Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary
The Renewed Covenant by Daniel Gregg
"Ezra
8:31-33 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of
the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us,
and he
delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the
way. 32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days. 33 Now
on the fourth day
was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by
the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar
the son of
Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of
Binnui, Levites" (DLT: torahtimes.org).
the twelfth day of the first month: In 397 BC this was Tuesday, April 4. The reason for the delay was that Ezra had discovered that not enough Levites had come, so he sent word by messengers to various places, and then had to wait for their arrival. The messages went out on Nisan 3 or 4 at the latest, after the Sabbath on Nisan 2. The messages reached their destinations on Wednesday or Thursday. That gives four or five days at the most for the Levites to pack up and come. Ezra had called a fast to seek God's favor for the trip on Monday, Nisan 3. They departed the next day.
and abode there three days: They arrived in Jerusalem on Av 1, July 20, 397 BC, a Thursday. These three days then are, Av 1-3, or Thursday, Friday, and Sabbath.
the fourth day: Av 4 was the first day of the week, i.e. July 23, 397 BC. On this day, after being rested up, they got down to the business of taking care of the temple treasure.
comment1: If the year is misplaced in 457 BC, then the 12th of Nisan turns into the first day of the week, and their fast before departure lands on the Sabbath, April 6. Ezra certainly would not have approved of fasting on the Sabbath. Additionally, the 4th day of Av turns out to be the Sabbath, July 27th. Ezra would not have conducted the business of the treasure on that day. Further difficulties come up with Ezra 10:9 because the 20th of Kislev would be the first day of the week. The three day summons, then would be Friday, Sabbath, and Sunday, not a very merciful way to travel.
comment2: Parker and Duberstein new moons. Note Israel intercalates the 15th of Nisan on or after the equinox at first opportunity. I've underlined the Judean Nisan 1. Babylon calculates always the first new moon after the equinox to be Nisanu. (DLC: torahtimes.org)
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458 4/08 5/08 6/06 7/06 8/04 9/03 0 00 10/02 10/31 11/30 12/29 1/28 2/27
457 3/27 4/26 5/25 6/24 7/24 8/22 0 00 9/21 10/20 11/19 12/18 1/17 2/15 3/16
444 4/03 5/02 6/01 6/30 7/30 8/28 0 00 9/27 10/26 11/25 12/25 1/23 2/22 3/23
398 4/05 5/04 6/03 7/02 7/31 8/30 0 00 9/28 10/28 11/27 12/26 1/25 2/24 3/24
397 4/23 5/22 6/21 7/20 8/18 9/17 0 00 10/17 11/15 12/15 1/13 2/12 3/13 0 00
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update: 4/22/09. A wrong date was underlined in the chart above
Daniel's Literal Translation and Commentary: (http://www.torahtimes.org/translation/ezr0831.html)
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