Barley update: 10 March 2024

March Rosh HaShanah 5784-5 / 2024

The next new moon is ‘expected’ to be visible from the land of Israel on 11 March 2024. Nazarene Israel will be declaring Rosh HaShanah (the head of the Hebrew year) for 5784-5 / 2024 on this new moon day. Rosh HaShanah sameach!

To make a Rosh HaShanah 2024 declaration, Nazarene Israel must be certain that an omer quantity of the firstfruits of barley (in Israel) will be ready (in its aviv stage) within the 15-21 day time frame after the new moon sighting (in time for Yom HaNafat HaOmer, or the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering). 

In simple terms, to declare Rosh HaShanah on the next new moon day (expected on 11 March 2024), we need to have an omer’s worth of aviv barley firstfruits ready to offer for Yom HaNafat HaOmer (expected on 31 March 2024).

As we explain in our studies, declaring Rosh HaShanah too late (as the Karaites sadly do each year) would cause Yahweh’s firstfruits to be lost. The firstfruits of aviv barley in this area are already beginning to shatter. And an April declaration of Rosh HaShanah would mean allowing Yahweh’s firstfruits to fall to the ground, and offering Him something besides His true firstruits (a false firstfruits)! In contrast, when we declare Rosh HaShanah at the time when the firstfruits of aviv barley will be ready for Yom HaNafat HaOmer, 15-21 days after the new moon, everything aligns perfectly!

From 8-10 March 2024, barley inspector Becca Biderman reported that we will have an omer’s worth of aviv barley firstfruits for Yom HaNafat HaOmer to take place on the expected date of 31 March 2024. This area of barley is more than an omer’s worth, and the firstfruits of this aviv barley is already beginning to shatter (when ‘thumbed’, but not by themselves). Unless we declare Rosh HaShanah in March, the firstfruits would not last to Yom HaNafat HaOmer. 

Therefore, we will be declaring Rosh HaShanah on the upcoming new moon day! 

Find more on how to correctly declare Rosh HaShanah (according to Scripture) here!