1st Renewed Moon of 2024-2025 (March/April 2024)

While the group, Abib of God, has claimed an abundance of confidence for this renewed moon as being the month of aviv, their conclusion is mostly based on cultivated (planted) and domestic (genetically altered) fields, in addition to other 'signs' unrelated to barley growth. However, on Friday, March 8th, they did provide photos of wild barley fields that they claim have matured to a level of aviv based on sight. Specifically, though, they also have a photo of 6-row barley that they claim has 'entered the dough stages or as Zadok Code defines it numerically as stage #8.' This describes a stage that would be considered aviv (with stage #9 being fully ripened).

The group Devorah's Date Tree had also found one lone wild field (Field #5) that was considered to be aviv, but they questioned the poor soil health of the field, believing that it may have stressed the barley's overall growth. Other fields were not yet considered aviv by this group, however, they had reported their search results on March 7th - three full days prior to the renewed moon - and they have no plans to follow-up with any additional searches until the 10th day of the Biblical month. While we do not base our conclusions on predictions, a lot can happen in three days.

Finally, two additional reports have claimed wild aviv barley being found. The first, given by Rivkah Biderman, reports one wild barley field to be 90% aviv. Additionally, Hebrew in Israel (Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/QrEnJ7o2uuNH7WQF/?mibextid=oFDknk) had a report from the Jordan Valley with 'large' amounts of volunteer (wild) aviv barley.

While many of these reports are not overwhelmingly evident on their own, the combination of all four - we believe - is sufficient to positively consider natural barley within the region as being aviv prior to this renewed moon.

As a reminder, below are the three requirements that should be satisfied prior to (or on) the first day of the renewed moon (all three should be met):

• It is brittle enough to be destroyed by hail and has begun to lighten in color (i.e. it is not 'dark green') [Exodus 9:22, 31-32]
• The seeds have produced enough dry material so it can be immediately eaten parched (not having to first be dried out)[Leviticus 2:14]
• Field is natural and of sufficient quantity of aviv (a vast majority) to clearly indicate the field would be fully harvestable (karmel) within a few weeks (representative that other fields within the region should also have reached a minimum stage of aviv by Passover in enough quantities able to feed the people of the land) [Leviticus 23:10; Deuteronomy 16:9; Joshua 5:10-12]

These characteristics must be present and observable at the time of the renewed moon crescent, not based on projected development or later confirmation (unless otherwise proven it was aviv at the time of the renewedmoon). As a side note, the specific biblical requirement was to not eat of the new grain until the wave sheaf was presented (but nothing that specifically restricts it from being harvested and brought with them to the pilgrimage festival) [Leviticus 23:14].