the samaritan hebrow calender
The Samaritans base their Hebrew calendar on an astronomical calculation that dates back over 163 dynasties, to the time of Adam, and has been passed down through the priestly family of the Levites to this day. This is a lunar astronomical calculation known as the “Calculation of Truth.” It is derived from the latitude of Mount Gerizim, as this sacred mountain is at the center of the Holy Land, which is located in the center of the Earth.
The High Priest follows a specific astronomical methodology to determine the heads of the months, eclipses, the timing of festivals, astrological signs, and, if well-versed, even predicts earthquakes and many other details that are too numerous to list.
The Samaritan Hebrew year consists of 12 months in a simple year or 13 months in a leap year, as follows:
It is a known fact in astronomical calculations that every 19 consecutive years, there are 12 simple years and seven leap years.
It is worth noting that every 28 Samaritan Hebrew years repeat themselves, with the same day, date, month, hour, and even minute.
The Samaritans begin the month with the birth of the moon. At the moment the moon is born, if the moon eclipses the sun, this means the month is 29 days (lunar). If the sun eclipses the moon, the month is 30 days (solar). In other words, if the moon’s birth occurs no later than six hours before noon, the month is considered to be 30 days long. However, if it happens after six hours, the new month begins the following day, making it only 29 days.
The end of each Hebrew year coincides with the beginning of the first day of the sixth month. For example, the Samaritans concluded the year 3659 and began counting the year 3660 from this day, because on this date, the Children of Israel entered the Holy Land under the leadership of Joshua son of Nun.
The High Priest distributes a paper known as the “Samaritan Agenda” during the festival seasons, particularly at the arrival of Passover and the Festival of Tabernacle (Sukkot), thus twice a year.
The Samaritans perform a group prayer on the first night of each month in the Samaritan synagogues, led by the High Priest and the Imam of the community. In honor of welcoming the beginning of each Hebrew month with goodness, blessing, love, and peace, each family lights its home, hoping that it will be blessed for the family, the community, and the entire world with love, goodness, and peace .