The Belief that Ancient Jews Were “Lunar Sabbatarians”

There are some who believe that in ancient times the Jews observed the weekly Sabbath based upon the lunar cycle, and specifically that the weekly Sabbath fell on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th days of each month. There are three primary verses of Scripture that they use to promote this teaching. Those verses are:

Genesis 1:14, where it says, “And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for SEASONS (Hebrew moedim), and for days, and for years.”

Psalms 104:19, where it says, “He appointed the moon for SEASONS (Hebrew moedim): the sun knoweth his going down.”

At this point, those who believe the weekly Sabbath was originally based upon the lunar cycle point out that the “heavenly lights” were ordained for various purposes in Genesis 1:14, but this verse does not specify which “light” is for the SEASONS (moedim). However, in Psalms 104:19, clarification is given when we read that it is the moon that was ordained for the SEASONS (moedim).

Those who promote this belief simultaneously point out that the Hebrew word moedim can also mean “appointed times,” and that the weekly Sabbath is one such “appointed time.”

They then direct our attention to Leviticus 23:2-3, where they believe it is confirmed that the weekly Sabbath is specified as being one of those “appointed times”:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the FEASTS (Hebrew mowadah / moedim) of YHWH, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my FEASTS (Heb. mowadah / moedim). Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of YHWH in all your dwellings.”

Since Leviticus 23:2-3 identifies the weekly Sabbath as being a mo’ed, and since the moon was appointed for the moedim, it is held that the weekly Sabbath was, in ancient times, based upon the lunar cycle instead of the continuously-repeating cycle now observed by Judaism.

The Septuagint

When the Hebrew scholars who translated the Septuagint came to the Hebrew word moedim in Genesis 1:14, they translated it into a Greek word pronounced kairous. Thus, they recognized the heavenly lights as having been ordained for dividing day from night, for signs, for KAIROUS, for days and for years.

The Septuagint reading of Psalms 104:19, in similar fashion, translates the Hebrew moedim into the Greek kairous.

At this point I would like to ask you to pretend for a moment that you are one of the Hebrew scholars busily translating the Septuagint. I would also like to ask you to envision that you are a Hebrew scholar who observes “lunar sabbaths,” i.e., weekly Sabbaths, based upon the lunar cycle. You have already translated the books of Genesis and Exodus, and are now working on the book of Leviticus. You have just begun translating the text of Leviticus 23, and you have just come to the word moedim in Lev. 23:2-3. As a lunar sabbatarian, you know how important it is to convey to your Greek-speaking audience that the weekly Sabbath is based upon the lunar cycle, especially since it is nowhere specified in Scripture that the weekly Sabbath should ever fall on certain dates of the month. Equipped with this understanding, please let me know how you would translate the word moedim in Leviticus 23:2-3.

Finally, let’s say a first-century Greek-speaking Jew came across a copy of the Septuagint and studied it diligently without anyone or any other external data to influence his way of thinking or believing. Let’s say he understood that the heavenly lights are for, among other things, the “kairous.” And let’s say he also understood that the moon is specifically for the ”kairous.” One day, he studied the text of Leviticus 23:2-3. If he came across a different Greek word in that text that is not a synonym with the word “kairous,” how would he know that the weekly Sabbath must be based upon the lunar cycle?