19/02/2026
Dear Friends,
The 12th Biblical Month has begun!
The crescent moon was sighted from Israel on 18 February 2026:
* Zevulun Valley at 6:12pm by Yoel HaLevi
* 6:13pm by Gadi Eidelheit
To remind you, the Biblical Month begins with the crescent moon. In fact, the word in the Tanakh for the beginning of the month is “chodesh” (1 Samuel 20:5; Psalm 81:4[3]; Eziekiel 46:1), from the root ch.d.sh. (new), because the beginning of the month is when the moon (the lesser light Gen 1:14), becomes anew following the lunar phase of conjunction.
And we know the Biblical Calendar is to be set according to the signs (Gen 1:14) in The Land (Dt 6:1, Dt 11:8-9, Dt 30:5), as the moadim (appointed times) are set holy days (Lev 23:4), to be observed as a nation, in the place the Creator placed His name (Ex 23:17, Ex 34:23, Dt 16:15-16, 1 Kings 11:36, Zech 14:16), not everyone celebrating on different days.
As days in the Biblical Calendar begin at sunset, i.e. the end of the agricultural day (Gen 1:5,8,13,19,23,31), the Biblical Month begins when the crescent moon is spotted from Israel. The beginning of the Biblical Month is a celebratory day (Hosea 2:11), and was traditionally commemorated by blowing the shofar (Num 10:10; Psalm 81:4[3]), enjoying a festive meal (1 Samuel 20:5, 24), and worshiping at the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) (Isaiah 66:23; Ezekiel 46:1-3) with a special sacrifice (Num 28:11-15; 2Chronicles 2:3; Ezra 3:4-5, Ezekiel 45:17, Ezekiel 46:6).
On behalf of all of us who keep the Biblical Calendar, we want to thank everyone who looked for the crescent moon from Israel this evening, and shared their observations in a timely manner, so they could be included in this report.
And for those that asked, the weekly sabbath isn’t determined by the lunar cycle, rather by the daily cycle, as we’re commanded to observe the sabbath every seventh day (Gen 2:2-3, Ex 16:26; Ex 20:8-11; Ex 23:12; Ex 31:12-17; Ex 34:21; Ex 35:2; Lev 23:3; Ez 46:1). And we know Saturday is the seventh day, because we have an unbroken tradition of observing Shabbat on that day. As days in the Biblical Calendar begin at sunset (i.e. the end of the agricultural day) (Gen 1:5,8,13,19,23,31), Shabbat begins every Friday at sunset and ends on Saturday at sunset. [Remember, the adjustments the Rabbinites made to the Biblical Calendar are detailed in their writings, and they didn’t change the day of Shabbat.]
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Send us any questions you may have regarding the Biblical Calendar, and we’ll do our best to try and answer them in a future newsletter. All of our answers are based on relevant Bible verses, what we’ve seen in the Land over the past few decades, and much study and prayer.
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Together we can restore the Biblical Calendar!
Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
Copyright © 2017-2026 Devorah Gordon, All rights reserved.
Devorah's Date Tree (Judges 4:4-5) is committed to restoring the Biblical Calendar, by providing in-depth Bible Studies, reliable New Moon Observations, and honest Barley Inspections. This important effort is headed by Devorah Gordon, who has been living in Israel and working on restoring the Biblical Calendar, for over 25 years. We are honored that the information we share, is considered the most reliable source for keeping the Biblical Calendar, and a blessing to countless people around the world. Thank you for partnering with us to restore the Biblical Calendar.
