Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

the week every year.
Although the authors of the Qumran calendrical texts disdained the lunisolar calendar, a number of
their writings synchronize the two versions (see Priestly Courses I and Priestly Courses II, below).
The reasons for this synchronization are not entirely clear, but two suggestions may be somewhere
close to the mark. First, these authors considered all time holy and its measurement ordained by God.
It was probably thought necessary that someone keep a proper record of its passing. Since the
opponents of the authors could not be relied upon to do so - following, as they did, an illicit system -
the Qumran authors took the responsibility. In order to discharge this responsibility, it would be as
necessary to be able to point out errors as to know the correct answers. Thus, they tracked time by the
system of their opponents as well as by their own. Second, the authors of these texts certainly
expected that at some time they would be in power in Jerusalem. At that time, of course, they would
impose the solar calendar, but in order to know where they were in the year, they would have to know
both the false lunisolar date and the real solar date. In fact, there is some evidence that at certain
points in the Second Temple period the solar calendar actually was imposed, at least for short periods.
In all their timekeeping, the authors of the Qumran calendars reckoned not only by months, but also
by the rotation of the priestly courses (mishmarot). The courses would come into Jerusalem for
service at the temple for one week, then rotate out as the next group arrived to serve. Qumran texts
relied upon this 'eternal cycle' not only for their calendar units, but also for their chronography and
historiography (see Priestly Courses III). Every Sabbath, month, year and feast bore the name of a
priestly family (see Priestly Courses IV).
The priestly rotation required six years before the same group would be serving once again in the
same week of the year. This sexennial cycle reflects the need to synchronize the solar calendar with
the lunisolar version. Since the solar calendar totalled 364 days to the year, while the lunisolar
calendar alternated months of 29 and 30 days, the lunisolar calendar would 'fall behind' by ten days
per year. After three years, however, the lunisolar calendar was intercalated with an additional 29 or
30 days, bringing the two versions once again into harmony (364 X 3 = 354 X 3 + 30). Two such
cycles fit perfectly with the six years needed for one complete priestly cycle.
The order of the priestly courses was originally determined by lot, and is laid out in 1 Chr. 24:7-18 as
follows: (1) Jehoiarib (spelled 'Joiarib' in the Qumran texts), (2) Jedaiah, (3) Harim, (4) Seorim, (5)
Malchijah (sometimes spelled Malachijah in the Qumran texts), (6) Mijamin, (7) Hakkoz, (8) Abijah,