in rhe
Temple
(Talmud, Sukkah,
55b) .
So, che 51 weeks of che Hebrew
calendar are accounted for. (O ccasion–
ally, a 13th month was added to che
calendar ro allow rhe monrhs ro
remain in rheir proper seasons of che
year. W hen chis extra monrh was
added, che priesrs who officiared in
che 12th month repeated rheir service
in the 13th -
Talmud, Megiltah,
6b.)
It is importanr
ro
realize that che
firsr course of tbese 24 divis ions
began irs minisrrarion with che firsr
Sabbarh in rhe firsr Hebrew monrh -
that was Nisan, in che very early
spring. See especially
I
Chronicles
27:1, 2 and followi ng verses.
Wirh rhis information, ir becomes
possible ro know rhe panicular weeks
in which each of che 24 priesdy
courses served in thc Temple. And
consequendy, we can know che rime
period in which sorne significanr
New Testamenr events rook p lace.
Lec us now see rhe importance of rhis
information wirh regard
ro
Christ 's
b irth.
The Cou rse of Abijah
In che Gospel of Luke, we are rold
rhar a cerrain priesr named Zacharias
was performing his service in rhe
Temple at Jerusalem when a most
marvelous thing happened. He was
privarely rold rbat bis wi fe Elisaberh,
who was quite advanced in years, was
going
ro
conceive and bear a son and
rhar che son's name was ro be John.
This, of course, is familiar ro us aiL
Bur
I
wonder how many bave noticed
the rime period in which Zacharias
received rhis informarion? Lec us
norice this secrion of Scriprure
dosel
y.
PLAIN TRUTH September-October 1972
"There was in che days of Herod,
che king of Judaea, a certain priesc
named Zacharias,
OF THE COURSE OF
ABIA (Abijah in Hebrew]: and his
wife was of rhe daughrers of Aaron ,
and her name was Elisaberh" (Luke
1:5) .
This scriprure clearly rells us che
particular course of the 24 priestly
divisions that Zacharias was serving
in.
Ir
was the
course of Abijah.
Norice fun her: "And ir came to
pass, that while he execured the
priesr's office before God
IN THE
ORDER OF HIS COURSE,
according ro
rhe cusrom of rhe priesr's office, his
Ior was ro burn incense when he wenr
into che temple of the Lord" (Luke
1:8-9).
Now rh is is very signi fica nt. Ir
shows rhar Zacharias was serving in
che prescribed rime inrended for che
course of Abijah. By referring ro
1
Chronicles 24:10, you will see rhar
che course of Abijah was che eighrh
in order.
This plainly means rhat he was
minisrering in che ninrh week afrer
che beginning of God's lirst month
N isan. T he reason
ir
was the ninth
week and not rhe eighch is rhar rhe
Passover season always occurs in che
firsr rnonrh and during che third
week. Since all 24 courses served dur–
ing that particular week, according ro
the laws ser clown by David, rhis
rneans thar Zacharias officiared during
che ninth week afrer che beginning of
N isan, che firsr mon th in spring.
Now comes rhe guesrion: On
what days did Zacharias serve?
The year in which all of chis
occurred was 5 B.C. The lirsr day of
Nisan in chis year was a Sabbarh, che
very day on which rhe fi rst priesrly
course began its ministration. On our
Rornan caJendar, chis day was Apri l 6.
T hus, by simple arithmetic, Zacharias,
who served in che ninrh week, was
serving from Iyar 27 ro Sivan 5 Oune
1 ro June
8).
This was che time he
was rold thar his wife was going
tO
conceive and bear a son. Bu r lec us go
one srep furrher.
There was no chance of Zacharias'
leaving immediately afrer che ninth
week ro rerurn home. W hy? Because
rhe next week was a Holy Day
"week" - ir was Penrecosr. Zacharias
was obliged
ro
remain over one more
week wirh che orher 23 priestly
courses and serve in rhe Temple. This
extra service kepc him in Jerusalem
until Sivan 12 Oune 15). At rhat rime
he was free to rerurn ro bis home.
Now why are all rhese dates impor–
tan e? We wi ll see if we pay attention
ro what the Gospel wrirer rells us.
" And ir came ro pass, that, as soon
as che days of his minisrrarion were
accomplished, he departed
ro
his own
house" (Luke 1:23).
This shows Zacharias returned
home immediately afrer bis min–
istrarion and thcn his wife conceived
(verse 24). This would have occurred
abour rhe firsr week afrer he returned
from Jerusalem. Gabriel had rold him
rhat he was ro remain dumb, com–
plerely speechless, unril che child was
born. It should be obvious rhar no
man would wanr ro sray in such a
condition -
and
cerrainly no longer
than necessary. And roo, Zacharias
was
a
righteous man and was anxious
to see God's command fulfilled . So,
with reasonable assurance, Eiisaberh
musr have conceived somerime imme–
diarely after Penrecosr week. This
week was from Sivan 12 ro Sivan 19
(mid-June).
With this information we are able
ro come ro che exacr season for John
che Baprisr's birrh.
The human gesration period is very
near 280 days or
9
rnonrhs and 10
days. If we go forward chis amounr of
time from about Sivan
16
or mid–
June
in
5
B.C. , we arrive at about che
/i rse of Nisan (March 27),
4
B.C. (Ir
could noc have been Jarer in a later
year, for Herod was already dead
before che spring of 3 B.
C.)
The birrh
of John rhe Baptist was undoubtedly
near chis time in che very early spring.
Now, ler us come ro rhe main
quesrion : What about the birrh of
Chrisr'
The Gospel says rhar Chrisr was
17