In The Torah Calendar we talk about how to establish the New Moon Day (called Rosh Chodesh, or the Head of the Month). We also saw that the first new moon day of the year is called Rosh HaShanah (or the Head of the Year). The Head of the Year is a very special day, because the entire rest of the calendar year depends upon timing the head of the year correctly. Further, if Rosh HaShanah is timed correctly, the rest of the crop harvests will line up with the rest of the feasts. Conversely, if we do not time Rosh HaShanah correctly, the rest of the crop harvests will not line up with the rest of the feasts (so it is critical to time this correctly).

As we also saw in The Torah Calendar, once it is apparent to trained observers that the very first sheaf of barley in the land of Israel will be at the stage called aviv (or medium dough) 15-21 days later, then the priesthood declares Rosh HaShanah the next time the first crescent sliver of the new moon is seen from the land of Israel.

As we also saw in The Torah Calendar, 15-21 days after Rosh HaShanah, the priesthood presents the omer (or wave sheaf) to Yahweh on Yom HaNafat HaOmer (the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering). After this, all Israel can then harvest their crops. As we saw in The Torah Calendar and elsewhere, the Torah prohibits us from harvesting our crops before we present the Wave Sheaf Offering to Yahweh. Because this rule is broken in the Talmud, it is also routinely broken by groups who consider the Talmud authoritative (e.g., the Pharisees / Orthodox and the Sadducees / Karaites), but this prohibition should never be broken, because as we have shown in very many places, it was given by Elohim Himself.

As we also saw in The Torah Calendar, the omer must be of the very first of the barley to come ripe in the land of Israel, because if the omer is taken from barley that ripens later, then those farmers with the earliest ripening barley will not be able to harvest their crops when they come ripe, and they will lose their crops. (This rule is routinely violated by the Orthodox and the Karaites, and those Messianics who foolishly follow them.)

Beyond this, not only does the omer need to be the very first of the barley to come ripe in the land of Israel, it also needs to be in one of two special states, called aviv and carmel. We will define these terms later in this chapter.

Do Not Add to Elohim’s Torah

As we saw in Establishing the Head of the Year, some people want to establish the head of the year based on other factors (besides the aviv barley). For example, some say that even if the barley is ripe for the harvest, that the new year cannot begin until after the Spring Equinox (or Equilux) has passed. This is a violation of Yahweh’s Torah at Deuteronomy 12:32 and other verses, which tell us not to add to His commands.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 12:32
32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

Because the Equinox does not exist in Scripture, to say that the new year cannot begin until after the Equinox (or Equilux) has passed is clearly adding to Scripture.

Another example of a requirement that is sometimes added is how some Karaites and Messianics require us to have “harvestable fields” of barley before we can declare the new year, even though this requires the true firstfruits of barley to fall to the ground. We explain why this is against Scripture in Establishing the Head of the Year.

Before we begin, let us also that the Orthodox Jewish Hillel II calendar has Rosh HaShanah start in the fall. However, in marked contrast, Yahweh places it with the ripening of the barley (as winter is ending).

About Rosh HaShanah and the Barley

To understand why the head of the year is properly placed as winter is ending, let us notice that in Exodus 9:31-32, Yahweh struck Egypt with a plague of hail. The hail struck the flax because it was budding, while the barley was in the head (which is a more advanced condition). The Hebrew term for “in the head” is aviv (אָבִיב).

Shemote (Exodus) 9:31-32
31 Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head [אָבִיב, aviv] and the flax was in bud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.

The term aviv (אָבִיב) is Strong’s Concordance OT:24, and it refers to tender, green, young grain. This means grain that has just barely become mature, and is not yet hard.

OT:24 ‘abiyb (aw-beeb’); from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:

Not long after the barley was aviv (medium dough), Yahweh told Moshe and Aharon that this was to be the first month of their year.

Shemote (Exodus) 12:2
2 “This month is the head of months for you; it is the first month of the year to you.”

What this tells us is that when the first of the barley grains become tender, green, and young, that is the first month of the year. But to understand what to do with that information, let us take a closer look at how barley develops.

How Barley Develops

Modern agriculture uses a complex method of analyzing cereal grains, called the Zadoks Scale. Sometimes some people like to use the Zadoks Scale to determine whether or not barley is aviv, perhaps because it is scientific, or perhaps because the word Zadoks sounds like tzaddik, which is the Hebrew word for a righteous man. However, the Zadoks Scale did not exist in ancient times, so we do not use it (as it only confuses the issue).

For our purposes, barley and other cereal grains can be thought to pass through various stages of growth. These stages start slowly, and gain speed as the barley nears maturity. It may be helpful to visualize a barley plant passing through these phases.

The graphic is by the University of Wisconsin, USA, from their Spring Barley Growth and Development Guide. It shows the development of average modern spring barley in Wisconsin, USA. It is important to bear in mind that not only is the weather in Israel different than the weather in Wisconsin, but that these numbers are only averages. The process takes longer when the weather is cold, and takes less time when the weather is hot. We should also remember that there is really no such thing as an “average” crop—but that each year the weather is different, and that each field is different. However, with that in mind, we can see some important patterns.

The most important thing for us to see here is that in an average Wisconsin spring, the seed head emerges from the stalk (or from what is called the boot) about 58 days after germination (or just under two months). Then just 31 days after that it is ready for modern combine harvest. This means from the time the seed head flowers and is pollinated, there is basically only a month until the plant is ready for harvesting by modern combine methods. However, we also need to remember that in ancient times there was even less time! That is because modern combine harvesting depends on the plant being fully mature, to the point of being brittle—and this method does not work with hand sickles (especially ancient ones).

A combine is called a combine because it performs a combination of actions. It slaps super-ripe, already-fragile barley with a paddle, knocking everything into a large tray. Because the barley is already brittle, the seed head shatters and the grain is largely separated from the chaff. Then the seed is further separated from the chaff.

In contrast to this, in ancient times, harvesting had to be done by hand with sickles, and ancient sickles were not nearly as sharp as modern steel sickles. Ancient sickles were typically made either of flint or sharpened animal bones mounted in wood. For example, this is an ancient flint sickle found in the land of Israel. This would be nowhere near as sharp as a modern steel hand sickle.

Here is an ancient hand sickle made with animal bones, found in the Middle East.

The issue is that when barley is fully ripe and golden brown (as in the picture with the combine, above) it is already much too fragile to harvest with a hand sickle. If one hits golden brown barley with a hand sickle, the grain will shatter and fall to the ground, and the crop will be lost (and the farmer ruined). To make sure that this does not happen, a farmer using hand sickles must harvest the barley when it has just barley matured and is still just a little bit tender, and green—and if we are willing to accept it, this is the very definition of aviv.

OT:24 ‘abiyb (aw-beeb’); from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:

Stages of Barley Growth

If we look at the chart from the University of Wisconsin again, we can see that barley passes through several stages of growth. The first stage is called the vegetative growth stage. During vegetative grown, the barley plant is soft, and flexible. It can get hit by hail and it bounces right back. This is why the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed by the hail in Exodus 9:32, is that they were still in the vegetative growth stage, and so they were still soft and flexible (and thus they were able to withstand the impact of hail without sustaining any damage).

After the vegetative growth stage, the head emerges from the boot (i.e., the stalk), and the plant then buds and flowers. This is called the budding and flowering stage. During this stage, the plant stalks start to become rigid (as they are preparing to bear the weight of the grain head aloft). Further, with the development of the grain head, they also become top-heavy. If cereal grasses get hit by hail or even a hard rain during this stage, the impact of the hail or the weight of the wet grain heads can cause the plants to topple over and the stalks can kink, causing the crop to be damaged or lost. That is why the flax and barley were destroyed in Exodus 9:31 is that the flax was flowering, and the barley was aviv (which we shall see is medium dough). That is to say that the plants were now top-heavy, and their stalks were no longer flexible. Thus, the weight of the hail and the weight of any wetness pulled the plants over, and they were “struck.”

Shemote (Exodus) 9:31-32
31 Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head [אָבִיב, aviv] and the flax was in bud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.

The Error of “Harvestable Fields”

As we show in Establishing the Head of the Year, some people incorrectly teach that before the barley can be damaged by hail it has to be already completely mature, such that it is dry, brittle, and golden brown (as in the combine picture above). However, that is completely incorrect, as the flax in Exodus 9 was also damaged by hail, even though it was only in bud. This shows us that cereal grains can be damaged by hail even when they are only in bud. They do not need to be fully combine ripe.

To reiterate, what makes grains susceptible to hail is that they are entering the budding and flowering stages, which makes the stalk brittle, and the plant top-heavy.

Barley Development

After the plant flowers and is pollinated, it forms a closed seed pod. However, at first there is nothing in the pod. If the seed pod is torn open in the first few days, the closed flower will look like cotton. This is called the cotton stage. After this the plant will begin to pump fluid into the seed pod. If it is torn open it will have a watery-looking fluid. This is called the water stage.

After the plant flowers and is pollinated, it forms a closed seed pod. However, at first there is nothing in the pod. If the seed pod is torn open in the first few days, the closed flower will look like cotton. This is called the cotton stage. After this the plant will begin to pump fluid into the seed pod. If it is torn open it will have a watery-looking fluid. This is called the water stage.

Approximately 10-11 days after fertilization the plant has now pumped enough starch into the seed head that the seeds are starting to be substantial If one tears open the seed head at this point, the developing seed will look like a wet, slimy worm. This is often called the worm stage.

As the plant continues to pump starch into the seed pods, the seeds become fuller, and harder. At about 14 days after fertilization, if one cuts the seed pods open, the seed will resemble soft bread dough inside. This is called the soft dough stage. Such “soft dough” is easily cut with the fingernail (but there should be no milky liquid).

At approximately 17-18 days after fertilization, the seeds should now be filled with starch. After this, the seeds will not gain any more mass. Rather, they begin to dry out, harden, and lose moisture. The plant also begins to change color from green to yellow, indicating that the plant is starting to dry up and die. This is called the medium dough stage, and as we will see, this is what qualifies as aviv barley, because the plant is basically fully mature, and yet still tender, and slightly green.

OT:24 ‘abiyb (aw-beeb’); from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:

Medium dough barley should have the consistency of medium-hard bread dough. One should be able to cut it with the fingernail, but it should not be watery inside (at all). It should be turning golden brown but still have a slightly greenish tint, because it has just barely finished maturing. Yet it should be viable as seed, because it is fully formed, and has finished maturing.

Notice how the grains in the picture are just starting to turn yellow, yet still have a slightly greenish tint. Notice also the texture inside. Although the grain can be cut with the fingernail, it is not watery at all. This is the ideal stage for harvesting with a hand sickle because the grains now have as much mass as they will ever have, but the likelihood of shattering the head when the stalk is struck with the sickle is not yet very great. That is to say that if a farmer harvests his barley in the medium dough (aviv) stage, he may have to dry the grains before threshing, but he will not likely lose much of his crop to “sickle shock”. Only, this ideal harvesting condition does not last very long.

Here is a field where the barley plants have just started to turn yellow, but still have a greenish tint. This indicates that the seed is now fully mature, and the plants are beginning to die, and are getting ready to drop their seed (i.e., reproduce). This yellowing is a good indicator that it is time to inspect for medium dough (aviv).

We will explain why medium dough barley is aviv in a moment, but first let us finish talking about the stages of barley development.

At about 21 days (three weeks) from fertilization, the grains have lost some of their moisture, and now the barley grain has the consistency of hard bread dough. One can still cut it with a fingernail, but it takes effort. It has a leathery consistency. This is called the hard dough stage, and it is about the latest a farmer wants to harvest his crops with a hand sickle, lest the heads shatter and drop their seeds during the harvesting process. Remembering that this stage comes only a few days after the medium dough stage, now we can understand why Yeshua tells us that the wise farmer immediately puts in his sickle as soon as the grain has come ripe, because the harvest has come.

Marqaus (Mark) 4:28-29
28 “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

As the barley continues to harden and lose moisture, it enters what is called the very hard dough stage. In this stage it is still possible to dent the grain with a fingernail, but it is not possible to cut it with the fingernail. Very hard dough is already too brittle for ancient sickle harvesting. If one tries to harvest with an ancient hand sickle at the very hard dough stage, a lot of the heads will shatter, and the barley crop will be lost (and the farmer ruined).

Finally, at approximately 31 days (i.e., a full month) after the barley is pollinated, the barley plant is ripe for harvesting with a modern combine. As we mentioned earlier, this is much too ripe for harvesting with a sickle, because if one tries to harvest with an ancient hand sickle at this point, a very large percentage (if not most) of the crop will be lost.

Finally, we should again emphasize that the whole process of maturation takes place very quickly. Barley reaches the medium dough (aviv) stage approximately 17-18 days after the barley is fertilized—and that is when farmers should begin harvesting their crops, because they have less than a week to do so before the barley heads begin shattering when they are struck with an ancient hand sickle.

At approximately 31 days following pollination (about 13-14 days after the barley becomes medium dough / aviv), the barley plants will be in the stage we call “modern combine ripe.” At this late stage, the barley heads are already too fragile to harvest with a hand sickle, because the heads will absolutely shatter (and it is this shattering upon which modern combine harvesting depends). Yet ironically, some barley search groups wrongly call this stage “aviv”.

Bringing the Very Firstfruits of Aviv or Carmel

With this background in barley development, we can see that it is imperative that we bring the very first sheaf of aviv or carmel barley to Yahweh, to clear the way for the rest of the harvest. To see this, first let us analyze Leviticus 2:14, which tells us that we are to bring an offering of the firstfruits (בִּכּוּרִים) of our barley to Yahweh.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 2:14-15
14 “Also when you bring an offering of firstfruits [בִּכּוּרִים] to Yahweh, you shall bring green heads of grain [אָבִיב קָלוּי] parched in the fire, [and/or] crushed carmel [גֶּרֶשׂ כַּרְמֶל] shall you offer for your firstfruits offering.
15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.”

The term firstfruits (בִּכּוּרִים) is Strong’s Old Testament OT:1061, meaning the very first of the fruits. It could not be simpler, but some Karaites and Messianics often miss (or ignore) this most basic of requirements, even though it clearly refers to the very first of the fruits.

OT:1061 bikkuwr (bik-koor’); from OT:1069; the first-fruits of the crop:
KJV – first fruit (-ripe [figuratively]), hasty fruit.

When we look up the root word at OT:1069, we see that it refers to the fruit that is truly first (as if “bursting the womb.”) Why can these other groups not understand that this means the very first of the barley fruits?

OT:1069 bakar (baw-kar’); a primitive root; properly, to burst the womb, i.e. (causatively) bear or make early fruit (of woman or tree); also (as denominative from OT:1061) to give the birthright:
KJV – make firstborn, be firstling, bring forth first child (new fruit).

And not only does Leviticus 2:14 tell us that it must be the very first of our barley fruits, but it must also be in a special state of either aviv (אָבִיב), or carmel (כַּרְמֶל).

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 2:14-15
14 “Also when you bring an offering of firstfruits [בִּכּוּרִים] to Yahweh, you shall bring green heads of grain [אָבִיב קָלוּי] parched in the fire, [and/or] crushed carmel [גֶּרֶשׂ כַּרְמֶל] shall you offer for your firstfruits offering.
15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.”

Yahweh only accepts a wave sheaf of barley firstfruits that are aviv or carmel. But what do these two terms mean?

Aviv: Medium Dough

As we already saw, Strong’s Concordance defines aviv as tender, green, and young grain.

OT:24 ‘abiyb (aw-beeb’); from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:

The term kalui (קָלוּי) means roasted, so aviv kalui refers to roasted young ears of grain. Medium dough satisfies this requirement perfectly because although the grain is still moist, it already has a full starch content. Thus, when it is roasted on the fire, the moisture is driven out, and the toasted grains can be ground into flour. Grinding into flour means we can make cakes of it, which fulfills the requirement in Leviticus 2:15 that we lay oil and frankincense on the firstfruits offering (i.e., by making cakes of it).

15-21 Days from the New Year to an Omer of Aviv

Now let us look at the requirement to offer the omer in Leviticus 23:10-11, and verse 14. This tells us that the priesthood should offer the omer (the wave sheaf offering) on the day after the Sabbath of the week in which the Passover falls. It also says that we may not eat any part of our new crops until after we have brought our firstfruits (omer) offering.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:10-11, 14
10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
11 He shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the [weekly] Sabbath the priest shall wave it…”
14 “You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”

For example, in 2021, the new moon of Rosh HaShanah fell on the first day of the week. Fourteen days later, the Passover was held on Shabbat, and then Yom HaNafat HaOmer was the very next day. That means that none of that year’s crop could be eaten until the day after the Passover. (Incidentally, this was also the case in Joshua 5:10-11). Thus, there were 15 days in between Rosh HaShanah and Yom HaNafat HaOmer.

Alternately, if the new moon is seen on the second day of the week, this pushes the Passover back to the first day of the week, and then Yom HaNafat HaOmer is not held until the first day of the following week. In this condition there are 21 days from Rosh HaShanah to Yom HaNafat HaOmer.

This shows us that there can be anywhere in between 15-21 days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom HaNafat HaOmer. That is why, just before the new moon, we inspect the barley to see if the firstfruits of the new barley crop will be ready to present to Yahweh 15-21 days later, on Yom HaNafat HaOmer.

The Aviv Firstfruits are the First Thing to be Cut

It is also essential to realize that we cannot harvest any part of the new crop before we present the omer. This can be seen in an analysis of Deuteronomy 16:9, which tells us that we need to begin a 50-day Omer Count up to Pentecost (Shavuot) on the day that we begin to cut the standing grain (i.e., the new crop).

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:9-10
9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the [standing] grain.
10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to Yahweh your Elohim with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as Yahweh your Elohim blesses you.”

In other words, Deuteronomy 16:9 tells us to begin the 50-day omer count when we begin to cut the firstfruits of the new crop. In other words, when we cut the firstfruits of the new crop (i.e., the wave sheaf), that is when we begin the 50-day omer count to Shavuot (Pentecost). We can remember this with a simple mnemonic: “When we begin to cut, that is when we begin to count. When we begin to count, that is when we begin to cut.”

It is essential to realize that Deuteronomy 16:9 prohibits us from harvesting any part of our crop before we present the wave sheaf, because it affects the timing of Rosh HaShanah (the Head of the Year). However, some barley search groups (notably the Sadducees / Karaites, and some Messianics) either misinterpret or disregard Deuteronomy 16:9, perhaps because they do not realize that the wave sheaf is symbolic of Yeshua.

The Omer Aviv Firstfruits Symbolize Yeshua

We know that everything in the Tanach points to Yeshua. For example, Yeshua was offered as the first of the firstfruits among those who will be resurrected from the dead.

Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 15:20-23
20 But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: [first] Messiah the firstfruits, [and then] afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming.

The basic pattern here is that after we present the very first of our firstfruits to Elohim in the omer offering, then we can harvest our crops. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that this was also the way it was done in the first century. Speaking of the Wave Sheaf Offering, he says:

…they offer the first-fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God [sic]; and, casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest.
[Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 3, Chapter 10, Verse 5.]

We should notice several things about this passage. When Josephus tells us that they took only a handful of the ears, that means it was a small sheaf. This means that whole fields of barley did not need to be ripe before they could offer the wave sheaf offering—they could have as little as a single sheaf.

Also, the fact that Josephus tells us they had to dry the ears before they beat them small tells us that the ears were mature, but not completely dry. That is, they were not harvested dry, like what we would call “modern combine ripe.” Rather, they were harvested when they were still young, tender, and green, meaning they were aviv (or medium dough).

OT:24 ‘abiyb (aw-beeb’); from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:

If we are willing to receive it, this is just as Yeshua began His ministry when He was about 30 years of age, which is the time of life when the flesh is mature, and full (not old or dry).

Luqa (Luke) 3:23
23 Now Yeshua Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Yosef, the son of Heli…

Further, because medium dough barley is fully mature, it is viable as seed. This speaks to the symbolism in Yochanan (John) 12:24, where Yeshua tells us that when a grain of wheat (or barley) falls into the ground and dies, it produces much grain (i.e., it reproduces).

Yochanan (John) 12:24
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

Now let us consider that when Yeshua “fell into the ground and died”, many of the saints were raised.

Mattityahu (Matthew) 27:52-53
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the set-apart city and appeared to many.

But What is Geres Carmel Barley?

Now that we know what aviv barley is, what does Yahweh mean in Leviticus 2:14, when He says that when we bring an offering of our firstfruits to Him, we should bring him aviv grain parched in the fire [and/or] geres carmel (גֶּרֶשׂ כַּרְמֶל)? The New King James Version translates this as “crushed carmel”, and that is one possibility, but we would suggest another.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 2:14-15
14 “Also when you bring an offering of firstfruits [בִּכּוּרִים] to Yahweh, you shall bring green heads of grain [aviv] parched in the fire, [and/or] crushed carmel [גֶּרֶשׂ כַּרְמֶל] shall you offer for your firstfruits offering.
15 And you shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain offering.”

If aviv barley is medium dough barley, then one might suspect that carmel barley would be hard dough, because hard dough can be cracked or crushed in a mortar and pestle. Strong’s Concordance tells us that the word beaten is OT:1643, geres (גֶּרֶשׂ). This refers to grain that needs to be husked (i.e., grain that needs to have its husk removed manually.

OT:1643 geres (gheh’-res); from an unused root meaning to husk; a kernel (collectively), i.e. grain:
KJV – beaten corn.

This is related to OT:1644 garash, which refers to driving something out (as when driving grain out of the husk).

OT:1644 garash (gaw-rash’); a primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce:
KJV – cast up (out), divorced (woman), drive away (forth, out), expel, surely put away, trouble, thrust out.

As we said earlier, barley that is completely dry (as in modern combine ripe) separates easily from the chaff. However, when barley is less ripe than that, the husk must be manually removed (as with a mortar and pestle). This also works with Josephus’ description.

…they offer the first-fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God [sic]; and, casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest.
[Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 3, Chapter 10, Verse 5.]

However, there is an alternate theory regarding carmel barley that also seems to work, and is very intriguing. However, in order to understand it, first we need to talk more about the maturation process of barley, and also look at the case history of the aviv barley in 2021 CE.

Case History of the Aviv Barley in 2021 CE

There was a lot of extreme weather in Israel in late 2020 and early 2021. In late 2020 there was a lot of rain in Israel, and then in December of 2020 and January of 2021 there were six weeks of unseasonably warm weather. Because of this warm weather, the barley began to ripen, and some of it flowered. When barley flowers and is pollinated, it reaches a sort of a “point of no return”, and it drives on toward creating grains, even if the weather gets cold again, which is precisely what happened.

After the six weeks of unseasonably warm weather, it got cold again in Israel. The barley which had not already flowered pulled back, while the barley that had already been pollinated pushed forward to make seed. This resulted what might be called two flushes of barley. There was one flush of early barley that pollinated during the six weeks of unseasonably warm weather, and a second flush of barley that did not pollinate until later.

On 06 February 2021, a sister in Yeshua named Becca Biderman found aviv (medium dough) barley in the land of Israel. This was a week before the new moon of 13 February. Thus, the new moon of 13 February was also Rosh HaShanah (because the barley was aviv), and the Passover was on Sabbath, 27 February, with Yom HaNafat HaOmer on 28 February.

The Karaites and some Messianic barley groups said that the barley could not be aviv before Spring (i.e., before the Spring Equinox), even though the barley is often aviv before the Spring Equinox (and in fact the barley was aviv before the Equinox in the spring of 2020 as well). However, what was remarkable about 2021 was that some of the early first flush of barley seemed to be striped purple.

When barley is exposed to extreme climactic stress, it can change color. The change in color is caused by the barley generating anthocyanins. (Cyan means blue.) Anthocyanins are secondary plant metabolites which help the plants to adapt to extreme environments. That is, they help the plants to adapt. Current research indicates that anthocyanins are potentially beneficial to human health. Can we imagine the parallels with Yeshua?

Sister Biderman suggested that this purple barley was what Leviticus 2:14 refers to as carmel barley, because the Hebrew word for a vineyard is kerem (כרם), which seems to have the same root as carmel (כַּרְמֶל). Kerem is associated with wine and wine colors, and these anthocyanins appear when the barley is exposed to extreme stresses (just as Yeshua was exposed to extreme stress). If this understanding is correct, then the following verses would seem to speak of Yeshua as being symbolized by the striped, wine-colored barley as well.

B’reisheet (Genesis) 49:10-11
10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh [Messiah] comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.

And:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 53:4-5
4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by Elohim, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

And:

Luqa (Luke) 22:20
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

It could be that when Leviticus 2:14 tells us that barley has to be aviv or carmel, what it is really saying is that even if we have a year with extreme weather, we are to present Him with the very first sheaf of barley that comes available, as it is the fact that we have presented Him with the very first of the barley that clears the way for the rest of the harvest.

In other words, no matter whether carmel means hard dough barley or wine-colored barley, we are to bring him the very first sheaf of our firstfruits of barley when they are aviv or carmel, 15-21 days after Rosh HaShanah. That is what clears the way for the rest of the harvest. And this also speaks of Yeshua, who was the first of the firstfruits, clearing the way for the rest of the harvest of mankind.