Date of Award

5-1-1990

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Sacred Theology (STM)

Department

Exegetical Theology

First Advisor

Horace Hummel

Scripture References in this Resource

Numbers 28:11; 1 Kings 12:32; 1 Kings 6:1; 37; 1 Kings 6:38; 1 Kings 8:2; 2 Chronicles 8:13; Deuteronomy 16:1; Esther 9:21-22; Exodus 12:3; Exodus 12:6; Exodus 13:4; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18; Genesis 24:55; Genesis 7:11; Genesis 8:14; Judges 19:2; Leviticus 23:34; Leviticus 23:5-6; Leviticus 25:29; Numbers 10:10; Numbers 28:16-17; Numbers 29:12; Proverbs 7:20; Psalm 81:4; Psalm 81:5

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis is twofold. We endeavor to provide the exegetical base for the understanding of the calendar used by God's4people in the Old Testament. There is, of course, a certain heuristic value to our topic for Old Testament studies at large. Beyond that, we find our study to be unique in its approach. Apart from the confessional position outlined above, we came to the texts without any preconceived notions about the nature, structure, and use of the Hebrew calendar. Conversely, the vast majority of works on the calendar are undertaken to prove a particular point of view. As such, these works may or may not consider evidence that is contrary to their position, and virtually none of these works will consider a position apart from their own hermeneutical stance. Our conclusions will certainly flow from our own hermeneutics, but in presenting the evidence we have sought to be as objective as possible. Rather than seeking to prove a particular calendar’s use in the Old Testament, we have tried to draw from the evidence the calendar that was most probably used.

A second purpose of our topic is to discover the practical implications of Israel's calendar. A calendar is a part of life so ingrained in daily affairs that one is not surprised when calendar reckoning does not receive formal treatment in a society's literature. How did this intimate part of Israel's life effect its religious celebrations? Further, was the calendar complementary to Israel's faith, and if so, in what way? That is, did the calendar assist Israel in understanding its place before God in salvation history? Or, was the calendar simply a tool with no salvific significance at all?

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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