The purpose of the thesis is twofold. We endeavor to provide the exegetical base for the understanding of the calendar used by God\u27s4people in the Old Testament. There is, of course, a certain heuristic value to our topic for Old Testament studies at large. Beyond that, we find our study to be unique in its approach. Apart from the confessional position outlined above, we came to the texts without any preconceived notions about the nature, structure, and use of the Hebrew calendar. Conversely, the vast majority of works on the calendar are undertaken to prove a particular point of view. As such, these works may or may not consider evidence that is contrary to their position, and virtually none of these works will consider a position apart from their own hermeneutical stance. Our conclusions will certainly flow from our own hermeneutics, but in presenting the evidence we have sought to be as objective as possible. Rather than seeking to prove a particular calendar’s use in the Old Testament, we have tried to draw from the evidence the calendar that was most probably used.
A second purpose of our topic is to discover the practical implications of Israel\u27s calendar. A calendar is a part of life so ingrained in daily affairs that one is not surprised when calendar reckoning does not receive formal treatment in a society\u27s literature. How did this intimate part of Israel\u27s life effect its religious celebrations? Further, was the calendar complementary to Israel\u27s faith, and if so, in what way? That is, did the calendar assist Israel in understanding its place before God in salvation history? Or, was the calendar simply a tool with no salvific significance at all
