Title Author Date

Gezer Calendar Padici, Dec 14, 2005

we read in the point 66:

The Gezer Calendar, dated to the 10th century BCE, mentions a month of "harvest and feasting," but does not name the feast(s) celebrated in that month; moreover, since according to that calendar the month of "harvest and feasting" is three months before the month of "summer fruit," it is evident that this month is not parallel to the present-day autumn month of Tishrei, the most suitable candidate for the title "the month of
feasting" using the Torah's list of feasts. Most likely the calendar refers what is now Nissan, but the Torah's name for that month -- "the spring month" -- is not mentioned. Neither are any of the other Scriptural names of months -- "the month of Bul," "the month of Ziv," "the month of Eitanim" -- mentioned (for the text of the Gezer Calendar see "Ancient Near Eastern Texts," ed. by J. B. Pritchard, p. 320).

This analyse is very superficial, your apparent "contradiction" is based on a translated word : "kl" It is true that Albright (mentioned in Pritchard) translated it feasting, but if you read more recent scholars you will see that this word was more evidently related to "measuring" may be for taxes. Hoftijzer Dictionnary of the North-West Semitic
Inscription p. 507 vol 1 ; Talmon King Cult Calendar In Ancient Israel p 91 or Renz Handbuch Der Althebraischen Epigraphik p 35

In the contrary the Gezer Calendar is very much related to the Bible, his 12 months are corresponding to the solar year (the same in the Bible). Compare GC with Ruth 1:22 and Exodus 23:16, the same Hebrew terms are used.

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Title Author Date

Gezer Calendar Zeligman, Naftali Dec 14, 2005

Dear Sir/Madam--

You are correct that the translation of "kl" as "feasting" is problematic, and "measuring" may be involved. Still, the Gezer Calendar has no observable link with the Torah's cycle of holidays. All it mentions are seasons of
agricultural works. Now, it is true that agricultural works, being as they were the basis of ancient economy, are mentioned in the Bible (e.g., in Ruth 1:22). Moreover, some passages in the Torah present the cycle of holidays as dependent on the cycle of agricultural works (e.g., Exodus 23:14-16). Yet,
the Gezer Calendar shows no awareness of the cycle of holidays.

Regards,

N.Z.

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