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Created 5928± 06 26 2024 [2008-9-27]
Updated 5928± 06 26 2024 [2008-9-28]
24 Courses of Priests and Levites
Facts and Considerations re the Timing of Each of
their
Abstract:
As referenced below there are some things that are
known to me re the timing of the 24 courses of priests and Levites servicing
the temple throughout the year, but at this point I find that I do not have the
conclusive answers to some important details of timing that are of importance
before a firm dating can be ascertained re the course of Abijah
and the
birth of John the Baptist referenced in Luke 1:5, 23 and re the plucking of
grain by Yeshua and his disciples on the Second-First Shabbat referenced in
Luke 6:1. For instance, I have not found a firm date for the beginning of the 1st
course and I have not found any firm statements re how the three annual Feasts
were being handled.
Nevertheless, based upon the facts of the matter
available, perhaps my attempt to reconstruct the timing of the temple services of
each of the 24 courses may still be more or less accurate?
Considerations:
Luke 1:5 (KJV) "There
was in the days of Herod, the king of
Luke 1:23 (TLT) AndG2532 it came
to pass,G1096 that, in that mannerG5613 were concludedG4130 theG3588 daysG2250 of hisG846
ministrationG3009 and he
departedG565 toG1519 his ownG848 house.G3624
Luke 1:23 (KJV) AndG2532 it came
to pass,G1096 that, as soon asG5613 theG3588 daysG2250 of hisG846
ministrationG3009 were accomplished,G4130 he
departedG565 toG1519 his ownG848 house.G3624
Luk 6:1(KJV) “And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after
the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples
plucked the ears of corn, and did eat…”
The priests followed an annual service calendar
established since the days of king David and Samuel,
the prophet. Each family of priests was on duty at the temple one certain eight
day period every semi-year, from Sabbath to Sabbath [i.e. from sunset one
Friday until darkness eight days later:]
“David… divided them also into courses: and when
he had separated the priests from them, he found of these priests twenty-four
courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar, and eight
of that of Ithamar; and he ordained that one
course should minister to God eight days, from sabbath to sabbath.
And thus were the courses distributed by lot, in the presence of David, and Zadok and Abiathar the high
priests, and of all the rulers; and that course which came up first was written
down as the first, and accordingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth;
and this partition hath remained to this day. He also made twenty-four
parts of the tribe of Levi; and when they cast lots, they came up in the same
manner for their courses of eight days.” (Josephus, Antiquities of
the Jews, Book 7, Chapter 14:7. Cf. Josephus, The life of Flavius
Josephus, paragraph #1. Cf. also Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole
Bible: 2 Kings 11:4-12; 1 Chr 24:1-19.)
The priests
were divided into twenty-four courses, and a full and accurate record was made
regarding this division. Each course was thoroughly organized under its chief,
and each was to come to
The
Levites, whose duty it was to assist in the sanctuary service, were organized
and allotted their part with similar precision (RH Oct. 5, 1905). {3BC 1128.5}
Considering the fact that the exact beginning of the
biblical year is uncertain until aviv [a stage of ripening of the barley] is
ascertained before the observation of the new moon crescent it cannot be that
the first course begins until, at the very earliest, the beginning of the first
Shabbat within, and following the beginning of, the First Moon [Abib /
Nisan] each year. [I.e. apparently contrary to the statement of Earnest L.
Martin that the first course began within the last Shabbat of the preceding
month (cf. Earnest L. Martin, “The Star that Astonished the
World,” chapter 5, Part 1 & 2.)
However, notice below how that the first course does very likely begin with the
Shabbat immediately preceding the partial week prior to the Feast of Unleavened
bread and end with the partial week following the Feast of Unleavened Bread and
that by so doing the first course does very likely span the beginning of the
half year corresponding to the beginning on the Eighth Day, i.e. the half year
beginning with Aviv 22.]
In fact, I find it reasonable to conclude that the
first course was delayed until the second Shabbat of Aviv in order to give the
priests of the 1st course at least a seven days advance notice lest
otherwise some years they may end up having absolutely no advance notice of the
exact time at all, i.e. before the beginning of their appointment. I believe
that a second Shabbat start – or possibly even the first Shabbat following the
Shabbat of the Omer sacrifice and after the end of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread - is also suggested by the Torah instructions for Aviv 10 as well as also
by the date given in Ezekiel 40:1 in conjunction with Ezekiel 43:18-27 &
45:18-23. That the first course of the first cycle of the twenty-four courses
began in Aviv and not at the time of the biblical new year beginning with the
Eight Day following the Feast of Tabernacles should be clear from Exodus 40:2,
13-16, though apparently this arrangement of twenty-four courses was
established by Samuel and king David (1 Chr 9:22) and
then reestablished by Ezra (Ezra 2:36-39. Cf. also 1 Chr. 27:1-2.)
It seems likely to me that Earnest L. Martin’s statements re skipping
course counts during the Feast days and extra Shabbats have a basis in fact and
that all the priest families cooperated in the services during those special
times of the year (cf. 2 Chr. 5:11:
“for all the priests that were present
were sanctified, and did not then wait by course”
and Acts
13:42:
“The nextG3342 Sabbath” being better translated “the betwixt
Sabbath;”
Strong’s G3342:
“From G3326 and a
form of G4862; betwixt (of place or person); (of time) as
adjective intervening, or (by implication) adjoining.”)
It stands to reason that the family of priests
responsible for the partial week beginning prior to the Feast of Unleavened
Bread would complete their service by serving also the partial week following the
seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It remains to be determined for
certain whether those days of service before and after said feast were
accomplished by the 1st course or by the course currently serving at
the tail end of the second cycle of courses.
Re the subsequent feasts and extra Shabbats of the
year: If the entire 7th week (1st through 7th
Day) of the 49/50 day Count of Omer and the first three weeks of the 7th
moon, i.e. beginning with the Day of Trumpets and including also the Day of
At-One-Meant and the First through Seventh Days of Tabernacles, are also
considered Betwixt Shabbats, then I find that there would be exactly five weeks
of temple service covered by all the families of priests jointly, thus leaving
24 complete weeks of temple service into the hands of the twenty-four families
of priests and Levites [7 moons x 29.5 days = 29.5 weeks] until the 1st
course would begin their second cycle of service in the Eighth Moon. I find it
likely that each of the 24 courses would be completed in the first cycle before
the beginning of the second cycle lest otherwise the first course of priests
would always be faced with that same uncertainty and minimal advance notice,
and also lest the 24th course, and perhaps even the 23rd
course, might otherwise in some years have no service at all either in the
first or second cycle of courses. Accordingly and until I find further info re
this matter I see the following as a likely arrangement (the 2nd
most likely arrangement being also indicated within the first three items in
the list below:)
One
cycle (the 1st?) of 24 courses – Aviv thru Tishri:
1st
course (or, alternatively, the course currently serving at the tail end of the
second cycle?:)
From the beginning of the 2nd Shabbat of Aviv (First-First Shabbat?)
through the end of the 4th Shabbat of Aviv (1st Shabbat
of Omer) and skipping the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
2nd
course (or, alternatively, the 1st course?:) From the beginning of the 4th
Shabbat (First-Second Shabbat?) of the sacred year (Aviv through Adar) through
the end of the 5th Shabbat of the sacred year (2nd
Shabbat of Omer).
3rd
course (…2nd course etc.?:) From the beginning of the 5th
Shabbat (First-Third Shabbat?) of the sacred year through the end of the 6th
Shabbat of the sacred year (3rd Shabbat of Omer).
4th
course: From the beginning of the 6th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 7th Shabbat of the
sacred year (4th Shabbat of Omer).
5th
course: From the beginning of the 7th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 8th Shabbat of the
sacred year (5th Shabbat of Omer).
6th
course: From the beginning of the 8th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 9th Shabbat of the
sacred year (6th Shabbat of Omer).
7th
course: From the beginning of the 9th
Shabbat of the sacred year, skipping the 7th week of Omer, then continuing through the end of the 11th
Shabbat of the sacred year (1st Shabbat after Pentecost).
8th
course (or, alternatively, the 7th course?:) From the beginning of the 11th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 12th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
9th
course (or, alternatively, the 8th course?:):
From the beginning of the 12th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 13th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
10th
course: From the beginning of the 13th Shabbat of
the sacred year through the end of the 14th Shabbat of the sacred
year.
11th
course: From the beginning of the 14th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 15th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
12th
course: From the beginning of the 15th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 16th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
13th
course: From the beginning of the 16th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 17th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
14th
course: From the beginning of the 17th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 18th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
15th
course: From the beginning of the 18th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 19th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
16th
course: From the beginning of the 19th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 20th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
17th
course: From the beginning of the 20th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 21st Shabbat of
the sacred year.
18th
course: From the beginning of the 21st
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 22nd Shabbat of
the sacred year.
19th
course: From the beginning of the 22nd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 23rd Shabbat of
the sacred year.
20th
course: From the beginning of the 23rd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 24th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
21st
course: From the beginning of the 24th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 25th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
22nd
course: From the beginning of the 25th
Shabbat of the sacred year until the 1st day of the Seventh Moon
(when the 26th Shabbat falls in the Seventh Moon) and then, skipping
the first three weeks of the Seventh Moon, continuing with (or after?) the 8th
Day and through the end of the subsequent Shabbat, i.e. through the 29th
Shabbat of the sacred year aka. the 1st
Shabbat of the biblical year, or else (when the 26th Shabbat falls
in the Sixth Moon) through the end of the 26th Shabbat of the sacred
year.
23rd
course: If not within the Seventh Moon, from the beginning of
the 26th Shabbat of the sacred year until the 1st day of
the Seventh Moon and then, skipping the first three weeks of the Seventh Moon,
continuing with (or after?) the 8th Day and through the end of the
subsequent Shabbat, i.e. through the 30th Shabbat of the sacred year
aka. the 1st Shabbat of the biblical year,
or else (when the 26th Shabbat falls in the Seventh Moon) from the
29th Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 30th
Shabbat of the sacred year.
24th
course: From the beginning of the 30th
Shabbat (First-Twenty-fourth Shabbat?) of the sacred year through the end of
the 31st Shabbat of the sacred year.
The other (2nd?) cycle of 24 courses: End
of Tishri or early Chesron thru Adar:
As stated above I believe it is most likely
that this cycle of courses did not begin until the completion of the 24th
course of the preceding cycle regardless of the beginning of the biblical year.
But which cycle of courses was reckoned as the first cycle and which one was
the second? Cf. Luke 6:1: “σαββατωG4521 N-DSN δευτεροπρωτωG1207
A-DSN.” Can we be
certain? [Doubtful
alternate: 1st course: From the
beginning of the 1st Shabbat after the end of the Feast of
Tabernacles and the Eight Day.]
1st
course (or, alternatively, the 24th course of the 1st cycle?:): From the
beginning of the 31st Shabbat (Second-First Shabbat?) of the sacred
year through the end of the 32nd Shabbat of the sacred year.
2nd
course (or, alternatively, the 1st course?:): From the beginning of the 32nd Shabbat of
the sacred year through the end of the 33rd Shabbat of the sacred
year.
3rd
course: From the beginning of the 33rd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 34th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
4th
course: From the beginning of the 34th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 35th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
5th
course: From the beginning of the 35th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 36th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
6th
course: From the beginning of the 36th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 37th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
7th
course: From the beginning of the 37th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 38th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
8th
course: From the beginning of the 38th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 39th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
9th
course: From the beginning of the 39th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 40th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
10th
course: From the beginning of the 40th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 41st Shabbat of
the sacred year.
11th
course: From the beginning of the 41st
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 42nd Shabbat of
the sacred year.
12th
course: From the beginning of the 42nd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 43rd Shabbat of
the sacred year.
13th
course: From the beginning of the 43rd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 44th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
14th
course: From the beginning of the 44th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 45th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
15th
course: From the beginning of the 45th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 46th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
16th
course: From the beginning of the 46th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 47th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
17th
course: From the beginning of the 47th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 48th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
18th
course: From the beginning of the 48th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 49th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
19th
course: From the beginning of the 49th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 50th Shabbat of
the sacred year.
20th
course: From the beginning of the 50th
Shabbat of the sacred year through the end of the 51st Shabbat of
the sacred year.
21st
course: From the beginning of the 51st
Shabbat of the sacred year through the
end of the 2nd Shabbat of Aviv or else through the end of the
52nd Shabbat of the sacred year, whichever one comes first.
22nd
course: From the beginning of the 52nd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the
end of the 2nd Shabbat of Aviv or else through the end of the
53rd Shabbat of the sacred year, whichever one comes first.
23rd
course: From the beginning of the 53rd
Shabbat of the sacred year through the
end of the 2nd Shabbat of Aviv or else through the end of the
54th Shabbat of the sacred year, whichever one comes first.
24th course: From the beginning of the 54th Shabbat of
the sacred year through the end of the
2nd Shabbat of Aviv.
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