The new moons are generally mentioned so as to show that they were regarded as a peculiar class of holy daj^s, to be distinguished from the solemn feasts and the Sab- baths (Ezek. xlv, 17 ; 1 Chron. xxiii, 31 ; 2 Chron. ii, 4 ; viii, 13 ; xxxi, 3 ; Ezra iii, 5 ; Neh. x, 33). See Festi- val.
The seventh new moon of the religious year, being that of Tisri, commenced the civil year, and had a sig- nificance and rites of its own. It was a day of holy con- vocation. See Trumpets, Feast of.
2. Mode of ascertaininff, fixing, and consecrating the New Moon. — As the festivals, according to the JNIosaic law, are always to be celebrated on the same day of the month, it was incumbent upon the spiritual guides of the nation to fix the commencement of the month, which was determined by the appearance of the new moon. Hence the authorities at Jerusalem, from the remotest times, ordered messengers to occupy the com- manding heights around the metropolis, on the oOth day of the month, to watch the sky; these, as soon as they observed the moon, hastened to communicate it to the synod; and, for the sake of speed, thej' were even al- lowed, during the existence of the Temple, to travel on the Sabbath and profane the sacred day (INIishna, Rosh Ha-Shana, i, 4). These authorities also ordained that, with the exception of gamblers with dice, usurers, those who breed and tame pigeons to entice others, those who trade in the produce of the Sabbatical year, women and slaves, any one who noticed the new moon is to give ev- idence before the Sanhedrim, even if he were sick and had to be carried to Jerusalem in a bed (Rosh Ha-Shana, i, 8, 9). These witnesses had to assemble in a large court, called Beth Jazek (pT"i T'^a), specially appointed for it, where they were carefully examined and feasted, so as to induce them to come; and when the authorities were satisfied with the evidence, the president pro- nounced the word ^TipTO, i.e. It is sanctified; where- upon all the bystanders had to repeat it twice after him. It is sanctified! It is sanctified! and the day was de- clared New IMoon (jMishna. Rosh lla-Shana, ii, 5, 7). On beholding the new moon from his own house, every Israelite had to offer the following benediction : " Bless- ed be He who renews the months! Blessed be He by whose word the heavens were created, and bj' the breath of whose mouth all the hosts thereof were formed ! He appointed them a law and time, that the\- should not overstep their course. They rejoice and are glad to perform the will of their Creator. Author of truth, their operations arc truth! He spoke to the moon. Be thou renewed, and be the beautiful diadem (i.e. the hope) of man (i.e. Israel), who shall one day be quickened again like tlic moon (i. e. at the coming of Jlessiah). and praise their Creator for his glorious kingdom. Blessed be He wlio renewed the moons" {Sanhedrim, 42 a). Of such importance was this prayer regarded, that it is asserted, '■ Whoso pronnuncetli tlic benediction of the New Moon in its prciper lime, is as if he had been hoMiiig converse with the Shokliinah" {ibid.'). To this prayer was after- wards added, "A good sign, good fortune be to all Is- rael ! (to be repeated three times). Blessed be thy Creator.! Blessed be thy Possessor! Blessed be thy
Maker! (repeated three times). As I leap towards thee, but cannot touch thee, so may my enemies not be able to injure me (said leaping three times). May fear and anguish seize them. Through the greatness of thine arm they must be as still as a stone; they must be as still as a stone through the greatness of thine arm. Fear and anguish shall seize them. Amen, Selah, Hal- lelujah. Peace, peace, peace be with you" {Sopherim, ii, 2). This prayer, which during the period of the second Temiile was offered up by every Israelite as soon as he beheld the new moon, is still offered up every month by all orthodox Jews, with some additions by the rabbins and the Kabbalists of the Middle Ages, and is called in the Jewish ritual (133? "ClT^p, Consecra- tion of the Neiv Moon. When the moon was not visi- ble on account of clouds, and in the five months when the watchmen were not sent out, the month was con- sidered to commence on the morning of the day which followed the 30th. According to Maimonides, the Rab- binists altered their method when the Sanhedrim ceased to exist, and have ever since determined the month by astronomical calculation, while the Karaites have re- tained the old custom of depending on the appearance of the moon. Astronomical knowledge was certainly acquired long after the destruction of Jerusalem ; unless, with Michaclis and Jahn (.1 rcheeol. iii, 304), we find a trace of it, sufficiently obscure, in 2 Kings xxv, 27 (comp. •Jer. Iii, 33. See also Paulus, Comment, iii, 543 sq.).
3. Origin of this Festival. — That the Mosaic law did not institute this festival, but already found it among the people, and simply regulated it, is evident both from the fact that the time of its commencement is nowhere stated, and from the words in which the sacrifices are spoken of (■' And on your new moons j-e shall offer," etc., Numb, xxviii, 11, etc.), which presuppose its existence and popularity. Several causes co-operated in giving rise to this festival. The periodical changes of the moon, renewing itself in four quarters of 7f days each, and then assuming a new phase, as well as the fact that its reappearance in the nocturnal sky to ancient cities and villages — the inhabitants of which were consigned to utter darkness, great dangers, and '• the terrors by night," during its absence, since they had no artificial means of lighting their roads — combined together to in- spire the nations of antiquity both with awe and grat- itude w'hen reflecting on these Avonderfid phenomena, and beholding the great blessings of the new moon. This is the reason why different nations, from the remot- est periods, consecrated the day or the evening which commences this renewal of the moon to the deity who ordained such wonders; just as the first and the begin- ning of every thing were devoted to the Author of all our blessings. There seems to be but little ground for founding on these traces of heathen usage the notion that the Hebrews derived it from the Gentiles, as Spen- cer and ]Michaolis have done ; and still less for attaching to it any of those symbolical meanings which have been imagined by some other writers (see Carpzov, Ajip. Crit. p. 425). Ewald thinks that it was at first a simple household festival, and that on this account the law does not take much notice of it. He also considers that there is some reason to suppose that the day of the full moon was similarly observed by the Hebrews in very remote tinies.