New Moon

See Feasts and Festivals of Israel

The first day of the lunar month was observed as a holy day. In addition to the daily sacrifice there were offered two young bullocks, a ram and seven lambs of the first year as a burnt offering, with the proper meat offerings and drink offerings, and a kid as a sin offering. ( Numbers 28:11-15 ) As on the Sabbath, trade and handicraft work were stopped, ( Amos 8:5 ) and the temple was opened for public worship. ( Isaiah 66:23 ; Ezekiel 46:3 ) The trumpets were blown at the offering of the special sacrifices for the day, as on the solemn festivals. ( Numbers 10:10 ; Psalms 81:3 ) It was an occasion for state banquets. ( 1 Samuel 20:5-24 ) In later, if not in earlier, times fasting was intermitted at the new moons. Judith 8:6. The new moons are generally mentioned so as to show that they were regarded as a peculiar class of holy days, distinguished from the solemn feasts and the Sabbaths. ( 1 Chronicles 113:31 ; 2 Chronicles 2:4 ; 8:13 ; 31;3 ; Ezra 3:5 ; Nehemiah 10:33 ; Ezekiel 45:17 ) The seventh new moon of the religious year, being that of Tisri, commenced the civil year, and had a significance and rites of its own. It was a day of holy convocation. The religious observance of the day of the new moon may plainly be regarded as the consecration of a natural division of time.

NEW MOON

See MOON, NEW; FASTS AND FEASTS.