Karaite Korner Newsletter #500

No Aviv Barley, New Moon of Thirteenth Month Sighted

On March 6, 2011 the barley we examined in the Judean Desert and Jordan Valley was nowhere near Aviv. These are locations the barley is known from previous years to ripen earliest. The barley was mostly in the vegetative state but we also found large amounts of barley that had just flowered (cotton-stage). This is consistent with our findings on Friday March 4, 2011 in the northern Negev. The lack of Aviv barley means the new moon on April 4, 2011 will be the beginning of the Hebrew year and Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) will begin at sunset on April 18, 2011.

The new moon of the Thirteenth Biblical Month was sighted on March 6, 2011. It was first sighted from Kefar Eldad by Bruce Brill at 6:03pm and then from Jerusalem at 6:11pm by David Cachicas followed shortly thereafter by Willie Ondricek, Keith Johnson, Nehemia Gordon, Devorah Gordon, Daniella Cachicas, Yoel Halevi, Pat Skewes, and Miri Burgin.

Pictures of the barley are posted on my Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/NehemiaGordon

A report has been going around that someone found "green ears" in the Negev. He has posted four photos of green ears of WHEAT here:
http://yahwehstruth.net/galleries/abib11/index.htm
While these pictures of wheat obviously don't have any relevance for Aviv barley, I can confirm that there are "green ears" of barley in Israel (see my photos on Facebook). However, "green ears" are not the same thing as Aviv as I explain at (and in the associated FAQ):
http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib.shtml
There are green ears of barley in Israel but no Aviv barley.

My thanks to the following people for participating in the Aviv Search: Devorah Gordon, Keith Johnson, Yoel Halevi, Yaron Laluz, Noam Moshe, Asaf Cohen, Matan Cohen, Almog Levi, Miri Burgin, Bruce Brill, Terry Telligman, Sarah Jaffee, Bob Jaffee, Catherine Bodenstein, Margie Shearer, and Pat Skewes.

Chodesh Sameach!
Happy New Moon!

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel