The Jewish Pesach Passover date of Nisan 14 is on Monday 22 April 2024, so why are Jehovah's Witnesses holding their Memorial on Sunday 24 Mar 2024?

Question

Normally, the Memorial service for Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the Jewish calendar for Nisan 14.

My understanding is that Nisan 14 is always the first full moon after the Spring (or Vernal) equinox, which happened on Wednesday 20 March 2024.

This year, 2024, Nisan 14 falls on April 22 when there is a full moon.

But the Memorial service is going to be on Sunday March 24 this year.

Could this discrepancy have anything to do with fact that 2024 is a Jewish leap year?

NOTE: According to a Jewish web site I found, there are 13 months in the Jewish calendar. The first month (Aviv/Nisan) in 2024 starts on Monday April 8 but to link to our calendar, we need to start with Shevat on January 10th, 2024.

Shevat: January 10 - 11th month in Jewish calendar

Adar 1: February 9 -12th month in Jewish calendar

Adar 2: March 10 - 13th month in Jewish calendar - full moon 25 March

Aviv/Nisan April 8 - 1st month in Jewish calendar - full moon 22 April

Answer 1

Since the Jewish Calendar date of Nisan 14 falls on Monday 22 April 2024, Why are Jehovah's Witnesses holding their Memorial service on Sunday 24th March?

From my perspective as an evangelical, Trinitarian, Reformed baptist who takes an interest in all things chronological in the Bible, the JWs are correct, and the anomaly is with the Jewish choice of when to have Nisan.

And having their Memorial service on 24th March is fully consistent with their view that Jesus died at Passover on Friday, 1st April, AD 33 (Gregorian, 3rd April Julian calendar).

In this answer I shall not be following all the logic of the Watchtower which may or may not be what is written here. I do not know. I shall simply be asserting that a Memorial on 24th March is consistent with the JW view that Jesus died on Friday, 14th Nisan, Jewish Post-Exilic Calendar AD 33, 1st April (Gregorian). But the evidence Jesus died on Friday, 14th Nisan, 1st April AD 33, gregorian, is not included here.

The Three Phases of the Jewish Calendar

The official Jewish Calendar has had three phases throughout Jewish history.

The Mosaic Calendar was instituted by Moses when the Israelites left Egypt; in one particular it reflected its origin in Egypt: according to Colin Humphreys ("The Mystery of the Last Supper") like the Egyptian practice the months began not at the first appearance of the New Crescent Moon but rather at the disappearance of the Old Crescent Moon. Since the Old Crescent Moon is last seen in the pre-dawn morning sky, in the Mosaic Calendar each day began at dawn. It can be called the Israelite Pre-exilic Calendar because it was the formally followed calendar until the Babylonian Captivity. It is the only Jewish Calendar which is described in the Bible, so it could also be called The Jewish Biblical Calendar. It was kept in step with the true Solar Year by agricultural, rather than astronomical, observation: it was only the seventh month if the harvest had finished by the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:39), so an extra month was added if it had not been gathered, and the Day of Atonement held the following month called seventh month. (The month that would have been the seventh is called the intercalary month.) Also Aviv was the month when the barley was in the "aviv" - eared, but green and so not yet fully ripe - stage and suitable for a first fruits offering (Exodus 9:31-32, Leviticus 23:10-11). The "first month" of the religious calendar is in the Spring and the civil year began at the start of the 7th month (Exodus 12:2).. very confusing.. think of "first month" as a month name. In the Old Testament, even when secular details are being written about, the "first month" is Nisan/Aviv, the month in Spring, the "seventh month" is Tishri, the month in Autumn.

The Mosaic Calendar did allow Passover to be celebrated in the second month by individuals in certain situations (Numbers 9:1-11). One of those situations was "if he be in a journey afar off" (Numbers 9:10). Whether it was because of this allowance or other reasons the godly King Hezekiah and his advisors felt it pleasing to God for the whole nation to celebrate the Passover in a certain year in the second month (2 Chronicles 30:1-5) because they were not ready in the first. This allowance can be extended to include other practical reasons. But it did not mean the second month could become the usual month. The usual month was/is still required to be the first month.

The second phase of the calendar began after the return from captivity in Babylon. It is sometimes called The Jewish Post-exilic Calendar. It was a continuation of the Pre-Exilic Calendar in everything but with two exceptions. With respect to, firstly, the start of the month and, secondly, the start of the day it reflected the practice of the Babylonians: the day now started at sunset, and each month began at appearance of the New Crescent Moon, about two days later each month compared to the Mosaic Calendar (Again, see "The Mystery of the Last Supper", Colin Humphreys). The first month name changed from Aviv to Nisan, following the Babylonian name "Nisanu". However, the Jewish authorities did not follow the Babylonian Calendar of when Nisanu began in assessing when Nisan began, and thus when the Passover was to take place. This calendar was the official calendar until at least the end of the Kokhba Rebellion AD 130s, when so many Jews were killed, and so many of the remainder were carried off into Roman slavery.

The final phase began with the recommendations of Hillel II and was adopted in AD 359. Today it is simply called The Jewish Calendar, but let us call it here The Hillel II Jewish Calendar. By that time the Jewish diaspora was so extended across the ancient world that it was no longer possible to have a calendar based on observations in Jerusalem and then communicate the result to all the Jews worldwide. So Hillel created an entirely calculated calendar. All Jews, anywhere in the world could, and can today, simply follow Hillel's calculated calendar to know what date it is. Hillel tried to imitate the Post-Exilic Calendar as much as possible, so that he tried not only keep it in step with the Solar Year, but also to keep each month in step with the months of the Post-Exilic Calendar. In Hillel's modern calendar the beginning of each month starts with a "fictitious New Crescent Moon", and not an observed New Crescent Moon, and the month lengths are not due to observations. The adoption of Hillel's calendar was the last act of the Sanhedrin before it was finally dissolved. It played and plays a very significant role in helping to keep a united worldwide Jewish identity. It is this calendar that is still in use today.

Hillel tried to make an accurate calendar. But it was inevitable that over hundreds of years it's inaccuracies would become apparent. The imperfection of the calculation of the length of the (approx 19 year) metonic cycle of the moon has meant the whole calendar has shifted by nearly 8 days since the time of Hillel. (See wikipedia, Hebrew Calendar, accuracy, metonic cycle drift) meaning that in every 19 year lunar cycle in three of the years what would be 14th Nisan in the Hillel (calculated) Calendar falls before the Spring Equinox so another intercalary Adar month must be added beforehand; whereas the observed first Full Moon falls after the Spring Equinox, 14th Nisan, without needing an extra intercalary month. So Nisan and Passover end up being in what would be the second month in Hillel's Calendar when observation of the moon puts Nisan in the (correct) previous month. And because attempts to have a new Sanhedrin have so far always fallen apart, there has so far been no Jewish authority to declare a change to the Calendar acceptable to all the Jewish community worldwide. (And most Jews in Israel today probably do not care to see a change anyway.)

The Jehovah's Witnesses are correct to follow this rule and have their Memorial on 24th March rather than later.

Jews today might argue that Passover only needs to be in a spring month but Moses was told that Passover was to be held in a specific month.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. (Exodus 12:1-3)

The simple observation here is that the first month is a specific month: any spring month will not be sufficient. There needs to be good grounds to hold it in the following month. Certainly, it should not be planned to hold it in the second month (after the Spring Equinox).

When the post-exilic calendar was adopted Nisanu of the Babylonian Calendar was seen as the usual equivalent of (Moses's) pre-exilic first month Aviv (or Abib)

In the Babylonian Calendar the first New Moon after the Spring Equinox was always 1st of Nisanu and (for the Babylonian Calendar) marked the start of a New Year. This was the month that was generally adopted for the pre-exilic first month of Aviv/Abib. But notice that the pre-exilic Aviv was often earlier in the year than the Babylonian Nisanu, because sometimes the full moon on the 14th fell after the Spring Equinox whereas the 1st was before the Spring Equinox: in such a case an extra 13th month would be added into the Babylonian calendar and the following month would be the Babylonian month of Nisanu.

The Jehovah's Witnesses believe Jesus died on 3rd April AD 33

It is very interesting to examine the year of AD 33.

In that year there was a New Crescent Moon on the 21st March (Julian) (Parker & Dubberstein "Babylonian Chronology 626 BC to AD 75", 1956) and the Spring Equinox was on 22nd March (Julian) (e.g. https://www.beda.cz/~jirkaj/seasons/seasons.pdf).

For the Babylonian Calendar where 1st Nisan always had to follow after the Spring Equinox the month of Nisanu therefore needed to start on the next New Crescent Moon. So an extra (intercalary) month of Adar (II) was added before Nisanu could begin: so there were 13 months, not the usual 12, in the Babylonian year before the Babylonian New Year could start on 1st Nisanu.

But, for the Jews, Nisan started on 21st March in agreement with the rule given to Moses: Passover must be on 14th Nisan on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

The death of Jesus at Passover on AD 33 3rd April (Julian, 1st April Gregorian Calendar), if true - and it is accepted by the Watchtower - for the JW and those of us who agree, is evidence that the Jews continued to always select the first full moon (not the first New Moon) after the Spring Equinox as falling in Nisan, the month of Passover.

Or, as others have said, the New Crescent Moon nearest the Spring Equinox is for the Jews the 1st Nisan; it is the same as saying the first full moon after the equinox must always fall in Nisan.

In the 21st Century, for three years in every 19 year Metonic cycle, Hillel's calculated Full Moon for the month after Adar (which would normally be Nisan) occurs before the Spring Equinox, whereas the observed Full Moon occurs after the Spring Equinox. On these three occasions in 19 years an extra intercalcary Adar is added in Hillel's Calendar. So Nisan in the calculated Hillel Calendar falls a month later than it should in these three years.

The JWs are celebrating their Memorial on the correct full moon.

Answer 2

Why are Jehovah's Witnesses holding their Memorial on Sunday 24 March 2024?

According to this June 1977 Watchtower article the Memorial should be held on the date of the Passover which is the 14 day of the Jewish month Nisan.

Appropriately, the date for the Memorial celebration is arrived at as the Jews back then determined the date for the Passover. They began the month of Nisan when they could first see the new moon in the spring nearest the equinox. Passover came fourteen days later.—Isa. 66:23; Ex. 12:2, 6.a. Jehovah’s Witnesses now follow this ancient pattern in determining the Memorial date. Please note that the first thing that needs to be established is when the new moon nearest the spring equinox (about March 21) will be visible in Jerusalem.

In any case, the basic point to appreciate is that the date for the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal is determined by the new moon (visible in Jerusalem), not the full moon. Nonetheless, the Memorial falls fourteen days after the appearance of the new moon. Thus it always occurs about the time of the full moon.

Could this discrepancy have anything to do with 2024 being a Jewish leap year?

As far as I can ascertain, in 2024, the modern Jewish calendar shows a leap year and so they have a second month of Adar. The new moon is first sighted in Jerusalem on Adar 13, which corresponds to March 10 here. Fourteen days from then takes us to March 24, which is a full moon. This is when Jehovah’s Witnesses will be holding their Memorial service.

But Adar is not the start of the 2024 Jewish New Year. Because the Jewish calendar has to be adjusted periodically to accommodate the differences between the solar and lunar calendars, this year the Jewish month of Nisan starts with the sighting of the new moon over Jerusalem on April 8, followed by the full moon on April 23.

The discrepancy, as far as I can understand, is that Jehovah’s Witnesses make their calculations for Nisan 14 based on the old Jewish calendar. This year, 2024, the Jewish festival of Passover begins at sunset on Monday, April 21 into April 22.

Having said that, the vernal, or spring, equinox in the northern hemisphere was on 19 March 2024, with the second month of Adar starting on 10 March, and the next full moon on 25 March.

However, 2,000 years ago, the end of March may well have been wet, with people unable to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Given the adjustments made to the modern Jewish calendar that means Nisan 14 this year falls on 23 April.

More useful information in the answer given by Daniel to Does Passover occur on the first full moon after the equinox?

Conclusion: According to the Watchtower article (link posted in the question above) the date for the Memorial celebration is arrived at as the Jews back then (33 C.E.) determined the date for the Passover. They began the month of Nisan when they could first see the new moon in the spring nearest the equinox. Passover came fourteen days later.

This year, 2024, the spring equinox was on 20 March. However, there was a new moon (in Jerusalem) on 10 March. Fourteen days from that brings you to 24 March and that is when Jehovah's Witnesses will hold their Memorial.

This year 24 March is not Nisan 14, according to today's Jewish calendar. That will be Adar 13 because of the adjustment from our solar calendar to the Jewish lunar calendar. This year is a Jewish leap year with two months of Adar. The addition of an extra month happens seven times in every 19 year cycle. So the Jewish Passover feast commences on 23 April this year (Nisan 14).

Answer 3

Since the Jewish calendar date of Nisan 14 falls on Tuesday 23 April 2024, why are Jehovah's Witnesses holding their Memorial on Sunday 24 March 2024?

The Jehovah's Witnesses have the practice of celebrating the Memorial of Christ's Death on the 14th of Nisan which corresponds with the Jewish Passover as at the time of Jesus.

The pattern established by Jesus helps determine not only the frequency but also the date and time of the Memorial. He introduced the observance after sundown on Nisan 14, 33 C.E., according to the Bible’s lunar calendar. (Matthew 26:18-​20, 26) We continue to observe the Memorial on this date each year, following the practice of early Christians. d

Although Nisan 14, 33 C.E. was a Friday, the anniversary of that date might fall on a different day of the week each year. We determine the date that Nisan 14 falls each year using the same method as was used in the time of Jesus, rather than applying the method used for the modern Jewish calendar. (1)

(1) Footnote: The modern Jewish calendar determines the beginning of the month of Nisan by the astronomical new moon, but that technique was not used in the first century. Instead, the month began when the new moon was first visible in Jerusalem, which can be a day or more after the moment of the astronomical new moon. This difference is one reason why the date on which Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Memorial does not always coincide with the date used by modern Jews for the Passover.

• Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Observe the Lord’s Supper Differently From the Way Other Religions Do?

"Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate Christ's death as a ransom or "propitiatory sacrifice" by observing the Lord's Evening Meal, or Memorial. They celebrate it once per year, noting that it was instituted on the Passover, an annual festival. They observe it on Nisan 14 according to the ancient Jewish luni-solar calendar. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that this is the only celebration the Bible commands Christians to observe."

The year 2024 poses a unique set of circumstances as to why the Jewish community has decided to defer the celebration of their Pesach to such a late date this year. The Jewish Passover is to be commemorated on April 22, 2024 starting at sundown!

The Jewish calendar follows a lunar cycle calendar, which comprises of some 354/355 days. Since the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than a 365-day solar calendar, it is necessary to added an extra month every so many years to realign the two calendars! This is what is happening this year.

The Jehovah's Witnesses have apparently decided to keep the first possibility of celebrating the Commemoration of Christ's Death on the first possibility after the first full moon after the spring equinox (March 20/21), which falls on March 24 this year.

Nevertheless there are some communities that feel that the Jewish community should have chosen another year than 2024 to add the extra month than 2024 to realign their calendar and moving their Pesach to such a late date.

The year 2024 is not the only year that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have seen this calendar divergence in relationship to this situation: This has happened as recently as 2016!

In 2016, Nisan 14 (Passover) can fall on March 22, the first opportunity for the 14th day of a Biblical month to occur after the equinox. But the Jewish calendar sets Nisan 14 at April 22nd. Why? Because the Jewish year 5776 (the spring months of 2016 fall within the Jewish year 5776) happens to be the 19th year of the 19-year calendar cycle and is then, by Judaic definition, a leap year (the 13th month must be added). This forces the first month to begin one month later than it normally would. Unfortunately, their calendar leap year tradition is so rigid that they fail to follow what we agree is the correct interpretation of the scriptures listed above, that God gave them, which strongly imply that the Passover must be kept at the first opportunity on or after the spring equinox. - Why the Jewish Calendar will be Incorrect in 2016

Answer 4

Across the five thousand years of recorded human history, the 20th century with all its mind-bending complexity comprises 2%. For us to look back and presume to understand bronze/iron age/medieval people from our modern perspective is . . . foolish and tragic.

Agriculture was a Prime, Life And Death Imperative!

KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

Mingling a Lunar Calendar with the (earth orbit around the sun) Equinoxes and Solstices saved lives, optimized agriculture, and allowed for prosperity and civilization. Everyone can do it: it requires watching the moon, and watching sun shadows arranged to mark the four critical days that designate the seasons.

As a half century academic Art Historian, I'm sad that most all text books and professors don't know nor teach that ancient Egyptian obelisks were functioning "gnomons" - civic clocks, telling both the season and the times of the day with the shadow they cast on the pavement and surrounding buildings.

It really is that simple, that old, and that universal/common to human existence - from nomadic hunter gatherers to tribal villages to bustling metropolises, everybody did it (or suffered nature's consequences).

The CREATOR GOD of Israel, built a beautiful ritual, theology, and story of vast eternal consequence around this common (seasonal moon and shadow watching) human experience: Hebrew Exodus, the Crucifix, and the community remembering those events under that moon every year.

We over complicate with our intellectual enthusiasm.

In that simple system, leap year corrections are automatically corrected by the new moon (visible sliver) closest to the Vernal(Spring) Equinox/first full moon after the same. Call that Vernal Equinox month ABiB (bud) or Nisan, and start the year from that month. Yes, some years you will loose a month or get two Abibs, but so what?! Its how to EASILY live a lunar 360 day Biblical Year, in a 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds solar orbital year. Only modern man who knows everything will fret and wring his hands about details (meanwhile the working farmer got his seeds in safely after the Spring Equinox so no late freeze destroys his crop and threatens his family with starvation).

The GOD I worship made a beautiful simple system, and it is my joy to bow before and celebrate what HE/THEY have done, are doing, and will do forever and always, even so, amen. And I get to marvel at the genius simplicity every time I see the moon in the sky and watch the shadows move across my patio.

I have to include a Shakespeare reference: Romeo and Juliette is precisely about these two differing worldviews - the overly intellectual analysis that makes big production about small differences, and the wisdom of a 15 year old girl in love who knows some differences are far less important - a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Be ye as little children . . .

To answer the question:

Usually Jehovah's Witnesses and Israel are in sync; they are both trying to live according to The ALMIGHTY's Biblical prescriptions. 2024 however, Israel choose Not to celebrate Passover on the (unusually early) Vernal Equinox moon, but the moon after; I'm sure they have their reasons.

Its all really that simple!

As a Messianic Christian I celebrated Passover in March, for the same reason as the Jehovah's Witnesses - YaHoVeH gave us the Sun, Moon and Stars as a guide (and as profoundly beautiful adornments for . . . Our Garden).