05/17/2026
Dear Friends,
At the time of this writing, we aren’t aware of the crescent moon being spotted by the naked eye from Israel this evening (17 May 2026).
To remind you, the Biblical Month begins with the crescent moon, i.e. when the lesser light (Gen 1:14) becomes anew following conjunction. This why the beginning of the month is called “chodesh” (1 Samuel 20:5; Psalm 81:4[3]; Eziekiel 46:1), from the root ch.d.sh., meaning new.
From our perspective on Earth, it takes the moon approximately 29.5 days to complete its lunation (orbit around Earth). This means it’s only possible to spot the crescent at the end of the 29th day half the time (on average). And whether the crescent will be spotted at the end of the 29th day, depends on how far the moon is from the sun, how much atmospheric obstruction is on the horizon, and the acuity of the observers’ vision.
As this evening was the end of the 29th day, unless we send out an update with a positive sighting, the Biblical Month will begin tomorrow evening by default. This is because the Biblical Month is based on the lunar cycle, which is never more than 30 days. [We will not be going out again tomorrow evening.]
And for those that asked, 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.
On behalf of all of us who keep the Biblical Calendar, we want to thank everyone who looked for the crescent New Moon from Israel this evening.
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Together we can restore the Biblical Calendar!
Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel
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Devorah's Date Tree (Judges 4:4-5) is committed to restoring the Biblical Calendar, by providing honest reporting and in-depth studies. This important effort is headed by Devorah Gordon, who has been living in Israel and working on restoring the Biblical Calendar, for over 30 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.
