Calendar of the Heavenly Signs

Qumran, Cave 4, fragment 4Q319

The information below is contained in A New Translation The Dead Sea Scrolls  by Micheal Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook, pages 389-391

Suggested Reading

The authors have provided a very lengthy introduction to this chapter (71) before presenting the 4Q319 fragment. We highly recomend you taking the time to read through it.  They note:

A Cave 4 copy (4Q259) of the Charter of a Jewish Sectarian Association (text 7) preceded the Calendar of the Heavenly Signs. In essence, this calendar replaces the hymn concerning times of prayer found in cols. 10-11 of the Charter.

Fragment 1 Col. 4

9[…] blessed […] 10[…] its light on the fourth day of the wee[k…] 11[…the] creationon the fourth day of (the priestly course of ) G]amul; the conjunction of Shecaniah in the fourth year; the conjunction of Gamul in the Sabbath year;] 12[the conjunction of Shecaniah in the thi]rd year; the c[onjunction of Gamu]l in the sixth year; the conjunction of [Shecaniah in the second year; the conjuction of Gamul] 12[in the fifth year; the conjunct]ion of Shecaniah in the year after the Sabbath year (first year); the conjunction of Gamu[l in the fourth year; the conjunction of Shecaniah] 14[in the Sabbath year; the conjunct]ion of Gamul in the third year; the conjunction of Shecaniah [in the sixth year; the conjunction of Gamul] 15[in the second year; the conjunct]ion of Sh[ecaniah] in the [fi]fth year; the conjunction of Gamu[l in the year after the Sabba]th year (first year); the conjunction of 16[Shecaniah in the fo]urth year; the conjunction of Gamul in the Sabbath year; the conjunctin of the e[nd of the jubilee. The conjunctions of the second j]ubilee 17are seventeen, of which [three] are in sabbatical years. […] the creation 18[…]

The lunar-solar conjunctions of the second jubilee.