Dear Jay Ross, instead of, or before going back to yourself with this URL, considering you are at present debating another, me CGE, please first go back to the Scripture Leviticus 23:23 (I think it is) where it IMPLIES <
how the start of new year occurred>: "
The first day in the Seventh Month SHALL BE SABBATH!" The
<directive/criteria> was not <by observation [Sic.] a third month of 30 days added>, correct. The only criterium or directive was : "
The first day in the Seventh Month SHALL BE SABBATH!"
And don't miss what Scripture says right before, in verses 22f and 9f, where it tells of the Passover and Harvest feasts, where it tells <
how the start of new year occurred> just like in Exodus, where it tells, "
This - Abib - is the first month for you ... the fourteenth day of the First Month ye shall KILL the passover!" The <
directive/criteria> in Leviticus was not <
by observation [Sic.]
a third month of 30 days added>, correct. The only criterium or directive in Leviticus was : "
The first day in the Seventh Month SHALL BE SABBATH!" starting the last halve of EVERY year... always... no exception... "in times past"---WHEREAS EVERY year... always... no exception the first halve of the year was 1 Abib the 14th day before the fourteenth day of the solar-lunar year... EVER... always... no exception... "in times past".
The seeming anomaly is solved in Scripture with Scripture, adding nothing to the Word of God, leaving out nothing in the Word of God, but with leaving out all the work/works of man, which was to DATE days and months and seasons and years, all, the work/works of God. When days come and days go to the ordering of God's creation which man had/has no idea how to number them, then... "in times past", simply:- O man, do not number or date them!... "in times past".
But "in these last days God through the Son is speaking", by his apostle Paul in Scripture, Galatians 4, telling man, "
10You superstitiously by observation calculate / date days, months, seasons, years ...
21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?... 5:
4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."